The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2 Review

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, Natalie Dormer, Sam Claflin

The epic franchise of The Hunger Games concludes this fall with Mockingjay- Part 2. The choice to split the last book of the YA fiction series is debated, but I think it paid off in the end. Many people consider Mockingjay to be the worst book in the series. I disagreed, and thought it was the best. It's fitting that I feel that the final film is undoubtedly the best of the four films. I was not a huge fan of the first part released last year, for the same reason many hate the book. It had no action, and felt like a cop out that was solely setting up the finale. I was rewarded with this incredible movie. I saw this film at Universal Studios Orlando, in an AMC IMAX theater. Maybe the IMAX contributed to my reaction, but I think it's outstanding, and is worth your time.

I think all of the actors are at their peak in the franchise in this movie. Jennifer Lawrence has never been better as Katniss Everdeen. She perfectly plays the tragic heroine written by Suzanne Collins. She's completely grown as a character since The Hunger Games in 2012, and that is completely because of Lawrence's knowledge of the character, and her ability to create an emotional bond with the characters and audience. Katniss is the "Mockingjay" of the rebellion against the wicked Capitol, and she symbolizes how certain figures are simply thrust into leadership. She owns the movie, but she's willing to give some scenes to Donald Sutherland, who expertly plays the villainous President Snow. Snow has also changed in the course of the series. He's weakening as his country has now fully turned against him. While Snow is weakening, President Coin (Moore), the leader of the revolution is stronger than ever. Lawrence and Moore have a very nuanced conflict that reveals itself in the film's third act. Readers of the book know exactly what I mean, but if you haven't, it comes as a complete shock. But the seeds are sewn early on. Coin wants control when Snow is killed, and Katniss is starting to see that ushering in a new government might not give everyone freedom. After all this time, she still doesn't feel any closer to being free. It's also noted that Hutcherson, Harrelson, and Dormer also give great performances. Hutcherson in particular finally made Peeta a mature character in my opinion. He has an arc, and has been forced to grow up.

In IMAX, this film was amazing. The sound completely surrounds you, and the pictures look crystal clear. The director includes many face shots. There is often a scene that is just Katniss' face, or Snow's face. There's even a nice shot of Effie as she says farewell to Katniss. The camera focuses on her facial expressions, and it has stuck with me days after. The only issue I had with the movie was the ending. I know from the book that there is an epilogue, and the movie used it as its closing shots. I just felt like there were a number of places it could have ended. I felt like it was over, only to be surprised with another shot. This made the film's ending 20 minutes drag on and on for me.

 I also have to address Philip Seymour Hoffman. This is his last film, and he was digitally inserted into the film's final scenes as he died tragically before it could be completed. Hoffman was such an incredible actor. In this movie, he has less of a role than he did in the two previous ones, but he nails his scenes. The last shot of him, showing him simply smiling at what Katniss chooses in the end, says a lot. Hoffman truly is a tragic loss to film, and I encourage you to watch his earlier movies.

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