The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 was released in theaters on Friday, November 21. Though it packed theaters and contained phenomenal acting, the two-part movie did not live up to the hype.

Mockingjay Part 1 begins with Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in District 13 recovering from the Quarter Quell. Her old home, District 12, was destroyed by the Capitol as a punishment for her actions in the arena. Katniss’ arena partner, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), is being held captive in the Capitol, as they are using him to help stop the uprisings. Katniss becomes the face of the rebellion at the demand of District 13’s President Coin (Julianne Moore) and Plutarch (Philip Seymour Hoffman). She is the symbol of hope for the districts as they try to revolt against the Capitol.

The movie was filled with suspense and emotional moments. It takes on a whole new level of violence and is the most mature movie of the franchise so far. With public executions and hospital bombings, the movie grows from individual murders to mass killings. It begins to explore the themes of manipulation, the fight for power and morality in warfare.

Lawrence delivered an exceptional performance in the movie as Katniss Everdeen. She was able to successfully portray a wide variety of emotions to help the audience understand Katniss’ feelings. Philip Seymour Hoffman captivated the audience with his twinkling demeanor. The film made a tribute to Hoffman, who passed away in February, by dedicating the movie to him. The question of how his death will affect Mockingjay Part 2 still remains.

Hollywood’s greed for money resulted in more harm than good for the Hunger Game’s trilogy. Splitting the movie into two parts resulted in too many repeated scenes and a disappointing ending. The cliffhanger did not make the audience want more, and it failed to transition into the next movie.

This could have been the best Hunger Games movie yet if it was a complete film. The movie deserves 3.5 stars out of five because of its disservice to the trilogy. With that said, the second part to the film cannot come soon enough.