The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Review

WARNING, MAJOR SPOILERS! There is no way I could review this movie without talking about some major plot points. Please, see the movie first (but read the book beforehand)!

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 was the most anticipated movie of the year for me. I’ve been with this franchise since just before the first movie came out back in 2012. I’ve grown up and matured just like this franchise. So, having Part 2 come out was both exciting and heartbreaking. I don’t want to say goodbye! I’m hoping Suzanne Collins will allow Lionsgate to continue this franchise with either a prequel or sequel, but I would love a sequel that expands on life and the new Panem after the war.

*Check out this featurette on the movie!*

First of all, I loved this movie through and through. I’d seen a good amount of spoilers prior to seeing it just because I saw it a week after it originally came out. I was very surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed these last two movies considering that I didn’t like Mockingjay the book all that much. I loved that this really was a continuation and not a completely different movie, starting with Katniss healing from her neck injuries from Peeta strangling her at the end of Part 1 (good thing I’d watched it the night before). It brought you right back into Panem and I thought it was very well done. I just felt bad for Peeta the entire opening sequence. Poor, little, hijacked baby.

I’m glad they saved the majority of the action for the second half. I loved seeing Katniss and everyone else fully immersed in the traumas of war. I love that the Star Squad was Squad 451. I really love that allusion to Fahrenheit 451. I particularly loved the scene in District Two when Katniss went to help the man and he returned this gesture by pointing a gun to her head. Her speech after this was so amazing and I’m pretty sure had everyone on the edge of their seats. This cast never fails to impress me with their talent. I was completely overwrought by the sheer amount of action in the best way possible. It was all so fantastic and wonderfully acted.

I’d forgotten about the pods and some of the deaths, so they came as a surprise to me. Boggs, the Leeg twins, and Castor were deaths that I’d completely forgotten about since I hadn’t read the books in a while. The sewer scene was the most intense for me. By the time they entered the train tunnels to when the lizard mutts made their debut, I was shaking. I knew this was where Finnick met his end and I knew that there was going to be a jump-scare. I was so mad at the amount of times they faked the audience out about when the mutts were going to attack. Tension in that silent theater was certainly high! When Finnick was finally pulled to his death and eaten alive, I was incredibly sad. I really wish he didn’t die and he didn’t deserve to die. It was even sadder because of how happy he was during his wedding, which was also an incredible scene that I loved.

When the group took refuge inside Tigris’ shop, it was just like a pictured. The look of Tigris was amazing as well, it’s a shame she only had a few seconds of screen time. It didn’t make sense to me why Katniss and Gale tried to sneak into the Capitol with only hooded cloaks on. They’re going to the Capitol of all places, the one place extravagant makeup is widely accepted. I just couldn’t grasp why they wouldn’t try to disguise themselves as much as possible, especially since there were wanted posters everywhere plastered with their faces. This was a scene I particularly loved. I thought for sure that little girl was going to expose Katniss after looking straight at her. It broke my heart to see her screaming for her mother after the bombs dropped. Speaking of bombs, Prim’s death broke my heart as well. I thought it was done quickly, but that didn’t bring down the emotional impact. One of my favorite scenes out of the entire movie was Coin’s assassination. I was so overjoyed to see both Coin and Snow brought down. The way everything played out was almost too perfect and almost staged, from the placement of Coin above Snow to how her body was positioned after she fell from the balcony. I loved the mix of the score in the background with the visual. It all worked so well together.

Haymitch was one of my favorite parts. I loved that he, upon being approved by Suzanne, was the one to read the letter from Plutarch to Katniss, due to the real-life events. I thought it was a very powerful scene. One short scene that satisfied me the most was the goodbye kiss between Haymitch and Effie. When reading the books, I never thought a relationship would blossom between these two characters. Now, I’ve supported this pairing for 4 years. I felt this relationship was very necessary, as well as the addition of Effie to these last two movies. It drove me crazy that she didn’t go back to District Twelve with the rest of them. I loved the end of the movie so much and I was so glad they included the epilogue. Overall, I thought this was a brilliant adaptation and a wonderful close to this amazing story.