Movie Review: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

After four films, we've finally here...the final conclusion to the Hunger Games franchise. Adapted from the 2nd half of the last book of the series, we've been expecting a final huge showdown between the rebels and the Capitol, considering the intense build-up leading to it. So does it deliver? Unfortunately, it isn't so. Surprisingly, the final chapter of the Hunger Games turns out to be quite underwhelming compared to its predecessors.

The story continues right after the conclusion of Part 1, where Peeta is brainwashed by President Snow to kill Katniss whenever he sees her. Katniss has finally made the decision to personally kill Snow by navigating through the various traps set by Snow throughout the city with a squad of rebel soldiers. Meanwhile, President Coin, leader of District 13 and the entire rebellion, finally reveals her true motive that could jeopardize the efforts of our main character and the future of Panem.

Mockingjay Part 2 relies heavily on Jennifer Lawrence's performance and thankfully she delivered her best. The film depicts the horrors and damages of war through Katniss. Without her, the movie would definitely suffer as the story becomes centered in on her and her quest to end it all. However, the action isn't as satisfyingly intense and exciting as its predecessors. The 'war' between the rebels of all districts and the Capitol that we wanted to see is not fully depicted in this film.

Moreover, some of its emotional scenes feel out of place and poorly executed, especially the death of a major character that comes late in the film. It doesn't provide the necessary emotional impact that it deserves to the audience. The love triangle between Katniss, Peeta and Gale is not fully fleshed out in the series and it abruptly ended without providing a satisfying resolution. Most of the supporting characters in the previous films have significantly reduced roles and screen time in this last installment.

Overall, the story does provide a relatively satisfying closure to The Hunger Games franchise. Unfortunately, it just doesn't inspire the same wonder as its previous predecessors. Furthermore, the most important question: could Mockingjay have survived as one film? Absolutely. In my opinion, it's unnecessary to split the final chapter into two parts. It could have been a far better film with a run time of probably 3 hours or so. Nevertheless, it's still a decent film to watch.

Ratings for all the Hunger Games films:

The Hunger Games	2012	8/10
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire	2013	9/10
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1	2014	7/10
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2	2015	7/10