With two global smashes that have banked $1.5 billion between them, the Hunger Games series has captured the imagination of spectators around the world with a well-balanced combination of spectacle and emotional depth.
Mockingjay - Part 1, the first part of the last book in the series, breaks with the format set up in the previous chapters by not offering any 'Hunger Games' and, though still sporting a blend of set pieces and character-based moments, glacial pacing and a morbid, self-serious tone make this a pale successor to the colorful and engrossing Catching Fire.
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This is an excerpt from our original review. You can read the review in its entirety right here. The film begins screening in theaters throughout North America this evening, November 20, and opens wide tomorrow.