You might have heard rumors that the third installment in “The Hunger Games” saga is all fuse, no explosion, and that splitting the final book in Suzanne Collins’ teen novels is little more than a money grab.

Jennifer Lawrence returns as Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part I”. (photo by Murray Close/courtesy of Lionsgate Entertainment)

Neither complaint is wrong, but “Mockingjay — Part I” weaves the most complex web thus far, splendidly teasing a satisfying conclusion. Prepare yourself for the most character depth to date, an ever-expanding narrative world and, well, spoilers if you haven’t seen the previous films yet.

Revolution is here. The Quarter Quell ended in disaster for the Capitol, which retaliated by demolishing Katniss’ (Jennifer Lawrence) native District 12. Luckily, the girl on fire, along with a small fraction of the locals, took refuge in District 13, the savior district believed to have been destroyed 75 years ago.

Sadly, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) is not among them. Stuck under the control of President Snow (Donald Sutherland), Peeta fuels the Capitol’s propaganda machine. But does he speak freely?

Exploiting her recent celebrity, former Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) transforms Katniss into the symbol of the revolution. Through a series of propaganda spots, the Mockingjay will sing and shoot her bow. But before Katniss does anything, she demands that District 13 President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) ensure that Peeta be saved and not put on trial for anything, he says, while under duress.

Natalie Dormer stars as Cressida, who escaped from the Capitol to work with the rebels in “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part I”. (photo by Murray Close/courtesy of Lionsgate Entertainment)

To make this happen, Kat needs the help of favorite stylist, Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) and documentarian Cressida (Natalie Dormer), who escaped from the Capitol to work with the rebels. And will Katniss just be a figurehead or actually return to the barracks?

“Mockingjay — Part I” might contain less action than its predecessors, but it’s the most politically driven contribution yet. As a product of the state, The Hunger Games reminded the districts who controlled them all, and closely monitored media ensured the output of a singular message. Now, Katniss finds herself employing those same tactics for a different end. And meet Snow’s doppelgänger, Coin, who also learns a few tricks from Plutarch on how to rally the troops.

Like most film adaptations based on popular books, “The Hunger Games” films feature an array of characters. Sure, we’ve already said goodbye to a few, but some new ones are quite delightful.

District 13’s head of security, Boggs (Mahershala Ali) is the only cool head in the room. Moore, as Coin, isn’t a very unique character, but she plays the role well. Dormer (Margaery Tyrell from “Game of Thrones”), as Cressida, is perhaps the most intriguing newbie, if only for her awesome hairstyle. Sadly, she’s underused.

Along for the ride, plenty of original characters enjoy larger roles, like Seymour Hoffman’s Plutarch, who only took the screen a few times in “Catching Fire”. He’s a great actor, and the part works well for him.

And Woody Harrelson’s Haymitch provides just enough snark to help us cope with all the brooding from Katniss. Gale (Liam Hemsworth) and Finnick (Sam Claflin), take a backseat throughout most of the film, save for one great scene.

If anyone says “Mockingjay — Part I” is slow, ignore them. They probably aren’t satisfied with anything that allows the camera to linger longer than a few seconds.

Director Francis Lawrence doesn’t always make incredible films like “Constantine” and “I Am Legend”, but he knows how to keep things moving. And he doesn’t need much action to remind viewers that the stakes are high.

For all its strengths, “Mockingjay — Part I” inherits a flaw from the previous films — an insufficient ending (don’t worry, I won’t give away anything here). Of course a four-part film series will never find a sufficient stopping point, but these films almost feel obligated to ham things up. Rather than embrace a to-be-continued ambiguity, “Hunger Games” favors montages to wrap things up. Without giving anything away, it should’ve ended around five minutes earlier.

“Mockingjay — Part I” won’t keep you on edge like “The Hunger Games” or “Catching Fire”, but it’s equally as entertaining.

With some of the best acting from all parties involved, it’s all two hours of foreplay — and that’s just fine.