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Critics Consensus: With the unflinchingly grim Mockingjay Part 2, The Hunger Games comes to an exciting, poignant, and overall satisfying conclusion.
Critic Consensus: With the unflinchingly grim Mockingjay Part 2, The Hunger Games comes to an exciting, poignant, and overall satisfying conclusion.
All Critics (273) | Top Critics (44) | Fresh (192) | Rotten (81) | DVD (1)
A movie that is too silly to be so somber, and too somber to be much fun.
The Hunger Games, which kicked off in a blaze of guts 'n' glory in 2012, ends now with a sad whimper, along with a lot of big bangs signifying nothing.
Director Francis Lawrence stages the action sequences... with a modicum of flair, and Julianne Moore as rebel leader Coin gives off some sparks, but for the most part there is nothing divertingly new or different about this franchise fade-out.
After the forced histrionics of Part 1, it's nice to see star Jennifer Lawrence being allowed to quiet down and act again. But the story still feels stretched, a countdown that slows as it approaches zero hour.
This revenge plot animates Mockingjay Part 2 with a satisfying rage.
Explosive, mostly true to the text, complex and chock full of action, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2" should more than satisfy the franchise's many fans.
Jennifer Lawrence is the reason the series, and "Mockingjay Part 2" ultimately works, building to a crowd-pleasing conclusion that wraps everything up quite nicely.
Now, with the conclusive The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, ardent and casual fans of this imaginative and charged film franchise will get a chance to soak in the cinematic experience that has carried them through this durable trilogy.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 is a movie less than the sum of its parts, mainly because most of its parts were used to make the previous movie.
It still doesn't surpass Catching Fire as the high point of the franchise, but it is a noble effort.
Just this once, we'll agree to forgive the fact that we had to buy four movie tickets to see three films.
Necessarily dark and disturbing.
It starts off well enough. Battered and bruised Katniss is examined after Peeta's trackerjacked attack. JLaw flinches ever so slightly as the doctor gently presses her collarbone to assess the damage. Her eyes are darty and untrusting, and when she tries to speak, we can tell her spirit is as broken and raspy as her voice. That's pretty much the best part. The rest, as predicted from the 2-film split, is Lord of the Rings-style slow, building to the rushed climax of Gale's betrayal, which I don't think people who haven't read the books would fully get. Then of course, long-suffering Peeta's PTSD rehabilitation with the "Real or Not Real" game is hardly touched upon, and the flashforward epilogue is too shiny and pat. And did anyone else think that baby's head was ridiculously huge?
Super Reviewer
It's arguably the weakest of the four films, and certainly overlong (this film could have been 30-40 minutes shorter). However, The Hunger Games series in total accomplishes what no other YA franchise has been able to do: combine excellent acting with timely and smart commentary on the nature of politics, war, and media. So, despite its flaws, Mockingjay Part II is a continuation of the franchise's sleek, intelligent filmmaking. In addition, the film features stunning art direction and well-choreographed action sequences.
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Review: Let me preface this by saying that not everyone is going to like this film. In fact it will be so divisive that you'll either outright hate it or like it. I'm also in the camp that disliked aspects of the book, so going into this film I was feeling very hesitant to seeing the scenes I hated played out. However, under the assured direction of Francis Lawrence, the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 transcends its source material in every way possible. The movie is hauntingly grim throughout, and hope is sparse- as it should be! This movie doesn't aim to gloss over the effects of war or PTSD, it tackles them head on, unflinching, which can be hard for an audience member to take in. This movie will make you feel whether you want to or not- it will not let you stay pedestrian as it demands a reaction to what you're viewing. A lot of credit also has to be given to Jennifer Lawrence, who's nuanced and at times passive reactions to the events around her are so perfectly fit for this dystopian world. There is a scene towards the end of the film, that is so heartbreaking and Lawrence commits her all into the scene, truly encapsulating the grief of loss. Josh Hutcherson also shines in this final instalment, giving a real depth to Peeta during his period of recovery. The other noteworthy performance comes from Donald Sutherland as President Snow. This film isn't perfect and there are many flaws (especially with pacing), and an argument can be made to splitting the movies into two parts (it still would of worked in one film) but I'm willing to overlook the flaws in this movie, through the way it spoke to me, and at the moment it's a touching piece of commentary of the ongoing conflicts around the world. I'm giving this final part a perfect score- does it fully deserve it? No, most probably not. But if I didn't give it a perfect score, I would be being disingenuous to myself. 4.5/5
Katniss and crew continue their coup against the Capitol. The final installment of the series is much tighter than its predecessor, which had too few plot events to make a complete film. While there are a few moments that ham-handedly renew old plotlines, most of the film trudges to its inevitable conclusion. The love triangle, as hackneyed as it is, has more charm in the book, but this may be because Jennifer Lawrence has only cursory chemistry with her two male costars. Gale's transition is mysterious in both mediums. So here ends another franchise - until they try to reboot it - and it's a fine conclusion. Overall, the final film is solid compared with the ups and downs of the rest of the franchise.
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