As the saying goes, “All good things must come to an end.” The four-year run of the Hunger Games saga concludes with its final installment, “Mockingjay – Part 2” (2015).
The movie begins right where “Mockingjay – Part 1” (2014) ended. Katniss, the appointed face of the Rebels, is used by President Coin as a pawn in her game. She wants to create a rebellion against the Capitol, uniting all of the districts in an attempt to demolish the Capitol’s system and leadership. Katniss has her own plans. She sets out on a mission to personally kill the Capitol’s president, Snow, as revenge for the death he has brought to the citizens of Panem.
Katniss and her crew embark on their journey toward the center of the Capitol, while narrowly escaping mines, bombs and other deadly traps that lay waiting for them. In the midst of fighting to stay alive, Katniss must confront Peeta and the conflicting emotions he evokes within her, a continuation of the drama captured in “Mockingjay – Part 1.”
The movie does a decent job at capturing the viewer’s attention and maintaining it. The audience isn’t blasted with non-stop action and fighting sequences, but also isn’t bogged down with dialogue that drags scenes on. It was refreshing to see a young adult movie that didn’t become consumed with a love story — action and romance were intertwined nicely, with the main focus of the movie being on Katniss’s personal vendetta against President Snow, not her internal debate on who she loves more – Peeta or Gale.
My favorite aspect of the movie was the character development. Seeing them on the big screen again was like being reunited with old friends — I felt personally connected to them, as though I too was on their journey for revenge. Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss) and Josh Hutcherson (Peeta) were exceedingly convincing in their roles as scarred, afraid and scorned lovers. Scenes between the two of them quickly became my favorites because of their raw emotion and vulnerability, not only as characters, but as actors.
Having already read the book, I knew how everything was supposed to end, and was not disappointed by the movie’s edition of the ending, though it is hard to accept some of the characters’ fates. Fans of the book trilogy should leave the theater feeling satisfied, knowing that the majority of the movie follows the book accurately. I think this movie successfully ties up any loose ends, yet creates an aura of mystery and wonder for viewers to stew over as they leave the theater.
Overall, I really enjoyed “Mockingjay – Part 2,” and I’m sad to see the Hunger Games franchise come to an end.
5/5 stars
Chelsea Tyler is a sophomore English and journalism double major. This review reflects the opinion of the author only.
The Huntingtonian 