Understanding the stakes are never again only for survival, Katniss Everdeen collaborates with her dearest companions for a definitive mission. They leave District 13 to free the natives of war-torn Panem and kill President Snow, who's fixated on decimating Katniss.
Critics Of "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2"
Christian Science Monitor
November 20, 2015
Director Francis Lawrence stages the action sequences... with a modicum of flair, and Julianne Moore as rebel leader Coin gives off some sparks, but for the most part there is nothing divertingly new or different about this franchise fade-out.
A movie of limited intrinsic merit, and about which it's difficult to make any positive claim for its quality stronger than that it's definitely better than Mockingjay Part 1.
Mockingjay Part 2 is a satisfying conclusion overall, with the franchise as a whole being so satisfying within the dismal dystopian YA genre that it only feels disappointing considering what has come before.
The Hunger Games, which kicked off in a blaze of guts 'n' glory in 2012, ends now with a sad whimper, along with a lot of big bangs signifying nothing.
iI's an enjoyable enough watch and if you've been with the series from the beginning you should go and see it to finish things off. But speaking as a fan of The Hunger Games, I don't see myself choosing to sit through it again any time soon.
Explosive, mostly true to the text, complex and chock full of action, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2" should more than satisfy the franchise's many fans.
I like that both the book and the movie ditched the action-y bombast and took Katniss' story to a quieter, more emotionally resonant place. It felt earned, given The Hunger Games has always been more about Katniss' character evolution.
After the forced histrionics of Part 1, it's nice to see star Jennifer Lawrence being allowed to quiet down and act again. But the story still feels stretched, a countdown that slows as it approaches zero hour.
When it gets to its final stretch -- the one that nothing except books or Wikipedia or other movies can prepare you for -- Mockingjay Part 2 is well-prepared for what might strike non-fans (or even some actual fans) as anticlimax.
