Movie Musings: The Hunger Games - Mockingjay (Part I)

It's Thanksgiving week, friends! Can you believe it? This whole year has been flying by at lightning speed. Since Thanksgiving weekend is a popular time to see movies with family and friends, for the next three days (leading up to Turkey Day) I'll be sharing reviews of movies I've seen this month. I hope these posts help you decide which flicks to see over the long weekend.

Let's start with "The Hunger Games - Mockingjay (Part I)." I saw the movie yesterday morning with three friends. We purchased tickets to the 10:15am show at Assembly Row in Somerville and not only did we get the leather seats that recline all the way back, but since it was a matinee, we only paid $8 dollars a person! The odds were ever in our favor.

*SPOILER ALERT!* 

When the movie began, they jumped right into the story line of the third book. One friend commented, "I really could have used a quick recap at the start. They just launched into this new chapter without reminding us where we left off." Very true. I agree that some type of recap or flashback to the final moments of the previous movie would have been helpful.

In "Mockingjay (Part I)" we are welcomed to Katniss' new home, the underground District 13. The movie brings the District to life in a way that felt very authentic to the book - the shocking depth of the campus, the simplicity of life, the all gray uniforms - it was exactly as I had pictured it in my mind.

The pace of the story feels slow at the start, where we basically see how torn up Katniss is day in and day out thinking about Peeta. There's a moment where she has a dream that she wakes from a nightmare and Peeta is there to comfort her. Then she actually wakes up and discovers he's still nowhere to be found. You really understand the weight of her pain and guilt in that moment.

With Katniss in District 13 is her life-long friend and sometimes love interest, Gale. The love triangle between Gale, Katniss and Peeta brings more tension to this film than any of the warfare or violence. You go back and forth between wanting her to be with Gale and wanting her to be with Peeta. For the record, I am 100 percent Team Gale. And not just because he's played by the devastatingly handsome Liam Hemsworth.

One of the new additions to the cast this installment is Julianne Moore as District 13's President Coin. She's traded her signature red hair for a sophisticated silver. President Coin requests that Katniss serve as the symbol of the revolution and she pushes Katniss every step of the way. Her character was one of my favorites.

Returning to his role as Plutarch Heavensbee is Philip Seymour Hoffman. I completely forgot he was a member of the cast. I wasn't sure if they would address his passing, but at the very end of the movie, the screen goes black and white text comes up and says, "In loving memory of Philip Seymour Hoffman."

The last thirty minutes of the film are action packed! The final scene is heart wrenching and a total cliff hanger. I wasn't sure how they would divide the last book into two, but they picked the perfect ending point.

I really enjoyed this installment of our beloved "The Hunger Games" franchise. So many of my favorite characters returned and gave stellar performances - Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, Donald Sutherland as President Snow, Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinkett and Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair. It made me want to fast forward to the final film! According to IMBD, we'll have to wait until November 20, 2015.

Did you see "Mockingjay (Part I)" this weekend? What did you think?

*Image sources 1, 2 and 3

 

Molly Galler

Welcome to Pop.Bop.Shop. My name is Molly. I’m a foodie, fashionista, pop culture addict and serious travel junkie. I’m a lifelong Bostonian obsessed with frozen confections, outdoor patios, Mindy Kaling, reality television, awards shows, tropical vacations, snail mail and my birthday.

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