The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

The first Mockingjay is one of the most typical blockbusters in the history of Hollywood. The second most commercially successful film in the Unites States in 2014 and the fifth in the given year in worldwide box-office revenues is completely devoid of money shots, epic scenes and bombastic action sequences. Its two-hour runtime predominantly comprises dialogue scenes, as most of the film takes place in an underground bunker and all of the characters wear baggy coveralls. Here the filmmakers can afford to do what would be commercial suicide anywhere else thanks to the fact that this is a feature-length exposition for the climax, which will come in the second film. The knowledge that, thanks to its title, the film will automatically be a hit regardless of what happens in it gave rise to the film saga’s crucial episode. Instead of a seasonal spectacle, we have here a film that appeals exclusively to adolescent audiences, but instead of the formulaicness and superficiality that is associated with this target group on the part of overly clever old people and pragmatic producers, it relates a narrative from an Orwellian grey world that uncovers deceit and media manipulation, showing the heroine fumbling her way between her own interests and the intentions of others, while offering no resolution of the conflicts that have arisen. (06/26/2016)

The plot of the film was oddly compatible with the current situation on the Eastern Front. An evil ruler is trying to break the desperate but persistent resistance, with propaganda playing a crucial role. It makes no difference if it’s propaganda by the bad guys or the good ones. The way I see it, it's all about lies and manipulation. Plutarch Heavensbee not only showed skills that even Goebbels would have praised him for, but he also looked more likable. Natalie Dormer as Leni Riefenstahl was given much less space, but she pulled off her part very well. The film works excellently as a kind of anatomy of propaganda, but it’s not so great in other respects. Katniss Everdeen got post-traumatic stress syndrome as a bonus to all her amazing qualities, and since she was involved in the aforementioned propaganda, the character became almost insufferable for me, reciting speeches full of clichés and pathos with a face devoid of emotion, and saving the cat. Again, the writing avoided logic like a pedophile priest avoids celibacy. Well, it wasn't worth much, just as I’d suspected. / Lesson learned: Promote the only right ideas and maybe your face will be on posters. 2*- (09/10/2022)

The first half of the last episode of The Hunger Games offers nothing but constant talking, preparation for the revolution, gathering courage and calm before the storm. Meanwhile, we will have to wait a year for a proper civil war and action before the second half premieres. Actually, it's more of a prequel. From a technical perspective, the film is not badly shot, the actors are very good and the dialogues are quite fine, but it is desperately boring and lacks action. Most of the time, you just wait for something to finally start happening, but you won't get see it, because the creators are saving it for the next film. In addition, the whole thing looks much cheaper than the previous two films. If nothing else, in the previous Hunger Games you could at least enjoy the grandeur of the gaming arena, the digital tricks, or at least the extravagant color stylization of the capital and its inhabitants. This is not the case with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, as most of the story takes place in an underground bunker or in ruins, so the film is not only much more intimate, but also not very visually attractive. For the average viewer, or one who hasn’t seen the previous episodes, this is a waste of time. For fans of the series, the film only serves as a moving illustration of events that they already know from the book. And, of course, it doesn't make sense to tell them that the new Hunger Games is not worth it... (11/19/2014)

I was going into the third Hunger Games movie with respect. I might have even been a little bit afraid. The first one had a premise that was really enjoyable. The second one had a combination of an arena fighting and politics, which enthused me far less, and after watching it, it was clear that the third one would be pure war and politics, which is something I was afraid of. But in the end, it wasn’t that bad. There was politics, but it was bearable. An array of amazing action scenes often came to the rescue, as well as the actors who obviously enjoyed it immensely. Especially Moore and Hoffman whose roles I’ll never forget. I must even admit that even though this movie had a lot of flaws, I’m excited to see the final instalment. (06/22/2015)