The Hunger Games Series

[lottiedottie]

I have to say, I didn't love Mockingjay right after I saw it. I saw it Thursday night, and now that's it has sunk it a little I think I like it better. I'm definitely going to have to see it a second time, probably next week. The first time, I'm too caught up in the adaptation to really appreciate it.

 

I liked the depiction of District 13. the indoor stuff was just like I'd imagined, and the outdoor stuff was even better than I imagined. I loved the added scenes of rebellion, and the sacrifices the district people were making (of themselves) for the cause. Blowing up the hydroelectric dam was pretty great. The lumberjacks scaling those trees was cool. They did a great job showing what was going on in the districts. Additionally, I thought the scene where Peeta chokes Katniss was very intense! I could have done without him throwing her but the rest of the scene was good. I'm so glad that they left it that it was Cinna's designs for her costume. For a minute, with Effie's expanded role from the book,  I thought they were going to say that she had been designing the Mockingjay outfit.

 

What I missed: Katniss' line of "I kill snow". I was really surprised that it was omitted. Her desire to kill Snow was what drove her into the capitol. Maybe they will bring it up at the beginning of part 2--after seeing what Snow did to Peeta, she will have revenge on her mind. That would set up the action for part 2, don't you think? I hadn't thought about this until I was typing but it makes sense.

 

I didn't like the parallel storytelling of the rescue and Finnick's revelations about secrets and Snow. I felt like I couldn't focus on either thing. I was really disappointed to not see the dialogue between Katniss and Haymitch when they finally faced each other after her failed propo. That scene, and the one where Haymitch comforts her when she can't deliver the "Disctrict 13 is alive and well and so am I" line. I loved that moment in the book.

 

All in all, I think they did a good job of making Mockingjay exciting. It's definitely not as exciting reading it, since in the movie you get out of Katniss' head and  see the outside action. Depending on how part 2 looks, I hate to admit that i think they did the right thing by splitting the book into two parts. They managed to make part 1 compelling and exciting and make me want to see how the movie story concludes.

[GaT]

I just got back from seeing Mockingjay, & I really liked it. I was a little worried that it was going to be boring stuck down in the bunker, but it wasn't. Great to see Effie again, & her turban just made me laugh. I was never a huge Finnick fan from the books, so I didn't miss him having a big moment to tell his story, but I do wish we got more Haymitch, him I missed.

 

The CGI they did on Peeta was great, he really looked like one of those lollipop people who heads look huge because they've lost so much weight. I thought the CGI would be good for that because Summit Entertainment also did the Twilight movies & they did a great job making Kristen Stewart look emaciated in Breaking Dawn. One (superficial) thing I'm glad they didn't carry over from the Twilight movies was the hairstylists. Katniss's wig looked very realistic & if I hadn't known it was a wig I wouldn't have noticed. Unlike the Twilight movies where whoever did the hair should not be allowed to work in movies again. Ever.

[benteen]

I have to say, I didn't love Mockingjay right after I saw it. I saw it Thursday night, and now that's it has sunk it a little I think I like it better. I'm definitely going to have to see it a second time, probably next week. The first time, I'm too caught up in the adaptation to really appreciate it.

 

I liked the depiction of District 13. the indoor stuff was just like I'd imagined, and the outdoor stuff was even better than I imagined. I loved the added scenes of rebellion, and the sacrifices the district people were making (of themselves) for the cause. Blowing up the hydroelectric dam was pretty great. The lumberjacks scaling those trees was cool. They did a great job showing what was going on in the districts. Additionally, I thought the scene where Peeta chokes Katniss was very intense! I could have done without him throwing her but the rest of the scene was good. I'm so glad that they left it that it was Cinna's designs for her costume. For a minute, with Effie's expanded role from the book,  I thought they were going to say that she had been designing the Mockingjay outfit.

 

What I missed: Katniss' line of "I kill snow". I was really surprised that it was omitted. Her desire to kill Snow was what drove her into the capitol. Maybe they will bring it up at the beginning of part 2--after seeing what Snow did to Peeta, she will have revenge on her mind. That would set up the action for part 2, don't you think? I hadn't thought about this until I was typing but it makes sense.

 

I didn't like the parallel storytelling of the rescue and Finnick's revelations about secrets and Snow. I felt like I couldn't focus on either thing. I was really disappointed to not see the dialogue between Katniss and Haymitch when they finally faced each other after her failed propo. That scene, and the one where Haymitch comforts her when she can't deliver the "Disctrict 13 is alive and well and so am I" line. I loved that moment in the book.

 

All in all, I think they did a good job of making Mockingjay exciting. It's definitely not as exciting reading it, since in the movie you get out of Katniss' head and  see the outside action. Depending on how part 2 looks, I hate to admit that i think they did the right thing by splitting the book into two parts. They managed to make part 1 compelling and exciting and make me want to see how the movie story concludes.

