Jogos Vorazes: A Esperança - Parte 1

I really appreciate the way this series grows from the first entry, and the story in these final two films (I've watched the second part at the time of this review) is actually quite fantastic and bold. It's the execution that's lacking. The film is slow, too slow, and repetitive, too repetitive. Gone is the kinetic energy and sense of urgency that was so prevalent in Catching Fire. The script here isn't balanced nearly as well. I get that the final book is plot heavy, but sacrifices are natural to adaptations. This feels stretched out.

Fortunately the film has a great cast, and pretty solid cinematography, even if it's less vibrant than before. The character work is mostly fun, Sad Gale actually does some stuff (but is still a very boring character of a very boring, tedious love triangle). The cast are all excellent of course and the exploration of using propaganda was a great direction for the franchise.

Still, it feels greedy splitting the film. It could have been a great, concise trilogy but instead people watching the first two will always have a slog ahead of them.

Having put an end to The Hunger Games forever, President Alma Coin uses Katniss as a beacon for hope. A reluctant Katniss has only one thing on her mind, to save Peeta.

I have to be honest, I have always struggled with this movie, it isn't bad, I just wish they could have got the story done in one go, I like the second part, I find this first half too fleshed out, it lacks any real content. It does get going, but later on, it's all build up for the second.

The visuals are great, there are plenty of action sequences and explosions, and of course sets and costumes look great. Lawrence is very good once again, but the script doesn't offer her the range that Catching Fire did.

Julianne Moore was excellent as President Coin I thought, very strong performance.

I did enjoy that scene where Peeta turned, having been absent for most of the movie, it was good to see him put to good use.

I liked that there was a message at the end for Philip Seymour Hoffman, RIP.

6/10.

After the bombing of District 13, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) finally accepts the request of President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) and her adviser Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and becomes the symbol of the rebellion, the Mockingjay. However, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) in the Capitol broadcasts a message of Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) live contradicting Katniss. She believes that his life is in danger and convinces President Coin to rescue Peeta and the others Victors. But she has a surprise with his reaction.

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" is a disappointing movie too long for a short story with a lead character hysterical and too sentimental. In the other two movies, the plot was tense and full of action. Katniss is irritating with her reactions and despite the destruction of the Districts by Snow's army, her major concern is with Peeta. Prim's attitude leaving the bunker to save her cat is ridiculous and why Peeta's broadcasting is live is hard to understand. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Jogos Vorazes: A Esperança - Parte 1" ("Hunger Games: The Hope - Part 1")

You may want to save your money and time seeing this movie and wait for the last installment to come out next year, instead. Aside from Jennifer Lawrence, this movie offers nothing more than just a long and tiring tale of preparation for an impending rebellion.

Readers shouldn't get surprised: Mockingjay's first half chronicles District 13's efforts to groom Katniss as their heroine against the ruthless ruling Capitol. The process of transforming her into what they call the 'Mockingjay', a symbol of revolution, is engaging enough to ignite interest, but only up to a point, when long speeches and depictions of what the Hunger Games' downfall has caused, have almost become the only few things eating up the biggest slice of the movie's airtime pie. There is nothing much to see here, and while its refreshing to finally see the landscapes to have finally shifted away from the arenas, lack of action eventually makes the scenes that are almost only showing the events in the confinements, hard to appreciate, not to mention difficult to extract sense from.

Fortunately, it has Jennifer Lawrence, and that alone, is enough to pull the entire movie away whenever it leans toward making the audience fall to sleep. Jennifer's charm proves to be the biggest asset of this movie, and she alone, singularly saves the film from being a total nonsense. Toward the end, it isn't clear whether the makers of the film have made their point (aside from making more money of course) in splitting the book into two movies. This first half only presents a preview of what to happen next in the other half, only stretched into two hours of tiring sameness and boring exchanges of bland dialogues. The new characters are interesting yeah, but I'm not sure if anyone of them has offered something more than Lawrence, to spark further interest. Well, at least we can take comfort from the fact that the last movie next year will certainly offer a lot more, gripping action and drama, and that's really something to look forward to.

Mockingjay Pt.1 falls below the heights reached by the previous two films. Minus Lawrence, this film is a real bore, and its hard to seek something more than her to recommend. I give this film 6 of my 10 stars.

I have only ever read the first hunger games book, and I have no idea how much the other movies are accurate to the books. But I feel like MockingJay should have been one 3 hour movie or even less, they might have wanted to make the story more clear, or Suzanne Collins/ the book author wanted to make it into two, or the most likely --- CASH --- I don't care actually, I'm here to watch (enjoy) the movie(s) not read why these decisions were made. And waiting a full year to release the next part made it sort of necessary to rewatch it..

It simply feels like you watched the trailer for the second part, filler. Or to make a dramatic opening to the second movie. MockingJay could have easily be one movie. The first one could have been an hour and the second one two hours (both can be less).

There is nothing really special I can remember like there is in the other movies. Even back when I was a HUGE Hunger Games fan..!

This movie is even skippable if you want to do a marathon or just watch them again! It's like nothing remarkable happens.

But yet again we were used to half of the film in the arena, this just showed the other side of the dystopia, --- (would have been WAY WAY WAY better if it was one movie) --- I think this almost everyone's least favorite hunger games movie.. still stuck between that 6/10 and 7/10...