The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
2.5/4
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, Sam Claflin, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Violence and Action, Some Disturbing Images and Thematic Material
I'm not the world's biggest fan of this franchise, and that's mainly because the world the story takes place doesn't seem very real or interesting. The settings of "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings" felt alive; it was as if the filmmakers had created whole entire worlds rather than just telling the stories. Middle Earth and the Magical World of Harry Potter had personality. Panem is just a word.
Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) has been responsible for turning her world entirely on its head. An act of defiance has caused her home district to be flattened by the Capital, which is led by the ruthless President Snow (Sutherland). There are survivors, including District 12 President Alma Coin (Moore), and allies from other districts. They want her to be the Mockingjay, the symbol of a revolution, but it's a role that she doesn't necessarily want. Making matters more difficult is that Katniss's boyfriend Peeta (Hutcherson) is being held captive in the Capital. But after seeing the devastation of her home town, Katniss accepts the role, but that means learning just how ruthless Snow can be.
Plot coherence has always been a problem with the franchise, and that's the case here. This is a movie that is meant for fans only; you have to watch the first two films in quick succession in order to understand everything, although I'm not sure that that will help. The script feels half-finished, as if there is more going on behind what we see and hear.
The stakes also don't feel very high. Director Francis Lawrence doesn't do a good job of setting the stage. The limits of his vision were apparent in his first film, "Constantine," and his ability to handle big projects hasn't improved. We never get a sense of how big this world is or how it works. He needs to learn the merits of the saying "show, don't tell." The only action scene that generates suspense does so because it features characters we know.
Of all the sci-fi/fantasy heroes and heroines, Katniss Everdeen has to be the weakest. Just about everything she does is because she's forced into it. Few decisions she makes are her own; everyone tells her what to do. Everyone tells her what to do and while she protests at times, she does it anyway. Every good hero needs a backbone; the underlines follow his orders, not the other way around. It's not that Jennifer Lawrence is bad, it's that her character is badly written. She's got way too much reluctance and not enough strength.
The franchise has attracted some high-profile names: Julianne Moore, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, and Philip Seymour Hoffman (in his final role, which was completed using rewrites). All do solid jobs, but there's not much for them to work with.
It's easy to guess who should see this movie. If you like the books or the first two movies, see this one. If not, skip it.
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, Sam Claflin, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Violence and Action, Some Disturbing Images and Thematic Material
I'm not the world's biggest fan of this franchise, and that's mainly because the world the story takes place doesn't seem very real or interesting. The settings of "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings" felt alive; it was as if the filmmakers had created whole entire worlds rather than just telling the stories. Middle Earth and the Magical World of Harry Potter had personality. Panem is just a word.
Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) has been responsible for turning her world entirely on its head. An act of defiance has caused her home district to be flattened by the Capital, which is led by the ruthless President Snow (Sutherland). There are survivors, including District 12 President Alma Coin (Moore), and allies from other districts. They want her to be the Mockingjay, the symbol of a revolution, but it's a role that she doesn't necessarily want. Making matters more difficult is that Katniss's boyfriend Peeta (Hutcherson) is being held captive in the Capital. But after seeing the devastation of her home town, Katniss accepts the role, but that means learning just how ruthless Snow can be.
Plot coherence has always been a problem with the franchise, and that's the case here. This is a movie that is meant for fans only; you have to watch the first two films in quick succession in order to understand everything, although I'm not sure that that will help. The script feels half-finished, as if there is more going on behind what we see and hear.
The stakes also don't feel very high. Director Francis Lawrence doesn't do a good job of setting the stage. The limits of his vision were apparent in his first film, "Constantine," and his ability to handle big projects hasn't improved. We never get a sense of how big this world is or how it works. He needs to learn the merits of the saying "show, don't tell." The only action scene that generates suspense does so because it features characters we know.
Of all the sci-fi/fantasy heroes and heroines, Katniss Everdeen has to be the weakest. Just about everything she does is because she's forced into it. Few decisions she makes are her own; everyone tells her what to do. Everyone tells her what to do and while she protests at times, she does it anyway. Every good hero needs a backbone; the underlines follow his orders, not the other way around. It's not that Jennifer Lawrence is bad, it's that her character is badly written. She's got way too much reluctance and not enough strength.
The franchise has attracted some high-profile names: Julianne Moore, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, and Philip Seymour Hoffman (in his final role, which was completed using rewrites). All do solid jobs, but there's not much for them to work with.
It's easy to guess who should see this movie. If you like the books or the first two movies, see this one. If not, skip it.
Comments
Post a Comment