Hunger Games Merchandise: Replica Mockingjay Pin

August 13, 2013

Hello, everyone! So today I'm reviewing the Hunger Games Mockingjay Pin. I've had this pin for a while, but I thought I would review it because of the Catching Fire movie that's coming to theaters soon. I'll be reviewing this pin for its overall quality and its resemblance to the pin used in both the Hunger Games and the Hunger Games: Catching Fire. So let's get started!

The replica pin has the same style as the one in the movie. Both pins depict a simple bird with slightly spread wings catching an arrow as it slices through the air with it's overly large beak. They both have the same gold-ish hue, and from what I can tell, they are about the same size. Now let's talk about the differences!

The first difference is that the movie pin is more three dimensional than the replica version. The replica pin is all the same height, while the movie pin is raised in some areas. You can tell from the pictures that the head of the bird is more rounded, the wings come up off of the the circle that surrounds the bird, and the arrow is raised up off the ring.

The second difference is that the movie pin has a hand-crafted quality that gives the piece uniqueness, while the replica has more of a pressed cookie-cutter quality. This is to be expected because the replica piece is being mass-produced. We can't really fault them for that.

The third difference is that the replica pin is much cleaner than that used in the movie. The one used in the movie has the dirt, grime, and tarnish of the 12th district. The replica pin looks like it came off some conveyor belt in the Capital. This could easily be fixed if you have some super glue and brown paint if you want to go the extra mile for your Katniss cosplay.

The last difference that I found was that the pin used in the movie has a safety pin back, while the replica pin is a butterfly/military clutch back. This means that the pin used in the movie slides on to clothing, creating two holes. The replica pin simply attaches to the clothing and creates one hole. I've added pictures to the bottom to further illustrate my meaning.

The replica pin is pretty durable and won't bend under the pressure of my hand. It's good for everyday use by showing off your pride for the movie or if you're killing it in a Katniss cosplay. While it may not be exact it still has the essence of what's known as a mockingjay, and it's close enough to the movie prop for most people not to notice its slight differences.