The Fire Will Burn Forever

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 is definitely not a disappointment - the film is fantastic! This is definitely a satisfying conclusion to the franchise - it brings together the actual concept of 'The Hunger Games' with the political ideas that took centre stage in Mockingjay - Part 1. Now, this film isn't as action packed as the trailers would have you believe but it is still a really exciting and entertaining movie. 

Where do I start? I really liked how the idea of 'The Hunger Games' was brought back into this film. The pods throughout the Capitol reminded me a lot of the different areas in Catching Fire - I thought this was really good as you never knew what was around the corner. The pods were ruthless - the 'oil' pod was really gruesome. However, what was probably the best action sequence in the film was when the muts were unleaded into the sewers. Not only did this scene take the lives of some of our favourite characters but it was just full of action - the scene actually made Katniss look like a true heroine - when she was fighting the muts that were coming at her from every corner, she looked just like an actual superhero. The pods were probably my favourite introduction into the franchise for this film - they brought so much excitement and entertainment. 

So even though the film wasn't packed with action, every scene had a sense of excitement and intrigue - the dialogue from Peeta when he was trying to determine what was real or not real brought a lot of intrigue and tension. I also thought Katniss' speeches were as motivational and inspiring as ever - she is amazing with words. 

One thing that really stands out from Mockingjay - Part 2 is that there is no hope and it is a very dark, grim and depressing film. Don't expect a completely happy ending as you have to remember what these characters have gone through by the end of the film has been traumatising. In a way, I think this helps this series to stand out from the YA genre even more - Harry Potter had its happy ending and so did Twilight -The Hunger Games is refreshing. There are a lot of deaths in this film from some very central characters. Some of the deaths are done really well (in terms of being effective) but some are not really touched upon again once they happen. SPOILER: One death in particular that I thought was done pretty well was Prims - even though her departure was admittedly rushed and random, the effect it had on Katniss at the end of the film was extremely moving to watch. 

SPOILERS AHEAD

Now, I thought the big showdown between Snow, Katniss and Coin was very well done and I actually think that scene could become iconic. The moment where Katniss moves her arrow from Snow to Coin is jaw dropping - it can be foreseen beforehand but when it actually happens, it is hard to believe. I also think that Snows death is also well done - from research, I knew the way he died beforehand and I was a little wary for how it would be carried out. However, I was pleasantly surprised as Snows death was really well done. 

The movie didn't have a completely original score but it did pay homage to recognisable tracks from the previous films. The Hanging Tree can be heard and so can the music that is played in the opening scene of the first film. Even though I was a little disappointed to find out an original soundtrack wasn't being created, I am once again pleasantly surprised by how it turned out. 

As always, Mockingjay - Part 2 is fantastically acted. Led by (in my opinion) the best actress out there right now - Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence is fantastic and has definitely helped develop the best character that the YA genre has seen to date. Hutcherson also does a great job. The film doesn't see any bad performance - everyone pulls their weight and does a very good job. 

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 is definitely a satisfying conclusion to this amazing franchise. The film doesn't quite reach the heights of Catching Fire but it is probably the second best film in the franchise. Mockingjay - Part 2 may just be the best film of the year with outstanding performances, a great combination of politics and action and a refreshingly dark conclusion to a YA movie. Mockingjay - Part 2 does the series justice and ties the bow very nicely. The Hunger Games will be missed - it is unlikely Divergent or The Maze Runner will be able to live up to these heights. Amazing. 

5 STARS

A+

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