The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 (2014)

Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth

Synopsis:
The secretive District 13 seeks to use Katniss as the lynchpin of their propaganda campaign against the Capitol while President Snow steps up the suppression of unrest in the districts.

Impressions:
While I consider Catching Fire to be a fairly effective bridge between the first and third arcs of the overall story, I found myself more drawn into this film than its immediate predecessor. As I said in my review of the second film, there was a little too much of a retread for my tastes, but here we move forward into entirely new territory. I particularly like how Katniss primarily serves as a propaganda tool in the information war rather than a frontline fighter. I will say, though, that I don't see the workers' paradise of District 13 to be a much more appealing alternative to Snow's regime. Maybe it's part of the point. Anyway, the focus on propaganda as a means of warfare blends nicely with the themes of media and its usage from the previous two films. I think the ending would've had more punch if they cut it at the original location, but that's a fairly minor quibble. Give this one a watch.

Rating:
Watch It