Once again, Hollywood has taken to chopping one film into two halves. In this case, it’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjaw that has been given the split. This approach is often troublesome, particularly in finding a dramatic climax for a movie halfway through the story. Although admittedly, some meaty books have survived the process (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows being the prime example).
So, does this 390 page Mockingjay novel contain enough material to justify what will total a four-plus hour adaptation, broken into two filmic chapters? Based on first impressions, the honest answer is a resounding no. Fans of the series will may enjoy it regardless, but for a casual viewer this sequel feels slow-moving and belabored.
The plot follows Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) as she is inducted into the rebellion. Back in the Capitol, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) introduces extreme measures to quell the uprising and televises anti-revolt messages from Hunger Games competitor Peeta (Josh Hutcherson). Knowing her influence is key to uniting the masses, Katniss is asked to by the revolutionary faction’s leader (Julianne Moore) to become the public face or “poster child” of the effort. Hoping to save her fellow competitors from the game, she attempts to barter a deal to save their lives. In return for her complicity, she wants a rescue mission and amnesty for previous Hunger Game contestants trapped in the Capitol.
And that’s about all that is tackled in this adaptation. It’s obviously not a whole lot of material to work with and is further hindered by the limited role Katniss has in the proceedings. For the first time in the series, the principal character becomes an observer to the action rather than a participant. There’s only one scene in which she takes center stage. Instead, much of the action occurs far away, leaving the character little more to do than watch and react in fear or surprise.
The performers are very good and do their best to sell the shaggy material. Thanks primarily to the engaging cast, it just manages to hold one’s interest. And there are some interesting concepts introduced (namely when Katniss is being used as an image of the revolt, as well as the ways in which modern media are used to implement these ideas). Yet, this still results in a series of slickly shot, but padded-out boardroom meetings.
There’s also an increasingly strange tendency of the filmmakers to double up on events. For instance, Katniss tours the desolate ruins of her old district… sometime later, she does it again. The protagonist is sent out to make a propaganda video. Then she goes out to make another. Peeta is televised making an anti-revolt statement. Later, we see another interview in the same vein. Sure, some new information is revealed at each juncture, but there’s no question that events could have been combined and condensed without a great deal of fuss.
While competently made, this doesn’t feel like an epic that needs to be experienced on the big screen. Frankly, casual viewers would be advised to catch up with this one on DVD instead and save their cash for the real finale. It’s obvious that there is only an hour of material that has been drawn out to twice the time span. And as a result, the pacing suffers and the whole exercise becomes a tad underwhelming. After enjoying the first two flicks, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 feels like a chapter that one must endure rather than enjoy.