the hunger games mockingjay part 1 movie review

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Parents' guide to, the hunger games: mockingjay, part 1.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 Poster Image

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 19 Reviews
Kids Say 128 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Melancholy, violent sequel sets stage for waging war.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

No more Games (which means no kids killing kids), but the violence is still real

No product placements in the movie, but distributor Lionsgate has partnerships w

Less romance than in previous installments; Katniss kisses Gale once, and Finnic

Adults consume unspecified drinks at a Capitol event. Medical workers give Katni

Any Positive Content?

Many thought-provoking messages/themes about varying styles of government, the i

Katniss continues to want to save others, particularly Peeta; she makes sure to

Parents need to know that The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 is the penultimate and most political installment to date in the four-part adaptation of Suzanne Collins' best-selling dystopian trilogy . Rather than surviving an ultraviolent reality competition, the storyline (which was divisive among readers) is about starting a revolution and taking down the Capitol. While there's much less hand-to-hand fighting -- and no kids killing kids -- the violence can still be intense and upsetting (Katniss spends a big portion of the film crying), with shots of skeletal remains, dead and severely wounded citizens, the execution of traitors to the Capitol, the bombing of District 13, the burning of a makeshift hospital, and more. Fans of the book may remember that although Katniss is preoccupied with Peeta in the first half of Mockingjay , there's little romance except for a brief kiss with Gale and a reunion kiss between two other characters. Even more than the previous films, Mockingjay is full of compelling talking points about media, war, socialism, tyranny, women's roles, and the idea that people need a symbol, to rally around and have faith in during difficult times.

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Violence & Scariness

No more Games (which means no kids killing kids), but the violence is still realistic and disturbing: the bones of dead District 12 victims are shown up close; a makeshift hospital burns down; rebel fighters kill armed Peacekeepers and vice versa; dead District 8 residents rot on the floor of a hospital; Peacekeepers execute traitors to the Capitol; the Capitol bombs different Districts. Peeta looks starved and tortured. A character tries to choke Katniss.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

No product placements in the movie, but distributor Lionsgate has partnerships with Doritos, Mazda, and Whole Foods Market's Whole Planet Foundation, and other companies to sell Hunger Games -themed food, apparel, video games, and more.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Less romance than in previous installments; Katniss kisses Gale once, and Finnick and Annie share a kiss.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults consume unspecified drinks at a Capitol event. Medical workers give Katniss and others sedatives.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Many thought-provoking messages/themes about varying styles of government, the importance of symbols to causes and movements, the role of media in unifying people around a cause, and the way love can cloud all other thoughts except the safety of those you hold most dear. Courage, perseverance, and self-control are themes. May spark conversation on everything from politics to feminism to the use of media and propaganda during times of war.

Positive Role Models

Katniss continues to want to save others, particularly Peeta; she makes sure to negotiate his safety in return for her allegiance to the rebel cause. Peeta wants to help Katniss and goes against Snow's orders to help give her a message. Gale believes in the revolution but is willing to put himself in danger to give Katniss what she wants. Finnick is focused on the love of his life's well being, and Haymitch shows Katniss that their friendship means a great deal to him.

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents Say (19)
Kids Say (128)

Based on 19 parent reviews

The Quality We have Come to Expect

Appropriate or not, what's the story.

At the end of Catching Fire , Katniss Everdeen ( Jennifer Lawrence ) fired an arrow right into the heart of the Capitol by destroying the Arena. In MOCKINGJAY, PART 1, she wakes up disoriented in the secret, underground District 13, which is led by President Alma Coin ( Julianne Moore ). Distraught that President Snow ( Donald Sutherland ) has taken Peeta ( Josh Hutcherson ) hostage, Katniss agrees to become the symbolic face of the rebellion once President Coin promises to rescue and pardon Peeta and two other surviving Victors. Plutarch (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman ) arranges for director Cressida (Natalie Dormer) to shoot a series of propaganda videos starring Katniss in full Mockingjay mode. As she visits the other rebelling Districts and her own decimated District 12, Katniss realizes the Capitol must be destroyed -- but not until Peeta is safe from Snow's pathological control.

Is It Any Good?

There's a dark, melancholy tone to this movie, but it matches Katniss' state of mind. She's borderline despondent over Peeta's capture and frightened of President Snow's psychological terror campaign against her. She's not the Girl on Fire of the Games; she must become the real heroine of the revolution. Director Francis Lawrence continues to prove his commitment to making adaptations that are faithful to the spirit of the source material while also introducing changes to enhance the visual and emotional experience for movie-goers who haven't read the books. It was unclear how Mockingjay would work, being divided in two, but the movie succeeds in capturing Katniss' emotional volatility as she goes from Hunger Games Victor to revolutionary symbol -- even if that means it feels like not much happens in this installment compared to the first two films.

