Page 24 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • December 3, 2014 ‘Mockingjay Part I’ (continued from page 23) poor acting), studio-bound special effects, and an over- all phony concept. Better to let Katniss out into the field accompanied by a film crew to chronicle the real, vital young warrior doing her own thing. The major flaw of “Mockingjay” is that Katniss has been made an observer rather than a participant in the action. While Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) gets to go on missions, confront danger, and otherwise take on the typical role of action star, Katniss is mostly stuck in a bunker. Two of the biggest action sequences — the sabotage of a hydroelectric plant and the rescue of politi- cal prisoners — do not involve Katniss. She watches the missions on a screen, safe from harm. Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) provides mystery. He is a prisoner of the Capitol but makes seemingly treason- ous broadcasts urging the rebels to put down their arms. Is this brainwashing or an honest plea from Peeta to save thousands of lives if outright warfare breaks out? Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) is back, but she is held under relaxed house arrest in District 13. Without her elaborate fashions and some decent scenes, she serves no real function other than to complain and try to look styl- ish with limited means. Philip Seymour Hoffman, to whom the movie is dedi- cated, is far better as Plutarch than in the previous episode, “Catching Fire.” He is more confident and self-assured as the man who helps engineer military and political strat- egy. His brilliance shines through a fussy annoyance when his suggestions are overruled by President Coin. Moore’s President Coin combines icy resolve with heart. She is a strong but cautious leader who lacks the instant charisma of Katniss and must deliver elegantly scripted speeches to rally her people. Her decisions may not always be popular, but her leadership has won the trust of the many whose lives depend on her decisions at a time of crisis. Ultimately, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1,” rated PG-13, is disappointing. It lacks the driving excite- ment and quick pace of the earlier two films and relegates Katniss — a character envisioned as the David to slay the Goliath of the Capitol’s President Snow (Donald Suther- land) — to an impotent observer. Yes, the final chapter, due next year, promises to be a razzle-dazzle extrava- ganza, but that is no reason this chapter should be a slug- gish, extended coming attraction.