The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

[Stout]

It was nowhere near as bad as the first Hobbit movie. That movie felt like someone was saying "um" "um" for the first 2 hours of that movie. This was a good movie although not as good as the last IMO.

This did feel like a setup for the next film but was still entertaining. My daughter loved it but she loves all things Hunger Games right now. LOL.

Okay, I will heartily agree with your Hobbit comparison. Way, way better than that garbage. Still didn't at all enjoy it, but you're spot on with that comparison.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Okay movie... Some interesting stuff, all of which could have happened in the first 25 to 30 minutes of an actual movie. Blatant cash grab.

Terrible, terrible ending.

 

[Chaplin]

Okay movie... Some interesting stuff, all of which could have happened in the first 25 to 30 minutes of an actual movie. Blatant cash grab.

Terrible, terrible ending.

Why? Because it was open ended? I'm no fan of this movie, but the ending was certainly what I would expect for a first part cash grab.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Why? Because it was open ended? I'm no fan of this movie, but the ending was certainly what I would expect for a first part cash grab.

Not because it was open ended... I just didn't think the ending packed much of a visceral punch. What's his face banging around (after we had already known all movie he was messed up) just didn't seem like much of a moment to go out on.

 

[Chaplin]

Not because it was open ended... I just didn't think the ending packed much of a visceral punch. What's his face banging around (after we had already known all movie he was messed up) just didn't seem like much of a moment to go out on.

Yeah, I can see that. I personally didn't have much of a reaction good OR bad at the ending. It was what it was, and probably was the best actual acting done by both of them in the entire film.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Yeah, I can see that. I personally didn't have much of a reaction good OR bad at the ending. It was what it was, and probably was the best actual acting done by both of them in the entire film.

that is the exact reason I thought it was a terrible ending. if you're gonna split the movies in two, you better at least pack a hell of a punch for your last sequence/scene to make people salivate for the end.

 

[Chaplin]

that is the exact reason I thought it was a terrible ending. if you're gonna split the movies in two, you better at least pack a hell of a punch for your last sequence/scene to make people salivate for the end.

Not to spoilerize, but what did you think of the Deathly Hallows Part 1 ending? It ended with a death, not major, but pretty impactful--but it could be argued that the ending to that film wasn't so great either. Of course, it had a much bigger pedigree than Hunger Games does, so there's that...

The Hunger Games as a series isn't particularly well-written, so the ending might be disappointing, but certainly not surprising.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Not to spoilerize, but what did you think of the Deathly Hallows Part 1 ending? It ended with a death, not major, but pretty impactful--but it could be argued that the ending to that film wasn't so great either. Of course, it had a much bigger pedigree than Hunger Games does, so there's that...

The Hunger Games as a series isn't particularly well-written, so the ending might be disappointing, but certainly not surprising.

eh... i wasn't the biggest Potter fan, so Part 1 felt kinda meh to me. But Part 2 was a fantastic finale. And that's coming from someone, again, who wasn't a huge fan of the series.

 

[thirty-two]

I don't think I liked this as much as the first two but I still enjoyed it. It definitely felt like the appetizer before the main course. That said, I will of course buy it on blu-ray when it comes out because I do love this series.

 

[Bert]

Yeah, I can see that. I personally didn't have much of a reaction good OR bad at the ending. It was what it was, and probably was the best actual acting done by both of them in the entire film.

Am I the only one who thinks Jennifer Lawrence has been bad in this series? Which is weird, because she has been solid in other roles and I'm not just talking about SLP, she can act. I think I get what's happening though, she's just trying to play Katniss as she should be played which is totally freaked out and completely desperate. It's just that everyone else in the movie is not. It's like their intensity is a 4 and she's at 11. I feel like she's the only one that gets the books out of the whole cast.

In the books Katniss is literally going insane from the traumas she's experienced which go way beyond what has been shown in the films. She's been starved, hunted, tortured, kidnapped, had loved ones killed in front of her. I mean the books are hardly YA softies, Katniss life is a living hell. They have not done a good job in these movies of showing just how oppressed, assaulted and tortured these people are by the capital.

The premise of the whole series is The HUNGER Games. Named such because the people in the districts are literally starving to death. The Capital gives them just barely enough to scrape by and keeps them week purposely while they slave away to provide for the Capital. They are slaves. 24 people, some of them kids, fight in the games each year and all die but 1 and the person who wins gets all kinds of stuff for their district. They get more food, more supplies, all kinds of perks for their district, so if you win it's not only that you don't die, you basically save your district. It's such a big deal that some of the districts have grown much stronger and have dedicated training programs to raise fighters for the games who when they reach a certain age, volunteer. So every year they have a trained killer volunteering against a bunch of teenagers, so they keep winning (not always but a lot) and getting stronger and stronger.

