Mockingjay Part 1 Movie Review!

will contain spoilers


*deep breath*
Okay, I have finally collected my thoughts to write a review.

Let me just say that I cried so much during this movie that when I left the cinema I genuinely looked like I had 2 black eyes.

So obviously Mockingjay Part 1 was absolutely amazing! Re-reading the book reminded me of how dark and gritty this installment actually is. I was super scared that they would make the movie too fluffy and cheery, but it stayed very faithful to the book and had a very eerie tone. I'm definitely glad that they decided to split this movie into 2 parts because the book was a little rushed, and this way we are able to see more detail of the events which happen which weren't necessarily fleshed out in the book.

One thing I loved about the movie is how we get more than one point of view of the rebellion. In the book we only see things from Katniss' perspective, so we don't really know what is going on outside of district 13. It was amazing seeing Katniss' impact on the rebels and how much they are influenced by everything she does. Some of my favourite scenes from the movie were the ones which took place in the different districts which were rebelling.  The scene in District 7 where the rebels drop the bombs on the peacekeepers was absolutely amazing and so brilliantly done, I love how they incorporated the 'if we burn you burn with us' quote into this scene. Another thing I loved in the movie was finding out what President Coin was up to
The conversation between Plutarch and Coin about sending Katniss to District 13 was a great scene to start with as it showed how these people are willing to do anything to keep Katniss on their side. They didn't send her to District 12 so she could mourn, they sent her there to get her riled up enough to want to become the Mockingjay.

J-Law's is an absolutely phenomenal actress. Her performance in this film was so beautiful and she really portrayed how broken and unstable Katniss is. Also, her singing voice is incredible! I can't believe she was embarrassed to sing in the film as she doesn't like her voice, her rendition of the Hanging Tree is so raw and emotional, it perfectly matched the tone of the film.  Also, I can't get the song out of my head! :P

I'm so glad they decided to include Effie in the Mockingjay films. she is a great character and Elizabeth Banks is perfect for the role. I loved her scenes and how she always managed to provide some comic relief.

I'm 100% convinced that Josh Hutcherson needs an Oscar. All of his scenes were heartbreaking and it was awful watching Peeta deteriorate every time he appeared onscreen :(. Also, the last scene!!! Holy crap, hijacked Peeta was absolutely terrifying. I had no idea how they were going to portray that scene in the movie, I thought maybe they maybe going to show it very quickly and then end the film. However, I'm so glad with the way it was done! I'm actually glad they didn't end it straight after Katniss was strangled and instead decided to show Coin making a speech and Peeta strapped to a bed. The last scene was absolutely horrifying and was much more effective than the strangling scene.


A few other little notes:
Finnick needed a much better and longer scene to explain how President Snow sold his body, not just as a montage which played while Peeta was being rescued.
I wish we got to see more of Johanna in this film because she is one of my favourite characters, but hopefully we see her more in Mockingjay Part 2.
Gale kind of annoyed me in this film but I believe the producers did this one purpose to set up for the end of Gale's and Katniss' relationship in Part 2.
I love how much Haymitch cares for Katniss and how he comforted he when she started having a panic attack.
President Snow is truly evil and Donald Sutherland is a perfect fit for the role. His facial expressions and voice are so creepy!


Overfall, this film was amazing and extremely well made. Catching Fire is still my favourite book/film of the three, but I think it is followed closely by Mockingjay Part 1, I highly recommend going to see this film if you haven't already! :)