The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2: Directed by Francis Lawrence, Starring: Jennifer Lawrence11/23/2015 I really didn’t want this franchise to flub the landing. I’m sixteen, which means that in the time that I have matured into a semi-intelligent, overly emotional, teenager The Hunger Games has been “THE TEEN FRANCHISE.” I remember seeing the first one in theatres. It was opening night, and the theatre was packed. I had to sit in the front row. I was 12-13 maybe, and back then I was absolutely astounded by the intensity of what was on screen… and now in hindsight the series didn’t really amount to anything. That doesn’t mean Mockingjay Part 2 is really all that bad. It’s well produced, well directed, there’s one great suspense scene, but the rest of it really does feel cashed in. I don’t blame the filmmakers though. I blame it on the story. The first hour and a half is an exciting, but empty run through a booby trapped capitol with Katniss, and a group of generic people running. Katniss is out to kill President Snow (A pretty good Donald Sutherland). Then the film takes a turn that is unexpected, but brings up the film’s main flaw. The Orwellian themes that crop up in this final act were always going to become a crutch for the film, and that really becomes a problem in sticking the landing. Jennifer Lawrence does fine work (as she always does), but the fact is the film is just too thin to really be effective. And that’s the main problem with everything that the film encounters. The film is just too thin. The action is exciting, and well produced but at this point why should we care? Katniss hasn’t really built up that much, and neither has Peeta...or Gale. They’ve been part of endearing stories, but those stories have been exciting because they were intense, not because they have characters that fully work. The first two films were such self contained, and tightly constructed films that this actually works, but Mockingjay 1 and 2 were just not there. The opening action scenes are actually really impressive with the booby traps playing out in scary, and intense ways. There’s one sequence in the sewers of the Capitol that is the closest thing to genuinely excellent filmmaking that the series have ever seen. It takes its time, and pays off spectacularly. However, that’s the only part that really does. The rest is certainly interesting, and blisteringly intense at times, but “spectacular” is not the word to be used for this finale. More like “admirable in its effort,” and mainly “good” because they had enough passionate filmmakers, and good actors (Julianne Moore is in this movie, so the acting can’t be all bad) to will it up to standards. I give Mockingjay Part 2 a 6.5 out of 10. REVIEW BY STEPHEN TRONICEK
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December 2017
CategoriesAuthorHello welcome to FilmAnalyst. My name is Stephen Tronicek, and I really like movies. This is a way to get my opinions out to people. Thank you for visiting. |