User reviews

I always saw The Hunger Games' movies as a thrilling representation of the corruption and tyranny that's invading this world, and as a young Egyptian who lived through two recent revolutions, we know a great deal about the consequences of civil war, and how dirty the fight can be over political power. This movie hits right home with this theme in a way that democratic and luxurious societies won't understand or enjoy.

Mockingjay pt2 delivers a suspenseful and emotional ride as Katniss and the other rebels set out on a mission to kill the ruthless president Snow. The film plays heavy on its politics, showing the ugly side of revolutions. It would have been easy to make a pure good vs. pure evil scenario, but the movie shows a lot of gray areas and stresses on the fact the no one is incorruptible, which is far more enjoyable in terms of storytelling.

The film also does justice to its characters in their final journey, and has great performances by its two leads. J.Lawrence excels in portraying a determined Katniss fighting to subdue her tortured emotions for the sake of a bigger cause, she perfectly balances the strength of making sacrifices and becoming merciless in war without losing her humanity. Hutcherson gives his best acting shot as a confused Peeta fighting battles both on the ground and within his mind, and his monologues arrive with several meaningful moments that remind us of what 'The Hunger Games' were all about. However, its D.Sutherland's and J.Moore's sickening performances as two similar nemeses, that elevated this young-adult film to a whole new level.

But the film is anything but flawless, it has several problems which we can blame on the editing team, the slow pace of the film focuses too much on Katniss and her group that makes you forget about the outside war, and when the time came when the size of the rebellion showed itself, you don't get enough of it, which in my opinion is the biggest issue with the film. However, this was never meant to be a full scale war film, it was always, presented from one person's point of view, which is understandable. Another issue I found was in how the movie had several deaths of main characters but doesn't spend enough time to pay tribute to them, not as much as they did with Rue in the first film.

Nevertheless, instead of lingering on the imperfections, I applaud Mockingjay Part 2 for the bigger message its trying to convey, for creating a satisfying resolution to one of the strongest and most enduring heroines in cinema, and for respecting its audience and not sugarcoating anything. People are complaining about this final chapter being too grim, my parents thought it was too realistic, too similar to what's happening in our country and so many others, but to me...that was necessary. I can only wish that movies like this will in some way contribute in making a wiser next generation of political leaders, which is what the film offers ultimately as consolation; a last sense of hope for the future.

What began as a funny 'Battle Royal' for teens comes to a conclusion as one of the best blockbusters in recent memory. It's almost unbelievable how the tone progressively changed from the colorful brutality of the first film to the grayscale palate of a very real world portrayed in Mockingjay - Part 2.

The conclusion to 'The Hunger Games' saga is slow, dark and heavy. Starts gloomy and goes downhill from there. It feels anti-climatic and manages to achieve levels of tension only grasped by the previous films. All at the same time.

The fascinating thing about the film is how unexpected and unforgiven it is. The struggles feel real as do the consequences, and hopelessness permeates all of it.

The film has its shortcomings. It starts slows, drags a little on some scenes and contains some lazy writing, but other than that it's almost perfectly executed. Jennifer Lawrence is flawless as Katniss and majestically leads the devastating journey towards its conclusion.

Part 2 is bold and devastating. It may not be the conclusion some fans wanted, it sure wasn't what they're expected, but it's a way better conclusion than one could hope for.

A thank you note to Francis Lawrence for the eerie sewer tunnel scene, which plays as the love child of "Alien" and "The Descent" - very unusual in tone and something no one is expecting to watch in a blockbuster​ of this size.

This film managed something quite unusual for me: it moved me to tears. While some scenes might feel a bit slow at first, it's all worth it to create the steady build up to the conclusion. Jennifer Lawrence is flawless as Katniss, as are all the other actors. The tone throughout the film can be bleak and unsettling, but it also reflects what some on our planet have to endure, something many of us find hard to imagine. This film is unforgiving, but you won't regret a single moment of it.

