The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2 is topping the box office at $52 million, leading The Good Dinosaur and Creed. The continuation, directed by Francis Lawrence, was released in the United States on the Nov. 20.
Katniss Everdeen, played by leading actress Jennifer Lawrence, launches the audience into a more military style finale. Katniss recovers from her injuries caused by the brainwashed Peeta Mellark, who tried to kill her at the end of Part 1. Katniss regains her voice and uses it to gain momentum to finally bring down Snow and what he stands for.
District 2 attacks The Capitol head on, hoping to salvage those that are held captive. When Katniss attempts to protect some loyalists that survive, she is shot while filming and thought to be dead.
Katniss’ plan is simple. She approaches President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) and lets her know that she volunteers to kill President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Coin rejects her idea in an effort for a bigger picture mentality. Driven Katniss sneaks onto an aircraft and finds herself in the eye of the storm. She is assigned a squad and together they have to maneuver the death trap streets as the last Hunger Games is brought to them.
The closer the squad get to The Capitol and the less is looks as if they will survive, Katniss struggles to trust Peeta, who is reintroduced to the squad, completing her mission of killing Snow and discovering secret agendas that are being formed even from within.
The film maintains the same level of suspense and inspiration as the previous films at least at the beginning. Once Katniss nears The Capitol the film seems to deviate from the style that has already been established.
One element that seemed to stand away from the history, are the “mutts” that search out Katniss. Through underground tunnels, zombie-like creatures lurk in the shadows. Up to this point, The Hunger Games seemed to have its signature and style. These creatures were out of place of those ideas. In the original Hunger Games, there were modern but simplistic ideas. The “mutts” could be chalked up to new-age sell out ideas.
Another displaced and frankly disturbing scene includes a scene with several hundred children. However not graphic, the viewer is left feeling powerless to watch such an awful betrayal. This could be graded as great filmography but not suitable for young children like the others have been.
There was great expectation from viewers, being the last of four. For readers and movie-lovers both, the ending could be described as disappointing. After such struggle and loss, a “happily ever after” ending, fails to deliver. The idea was successfully delivered that now, they all have to find a way to have a “normal” life but ending with marriage and kids in a field does not seem like a natural conclusion for two people that have fought to survive through such savagery.
Two stars out of four.
