Mockingjay: Part 1 has already raked in over 400 million dollars in the box office. If High School Musical 2 has taught us anything, it’s that this merely means it was eagerly anticipated, not necessarily good.
Like the Harry Potter series and the Twilight Saga, the movie adaptation of Mockingjay, the final book of the Hunger Game series, was split into two parts. Although this makes more revenue, it tends to leave the movies with less action, dragged out plots, and a slower pace. Mockingjay is no exception. “They shouldn’t have made it two movies because nothing really happens in the first part of the book,” senior Quinn Hurley said after seeing it.
So how was Mockingjay? The first ten minutes, I was disappointed. The dialogue seemed forced and there was something not quite right. It did get more interesting and entertaining to watch. I liked seeing how the book’s plot and characters were portrayed, but I already knew what would happen so it did tend to drag on.
One thing this movie did well was showing the grief and brutality involved in a revolution. This is a major theme in the book and it stays true to it. The scenes of citizens charging at guards and being shot down evoke emotion and sober the viewer.
In the end, I liked the movie, but I wasn’t clinging to my seat when it ended. It was worth seeing once, but I would not go see it again.
Sources:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2014/11/29/friday-box-office-mockingjay-soars-to-400m-worldwide/