 

Yeah, I think you're right about the decision to split up the movies.  It looks like there was just enough material to justify it (although Part 1 is REALLY like on action).  One of the things that helps is that Part 1 is two less, give a take a few minutes.  As a result, it moves at a brisk place and never drags.  Unlike The Hobbit where Peter Jackson and his ego decided to divide a 240-page into three movies and have ALL of them push three hours.

 

I thought the Capitol raid was very well done but yeah, it overshadowed Finnick's story and rendered it an afterthought.  SC continues to impress in the role but Finnick was ill-served in this story.

 

I wonder if we're going to get Haymitch's story in the final movie.  It hasn't even been so much as hinted at in the films.

 

Putting Effie in District 13 was absolutely the correct decision and a logical change.  Elizabeth Banks is just so good in that role.  I wonder if they'll be tempted to change things with Johanna and add her to the Capitol raid.

Edited November 23, 2014 by benteen

[Unraveled]

The split seemed logicial enough. And it breaks up the locations (District 13 and the Capitol).

 

Since there was less of Finnick, I'm a little worried about how they'll handle Johanna in Part 2. Jena Malone is so good in this.

 

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)

It was fine for Part 1 since both Peeta and Johanna are in it for a very short time. I wonder how it will work for Part 2 since both have a larger role. I would imagine that it would affect facial expressions, but I don't really know about modern CGI.

[lottiedottie]

 One (superficial) thing I'm glad they didn't carry over from the Twilight movies was the hairstylists. Katniss's wig looked very realistic & if I hadn't known it was a wig I wouldn't have noticed. Unlike the Twilight movies where whoever did the hair should not be allowed to work in movies again. Ever.

Totally agree! I knew it was a wig, and I found myself thinking "wow, her hair looks really good!" throughout the movie. They did great job with that. I know it seems silly, but terrible hair can take you right out of a scene (just like Twilight!)

[stealinghome]

It was fine for Part 1 since both Peeta and Johanna are in it for a very short time. I wonder how it will work for Part 2 since both have a larger role. I would imagine that it would affect facial expressions, but I don't really know about modern CGI.

What I thought was the most horrifying thing about Peeta is that his head looked more or less normal-sized, it was just the rest of him that was way, way too small. I can't access the clip right now because my computer is acting up, but I wouldn't at all be surprised if they CGIed his body but left his head/face mostly untouched. If that's the case, I don't think his facial expressions would be too terribly messed with.

[88Keys]

Jennifer Lawrence was wearing a wig?  I had no idea.  So I guess it was a good job. 

[Unraveled]

I really enjoyed reading this article on a book vs movie comparison with the final screenwriter. Obvious movie (and book 3) spoilers ahead:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/hunger-games-mockingjay-part-1-page-to-screen

 

The ending: It would have been horrible to end right after Peeta starts choking Katniss. We needed the explanation on the type of torture Peeta experienced. It was better to see him thrashing around strapped to the bed after Katniss got the explanation.

 

District 13: I was surpised to see the less military part of District 13. I assume that it would be very monotonous, but there were food restrictions. People got punished severly for minor crimes (like Effie's assitants stealing bread).

 

My absolute favorite new scenes of the movie were the rebellion of the wood and electricity districts. They were great inclusions, and I'm glad they added those.

[benteen]

We also didn't get little details like the fact that Distirct 13 citizens had their schedules digitally listed on their arms.

[blackwing]

I was really underwhelmed. Mockingjay was my least favourite of the books and I realise it's because I liked the action of the games the best. The different characters, the strategy, the drive to survive. The best parts of the third book were when they attacked the capital but that doesn't truly happen until the end.

So I knew going in that this movie wouldn't have much action. Wish we had had more scenes like at the dam and the forest. If they were going to add more Effie why not add even more battle scenes?

The biggest fail for me is that I really don't care for Peeta. Even when reading the books. So I guess I didn't sympathise much with him or Katniss' annoying concern for him. I know that's not how I'm "supposed" to feel, so I guess I failed that aspect of the message.

[Empress1]

Jennifer Lawrence was wearing a wig? I had no idea. So I guess it was a good job.

Yeah, her hair got damaged from coloring it Katniss-dark and going back to her natural lighter color so she cut it short and, I presume, is staying away from color. That's a good wig, but a wig. I think she wore one in Catching Fire too.

Agree that the movie was better than the book. I loved seeing the other districts rebelling. "The Hanging Tree" was beautifully used. Did think juxtaposing Finnick's confession with the rescue was a mistake. It downplays it.

I know why Prim going back for the cat is necessary, but goddamn, I wanted to smack her for it.

[lottiedottie]

Yeah, her hair got damaged from coloring it Katniss-dark and going back to her natural lighter color so she cut it short and, I presume, is staying away from color. That's a good wig, but a wig. I think she wore one in Catching Fire too.

