Easily the best of the young adult series that have proliferated the marketplace since the TWILIGHT movies singed movie screens, THE HUNGER GAMES films have actually managed to get better and more harrowing with each new chapter. To wrap up the series, the final book, MOCKINGJAY, has been adapted into two films (the second part will be released in November 2015), and while this may appear to be an already-tired ploy by studios to milk the most out of a franchise (thanks HARRY POTTER, TWILIGHT, THE HOBBIT, and the upcoming final chapter of the DIVERGENT films!), there actually does seem to a clear dividing line for MOCKINGJAY that isn't exactly a cliffhanger, but the start of something even more devious than the first part hints at.
Now that the story of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is free from actually having to take part in yet another Hunger Games (they have essentially been done away with forever), and we can enter a new chapter of this civilization divided into realms and controlled by the clearly vindictive President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Katniss is the reluctant hero of and symbol to her people, the underclasses of the nation of Panem, ruled by the newly introduced President Coin (Julianne Moore) and her trust advisor Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman, in his last onscreen role—presumably he'll return in PART 2). As the underclass' so-called "Mockingjay," Katniss is asked to be the spokesperson for her people in a series of pirated videos calling for courage and the willingness to fight for freedom from Snow's tyranny.
For reasons I was never quite clear on, it feels like about 85 percent of the dialogue in MOCKINGJAY is forcefully whispered, I guess to seem more dramatic. But aside from that foible, the film is actually quite rousing and fascinating as a blueprint on how to start a revolution. Borrowing heavily (but not knowingly) from Russian propaganda tactics, Katniss travels to bombed-out districts to encourage the troops and get images of her surrounding by smoldering wreckage for these videos. She is torn about being used as a symbol, but when she actually does get to fight and use those bow-and-arrow skills she appears energized and ready for the work ahead, which in her mind includes rescuing her fellow tributes from Snow, including her special friend Peeta (Josh Hutcherson).
MOCKINGJAY PART 1 has a great deal of plot to get through, and sometimes that means sacrificing character development. As a result, a parade of familiar faces goes before the camera just to let you know they're still a part of the story. Liam Hemsworth's Gale, Woody Harrelson's Haymitch, Elizabeth Banks' Effie (stripped of her crazy costumes, makeup and hairstyles like a plucked peacock, Jeffrey Wright's Beetee, Jena Malone's Johanna, and Stanley Tucci's Caesar Flickerman all zip in and out of the film, offering up some small piece of plot-forwarding element and then they're gone.
One of most heartening exceptions to this is Hoffman's Plutarch, who along with Moore's President Coin are the primary crafters all most of what Katniss does in this film. Hoffman's in so much of this film and in fine form, as the character who finds a way to be all business, yet capable of injecting humor into most situations. As always, Hoffman made the most of a part that could have easily been a throwaway background character, and the idea of he and Moore re-teaming so many years after MAGNOLIA warmed my heart.
Returning CATCHING FIRE director Francis Lawrence (I AM LEGEND, CONSTANTINE) keeps things moving and looking appropriate grim, but there's no sense that he's slowing things down or padding anything to stretch this into two films. There's always a lot going on, the energy is up (even when the voices are whispering), and Jennifer Lawrence is particularly strong as the angst-ridden Catniss who is torn between duty, helping her compromised friends, and having a very difficult time grasping the magnitude of some of the horrible things that the Snow administration is doing to people. At one point near the beginning of the film, you actually see the battleshock leave Catniss' eyes, and the warrior emerge. That's all on Lawrence, and she plays it exactly right.
Not having read these books, I have no idea where the final chapter in this story will take these characters, but it feels like things are going to get worse before they get better. At least I hope so. Where MOCKINGJAY PART 1 leaves off, the revolt has now turned into full-scale war, so that's cool. But I like the sense of pure dread that leaves us wanting more in PART 2, but fearing the "more" could be quite deadly. It's become an intriguing series of films, for sure, and it's allowed Jennifer Lawrence a chance to prove that she's a performer capable of being the focal point of a full-scale action film, in addition to her proven abilities in the dramatic arena. She's the real deal, and I'm always eager to see what she's got for us next.
