The Hunger Games Series

[methodwriter85]

   This is a thread to discuss the entire Hunger Games movie series.

 

    Check out this teaser trailer:

 

 

    I am so freakin' stoked that it looks like they're actually going to go in-depth into what happens to Johanna, as well. If they're going to go the route of the split book crap, it at least looks like we're going to get some great character development. It's interesting that her hair is blonde here, which I don't remember from the book- if I recall correctly, wasn't her head shaved? Of course, I can see Johanna shaving her head after getting back control of herself.

 

   I do regret that we probably won't get the scene of Johanna using Katniss's IV morphine drip and talking about how being a morphling wouldn't be such a bad life.

Edited July 23, 2014 by methodwriter85

[pootlus]

It's definitely my favourite book-to-movie adaptation.  While you can never do justice to the intricacies of a book, I feel they've done a really good job with this series, helped by a great cast (although Woody Harrelson steals every scene he's in quite outrageously).  I actually got more upset by

Rue's death

than I did in the book.

 

It probably helps having read the books first, and I'd be interested in seeing if a book virgin saw the movies and was able to grasp the world of Panem without having to have anything explained to them.

[Athena]

If you guys want, you can make this a spoilers topics so that you can talk about all the movies in detail without worrying about spoiling anyone.

[bluvelvet]

So glad to see this topic.

[methodwriter85]

Right. I kind of thought it went without saying that this would be choke full of spoilers since this is about ALL the movies, not just one of them. Spoiler it away.

 

Even with its flaws- having to water down the violence, taking away from Peeta's character development (although it looks like they'll FINALLY do something here), I have to agree that this is probably one of my favorite book adaptions. And they pulled off a pretty seamless transition from the gritty, Appalachian style that Gary Ross was going for in the first movie to the more sophisticated, cinematic feel of Catching Fire.

 

In any event, the marketing teams for Catching Fire and Mockinjay Part 1 have been pretty brilliant.

Edited July 24, 2014 by methodwriter85

[lottiedottie]

I really hope the trailer that comes out tomorrow at Comic Con leaks online, because I am itching to see some footage now, after seeing those great teasers with Snow, Peeta and Johanna.

 

When THG came out, I was pretty pleased with it--I thought they mostly got it right. But when CF came out, I was really happy! I thought they did a great job on CF, so much so that I wish they could go back and redo THG. But, it is what it is. I'm really looking forward to Mockingjay, especially for Peeta's transformation. There are a few moments from the book that are my absolute favorites that I'm interested in seeing how they come alive on screen: The moment when Katniss and Haymitch face off after the meeting with the random people from 12 and 13. Everyone leaves and Katniss says that she can't believe he didn't rescue Peeta and he says, "I can't believe you let him out of your sight..."

The second moment I love is again between Katniss and Haymitch, when they are above ground in 13, filming a propo and she can't get it together because all she can think about is how bad Peeta is doing, and Haymitch is the one who comforts her. And then finally, near the end, when Katniss is back in 12 and Buttercup reappears and she loses it, crying for Prim. It's so gut-wrenching.

 

I suspect they will split the movie either when Peeta returns (although that would make for a pretty dull part 1) or when she gets shot in district 2. Him choking her or her getting shot would make for a dramatic cut off point. Part of me wishes we were getting just one long movie a la Return of the King, but since that's not happening I hope that they will use the time in Mockingjay 1 & 2 to add in some good scenes that help develop the story, like they did with the additional Snow scenes in Catching Fire.

 

Only 4 months to go!

[methodwriter85]

I will say, Catching Fire did SUCH a good at world-building, probably more than the first movie did. I think the first movie had better music and nothing quite as much got me as Rue's death did, but there was a lot of way in which the sequel improved upon the movie.

[lottiedottie]

I will say, Catching Fire did SUCH a good at world-building, probably more than the first movie did. I think the first movie had better music and nothing quite as much got me as Rue's death did, but there was a lot of way in which the sequel improved upon the movie.

Do you mean that Rue's movie death bothered you? As in, the book did it justice but the movie did not? Just clarifying!

[methodwriter85]

   I'm saying that Rue's death hasn't been equaled in emotional response from me in anything that happened in Catching Fire. Mags was sad but I wasn't sniffling there.

[VanillaBear85]

I have no idea what it says about me that I was crying throughout Catching Fire.

[BatmanBeatles]

I felt like crying when Katness said her tribute to Rue and Thresh. How cruel was it for the Capital to make their families stand under there pictures?

