every time i rewatch mockingjay i really think to myself yknow damn the united states of american and other many oppressive governments would most definitely turn your partner into a killing machine to kill you if you were a liberatory leader

i've rewatched these movies out of impulse. its also the first time i've watched them "back to back" so to speak. and i have some thoughts.

firstly my rankings of these movies go 2,4,1,3. and like scream, there are no bad movies in this series. 3 being last doesn't say anything about it more than the other ones were just good.

the first movie does an amazing job at introducing us to this world and to katniss as a protagonist. i think throughout the series katniss stays herself, her personality and the decisions she makes are consistent throughout each movie. same with the other characters. not a fan of the shaky cam tho lol. the second is the best, easily. non stop action. its one thing after the other and theres no time to breathe. i barely recognize that its an almost 3 hour movie, and i hate long movies lol. plutarchs conversation with katniss during the dance in the capitol is so good. just enough to make you question him but not enough to raise flags. it makes good use of its budget. also can't talk about this movie without talking about the aspect ratio shift...cinema.

in terms of the 3rd movie, as someone interested in propoganda and how it works, the filming of propos and the media aspect of a revolution interested me but it is relatively boring compared to the first two which are essentially action movies. it does do a good job of setting up the final act. which is part 2. donald sutherland eats in this one. he is equal parts menacing and just calm and persuasive enough to make you see why he's been in charge for so long. prideful until the end. this is something coin is not, as plutarch points out, she's not a good public speaker. going as far as writing her speeches for her. anyone who sees her unfiltered knows her true motivations. even katniss, whos a little dense at times lol. that is the biggest difference between her and snow and why she was caught out so fast, she's not good with people. so clever. great acting choices by sutherland and julianne moore.

jennifer lawrence kills it in all the movies but thats a given. josh hutcherson is the perfect peeta. and to think jena malone almost quit acting after sucker punch and wouldn't have given us the icon that is johanna mason. recently saw her in the bouroughs where she plays a mother and i thought..wow, is she even old enough for that? then i thought wow, im old lol.

its been a while since i've read the books. so i cant comment on the differences. but from my memory i'd say it stayed true to the source material.

Stef Dawson as Annie Cresta

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and 2 (dir. Francis Lawrence)

I squeeze my eyes shut and try to reach for him across the hundreds and hundreds of miles, to send my thoughts into his mind, to let him know he is not alone.