As Snow icily tells Katniss, love can destroy you -- and, in this case, Katniss' singular focus on Peeta consumes her to the point of distraction and instability. Lawrence is such a gifted actress that it seems completely authentic that a post-traumatic 17-year-old girl would care more about the one person who kept her sane in her darkest moments in the Arena than she would about furthering Coin's mission (and what a perfect job Moore does of playing the calculating leader). Liam Hemsworth does Gale justice, showing how the intelligent young man is in his element with the rebels of District 13 but also that he loves Katniss so much that he'd be willing to risk his life to save his rival for her affections. Hutcherson isn't on screen all that much compared to the first two films, but when he is, you can't take your eyes off his transformation from the charismatic Boy with the Bread into a starved, wild-eyed hostage. This isn't the sequel you'll want to rewatch again and again, but it does set things up for the final film, when Katniss will have to lead not just the stirrings of rebellion but an actual war.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the political themes in Mockingjay . How does President Coin compare to President Snow? How are their visions for Panem different? What does Katniss want for the people of Panem? Katniss spends a lot of time narrowly focused on Peeta's welfare. Is this believable? How do her relationships change in this installment? How is she different?

How does the violence in this installment compare to the previous ones? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

Why is media and messaging so important to the District 13 cause? What does Plutarch mean when he says Peeta is being used as a symbol, just like Katniss? Do the "propos" capture Katniss' real feelings despite being produced?

How do the characters in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 demonstrate courage , perseverance , and self-control ? Why are these important character strengths ?

Those who are familiar with the book: What did you think of the changes the director and screenwriter made? Did you like where the filmmakers chose to end the first volume?

Movie Details

In theaters : November 21, 2014
On DVD or streaming : March 6, 2015
Cast : Jennifer Lawrence , Josh Hutcherson , Liam Hemsworth
Director : Francis Lawrence
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Lionsgate
Genre : Action/Adventure
Topics : Book Characters , Great Girl Role Models
Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Self-control
Run time : 123 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : intense sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images and thematic material
Award : Kids' Choice Award
Last updated : July 4, 2024

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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 Review

20 Nov 2014

123 minutes

Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, The

The dreaded “Part 1” strikes again. Like Deathly Hallows and Breaking Dawn, here’s the final book of a beloved franchise split across two films, another first half that is heavy on character beats but bereft of action or, of course, any satisfying resolution. These pre-conclusions sit in their franchises like a speed bump, awkwardly slowing us to a crawl before a bombastic finale. Mockingjay at least offers an atmosphere of tension that spikes into occasional moments of terror, and a cast so laden with Oscars they probably use statuettes as doorstops. But it is still a comedown from the excellent Catching Fire and a placeholder until the bigger, bolder Part 2.

The traumatised centre of the film, and also its saving grace, is still Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen. She has always been standoffish, almost entirely devoid of wisecracks (as is the film) or any real interest in romance — her connection to both Gale (Liam Hemsworth) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) is more about mutual support than hearts and flowers. Yet Lawrence holds the screen even when terror-stricken, eyes darting about as if seeking to escape her entire world. Then again, there’s trauma left and right here, from District 12’s grisly destruction to Elizabeth Banks’ Effie Trinket mourning her lost wigs.

Katniss has been rescued to become figurehead of a rebellion, but her incapacity for pretence soon demands that she be sent out to witness the destruction of the Capitol and rouse her troops.

Cue visits to the Districts, and a number of elegantly mounted but all-too-brief action scenes as the rebellion bubbles further. That follows last film’s destruction of the Games arena and President Snow’s (Sutherland) brutal retaliatory strike against Katniss’ home, District 12, and his off-screen torture of now-hostage Peeta (Josh Hutcherson). But this is not yet a war movie; this is largely a film about people arguing in a bunker while, outside, others do all the dying.

Despite the world-threatening stakes, Katniss spends much of her time frantic for Peeta, who appears in Capitol broadcasts treasonously advocating appeasement. The end of Catching Fire revealed new and surprising allies, but Katniss remains visibly wary of their agendas. President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), leader of District 13, seems initially steely but shows moments of empathy for the traumatised Victors. Gamesmaker-turned-PR man Plutarch (Philip Seymour Hoffman) seems impishly relieved to have escaped — but it is his nature to manipulate, and his open fascination with Katniss’ straightforwardness suggests something less than honesty. And Gale finally gets something to do. Strangely, though, given the uniformly good performances, Gale, Finnick (Sam Claflin) and Coin all see their roles diminished from the book. Why split the book if not to allow for these subtle moments?

As a game of cat-and-mouse plays out against President Snow, there is incident but little progress. Even when Katniss gets what she wants, the results seem to twist to destruction and the world darkens a little further. But for all the tension director Francis Lawrence creates, and his striking images of conflict and friendship, there’s no sense of escalation until the final image drives Katniss to go to war. If only they had reached that point a couple of hours earlier.