The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Parts 1 & 2

[terry78]

So basically go back and watch Dumb and Dumber or BH6 again today, is what you're saying.

 

[Quasimod0]

Sounds like SuperJediHero is a bit of a Jennifer Lawrence fan.

 

[Loki882]

That's ok, I'm a BIG Jennifer Lawrence fan. But that doesn't mean that every movie that she's in will be great (although she's usually good in them).

 

[Quasimod0]

55 million opening day, according to Deadline
http://deadline.com/2014/11/hunger-...1-friday-box-office-franchise-low-1201292612/
Highest opening day of 2014. However, it is less than the opening days of The Hunger Games (67.26) and Catching Fire (70.95)

 

[SuperJediHero]

Sadly, it will not do much better. The word-of mouth will be hurting this movie and most are saying it's boring.

NO body appreciates great acting alone anymore, no action = BAD movie. *sigh*

 

[ShadowBoxer]

I still don't know why people are knocking this for lack of action. I am sorry to be redundant but like I said before, Harry Potter and the deathly Hallows part 1 had next to no action at all. And that movie was setting up the big finale/ battle with Voldemort. It was a nearly three hour movie full of filler. The only significant things that happened was the doby died and Voldemort got the elder wand. Not bashing it because I also like the HP movies, but it's some bias at play there. Mocking Jay had more action though the scenes were brief, yet it gets bashed. It's just bizarre to me.

 

[MadVillainy]

This was okay.

It wasnt the lack of action scenes that made it boring, it's the lack of anything really interesting at least to me, and from what Ive read, other people too.

Not a bad movie. The performances were still good, but not SO good that I can stay interested on the performances alone.

As a big fan of the books, I knew Mockingjay would have this problem even before they split it into 2 parts. Splitting it into 2 parts exasperated the problem the book already had.

I couldve sworn they were gonna end it right when [BLACKOUT]Peeta began to choke Katniss and part II would open with her waking up in the hospital[/BLACKOUT] That wouldve been some sh**

 

[Marvin]

I've always suspected that going from catching fire and the games into this might just not land on mass audiences the same way. Let alone part one of this.
Can't speak for the quality and engagement level of the film itself but that premise shift if you will is bound to have an effect. One of the more engaging things about the past to films is Katniss mentally prepping for the event that is the games and the tribute stuff and meeting the other competitors and showing her skills in that gym and the train ride there.... Now if feels like I'm being sold something out of a Diverent book with the black costume and dystopia only with hunger games mojo behind it.

That the movie itself is being described as non eventful only amplifies this problem.
Just saying.

Looking forward to the film tonight though.

 

[MadVillainy]

Sadly, it will not do much better. The word-of mouth will be hurting this movie and most are saying it's boring.

NO body appreciates great acting alone anymore, no action = BAD movie. *sigh*

That's just simply not true at all. Just completely false.

Ignoring the fact that there are non action movies released every year that are considered to be good-great movies. I think its rare that people go to THG movies just for the action. I mean yeah there are action scenes but it is not a huge "action" franchise.
The point is I dont think the draw of THG is the action.

The thing is that the other movies (and books) had better action, but also had a better tension, better dramatic moments (not trying to spoil anyting the more dramatic Mockingjay moments happen, I assume in Part II), better romance.

That's why this isnt landing as well as the other two movies.

 

[SuperJediHero]

No. I absolutely can not agree that this movie lacks of anything interesting. Absolutely NOT!!!

It is very interesting, to me at least how Katniss dealt with District 13 and other districts, it's a VERY interesting character development IMO.


The districts revolts, the propos that make sure katniss is a MockingJay Symbol those are all very interesting to me! I am not even sure what in the movie was uninteresting, the character development was very strong in this!

 

[kedrell]

I think the main draw of THG and most Y/A films in general is tapping into a traditionally under-served market...teen females. This film just seems to want to go to a place the last 2 films didn't and it's paying for that change in gears.

 

[SuperJediHero]

I don't think it's the teen females fans that are disappointed with this movie, it's mostly other audiences not as invested in this franchise as the fans that are disappointed.

