With the release of “The Hunger Games – Mockingjay Part 2,” franchise fans everywhere put three fingers to their lips and kissed the series goodbye. After four movies over the course of three and a half years, the series concluded with all loose ends tied up and no unanswered questions. Apart from some scenes that made the storyline a bit scattered, this movie had the best technical aspects of the series, which is what made it enjoyable.
The movie picks up almost right where the last one left off, with Katniss being examined by a doctor after Peeta attacks her. The rest of the movie depicts the heroine leading the rebellion against Panem’s dictator, President Snow. During this time, conflict arises from two sources: Snow’s sadistic retaliation and Peeta’s conflicting thoughts about Katniss.
The random excerpts of dialogue about Peeta’s thoughts on the rebellion, being brainwashed and his feelings about Katniss were the main reason the storyline was not fully satisfying. These conversations were forced into the movie during the most inconvenient times. Romantic discussions about love and life are nice; just not when characters decide to stop running away from chasing gunmen to have them.
Though talks of love in the midst of bullets and fire were distracting, at least it can be said that the fire itself was not distracting. This was the first “Hunger Games” installment in which the special effects were not noticeably fake. Whether it was when thick, black oil started pouring into a city center, or when people were attacked by eyeless, earless, gray, slimy creatures with sharp vampire-like teeth, the special effects were top-notch. All of the realistic-looking effects in this movie made up for the overly obvious fake effects in the last three.
What is lacking in the story’s structure is made up for in the technical aspects of the film, even during the credits. Jennifer Lawrence sings “Deep in the Meadow,” an acapella song that has not been sung since the first movie, when Katniss comforts Prim and when Rue dies. The song reminds audience members that the end of an era has come. Just like when it was sung in the first movie, it gives listeners a quiet, melodic comfort in the midst of that knowledge.
