Writer: Casey Chong

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Watch this if you liked: “The Hunger Games” and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”

The Good, the Bad and the Mockingjay:

Just so you know, Suzanne Collins' final book of "The Hunger Games" series, "Mockingjay", is only 390 pages long, so it's kind of baffling that the studio (Lionsgate) decided to split the book into a two-part movie finale - with "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2" scheduled to screen next November - which is more of a business decision than a creative endeavor it seems. The good news is, "Part 1" here is blessed with solid acting performances, with Jennifer Lawrence once again delivering an exceptionally charismatic yet captivating performance as Katniss Everdeen. The movie's obvious shift of tone, which focuses more on the drama with a political subtext than the usual action-adventure approach that the first two "Hunger Games" are known for, is actually a refreshing change of pace. It is nevertheless a bold, yet radical move that might alienate most of the casual viewers expecting the same old game-revolving plot just like the first two movies, even though fans of the book have expected this already. Still, kudos goes to director Francis Lawrence for being able to create a fair amount of dramatic tension that doesn't rely heavily on action set-piece to do the talking. Now for the bad news: despite clocking at two hours long (20 minutes shorter than the previous two movies), "Part 1" tends to grow redundant once the setup has been laid out. Some of the scenes are unnecessarily stretched to the point that you wish the studio would be wise enough to turn "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay" into one movie instead. Despite some of the shortcomings, "Part 1" remains decent enough as a thrilling drama with a political overtone and here's hoping that "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2" next November is worth the long wait for an epic payoff.

Look Out For:

The poignant moment where a flock of mockingjay birds whistling in the air, and Katniss starts singing "The Hanging Tree" by the riverside.

Trivia:

According to director Francis Lawrence, he didn't utilise CGI to complete the late Philip Seymour Hoffman's remaining scenes as a mark of respect after the actor's untimely death due to drug overdose.

Best Watched With:

Why, die-hard fans of "The Hunger Games" movies, of course!

Cinema Online, 19 November 2014