I just saw the movie last night and I've gotta say it was an epic end. Really emotional and has a strong theme. I was reading through some reviews and saw people who say it was rushed and I don't know what they were talking about. How is a story divided in two 2 hour parts in any way rushed? If anything it was dragged out. One thing I found a bit off though was how most deaths were completely bloodless, which wasn't the case in the books at all. It did keep true to the book for the most part which is always good when making adaptations. The beginning started pretty much where the last film ended. The ending was satisfying and bittersweet and did not disappoint. Probably both the darkest and the most epic of all Hunger Games films. Overall it's a great movie and epic end to the franchise. I recommend it for all Hunger Games fans.

Maybe even it takes a week of its release but want to leave my last words to Katniss and company.

Although still not be released will be very convinced that this last part will be fantastic and memorable, where the first gave yourself as a volunteer to protect your sister , to deliver everything in the Hunger Games to survive, when you showed courage for the things Snow that has made against you , because you supported your friends , do feel the incredible book adaptation Collins has become an unforgettable adventure.

I want to congratulate Jennifer Lawrence by this magnificent role of Katniss , where I play an actress of world class and one of the heavyweights of Hollywood , which never ceases to amaze with its distinctive and unbeatable talent, I also congratulate Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth , Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks, and even Phiip Seymour Hoffman who is in heaven , and at least congratulate Donald Sutherland for the role of villain hated by fans of the saga, and i commend especially the director Francis Lawrence and his team for what he has shown us in this amazing story .

Katniss, Thank you Forever!

The franchise started with such promise but seemed to lessen with each film. In this one, the journey towards President Snow was laboured and repetitive. Character development was paint by numbers to non existent. Films 3 and 4 might have been more impactful if retained in one film. But we get the ending... that's something.

I love The Hunger Games trilogy mostly because it is so dark and brutal, and even if Katniss does what she has to do, she still suffers from everything that has happened. In a badly written version of the novels Katniss would behave like nothing ever bothered her, which would make her just seem violent and rash. When we know everything has gotten to her, we know what she is sensitive, we know that everything has actually touched her.

The most horrifying thing is when you realise how young Katniss actually is. The original point of the novel series was how kids were forced to fight in the arena, and how a kid actually became the most important person to the resistance. Think about when you were 17, would you have been able to unite people against your oppressors? That's a really horrifying thought - and that was the point Collins was trying to make. Jennifer Lawrence is excellent as Katniss. She portrays her social clumsiness well, but also her emotional weaknesses and her bravery. She's a great actress, but there should've been someone else playing her, someone younger (and Native), because then it would look as terrifying at it was meant to.

Not all the events from the novel were included in the Mockingjay part 1 or 2. It's understandable especially when it comes to the part 2. For example, Katniss, Finnick, Johanna and Peeta being trained for the war? It would take too much time to show everything, considering how long the film already was.

Some people are complaining about how they should've made the Mockingjay into a one film. I disagree. It is one film, but in two parts. And it works this way, because the second part starts so well - it starts exactly where it should start considering what happened in the end of Part 1. It works as two parts, and there was no need to wrap the story up any more. It was very dense already - things happen quickly but there is still time for important dialogue.

The music in these films is almost unreal because of how beautiful it is - and it still is astonishing in the last one.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 2 is dark and brutal, but it has hope, some amazing hope that after all that darkness makes everything better. It's an amazing finale for the best young adult science fiction stories I have read or seen.

I feel weird that it's all over now. Suzanne Collins has created amazing characters who were portrayed so well over the years - or left out, as the case may be. Thanks for the ride, it has been amazing.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2 is a good movie with a well developed storyline and a terrific cast. It's a reasonably pleasing finale to the four part series, all of the character archs are wrapped up quite nicely, and there's some good twists throughout, even one that had me jumping off my seat. The chemistry between all the main cast members is still evident and it's sad to think this is the last film where we'll see them portraying these characters. Admittedly, I expected better, the first part of Mockingjay is very slow paced, but I could forgive it because I was expecting this part to be an action packed, intense adventure, and it's a little underwhelming in the end, the story dosen't move around as quickly as it should, lingering on certain plot points for far too long, and our interest in Katniss's relationship between Gale and Peeta begins to ware thin. The best scenes in this movie are certainly Lawrence's confrontations with President Snow, played miraculously by Donald Sutherland, he's great in the other movies as well, but here he really gets to shine as the sinister, evil character he really is. My biggest problem is that they decided to break Mockingjay in to two parts in the first place, it may have worked out well for Harry Potter but that's because it felt like they genuinely wanted two movies to wrap up the story properly, here, however, it just feels like they did two movies to make more money, and because of that, instead of getting one outstanding finale to the series, we get two that are both disappointing sequels to their predecessors. It may be a bit underwhelming as a finale to the series, certainly not as good as Hunger Games or Catching Fire, but The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2 is still worth the watch because of its impressive special effects and terrific performances, and if you're a fan of the previous movies then I don't have to tell you to go see it, any fans of action should get a kick out of it.

