“If
we burn, you burn with us.”
“The Hunger Games” franchise has been a fierce success, both from the
critics’ and public’s side. Since it
premiere, there have been similar sci-fi YA adaptations; “Enders’ Game," “Divergent,” “The Giver” and “The Maze Runner.” I greatly enjoyed
every single one of them, but “The Hunger Games” reigns supreme.
“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” was not only a game-changer; it
shattered everything. Everything that ace-archer
Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence, “The American Hustle,” "X-Men: Days of Future Past," "X-Men: First Class," Silver
Linings Playbook”) knew, what went on behind the scene and right under
her nose, what she became and how she meant to the people in the downtrodden districts
of Panem. When her arrow disabled the
forcefield and obliterated the inhumane game, Katniss unwittingly transformed
into a mockingjay, a beacon of belief and hope, inciting the uprising against
the cruel Capitol regime.
Rescued
and safely ensconced in the underground base of district 13, Katniss is
reunited with her childhood friend, Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth), mother (Paula
Malcomson) and sister (Willow Shields).
She finds herself in a secret, militarized society led by President Coin
(Julianne Moore), who expects her to be the face of their cause. Katniss doesn’t agree right away, as her main
intention is to save Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), her loved one, captured by the
Capitol. She changes her mind after
finding her homebase, district 12, charred and ruined, filled with smokes and
skulls.
Working
together with strategist Plutarch Heavensbee (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman,
“The Ides of March”), the plan
is to develop a series of propagandas, broadcasted to all the districts. People need to see that the mockingjay is
alive and well, ready to lead. While the
concept is easy to understood, Katniss can’t act in front the camera and doesn’t
do green screen. It’s finally decided
that she goes into the field and gets filmed live by a film crew (led by
Natalie Dormer).
A
visit to a hospital filled with the wounded ends in a tragedy when President
Snow (Donald Sutherland, “The Mechanic”) orders an air
strike. It’s the moment that everyone’s
looking for, anguished Katniss speaks from the heart and fights back, uniting the
people to rise and rebel. She makes a
deal with President Coin to have Peeta and other tributes rescued
from the Capitol.
Peeta
appears in a series of television appearances, answering interview questions
from returning host Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci, “Captain America: The First Avenger”). Peeta looks unharmed, physically, but it’s clear that he’s not the man
he used to be. He delivers messages that
are favorable to the Capitol.
From
an action standpoint, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I” is lacking compared to its predecessors. But don’t mistake the sparse action beats as
lacking elsewhere. While the filmmakers’
decision to split Suzanne Collins’ last book into two installments may have
slowed down the story’s progression, the film is equally suspenseful, and
emotional, as the previous movies. The stakes
remain sky-high and you’ve become incredibly invested in the characters that it
guts you to see the state they are in.
The
entire cast is terrific, including returning supporting actors Elizabeth Banks
(Eefie Trinket) and Woody Harrelson (Haymitch Abernathy), and a nod to Hutcherson
for his deepening range. But it’s Lawrence who fires all cylinders here, carrying the entire movie with a lightning bolt of emotions.
The
game was an all-encompassing piece in the earlier installments. However, its absence here doesn’t make “The
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I” a lesser film.
As a matter of fact, the story, which is now more of a political, war drama is refreshingly different. Adverse
repercussions, political weapons, moving speeches, jammed communications, covert
flyover to the enemy zone and tense stealth raid.
“The
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I” burns bright and explosively lays the groundwork for the revolution
of all time, fueling the anticipation for an extraordinary endgame. ‘Mockingjay Part II’ is set to release on November 20, 2015.
