I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous about this movie. Mockingjay was my least favorite book in the Hunger Games series (though I loved them all), and with it being broken into two movies when it wasn’t any longer of a book than the other two… Luckily, my fears were unwarranted. It was every bit as good as Catching Fire, which was amazing.
Book Accuracy
Really pretty close. Which, with two movies to cover it all, I would have hoped for, and they delivered. And where there were changes, they were pretty minor. Instead of Katniss’s original prep team being there in 13 (and being locked up and tortured), we get Effie, which I was thrilled about. She actually makes it funnier. The other biggest thing I saw was how Katniss’s demands happened when she became the Mockingjay. In the book, hunting was part of it, Gale by her side was a requirement, and she forgot Annie. In the movie, she only asked for the cat and the immunity of Peeta, Joanna, and Annie, and later Gale says he worked out that they could hunt. The relationship with Gale and Katniss had less anger and tension. Really, those were the biggest changes.
Characters
The actors have been perfect since the first book. I love Jennifer Lawrence, of course, but the whole cast is perfect. Effie’s change from Capitol daring to District 13 jumpsuit diva was hilarious and I really liked that she was added in. Aside from the missing prep team, no other characters were different from the book.
Plot
I think they picked the perfect place to end this movie. I had a feeling that’s where it would happen. (No spoilers!) Peeta’s transformation was slow and so believable, it still makes me mad to think about what the Capitol did to him. Snow was nice and creepy as always. The whole thing was full of action and emotion and left a nice cliffhanger for part 2.
Overall Entertainment
There was so much raw emotion in this movie. It was heartbreaking and exciting and it was not at all lacking the emotion of the book, which can happen with book adaptations. I loved the whole thing.
Movie Trailer
Nails
On my nails when I went to see the movie:
And I made a video tutorial showing how I did them:
Did you see the movie? What did you think?
My Review
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Book Accuracy
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Characters
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Plot
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Overall Entertainment
I HATE split movies so I’ve been waiting to see the first until after the new one was out. I’m glad to read a good review so I can get my butt in gear and catch up!!
They are a pain, but I guess when you’re watching a series, it’s really just like there are 4 books instead of 3. It felt complete enough on its own.
I just finished reading Mockingjay a month ago in preparation for the movie. I haven’t seen it yet but I agree this was the weakest of all the stories. I found the ending a bit forced and I really found the relationship between Katniss and Peeta “forced”. But who knows, maybe that’s just me being grumpy. I definitely do want to see the movie…especially following your glowing review! Joe
I hope the movie restores your faith in Mockingjay! :) I think the first two books were so strong, that this one seemed less so, but the movie really brought out the action and emotion. Let me know what you think!
Good review. Although, I thought the Mockingjay to be the most hard hitting of the three books. The lack of a ‘happily ever after’ scenario was refreshing and bittersweet.
After re-reading it on its own before the movie, I do see that it’s extremely emotional. It had a greatly impact on me later, alone, though it was hard to read with all that happened. Definitely bittersweet!
I agree about how effective Effie was in the movie. She provided that little bit of humor that the movie really needed. I think that was why I got frustrated with the book; so much of it was dedicated to the mechanics of war, and the interesting character bits that made the first two books so engaging got lost under the details of battle and strategy. Effie was brilliant in the movie (as was Buttercup lol).
I do worry about the second movie being super negative though. I’ll have to go back and reread the book, but I remember the second half of the book just being a real emotional drain. Maybe they’ll counter that by taking pity on us EffMitch shippers and write in a non-canon but emotionally satisfying scene ;)
Gotta love Effie :) I had no idea there was an Effie/Haymitch ship world until recently. That would be… interesting. LOL I have the same worries about the last book, but so far, they’ve pulled it off, so we’ll see!
There are these cute, awkward little flirtations between them now & again that remind me of kids with crushes teasing each other. Totally rooting for a hookup!
Loved this movie so much! Between Effie and that darn cat, I was thoroughly thrown between intense, powerful sadness/rage and laughter. Cannot wait for the second part to come out. Guess I should start reading the books, right?
You should ALWAYS read the books! LOL They go more into relationships and what Katniss is thinking and feeling. They’re so good :)
I believe the Hunger Games series is the first time I almost like the movie more than the book. Honestly, reading the series, I couldn’t stand Katniss; the movie version is far more likable. I will also admit that I’ve done a pretty amazing job with the movies. I haven’t seen Part 2 yet so I’m curious how they will keep to the ending. Thank you for this review!
The movies were done very well, indeed! I wasn’t as annoyed with the book Katniss, but I’m glad you liked her in the movies.