The Hunger Games : Mockingjay - Part 2

THE HUNGER GAMES : MOCKINGJAY : PART 2

Director : Francis Lawrence
Year : 2015
Genre : Thriller
Rating : ***



It with a reluctant sigh that the hugely popular and enormously successful YA franchise comes to it's inevitable end with 'The Hunger Games : Mockingjay - Part 2', an entertaining yet somewhat anticlimactic finale that delivers all of the thrills and intensity the series has become renowned for but is ultimately tripped up by it's own financial greed. Jennifer Lawrence returns for the last time as the headstrong Katniss Everdeen who now leads the rebels of Panem to the gates of Capitol to end the rule of the tyrannical President Snow (Donald Sutherland) once and for all.

Remaining consistent with the rest of the technically proficient franchise, 'Mockingjay -Part 2' has some of the best acting and direction that can be seen in the now oversaturated young adult subgenre. Lawrence is as charismatic and as forthright as she has ever been in her career-defining role while a formidable supporting cast including Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci and Philip Seymour Hoffman (in his final screen appearance) add gravitas to the sometimes ludicrous scenarios. However, it is Donald Sutherland's remorseless and bloodthirsty Snow who once again steals the show from right under Lawrence's nose - his sardonic wit and murderous predelictions making for one of 2015's most memorable cinematic antagonists.

Splitting Suzanne Collins' medium-sized novel into two two hour long movies was always to be logistically problematic and unfortunately, despite the best efforts of everyone involved, these challenges haven't been solved. Pacing issues run rampant throughout 'Mockingjay - Part 2' and while returning director Francis Lawrence tries to smooth the overly stuffed narrative out with a number of high voltage action scenes and eye-catching visuals, the distinct absence of balance between exposition and action is sorely spotlighted. Far too many set pieces run on for longer than they should and it can't be helped that these problems have arisen due to Lionsgate's misguided necessity to match the same amount of box office success that 'Harry Potter & Deathly Hallows - Part 2' and 'The Twilight Saga : Breaking Dawn - Part 2' bought in for Warner Bros. and Summit Entertainment respectively.

However, despite it's numerous shortcomings, 'The Hunger Games : Mockingjay - Part 2' still manages to be a perfectly enjoyable movie and while it may not match the base gladiatorial thrills or the incendiary socio-political edge of 'Catching Fire' (still the best 'Hunger Games' movie in the series), it still manages to tower above the 'Divergent' and 'Maze Runner' franchises with ease. Yes, it may be a disappointing close to a predominantly brilliant saga but in terms of proficiency and ambition, 'The Hunger Games' still stands as a beacon for all other YA adaptations to look up to and aspire to be.