Agree that the movie was better than the book. I loved seeing the other districts rebelling. "The Hanging Tree" was beautifully used. Did think juxtaposing Finnick's confession with the rescue was a mistake. It downplays it.

I know why Prim going back for the cat is necessary, but goddamn, I wanted to smack her for it.

I forgot to mention the Hanging Tree in my other post--yes! That song stuck in my head, I really liked the song.

[idiotwaltz]

 

I know why Prim going back for the cat is necessary, but goddamn, I wanted to smack her for it.

 

OMG this. 

 

I liked the movie better than the book as well. In fact, I didn't reread the book before I watched the movie and I had forgotten most of the details of what happened, so it was a pretty enjoyable refresher for me. 

 

My favorite scenes were actually the ones about the other districts. Katniss's PTSD got a bit grating after the first hour. 

[absnow54]

I know the song became the anthem of the revolution but for some reason I related the songs lyrics to them and their separation.

They play the line "Where the dead man told his lover to flee" right before Peeta told her that the Capitol was coming and they'd be dead by morning, which I think was very deliberate. 

 

We also didn't get little details like the fact that Distirct 13 citizens had their schedules digitally listed on their arms.

You could see Finnick's schedule tattoo in most scenes, but they never explained what it was for. I think it was more of a shout out to book fans than anything.

 

I know why Prim going back for the cat is necessary, but goddamn, I wanted to smack her for it.

That was a huge cat too! I couldn't believe that Gale didn't carry it! Prim was really struggling. And if I were Katniss I would have been shouting at her to "drop the fucking cat!" as the countdown rang out. It was a bit ridiculous how calm the cat was, because there's nothing cats love more than loud noises and water!

[VCRTracking]

 

I was really underwhelmed. Mockingjay was my least favourite of the books and I realise it's because I liked the action of the games the best. The different characters, the strategy, the drive to survive. The best parts of the third book were when they attacked the capital but that doesn't truly happen until the end.

So I knew going in that this movie wouldn't have much action. Wish we had had more scenes like at the dam and the forest. If they were going to add more Effie why not add even more battle scenes?

 

I'm the opposite, in that I never thought the action in the previous games was that great(Catching Fire was a little better). I had seen the Japanese movie Battle Royale years before and anything would pale next to that especially the watered down American PG-13 stuff we saw in the movies.  I was so glad Mockingjay wasn't going to repeat that structure. What did interest me in the previous movies was Katniss dealing with all this and her development and also the political machinations so I enjoyed this one which had a lot of that and wasn't bored at all.

[jah1986]

I saw it today and I really liked it.  I was only disappointed, like others have said, that they didn't give Finnick's speech the full attention it deserved.  I wonder if the next film will depict the very strict nature of District 13. You saw a bit of it with the way they force everyone to dress alike but that's easy to overlook.

 

Loved the lumberjack's trap of the "Peacekeepers" and the attack on the power generator.  I did miss Effie's assistants, but was so happy to see Effie still trying to have some style in 13.  I was surprised by how happy I was to see Haymitch. As much as Gale is Katniss' friend and her mother and Prim are there for her, she really needs her team from the Games to help her through her life as it is now.

 

They did a good job with the Peta transformation. I will miss Plutarch in the final movie.

[absnow54]

I will miss Plutarch in the final movie.

Plutarch will still be in Part 2. They filmed both parts at the same time, and PSH only had two major scenes left to film, one of which we saw in the first movie. It was the scene where Katniss receives Cinna's sketches. Originally Plutarch was supposed to be there as well, but they gave all his lines to Effie.

[lottiedottie]

Plutarch will still be in Part 2. They filmed both parts at the same time, and PSH only had two major scenes left to film, one of which we saw in the first movie. It was the scene where Katniss receives Cinna's sketches. Originally Plutarch was supposed to be there as well, but they gave all his lines to Effie.

I didn't know that. Interesting. It was pretty seamless, if you ask me. I didn't feel like he was missing during that scene, although now knowing that was one of the scenes he was supposed to be in, I could see how it could have been. I don't think the scene was diminished by having Effie deliver those lines, though.

[benteen]

I saw it today and I really liked it.  I was only disappointed, like others have said, that they didn't give Finnick's speech the full attention it deserved.  I wonder if the next film will depict the very strict nature of District 13. You saw a bit of it with the way they force everyone to dress alike but that's easy to overlook.

 

Loved the lumberjack's trap of the "Peacekeepers" and the attack on the power generator.  I did miss Effie's assistants, but was so happy to see Effie still trying to have some style in 13.  I was surprised by how happy I was to see Haymitch. As much as Gale is Katniss' friend and her mother and Prim are there for her, she really needs her team from the Games to help her through her life as it is now.

