Deviation Actions
It should have been one movie. Besides the obvious holding out for more cash with another movie entry, there was no need to split Mockingjay into two films. It could easily have been a story told in a big near 3 hour finale (even though I liked it, much of part 1 could have been cut to accommodate). OK, now that ive gotten that out of the way, how was the epic conclusion to The Hunger Games? Good but not as legendary as it was building up to, which is a shame really.
The stuff that does work are the things that have worked since this franchise started. Jennifer Lawrence concludes her journey as Katniss as strongly as she started it. From determined fighter to the best example of post war sadness, her emotions show on her face as well as her words. You want to hug her and follow her into battle equally. Katniss is still worthy of many cheers, especially when she is fighting for her life in some of the most grizzly traps and challenges yet. From machine guns to dragons breath flame throwers to a very thrilling and terrifying sewer engagement with mutant monsters, they’ve saved some of the most intense moments for last. And it’s easy to see that everyones number is up here. Unless you’ve read the books you have to know that everyone isn’t making it out alive and it’s just a matter of who is going to help Katniss to her final goal.
However, in order to get to those amazing moments in the second half, you have to get through the slow burn of the first half. The movie seems to drag at several points in this first half when it really should have hit the ground running a lot sooner. The dragging kills a lot of momentum, which shouldn’t be required this late in the game (pun intended) when it’s time to wrap things up. We also get some last minute characters whose screentime averages with that of some of the series favorites like Effie and Plutarch, whose roles are cut tremendously (Plutarch can be forgiven since this was Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s last film prior to his death and he had not finished all of his scenes). Many characters get good moments but not nearly enough of them, with Katniss, Peeta and Gale getting most of the heavy stuff. I do wish that Katniss and President Snow would have gotten more screen time together. Jennifer Lawrence and Donald Sutherland are remarkable together. Enemies but equals, minds locked in a chess game unlike any other.
In the end, the movie lacks a balance between slowness and action that never works itself out until the last act of the movie. Moments that are supposed to make us feel something for some lost characters aren’t given their due time to sink in. Granted we do get one moment for Katniss where it all comes barreling to the front which is good for her. It just felt entirely uneven. The movie does end the story in a grand, dramatic gesture…it just feels this all came a little too late, like the story was done a while ago and it’s trying to recapture some of the franchises magic.
All in all The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 is easily the weakest of the four films. It’s not the most perfect ending but I do think that the final moments are what we were always heading toward. It’s super depressing but then again so was the book and if this franchise has done one thing perfectly, it’s stick to the tone and feel of the source material. The journey of Katniss has finally come to an end. Bumps in the road were everywhere in this two part final installment but The Hunger Games is still a ride I thought was worth taking. If you’ve been with the franchise this long, you owe it to close it out.
7/10
