This is another post that has been a long time coming for me as I went to see the third film in The Hunger Games franchise two days after its release! I've followed this franchise since the very first film was released and I enjoy them very much but they are no Harry Potter or Twilight for me. Those franchises were such a big part of my teenage years so they would be very hard to replace!
For starters, this is the first Hunger Games film I went to see without reading the book. I read the first two books a few years ago and I really have no idea why I didn't read the last one! I did try and read Mockingjay the week before the film was released but I just didn't quite manage it. I think I read about 100 pages in before I saw the film at the cinema. I am quite happy about this though as the film was a complete surprise for me (apart from a few bits that I had heard about before). I think most people have heard about this franchise so I will not explain the general concept but this film in particular had a different feel about it. I think this was due to the film not being focussed around the games and more on the people of Panem. I think it was a welcome change though as I think the games held in Catching Fire especially were not as interesting as the first round of Hunger Games that Katniss competed in. The third film primarily followed the uprising against the government in retaliation to the games and the power they held over the citizens of Panem.
I found the film to be a little dark in places and very tense! I felt as if at some points I was there experiencing the film's action with the characters. I was not totally blown away by the film but I thought it was very good. I especially liked the introduction of new characters as that mixed it up a little and kept it interesting. I thought Natalie Dormer was excellent as new character Cressida and Jennifer Lawrence was as brilliant as always. I'm not a massive fan of Peeta so I was quite relieved of his lesser part in this film, I'll say no more!
One particular strong point of Mockinjay Part 1 was the scene with Katniss singing 'The Hanging Tree' by the river. It was eerily brilliant and I believe it has made the charts! The song began with Lawrence singing solo before merging to a scene with Panem citizens marching down a hill chanting the song. The group ensemble was especially powerful and for that reason was definitely my favourite part of the film.
Here is a TV spot featuring Lawrence singing The Hanging Tree to give you the vibe of the scene:
I presume that most people will have seen this movie by now but I don't want to discuss it too much as then there will be no surprises! I would highly recommend it to any Hunger Games fan as a must see film this month.
Advent Update
I found a Lindt chocolate bear today in pocket number 3. I love Lindt chocolate so looking forward to eating this later! I remembered to take a picture before I ate it today too ha!
Have you seen Mockingjay Part 1? What were your thoughts?
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