10 Things To Expect From The Hunger Games: Mockingjay

8. Setting Differences

The first two Hunger Games films have been frequently criticised for being, in essence, the same film (and by extension, the books have the same problem). This isn't particularly incorrect - especially with the backdrops that we are anchored to the story by. In both we start in District 12, then there's the reaping, and - oh no! - Katniss and Peeta are selected. Then, inevitably, we get on the train to the Capitol, and then we see the other tributes in the shiny training station once we get to the Capitol, finished off by the arena. It's formulaic, and it's worked. Mockingjay has annihilated any chance of this happening again. District 12 is in literal ashes, and the way things have been going it's no surprise that Katniss isn't exactly welcome in the Capitol. Coming to terms with a whole new environment, and not just aesthetically, will potentially be difficult for the filmmakers and audience alike. A large proportion of the book is set in District 13, which is entirely underground. If District 12 seemed grey and depressing at times, District 13 tops that entirely. Katniss could often cut loose from the monotony of District 12, so we were treating to the lush landscape of the woods. Mockingjay centres around a much more urban environment, and keeping it from becoming monotonous is bound to be a challenge in comparison to the varied backdrops of the previous films.