Review: The Hunger Games-Mockingjay

Released in the UK on November 21st, part one of the final Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay, is certainly a brand new concept for the global franchise that has taken over the world. Creeping in to every conversation in schools and workplaces alike, the novel-based film is set for another round of success as the story of Katniss Everdeen continues

Featuring the returning stars of the Games is of course Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson – the trio whose journeys we have followed from the very beginning. While the characters are still somewhat familiar, the plot is very far apart from anything we have so far. Action-packed and full to the brim of special effects is what we’d expect, but nobody could have predicted the latest turn in Mockingjay – nobody could have predicted just how dark the latest addition to the box office smash-hits would get.

Although there are no annual Hunger Games in part one, there is still a battle to be fought. Feisty Katniss Everdeen of District 12, who is now a resident of District 13, is faced with the prospect of becoming the ‘mockingjay’; something that in theory, only she can pull off. The prospect of being the ‘mockingjay’ is bittersweet for Katniss as she watches the Capitol destroy some of the other Districts of Panem and she watches the despair and chaos that the Capitol cause. The political dispute between citizens and the Captiol eventually results in Everdeen becoming the face of the rebellion against the leaders of Panem – automatically thrusting her and her beloved sister Prim into grave danger.

The real darkness comes in the return of Everdeen’s on-off lover Peeta Mellark. His video messages that urge the people of various Districts to stop rebelling shock everyone in District 13, leading them to believe that he is now part of the Capitol and has been brainwashed. Of course, this may not be the case as the manipulative President Snow needs a weapon – something that takes the seemingly heartless Katniss seconds to figure out.

Part one of Mockingjay has an evil tinge to it, one that makes you feel edgy and builds up extreme tension throughout the whole film. It’s the darkest piece of cinematography we have seen in a long time, and one not one to be missed. One thing that can we can be certain of, though, is that part two of Mockingjay will be even darker and far more heart-breaking than anything we’ve seen from the previous Hunger Games installments for the past two years.