Although there are flashes of greatness and a few moments that make The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 very nearly worthwhile (emphasis on nearly), for the most part it's impossible to sit through this shamefully spliced adaptation of the book of the same name without finding yourself fighting off the yawns. Which is to say: the pacing is purposely slack, resulting in a picture that feels more like a laggy video game. Mockingjay - Part 1 is the sort of film that fans of the novel will be quick to defend, of course, but even the most feverish Hunger Games aficionados won't be able to escape the sense of disappoint that clouds this grey, dull and surprisingly tensionless picture. Jennifer Lawrence has two modes - sombre or hysterical - whilst the film itself drags out individual scenes until the point has been emphasised all out of proportion.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
