“Mockingjay Part 1” is the movie rendition of the third book in the “Hunger Games” trilogy, which revolves around a girl named Katniss trying to survive in her society.

The story centers on the abusive capital city. Prior to this installment, randomly selected children from the districts were forced to fight in the Hunger Games, an annual death match where only one can survive.

Katniss previously defied the games, becoming a symbol for the districts, and a rebellion began to stop the injustices of the capital. Katniss takes on the role of the Mockingjay and inspires the rebels at their headquarters in District 13.

Can this movie — even without a Hunger Games — be decent? Yes, yes it can. It is better than the novel due to the limited storytelling options in the book; the book takes place in the first person while the movie does not.

This allows for story components to be shown directly, instead of having to be told through dialogue. The acting was strong. Jennifer Lawrence did a great job making Katniss look like more than just an extreme case of PTSD who hides in closets frequently — except for the scenes where she has mental breakdowns and hides in closets. 

Woody Harrelson returned to the role of Haymitch and did swell for the third time. Haymitch used to be the drunk who helped Katniss get through the Games. Doing this, he has always been great comic relief while not being overbearing and forceful.

Although his role has changed in this installment and he has sobered up, he remains the best character in the series.

The cinematography exceeded my expectations. The first film contained way too much “shaky cam.” This method of filming during action tends to cause both confusion and headaches if used too much. I did not notice that being a problem in this film.

The landscape was beautiful during outdoor scenes. The mood was set very well in the military bunker where most of the movie takes place.

Nothing is perfect and this movie is no exception. I am not a teenaged girl; this means I am not the target audience of this film. Being out of the demographic, I could not care less about the obnoxious relationship issues in this movie.

The rebel group’s leader, President Coin (played by Julianne Moore), is one of the least likable characters I have encountered in a movie. It is understandable to be strong for your people, but that does not mean you have a free pass to be cold-hearted and uncaring to the most crucial people in your cause.The movie wants you to feel sympathy for her, but I never felt any.

The rebels are incredibly stereotypical freedom fighters. They could have done a better job making them seem more than just poor people fighting their oppressive government. The capital’s soldiers also do not have much going for them. They might as well be wearing shirts that say, “We are discount stormtroopers. Get over it.”

“Mockingjay Part 1” may seem like a movie more targeted for females, but the theme is more about war than the relationship drama that thinks it is more important than it really is.

Go see the film this weekend; overall, it is worth the price of admission.