[lottiedottie]

Did anyone make it to Best Buy today to see the trailer? Apparently there isn't a Samsung whatever at my local store, so I didn't go. I did see a very poor quality video on Tumblr of the trailer, but it was nary impossible to see what was going on. It's supposed to be online Monday sometime.

[methodwriter85]

Elizabeth Banks: You'll See More of Effie

 

I'm glad. I always thought the lack of Effie in Mockingjay was a mistake. I'm wondering if they're going to swap out Effie for Katniss's wardrobe assistants that she found after they were punished for taking an extra roll.

 

I really have loved what Elizabeth has done with Effie. The bit in the first movie where Effie is lip-synching along to President Snow's propaganda film at the reaping, was contrasted so well against Effie's devastated look to Katniss when she has to read her name at the reaping in Catching Fire.

[BatmanBeatles]

 

I'm glad. I always thought the lack of Effie in Mockingjay was a mistake. I'm wondering if they're going to swap out Effie for Katniss's wardrobe assistants that she found after they were punished for taking an extra roll.

It wouldn't surprise me if they did. In the first two films, there wasn't much focus on Cinna's prep team.

[Maelstrom]

Echoing methodwriter - EB has made Effie so much more human than bookEffie ever could've been, it's been a joy to watch the character's journey. I've suspected since I first read Mockingjay that Effie would take the preps' place in District 13 in the film. It would certainly have far more of an impact, since audiences have had more of a chance to get attached to Effie during the first two movies.

[methodwriter85]

    Elizabeth Banks really did do so much with a character that as written, was more of a caricature than a real person. BookKatniss didn't even think BookEffie gave a damn about her until the Gold scene. The Catching Fire reaping scene had far more of an impact on me than the book one did because of how Elizabeth Banks played it.

 

   As for the newbies, I thought Jena Malone made an awesome Johanna. Of the Catching Fire characters, I thought she translated the best. Still wish they kept in the "I don't care if you are knocked up, I'll rip your throat out line", but still- the elevator striptease was beautifully done and so perfectly Johanna. I'm really excited that the teasers seem to be saying that we'll see Hijacked Johanna.

 

   As for Sam Claflin, I thought he acquitted himself well but the character was still pretty small. I do think he has to be beefed up considerably in the next movie, if they stay true to Katniss and Finnick being confidants.

Edited September 13, 2014 by methodwriter85

[Maelstrom]

Elizabeth Banks really did do so much with a character that as written, was more of a caricature than a real person. BookKatniss didn't even think BookEffie gave a damn about her until the Gold scene. The Catching Fire reaping scene had far more of an impact on me than the book one did because of how Elizabeth Banks played it.

Yes to this. BookEffie was consistently unlikeable throughout all three books. MovieEffie has been far more relatable and sympathetic - the reaping scene in CF really got to me, too.

 

Agreed that JM made a dynamite Johanna. I'm thrilled that we'll likely get to see more of her and Peeta's story in the Capitol - it'd be stupid not to include more of that.

 

Which leads me what I've always disliked about Mockingjay, and why it's my least favorite book. IMO it seemed that Katniss' story was by far the least interesting one. I always felt that all of the good stuff was happening elsewhere - in the Capitol, with the rebel masterminds, anywhere but where Katniss was. Especially considering she's sick, catatonic, or just plain out of her mind for a good portion of the book. YMMV, of course. But I've no doubt the movie(s) could even out the weaknesses of the novel's structure - giving Johanna, Peeta, and Effie, to name a few, larger roles as the promos seem to indicate is a good sign of this.

 

As for Finnick, I think someone over on the old forum said it best - that BookFinnick is so handsome, charismatic, suave, cunning and witty that no single actor could ever capture all of that. I've always thought of Finnick as several different characters (perhaps personas is a better word). There is Playboy Finnick, flirting with (at?) Katniss over sugar cubes at their first meeting, playing the handsome charmer all over the Capitol. In the arena, there is Survivor Finnick, who is shrewd, cunning and calculating, who makes Katniss wonder if she'll have to kill him in his sleep. In D13, there is Wounded Finnick, an intensely vulnerable and damaged person whom Katniss finally, truly befriends. (Their bonding scenes in the first half of Mockingjay are some of my favorite parts of the book - hopefully the movie won't skimp on them). And finally there is the real Finnick, the one who marries Annie and seems like a decent guy. I thought that SC did well enough as Playboy Finnick - he's not the most charismatic actor out there IMO, but he did better than I expected. He worked better as Survivor Finnick, and I enjoyed the new dynamics he brought out with Peeta and Katniss in the arena. Time will tell how he does in Mockingjay.

