The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]ll good things must come to an end, but in the world of book series adaptations the end is particularly important. The journey of Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) comes to a dramatic close in the second installment of the Mockingjay story, with her battle against the oppressive Capitol in the dystopian world of Panem finally being won. But there is something about this particular ending that doesn’t hit home quite as much as I had thought it would.

This is not to say that the film is disappointing. On the contrary, the film is a decent adaptation of the book and does not hesitate to throw the audience back into the world Suzanne Collins created without warning or buildup. It begins right where Mockingjay Part 1 ended, with Katniss recovering both from the emotional shock and the physical injuries she suffered at the hands of a brainwashed Peeta Mellark (Hutcherson). The chemistry between the two leads is interesting to see as while it is not so readily perceptible at first glance, both Lawrence and Hutcherson do a fine job of conveying some extremely difficult and conflicting emotions without saying a word. From that establishing point, the rest of the plot centers around Katniss’ actions to end the war, supported by the cold and calculating Alma Coin (Moore).

Image: LGUK Publicity

There are plenty of suspenseful moments in the film, and it would have been easy for one plot twist to be overshadowed heavily by another to the point where the audience stops becoming surprised. However the film manages to balance the plot twists with visual accompaniment, taking the audience by surprise and therefore avoiding the trap of boring the audience without straying from the portrayal of major plot points in the book. It must be said though that there is a specific moment that changes a lot for our protagonists that seemed to be glossed over a little, much like the edited memories Peeta describes. If you have not read the books, the significance of that moment might be dulled, which is certainly a shame.

That said, Mockingjay Part 2 is visually stunning – while I was disappointed that you never see Katniss in the red costume she wears on the poster, I was still blown away by the visual effect of not only the costumes but also the scenery. There are little details in the colours of the costumes and scenery that really help set the mood of particular moments almost like an emotional guide for the audience. The terrifying moments are also partly indebted to the visual effects, making deaths of certain characters on screen particularly vile. There is no point in the film where you feel like this war is a glorious one, which I think is the idea and if so that was executed beautifully through how the film looked as well as the overall plot.

There is no point in the film where you feel like this war is a glorious one

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A point must also be made, I feel, about the minor characters. While you don’t see a lot of them necessarily, there were a few who really surprised me with how much emotion and symbolism they managed to convey in a very short space of time. The characters of Pollux (Elden Henson), Cressida (Natalie Dormer) and Effie Trinket (Banks) were standouts in this film for me, making it clear to both Katniss and the audience what they were each fighting for.

Overall, I was happy with the result. I am always a little hesitant when it comes to the adaptations of books I love, but Mockingjay Part 2 does a decent job of balancing onscreen action with book plot. Perhaps where it fails a tad is as an ending to the Hunger Games series, especially for non-book readers who might not understand the significance of certain moments or lines of dialogue, but for those it still remains an entertaining, suspenseful conclusion to the series that kick-started the current young adult dystopian fiction craze.

Director: Francis Lawrence

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Running Time: 137 minutes

Country: US