Mockingjay Part 1: A Fantastic Prequel

As an avid fan of The Hunger Games series I was dying to see the much anticipated third installment in the movie franchise.  The third book was by far my least favorite (I loved Catching Fire) but this movie made me want to reread it.  The journey that Katniss takes is different and more emotional than any other time we've seen here.  And Jennifer Lawrence? I can't say enough great things about her.  At times her acting makes one forget that they are watching a Hunger Games movie.  The best decision Suzanne Collins made was making sure Effie Trinket, played beautifully by Elizabeth Banks, was in this film.  Book fans know that Effie doesn't pop up in the books until the last chapter.  

              

Did you notice this poster? Its the first one where Katniss is not about to shoot an arrow.  

Everything about this film was amazing except for one thing: it felt like two hours and three minutes of set up.  When the final movie of a book series is split into two its almost impossible to not compare the movie to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  Both parts of Hallows had equal parts action and emotion.  To me Mockingjay Part 1 was about watching Katniss break down, build herself up, and break down again.  Like I said before, Jennifer Lawrence's performance was outstanding which makes this bareable.  But the entire movie was spent listening to people tell Katniss how much she matters and how strong she is.  You know its nothing more than a set up for Part 2 which is slightly disappointing.  Coming off of the success of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire I'll admit that I was expecting a bit more action wise but I'll wait. 

The positives far outweigh the negatives and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 is well worth the money just don't expect ton of action like the previous films being that there is no arena. And here's a little fun fact: throughout the entire movie Katniss Everdeen shoots one arrow.  One. The entire time.  Let that sit with you.  

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 enters theaters November 2015.