Film Review: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 is a fitting end to The Hunger Games franchise. The film makes the most of its strong protagonist.

Following the events in District 13, President Coin has her sites set on Capitol stronghold District 2. Katniss leads a team in, as the war escalates. With Peeta still in a fragile state, Katniss must concentrate on defeating President Snow…

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 is a decent blockbuster, and a film that fans of the franchise will no doubt find satisfying. Director Francis Lawrence has created a war film, with a wider scope on the big picture in this instalment. Mockingjay Part 2 is imbued with a sense of finality, heightened in particular by the abrupt ending of its predecessor.

Aspects of Mockingjay Part 2 are predictable for certain. Some of the dramatics are entirely in keeping with the franchise’s young adult novel roots. The love story, for example, has never felt particularly compelling. This theme continues in this instalment. Nevertheless, there is enough tangibility in the central narrative to keep viewers engaged.

Mockingjay Part 2 concentrates on war and the climax of the rebellion. As such the film is rather bleak, but this is not surprising given the overall tone of the dystopian franchise. Mockingjay Part 2 does not shy away from depicting the harsh trials of the protagonists. Action sequences in the film are well executed. There is a good combination of action and dialogue-heavy scenes which move the plot along.

Katniss is a great protagonist, and yet again shows her worth in this final film. Katniss is a great central character in that she is strong and commanding, yet still engaged with her humanity. She is, perhaps, a stronger protagonist than the film series overall. Jennifer Lawrence reprises her role in a convincing manner. Josh Hutcherson is given a meatier part than previous instalments, whilst Julianne Moore is decent as President Coin.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 is a more gratifying film than its predecessor, and serves as an apt conclusion to the film series.

Film Review: The Hunger Games Mockingjay – Part 1

The Hunger Games – Mockingjay – Part 1 picks up from the action of its predecessor The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The film has some tense moments, although it suffers slightly in being the instalment before the finale.

After shattering the Hunger Games, Katniss is asked to become the face of the movement against the Capitol. As she fights to save a nation, she also worries for the fate of the separated Peeta…

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 shifts the form of the previous two films. There are no games in this instalment; with action instead progressing to the burgeoning revolution. The latest film does miss this centre spectacle, as action has less of the intensity of the previous chapters.

Mockingjay – Part 1 swaps the focal point of the games for political posturing and a cat and mouse set up. The emphasis on presentation and promotion is the most interesting tact. Director Francis Lawrence’s film draws parallels with real politics in depicting how the opposing sides attempt to sell themselves. Viewers are posited with Katniss, as she struggles to remain the public face of the movement despite disruption in her private sphere.

The previous instalments of The Hunger Games have prided themselves on their depiction of a dystopian world, and this film is no different. Any veiled intentions in previous chapters are writ large here, with the true nature of what Katniss is up against being exhibited clearly. The film is darker in both its aesthetics and its tone, with a shift from survival to war and strategy.

Action sequences in the film work well. The film does lack a strong climax, as is often the case with pre-finale instalments. Art direction offers a decaying look which suits the film’s tone. Julianne Moore is a good addition to the cast. Jennifer Lawrence is as impassioned as ever, while Elizabeth Banks gets to show more range.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 does what it is supposed to in progressing the plot and setting up for a finale. The final part of this film series should be blistering.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 is released on DVD and Blu-Ray from 16th March 2015.

Stuff To Look At

This week, a look at the most eagerly-anticpated movies coming out in the next few months or next year, including Avengers: Age of Ultron, Birdman, and Into The Woods…

Avengers: Age of Ultron

The week’s most talked about trailer sees a first look at the highly-anticpated Avengers: Age of Ultron. From this initial footage, the film appears less humorous than its wildly successful predecessor Avengers Assemble. We will find out whether this is the case or not when Avengers: Age of Ultron is released in April 2015.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Here is one of the new TV spots for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. Things are heating up in the franchise, with Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss fights to save a nation and her friends. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 will hit the big screen on 20th November 2014.