Edited September 12, 2014 by Maelstrom

[GaT]

As for Finnick, I think someone over on the old forum said it best - that BookFinnick is so handsome, charismatic, suave, cunning and witty that no single actor could ever capture all of that. 

That's Edward Cullen syndrome.

[Princess Sparkle]

As for Finnick, I think someone over on the old forum said it best - that BookFinnick is so handsome, charismatic, suave, cunning and witty that no single actor could ever capture all of that. 

I can think of a couple, but all of them would be too old - Heath Ledger in his prime is how I always envisioned BookFinnick, and I could see either one of the Avengers Chris's (Hemsworth or Evans) pulling it off, but as I said, they're much too old.  One other option, who would've been the right age, is Michael B Jordan - he's insanely charismatic, and I think he could've pulled off the more cunning parts of the character (and MAN did Wallace become handsome).  Sam Clafin just doesn't do it for me at all in the role.

Edited September 12, 2014 by Princess Sparkle

[methodwriter85]

I thought Sam Claflin's Finnick looked far more attractive in the arena than he did in the sugarcube scene. The pancaked make-up in that scene just made him look prematurely wrinkled. It'd be great to see what he does with the "Finnick is a prostitute" material, but after the way they toned down the Katniss pregnancy plotline, I really wouldn't be surprised if they take that out. Which is a shame, because that's meaty material.

 

Honestly, I still really wanted Armie Hammer but in reality there was no way he was going to commit himself to a supporting role in a franchise for two years when he was about to be The Lone Ranger. Of course, it didn't work out well but he didn't know that.

Edited September 13, 2014 by methodwriter85

[Enero]

Which leads me what I've always disliked about Mockingjay, and why it's my least favorite book. IMO it seemed that Katniss' story was by far the least interesting one. I always felt that all of the good stuff was happening elsewhere - in the Capitol, with the rebel masterminds, anywhere but where Katniss was. Especially considering she's sick, catatonic, or just plain out of her mind for a good portion of the book. YMMV, of course. But I've no doubt the movie(s) could even out the weaknesses of the novel's structure - giving Johanna, Peeta, and Effie, to name a few, larger roles as the promos seem to indicate is a good sign of this.

 

Agreed. While reading Mockingjay I spent a good part of the book hoping and wishing we'd get a view into the Capitol and what was going on with Peeta and Johanna. With the movies being split into to two parts, IMO they're going to have to give more insight into what's going on outside of D13.

 

As for Finnick, I think someone over on the old forum said it best - that BookFinnick is so handsome, charismatic, suave, cunning and witty that no single actor could ever capture all of that.

 

Yep. And everyone has there own idea of what that looks like and the actor that would embody that role don't they. :) I thought Claflin did okay with the role. Like some though,  I didn't think he was even close to being pretty enough and didn't ooze charisma like I thought the character should've. He wasn't Finnick to me and perhaps because he didn't have much to do in CF and Claflin didn't get many opportunities to show who Finnick really was. He should get more opportunities in Mockingjay which should tell us if he's able to make the role his own.

[thuganomics85]

New Offical Trailer:

 

 

I'm pretty sure I saw a glimpse of Effie with Katniss as the rebellion camp, so I think the theories that she is going to be there instead of Katniss' wardrobe assistants, is probably true.  I'm happy with this change.

 

While the younger cast rightfully gets a lot of praise, seeing this reminds me how much I love Donald Sutherland as President Snow.  He may have not been an exact match from how he was described in the books (if I remember, Snow was actually suppose to be short), but I really can't think of anyone else who could have played him as well as Donald has.  He's great at showing the underlining ruthlessness that is always there, but has enough charisma, that you can buy why people at The Capitol are charmed by him.  I can't wait to see more of him in these final films.   

[methodwriter85]

That was definitely Effie, and definitely Effie dressed down. Oh, my god, I can't wait to see how Elizabeth handles that.

 

I'm really excited. That was a great trailer.

[methodwriter85]

Hunger Games: The Musical

 

This could be really awesome or really bad.

[absnow54]

I got to see Mockingjay Part 1 last night at an advance screening, and while the book -- the first half specifically -- is probably my least favorite in the series, the movie was really well done. I remember getting frustrated with Katniss through Mockingjay, but Jennifer Lawrence's performance really embodies her struggle and gives her sympathy I couldn't originally connect with.

