Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Movie review: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2

 
 As the Panem war escalates, Katniss is once again drawn in as the reluctant leader of the rebellion. Focused on the elimination of President Snow, all Katniss holds dear hangs in the balance.

Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss), Josh Hutcherson (Peeta), Liam Hemsworth (Gale), Woody Harrelson (Haymitch), Donald Sutherland (President Snow), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Plutarch), Julianne Moore (Pres. Coin), Willow Shields (Prim), Sam Claflin (Finnick).

This final entry in the franchise finds Katniss once again struggling to balance her popularity against her desire for revenge. Focused on the elimination of President Snow, she largely ignores manipulation by President Coin to use her as fuel for the rebellion, even as those dear to her struggle to survive. While this final entry does answer some questions, we also find a Katniss that seems so focused on her own revenge that the struggles of others are ignored. Add that to the plodding pace of the thin plot and this series fizzles rather than finishes, which feels surprisingly appropriate.

Acting was a bit disappointing in this entry. Lawrence, and most of the cast, felt flat and slightly misfiring. Hutcherson found a bit of depth in this entry which was nice. Harrelson and Hoffman felt hardly used while Sutherland and Moore felt as if they phoned this one in.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds are decent and consistent with the franchise. CGI and effects remain solid and fairly well done though this entry added nothing new unlike previous entries. Dialogue was a bit dry, clumsy, and slow. Sound and soundtrack are okay.

Given the entertainment value of this entry in the franchise, it was an appropriate time for the series to end. The story is running out of steam, and apparently the actors are as well. Big fans of the books or film series should enjoy this one. Those who have enjoyed the action and surprise of the series may find this entry disappointing.

With substantial violence and gore, this should be fine for teens and above.

Released: 2015
Reviewed: 4.2.18
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Thrillers

copyright ©2018 Dave Riedel

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