Judging this film is troublesome, as it truly is just part of a whole. Until Part 2 comes out, its hard to tell whether this installment properly builds into the climax that is promised; or whether it's a drawn out cash grab. And there in lies the problem. Mockingjay Part 1 isn't a bad film, I rather enjoyed it, but it represents the calm before the storm, and if the storm dissipates at sea all the build up is for naught. And even as a standalone movie, it has problems. There just isn't a lot there, even after adding scenes not from the book (though the rescue scene ends up being the most visually interesting of the entire film). And yet, it still somehow manages to miss on a lot of aspects. Characters aren't built up or connected well enough, especially considering that's all Part 1 is supposed to do. Finnick and Gale are underused, and the conflict between Kat and Coin is underrepresented. And unfortunately we have to wait an entire year to see if these shortcomings are a fatal flaw or if everything comes together in a powerful way. Besides all of that, the actors are all doing their best, even when there isn't a lot to work with, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Woody Harrelson being the clear stand outs.
