Lights, Camera, BURN

The Hunger Games franchise has become a great success in Hollywood out of nowhere. The first movie opens to more than $150 million and Jennifer Lawrence wasn't even as big as now. So it's a no-brainer for Lionsgate to milk the money while they can resulting in a two-parter finale Mockingjay, based on a lackluster book (IMHO). Let's blame it all on the boy who lived. This chapter introduces new players most notably Julianne Moore and Natalie Dormer. What I loved about The Hunger Games is that they successfully established strong women characters without even trying that hard (Wonder Woman, specifically asked for a woman director--which I don't mind. But that seems like a stunt decision to top Marvel).

Mockingjay - Part 1 continues the story right after Catching Fire, after Katniss "single-arrowedly" destroyed the Games forever. She and Finnick (in a criminally reduced role), was saved but Peeta and Johanna Mason was captured by the Capitol led by President Snow. Katniss now is projected to be the symbol of rebellion for District 13, led by President Alma Coin. Like usual, she's helped by Haymitch (also criminally reduced role), Effie (surprisingly expanded role), Plutarch (one of the last Phillip Seymour Hoffman's roles) and add the camera crew led by Cressida (Margaery Tyrell gone badass).

Mockingjay basically has no story. It's--at tops--a first and second act of something bigger. It's like when you go to a Romeo and Juliet play, and you don't see them die. Parting the film into two gives a false suspense as well. Rather than caring for the story, you're concerned where they're going to leave you on the cliff (wordplay--cliffhanger, got it? *smirks), same disease that plagues The Desolation of Smaug but at least that Hobbit-level stellar film has an amazing climactic scene with the titular subjects. But to console you, Mockingjay is a highly crafted Hollywood blockbuster that is deep on smart political issues. Like the film before, the film drags when they start talking in the love scenes. "you only kiss me when I'm in pain" bursts into a hysteria of laughter

The performance of the actors, especially--ESPECIALLY Jennifer Lawrence is amazing. If there's a category for Best Blockbuster Performance at the Oscars, you could bet all your savings and pension that Jennifer Lawrence would win. She showed determination and vulnerability that is so hard to project. Another terrifyingly great performance is Donald Sutherland and Julianne Moore. There's this one scene where two Oscar winners and a four-time nominee were discussing something at a meeting table. Add a host and you get your Oscars Roundtable video from The Hollywood Reporter. Story-wise, Mockingjay is flawed from the source material. The book was definitely not in the leagues with the other two. It has too many ideas, too many things, too many characters. I was hoping that the movie would fix those and in a small way, they did. And bro, that last fifteen minutes was so great that you hoped you're sitting at a 3.5-hour film that ties up everything. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1: rated 3.5/4

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SURPRISE!
I don't actually know but BRO,
HAVE YOU SEEN THE FORCE AWAKENS TRAILER?
BECAUSE THAT'S LITERALLY THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF RIGHT NOW