Katniss must lead an army against President Snow as the destruction of other districts increases.

Best Performance: Jennifer Lawrence

Reluctant symbol of the revolution, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) leads a small group of freedom fighters into Panem to try and assassinate the wicked President Snow (Donald Sutherland).

When they split Mockingjay into 2 parts, presumably for no other reason than financial gain, there was always the concern that the story would be far too drawn out (as with The Hobbit). And despite several decent action scenes (including booby-trap pods, a tidal wave of tar, and a mutt attack) that's precisely what has happened: at a whopping 137 minutes, this last film in the series feels like the proverbial dead horse has been well and truly flogged.

I watched purely for the sake of completion, but at no point did I feel involved in the story or engaged with the characters. I just sat there waiting for the whole thing to end so I could move on to something else. A shame, because if they had taken the good bits from both Mockingjay movies and combined them into one (slightly longer) film, it might have been the best of the series and a fitting finalé for Katniss and co.

A commando unit is sent into the Capitol, now under siege, partially evacuated, overrun by refugees and entirely empty of glory and every bit splendor having faded to shades of grey. Their mission is to put an end to the tyranny. To assassinate President Snow(Sutherland, deliciously evil).

There are entirely too many characters, and darlings that have been left alive, in the least critically trimmed of the four films - this feels strangely disconnected from the others. The production values, talent and scope on display fail to distract from that. As a final chapter, it's fair. Almost every single farewell feels flat and rushed. Essentially, no one has anything to do, not to mention that the new ones, thankfully largely undeveloped anyway, are utterly superfluous. Everyone in the love triangle do find themselves in extreme emotional situations, and certainly the still unstable and potentially homicidal Peeta makes for an immensely interesting element. But it is only with these three, and these two parts could and should have remained one three-hour picture.

The themes are explored rather well, and this fits in an impressive amount of solidly done fiercely political, anti-war messages that are surprisingly relevant, considering it's all there in the book, which came out in 2010. It is clear that this wants to motivate for real-life campaigning to affect foreign policy, and one can only hope it does just that. Satire, clever writing and excitement yet again come through and elevate what might otherwise be "good... for YA" to a truly compelling piece that truly has something to say.

There is a lot of brutal, disturbing violent content in this, pushing the PG-13 rating about as far as it can be. I recommend this to any fan of the series. 8/10

OK,it's not that part 1 was good,you actually knew it would suck,but the 2nd really grinds my gears.

You have in your hands a civil war,the final battle into the heart of the capital,and you spent 2 hours of your life watching your main character taking a walk in a war zone.

And with all that time strolling,you have no character development,for none of them,just a few moments that the movie is like "Ok,from now on,that's how things are".

I watched this for closure,i wish i hadn't.

I didn't expected it to be a great movie,just a good action one,and it failed.Miserably. For goodness sake,London has fallen had more character development than a book based quadralogy,LOTR had less walking..good riddance to the series.

this movie was great and I'm terribly sad to see the series ended because jlaw was an amazing actor... however their were some parts mainly the first 30minutes of the movie i was falling asleep. there was no real action to focus on. But the one thing I was happy about the series was that it correlated with books I definitely recommend everyone to watch the movie and judge for themselves. There were scenes that really made you sad and tugged on your heartstrings. But hey if you read the books you knew that certain thing was unavoidable Anyways, movies were amazing books were amazing. and i truly wish there were more books after this but there aren't. I think president snow is amazing even though he is clearly cruel. one thing i got to say for you if you are to watch the movies... May the odds be ever in your favor

As the war of Panem escalates to the destruction of other districts by the capitol, Katniss Everdeen, the reluctant leader of the rebellion, must bring together an army against President Snow, with all she holds dear hangs in the balance.