Birdman

I cannot wait for this one. Black comedy Birdman features a stellar cast, headed by the wonderful Michael Keaton starring as a washed-up Hollywood actor who once played a superhero. Birdman, which is receiving an abundance of praise so far, is released in UK cinemas on 2nd January 2014.

The Drop

The Drop features the final performance from the late James Gandolfini. It also features Tom Hardy and a puppy, as illustrated above. No word on how integral a role the adorable puppy plays in the rest of the film. The Drop will be released in cinemas on 14th November 2014.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

What’s happened to Gandalf?! Here is one of the latest images from the upcoming The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. The final part of The Hobbit series, I am really hoping the film features Gollum. Everything needs more Gollum. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies will open on 12th December 2014.

Inherent Vice

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice features an amazing cast and a fantastic trailer. Adapted from Thomas Pynchon’s novel, the film’s cast includes Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin and Owen Wilson. Inherent Vice is set for release on 30th January 2015.

Interstellar

The more I see of Interstellar, the more interesting it looks. Christopher Nolan directs Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway in his stab at space exploration. Interstellar lands in cinemas on 7th November 2014.

Into The Woods

Disney and fairy tales are like… two things that go very well together. Leading on from a new look at Into The Woods earlier this week, here is an image from the film. Starring Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp and Emily Blunt, musical Into The Woods is set for release on 9th January 2015.

Big Eyes

Tim Burton’s latest effort appears to mark a departure from his more recent films. For one, Johnny Depp is nowhere to be seen. Big Eyes seems more reminiscent of Big Fish than more recent films, and that is definitely a good thing. Starring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz, Big Eyes is set for release in the UK on 26th December 2014.

The Theory of Everything

Here is a clip from upcoming Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything. Starring Eddie Redmayne as the young physicist and Felicity Jones as Jane Wilde, the arts student he feel in love with at Cambridge, The Theory of Everything is released in UK cinemas on 1st January 2014.

Stuff To Look At

Plenty of aural-visual delights this week, including The Babadook, Dracula Untold and Serena. And the new trailer for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1…

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Here is the official trailer for the first part of the final instalment of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay. The trailer reveals a little more about the plot, and shows Katniss in full-on action mode. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 is released in UK cinemas on 20th November 2014.

The Babadook

I saw a trailer for The Babadook recently, and thought that it looked pretty terrifying. The quotes on this poster for the film appear to cement this opinion. Horror The Babadook hits the big screen on 24th October 2014.

Dracula Untold

Here is a clip from the upcoming Dracula Untold. The film is an origins story of the man who became the legenedary vampire. Starring Luke Evans and Dominic Cooper, Dracula Untold hits the big screen on 3rd October 2014.

Serena

Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence reunite in Susanne Bier’s Serena. Cooper and Lawrence star as a newly wed couple in the 1920s who build a timber empire. Serena is being screened at the BFI London Film Festival and is released in cinemas on 24th October 2014.

Effie Gray

Here is a trailer for Effie Gray. Starring Dakota Fanning and Emma Thompson. the film tells the story of the marriage between Victorian art critic John Ruskin and his young bride. Effie Gray is out in cinemas on 10th October 2014.

The Judge

Robert Downey Jr. leads an all-star cast in The Judge. The film is about a city lawyer who returns to his hometown where his father, the town judge, is suspected of murder. The Judge is released in UK cinemas on 17th October 2014.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

To celebrate the upcoming release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Paramount commissioned artists across the world to make artworks based on the origins of the turtles called ‘The Legend of the Yokai‘. One of my favourites is the the one by Nicolas Delort. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is released in UK cinemas on 17th October 2014.

Lava

I don’t know exactly what this film is about, where the story will go, or why it has been made, but there is a singing volcano! And that is fine by me. Above is a short clip of Pixar’s Lava, which is scheduled for release in the UK in July 2015.

Draft Day

Draft Day is set on, as the title suggests, the day of the NFL draft. Starring Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner, the film is about the manager of an American football team and the decisions he makes on that day. But really, the reason to see this film is that Frank Langella (aka Skeletor) is in it. Draft Day is set for release on 3rd October 2014.