Still Left Hungry
Having destroyed the games after shooting an electrified arrow in to the force field, Katniss along with Finnick, Beetee, Gale and her family find themselves in District 13, a long thought to be destroyed district. Whilst racked with guilt over Peeta being left behind in the City Katniss agrees to become the Mockingjay symbol for the rebellion lead by President Coin. But whilst Katniss becomes the symbol for the rebellion Peeta has been turned in to the symbol of President Snow's regime.
How to lose friends, the first time I watched "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" I didn't enjoy it and whilst it has grown on me a little I still don't rate it as highly as its predecessors. Now I have not read the book on which it is based so I don't know whether it was right to split it in to two movies but going on just "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" I have to say it was a mistake although I doubt a financial one as it allowed the studios to make more money out of its "cash cow".
Now the problem with "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" is a simple one, not enough happens and so it ends up coming across as being drawn out although thankfully whilst the movie technically lasts 123 minutes around fifteen of those are the end credits. Yes we have Katniss becoming the symbol of the rebellion and we also have the treatment of Peeta under President Snow and of course the continuation of the love triangle, which frankly is getting tiring, but there isn't a lot else. Yes there are action set pieces and more character establishing such as Primrose become more and more like Katniss when it comes to caring for others but there needed to be more than just this to rationalize splitting the final chapter in two.
What also doesn't help matters is because of the underground rebel aspect of "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" it feels very different to the first two movies and when that combines with not much happening and feeling drawn out it feels wrong. The knock on effect of this is there is no real character defining when it comes to Katniss; yes she mopes around, feels guilt, tries to lead but then mopes some more it just doesn't captivate you. It is the same when it comes to Haymitch and Effie because of course the situation has changed their characters but it doesn't work for me and the changes are too great.
What this all boils down to is that "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" didn't do it for me and I found it too drawn out and that made it a struggle to be captivating. Hopefully the second part will complete things and make sense of the decision, beyond a profit one, to split the final part in two.
