Movie Review: Mockingjay Part 2 directed by Francis Lawrence

Pardon the flash on the poster!

I confess. The only one of the Hunger Games series that I have seen is the first:  The Hunger Games. Nor have I read this fascinating trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Fascinating, because in the first movie, teenagers were ‘chosen’ by a dictator to compete in a nationally televised event called the Hunger Games. This competition was to the death. The relationships began in this movie in 2012.

I had a bit of a concern that I’d not be able to follow some of the story line or character relationships, however went into the movie hoping and believing it would be made to stand alone. And stand alone it did. The tension and speed of the story was incredible. There was no time to worry about any previous relationships or history. In this movie, the goal of the original Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and her followers, is to stop the killing that has become a never ending cycle. To accomplish this President Snow (Donald Sutherland) must be assasinated. President Coin (Julianne Moore), the leader of the rebels clearly has her own political goals. The perception was that the leadership of either side could not be trusted. I definitely recommend this movie for those that want a dystopian setting, sensational scenes and well balanced tension and relief.

An interesting aside, Philip Seymour Hoffman, now deceased had completed all by two weeks of his role in all four of the movies before his untimely death. Lionsgate Productions made a statement regarding ‘work-around issues’ to be done that were ‘up to the best of his craft’. It was very sensitively done.

“My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am seventeen years old. 

My home is District 12. I was in the Hunger Games. 

I escaped. The Capitol hates me.”

~ Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay

Movies: The Hunger Games (2012), Catching Fire (2013), Mockingjay Part 1 (2014), Mockingjay Part 2 (2015)
Books: The Hunger Games (2008), Catching Fire (2009), and Mockingjay (2010)

Directed by Francis Lawrence

Partial Cast:
Jennifer Lawrence - Katniss Everdeen
Josh Hugherson - Peeta Mellark
Liam Hemsworth - Gale Hawthorne
Woody Harrelson - Haymitch Abernathy
Donald Sutherland - President Snow
Philip Seymour Hoffman  - Plutarch Heavensbee
Julianne Moore - President Alma Coin
Willow Shields - Primrose Everdeen
Sam Claflin - Finnick Odair
Elden Henson - Pollux