Josh Hutcherson however I have no excuse for, he has always been bad so he is no surprise. Every scene he's in feels like a scene from a weekday afternoon comedy on Nickelodeon.

 

[Covert Rain]

Am I the only one who thinks Jennifer Lawrence has been bad in this series? Which is weird, because she has been solid in other roles and I'm not just talking about SLP, she can act. I think I get what's happening though, she's just trying to play Katniss as she should be played which is totally freaked out and completely desperate. It's just that everyone else in the movie is not. It's like their intensity is a 4 and she's at 11. I feel like she's the only one that gets the books out of the whole cast.

In the books Katniss is literally going insane from the traumas she's experienced which go way beyond what has been shown in the films. She's been starved, hunted, tortured, kidnapped, had loved ones killed in front of her. I mean the books are hardly YA softies, Katniss life is a living hell. They have not done a good job in these movies of showing just how oppressed, assaulted and tortured these people are by the capital.

The premise of the whole series is The HUNGER Games. Named such because the people in the districts are literally starving to death. The Capital gives them just barely enough to scrape by and keeps them week purposely while they slave away to provide for the Capital. They are slaves. 24 people, some of them kids, fight in the games each year and all die but 1 and the person who wins gets all kinds of stuff for their district. They get more food, more supplies, all kinds of perks for their district, so if you win it's not only that you don't die, you basically save your district. It's such a big deal that some of the districts have grown much stronger and have dedicated training programs to raise fighters for the games who when they reach a certain age, volunteer. So every year they have a trained killer volunteering against a bunch of teenagers, so they keep winning (not always but a lot) and getting stronger and stronger.

Josh Hutcherson however I have no excuse for, he has always been bad so he is no surprise. Every scene he's in feels like a scene from a weekday afternoon comedy on Nickelodeon.

Yes. She has absolutely saved this series from dropping into a Twilight type abyss. This series never should have been anything above that dreck and yet somehow if has been better. I didn't say a whole lot better but still better and that is thanks to some strong performances out of the cast with mediocre material IMO.

 

[Chaplin]

Yes. She has absolutely saved this series from dropping into a Twilight type abyss. This series never should have been anything above that dreck and yet somehow if has been better. I didn't say a whole lot better but still better and that is thanks to some strong performances out of the cast with mediocre material IMO.

Other than the last 4 minutes, this was easily the worst acting Jennifer Lawrence has done in this series--probably in her career. All she did was cry and whine the entire film. I never got that kick-ass feeling she displayed in the previous 2 films.

 

[Bert]

Other than the last 4 minutes, this was easily the worst acting Jennifer Lawrence has done in this series--probably in her career. All she did was cry and whine the entire film. I never got that kick-ass feeling she displayed in the previous 2 films.

Totally agree.

Her "waking up from a bad dream" was seriously so bad I laughed out loud. I've seen kids in high school plays act that better.

And there is no way these are anywhere near as bad as the twilight garbage even without Jlaw. Those were so laughably bad it should be funny, but it's still not.

 

[ajcardfan]

Totally agree.

Her "waking up from a bad dream" was seriously so bad I laughed out loud. I've seen kids in high school plays act that better.

And there is no way these are anywhere near as bad as the twilight garbage even without Jlaw. Those were so laughably bad it should be funny, but it's still not.

Kristen Stewart has about two face expressions total. Gawd, just a flat line-reciting wretch in those movies.

Damn right these movie are better than Twilight. I HATED Twilight, the Hunger games I can at least tolerate. Of course, it's always me and not my ex taking my three daughters to these movies.

 

[Covert Rain]

Other than the last 4 minutes, this was easily the worst acting Jennifer Lawrence has done in this series--probably in her career. All she did was cry and whine the entire film. I never got that kick-ass feeling she displayed in the previous 2 films.

I thought the exact opposite. She spends the first two films putting up a completely different front but this films reminds you she is just a girl put in a situation nobody should go through. Much more realistic portrayal IMO of what would happen with someone put into that scenario.

Kristen Stewart has about two face expressions total. Gawd, just a flat line-reciting wretch in those movies.

Damn right these movie are better than Twilight. I HATED Twilight, the Hunger games I can at least tolerate. Of course, it's always me and not my ex taking my three daughters to these movies.

Exactly. My daughter loved Twilight and she even tells me how much better these films are and loves JL in them.

 

[Chaplin]

I thought the exact opposite. She spends the first two films putting up a completely different front but this films reminds you she is just a girl put in a situation nobody should go through. Much more realistic portrayal IMO of what would happen with someone put into that scenario.