 

They did a good job with the Peta transformation. I will miss Plutarch in the final movie.

 

They did a great job capturing the look of District 13 but not the personality.  I think they needed to convey stronger some of the darker elements of 13.  Coin seems more reasonable than troublesome in Part I as well

 

Effie's out of character line about democracy had to be a Plutarch line originally.

[OakGoblinFly]

   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.

 

 

No it's not because those were my exact thoughts as well.  I still don't see any reason why they had to split the third book, it's barely 400 pages - they could have captured everything in a single film.  I thought there were some nice elements to the film, but as a whole it felt very draggy to me.  I never felt any agency from the characters until the bombing of District 13.

 

How is it one Hemsworth brother is full of charisma whereas the younger brother is the a charisma void?

[SallyAlbright]

No it's not because those were my exact thoughts as well.  I still don't see any reason why they had to split the third book, it's barely 400 pages - they could have captured everything in a single film.  I thought there were some nice elements to the film, but as a whole it felt very draggy to me.  I never felt any agency from the characters until the bombing of District 13.

 

How is it one Hemsworth brother is full of charisma whereas the younger brother is the a charisma void?

I agree with every word of your post! I hate that they split the last book, because it really wasn't that long or action-heavy and all it did was make part 1 SO BORING. I loved the first two films, but found myself checking my watch every fifteen minutes during this one. There were little parts I enjoyed (PSH, Effie and Haymitch are always great), but not enough of them to justify this entire movie. For the first time, Katniss even kind of got on my nerves, with the PTSD and all the hysterics. I know it was necessary to show how the games changed her, but I definitely missed the "old" Katniss. Finally, I feel bad because I think Chris Hemsworth is hotter than fire and probably our next great movie star, but his little brother is just so wooden. It's amazing to  me that Chris can have so much leading-man charisma and charm, while Liam is just kind of there. If Chris played Gale, this overlong and unnecessary part 1 would have been entirely worth it :)

[absnow54]

I'm on the fence about the split. I do agree that this movie was longer than it needed to be and found that every scene could probably have been trimmed by about 2 minutes, but at the same time, I found the first two movies to be too rushed and a bit incoherent story telling wise. The first film does a great job setting up the universe, but then barrels through the second half of the Game, which is the catalyst for the entire series, and has made so much of the story feel undeserved (the berry scene was a joke.) I thought the second movie rushed through establishing the growing revolution too. I don't think it necessarily called for having 2 films per each relatively short book, but I did appreciate the breathing room that Mockingjay Pt 1 allowed. I found it easier to connect and sympathize with Katniss than I had previously, and I understood the relationships she shared with all the supporting characters much better as well, especially her relationship with Peeta, which had been previously lacking.

 

Maybe they could have done a LotR extended cut, but obviously, with this type of franchise, they're going to milk the box office for all its worth with 2 films (side eyes The Hobbit's 3 - 3 hour movies off a 300 page book)

 

How is it one Hemsworth brother is full of charisma whereas the younger brother is the a charisma void?

I don't get it. I thought he was decent in some of his scenes, but often when he was in the background, he'd be making this face, and I would erupt with laughter. I've seen Liam be funny in a handful of interviews, but I've yet to see him be charismatic. So strange. 

[Sakura12]

I didn't find this movie boring at all despite it being a set up filler for the final movie. I loved it more than I thought I would. I think the set up will help the final movie feel like there is more at stake. I know we didn't get to see much of the other characters or districts but I already feel their plight and want to see them fight back. Both times we saw the other districts follow Katniss's with "If we burn, you burn with us" or singing the Hanging Tree while rebelling were powerful to me.  Now I can't wait to see the rest follow suit. 

 

Mockingjay was my least favorite book of the series but I think it might be my favorite movie of the series. 

 

I find Liam pretty lacking in the charisma department in interviews too, especially if he's with Jennifer and Josh.  JLaw may be playing the game but she and Josh when together come alive in interviews so they are fun to watch and Liam kind of sits there. That's why I think that Spongebob and Patrick picture with Liam as Squiward is spot on.

Edited November 25, 2014 by Sakura12

[Maelstrom]

Finally got to see this today and overall I really liked it, probably more than the book. The only glaring disappointment was the lack of Finnick, since I found his scenes with Katniss the best parts of the book - I liked finally seeing the real Finnick underneath the various personas he'd been forced to adapt over the years, because seeing his human side allowed the reader insight into Katniss's human side as well, IMO. So I'm seriously bummed the movie basically excised all of that. Agree that overlaying his big confession with the raid more or less killed the tension of both.