So here we are, we made it to the end of The Hunger Games movies and I most definitely not enjoyed all of them. For all fans, this is the moment they've been waiting for. The films, first of which was released in 2012 have ranked in more than $2 billion worldwide at the box office and made a global star of their leading lady: Jennifer Lawrence, perfect mix of fury and resignation. In fact, The Hunger Games movies - on their own, separated from the books - have been a true phenomenon, let's be honest. It's almost weird that the four of them came out so quickly to each other. This sudden burst of popular culture that is now over.

If you haven't seen Mockingjay - Part 1 there's nothing to catch you up on the events of the first half of this movie, or for that matter, the first two movies. By now you either know what is going on, or you came to this film with a friend and you don't care anyway, so moving on. Part 1, as I wrote back then was all setup and no payoff. It was truly disappointing. Though, I really should know when a film has a "Part 1" tagged onto it, I'm not going to get a complete story out of what I came to see. Still, here viewers finally get their payoff. It's by far the most polarising instalment of the saga. They took all that time to build compelling characters in Part 1 just to allow some subtle character's moments. Indeed I liked some of the direction they took with the characters, especially Peeta, he's genuinely messed up and his character development made him as deep as he's ever been. Before he was just one of the guys in the love triangle. Plus, this time it was a similar feeling as earlier this year with Furious 7. Even though an actor we liked was no longer with us, we'd still get to see him one last time: to say goodbye. In this case it is the last time we'll see Philip Seymour Hoffman. And even though I thought I had myself mentally prepared, it's still pretty shocking. Looking at Hoffman on screen, I couldn't help but whisper to myself "Man, this guy will be missed..."

While being "sort-of" heroic, Katniss Everdeen is frightened all the time. She spends the whole story being forced into situations she doesn't want to be in. nearly always she acted out of naive sense of what was right, starting with her decision to take younger sister Prim's place in The Hunger Games. However here, like little Frodo Baggins, crushed by his heavy burden over the course of three films, she's not quite the same person - for the first time - she was when her adventure began. Jennifer Lawrence skillful performance holds the centre, letting everything the dialogue doesn't say play across her face. Katniss seems to understand the symbolic weight she's been asked to carry. If only it didn't have to hang so heavy... At the end of the day Katniss can only rely on one person: herself. If I'm being completely honest Katniss Everdeen, by herself, is not really an interesting person to me. We all love her and we are all rooting for her; but Katniss as a person is just boring.

In comparison to Part 1, Part 2 feels almost like non-stop action. In fact, Part 1 was a very unnecessary movie. I really don't think this final chapter needed to be split in two film, as it was very slow paced and sometimes we can find little shades of that left over in Part 2. Yes, there are parts of this film that are deathly snail paced slow, and for some parts it's working as some sequences are meant to be very serious and poignant. Nonetheless, the production values are still above grade. The series has veered far from the realm of traditional YA entertainment; for all intents and purposes, Part 2 is a war movie. This is a overly dark and sad film, there's barely a ray of hope coming through the cloud throughout the entire runtime. Halfway through we even get an elaborate underground sequence that almost feel like something out of a zombie movie but certainly not The Hunger Games. Or maybe something more out of the director's prior film, I Am Legend. At this point, you might even start to wonder how a YA audience will handle scenes scary enough to make you long for the relative mutant-free safety of The Martian (Matt Damon may be 50 million miles from home, but at least he's alone). The gradual building of suspense during the actual siege of the Capitol and all the traps were grand, they are everything you would imagine game makers of the actual Hunger Games would make but in a city. Finally, director Lawrence does allow enough room for audiences to process what is unfolding before them, working at a classical pace for the saga. You get excited for a second and then it goes back to this crushingly slow pace which doesn't raise high stakes. At least, the script is clearly more concern with the mass-media manipulation of combat footage than what is actually happening in the trenches.

