Moving away from the sport like elements of the first 2 that i found the most entertaining, this movie manages to take a complete turn into proper dystonian future vibes…which i find equally entertaining. You do however get the impression this film is building up to the second part and doesn’t stand alone too well

An interesting one, this. Mockingjay Part One moves away from the dystopian action and plays more like a political thriller for the majority of its runtime. It’s a slow-burn that feels far more gritty than previous entries, the fast-paced and action-packed games are gone, replaced by the creation of a revolution and propaganda machine. I wouldn’t say it is boring, in fact it had me intrigued for the most-part, but it is noticeably different from its predecessors and is clearly mainly focused on setting up Part 2, so it will be down to personal tastes as to how you feel about it! Production values are the best so far, the performances are still great and there’s enough here to get you hyped up for an (hopefully) exciting finale. But I suppose Part 2 (which I’ve never seen) will be the evidence as to whether or not this needed to split in half or if they were just stretching out the narrative to get a few extra quid!

5.7/10 Long-winded is the perfect word to describe Mockingjay - Part 1. This felt like what Dune is doing (literally splitting the movie in half) except it was actually necessary with Dune because the story is too complex to fit into one movie. This half spends an obscene amount of time in District 13. It’s basically just two hours of Katniss making rebel propaganda and prepping for the final battle with the Capitol. I will say, the opening 20 minutes or so are great. It’s nice to see the actual destruction the Capitol caused at District 12. It makes it feel a lot more real. The action sequences are very good at least. The standout one is the infiltration of the Tribute Center. The red lights illuminating the rooms is incredible. The CGI has actually gotten to a point where I can call it good. As I said, Part 1 is well crafted, but nothing in it warrants the finale to this trilogy being two parts.

This film is exceptionally well-crafted, captivating, and immersive. The majority of the action scenes felt realistic and believable, which added to the excitement and intensity rather than relying on cartoonish CGI. The supporting cast delivered solid performances, and Jennifer Lawrence showcased her usual top-quality work. The art direction, set design, and location choices were flawless, with meticulous attention to detail that made even the mundane moments as impactful as the exotic ones. Although it does feel like an episode within a larger story rather than a standalone narrative, l ultimately found the film highly enjoyable despite that fact. It's worth taking a moment to consider the real-life struggles faced by people in Syria and other similar situations. This film gives us a glimpse of their enduring hardships, which sets it apart from most Hollywood movies. I really enjoyed this movie because it told a great story without a lot of action there was a lot of action, but there wasn't as much as the other movies but it's still an amazing story that will live on