The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2

3.5 Stars (out of four)

The Hunger Games series is quite possibly one of the most satisfying, albeit a tad predictable, stories to have passed our way during the past decade, both as books and movies.  When I first heard of Suzanne Coliins' young adult story for the first time, it sounded a little too much like the sadistically violent manga, Battle Royale.  But she has managed to create a wonderfully entertaining world and story.

Mockingjay Part 2 picks right up where the last one left off. Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) has been rescued by the resistance and tried to kill our hero, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) because he was tortured and conditioned to become a living weapon.  The resistance is making its last push against the capital and President Snow (Donald Sutherland, exuding oily menace).  Katniss decides to go on a suicide mission to kill Snow and is joined by a team of commandos, including her other paramour Gayle (Liam Hemsworth), setting up a quiet conflict between he and Peeta for Katniss' heart.  But should Katniss succeed in her mission to kill Snow, what insidious menace comes next?

As I said, the whole Hunger Games franchise, and this movie in particular, are very satisfying.  This movie has the right amount of action, pathos, and finally closure.  Every loose thread is tied up well. This story, for a young adult's story, is quite rich in atmosphere and characterization.  It is as complex as it should be without being too Byzantine in its plot arcs.  After I watched this final film, I rewatched the other three and was surprised by how many allusions are in the last movie and how it completely pulls minor or subtle plot points from even the first movie all together at the end.  No story arc is left hanging.  Unlike the horrifying mess of the Twilight series, The Hunger Games is a complexly layered work of art with one of the better female role models for young girls.  It's sad that the "strange" worlds of fantasy/sci-fi are the primary places where strong female characters flourish, almost as if Hollywood is telling us this is the only place they realistically exist.  Katniss is strong, determined and capable, while not sacrificing real emotion and moments of weakness.  And while she is a little too much of a super woman, it comes off convincingly, due in no small part to how good an actress Jennifer Lawrence is.  In less capable hands, the performance would be hokey.  But Lawrence pulls it off with the acting chops she has developed in indie films.

I cannot recommend this series higher, for reading or watching.  It is surprising, funny, sad and ultimately stands for something.  My only complaint (and it's a minor one) is that you have to have the background of the other films to understand this one.  If you don't watch the others, you will be hopelessly lost the further you go in as there is very little exposition.  Each movie depends on the first or it will make no sense.  But, having said that, if you have seen the others, you will not be disappointed with the end here.