Overall most of The Hunger Games fans will find enjoyment in this last chapter of their beloved franchise as it is actually an enjoyable movie with some exciting action; but as the final instalment, it doesn't really justify everything you walked through to this moment.

I am a Muslim belly dancer and I love watching movies in free time. This is my first comment on IMDb. The Hunger Games:Mocking Jay Part 2 is an interesting sequel to part 1. It is the story of a strong woman rebel Katnis Everdeen fighting against a dictator president. The film is entertaining with action.When you see this movie you will feel with rebels who have been oppressed and you will come to the feeling that evil doers and dictators will sooner or later get destroyed as a result of their wickedness.

This movie has been achieving international success in every country of the world. It is a film for people who love justice and democracy.Me and my dear son Muhammad enjoyed this excellent movie and we definitely advise you to see because it is a perfect epic movie.

For the finale of one of the most popular movie franchises of the last decade, the build up to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, the final part of The Hunger Games franchise, has been relatively subdued.

Sandwiched between Spectre and Star Wars: The Force Awakens may have something to do with this but I didn't feel any excitement when going in to watch the final movie of a franchise that I have thoroughly enjoyed from the start.

Unsurprisingly, the film picks up exactly where the last film left proceedings; Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) receiving treatment after an attempt at taking her life was made by Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), who is now tied up in restraints and being kept a close eye on.

Katniss wants to bring an end to the reign of President Snow (Donald Sutherland) over Panem once and for all and to do this, she must lead the rebellion into the dangerous terrain of the Capitol, where Snow makes sure plenty of surprises lie in wait.

Mockingjay - Part 2 was always going to be the most action-packed of the four films, with all out war set to hit the Capitol, and the film certainly does a fine job when it comes to the action. It takes no time for the film to get going and when it does, you will be on the edge of your seat.

Francis Lawrence, who has directed all but the first film of the franchise, handles the action well and delivers a few sequences to get the adrenalin pumping, most notably a scene that finds Katniss and other members of the rebellion fighting a herd of monstrous creations underground. It's a moment that some younger viewers may find quite frightening as it feels like something straight out of a horror movie.

I was really enjoying the film up until a really significant moment involving someone close to Katniss and this is where I thought the film shot itself in the foot. There had been a build up to this happening now for three prior films and in the end, I can't help but feel that the end just felt rushed and badly underwritten. It can't be easy writing a finish to such an epic story and with the book to go by, there isn't too much room for change. That being said, I was left utterly underwhelmed by the final half hour of this film.

As always with The Hunger Games films, there isn't one performance that lets the film down. Jennifer Lawrence once again shines as Katniss, a role of major significance in her career and one that will go down as one of the strongest female characters in the history of film.

Lawrence is given ample support from the likes of; Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Natalie Dormer, Woody Harrelson, Julianne Moore, Donald Sutherland and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.

So, with The Hunger Games franchise now at an end, we have lost the best franchise to be based on a series of young adult novels that have taken the world by storm. Sadly, they will keep on coming but my worry will be that none of them will be anywhere near the standard of The Hunger Games franchise.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 is a film without any artistic integrity. It was purely made to grab as much cash from its audience as possible. You can sense this in the film which does not have much of a plot, scenes that are purely filler and the story just crawls because the book that it is based on has been split into two which means more padding than a model wearing a Wonderbra.

Panem is in chaos Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) plans to assassinate President Snow (Donald Sutherland.) Snow meanwhile wishes to spring a trap to finish off the rebels. Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) is volatile as he turns his anger towards Katniss. Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) the leader of the rebels who plans to usurp Snow as President has her own agenda. You could say she and Snow are two sides of the same coin.

