Ive posted this on a couple other sites, might as well get the maximum impact - from movieforums and others - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Tonight seemed to be the night for the latest installment of Hunger Games. In the spirit of our time, not only do we have movies based on multi-part novels, but, in the never ending quest for box office, producers even split up it up further, so a 3 part story becomes a 2 + 2 or 2 + 2(1/2) or whatever. In this latest episode we find things not so good in Panem as disobedience to the Capital has resulted in the complete destruction of “District 12”. Resistance is spreading, but the Capital, under its devious despot President Snow (a truly satanic Donald Sutherland), has co-opted Peeta and is using him to spread propaganda in interviews with the ever slimy Caesar Flicker (Stanley Tucci returns to his decadent role). Katniss Everdeen (reprised by Jennifer Lawrence of course) is pining for Peeta and laying low in an underground installation dominated by the rebel leader President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), who seems like she could be either a liberator or the next despot. Philip Seymour Hoffman makes a post-mortem appearance as Plutarch. I had the feeling that some of his performance was virtualized and I don’t think it will help his legacy. What’s surprising in this episode is that Katniss is mainly a tool, being manipulated for propaganda purposes by President Coin. When she ventures out from the bunker, it’s mainly to do a video shoot that can be broadcast with the end of rallying the rebellion. As the movie moves on, things get worse for the Districts, but, in a turn of events, the rebellion manages to strike back at The Capital. It’s safe to assume that this won’t come to a happy end since it’s hard to not notice the comparisons to the Roman Empire (especially with characters like Caesar, Cressida, Castor, Pollux, Plutarch and Antonius). This episode serves as a bridge to the finale that won’t be out for another year. It’s a decent continuation of the series but not much more than that. The performances are quite good, with Jennifer Lawrence portraying a much more subdued version of Katniss. Donald Sutherland isn’t on screen very much, but he seems even more evil than in the previous episodes and seems to be enjoying the opportunity to scorch some earth in the districts. Woody Harrelson returns as Haymitch, now more of a burned out stoner than the drunk he was in previous episodes. The rest of the cast is as good but no better than they need to be. The FX are pretty good, as is every aspect of the production, but I have to admit that a lot about the movie seemed to be phoned in. It definitely had the feel of a transition…too much time, not enough plot movement, the sort of thing that could be a prologue to the final episode. So things suck in the districts, Katniss doesn’t know what her next move is and dissent is spreading. That’s a half hour of plot, not an entire episode. This seems to resemble The Hobbitt, in which there just isn’t enough plot to support such epic productions. Of course, I know that movies are about money, and Mockingjay will make lots of that, but I can’t help feeling that four movies is just more than the concept can support. https://youtube/watch?v=C_Tsj_wTJkQ
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 05:39:43 +0000
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