By Cesar Perez |Staff Writer|

“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1,” is a decent setup leading up to the grand finale of the Hunger Games franchise.

Although the movie was not bad, I definitely believe it is the weakest film in the series.

The film is full of political speeches, propaganda commercials, and cities left in ruins.

“Mockingjay Part 1” is the much anticipated sequel to “Catching Fire,” and debuted in theaters nationwide on Nov. 21 to mixed reviews from critics.

The film is directed by Francis Lawrence, and stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth.

Moviegoer Eddie Ramirez said, “It was good, but it was not what I was expecting, since the last two movies had a lot more action.”

The film continues where “Catching Fire” ended, and deals with the uniting of the Districts of Panem to rebel against the wicked Capital.

Lawrence returns as the main character Katniss Everdeen, also known as, “The Girl on Fire,” and is now faced with internal and external conflict.

Everdeen is a symbol of hope, and someone for the oppressed and exploited citizens of Panem to stand behind and fight with.

Although Everdeen is the main protagonist of the movie, her character does not really develop or grow. She spends most of the time shedding tears, which I found a little annoying.

There is very little action in the film, and is based more on dialogue and storytelling.

Some parts of the movie did drag a bit, and they were a little boring; I believe there were some scenes that could have been cut down to speed the film up a bit. 

Each actor and actress did a phenomenal job of bringing their characters to life.

I was especially impressed with Julianne Moore as President Alma Coin, delivering a convincing performance as the rebel leader of District 13.

The cinematography was also decent, demonstrating the darkness of the ruins of districts and the color pallet used in the film, creating a tone of dread for the film.

James Newton Howard once again did not disappoint with a haunting and powerful score that really captures the hopelessness of Panem and Katniss Everdeen.

Despite the good qualities of the film, not everyone agreed or appreciated what the film was trying to accomplish.

A fan of the franchise and moviegoer Kaylee Campos said, “I don’t think it was necessary for the book to have been split into two movies. The movie was boring and I did not like it.”

Film enthusiast and CSUSB student Antonio Najera added that, “It was the worst movie of the year thus far.”

Conversely, some students did like the film.

CSUSB junior Danny Amaya said, “I thought the whole movie was good. It’s suspenseful and leaves you wanting to watch the second part.”

Ramirez added, “If you want to understand the storyline, watch it, if you want an action type of movie then I don’t recommend it.”.

“Mockingjay Part 1” is an okay setup for an anticipated grand finale, and although the movie has some good qualities, it does not live up to the hype and falls short of its predecessor.

I give the film three out of five paws.