With such an abrupt ending to the last installment, eagerness is an understatement for the next Hunger Games. This one just makes me frustratingly excited for the next. At the same time, I question the need to split the movies.

Ultimately, Mockingjay Part 1 is just a two hour lead up to Part 2, and without the first bits of the series, you’re lost. I made the big mistake of not restoring my memory with Catching Fire. I forgot about a lot of the finer details, which annoyed me whilst watching this. Parts such as what had happened to Peeta. Yes, I have a shocking memory.

Nevertheless, Mockingjay Part 1 is not as gruesome and explosive as the first two, but that’s partly because it literally is a lead up to what’s to come. The rebel is definitely coming, especially with how Peeta has ended up – brained washed and forced into a character Katniss knows is not him. Katniss is pissed off to say the least, and though reluctant to lead the rebel against the Capitol at first, seeing Peeta’s condition is partly her motivation to stop the Capitol. She is also faced with the discovery that her entire district was completely wiped out.

That’s all. I am not going to say that this was a bad movie, only because I know it is, in due course a break between the stress of the first two, and the lead up to the next. We don’t get to really see Katniss in her entire element; as the Girl on Fire, stepping up to be a role model for other potential candidates going into the Hunger Games. It’s mainly based on talk of the forthcoming rebel, with minimal fighting and a lot of JLaw crying. There are three major scenes with this same vibe, and the backdrop as the only difference between them. Because the film lacks a bit of impact, the question remains, why split the films? I guess the dollar sign is one answer, but for the sake of a good review, I would rather watch a three hour movie, combining the films, than a two hour introduction to what I hope will be a big bang.

The most epic bit of this film has got to be Jennifer Lawrence singing The Hanging Tree. The song has made its way onto most music charts, and its presence in the film is inspiring and powerful.

Nevertheless, the story line is definitely an easy one to keep up with, if you’re smarter than me, and can remember what’s been going on already. We need to remember that The Hunger Games is a series, and everything is related to what’s happened before and what will happen next. Don’t make the same mistake I did, even if you have watched them all so far, be sure to watch again before stepping into the theatres.

I give The Hunger Game: Mockingjay Part 1, 3.5 stars, because I know this is only an introduction, and epicness is brewing. Plus, I love Jennifer Lawrence in everything.