If this was the FIRST movie, then I'd probably agree with you. But this is the 3rd movie and the first half of the final book. She's had plenty of time for teen angst--we should be over that by now.

 

[Covert Rain]

If this was the FIRST movie, then I'd probably agree with you. But this is the 3rd movie and the first half of the final book. She's had plenty of time for teen angst--we should be over that by now.

In the first two she was forced to compete in the games. There was no time to actually react. In this films it's the first time she has been away from the games for any period of time. I would say it's the appropriate time to finally realize what the hell she is in the middle of.

 

[Chaplin]

In the first two she was forced to compete in the games. There was no time to actually react. In this films it's the first time she has been away from the games for any period of time. I would say it's the appropriate time to finally realize what the hell she is in the middle of.

I think we'll agree to disagree on this one. JLaw is such a good actress, she shouldn't pigeon-hole herself in this one-note performance, but it is what it is. Annoying as hell and makes me wish that the final movie has her return back to the roots she had found in the previous movies.

She was good especially in the 2nd movie. It's not like she was the Ultimate Warrior in the first film, anyway. There were some pretty boring parts where she did her sad eyes. In the 3rd film that's ALL she does.

 

[Stout]

I think we'll agree to disagree on this one. JLaw is such a good actress, she shouldn't pigeon-hole herself in this one-note performance, but it is what it is. Annoying as hell and makes me wish that the final movie has her return back to the roots she had found in the previous movies.

She was good especially in the 2nd movie. It's not like she was the Ultimate Warrior in the first film, anyway. There were some pretty boring parts where she did her sad eyes. In the 3rd film that's ALL she does.

Exactly.

 

[Covert Rain]

I think we'll agree to disagree on this one. JLaw is such a good actress, she shouldn't pigeon-hole herself in this one-note performance, but it is what it is. Annoying as hell and makes me wish that the final movie has her return back to the roots she had found in the previous movies.

She was good especially in the 2nd movie. It's not like she was the Ultimate Warrior in the first film, anyway. There were some pretty boring parts where she did her sad eyes. In the 3rd film that's ALL she does.

That's fair but in the first two films her "character" has been putting up a front and acting. She was forced to win over "sponsors", pretend like she wasn't afraid. Next she had to act again by playing the part of victor etc.

When exactly did she have the opportunity to probably react the way she should have? IMO, she didn't. I think this film portrays it perfectly. In fact, Philip Seymour Hoffman had a line in the movie that said it perfectly. He said something to the effect she is only a 19 year old girl and talked about she wasn't this character everyone built her up to be.

However, like you said we will agree to disagree.

 

[Chaplin]

That's fair but in the first two films her "character" has been putting up a front and acting. She was forced to win over "sponsors", pretend like she wasn't afraid. Next she had to act again by playing the part of victor etc.

When exactly did she have the opportunity to probably react the way she should have? IMO, she didn't. I think this film portrays it perfectly. In fact, Philip Seymour Hoffman had a line in the movie that said it perfectly. He said something to the effect she is only a 19 year old girl and talked about she wasn't this character everyone built her up to be.

However, like you said we will agree to disagree.

Except that doesn't mesh with her previous performances in the movies before. Yes, she had to "act" like she wasn't afraid when she actually was, but don't you think doing that for the first two films should have at least provided her with some sort of resolve (or even courage)? Honestly, her performance in this movie seemed like the previous movies didn't exist. (and to be honest, her acting to be strong when she really is afraid is good acting--being afraid the whole time isn't)

 

[Covert Rain]

Except that doesn't mesh with her previous performances in the movies before. Yes, she had to "act" like she wasn't afraid when she actually was, but don't you think doing that for the first two films should have at least provided her with some sort of resolve (or even courage)? Honestly, her performance in this movie seemed like the previous movies didn't exist. (and to be honest, her acting to be strong when she really is afraid is good acting--being afraid the whole time isn't)

Not if your in complete denial and being watched by everyone around you. The first two movies were very much about her putting up a front.

 

[UncleChris]

Glad I rented this for a few bucks rather than paying for it at the theater. I could write many, many paragraphs about what is wrong with this movie, and also say that the best thing about it was that it was 2 hours 3 minutes long instead of 2 hours 10 minutes long.

I spent most of the movie rolling my eyes at all the obvious stuff, as well as simply wanting to pimp-slap Katniss and yell in her face, "this isn't about you and your pathetic love life!!!! It's about literally saving the world!!!!!"

Gaaaahhhhhh!!!!

 

[Iceman]

https://twitter.com/MTVNews/status/624234407956770817

 

[Covert Rain]

That new trailer is pretty intense.