The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
For someone who had moderately low expectations of the film, the final installment of the Hunger Games series was incredibly underwhelming.
Mockingjay - Part 2 follows the finale of Katniss Everdeen's journey to destroy the tyrannical rule of President Snow within the capital of Panem. Throughout its entirety, we are wistfully directed from one predictable plot twist to the next. Perhaps I am getting more cynical with the more movies I see, but I would not even bother watching this series again thanks to the dull finish.
There is promise midway through the film. What dampened the enjoyment of the first Mockingjay movie was the lack of any real story development. The audience was set up for the follow-up, which was held in anticipation with a mild cliffhanger (Peeta's brainwashing) that simply did not carry its weight. However, we are introduced to some of the unique thought and magic that went into making the first couple of films so entertaining: dodging creative obstacles, including but not limited to: deadly tar, random bonfires, and sewer monsters. Unfortunately, the heightened pace gave way to a final series of miscalculated "twists" that left me wondering if the end of this series was carefully thought out. I won't place blame on you, Suzanne Collins. (Naturally, as I haven't touched the books.)
What also made the development of the film somewhat comical to me was the misplacement of Jennifer Lawrence's acting talent. Since her first appearance in this series, she has really blossomed, and it wouldn't surprise me if she is looking forward to putting this series behind her. The lack of consistent support in this regard along her journey made her appear to overact at every turn. I can already hear the fanboys and fangirls ridiculing my lack of sensitivity towards these seemingly empty characters. Again, it could very well be the case that the movie simply does not reflect the quality of the books, as my friend Mallory has pointed out.
I do have to give a shoutout to Donald Sutherland, who did a fantastic job of nailing that maniacally calm disposition of the series' imperial antagonist. It got borderline creepy, but in a cool way. The ending? It's a surprise, and I'm obviously not going to spoil it, but yes, you could see it coming from halfway through the film. Other than the glint of action midway through the movie, my favorite part was getting to see Philip Seymour Hoffman again.
Written December 23, 2015
Mockingjay - Part 2 follows the finale of Katniss Everdeen's journey to destroy the tyrannical rule of President Snow within the capital of Panem. Throughout its entirety, we are wistfully directed from one predictable plot twist to the next. Perhaps I am getting more cynical with the more movies I see, but I would not even bother watching this series again thanks to the dull finish.
There is promise midway through the film. What dampened the enjoyment of the first Mockingjay movie was the lack of any real story development. The audience was set up for the follow-up, which was held in anticipation with a mild cliffhanger (Peeta's brainwashing) that simply did not carry its weight. However, we are introduced to some of the unique thought and magic that went into making the first couple of films so entertaining: dodging creative obstacles, including but not limited to: deadly tar, random bonfires, and sewer monsters. Unfortunately, the heightened pace gave way to a final series of miscalculated "twists" that left me wondering if the end of this series was carefully thought out. I won't place blame on you, Suzanne Collins. (Naturally, as I haven't touched the books.)
What also made the development of the film somewhat comical to me was the misplacement of Jennifer Lawrence's acting talent. Since her first appearance in this series, she has really blossomed, and it wouldn't surprise me if she is looking forward to putting this series behind her. The lack of consistent support in this regard along her journey made her appear to overact at every turn. I can already hear the fanboys and fangirls ridiculing my lack of sensitivity towards these seemingly empty characters. Again, it could very well be the case that the movie simply does not reflect the quality of the books, as my friend Mallory has pointed out.
I do have to give a shoutout to Donald Sutherland, who did a fantastic job of nailing that maniacally calm disposition of the series' imperial antagonist. It got borderline creepy, but in a cool way. The ending? It's a surprise, and I'm obviously not going to spoil it, but yes, you could see it coming from halfway through the film. Other than the glint of action midway through the movie, my favorite part was getting to see Philip Seymour Hoffman again.
Written December 23, 2015