The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 (2015)

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 review

Director: Francis Laurence

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence   Josh Hutcherson   Liam Hemsworth   Woody Harrelson

The final episode of the hunger games saga.  Katniss and crew go to the capital to complete her most dangerous mission.

Starting with a short list of what is good about this movie. Jenifer Lawrence is always watchable as are much of the cast. The high production values reflect the high budget and resultant film is visually pleasing, if nothing new. The movie hints at a message about the futility of war and the evil of corrupt politics, which in our current troubled times has a ring of truth about it.

However, all of this get lost in an overriding feeling of boredom and banality. Once the mission gets going he gets killed, followed by her, followed by him, and then him, and then her and so on ‘ad infinitum’. You are never shocked. You are never saddened. I asked myself am I watching a movie or playing “Call of Duty”.  The fact that the third book was split to make two films (in order that every single cent can be squeezed from box office takings) does nothing for the drama or the cinematic experience. The finale was telegraphed to the point where if you don’t know what is about to happen you must have been asleep during the previous half hour (which is entirely possible).The concluding 20 minutes (it felt like 20 minutes even if it was less) are just over-sentimental pointless padding.

I have watched many worse films in my life but I was disappointed way beyond the failings of this individual movie. I think this is best explained on terms of a journey (like so many of these dystopian dramas).  I loved the first film, I forgave the second, I tolerated the third, but I lost patience with the fourth.

 Review by:  The Man in The Black Hat