 

But I thought the book's other faults have been corrected here, with the addition of scenes showing the other districts (seeing the lumberjacks in 7 shimmy up those trees was impressive, and the scenes of the dam in 5 were downright chilling) as well as seeing what Snow is up to at any given time. And of course Effie! EB is too good as Effie to leave out. Somehow I had in my head, from the teaser trailers most likely, that we'd get Peeta and or Johanna's POV in captivity as well. Stupid promo monkeys! But the strangling scene was horrifically intense, just as it should be, and did more than enough to set up the torment Peeta's been through for part 2.

 

And kudos to the casting department - Mahershala Ali and Natalie Dormer were wonderful choices for Boggs and Cressida, as well as the guy playing Pollux. All the new characters seem pretty flat to me in the books, but these actors really brought them to life.

 

As far as the split goes, I agree it really wasn't necessary (whoever upthread that said Harry Potter was the only franchise that actually needed an extra movie was spot on - the rest have all struck me as blatant cash grabs). But, having said that, I thought they did a good job with Part 1. I'd personally take more character scenes over action scenes any day. Though I'd've liked to have seen more Finnick, Haymitch, and Effie, I think this:

 I did appreciate the breathing room that Mockingjay Pt 1 allowed.

sums up my feelings too.

 

Yeah, her hair got damaged from coloring it Katniss-dark and going back to her natural lighter color so she cut it short and, I presume, is staying away from color. That's a good wig, but a wig. I think she wore one in Catching Fire too.

I think that's JL's real hair dyed dark in Catching Fire - I seem to recall hearing that it was the act of going dark for CF, then bleaching for X-Men, then going dark again for CF pick-ups that finally fried JL's hair, hence the wig for Mockingjay.

 

"The Hanging Tree" was haunting, and used wonderfully.

Edited November 25, 2014 by Maelstrom

[Raja]

They did a great job capturing the look of District 13 but not the personality. I think they needed to convey stronger some of the darker elements of 13. Coin seems more reasonable than troublesome in Part I as well

Effie's out of character line about democracy had to be a Plutarch line originally.

I know nothing about the books but as a viewer watching gray clad civilians acting in unison towards the great leader while giving lip service to democracy I was thinking that given what had been shown about the district/capital relationships that the only way a rebellion with fighter jets and bases survived 75 years was that there must be some sort of cold war with District13 being supported by something like North Korea

[backgroundnoise]

Where they didn't go far enough re Coin and District 13

is in stressing how totalitarian it really is.  Since they replaced the three stylists with Effie, I think they still should have shown how cruel Coin's regime is by chaining her up for taking too much bread or something and having Katniss rescue her.  One of my favorite parts in the book was when one of the stylists was trying to explain why her skin was green ("I thought it made me pretty") and having a little kid tell her she'd be pretty in any color.

 

I agree Finnick's moving speech got short changed.  With all the padding they did add, that is one place they really scrimped.

[88Keys]

I know nothing about the books but as a viewer watching gray clad civilians acting in unison towards the great leader while giving lip service to democracy I was thinking that given what had been shown about the district/capital relationships that the only way a rebellion with fighter jets and bases survived 75 years was that there must be some sort of cold war with District13 being supported by something like North Korea

Close.  :)

 

District 13 was Panem's nuclear weapons developer/supplier.  Basically, Panem's arsenal was there.  So when District 13 decided to split off, The Capitol didn't fight them because 13 had a big weapons stockpile.  It was reported to the other districts that 13 had rebelled and been destroyed, but in reality, they had just moved underground. 

[truthaboutluv]

Finally saw the movie two days ago and I liked it but I definitely agree with others that Finnick should have been used a lot more and I wonder how that will affect the impact of what's to come in the second film. Also, while I enjoyed the movie, I could definitely see why a non-book reader especially may not enjoy it and even be a little bored by it. Especially if they've watched the first two and likely were coming in expecting more of the same. 

 

That said, agree with everyone that the replacement of the Prep team with Effie was absolutely the way to go. Elizabeth Banks just owns that role. I think she's one of the characters I will miss the most when the franchise ends. Jennifer was as good as she's been from the first movie - I truly think she gets who Katniss is and really understands the character and embodies her. Woody was great as usual and while I wished there'd been more of him, his reduced presence was true to the book as he was away from Katniss for a good chunk of the early part of MockingJay. Loved Philip Seymor Hoffman, Julianne Moore and most of the cast. 

 

However, and I hate to feel like I'm joining a pile on, but definitely the weakest link for me was Liam Hemsworth. He wasn't utterly awful by any means and I've always said I think he matches the physical description of Gale very well or at least how I pictured him in my head while reading the book. The problem is that he's just so boring. Like I get that Gale is a bit stoic but he's also this hot blooded, angry, passionate guy in the books. I get none of that from Hemsworth. Like every scene he was in, all I kept thinking was "well at least he's very pretty to look at." And he certainly was but other than that...yeah nothing. His big moment where he talked about what happened in District 12, I felt nothing. Like I could see the effort he was putting forth to try and draw some emotion but it just wasn't working for me.

