Why make one movie when you can whack a book in half, and make two?
“Twilight” and “Harry Potter” whacked their last books into two movies, and “The Hobbit” got whacked three times. More money! There’s nothing wrong with it, really—you can pack in more detail. Good storytelling is good storytelling.
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” is the first movie of the last book of the hugely popular Suzanne Collins’ trilogy. Problem is, “Part 1” is not particularly good storytelling.
Here’s the main thing: there’s no more actual Hunger Games. The games are gone. No more outdoors-y, stalking through booby-trapped woods, computerized-weather, and “Tracker Jacker” fun stuff.
This is a dark, somewhat claustrophobic, indoors grimy-bunker, and bombed-rubble flick. So the title will be misleading for the non-aware, non-Games fan.
It’s now a revolution movie. It’s about the 99-percenters out in the Districts, in revolt, trying to take down the Capitol and that dastardly snake, President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Which is not a bad objective. His arch manner and arched eyebrows are so annoying. He’s got to go.