Some of the action is humdrum and poorly lit and Katniss's use of the bow and arrow is almost laughable in this film. Given the first film in this franchise was a decent film, it has been disappointing to see the decline in quality to the sequels.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 concludes the adventures of Katniss Everdeen(Jennifer Lawrence). After the events of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1(2014), Katniss, Peeta Mellark(Josh Hutcherson), Gale Hawthorne(Liam Hemsworth), Finnick Odair(Sam Claflin), Boggs(Mahershala Ali), Cressida(Natalie Dormer) & the rest of the Rebels will have to take down President Snow(Donald Sutherland) & the evil Capitol, once & for all. As the war of Panem spirals out of control, & the Capitol attacks any district that opposes them, Katniss' life & the lives of her allies & loved ones are at risk.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 is a fantastic film. It is a satisfying & emotional end to The Hunger Games series. All the action set pieces are top notch. The special effects are superb. The underground set piece is one of the highlights of the film. Don't worry though. This film is not just a mishmash of action scenes. There are plenty of heart touching moments too. This movie takes all the best aspects from The Hunger Games(2012), The Hunger Games: Catching Fire(2013) & The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1(2014), to become my favorite film in the franchise. There are so many twists & turns in the film that will keep you guessing right till the end(if you haven't read the books, of course). The suspense factor is a welcome addition, that didn't feature in the previous three films. A minor flaw would be the 3D. Although it works in a few scenes, overall the 3D is unnecessary. Just watch the movie in 2D, if you have an option. Director Francis Lawrence has given fans a perfect end to The Hunger Games movies. Jennifer Lawrence is outstanding as Katniss Everdeen. Josh Hutcherson is spectacular as Peeta Mellark. Liam Hemsworth is brilliant as Gale Hawthorne. Woody Harrelson is awesome as Haymitch Abernathy. Donald Sutherland is menacing as President Snow. Philip Seymour Hoffman is good as Plutarch Heavensbee. Julianne Moore is great as President Alma Coin. Willow Shields is impressive as Primrose Everdeen. Sam Claflin is superb as Finnick Odair. Mahershala Ali, Jeffrey Wright & Jena Malone are effective as Boggs, Beetee & Johanna Mason respectively. Stanley Tucci & Elizabeth Banks are super as Caesar Flickerman & Effie Trinket respectively. Natalie Dormer & Elden Hensen are awesome as Cressida & Pollux respectively. The supporting cast are great as well. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 is a must watch.

I do believe a good movie has a formula - it starts with the background, then building up the tension, then make you hold your breath until the climax - with a bit of humour, emotion stirring in between. And even better, it gives you a philosophical message that make you think about the meaning of life, and perhaps gives you hope on humanity in between. You leave the cinema feeling hyper, and when you back home you want to look for more information about this movie, check out what other think, to see if there are people in resonance with you.

I have to say Mockingjay Pt2 failed this for me. It was a surprise as usually when you cut a movie/book into two parts, the first part usually is slow and dull (as still building up the background), and Pt2 you have this big finale and take you to the climax at the end (like Harry Potter 7). But MJ Pt1 did fulfill the "good movie" factors, and it even had a few very moved moments that made me almost in tears.

But Pt 2 … I didn't feel "wow it is good and they know what they are doing" until perhaps after 45mins. Then you have 45 mins of really intense and good action scenes, as well as scary part that made me feel I regret to watch it by myself while I had no arm to grab on (despite I know what would be coming as I read the book). Although to be fair - in the other hand - it did follow the book, that the climax arrived on the 2/3 of the book/movie, then it quiet down afterward. There was a twist at the end, but since I was aware of the twist, it didn't work for me.

I do think if they can put pt1 and pt2 in one movie, it will be much better. As some reviews said, Pt2 is a good finale as the whole series, but failed as a movie by itself. In the book there are so much opportunity to make a big impact scene, but it didn't manage to do that, and even it did reach the impact at a certain scene, but it jumped to something else straight afterward, losing the momentum.

And Katiness is not the most likable character ever. Although in the other hand I think it makes her very real - she does not born as a typical hero and think "great power comes with great responsibility", be a leader, save people and always do the morally right thing. She is hurt, angry, broken, has PTSD, helpless, self-centered. But - if you imagine yourself grow up and live in her situation, it makes her very real.

I didn't like the series until movie 2. Movie 1 has the potential but was poorly directed, and the shaky cam/direction of how the camera pan made it even worse. But movie 2 was excellent, definitely the best of the series and one of my fav movies ever. That scene when she appeared as a Mockingjay on the stage still make me hold my breath, and watching Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance just made me feel it is sad that we lost a talented actor.

But I do strongly recommend the book/movie to teenager. It is a good story with a message that hopefully can leads to a lots of deep thinking, and political awareness.

