The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

http://www.thehungergamesexplorer.com/gb/epk/mockingjay-part1-gb-en/

You can find my previous reviews for The Hunger Games here and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire here.

Despite my blog post last week about my less than pleasant experience at the Mockingjay Premiere, I was still excited to see the first part of the final two movies in this series. Especially as I had actually managed to read the book entirely before seeing this film - which was not the case with the previous two films. 

For those who have not read the book I will keep my synopsis short and sweet. Following Katniss' (Jennifer Lawrence) exit from the quarter quell, she has been hidden by Plutarch (Philip Seymour Hoffman) in the underground District 13. Although her family and best friend Gale (Liam Hemsworth) managed to make it out of District 12 before the Capitol destroyed her home, she is still grieving over the loss of Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), and unforgiving to Plutarch and the president of District 13, Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) for not rescuing him from the games arena. Their plan is to make Katniss the Mockingjay, the face of the revolution against the Capitol. At first Katniss is completely unwilling to even discuss the proposition, but when she discovers Peeta is alive, and being used by the Capitol as their pawn, she knows she has to join the fight. But Katniss has conditions, the first of which is that Peeta and the other victors are rescued and pardoned for their involvement with the Capitol.

If you read my previous Hunger Games reviews you will know that it took the book to really make me appreciate the first film, and that reading the second book went a long way to my enjoyment of the second film. I read Mockingjay last Christmas so it wasn't exactly fresh in my mind going into this movie. However, I think that actually added to my experience, as it was nice to have little surprises when certain events happened that I'd forgotten about. 

Katniss' song for example, the hanging tree, I had completely forgotten about, and then when it appeared in the film it actually brought a tear to my eye. The moment is beautifully done, highly emotional, and Jennifer Lawrence has a very raspy childlike singing voice which fitted the song perfectly. The way the song is interwoven into another scene is equally brilliant and I thought it fused the book and the film together in a way I hadn't yet imagined. 

Fans of the book are definitely not going to be disappointed by this installment, and if you've not read the books but are enjoying the films so far I think you will continue to be impressed. I don't know about you guys but I can't wait for Part 2! 8.5 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 21st November 2014

UK Release Date - 20th November 2014

Cast Overview:

Jennifer Lawrence ~ Katniss Everdeen 

Josh Hutcherson ~ Peeta Mellark 

Liam Hemsworth ~ Gale Hawthorne 

Woody Harrelson ~ Haymitch Abernathy 

Donald Sutherland ~ President Coriolanus Snow 

Philip Seymour Hoffman ~ Plutarch Heavensbee

Julianne Moore ~ President Alma Coin

Willow Shields ~ Primrose "Prim" Everdeen

Sam Claflin ~ Finnick Odair

Elizabeth Banks ~ Effie Trinket 

Mahershala Ali ~ Boggs

Jena Malone ~ Johanna Mason

Jeffrey Wright ~ Beetee Latier 

Paula Malcolmson ~ Mrs Everdeen

Stanley Tucci ~ Caesar Flickerman 

Natalie Dormer ~ Cressida

Evan Ross ~ Messalia

Elden Henson ~ Pollux

Wes Chatham ~ Castor

Director ~ Francis Lawrence 

Writer(s) ~ Peter Craig (Screenplay), Danny Strong (Screenplay) and Suzanne Collins (Adaptation of her novel Mockingjay)

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

http://www.thehungergamesexplorer.com/us/epk/catching-fire/

After I was somewhat underwhelmed by the first Hunger Games movie (see review here), I was actually really pleased when a member of my book club suggested it as our next read. I was curious if it was just the movie I was less than enamoured with, or if it was the story and characters in general.

After reading the book, and loving it so much that I immediately made Catching Fire my next book club choice, I re-watched The Hunger Games and found that I enjoyed it more. It gave me a greater understanding of certain elements of the story that are only really explained fully in the book, and a deeper insight into the characters. With my preparation over, it was time to see the sequel.

Catching Fire is set a short while after the events of the 74th Hunger Games, at the end of which Katniss (Lawrence) and Peeta (Hutchinson) were crowned joint victors after forcing the hand of the games makers. Katniss and Peeta are now living in the 'Victors Village' in District 12, a special part of their home town which only contains three previous Hunger Games winners (and their families). Yet despite the small number of people, and despite the show they put on during the games, Katniss and Peeta now barely speak to one another. But their victory tour of the districts is about to begin, so they need to mend their difficulties, if just for the cameras, until the tour is over. When Katniss receives an unwelcome visit from President Snow (Sutherland) prior to the tour, she is taken aback by how direct he is when he tells her that her 'performance' on the tour is going to mean the difference between life and death to those she loves, because if she convinces the world that her insubordinate behaviour was as a result of her love for Peeta, it could stop the uprising the President is fearing from the districts against the Capitol. Sadly Katniss' performance fails to stop the spark she started in the games, so President Snow is forced to amend the rules for the 75th games - the Quarter Quell that happens every 25 years - and this means that Katniss is going back into the arena.

I had started reading Catching Fire before the film was released but sadly, I did not manage to finish the book before I saw the movie. Having said that, as with the first book/film, I think the additional information gained from what I had read helped my overall impression of the second film. 

I felt that although parts were missing, what was present stuck very closely to the book, and worked very well. I was unsure about the casting going in as I had heard that a lot of fans were less than pleased about Jena Malone being cast as Johanna Mason. I have always enjoyed Jena's performances so I was less worried about her, and more unsure if Sam Claflin would pull off playing Finnick, as I have previously found his characters a little insipid. I am happy to report that both Malone and Claflin did a great job of instilling their characters with the same qualities as their written counterparts.

The movie very much felt like a middle film, a point which has been echoed by a few of my friends, but it was also follow-able to another of my friends who had not seen the first movie, so that is in no way a bad thing. My only criticism would be that the ending is very abrupt, but then so is the ending in the book, so again, I can't really fault it. 

An improvement on The Hunger Games in terms of character development and an exciting installment in the grand scheme of the story arc. 8 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 21st November 2013

UK Release Date - 21st November 2013

Cast Overview:

Jennifer Lawrence ~ Katniss Everdeen 

Josh Hutcherson ~ Peeta Mellark 

Liam Hemsworth ~ Gale Hawthorne 

Woody Harrelson ~ Haymitch Abernathy 

Elizabeth Banks ~ Effie Trinket 

Lenny Kravitz ~ Cinna 

Philip Seymour Hoffman ~ Plutarch Heavensbee

Jeffrey Wright ~ Beetee Latier 

Stanley Tucci ~ Caesar Flickerman 

Toby Jones ~ Claudius Templesmith 

Sam Claflin ~ Finnick Odair

Jena Malone ~ Johanna Mason

Lynn Cohen ~ Mags

Amanda Plummer ~ Wiress

Willow Shields ~ Primrose "Prim" Everdeen

Donald Sutherland ~ President Coriolanus Snow 

Director ~ Francis Lawrence 

Writer(s) ~ Simon Beaufoy (Screenplay), Michael Arndt (deBruyn) (Screenplay) and Suzanne Collins (novel Catching Fire)