As a long-time fan of “The Hunger Games” book series, I was hesitant when I heard that the novels were to be adapted into feature films. I’ve been burned on that front too many times with the terrible adaptions of the “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” series. But my hesitance was misplaced. The movie adaptation of “The Hunger Games” was truly spectacular and deserved every positive review it received. Judging from the most recent teaser trailer, “Mockingjay Part 1” looks to be the best film of the series so far.
One of the successes of the series is its serious tone. “The Hunger Games” isn’t another fun, young-adult series. It’s about war, rebellion and massive political power plays. The books never treat the matter lightly and the movies haven’t either. This dark tone continues to be prevalent in the “Mockingjay Part 1” teaser trailer. With this film, the rebellion begins in earnest. Instead of underhanded tactics, the rebels are now waging a full-out war with the Capitol. Katniss, the main protagonist, becomes the face of the rebellion and is a valuable tool for rebel propaganda.
The trailer gives us a glimpse into the general conflict of the film – the Capitol vs. the rebels. While the Capitol’s soldiers are gunning down unfaithful citizens, the rebellion is holding strategy sessions. Katniss is seen walking through a rebel war camp, promising to fight alongside the troops.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays Plutarch, one of the architects of the rebellion. “Mockingjay” will be one of his last movies. To fill the scenes he had not filmed upon his death, the script was reworked to make his character not quite as prevalent. There were initial rumors that they would fill Hoffman’s scenes with a CGI version of him – but, really, that would have been bizarre.
This trailer doesn’t really show much of what the Capitol is doing, but the movie will probably include extra scenes featuring President Snow and other Capitol leaders. “The Hunger Games” and “Catching Fire” added extra moments and scenes. “Mockingjay” will be no exception, and will potentially have the most added scenes of the series. This is a fact I am most excited about.
These extra scenes will contribute to the film’s length, justifying splitting the last book across two movies. Because “The Hunger Games” novels were written from Katniss’ perspective, leaving out any perspective from the antagonists of the series. Adding these scenes will not only be fun for fans, but they will also make the film entertaining for new viewers.
One thing I love about “The Hunger Games” adaptations is that the scripts are treated as a movie. I know that sounds obvious, but way too many novel adaptation films try to be a carbon copy of the book – which just doesn’t play out well on screen. I am so thrilled that this series is being treated seriously. This creates a much more entertaining product – for both fans and casual viewers alike.
Keep an eye out for the full-length “Mockingjay Part 1” trailer, which will be released Monday.
