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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2

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Jennifer Lawrence  as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2 (Lionsgate Entertainment)
Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2 (Lionsgate Entertainment)

What it's about:

At the end of the saga, Katniss Everdeen realises that the stakes are no longer just for survival—they are for the future.

What we thought:

It is a bittersweet ending to the humongous franchise, The Hunger Games.

I have been a big fan of the books and the series and was rather curious to see how the final instalment of the popular series would end. I didn’t really enjoy Part 1 that much, so I went into the movie a bit hesitant.

Like its predecessors the film starts off exactly where it ended.

Eerily reminiscent of Part 1 Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) wakes up in a hospital bed after having just been attacked by Peeta (Josh Hutchinson). Peeta has been tortured and brainwashed into believing that Katniss is now the enemy and must be killed.

The Capital has really done a number on him not even Primrose (Willow Shields) can reach him in this state.

Meanwhile Katniss is finding it hard to trust anyone around her. It finally becomes evident to her that President Coin (Julianne Moore) has a hidden agenda when she removes Katniss from the frontlines and relegates her to nothing more than the face of the rebellion.

Gale (Liam Hemsworth) on the other has become increasingly militant and will do anything to win the war.

But the girl on fire can’t be smothered. She embarks on a rogue mission to assassinate President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Peeta, Gale and some of the other rebels join her “rebellion”.

What follows is all action as the group make their way to the Capital they have to face pods (minefields), mutts and a host of other deadly booby traps reminiscent to the arena.

While Part 1 was overwrought with everyone’s emotions Part 2 gets down to the business of war. In essence Part 2 is a war film and doesn’t hold back on the ugliness of what war is: the grey morality area, politics and crimes committed in the name of war. And themes surrounding power and corruption are also a strong focus.

It was a tad long and even though I knew what was coming I was engrossed by how the story would develop.

Jennifer Lawrence shines in the role of Katniss. She is the glue that keeps this movie together. She has really grown in the role of Katniss; gone is the scared unsure girl and what emerged is a strong woman. She brings conviction to the role.

It is a violent and dark end to the franchise. And for a fan of the series it is a fitting finale to Katniss Everdeen’s journey. With that said I still believe that the series could have concluded with only one movie.

READ NEXT: Here's what our sister site Women24 had to say about the movie

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