Are the odds still ever in our favor ? 'Hunger Games : Mockingjay - Part 1 '' has hit theaters , and critics seem divided on whether it 's a strong offering . Politics is a star , as much as Jennifer Lawrence 's rebel Katniss Everdeen , in the latest installment of the popular franchise . Adapted from the the third novel in the young adult series by Suzanne Collins , the film finds Katniss stepping firmly into her role as leader in the fight against the authoritarian-totalitarian regime of Panem . Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal notes the controversy that has surrounded the decision to make two movies out of the third book and writes `` but this latest film , which Francis Lawrence directed from a screenplay by Peter Craig and Danny Strong , proves to be much more than scene-setting . '' `` It 's about the power of political symbols , and the danger of becoming one -- about Katniss staying true to herself , and to those she loves , while her handlers seek to reshape her into some sort of sci-fi Joan of Arc , '' he writes . The Wrap 's Alonso Duralde finds that the new film `` calls to mind smart political comedies like 'Wag the Dog ' and 'Tanner '88 . ' `` `` Returning director Francis Lawrence finds interesting visual moments , even in the underground bunker , '' Duralde writes . `` At one point , Katniss looks down on rows and rows of rebels climbing down , down , down a metallic triangular staircase , and it 's like something out of `` Metropolis . '' That 's a pretty bold quotation to make for a film that 's also about a proletariat revolution , but even if `` Mockingjay '' is n't on the level of that silent classic , it 's not an altogether inappropriate reference point . '' But Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter pins Part 1 as `` an overgrown and bloated trailer for a film yet to come . '' `` Unfortunately , 'Mockingjay - Part 1 ' has all the personality of an industrial film , '' he says . `` There 's not a drop of insolence , insubordination or insurrection running through its veins ; it feels like a manufactured product through and through , ironic and sad given its revolutionary theme . '' Slate 's movie critic , Dana Stevens , writes of the parallel themes of teen romance and revolution in the film . Katniss is torn between feelings for Peeta ( Josh Hutcherson ) , who is now in the custody of the Capitol , and fellow freedom fighter Gale ( Liam Hemsworth ) . `` War and teenage angst make for uncomfortable narrative bedfellows , but at least the political violence that rips through the fictional country of Panem is neither glossed over nor trivialized , '' Stevens writes , noting the film 's PG-13 rating for scenes that include executions and mass slaughter . `` And Jennifer Lawrence is actress enough to invest even Katniss ' comparatively low-stakes struggle with some dramatic heft . '' Indeed , it appears that the acting may be part of the saving grace for the film according to some . Claudia Puig of USA Today praises Lawrence and her fellow cast members , including Julianne Moore and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman . `` Jennifer Lawrence reveals greater depth and emotional layers as rebel leader Katniss and is bolstered by powerhouse supporting performances , '' Puig writes . `` New to the dystopian franchise , Julianne Moore plays District 13 President Alma Coin with just the right blend of stern authority and humanity . Her right-hand man is the once-sinister , now-wearied Plutarch Heavensbee , played perfectly by Philip Seymour Hoffman . '' Do you plan on seeing the film ? Sound off in the comments below .
' Hunger Games : Apocalypse - Part 1 '' is in theaters now . One reviewer called it ` ` an overgrown and bloated movie '' Another praised the acting in the film .