The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay – Part 2

Successfully ending off a complex film franchise in a way as to do justice to the legacy that the franchise has built up is by no means an easy task. It also doesn’t help when the previous instalment of the franchise was the worst one of the bunch, as it only leads to additional pressure, with fans expecting (or rather, desperately hoping) that the ultimate entry can redeem the legacy of the franchise. The good news, is that in a lot of ways, the final Hunger Games film delivers in spades, whilst also doing a commendable job in tying up most of the loose series plot strings dangling about.

The biggest issue with the Mockingjay Part 1, was that it very much felt like a mere intro for the final movie, with a low degree of substantial plot development and not to mention, some highly awkward acting from the likes of Julianne Moore. After watching the final installment however, I must admit, I do feel that it has also affected my opinion of the preceding film positively, as the slow moving foundational work done by part 1 now seems to make a lot more sense, when understood within the context of the final film.

One of the best aspects of the final film is its exceptional pacing: Moments of intense confrontations and visceral action sequences are well balanced with considered scenes of significant dialogue between the film’s main cast members. Jennifer Lawrence once again gets an opportunity to show off why she has an Oscar behind her name. During the course of the movie, Lawrence showcases an amazing aptitude for accurately portraying a wide range of different emotions on-screen, which include longing, depression, confusion, hope, outright shock and fittingly, also love, successfully bringing the series back full circle.

"Moments of intense confrontations and visceral action sequences are well balanced with considered scenes of significant dialogue between the film’s main cast members."

The highlights of the film are however definitely a welcome return to the film’s high spectacle, sci-fi action sequences, with there being more than a hand few that will still linger with you long after the film, due to their intense and spectacular nature. These action sequences are even more penetrating due to the film’s overarching sense of dread, anxiety and in some cases, outright repulsion from the in-humaneness depicted.

The plot structure also does a great job in keeping you guessing, as it’s not clear until the very end of the film where alliances truly lie. The developments of the final film also add some interesting dimensions to the film’s political commentary, with an ending that feels more probable than wishful, imbuing the franchise with some added overall credibility and poignancy.

Plot-twists are the name of the game in this final installment of the series...

All in all, the Mockingjay Part 2 is a satisfying crescendo to the Hunger Games franchise. It does a great job in highlighting the best aspects of the franchise and manages to conclude it in a way that fans are likely to appreciate.