 

The performances all around were a step up from the last one. I found in Catching Fire that a lot of people seemed to be delivering flat lines and more or less phoning it in, I hate to say it, but PSH especially. I found in Catching Fire that he played Plutarch with too much menace, but in Mockingjay he finds Plutarch's panache for theatrics and his ignorance as a Capitol citizen is finally on display, and I think that's thanks to Julianne Moore, whose subtle and understated performance as Coin really elevates the film. I was worried about Liam Hemsworth's acting chops, since this is the first film that depends on him to carry more than one or two scenes, but I was pleasantly surprised (he even had a comedic line that had the whole theater laughing!) he was still weak in a few scenes, but he delivered when needed. Josh Hutcherson had far less to do in this movie, and while his early scenes were fine, the preview of what's yet to come from him in Part 2 made me really excited. I also found that while they barely shared any scenes, the chemistry between Josh and Jen was much stronger in this movie than the past two. They played star crossed very well. 

 

The dialogue in Mockingjay is also very smart. It was funny in all the right places (Elizabeth Banks again steals the movie) and the political/war strategy was concise without being too blunt or too pretentious, which is a hard balance to find. I found some of the action sequences to drag a little longer than necessary for suspense, but this movie wasn't just made for book readers, so I can see how it could be a nail biter for those who don't know what comes next.

 

The only thing I was disappointed in was

Finnick. He is a fan favorite, and they cut out, arguably, one of the most iconic scenes in the series ("Do you find this distracting?") which is such a brief yet memorable moment, and adds to the connection you're supposed to feel towards the character, especially given his fate. They also hack up his big confession about life as a Capitol escort by playing Peeta's rescue over it. The speech he gives is verbatim from the book, but so much other stuff is going on (in fact he's sharing the screen with 3 other live feeds) that I'd be surprised that anyone who hadn't read the book was actually paying attention to what he was saying. It's unfortunate, but it's an adaptation and there's only so many characters and plots you can focus on, so I understand why he was shafted.

[SnoGirl]

Your review makes me excited to see it. I loathed Mockingjay as a book, but I'm a completist, so I'm going to have to see it.

I have to ask where did they end it? I have a fair idea by your description of the movie, but I'd love to know!

[absnow54]

I have to ask where did they end it? I have a fair idea by your description of the movie, but I'd love to know!

It ends pretty much where you'd expect... plus a few extra minutes. They do the big strangling scene then cut to black long enough for the entire audience to shout "I knew it!" and then cut to Katniss in the hospital where they explain what hijacking is. Then the final scene is Julianne Moore delivering a victory speech about liberating the victors juxtaposed with Katniss wandering through the medical wing in search of Peeta's room, where she finds him bound to his bed and thrashing like an animal.

[Unraveled]

I saw this tonight. I was surprised to see that the earliest time is no longer the midnight showing, but at night. And yeah for assigned seating so I don't have to wait in line with other teenagers who are loud.

 

I thought it was a pretty good adaptation. I felt like it did a pretty good job for those who haven't read the books. There was a lot of action mixed with poignant scenes. The great thing about the movies is that we get to see non-Katniss scenes. I enjoyed watching the other districts and what they did during this rebellion. Particularly the

the wood district (those people climbing the trees were so fast!) and the electricity district. It was also nice to see a non-book scene of Snow's granddaughter unbraiding her hair when the Mockingjay symbol got banned.

 

As for Finnick, I was a bit confused (the last time I read the books was about a year ago).

While they showed Finnick making knots when he was nervous, I could have sworn he was a lot crazier when he got rescued. They also didn't expand the story of Anna at all. Perhaps they will be doing this in Part 2? I don't think a non-book reader will know that Anna got crazy after her win.

 

Along with absnow54, I'm disappointed that they've chosen to decrease Finnick's presence rather than expanding on it. I wanted to know more about it. I'm assuming that they chose to reveal Finnick's secrets over the rescue was because of the PG-13 rating. Didn't they expand on some of the Capital resident's dirty secrets in the book?

 

As for President Coin (book part 2 spoilers):

I'm glad they're planting the seeds that Coin's vision of the new Panam isn't as genuine as everyone thinks. Maybe that was just me as a book reader?

 

Weird continuity question:

When Coin's first speech of pardoning the Victors who were kidnapped, everyone booed. But when they rescued them, everyone cheered. What happened between?

[Hybridcookie]

Unraveled, on 21 Nov 2014 - 05:34 AM, said:Unraveled, on 21 Nov 2014 - 05:34 AM, said:

Weird continuity question:

When Coin's first speech of pardoning the Victors who were kidnapped, everyone booed. But when they rescued them, everyone cheered. What happened between?