 

Meanwhile I agree with others that this movie, more so than the other two, truly showed the chemistry and love story between Katniss and Peeta. I guess it helped that this one didn't overcompensate to build the triangle by putting in scenes with Katniss and Gale that didn't exist in the book, while diminishing some of the ones with her and Peeta (yeah I'm still a little bothered by that as much as I loved Catching Fire). Which is of course funny because he was barely in the movie and it ends with him basically almost killing her. But I think Josh and Jennifer really brought it in showing the turmoil and all the emotions they were both going through with Peeta being held hostage in the Capitol. Like Finnick said, this was the moment you truly believed Katniss loved Peeta even if she didn't even fully understand her own feelings at the time. Also Josh was awesome in that last scene - terrifying but awesome.  

 

Donald Sutherland was as deliciously awesome as ever. As someone above noted, he really doesn't match the physical description of Snow who is described as this small man, probably to emphasize how scary his being so dangerous and powerful is. But it doesn't matter because he captures the spirit of the character to a tee. It's the eyes that do it for me - he has the cold, calculating, terrifying evil thing down pat all the while he speaks in that soft, polite and very measured tone. Just love him...absolutely perfect casting. Every scene with Snow and Katniss is just gold because Donald and Jennifer just bring it. 

 

i agree with some that I found Coin's portrayal a bit interesting. I feel like she was presented as somewhat reasonable and even a little sympathetic. So it will be interesting to see how they turn things around in the second movie in time for what happens in the end. 

Edited November 28, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[Fabricationary]

i agree with some that I found Coin's portrayal a bit interesting. I feel like she was presented as somewhat reasonable and even a little sympathetic. So it will be interesting to see how they turn things around in the second movie in time for what happens in the end. 

 

To me, she was likeable up until the last scene when she addresses the district and starts spewing metaphors and euphemisms.  It seemed like a highly politicized rhetoric.   In the rest of the movie, she seemed to act assertively and decisively, as you would expect a successful female CEO of a major corporation to act.  

 

Like many others have mentioned, this film seemed very drawn out with lots of silences and pauses.  I feel like the time could have been better used fleshing out different characters' backstories.  Also, I wish we would have seen more of what was going on in the capitol, besides Snow, Caeser, and Peeta's broadcasts.  

[netlyon2]

That said, agree with everyone that the replacement of the Prep team with Effie was absolutely the way to go. Elizabeth Banks just owns that role. I think she's one of the characters I will miss the most when the franchise ends.

I saw the movie yesterday and have many comments swirling about in my head.  However, all I can post right now is that Effie had me cracking up the entire time.  Kudos to the wardrobe department, because every time she showed up in some new variation on the District 13 drab gray jumpsuit was a delight to me.  At one point, I actually said, out loud during a movie, "Where the hell did she get a flower pin?"  Absolutely brilliant!

 

I do agree that it would have been more powerful (and authentic) to have her show

the negative side of the prep team's experience.  That would also have given us the argument between Katniss and Gale regarding the team's treatment.  That was a real point of struggle for me as a reader since I could completely agree with both of them, given their experiences.  In contrast, I was so not feeling movie-Gale's "If the Capitol had me, I'd die before they could make me say those things."  Whatever, McBroody, go plan a mass murder or something.  It actually made me feel nothing during his big "how I saved some folks from District 12" speech.

[KatWay]

PSH was great in this one, played Plutarch amazingly well. Especially considering I thought he kind of phoned it in a bit in Catching Fire. He will be missed.

 

The cast overall is great (JLaw just gets Katniss and everyone else is really awesome as well), though the two love interests remain the weakest links by far. Josh Hutcherson actually did better this time around, though he wasn't in the movie much, but he was effective in his few scenes and the last one looked promising for what he'll be asked to do in the next one.

Meanwhile Liam just still feels very bland. He has the prettiness required for Gale (he matches him physically much better than Josh matches Peeta IMO), but he has no fire, no anger, no spark....he just seemed vaguely brooding. He wasn't actively awful in his one big scene, but didn't exactly wow me either. Mostly I felt relieved that he did okay, because I'd worried. He does make that one face, whoever linked to it in a previous post, a LOT.

 

I was also relieved that they amped up the Katniss/Peeta connection in favour of Gale/Katniss (which I think was really favoured in parts of Catching Fire) and overall didn't focus much on the triangle. I know the biggest triangle stuff is yet to come in the last part, but I remain hopeful they'll just narrow it down to the basics because man, that was tedious enough in the book and really doesn't fit all that well with the serious civil war/rebellion/media critique narrative they've otherwise got going on. Please do not include that scene where Katniss pretends to be sleeping while Gale and Peeta talk about their love for her. If any scene ever screamed Twilight, it's that one.

[truthaboutluv]

If any scene ever screamed Twilight, it's that one.

