Suzanne Collins | Craig's Movie Report

Viewed – 21 March 2015 Blu-ray

So we reach the third entry in the heavily hyped franchise adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ popular novels. Katnis Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) has defied the capital and angered President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and has had to go into hiding along with a group of rebels in the hope of gathering the population of Pan Am against it’s totalitarian government. An uprising of monstrous proportions is on the horizon. And so ended the last movie, Catching Fire, in the hope that now things were really going to kick off.

Well, that’s not quite the case here in the first part of the final book, as Katnis is given the task of becoming the Mocking Jay, the iconic face of the rebellion. This of course means she is an enemy of the capital and anyone who joins her cause are immediate targets. What you get is over an hour of propaganda creating interviews, visiting districts, doing publicity videos, and not much action … until the final act that is. It suffers the same slow, drawn-out build up of the last movie but without the exhilarating pay-off of an actual Hunger Games this time around to get all worked up about. And don’t get me started about how many people die for no good reason in this movie (i.e. the hospital being bombed…).

Sound design and production values are both top notch but this doesn’t make up for such lacklustre plotting. Lawrence does her best in a role that gives her very little to do other than look earnestly at destroyed landscapes and well, act a bit out of her depth. Supporting turns from Julianne Moore and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman don’t add a great deal to proceedings, and Woody Harrelson is woefully under-used. Donald Sutherland is ok but again doesn’t get much time to really chew the scenery – the script clearly too interested in dragging out every little moment for as long as possible, just so there’s enough material left to make another movie.

A serious example of cash-in over quality this time, sadly.

Verdict: 2 /5

Viewed – 22 March 2014 Blu-ray

I enjoyed the first movie in this hyped adaption of the popular novels by Suzanne Collins. Although inspired clearly by Japanese thriller Battle Royal, it retained it’s own personality and proved a star making turn for Jennifer Lawrence. We catch up with her character, Katniss Everdeen following her victory at the last Hunger Games, and due to embark on a tour of the various impoverished districts. Yet the threat of civil unrest has got the capital and President Snow (Donald Sutherland) nervous following Katniss and fellow tribute Peeta’s defiance of the game’s rules.

Clearly on a bigger budget than the last movie, this is an attractive experience, and is shot in a very eye-catching manner throughout. Lawrence again is perfect as Katniss and the emotional, moral centre of the story. The plot is more fleshed out this time also and with better turns from Donald Sutherland and various supporting characters (even the constipated-looking Josh Hutcherson). The movie takes quite a bit of time to get going however with far too much exposition following the fallout from the last games and Katniss’ troubles hiding the fact she’s not really in love with Peeta. Although her actual boyfriend is poorly represented and basically pointless. I was happy to see the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman make an effective appearance, and once the action presented itself … this was quite exciting. Yet like the last movie it’s also a story that struggles to involve a viewer who hasn’t already got an encyclopedic knowledge of the books (with vague referrences to characters and events), and beyond Lawrence delivering such a well-rounded performance, this could almost be straight–to-dvd forgettable.

As the first movie on my new sound system, this was impressive to say the least. A fully immersive sound stage with very clear dialogue and great use of all speakers, with some fun effects like announcers and animals in the rears. Overall it greatly enhanced what was still a fun, if over-hyped (and over-long) entry in this continually interesting franchise. Looking forward to the next instalment.

Verdict: 3.5 /5