 

I thought that was more about Peeta that than the other victors. When they heard Coin's first speech, they'd seen Peeta on the TV and they were believing he was a traitor. But the rescue comes after Peeta warned them about the Capital's bombs, which gave them 8 extra minutes of evacuation time and probably saved a lot of lives

Edited November 21, 2014 by Hybridcookie

[Maelstrom]

I won't get to see this until next week, so I'm grateful to unraveled and absnow54 for posting their reviews. Mockingjay is easily my least favorite book as well, but I'm glad the movie has evened out the unbalanced narrative by showing us what's going on with other characters, not just Katniss.

 

But that's really disappointing to hear that Finnick's scenes

have been trimmed down or cut entirely.

I've always found his scenes with Katniss by far the most interesting part of the book - IMO it's the first time we get an honest look at Finnick, and arguably even Katniss herself. Not to mention that seeing what the Victors go through, how they live with what happened in the Games, and how they move on (or don't) is much more compelling to me personally than more disjointed scenes of Katniss playing spokesmodel for the rebellion. Anyway. Enough rambling. Keep the reviews coming everyone!

Edited November 21, 2014 by Maelstrom

[VCRTracking]

Saw it today and liked it a lot. I loved the meta stuff with Katniss being used as a propaganda tool. Effie in District 13 was fantastic. PSH showed vulnerability during the bombing scenes.

 

 I thought Jennifer Lawrence did a fine job singing "The Hanging Tree".

 

Edited November 21, 2014 by VCRTracking

[Hybridcookie]

I can't stop listening to that song. Was one of my favourite parts of the movie

[absnow54]

I hated the song in the book because they wouldn't shut up about it being a metaphor and every character was trying to make it about themselves, but my God, in the movie? It was incredible. The song is so haunting, and the way they used it in the film was stunning. They somehow managed to take everything I disliked about the book and made me love it.

[VCRTracking]

Great interview with director Francis Lawrence at Aint It Cool News. In it he the scene in Mockingjay Part 1 that had to be changed to another character after the untimely death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman:

 

 

I know there were reports that we were going to do a CG version of Phil. We never, ever intended of doing a digital recreation of him giving a performance. Any time you see him in these movies we use real footage. The two scenes with dialogue we rewrote and gave to other actors. Elizabeth (Banks) took one scene in this... you've seen the movie, so there's the scene where Katniss is reunited with Effie in the cafeteria. That scene was originally going to be Effie and Plutarch. Plutarch was the one who gave Katniss the book and was the one saying “I miss coffee” and all of that. Effie just took that scene. Haymitch has a scene in Part 2 that was Phil's.

[absnow54]

That actually makes sense, because in that scene, Effie has this odd line where she compares "old is new" to democracy, which seemed really out of character for her. I also noticed there was some weird editing in Plutarch's scenes where there would be coverage of Coin or Katniss while he was speaking because I assume they didn't have the footage they wanted featuring him. It's so tragic, and I'm glad they didn't try to CG his performance instead. He really was the highlight of this film.

Edited November 21, 2014 by absnow54

[Unraveled]

On book comparison, there wasn't any mention of the mistreatment of Effie or her assistants. (I was OK with them not inclding the assistants in Part 1.)

 

I haven't followed the media too closely on this, but I saw a singular interview of Josh saying that his gaunt look was CGI. Is that true? We saw both Joanna and Peeta really thin with dark circles around their eyes. I was sort of afraid, but a little curious to see if the movie would actually show any toturing of Peeta/Joanna. I guess the last few scenes (the choking of Katniss and the last scene with Peeta thrashing around) was horrific enough. I'm looking forward to Part 2 with more Peeta.

 

There was a lot less PSTD of Katniss than the book. That made it a lot less depressing. Personally I liked it.

 

The new additions were good. I enjoyed Cressida, though I honestly don't remember how much she had to do. Though I know she's around a lot. For any fans of the Mighty Ducks movies, one of the cameramen (the Avox) is played by a Bash brother! (Elden Henson)

[methodwriter85]

The bad first...I thought Finnick got screwed. They really seemed to downplay him, and played up Gale. I mean, I love looking at Liams Hemsworth, but this should have been Sam Claflin's moment to shine, and they really trimmed down his character.

 

Other than that though, I really loved it, and I loved how they expanded the book's scope, which Mockingjay desperately needed. I loved how they used Hanging Tree, and I love how they're foreshadowing Prim's eventual death.

[benteen]

I just got back from it and thought it was very good.  The acting was really terrific.  Not just J-Law but just about everyone.  PSH was terrific and so was Elizabeth Banks, who was entertaining every time she's on the screen.  Liam Hemsworth does a terrific job with the District 12 story.  I also liked the guy who played Boggs, Mahershala Ali.  He was awesome.  I remember him from The 4400 and V...it was cool seeing familiar actors pop up in this film and I know there will be more for the next film.  Donald Sutherland is almost 80 but damn if he doesn't consistently bring it as Snow.

