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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1. *Spoiler Warning!*

Sheilawisz

Queen of Titania
Moderator
The first part of Mockingjay is coming in November of this year, a much anticipated movie by all fans of The Hunger Games. I did not quite like the adaptation of Catching Fire, but the trailer for the next installment has been released and it looks really promising:

[video=youtube_share;3PkkHsuMrho]http://youtu.be/3PkkHsuMrho[/video]

We can see Alma Coin, Gale training for battle, Katniss shooting down the Capitol bombers, parts of District 8 and even some parts of the Section 13 underground city. It seems that the movie will be action packed, a good start for the final part of this movie series.

I cannot wait to watch it! =)
 

Vilya

Scribe
I've been more than excited since the last movie came out. I admit that I thought Catching Fire had its weak points, but I am very ready for Mockingjay. I don't know if spoilers from the book are allowed, so I will keep it quiet, but I am very curious where they are going to split the movies.
 

Sheilawisz

Queen of Titania
Moderator
Hello Vilya, and first of all Welcome to Mythic Scribes!

Finally, a fellow The Hunger Games fan has replied to my Mockingjay thread. I am also very excited and impatient to finally see the first part of the Mockingjay movie adaptation, already counting the days... I think that the book is really powerful, and it truly deserved to be split into a couple of movies instead of just one.

Please do not worry about posting spoilers in this thread, I'll just add a little warning about that to the thread's title and that shall be enough to prevent people from reading here in case they have not read the book.

I think that they are going to split the story at the point where Peeta is rescued from the Capitol and taken to District 13. The moment when he tries to kill Katniss would be a perfect scene to cut it, and trust me in this because I am rather good at writing cliffhanger stuff like that.

What did you like the most about the Mockingjay book?
 

Vilya

Scribe
Thanks for the welcome. This is a really neat site.

I think that's where they are going to split it too. It would be, just like you said, the perfect cliffhanger. I'm actually looking forward to seeing everyone's reaction in the theatre from those who haven't read the book.

For me the book was all about the characters. I was glad to get more of Finnick's backstory and sad to see him suffer while Annie was gone. I thought that his relationship with Annie was unique and I was really glad to get to see it. I'm also a big fan of Peeta and I think the book did a great job of playing with my emotions for him. I hated to see him broken, but I loved watching him come back little by little. I kept getting these little reasons to hope, like when he made the cake for Finnick and Annie's wedding.

My favorite scene is when all the victors are sitting around the table and they get asked whether or not they want to have another games. Books don't often surprise me, so when Katniss voted yes, my heart dropped and I had to read it twice. For a minute I wanted to fling my book across the floor and scream "then what was the point." But I kept reading and I am glad that I did.

What did you like about the book?
 

Sheilawisz

Queen of Titania
Moderator
I agree with you Vilya, those that have never read the books are going to be quite shocked at the moment when Peeta tries to strangle Katniss at District 13!

Thanks for telling me what you liked the most about Mockingjay.

For me, the best about the book is how it combines loads of different emotions in a very powerful and direct way: Those moments at the hospital and the bombardment of District 8, the growing friendship between Johanna and Katniss, the story about Finnick and Annie, how Katniss manages to survive despite everything and more...

The final showdown at the Capitol was so intense (too bad that we have to wait for the fourth movie to see that!) and the moment when Prim gets killed by the bombs shook the hell out of me.

One of the parts of the book that touched me the most is when Buttercup shows up at Katniss' place after everything was over, looking for Prim without knowing that she's dead. I cried, and cried and cried all over again... I hated that Prim had to die, at first, but later I accepted her death as part of the story.

Prim was a beautiful soul and a heroine, tragically destroyed while trying to save the lives that others were destroying...
 

Sheilawisz

Queen of Titania
Moderator
Hello Severin.

Today I was supposed to go to the Mall and watch Mockingjay finally, but I have a severe case of food poisoning since yesterday and I prefer to take some time to recover fully.

I have been hearing very good reviews about the movie... and guess what?

There is a scene when Katniss sings The Hanging Tree and fans have loved it. I am very curious to hear the official movie version of the song, because so far there were fan made versions only...

This is my favorite version of the creepy song:

[video=youtube_share;N96ZLalhvmI]http://youtu.be/N96ZLalhvmI[/video]
 

Noma Galway

Archmage
I think you guys are right about where they will split it. I don't know...I haven't seen it yet, but it would be the best spot. I'm so excited to watch it. I can deal with any changes they might make to it. I'm not super purist about this series.

Also...that version of the song is WONDERFUL.
 

Sheilawisz

Queen of Titania
Moderator
I have watched Mockingjay Part 1 today after a considerable delay, and finally I can post in this thread my personal review about this much anticipated movie.

First of all, I loved it!

The scenes are perhaps too dark (I mean, they should have more light) even though it's an underground city and everything, but many movies are getting darker these days. District 13 is less detailed and not as impressive as it is in the book, however there was a particular character that seemed perfect to me:

Alma Coin is exactly what I imagined she would look like! =)

The movie feels a bit slow as it follows the development of the war (just like the book) but that is fine with me. The battle scenes at District 8 were great, I cried in that part... Great acting, excellent adaptation, powerfully emotional and the part that I liked the most is that The Hanging Tree has been featured in the story.

