Release Date: November 20, 2015 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 1 wasn't really a movie. It was a teaser trailer disguised as a film; the prelude to a far-off final chapter that should never have been separated in the first place. As a result, it was a wholly disappointing affair - dull, slow, and mostly inconsequential. In essence, the ground covered in Mockingjay: Part 1 could have been cut down to an hour and added to Mockingjay: Part 2 to create a more worthwhile whole. That's to say, Mockingjay needed only to be one movie, and cynical Hollywood took movie-goers for a bunch of chumps in splitting up the contents of the book across two pictures for the sake of it. So now, of course, there is an added level of hype built-in to the arrival of the upcoming final installment of The Hunger Games franchise, which was the essentially the point of Mockingjay - Part 1 - it was an elaborate tease. Now, maybe movie-goers will forgive Lionsgate for splitting the book in half if Part 2 turns out to be worth the wait; but Mockingjay - Part 1 promises a better, more fulfilling movie on account of its own failings: as a "trailer," it owes fans something. Mockingjay: Part 2 has huge expectations to deliver, then; to whet the appetite of fans to such an extent is one thing, especially when they have to part with their money, but to do so and then deliver something sub-par is unforgivable. No pressure, Mockingjay - Part 2. But remember: you brought this on yourself.
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.