 

Thanks for posting the link to "The Hanging Tree" song, VCRTracking.  That's an incredibly catchy son that I found myself singing on the way home.

 

The movie wasn't perfect.  Like others said, Finnick got the short stick here.  Particularly during his big scene.  Katniss and Haymitch lost a big scene too that I wasn't happy about.  Also, this film is very light on the action.  I thought some of the details and personality of District 13 got lost as well.

Edited November 22, 2014 by benteen

[88Keys]

I got to see Mockingjay Part 1 last night at an advance screening, and while the book -- the first half specifically -- is probably my least favorite in the series, the movie was really well done. I remember getting frustrated with Katniss through Mockingjay, but Jennifer Lawrence's performance really embodies her struggle and gives her sympathy I couldn't originally connect with.

 

 

Yes, this.  I wasn't sure if I would like this movie, but I LOVED it.  One of the rare instances where I liked a movie better than a book.  I think the book was hampered by being only from Katniss's POV.  The movie was able to show us stuff that happened outside of 13, that Katniss couldn't see, as well as scenes in District 13 command and in The Capitol.  Loved seeing the rebellions in the districts.

 

Jennifer Lawrence was amazing.  And I totally agree that PSH was much, much better here.  I thought he seemed miscast in Catching Fire, but he worked here.  You could really understand who Plutarch was here (thinking like a Gamemaker).

 

On book comparison, there wasn't any mention of the mistreatment of Effie or her assistants. (I was OK with them not inclding the assistants in Part 1.)

 

 

I haven't followed the media too closely on this, but I saw a singular interview of Josh saying that his gaunt look was CGI. Is that true?

 

Effie wasn't really in Mockingjay the book- she is in the Capitol until the very end, right?  (It's been awhile since I read it).  I think it made sense to bring her here and leave Fulvia out.  It wouldn't make sense for her to just disappear.  Plus, she the comic relief of the film, and this film was dark and heavy and needed that desperately. 

 

And if that was CGI, it was darn good CGI.  He looked horrible.

 

Drawbacks: Not enough Finnick or Haymitch.  They seemed kind of tacked in, not like an integral part of the film. 

I can't stop listening to that song. Was one of my favourite parts of the movie

 

I was going to post it as well.  Gave me chills.  I loved the Lorde song in the end credits, too.  Overall, the music in this movie really added to it and I can't wait to buy the score.

Edited November 22, 2014 by 88Keys

[thuganomics85]

Saw it today.  I thought it was good, although I didn't quite love it as much as I did with Catching Fire.  I think my main issue is the fact that they split the third book up.  It just felt like there was a lot of build-up, but the resolution for now was temporary.  Basically, like it was a show and this was the "season finale", and and the cliffhangers won't get resolved until next year.  I suspect the final film is going to be awesome as all get out, but I basically felt the same way I did with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1: necessary and worth the time, but, again, mainly about building the story up.

 

Also, since I read the books, I knew going in that Peeta and Johanna weren't going to be in it for too long, but I did think Finnick got shafted.  It felt like there was more to him in the books.  Even his big speech wasn't focused on, since Katniss/we were watching the rescue operation at the same time.

 

Favorite change was easily having Effie at District 13.  Loved her interactions with Katniss and Plutarch.  Glad they got in a few with Haymitch as well.  Those two crack me up.  Hell, I don't care, I totally ship them.

 

Jennifer Lawrence continues to be a great Katniss.  Phillip Seymour Hoffman was fantastic, and I'm still sad that this is going to be one of his last performances.  Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, and Jeffery Wright all had their moments.  Liam Hemsworth actually grew on me a little bit.  He's still not my favorite (and the weaker Hemsworth), but he actually was fine in his heavier scenes.

 

Donald Sutherland continues to be one of my favorites though.  The casting of him really is just amazing.  I can't see anyone else being as great of a President Snow as he has.

 

As for the newbies, Boggs really stood out.  Not too famailar Mahershala Ali, but he has a presence to him, that made me always pay attention to the character.  I, of course, loved Cressida, because I love all things Natalie Dormer.  Not surprised she can still be hot while basically having a hairstyle similar to Skrillex.  The one that surprised me a bit was Coin.  In the books, I remember finding her just cold and unlikable, but I thought Julianne Moore's take made her more... relate-able at times.  I think her final speech did show the Coin from the books that is to come, but she had more dimensions I thought.

