In Review: "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2"

The problem with this movie is simply that it exists. There is nothing particularly wrong with the film. It is just not as good as it could've been if it wasn't separated for its pair. A tactic that has been successful with other films and narratives in the past but did most certainly did not work this time.

The Story

We continue right where we left off - Katniss has been commissioned by District 13 to help start the revolution, her only goal being to kill the malicious President Snow, Peeta has been safely found but has been brainwashed by the Capital to hate Katniss.

This movie finishes the war and finishes the series. I'm not telling you anything else.

The Stars

All of the original characters are back. And once again, Jennifer Lawrence slays it.

The Message

The message is very unclear when you take into consideration how the story ends. Was this just a warning to never let anything like the Hunger Games happen in real life? Or was this more about moving away from an all-powerful government and giving the power to the people? It is unclear how political we are supposed to get.

Overall

The new movie is painstackenly devoted to the source material. Down to the stupid final line- "There are worse games to play." But if the movie makers really truly cared about the source material, they would have kept the final book as one film.

Let's look at the times this tactic has worked in the past. Harry Potter's final book was split into two films. This works because we have one location for the final movie: Hogwarts. It is a natural break in the story: our three heroes decide to fight instead of hide. Twilight's final books was split into two films. This works because our hero has "awakened" as a new creature. The world is entirely different to vampire Bella than it was to human Bella. So new film techniques can be used and even the 3D makes sense here. When it wouldn't have worked in the previous film.

This time, it doesn't work. There is no natural break in the story. There is no character awakening. The location is the same as the last movie. By spliting this book is half, you lose all of the momentum the last part had created. Now, we don't remember who the new characters are, nor do we really care when they die in the beginning. The character development is not as clear or as well crafted than in the book because you can't remember the nuances of the character in the previous film. Nor do you really care now to go back.

The new movie created more money for an opening night and more money from the people who forgot to see the previous film. It does nothing for the story. It does nothing for the characters. It is simply to make more money. And not even more money for the franchise as a whole because this movie wasn't very good, newcomers won't want to go back and watch the old movies.

I hope this movie will stop this trend of splitting films in half. It just doesn't work.

1 out of 4 Arrows

In Review: "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1"

In Review: "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1"

What is with this idea of cutting movies in half? We have Twilight's Breaking Dawn in two parts, HP7 in two parts, and now HG3 in two parts. Here is good reasoning to split a film:
-There is a natural break in the storyline (ex.- Bella becomes a vampire)
-There is just too much action to fit into one movie that if you were to try, there would be no following the plot line (in HP7- find and destroy 5 horcruxes, kill Lord Voldemort, Snape, Dobby, Fred, Tonks, Bellatrix, and Lupin have to die, the Battle of Hogwarts, forgive Snape for the last 6 books, Harry has to die and resurrect, the love of Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione has to be brought into full view, and so much more)
-The studio just wants to make more money.-- This is NOT a reason to chop a movie in half.

HG3 does not have a natural break in the storyline or even in the development of our main character Katniss. HG3 does not have a ridiculous amount of action to get through. It should not have been split in half.

The Story

We start right back where we stopped- Katniss was air-lifted out of the Quarter Quell Games and has now been brought to District 13, a district we had believed was eliminated by the Capitol. This district used to be a military district so they are all about rules and knowing your place- each person has a schedule, a meal plan, and a dress code. Plutarch and President Coin (the elected leader of 13) have rescued Katniss, and left Peeta behind, in order to start a revolution against the Capitol, and they need Katniss to act as their Mockingjay, a symbol that the people of the districts can rally behind and fight for. Katniss doesn't want to do it at first (mostly because she is still mad at them for not rescuing Peeta), but she agrees to it (in the book it takes her a lot longer, but in the movie, it's the first 5 minutes). So she lives among the people and tries to pose as this symbol (with the help of Effie- who was not in the book) with little success. They find the only way to make Katniss inspiring is to put her in the action and watch her. So they send a whole team of people to follow her around with a camera. This film shows how active the Capitol/President Snow is to strike down the resistance and Katniss. You see them plot to attack a hospital. Along the way, we are seeing the Capitol broadcast interviews with Peeta, who continually looks worse and worse.

Will they finally save him(you will find out)? Will Katniss finally accept her feelings for him(we don't know)? Or is Gale still a thing (we don't know)? Will this war finally tear Katniss apart(we don't know)? Did anything actually happen in this movie (not really)?

The Stars

Jennifer Lawrence continues to impress me. Every time I see her in something new I become more amazed with her talent. She is a popular young actress who is actually really good at her job. She is not just a pretty face, and (fingers crossed) has not decided to release an album, sell a fragrance or a clothing line. She focuses on her craft and it really does show.

I didn't like the book Katniss all that much because she refuses to feel her feelings. She is always hiding them from everyone around her and from herself. So when I heard the books were becoming movies I was a little nervous. Katniss is known for her stone-cold personality that doesn't show emotion. This is what helps her survive the Games and everything afterwards. But this does not play well on screen. You just get a Kristen Stewart.

But Jennifer Lawrence. Man, she lets it all hang out there. You witness the crumbling of her hard exterior and the madness and sorrow of the Games consume her whole body. Nothing is hidden now. And you really understand her.

The Message

This. Is. A. War. Movie. Let me say that again. This. Is. A. War. Movie. Do NOT bring your children to this movie. I know they were all excited about Katniss kicking butt and falling in love with Peeta. I was too, but this movie has several graphic scenes of the destruction and sadness of war because it is a war movie. There is so much politics in this movie (and the next one) that little kids won't understand. You go ahead and try to explain to a 6-year-old why all these people are dead and why the government is continually oppressing and killing the people who fight back.

This is the disintegration of Katniss' character. This is the moment when she finally realizes that the Games will never end because the Capitol is always in control, and she will never be free from the evil of Snow and his need for power and control. She and her family and friends are in serious danger and she cannot win this battle. Katniss is powerless to every move Snow makes because he will always be going after the throat.

Overall

It's okay that this movie ends on a cliff-hanger. It's okay that many of the characters were taken out of this movie. It's okay that the cat is not the same cat from the first movie. It's okay that there seems to be not very much action. What is not okay is it feels like this movie is a lie to everyone who has not read the book. It only touches on key characters and their real motives. It teases you with moments of doubt. It shakes in front of your face saying "haha you have to wait a whole year for the full story."

It's not even like the first LOTR where you were like "what? They are not even close to Solomon!" That movie gave you an ending that was really a beginning of a journey. It was the end of the intro if you will. It feels like the writers just took one end of this book and the other end and pulled to get two even sections. There is no satisfaction or questions answered. Just more wholes and questions.

If you have read the book and you really can't take it, go to see how awesome Jennifer Lawrence is. If you haven't read the book, go see how awesome Jennifer Lawrence is. If you don't like Jennifer Lawrence, don't go see this movie.

1 out of 4 Mockingjays (That's one Jennifer Lawrence)