 

 

Speaking of Twilight, I think Liam would have actually been fine in those movies and think that's the thing that hurts him the most in Hunger Games. Twilight was just god-awful all around (I'm sorry, maybe some of the cast is talented but I swear they all sucked in that movie even though I only watched the first one) so his mediocrity really wouldn't be that noticeable. Unfortunately for him, The Hunger Games series may be the most talented collection of actors of any of the YA movies. So it really stands out how weak he is when he shares a lot of scenes with Jennifer and then there is Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, etc. Like you noted, it's not that he's "stink up the place god-awful" but that he's just so unremarkable and not memorable. He's sort of just there.

Edited November 29, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[Rick Kitchen]

Did anybody stay till after the credits?  There's a display of the Mockingjay logo, on fire, with the bird encircled by the circle of the pin, then the circle changes to the twelve spokes of the wheel in the Quarter Quell, and then the bird spreads its wings and the circle explodes, all the time with fire burning behind it.

[Maelstrom]

Did anybody stay till after the credits?  There's a display of the Mockingjay logo, on fire, with the bird encircled by the circle of the pin, then the circle changes to the twelve spokes of the wheel in the Quarter Quell, and then the bird spreads its wings and the circle explodes, all the time with fire burning behind it.

I caught that sequence, too (what can I say, Marvel movies have taught me to stay through all the credits). I thought it was pretty damn cool, and each Mockingjay film even got its own logo (wings spread to each side for part 1, and the circle exploding for part 2).

[Enero]

I was really underwhelmed.

 

Me too. I was bored to tears. Though the movie followed the book pretty closely it didn't translate well to screen. Don't get me wrong. It was well put together, but it just wasn't very entertaining,

 

That said, I thought Jennifer Lawrence did an excellent job. Josh Hutcherson did very well with the few scenes he had. The digital diet he underwent was scary.

 

With all the talk about the Hanging Tree song, I was expecting it to be extremely haunting (the lyrics are, yes), but it sounded like a modern day pop song rather than a haunting lullaby.

 

Like some, I think they could've wrapped this up in one movie.

[Pixel]

I particularly liked that at the end, 

Katniss' eyes were red. When Peeta was choking her I wondered if they'd realistically show the petechia in the whites of the eyes that happens when someone is strangled, and they did. Kudos!

[Zuleikha]

With all the talk about the Hanging Tree song, I was expecting it to be extremely haunting (the lyrics are, yes), but it sounded like a modern day pop song rather than a haunting lullaby.

 

It sounded exactly like an Appalachian ballad to me.

[Spartan Girl]

I think this was the most intense film yet.  Jennifer Lawrence shoots another one out of the park; her reactions to the destruction of District 12 and her overall PTSD was so realistic.  Julienne Moore excels at playing frigid bitches, so she was great as Coin.  And now we wait for the finale...

 



[Schweedie]

I particularly liked that at the end, 

Katniss' eyes were red. When Peeta was choking her I wondered if they'd realistically show the petechia in the whites of the eyes that happens when someone is strangled, and they did. Kudos!

Yes! I had the exact same thought at that point, and really liked that they went there. Disturbing and realistic.

[Pixel]

Overall, I was very happy with Mockingjay Part 1.  I was concerned going into it because I couldn't imagine what would be interesting or compelling in the first half, but I felt like they did a great job of filling in the gaps we didn't see fleshed out in the book.  I loved seeing the rebellion (although every time I thought they could have easily had less cannon fodder if they hadn't announced they were coming, and also, where did they come from to blow up the dam?  The docks led to nothing. Were they on boats? These were suicide missions!), I liked seeing the rescue. It was great to get out of Katniss' head and see what was going on while she was figuring out her place in the grand scheme.  I liked it far more than I expected to.

[DollEyes]

 My verdict: I loved it. I haven't read the books, but IMO the movies have been great. IRL I would have big problems with a totalitarian society that treats murder in general and murdering children in particular as entertainment, but the films are exciting. The acting, writing and direction are, for the most part, excellent. As Katniss, Jennifer Lawrence is perfection. Her Katniss is tough, smart, strong and brave, but vulnerable. She is also loyal to those she loves, whether it's family, friends or even strangers, in some cases. Some characters were, for the most part, better developed in this film than they were before. Despite Phillip Seymour Hoffman's death, the filmmakers made Plutarch three-dimensional, which was a testament to his talent, as it should have been. Julianne Moore, Natalie Dormer,  Mahalashaz (sp?) Ali, Eldon Henson and Evan Ross are great additions. 

