2014 - 123 minutes - Science Fiction/Action
Director: Francis Lawrence
Country: United States
IMDB: 7.2
Metacritic: 64
RT: 66%
CinemaChagrin's Rating: CWatch this movie if you enjoy:
- The book
- Any of the big names in the film
- Fantastic direction/visual effects/props/sets
Avoid this movie if you dislike:
- Movies lacking conclusions
- Obvious cashgrabs
- Silly "action-movie" moments
- Shoddy writing
- Bizarre casting choices
Welp, here's another multi-part finale to a book adaptation series that feels altogether unnecessary from a storytelling standpoint but completely understandable from a business standpoint. I can't entirely blame the execs at LionsGate for splitting this movie into two parts - after all, I would do it too if it made me more money! Plus, moviegoers seem not to mind too much, as they show up for these films in droves. And while one could make the argument that the final installment of the Harry Potter series warranted two films due to the length of the book, one cannot make a similar argument for Mockingjay. It's not a very lengthy book by any means. At least they didn't try to make 3 movies out of it, a la The Hobbit.
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| Don't worry, I'm confused too, Katniss. |
Despite my peeves about splitting the final book into two movies, I (and many others) anticipated this movie because of the opportunity for it to outshine its written counterpart. Though the Hunger Games series is by no means fine literature, the first two books were entertaining fluff if also highly derivative and unoriginal. However, the third book was an absolute trainwreck - dull, uninteresting, and sloppily written. This presented an excellent opportunity for the screenwriters to trim unnecessary fat and present a taut, exciting closing film in the trilogy. For example, the writers of Game of Thrones are very good at cutting the unnecessary crap from Martin's book series and streamlining the plot of the show. Sadly, by splitting Mockingjay into two parts, any opportunity to improve upon the book pretty much went out the window. Plus, the naturally-resulting cliffhanger ending definitely does not leave the audience with a good taste in their collective mouths, given that they have to wait another year for the next installment.
Despite this, I actually liked the movie, and wouldn't mind re-watching it. That's saying something, as I don't ever plan on re-reading the book. However, just because I enjoyed the film to a certain extent doesn't excuse it from its glaring faults, of which there are many. I could spend entirely too much time dissecting each and every issue with the film, but I'll save us all a lot of time and identify the primary source of Mockingjay: Part 1's weaknesses (aside from the decision to split the book into two movies): the script.
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| Gale (Liam Hemsworth) & Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) save the day |
An outstanding script made Catching Fire not only an exciting blockbuster, but a great film in overall. Sharp writing allows quality directors and actors to excel at what they do. Unfortunately, a lackluster screenplay can and does limit the directors and actors forced to work with it. Such is the case with MJ: P1. Whereas Catching Fire balanced wit with gravity and excitement with sorrow, the script of MJ: P1 comes across as a bland offering riddled with cliches and silly lines. None of the actors are allowed to shine because the script doesn't really give them anything to work with. Character development has never been this series' strongpoint; however, all of the returning characters in this film are reduced to either shadows or caricatures of their former selves. New faces are mostly uninteresting. It's really a shame to see so much talent wasted. Granted, the substandard source material doesn't help, but I wish the writers could have inserted a bit more pep into the screenplay.
The film's pacing is also off. It's admittedly a little slow for a big-budget blockbuster (again, the two-movies issue), and much of the screenplay involves characters reacting with horror to **shocker** the horrors of war. Large sections of the film seem to amble along with nothing much happening. When things really get going near the middle and ending segments of MJ: P1, the film gets quite exciting. Unfortunately the poor script fails to provide any sort of foundation during the more quiet moments. The ending also materializes quite abruptly.
Finally, although casting has been a strength of the series until this point, Julianne Moore is horribly miscast as the autocratic president of District 13. She delivers her admittedly terrible lines in a wooden and unconvincing fashion. I'm not sure who decided it would be a good idea to have her in this movie. Additionally, Natalie Dormer (known from playing Princess Maergery Tyrell in Game of Thrones) seems quite out of place too. Though her character is pretty much a cardboard cutout, she doesn't really strike me as the type of actress who would thrive in a science fiction setting.
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| I love Natalie Dormer as much as the next guy, but she felt out of place |
You might be asking by this point, "didn't he say he enjoyed the film?" Well yes, I did to a certain extent. First of all, Francis Lawrence once again proves a competent director. Given the material he had to work with, he did a fine job. MJ: P1 looks beautiful. Action scenes are superbly shot (though the content is typically pretty silly). Lawrence really has a great way of framing shots to help the viewer focus on the most important subject onscreen without ignoring the rest of what's going on. MJ: P1 also had some really great editing. The tribute extraction scene in particular was very well-shot and quite tense. From the scenes featuring Panem subjects revolting accompanied by Katniss' haunting singing, to the aforementioned raid scene, the film's editing stands out consistently.
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| Good news: Peeta bread is still one suave mofo |
Bottom line - those of you who are fans of the book or were already planning on going to see the movie, by all means check it out and forge your own opinion. Unlike Catching Fire, though, I can't recommend this film to someone sitting on the fence or who doesn't already have an active interest in seeing it. It's entertaining but ultimately unsatisfying for the most part. Was it bad? No. Was it good? Not really. I'd say it's average. Hence my "C" rating.
-CC
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