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Mockingjay is finally here and we loved it!

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Image credit: Lionsgate Entertainment

WARNING: This review may contain spoilers for the previous movies. If you haven’t watched Catching Fire or The Hunger Games yet, you’ll probably want to avoid this.

Lately, there seems to be this annoying trend where film franchise producers opt to split conclusions of book to movie adaptations into two parts.

From the Harry Potter series, to Twilight, The Hobbit and the forthcoming movies in the Divergent trilogy, the movie business buffs are certainly hell-bent on taking advantage of opportunities to make as much money as possible from what is often, not necessary to expand upon in the first place.

When I first heard that Mockingjay was being split into two, my immediate reaction was one of visceral annoyance.

Don’t get me wrong. I certainly love the book, but I’m not blind to its faults.

My biggest problem with the last book in the trilogy has always been the fact that it spends most of the time setting the scene (which I didn’t mind because it was so beautifully done) and too little time giving us a showdown that should have been far more epic than what it ended up being (this was my biggest gripe and the one that had me convinced that a two part movie was unnecessary).

There was just no way I could see anyone being able to expand on this in such a way that it would actually justify a two-part movie split.
 
So it was, that after weeks of dodging the excessive promo (with the exception of watching the final trailer), I found myself heading into theatre with the lowest expectations possible and ended up being surprised in the best possible way ever.

Mockingjay part 1 is, in my opinion, the best instalment in the film adaptations to date.

Not only did this movie convince me that the reasoning for opting for a two part finale was completely sound, but it also highlighted once again, that this dystopian novel is not just about people with weapons shooting, killing and blowing each other up, it’s also about how wars and oppressive regimes shape you in the midst of a world where survival is both a luxury and a curse.

A fair warning: if you’re going into this movie with the expectation that it’s going to be action from the word go, then you’ll probably find yourself a little disappointed.  

While there is certainly plenty of that during the course of the film, a good portion of the movie is spent setting up the stage for the beginning of the end.  

The movie kicks off following the events that occurred in Catching Fire when Katniss shot an arrow through the force field, resulting in the blackout that made it possible for her to be rescued from the arena.
Finding herself in District 13, the community that was long thought to have been demolished in the first uprising, Katniss has to adjust to life underground, dealing with revolutionary politics and trying to cope with the fact that she’s been separated from Peeta.

With preparations being made for war, uprisings increasing and new allies being formed, Katniss soon finds herself being transformed into the Mockingjay - the face and symbol behind the revolution.

And it’s here where Katniss will soon learn just what it will truly cost to become the emblem fighting for freedom.

Mockingjay is truly something to behold.  From the acting and CGI effects, to the cinematography and overall representation of the book, this movie has by far exceeded my expectations.  I liked The Hunger Games, loved Catching Fire, but absolutely adored Mockingjay part 1.

Jennifer Lawrence ups her game and absolutely shines in this movie.  The amount of growth that Katniss displays through Jennifer’s interpretation of her, is a true reflection of just how much she’s grown as an actress.

Hutchinson also outdoes himself in the role of Peeta Mellark. If you ever thought that his character was one that wasn’t worth a glance, his acting in this movie will send chills down your spine.

I’d love to give a breakdown of just how fantastic each and every actor and actress was in this movie, but I think it’s better to just go and see the movie to experience their thespian skills for yourself.

I will go on to add that Philip Seymour-Hoffman’s performance made me tear up more than once. I’m so incredibly sad that he’s no longer with us to see just how incredible his performance is.

As a whole, the movie is pretty true to the book (although there are some changes made which I think only serve to enhance rather than take away from it). The entire atmosphere and essence of the movie reflects the haunting and eerie desolation of the book so very well.  

Add the music score and you’ll find yourself watching a movie that pretty much makes for the perfect companion to the book.

Do yourselves a favour and make sure to watch out for The Hanging Tree folk lore song scene featuring Katniss singing.. So eerie, but so poignantly beautiful as well.

I’ll definitely be watching this one again.

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