Hungry Games: Turkingjay Part 1

Oh hello there. I haven't been around much lately because I've been very busy leading a rebellion against a corrupt government. Oh wait, no, that was Katniss. I've been lazing around my parents' house and eating copious amounts of foods. If you haven't seen Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 yet, why haven't you? I've already seen it twice! Go do it now, I'll wait right here.

Welcome back! It was awesome, wasn't it? Mockingjay is my least favorite of the books, but I did enjoy the movie quite a bit. Not as much as the first two, but hey, that's okay. Some people have criticized the decision to split the book into two movies, as is the fashion these days, but I think it was a good idea. A lot happens in the book, and it would have been difficult and awkward to make it fit into the beats of a single movie. It would have felt really rushed and probably would have been 3+ hours long. In light of that, I think making it two movies works.

Mockingjay Part 1 is not quite as colorful or as murder-y as the other two movies, but it sets the stage for a lot of the action to come in the next movie. I love that it shows perspective outside of Katniss' worldview, i.e: the districts fighting back against the Capital. You have no real sense of that in the books, and it's really powerful to see it in action here. You finally see what the rebels are fighting for, and how they're fighting back, and it's just really great. There are a few differences from the book, which is totally fine, but there are a couple that make me wonder what it means for the next movie. It could be just that it didn't fit tonally in this film, which makes sense, and will be addressed in the next film.

Oh, also! I loved Natalie Dormer as Cressida! Natalie Dormer is great in everything I've seen her in (Anne Boleyn in The Tudors, Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones, the kissing slut in Captain America). I loved how she tried to prompt Katniss in the propos they filmed, and how awkward it was sometimes. Jennifer Lawrence is, of course, amazing as well in the film. When she said, "If we burn, you burn with us!", no joke, I got goosebumps. Both times!! She really sells how messed up Katniss is at this point.

I saw Mockingjay Part 1 on opening night, and again a week later, and both times there were disruptive people in the audience. Remember, folks, if you look at your cell phone or talk to your friend next you, you are incredibly annoying and Katniss (I) will shoot you in the face with an arrow (or ask you politely yet angrily to stop).

PS: Stay until the very bitter end of the credits to see the Mockingjay logo change. If you have to pee (after all, it's been a very long two hours and 45 minutes), just go look it up on YouTube or something, it's not that life-changing or anything.