WHEN is a film a film and when is a film a cash cow?
The recent trend for splitting the final book in fantasy sagas into two (see Harry Potter and Twilight) has become a real exercise of prolonging a franchise, and with it, the money for studios. Not that it needs too entirely. Young adult franchise controllers Lionsgate are raking in billions in profits as it is, and some source novels seem better placed for a 3 hour film rather than two different 2 hour plus affairs.
The final Hunger Games book nevertheless is going to be a double adaptation, with a second half coming out next year. This is of a slightly debatable point. While criticism that the book is the substantially poorer relation of the first two Hunger Games novels is unfair, it is a book that is very back-ended, and where almost all of the exciting stuff happens towards the end.
So what of Part 1, exactly?
It would be easy to say this is going to be a film on autopilot, but for a film franchise that is already one of the bleakest in modern cinema, this film ratchets up the bleakness to another level entirely.
In the first twenty minutes alone, we have episodes of a PTSD-riddled Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) trying to hide from the guards of her new home, covert emotional manipulation of said Everdeen by her new home's government, and a journey through the bombed out District 12 and all the burned out corpses in the middle of the main city.
When we last saw this franchise, the Hunger Games 75th anniversary had ended with Katniss blowing up the arena and getting lifted out to the previously-thought-to-be-destroyed District 13. The nation of Panem is now in open revolt against the totalitarian leader President Snow (the underused Donald Sutherland), and uncertain times are being faced.
To try and continue the revolt in a positive direction, Katniss is instructed to star in propaganda shorts to inspire the revolution. These are overseen by the comically morose Plutarch Heavensbee (the late, great Phillip Seymour Hoffman).
This is one of two ways that demonstrate this film's difference to the previous two. The first two movies in the Hunger Games franchise came of the "distraction by deadly sport" camp, as in Battle Royale (first film) and Rollerball (second one).
Mockingjay by contrast is two movies under one banner. One of these is a war film, as evidenced by the shots of cities and towns engaged in violent battle and in war against the controlling Capitol. The other is a film about media manipulation. Certainly, there are a few moments early on that do amuse when they seem to resemble a film casting session.
Overseeing the operation is slightly menacing new arrival President Coin of District 13 (Julianne Moore), who operates with an icy sheen that is directly implied to be a few degrees from the head of the bad guys.
It is easy to criticise this for being a $125million placeholder lacking action. But its also fair, as the action is fairly simple and distant. Barring the shot in the trailer where she blows up a plane with an explosive arrow, Katniss' ability to do action is very limited by the script, and the plot-driving action sequences are left to nameless rebels in the outer districts.
It doesn't do a lot to satisfy the pre-existing quibble that its trying to make a full length movie about the least interesting part of the book, albeit not quite to the extent that saw the relatively slim Hobbit book made into three bladder-tauntingly-long films.
There also is involvement for the Hunger Games' weakest arc, which is the Twilight rip-off love triangle involving Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Gale (Liam Hemsworth). As ever, these scenes just don't feel like they belong in the same movie, although the scenes with Peeta are given an intriguing tragic complex through his trial-by-television and Ceasar Flickermann (Stanley Tucci) that is used to surprising effect in the final 15 minutes.
This film doesn't do enough to reach the highlights of the engrossing first movie, but after the oddly flat second one, this is a surprisingly decent film. It has a very nimble and extremely high calibre cast, including people that pop in and out more than they had in previous films (Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks' characters in particular).
As ever, the central strand rests on Lawrence to work wonders with Katniss. As ever, its slightly robbed of her inside emotions given this isn't first person, but she does do a lot with her role and remains good value as a central cornerstone of the movie.
There is also an intriguing set-piece where District 13 rebels try and rescue captured men of their side from a power-outaged Capitol, which is played extremely nicely.
This film may have, on another day, been condensed into an hour before the proper two hour grit of the finale. But on its own level, and if you choose to engage with it, then it works very nicely. There's certainly enough to admire, and its a good set-up for what will hopefully be a proper all-guns blazing climax next autumn.
3.5/5
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