Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 5/10

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Donald Sutherland, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Banks, Natalie Dormer, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Willow Shields, Sam Claflin, Mahershala Ali, Jeffrey Wright, Paula Malcomson.

The revolution has begun, the Mockingjay stands aloft against a tyrannical elite and Katniss Everdeen is pouting firmly against all the odds and yet something does not sit well in the third film in The Hunger Games series, the bloated sense of being overfed and swollen resonates deep within the heart of Mockingjay Part One.

Whereas the first instalment in the series was hugely entertaining, the further down the road the story travels the less pleasurable it seems to get. This in itself is a conundrum as a film with such a great cast, including the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman, the superb Donald Sutherland, Julianne Moore, Elizabeth Banks and Jeffrey Wright playing against Jennifer Lawrence, should be something in which to adore and laud against anything that comes along in 2014. Its lack of mesmerising story line, it’s almost pungent distaste in its own possible glory and unfortunate failing in which to wrap up the series in three films rather than stringing the inevitable extra shilling out of cinema goers leaves the audience feeling rather flat and defeated.

Thankfully Jennifer Lawrence is a very talented young actor and as for the aforementioned names, their legacy is one in which will never be dismissed but a film which makes much of oppression, of tyranny and despair, it just seems clumsy and awkward, perhaps even a bit cheap and does nothing for the championing of the liberty and freedom in which we all aspire. If trying to portray hunger and subjugation then surely the lead character should not appear as if she has stepped off the front cover of a fashion magazine. There is no doubting the appeal as an actor of Jennifer Lawrence’s standing but Julianne Moore, Elizabeth Banks and the graceful Natalie Dormer really delved to their respective character’s souls more easily, and in the case of Elizabeth Banks with great charm, than Ms. Lawrence was able to do.

If this is truly The Hunger Games then it leaves a sense of dissatisfaction, the need for something else to replace the empty calories supplied. In short the menu will probably limp towards its final conclusion and the gnawing, yearning gap in the cinematic stomach will just have you thinking of eating something substantial at home rather than eating out. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part One, well something is certainly mocking the audience indeed, Bloated and uncomfortable with the only redeeming features its entrée and side dishes!

Ian D. Hall