I’ve read Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy and enjoyed the first two movies. Jennifer Lawrence is great as feisty Katniss Everdeen (who is pretty good with a bow and arrow). In a dystopian future, the 1% enjoy luxury as the rest of humanity struggles in poverty. Each year, gladiatorial games feature fights to the death with the survivor named a Champion and showered with treasure. The first book in the trilogy was my favorite. But I thought the second book, which brings back the Champions to compete again, would be the better movie (it was). But the greed of Hollywood resulted in dividing the third movie into two parts (more money!). Sadly, Philip Seymour Hoffman died before this movie was completed. His role has been reduced. Other subplots have been elongated. The result is a mess. Don’t hurry to see this disaster. GRADE: C-
For another review of Mockingjay, Part One click here.
I’ve not felt a need to read any of the books(as if I could find the time), much less watch any of the movies.
Believe me, we won’t. We’ll see it in Florida when we get there.
The third book was the weakest in the trilogy already and dividing it into two movies was greedy and totally unnecessary.
Randy, the first book in the series, THE HUNGER GAMES, is the best novel. CATCHING FIRE, the second movie, is the best. But this latest movie is very weak.
Jeff, you are so right! A weak book made into two weak movies. But there’s an audience for these movies so MOCKINGJAY, PART ONE will make hundreds of millions of dollars despite it being very mediocre.
George, I have not read the trilogy but my daughter did and she liked them a lot. She has recommended this series along with George R.R. Martin and Stieg Larsson; all very big books for me to tackle right now. Cable TV keeps telecasting “The Hunger Games” though I wouldn’t know whether it is part one or two.
Prashant, I’ve read THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy. It’s a quick read (unlike George R. R. Martin and Stieg Larsson). The first volume is the best. The second movie, CATCHING FIRE, is better than the first movie. This new movie isn’t very good.
Greed? In Hollywood? I am SHOCKED, I tell you, shocked to hear of such a thing. I’m sure all the money must be going to charity, perhaps the Orphaned Hamster Society.
Okay, back to reality. Maybe this won’t make so much and will calm or extinguish the split-books-into-several-films concept that seems to have been started by The Hobbit, or was it before that?
Rick, the Harry Potter people split the last book–HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS–into two movies (and made a ton of money). And, as you point out, THE HOBBIT has been “expanded” into three movies even though it’s the shortest book Tolkien wrote.
I haven’t read the books, but really enjoyed this first part of the two-part end. Its certainly got reviews all over the place, but I was very pleased with it as an opening for this final chapter.
Carl, we’ll be watching MOCKINGJAY, PART ONE on Blu-ray. But I can’t wait to see THE HOBBIT on December 17!