The first part of the final Hunger Games installment, Mockingjay, Part 1, premiered November 21. Although I am a big fan of the book and movie series, this movie did not deliver all the thrills and adventure that the trailer seems to promise.
The movie picks up right where the prequel, Catching Fire, left off. Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, has just been rescued from the arena, where she has been playing in the 75th annual Hunger Games. She wakes up in District 13, a place no one in the nation of Panem had previously known existed.
The heroine is bombarded with the news of her old home, District 12, being destroyed. Her family and few of the other survivors from the decimated District now find refuge in District 13. She is still reeling with the trauma that she endured during the gladiator-style, murderous Hunger Games, in which she had to participate twice. Along with managing her paranoia, she is also tasked with dealing with the strained romance between her and her childhood friend, Gale. 
Katniss is suddenly thrown into the role of the Mockingjay- the symbol and inspiration of the rebellion against the oppressive government. She is reluctant to agree to the task, but eventually does, in exchange for something/someone that she wants.
From there, the movie takes off into a perpetual state of gradual rising action. The plot moves slowly and switches between scenes of revolt from across the nation, to Katniss’ role in the revolution. However, the sluggish storyline definitely takes away from the feeling of anticipation which should occur when rebellion is building.
Splitting the last movie into two parts is fruitless. The only two reasons I can come up with for the division are money and accuracy. By making two separate films, the franchise is able to squeeze out every last penny possible. Additionally, the director, Francis Lawrence, and production companies, Color Force and Lions Gate Entertainment, probably wanted to make a film as accurate to the book as possible- considering that many Hunger Games fans were displeased with the first movie.
In all honesty, only one movie was really needed. Part 1 is so focused on building up the revolution and showing the citizens being pushed to their breaking point, that it forgets to have a climax. The end of the movie is the most exciting part, and it still wasn’t enough to get me on the edge of my seat. Although I wasn’t enthralled in the plot, I understand its necessity. If Mockingjay were to become a single production, then the movie would probably have to veer to almost three or four hours long. One longer movie would equal less profit for the corporations that produce it and less attention to detail for the fans.
Despite the lack of action, the acting was immaculate. Lawrence does a wonderful job as Katniss and has yet to disappoint since she began working on this movie series in 2012. Other actors who worked in this film include Josh Hutcherson (Bridge to Terabithia), Liam Hemsworth (The Expendables 2), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote), and Sam Claflin (Snow White and the Huntsmen).
There has been a broad spectrum of opinions on this movie, ranging from love to hate. The mixed reviews can make a person question whether seeing the film is worthwhile. But if you are a huge fan, seeing Mockingjay, in theaters, is probably already on your to-do list. However, if you enjoy the movies, but are not obsessed with the Peeta/Gale/Katniss love triangle, I would wait this one out and watch it once it’s on DVD or available on your cable provider.
Mockingjay Part 2 is set to come out next year. I am definitely looking forward to a hopefully, the more action-packed second half of the story. This movie duo had a lot of potential and although the first part was quite disappointing, I remain optimistic about the finale of this long, drawn-out series.