Still a watchable movie, but I wish it could achieve more.

Side note: Finally managed to watch a movie in the Vmax cinema, and so glad with my choice - the sound effect of the movie itself was excellent and Vmax cinema really brought out the best of it.

I had high expectations for this, the last installment wasn't my favorite, but i still enjoyed it, and i thought that they used the split of the last book in two movies, to leave all the slower material and more introduction like, to the first part, so that the juicy stuff could kick ass in the second part. Well...

I can definitely say that wasn't the case, and the film was a sort of disappointment, but i have to say that it could be much worse if it wasn't for the humongous love i have for the first 3 installments, especially the first 2, and the epic amazing ensemble cast lead by the scene stealing, one in a million Jennifer Lawrence. The first films were different from everything and forever changed this genre of film, they were unique, creative, original, breathtaking a huge breath of fresh air. Then the 3rd installment went in a total different direction, a mainly grim political direction, that i wasn't definitely expecting but enjoyed a lot, and was the drum rolls to the grand finale, but...

It is far from having the feel of a grand finale to a franchise that deserved one. All the characters are back, but instead of focusing on their development and closure they just appear as some sort of cameos with nothing to do but the occasional word, battle plans, and the ones that do talk more, like Peeta and Gale are bound to speak about the same theme because the narrative doesn't really lets them move on until the film is over. Many characters like Haymitch, Plutarch and Johanna that should be in the center of the narrative, are sidelined to the point of barely registering as cameos.

Instead the focus is only on Katniss, and i could understand that, but there's nothing really great that justifies that, and even when there is, it is addressed in such a simple way, that it barely registers. There's tons of things happening around the districts, specialty in the capitol of course, and instead of actually show that, the battles, the tortures, the consequences of war, we only get to see Katniss underground sitting, talking, sitting, talking, resting, talking, thinking, talking... they speak on and on about the war plans but we don't get to see nothing of that, and even when there's an action scene here or there (theres like 3 in the entire film) the camera never gets away from katniss face for we actually see what is happening (i mean i get it, its Jennifer Lawrence, but for gods sake!).

We also never get to see Snows side, and instead of making an interesting analysis of the two sides, we get to see Snow for like 2 minutes and then they sort of make that analysis in the end but in a very sublime way, so overall we never get to see whats really so bad about Snows dictatorship aside from the obvious things that we assume and get to know in talks, but would it be so hard to actually show what the heck is happening, it all feels like a biography of katniss and Katniss Face. People fighting for their freedom, people dying, the world in ruins, snows ideals and thoughts, no! Lets see some sewers instead.

The narrative never really moves, is stale, and if you think about it, it seems there's nothing happening (it is happening, we just don't get to see it). There's a huge twist that i really enjoyed, and in the end that leads to a huge, very smart take on what has happened and is happening in the real world, something that has tons of potential but once again is shown in a very sublime way, but thats the thing, the film has tons of potential on political analysis, on tons of themes discussions, the narrative could have gone in so many great directions it's astounding, but what gets to appear on scream is all in the underlines and so sublime if you blink you wont see it. Tons of potential material wasted.

I get that the film had to be serious, but it doesn't have none of the charm of the first 2 films, and even when they attempt to show hope it is so grim it doesn't even look like hope. It went in an unexpected direction in the end, but i still enjoyed some things, now the ending itself, well i hated it. It is completely out of character for Katniss, and feels so forced, so out of place , its like they took an ending from another completely different film and attached it to this one.

As for production values, they are top notch, the visuals are great, the production design has little to do, the score is amazing but it doesn't get much to score either, the visual effects are great, even if we don't get to see many, and so on.

Overall there's some magic that makes you appreciate the film, and Jennifer Lawrence is a tour de force, she gives an unforgettable performance and makes you not take your eyes of the screen, even if the problem of the film is mainly the over focus on her characters perspective. The irony! But the film is a huge waste of potential, and instead of ending a franchise in an exciting, thoughtful, thrill ride, it ends in a dark, underdevelopment film, that is a completely different one that i would have expected (and most people i think).

P.S. My rating should be worse, but the love from previous installments speaks higher.