By Stacey Wells ‘15

The highly anticipated “Mockingjay: Part 1,” the third movie in the Hunger Games series, opened in theaters on November 21. Though many mumbled and grumbled over the fact that the final book-to-movie adaptation is split into two, the separate films will allow for each and every event in the book to be thoroughly portrayed on the big screen. Almost no aspect of the novel has been overlooked, filling the movie with tremendous detail and drama. This most recent installment may just be the best movie so far of the franchise.

Overall, the casting is strong and almost everyone is well suited for their roles. Jennifer Lawrence, cast as the female protagonist Katniss Everdeen, puts on a spectacular performance. She morphs into the ‘Girl on Fire,’ portraying Katniss’ increasing mental instability while simultaneously showing her determination to keep fighting. Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark) does not appear for an extensive amount of time in this film, but acts extremely well when onscreen, perfectly capturing how his character’s composure and sanity ebbs away as he is continually tortured by his captors. The only minor disappointment appears in Elden Henson (Pollox), a mute man. Henson appears overly happy and animated during a serious moment, distracting the audience from what is actually happening in that particular scene.

In addition to the well-chosen, talented cast, ‘Mockingjay’ is also filled with heart-pounding action. In one scene, Katniss’ safe hold is being bombed by the enemy, forcing all of the civilians underground. The audience witnesses the bombs shaking the structure underground, hears a frightening siren, sees panicked people trying to reach safety, and watches as Katniss’ sister (played by Willow Shields) desperately tries to reach the safe area before the doors close. The tension builds, making even the most stoic movie-goer concerned over this 13-year-old girl’s life. In between the continued action, there are brief respites of calm, such as when Katniss admires the beauty and innocence of the quiet forest with Gale (played by Liam Hemsworth). They share an intimate moment in the forest and kiss later on in the film, building even more conflict over who Katniss is ultimately in love with—Peeta or Gale. Although a large part of the series is centered on the romance, the love triangle does not overtake the central storyline of the film.

The cinematography competes as one of the best parts of this breathtaking movie. Katniss is in a variety of environments—from skeleton-filled District 12 to the rubble left over from the bombing. Each environment perfectly encapsulates the emotions of the specific scene. For instance, when Katniss and Gale wander through the forest, the audience can admire the beauty of the light rays appearing through the trees and the stunning, peaceful deer. However, one issue with the cinematography is when the coveted Mockingjay is finally shown. Its appearance is obviously CGI and needed a little extra work to appear more realistic. But this film exceeds expectations and truly excites the crowd for “Mockingjay: Part 2.”