Are you, Are you... Coming to the Tree?
 

Vilya

Scribe
I went and saw it last Saturday. I loved it, but I loved the book. I think this movie is more geared toward people who have read the books and is a little less accessible to people who haven't. This is definitely a character driven movie, where action takes a back seat to the characters and their motivations. That's not to say that there aren't some great fight scenes that will have you rallying for the rebels, but they certainly aren't the focus.

Katniss as always has her own agenda, and the plight of the people isn't as important as what she wants personally. I think this movie did a good job of setting up how what she wants personally is finally going to fall in line with what the rebels want, and how that is going to lead to a very dramatic conclusion.
 

KellyB

Minstrel
I saw this on Thanksgiving night and really enjoyed it. This time was a little different, as this is the first of the Hunger Games movies that I had read the book first before seeing the movie. When I had read Catching Fire after seeing that movie, I couldn't wait and wanted to see how it all ended.

I thought the District 8 and Hanging Tree scenes were well done and the movie followed the book very closely. I can't wait till the next movie!
 

SeverinR

Vala
Katniss as always has her own agenda, and the plight of the people isn't as important as what she wants personally. I think this movie did a good job of setting up how what she wants personally is finally going to fall in line with what the rebels want, and how that is going to lead to a very dramatic conclusion.
I know creating a legend that puts everyone elses needs ahead of the hero is what is suppose to be done, but in reality, we all look out for #1 to some degree.
 

SeverinR

Vala
I saw the movie saturday.
For a war movie, the on screen death count was very low.
Alot of dead infered and decaying remains, but I think on screen only a couple people were killed. (AA gunners)

They did really well at showing the fears of a bombing raid, showing the struggle of being in a war and trying to stay out.

Not sure the time frame since the end of the 75th hunger games, but Rue and Katnis are both heavier looking. District 12 was a starved district, so I assume it is months later and they have been eating well.

The movie makes a point of everyone being drab and dressed in loose fitting clothes, opposed to the Capital cities high glam make up I guess.

Katniss looks like she is 15 yrs older then last film.

Most hated part:
The Arnold like arrow shot that brings down a fighter/bomber. Heavy duty AA guns can't touch them, but an arrow with some explosives in it takes out two ships. (Fired from a traditional bow, not even a compound.)
 

Sheilawisz

Queen of Titania
Moderator
Hello, Severin.

The story of Mockingjay begins approximately thirty days after the end of Catching Fire. The survivors of the Firebombing were taken to District 13, where they received care and proper food, so that explains why everyone is in better health at this point of the story.

I think that Katniss looks older because they wanted to portray the heavy toll that the Games and everything else has taken on her. She is a very damaged and broken person (which was described with much deeper detail in the book than in the movie) and it makes her look older and more worn out than she really is.

What Rue? I think you mean Prim. Yes, she looks much older now especially if compared to the first movie. In the Mockingjay book it says that Prim is already as tall as Katniss, and she has matured a lot also in a psychological aspect.

The arrows and special bow were developed by Beetee with the highest technology of District 13.

This was just the first part of Mockingjay, the war is still advancing. We can expect to see much deadlier and larger battles in the second part, when the rebel forces strike and capture District 2... I am sure that the destruction of the Nut will be spectacular, not to mention the final assault on the Capitol itself =)

I cannot wait for the second part of Mockingjay!
 

SeverinR

Vala
I didn't think Rue sounded right, did a blind net search.

maybe its the clothes but Kat and Prim both look alot heavier then in previous. 30 days wouldn't be enough to be look fattened.

I could see the toll, 2 hunger games and all the stress of Capital city.

I understand the bow and arrow, but a single shot bow and explosive arrow, to be equal or better then heavy duty full auto Anti-aricraft (AA) batteries is unbelievable. The ship more then likely would have never gotten within bow range. If they could do that with one arrow, why not make rockets/missles or put them in the AA guns, much more efficient.

I did like that Prim was to be trained as a Doctor, and that does show she is alot more mature now then priot to first hunger games. But in that situation, childhood doesn't last long when life demands you contribute to help the family survive.

I too, look forward to part 2.
 

Sheilawisz

Queen of Titania
Moderator
The anti-aircraft defenses of District 8 looked great in the movie, but there was a problem with that part because they failed to show the moment when one of the Capitol bombers was destroyed by the machine guns. I cheered and cried a lot during that chapter of the book, it was fantastic.

I loved the movie's scenes about the District 7 rebels, that was not part of the book.

The other moment that was really cool in the movie, and not seen in the novel, is the moment when the District 5 forces charge against the Peacekeepers and later blow up the electric dam with their bombs. I tried to imagine what it would feel like to charge against machine gunfire knowing you are dead, but your body will protect those advancing behind you...

I was also surprised when Prim said that Alma's husband and daughter died in the epidemic, because that is not mentioned in the book, but it would explain a lot about why Alma is such a ruthless and cold character.
 

SeverinR

Vala
I loved the movie's scenes about the District 7 rebels, that was not part of the book.

Was Dist.7 the lumberjacks?

It was an interesting attack, but I wonder if the group had turned on the men if less people would have been killed. Those spike climbing boots would do a number on the body of a soldier.
 
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