The time has come.  What’s bound to be the highest earner of 2014 is now in theaters.  As someone who’s very familiar with Suzanne Collins’ source material and has read Mockingjay quite a few times, I’ve been well aware that The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 was going to be the biggest challenge of the film franchise.  Yes, the book has problems, but even if the scribes behind the Mockingjay movies fix them – and I think they did fix quite a few – the fact that Mockingjay – Part 1 is such a departure from the original two films could still be a problem for many.

You can catch Matt’s full review of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 right here, but we’d also like to know what you think about the movie, too.  Did you like the change of tone and pace?  Did it leave you eager to see Mockingjay – Part 2?  Sound off in the comments after the jump.

On the one hand, I do understand if some viewers long for the excitement and structure of the Games, but on the other, I also admire Francis Lawrence and co. for taking a bit of a risk, adhering to the books and churning out a gritty, thoughtful and mildly disturbing war movie.  Per usual, the costumes are stunning, the set design is rich and engrossing, and the action sequences are as visceral as they come, but how about those performances?  There’s high quality work across the board so there’s no saying any one individual carried the film, but yet again, a major takeaway is Jennifer Lawrence’s ability to give the viewer an incredible amount of access to what Katniss is going through.

What did you think about The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1?  Get a quick refresher via one of my favorite Mockingjay – Part 1 promos and then sound off in the comments section below.

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