Plodding and drawn-out. The material is way too thin to justify a movie, and it shows. For example, Finnick's broadcast regarding President Snow's rise to power inter-spliced with the 'SWAT' team rescue mission was just terribly edited, opting for a snail's pace back-and-forth in lieu of any kind of real tension. The revelations themselves should have been somewhat rousing, and you'd expect a rescue mission to be somewhat thrilling, but the amateur presentation diluted the impact of either. The script was the book, and the book doesn't serve up a Part 1. It's a short young adult book. Money-grabbing movie-making at its most blatant.

Also, I just don't get the praise for Jennifer Lawrence.... she's kind of bad. Julianne Moore too, not to mention some of the supporting cut-outs. Everyone in this movie seems bored.

Yawn.

Hunger Games B-
Catching Fire A-
Mockingjay Part 1 C+

You don't seem to like it at all. What kept this from a D or F?

I didn't hate it. Just wrote a bitchy review because this "Part 1" business was totally unnecessary. But I'll still see Part 2.

A movie really has to piss me off to get into the D or F range.

After coming from the high of Catching Fire while binge watching this became terribly dull and I constantly started to check my phone. It does not have enough material to carry forward plus in order to make Part 2 they just start the whole thing again, so essentially you can entirely skip this part and not miss much of the movie. The world building of District 13 is just not existent as none of these parts were given much consideration in Collins' novel as well. The only good thing are the leads that carry the film and a few surprises sprinkled across. The one highlight of the movie is the hospital scene and its destruction.

.......

MEH.....

C+

How can a franchise fall from the iconicness of Catching Fire to this?

This would be a great first half of a movie. As it is its own movie, it’s well done for what it is but I can understand people being disappointed at the lack of action. I’m interested in war propaganda filmmaking but can understand fans of fights to the death in an arena not being.