Emotional, relentlessly dark, and brilliantly directed, “Mockingjay Part 2″ brings franchise to a satisfying conclusion Well, here we are. Three-and-a-half years and four movies later, “The Hunger Games” franchise has finally reached its end. It’s been quite the journey as we’ve followed the Girl on Fire through the 74th Hunger Games, the Quarter Quell, and down into the depths of District 13. Now, the fearless yet emotionally shattered Katniss Everdeen prepares to take on the Capitol in this breathtaking finale. While the ultimate question surrounding the decision to split “Mockingjay” into two films still lingers, there is no denying that “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2″ is an emotionally satisfying and relentlessly dark conclusion to this explosive franchise.While Part 1 of the film served to set up the revolution of the districts against the Capitol while interweaving some brilliant political propaganda, Part 2 focuses entirely on the fight against President Snow. We follow Katniss and her fellow soldiers – known collectively as Squad 451 – through the booby-trapped streets of the Capitol as our heroine sets out to fulfill her self-proclaimed mission of assassinating the ruthless dictator. Part 2 is not short of action in any sense of the word and the plot is gripping from start to finish. Additionally, the subtler and more emotional subplot detailing the rehabilitation of Peeta Mellark was brilliantly executed. That being said, the moment the movie starts, we are thrown right into the action. It’s almost as if someone hit pause back in November 2014 and waited a full year to resume the film. There is no “ease in” to the story, so if you haven’t seen Part 1, watch it first before coming here.As I mentioned in my review for Part 1, I’m not overly fond of the novel on which this two-part finale is based. I felt that the book was rather boring and that Suzanne Collins rushed to wrap everything up. However, Part 2 continues its predecessor’s trend and sticks very true to the source material while also improving on it in many ways. For example, I felt that the ending of the book was – to put it simply – terrible. Collins wastes nearly 40 pages describing about four months of time where literally nothing happens. The film, on the other hand, streamlines that entire ending into a time-span of three days. The book ended on a whimper, the film ended victoriously. This is one of those rare instances where the movie is better than the book, a phrase which I have rarely said, so the fact that I’m granting this honor to “Mockingjay Part 2″ should not be taken lightly.As per the usual standard for this franchise, the acting is nothing short of incredible. Jennifer Lawrence continues to carry the weight of the entire series on her shoulders and her excellent portrayal of Katniss’ emotions helps the viewers feel more connected to the plot. She continues to embody Katniss’ emotional conflicts so superbly that there’s no questioning that without Lawrence, the franchise would not be as good as it is. Of course, the supporting cast is as strong as ever, yet two actors really stand out in Part 2: Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark and Donald Sutherland as President Snow. Hutcherson does such a fantastic job of portraying Peeta’s internal conflict following his torture in the Capitol, especially as he works on “figuring Katniss out.” He masterfully relays Peeta’s emotions as he strives to keep his disturbed mind balanced, and these scenes prove to be some of the most emotionally gut-wrenching scenes in the entire series. Sutherland, on the other hand, fully embraces Snow’s character as he slowly slips into delirium over his obsession with killing Katniss (think Voldemort from “Harry Potter” but in the form of an evil Santa Claus). His portrayal of the dictator is so terrifyingly good that it continually sends shivers down the viewers’ spines.Over the years, the production value of the franchise has progressively improved; as such, Part 2′s production is nothing short of perfection. The cinematography is truly breathtaking and helps capture the emotional punch of the film wonderfully. The visual effects are top-notch (for perhaps the first time across the entire franchise), as are the costumes and character designs. The editing was so masterfully done that the end result is a film that is intense, gripping, and dark in tone from start to finish. James Newton Howard’s score for the film is simply amazing and is easily his best “Hunger Games” score. He expertly weaves in themes from the previous three films while simultaneously introducing new melodies that only elevate the tone and emotions of the film. While “The Hanging Tree” (Part 1′s stand-out song) only returns in instrumental form, director Francis Lawrence was able to coax Jennifer Lawrence into singing yet another song from the franchise that Howard worked expertly into his “Hunger Games Suite” that plays over the credits and will…
