Movie Review: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

Even though I walked away from the film feeling almost inevitably let down, due to the simple fact that it was essentially half of a film, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 was a satisfying start to the finale and stood on its own as a fairly good film. True, the whole thing was just one huge buildup for the final installment, which I expect to be absolutely explosive - in all sense of the word - but this one did an excellent job of expanding the story further as the film progressively got much darker. It was gorgeously lensed as the cinematography seemed a lot more sullen and bleak than its predecessor, the visual effects were top notch, the editing was sharper this time, and it was surprisingly well-paced. The cast ensemble were on point. Jennifer Lawrence was excellent, while both Julianne Moore and Philip Seymour Hoffman delivered well-rounded performances. Elizabeth Banks added the much needed light and humor, which very well made up for the darkness and depth of the storyline. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 wasn't entirely perfect, but I consider this one as a preparation for the revelatory kind of finish for the franchise, and yes, it's going to be greatly anticipated. 8.5