 

  Woody Harrelson's Haymitch and Elizabeth Banks' Effie were hilarious. Sobriety hasn't hurt Haymitch's snark anymore than gray jumpsuits have hurt Effie's sense of style. As for Liam Hemsworth, he's not as talented or as charismatic as his brother Chris, aka 2014's "Sexiest Man Alive" according to People  magazine, but he's improving, as he showed in the scene when he talked about what happened in District 12. Donald Sutherland's President Snow is a Magnificent Bastard. His character lives up to his last name, especially where Peeta's concerned. Speaking of Peeta, Kudos to Josh Hutcherson. Peeta's plight was heartbreaking to watch. When Peeta was rescued from the Capital, I was afraid that they had escaped so easily was because Peeta was either an imposter or had been brainwashed by Snow and unfortunately, I was right.

[Spartan Girl]

With all of Jennifer Lawrence's realistic horror at seeing District 12 destroyed, I cannot wait to see how the movie handles

Prim's death

.  I think that just may kill me.

 

My friend was mad because some idiot thought Jennifer Lawrence's acting wasn't any better than Kristin Stewart's robotic work in Twilight movies.  Seriously, what the hell?  At least Jennifer Lawrence doesn't let her mouth hang open all time like the zombies on The Walking Dead!

[truthaboutluv]

I've learned a long time ago that stans are well, stans for a reason. And Kristen Stewart's, as well as the Twilight fandom, are no different. I think they're also especially defensive because of all the shit she's gotten for her acting and not to mention how much the entire Twilight series (books and movies) have been mocked. So yeah I've seen a few comments about Jennifer being overrated and just having a really good team behind her that's basically fooled people into believing she's so good. Again, it's just stan/fan behavior. Pay it no mind. As a person who read the books before I saw the movies and so had a vision in my head of these characters/scenes, I can honestly say that Jennifer truly embodies Katniss. 

[methodwriter85]

I'll say this- I really thought they were going to tone down the scene where Katniss looks at the mass open graves, and I'm glad they didn't.

[Sakura12]

People can not like Jennifer Lawrence's personality but I don't see how anyone can deny that she can act. Her reactions to seeing District 12 and her PTSD felt very real. Then when she thought everything was lost her crying was so raw it made me uncomfortable. That's great acting. 

[GaT]

This was strange. I was driving around with the radio on when all of a sudden a remix (sort of club-like) of "Hanging Tree" came on. They took it right out of the movie, so it was Jennifer Lawrence singing & they added all the music to it. This seems really strange to me, considering what the song is about, & that the movie isn't a musical. I guess someone figured that if Anna Kendrick's "Cups" could become a big hit, then "Hanging Tree" could too. I really hope that this isn't a new trend in movies, having some obscure song in the film being made into a single.

[scarynikki12]

I heard that the other day as well.  I had read it was a hit in the UK but I hadn't realized they were pushing airplay here as well.  Can't complain, as I found it to be a lovely rendition but it was definitely weird.

[methodwriter85]

 

Finally saw the movie two days ago and I liked it but I definitely agree with others that Finnick should have been used a lot more and I wonder how that will affect the impact of what's to come in the second film. Also, while I enjoyed the movie, I could definitely see why a non-book reader especially may not enjoy it and even be a little bored by it. Especially if they've watched the first two and likely were coming in expecting more of the same.

 

I feel bad for Sam Claflin. The casting of Finnick was basically treated like one of the biggest casting decisions in the world with every young actor salivating over it, and they basically gave Finnick a couple of scenes and that's it.

How exactly are we supposed to care about Finnick's wedding, and his eventual death?

 

We BETTER get flashbacks to Johanna's torture in the Capitol. I'll be so pissed if they don't.

Edited January 1, 2015 by Athena
Spoiler for last movie.

[truthaboutluv]

I did a brief re-read of MockingJay after watching the movie and to be honest, I've since changed my mind that Finnick's character was that short changed in the movie, particularly considering where the first movie cuts off. The major issue I think is definitely when he was making his confession about Snow and they interspersed it with the rescue mission. For a person who did not read the books, they may not have been paying much attention with everything else going on and that was a powerful part of the series and Finnick's story in general. But other than that, Finnick was as depressed as Katniss up until they rescue the victors and he gets Annie back and as a result was fairly incapacitated for much of that part.

 

After all this is when Katniss delivers the hilarious line in the book that she stopped being mad at Finnick for them abandoning Peeta in the arena because it was just too hard to stay mad at a person who cries that much. Much of that part of the book in relation to Finnick just talked about his being as medicated, if not more, than Katniss. His only major scenes really were the one when he gave Katniss her own rope to knot and he tells her how he realized in the arena she really did love Peeta, when he confesses to what Snow did to him and how Snow rose to power and the hilarious scene where he tried to convince Katniss to let the others make him come along on the trip to District 8 while he was in his underwear.

Edited January 1, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[Athena]

A reminder to say that the spoiler tag only cover points of all the released movies so far. It does not cover major events in the last movie which is yet to be released. You can also discuss the Hunger Games in the Books topic. Thank you.