 

The Hanging Tree song was my favorite.  Jennifer did a great job.  The Lorde song in the final credits was good too.

 

I still think Francis Lawrence is probably the unsung hero of the franchise.  I feel like after he took over the reigns on Catching Fire, he took the franchise into a better direction compared to the first director.

[benteen]

Was that bit about Coin's family in the books?

 

The actor playing Pollux is going to be playing Foggy Nelson on the upcoming Daredevil series.

Edited November 22, 2014 by benteen

[Browncoat]

I saw this yesterday, and I thought they did a great job with the adaptation.  Like most of you, I really enjoyed the added bits that were only alluded to in the book, and I especially liked the use of The Hanging Tree in some of those added bits.  My one, very minor issue was that 13 didn't look nearly as bleak as I'd imagined it.  And the bomb shelter was nothing like I'd pictured it.  But I am glad they kept Crazy Cat in.

[Maelstrom]

I haven't followed the media too closely on this, but I saw a singular interview of Josh saying that his gaunt look was CGI. Is that true?

Yup. A few days back I saw an interview (the Today Show?) with Jen, Liam, and Josh where they touched on this - Josh pointed out that Peeta's weight loss was all CG, and joked it was a digital diet. Jen then cracked that his digital diet ended up making the VFX people lose weight.

ETA - it was Good Morning America (in the second clip, further down the page, at around 1:15)

Edited November 22, 2014 by Maelstrom

[Sakura12]

I've been looking forward to this movie all year and it didn't disappoint. I think they really hit the mark with the actors, not only with Jennifer Lawrence. Everyone else seems to have found their mark for this one. Even Liam Hemsworth, he was the one I was most worried about getting more screentime. 

 

The Hanging Tree song was beautiful and haunting. Jennifer did a great job with putting the emotion behind the words. People may not like her personality but you have to admit she's an extremely talented actress. 

 

Julianne Moore was great as Coin. She brought more to that character then I remember from the books. Adding Effie to District 13 was an interesting touch. I liked that change and understood it. 

 

I am upset that Finnick's role was cut down.

I feel that will effect what happens in the second part for people who aren't book readers and haven't been given the chance to get to know him.

[methodwriter85]

   Is it wrong that even though I loved the film, I'm glad the box office was significantly down because I'm thinking of it as karma for them splitting up the third book? Maybe it'll make the people doing the Divergent franchise to think twice.

[bluvelvet]

 Josh Hutcherson had far less to do in this movie, and while his early scenes were fine, the preview of what's yet to come from him in Part 2 made me really excited. I also found that while they barely shared any scenes, the chemistry between Josh and Jen was much stronger in this movie than the past two. They played star crossed very well. 

 

 

Have to agree here..the chemistry was much more palpable.  The Hanging Tree was my favorite part of the movie, the song itself and how it was utilized. I will admit my eyes got misty when Peeta heard the song and said "Katniss, are you there?" with that anguished look on his face and her response to his inquiry. I know the song became the anthem of the revolution but for some reason I related the songs lyrics to them and their separation.

 

Peeta was just scary, the scene the strangling was hard to watch even though I knew it was coming. He looked terrible so kudos to the CGI department there. I am glad they didn't end it with him getting knocked out and I am definitely looking forward to his scenes in the next film.

 

I was not a fan of them splitting up the last book and I still wish they had kept it as one movie. At least with the HP franchise they had enough material for two books whereas I don't think this is the case. I will also admit that Mockingjay was my least favorite book and I contemplated not watching this movie until next year when part 2 was released but I am glad I did.

 

I thought it was well done, very different feel from the prior two movies but I thought Jennifer did a good job of selling Katniss's despair in the midst of a revolution.  I also thought even though these people were in a revolution you could feel their sense of hope and purpose to overthrow the Capitol. Snow was appropriately scary and I look forward to his scenes in the next movie. Other scenes I loved where the hospital scene where everyone saluted her and her scene with Prim.

I do wish we had some more scenes with Haymitch/Katniss and since they are doing two movies they could have expanded on that a bit, same in regards to fleshing out Finnick.

 

Loved the addition of Effie to district 13, she brought some much needed levity to the show.

 

Liam did a good job in the scene where Gale describes the attack on 12.

Edited November 22, 2014 by bluvelvet

[Schweedie]

I pretty much agree with what's been said so far - very disappointed by what they did with Finnick. This was supposed to be the film where we get inside his head, see who he is and why

 

Everything else I really loved. Jennifer Lawrence is just completely perfect. Julianne Moore was great, and I'm curious to see how they'll handle Coin in the last film since I thought she seemed rather honest and kind in this one, even while brisk and businesslike.

