REVIEW: The Hunger Games – Mockingjay Part 1

Katniss Everdeen is at it again in the latest instalment of the Hunger Games, leading the Districts into war against the Capitol.

I was really excited for the latest Hunger Games film, so much so that I attended the midnight release at Leeds the Light Vue Cinema. Sitting in their comfortable VIP seats, I settled down to watch the two hour film.

The film is all about the uprising of the District Army rebelling against the Capitol who have imprisoned them for too long. They have always wanted to fight back but have never had that influential figure to lead the rebellion and ever since the moment Peeta and Katniss messed with the rules of the 74th annual Hunger Games, they had their leader – their Mockingjay. The film takes place predominantly in Panem, in a secret underground base run by President Alma Coin. It is much more than just a base though, with thousands of citizens calling it home. This is the hub for the rebel force to initiate attacks against the Capitol without them knowing their location.

If I were to analyse the actors in the film it would only be right to start with Jennifer Lawrence who plays the main character, Katniss Everdeen. She plays her role perfectly once more. I think that Lawrence captured Katniss’ emotions most realistically in the first Hunger Games film, but this film wasn’t too far off either. For me, her best acting moments in the film were when she returns to District 12 and when she is shown spending time with her family. As a viewer, it is easy to distinguish her range of emotions through both her facial expressions and her body language.

President Alma Coin played by Julianne Moore is probably the most dominant character in the film. She comes across as caring, but there is an underlying part of her personality which is authoritarian and powerful. She chooses only to show it when necessary though and Moore is very convincing in her portrayal of President Alma Coin.

Finally, Liam Hemsworth’s character, Gayle. I believe Hemsworth has been very consistent in terms of the quality of his acting in all three films so far but his character progression is astonishing. In the first film the audience couldn’t fail to notice his dominance and masculinity, contrasted with the somewhat vulnerable looking Peeta Mellark. It has been evident throughout that Gayle loves Katniss and this affection comes to the surface more than ever in this latest film. This is developed in the parts of the film where it is just the two of them onscreen and Gayle’s character shows a palpable sense of lust towards Katniss.

I would recommend this film to young teenagers and families as it doesn’t include too much violence; it is more of a family fuelled adventure.

I personally think the film was a bit slow paced. It isn’t as action-packed as the previous films and to be honest I should have expected this with it being the first of a two part finale. The first part will always be a build up to the climax of the action in the second film and that’s exactly what occurred here. Despite this though, it was still one of the best films I have seen at the cinema this year.

I would rate this film 7.5/10. Not the best Hunger Games film, but definitely still worth a watch!

Henry Burkinshaw