 

[kedrell]

I don't necessarily disagree. But that demographic is Y/A film's bread and butter. I'd still say the change in franchise direction is what's largely to account for the fall off. It's no small thing to change that sort of thing with such a large franchise.

 

[MadVillainy]

I know it's being said to death, but I think the split did hurt it too.

If I wasnt such a fan of the books or if I knew how I would react to this movie, I wouldve just waited to watch this part on blu ray and then go see Part II in theater next year right after i watched the first part at home.

Not saying that's for sure a reason why this isnt making as much as the other 2 movies, but it could be playing a tiny factor

 

[kedrell]

Of course it hurt it. But the studio figures they can milk an extra $500m out of this franchise that they otherwise wouldn't have gotten by doing that so it ends up happening. It's as plain as the nose on their face.

 

[MadVillainy]

I don't necessarily disagree. But that demographic is Y/A film's bread and butter. I'd still say the change in franchise direction is what's largely to account for the fall off. It's no small thing to change that sort of thing with such a large franchise.

I agree with this and that goes back to the book even. Turning the story into a rebellion-war type movie that mostly takes place in an underground city from what it was had always gotten a mixed response.

If you think about it, this one is way more inline with a typical action movie than the first two stories.

 

[kedrell]

I'm just going off what I've been told. I don't actually watch these movies.

 

[SuperJediHero]

Most people disappointed are NOT it's core fan base, it's those people that doesn't think too much of Hunger Games story as a whole (Think Catching Fire even wasn't one of the best movies last year), and not as much respect and love for Jennifer Lawrence as a supremely talented actress.

 

[jmc]

Just throwing this out here - would people be supportive of seeing a recut of Parts 1 and 2 into one single film? I ask because if Lionsgate really want some extra coinage they could release a re-edited version of Mockingjay.

 

[MadVillainy]

i mean I'd watch it on Blu Ray, but i doubt it'll be that good. But Im just basing it off how i feel of the source material.
Would be good for a decent watch, I suspect

 

[SuperJediHero]

On the contrary, I firmly believe Part 2 will be EPIC as HELL! Watch a lot of action and jaw-dropping moments!!!


They DON'T need to re-edit though, I loved the slower character developments of this part 1, it almost felt necessary when you have a such talented actress like Jennifer Lawrence playing Katniss.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

The problem a lot of these films have where they split them up, and this one is no exception, is that there is no real plot or story that is established and resolved within this film. It is just a bunch of stuff that happens like and episode of Game of Thrones, only instead of waiting until next week for the story to play out, you have to wait until next year.

The films that manage this well, such as LOTR do manage to make their films at least somewhat standalone in that they have a self-contained story. For example, FOTR is about the journey of the Fellowship which fails and breaks apart at the end of the film. Two Towers is about the fall of Saruman and the redemption of Rohan. Return of the King is about saving Gondor and the defeat of Sauron. This film like the Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part 1 isn't really about anything. It is like the first half of a story cut off on the middle, and so even though it is certainly well acted and entertaining, it leaves me feeling somewhat empty. While I knew the overall story wouldn't end here, I was waiting for some sort of real climax that just never came.

 

[Drizzle]

This had some great moments (the song scene was powerful, and the propaganda stuff...Josh Hutcherson stole the movie, by the way), but this still really should only have been one movie. They easily could have covered all of this in 50 minutes of a longer film. It was essentially a stretched-out first act without a proper climax. Not as strong as the first two, but still good enough I guess. Part 2 is going to be dark as hell...

 

[MadVillainy]

This had some great moments (the song scene was powerful, and the propaganda stuff...Josh Hutcherson stole the movie, by the way), but this still really should only have been one movie. They easily could have covered all of this in 50 minutes of a longer film. It was essentially a stretched-out first act without a proper climax. Not as strong as the first two, but still good enough I guess. Part 2 is going to be dark as hell...

Josh Hutcherson is pretty underrated in my book. I think he's been pretty solid since his child acting days. I hope he books even more roles after THG ends. I was hoping he'd end up as Cyclops in the X-Men prequel series

 

[Venus]

Mockingjay is not boring or uninteresting. The action in it is flawless and the suspense is killer.