 

There was one moment right towards the end that struck me, when Coin is giving her victory speech and Plutarch is saying it along with her - I thought that was a neat way of mirroring the moment when Effie was doing the same to the video during the reaping in the first movie.

[McKinley]

Saw Mockingjay this morning in a packed theater.  

 

Some of the scenes were so haunting that it's hard to get them out of my head.  The burned bodies - and the looks on the faces of Cressida and the cameramen as they came over the crest of the hill and saw the bodies laid out before them, as Gale described what happened.  And the attack on the dam - it started out so haunting with the people singing the Hanging Tree song and then running at the guards knowing that many of them would be mown down; but the full force of it didn't hit me until the dam collapsed and they were all drowned, and I realized that they knew they were on a suicide mission.

 

And Effie, without her dresses, wigs and makeup, but with her attitude intact - was totally scary!  LOL

 

Can't wait for Part 2.  

Edited November 22, 2014 by McKinley

[stealinghome]

I just got back from the movie and have to say I thought it was really, really good. First, I'm impressed that despite being only half a book, it didn't feel overlong to me at all. It was well paced and nothing felt like filler. So kudos to the screenplay/directing/editing, because--not having read the book yet--that was my big fear, but it turned out to be totally unfounded. And it didn't really feel like a Part 1; it felt like everyone involved understood this needed to be its own movie, not just setup. So kudos for that, as well.

 

Jennifer Lawrence's acting chops were on full display in this movie, and she delivered in spades. In less talented hands Katniss' PTSD moments could have been SO bad, but Lawrence really, really sold them and made you feel for Katniss and what she's going through and how she gets back on her feet. For all that this movie's scope is the largest yet, this movie, more than either of the other two, also rests on her performance to be the glue that holds it together, and she really came through. Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson as usual steal the scenes they're in (and I could soooo get behind Haymitch/Effie getting together, they're hilarious), but I thought Julianne Moore really brought it as President Coin as well. You can both see why she's the right person to lead the rebellion/why people follow her, but also exactly how she's becoming President Snow 2.0 (and I agree, Plutarch mouthing her lines was such a nice callback to Effie in Hunger Games). Speaking of, Donald Sutherland was just loving being the evil bastard, you could so tell. Also, count me in as another who was favorably impressed with Liam Hemsworth in this movie. A lot of what he has to do is sit around and brood, but his one big moment, he actually delivers quite well. Easily his best performance of the movies thus far. Maybe he does better when he's not the love interest? I also agree that this movie did more to convince me that Katniss/Peeta is endgame than the previous two combined. The other movies seemed to be more Katniss/Gale heavy, but in this one, he was dead on when he basically said he's an afterthought to her.

 

The scene where they try to film the propaganda with Katniss was hilarious. Also, it blows my mind that the commercial for District 13 was basically just like the commercials they use to advertise the actual movie. Their PR team is so, so sharp.

 

The moments of other districts rebelling were really excellent. Especially how they used 'The Hanging Tree'--goodness, that was incredibly haunting.

 

I haven't read the book, but I agree that intercutting Finnick's big confession with the rescue mission really took away from the impact of what he was saying. That could easily have been a horrifying, enthralling moment all on its own, and while I understand why they played it over/alongside the rescue mission, it did get a bit lost, which is really too bad, because it adds another--awful--dimension to the whole Hunger Games world. That said, I definitely got choked up when Finnick reunited with Annie. Both actors sold that.

 

Jenna Malone and Josh Hutcherson looked horrifyingly awful at the end. I really, really hope there was a lot of CGI involved. And gah, Peeta when he alerted District 13 to the bombing and was all "Katniss...are you there?", he broke my heart.

 

This franchise has gotten better with every single movie. Both this and Catching Fire were miles better than Hunger Games, and while Catching Fire and this one are in some respects such different movies it's almost hard to compare them, I do think this one has more to it than CF. I can't wait for the final installment.

Edited November 22, 2014 by stealinghome

[benteen]

   Is it wrong that even though I loved the film, I'm glad the box office was significantly down because I'm thinking of it as karma for them splitting up the third book? Maybe it'll make the people doing the Divergent franchise to think twice.

 

Sadly it won't make the Divergent people think twice.  Spliting Allegiant into two movies is SO ill-advised.  An unfortunate legacy of the Harry Potter movies (where the last book really did need to be split in two).

 

Jenna Malone did look awful as she should have but managed to capture Johanna's attitude in that one brief scene.