The long awaited “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” has been the most popular movie this season. The third movie in this series is making the most money, but is not making as good as an impression as the last.
The first movie, “The Hunger Games,” was very successful and true to the book. Fans of the book loved the movie because of this. The acting was amazing and emotional. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson star as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the tributes from District 12 chosen to fight for their lives in the heinous games. They keep these roles throughout the series. “The Hunger Games” earned millions of dollars and gained millions of fans. The first movie was successful, but the sequel was even more impressive.
“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” was next in the sequence. Katniss and Peeta return home to District 12 only to leave again soon after. Since they were the Victors of the 74th Hunger Games, they had to go on a tour to the other 11 districts to pay respect to the tributes that were killed. While everything seems so sweet and innocent, President Snow has another idea. The 75th anniversary of the games is coming up, and he wants Katniss dead. For the Quarter Quell, past victors are chosen to compete again. Katniss and Peeta bravely go, (not that they had much of a choice), to kill more people. The games take a toll on the teens emotionally and physically. Towards the end of the movie, Katniss gets taken out of the arena while Peeta is left there. As she begins to panic, the movie ends with a thrilling cliffhanger.
The third and final book was converted into two movies – “Mockingjay Part 1 and Part 2.” Fans were expecting action, fighting, and love between Peeta and Katniss. There are some action scenes, and when they happen they are very good – there just aren’t enough of those. Most of the movie is about the mysterious District 13 and Peeta’s fate. Most of the action comes from the Capitol attacking other districts. Katniss was much more emotional in this movie which reminded viewers that she is actually human, not just a heartless killing machine. As the movie closes, more is revealed about Peeta and what he has been going through. Without giving away spoilers – let’s just say it’s not pretty. It’s understandable that it’s not an action packed movie since the directors are probably waiting to make the finale the best one yet. The storyline is good, but the viewer can get distracted in some parts.
Another concern is the epileptic warning. There is one scene where sirens scream and lights flicker to alert District 13 of an emergency. There is no disclaimer in the beginning, and it has bothered some.
Overall, I think “Mockingjay” was okay, but it gets boring.