14 So-Called ‘Must-See’ Films In 2014 (That Might Actually Be Worth Watching)

7. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay €“ Part 1

Release Date: 21st November Why It€™s A Must See: After two instalments Jennifer Lawrence€™s franchise still retains its spark. Even though Catching Fire lost some of the edge Gary Ross brought to the adaptation of Suzanne Collins's first Hunger Games novel, it still felt an uncompromised part of the same world. A dystopian future for a younger audience, it would've been easy for this to have the book's revolutionary spark removed. Thankfully that doesn't seem to be the case as the series heads towards its conclusion. Panem is a strange cinematic world, typically dark, yet half of it is populated with luridly dressed upper classes that wouldn't look out of place in a Dr Seuss film. Similarly, while the ending of Catching Fire irritated some, it was a great (and faithful) hook. One Reason To Be Worried: The dreaded two-parter could destroy the weakest book of the series. Ask any fan of The Hunger Games books and the unanimous opinion is that Mockingjay is the weakest of the lot. Yet this final entry will be split in two to maximise box office takings, joining the ranks of every other major fantasy series from the past five years. I€™ve bemoaned this before in reference to other franchises, but here it feels particularly pointless. Bottom Line: The odds are still in its favour.