Emotional, relentlessly dark, and brilliantly directed, “Mockingjay Part 2″ brings franchise to a satisfying conclusion Well, here we are. Three-and-a-half years and four movies later, “The Hunger Games” franchise has finally reached its end. It’s been quite the journey as we’ve followed the Girl on Fire through the 74th Hunger Games, the Quarter Quell, and down into the depths of District 13. Now, the fearless yet emotionally shattered Katniss Everdeen prepares to take on the Capitol in this breathtaking finale. While the ultimate question surrounding the decision to split “Mockingjay” into two films still lingers, there is no denying that “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2″ is an emotionally satisfying and relentlessly dark conclusion to this explosive franchise.While Part 1 of the film served to set up the revolution of the districts against the Capitol while interweaving some brilliant political propaganda, Part 2 focuses entirely on the fight against President Snow. We follow Katniss and her fellow soldiers – known collectively as Squad 451 – through the booby-trapped streets of the Capitol as our heroine sets out to fulfill her self-proclaimed mission of assassinating the ruthless dictator. Part 2 is not short of action in any sense of the word and the plot is gripping from start to finish. Additionally, the subtler and more emotional subplot detailing the rehabilitation of Peeta Mellark was brilliantly executed. That being said, the moment the movie starts, we are thrown right into the action. It’s almost as if someone hit pause back in November 2014 and waited a full year to resume the film. There is no “ease in” to the story, so if you haven’t seen Part 1, watch it first before coming here.As I mentioned in my review for Part 1, I’m not overly fond of the novel on which this two-part finale is based. I felt that the book was rather boring and that Suzanne Collins rushed to wrap everything up. However, Part 2 continues its predecessor’s trend and sticks very true to the source material while also improving on it in many ways. For example, I felt that the ending of the book was – to put it simply – terrible. Collins wastes nearly 40 pages describing about four months of time where literally nothing happens. The film, on the other hand, streamlines that entire ending into a time-span of three days. The book ended on a whimper, the film ended victoriously. This is one of those rare instances where the movie is better than the book, a phrase which I have rarely said, so the fact that I’m granting this honor to “Mockingjay Part 2″ should not be taken lightly.As per the usual standard for this franchise, the acting is nothing short of incredible. Jennifer Lawrence continues to carry the weight of the entire series on her shoulders and her excellent portrayal of Katniss’ emotions helps the viewers feel more connected to the plot. She continues to embody Katniss’ emotional conflicts so superbly that there’s no questioning that without Lawrence, the franchise would not be as good as it is. Of course, the supporting cast is as strong as ever, yet two actors really stand out in Part 2: Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark and Donald Sutherland as President Snow. Hutcherson does such a fantastic job of portraying Peeta’s internal conflict following his torture in the Capitol, especially as he works on “figuring Katniss out.” He masterfully relays Peeta’s emotions as he strives to keep his disturbed mind balanced, and these scenes prove to be some of the most emotionally gut-wrenching scenes in the entire series. Sutherland, on the other hand, fully embraces Snow’s character as he slowly slips into delirium over his obsession with killing Katniss (think Voldemort from “Harry Potter” but in the form of an evil Santa Claus). His portrayal of the dictator is so terrifyingly good that it continually sends shivers down the viewers’ spines.Over the years, the production value of the franchise has progressively improved; as such, Part 2′s production is nothing short of perfection. The cinematography is truly breathtaking and helps capture the emotional punch of the film wonderfully. The visual effects are top-notch (for perhaps the first time across the entire franchise), as are the costumes and character designs. The editing was so masterfully done that the end result is a film that is intense, gripping, and dark in tone from start to finish. James Newton Howard’s score for the film is simply amazing and is easily his best “Hunger Games” score. He expertly weaves in themes from the previous three films while simultaneously introducing new melodies that only elevate the tone and emotions of the film. While “The Hanging Tree” (Part 1′s stand-out song) only returns in instrumental form, director Francis Lawrence was able to coax Jennifer Lawrence into singing yet another song from the franchise that Howard worked expertly into his “Hunger Games Suite” that plays over the credits and will…
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