Movie Review: The Hunger Games- Mockingjay (Part 1)

The latest installment of The Hunger Games movie franchise is easily the darkest film of the year. I'm not talking about the film's content either [although it's pretty grim itself]. No, I mean the picture quality is literally black as midnight. Lots of scenes take place in secret underground bunkers or inside abandoned buildings and it makes for one of the muddiest pictures I've ever seen. Be prepared to squint and grimace slightly while watching this one. Of course the film's ridiculously forced love triangle and sheer lazy directing/camera work might have you doing that anyways.

What's my beef with The Hunger Games you ask? In case you missed my evisceration of the last film, I'll summarize by saying they're just way too bland for my liking. Mockingjay 1.0 falls victim to the same troubles that plagued Catching Fire, and suffers from some new mistakes as well. The script is still a big bag of "meh" [as most films adapted from 'Young Adult' fiction tend to be] but Mockingjay lacks the dazzling set pieces that propelled the first two films. Jennifer Law...er, Katniss, is no longer a wee young lass trapped inside the games. That means no more crazy fight sequences or wacky costumes from the Capitol. Now Katniss is transitioning into the role of freedom fighter and hanging out with the resistance in their less than glamorous subterranean headquarters. Because Mockingjay was divided into two films to maximize profits, that means all the "cool" stuff is being saved for the series finally, which leaves nothing but exposition and Jennifer Lawrence making "OMG" faces every five minutes in this one.

The lame script and, you know...lack of any real climax, could have been countered by some crafty camera work or truly standout performances. Mockingjay 1.0 has none of that. John Wick might be the most cliched movie ever made; yet the directors counter the banality of it's plot with awesome camera tricks and direction that keeps the audience engaged. Mockingjay is by comparison...a snoozefest. The fact that Julianne Moore and Philp Seymour Hoffman share multiple scenes together, which constitutes an Amber Waves & Scotty J. Boogie Nights reunion, is The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1's only saving grace.

Movie Review: The Hunger Games- Catching Fire

This movie is as exciting as a hot chocolate from Starbucks. A warm beverage in a spiffy cup just like everyone else has, but lacking the other special ingredients those real drinks...well I don't know, fuck I don't even like coffee. Anyways, back to the movie.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire isn't a horrible film, it's just not very good either. There's action, drama, romance, you name it this movie tries to have it. That my friends, is the problem. This feels less like a film and more like a marketing decision (which we all know it was. C'mon you saw those Katniss popcorn bags?), a mass appeal hodgepodge of generic fluff meant to garner maximum profits at the box office. Mission accomplished dudes, Catching Fire has been kicking ass for the past two weeks. However, loads of profits does not a good film make.

It's no surprise that Jennifer Lawrence, *ahem* Academy Award winner for Best Actress *ahem* is the film's saving grace. She's beautiful and captivating and makes the best with such a sorry script. Also, with the weight of the franchise on her shoulders and the promise of residuals so vast they could fund the zaniest pet projects imaginable, Lawrence truly gives her all in Catching Fire. But then I remember that I've seen her kick ass in good movies also and that quickly becomes a moot point. The same is true for the rest of the cast. Elizabeth Banks, Jena Malone, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, fucking Philip Seymour Hoffman! Such a talented cast...squandered.

In short, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, is the bleak dystopian future set action-drama we've all seen before, but dumbed down for post-Twilight America. Maybe if the film didn't take itself so seriously? The outlandish costumes look just as stupid as say, Demolition Man, but Stallone's mid 90's cult classic had no delusions of grandeur. I guess The Hunger Games is like Star Wars, but without the camp or moxy that made the original trilogy so endearing. Instead we get self serious drivel with bad CGI and set designs. Dear lord, it's like the Prequels all over again! The Hunger Games: Attack of the Clones.