In the spring of 2012, The Hunger Games hit the big screen and brought Katniss Everdeen to life in the form of Jennifer Lawrence. Now the three-book series concludes with a fourth film, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2.
We pick up this second half of the third book with Katniss at a crossroads. She is looking to do the one thing that she feels will alleviate the pain inside of her: kill President Snow (Donald Sutherland). As part of the rebellion led by President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), Katniss is doing her best to motivate the rebel troops and get them focused on ridding the Capitol of Snow and his followers. Katniss is driven to exact revenge on Snow for the horrors he has perpetrated on Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and the rest of the Districts’ residents.
The journey to the Capitol is long, and many obstacles are standing in the way of the small band of rebels who have joined Katniss. Together they will fight, and they may lose, but they will work to establish a new government that appreciates all of the residents and their efforts to sustain the population. Can Katniss achieve her objective of eliminating Snow? Or will this quest be in vain?
The Hunger Games series has been extremely successful. The three previous films have been enjoyable and are appreciated for what they bring to the screen. If you’ve seen them, you DO need to see this final film. All that said, this latest installment seems to lack some of what made the original films special.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2 moves slowly, and you may find yourself waiting for it to break out of its shell and create a splash. A couple of exciting action sequences show the promise that existed, but only serve to increase the disappointment when that promise is not realized.
I like the characters and most of the story told in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2, I just needed more after all that has been established and what I have come to expect from this great series. It’s been a fun ride, but I wanted The Hunger Games to go out on a higher note.
Katinss is a character that I have become quite fond of through the years and that is due to the talented Lawrence’s work in bringing her to the screen. Lawrence has moved on to bigger and better things, and with good reason — she is enormously talented. The supporting characters seem underused here, and I came away longing for more from some of them, as well as missing the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Thanks to the creators of the Hunger Games films for creating a solid addition to the marketplace and a respectable adaptation from the wildly successful books. Despite the letdown in the finale, the series is exciting and a ride worth taking. Although my hunger for that spectacular last chapter was not satisfied by The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2, it was a respectable end, years in the making.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2 is available beginning March 22 on Video On Demand. Check your cable system for availability.
© 2015 a Color Force/Lionsgate Production Credit: Murray Close