The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2

I got exactly what I’d wanted to get from the last installment of Hunger Games. And you can add to it the fact that it’s most likely the roughest episode. I felt almost sorry that the entire story is meant for teenagers, so I wouldn’t get to see torn-up bodies or guts spilled all over the battlefield. This installment was literally asking for it. But I must admit that it’s pretty much made up for by the ending. Nevertheless, same as with all the previous installments, this one also has a problem with length, meaning mainly the first twenty minutes. During those I got to experience once again how easily twenty minutes can turn into a really long time. These twenty minutes loaded with facts are followed by the last Hunger Game and with it a succession of thrilling scenes that I really enjoyed. So, in conclusion, I’d like to add that within these young adult stories, Hunger Games is the best. Great soundtrack, amazing actors and if some of the parts weren’t so pointlessly long, I would have no problem giving it a five-star review. (11/26/2015)

The final part of the book trilogy and the film tetralogy wasn’t all that different from the previous installment, so I got a huge dose of grandiose speechifying, and I wasn’t spared the inevitable clichés, melodrama, and the cat of course. What surprised me was the ending, though. I was expecting a postapocalyptic-fairytale finale, but the conclusion to the story was downright biblical. A man and a woman..... A pair of teenagers lie down in bed, tell each other they love each other, and wake up the next day as parents of two children, one of whom is obviously of Chinese descent. Mary with her immaculate conception can't match that. But back to the film. Once again, the filmmakers used tried and tested techniques to create a pompous CGI spectacle and a story whose logic is so flimsy that entire city blocks slip through its cracks. At the same time, they were unable to build up an atmosphere that would have any kind of effect on me, which is why I found the whole thing oddly lifeless to the point of boring. I didn't care what happened to any of the characters, and when some of the characters met their tragic fate, I didn't really feel anything. The film simply felt empty and unimpressive. I was just two hours of nothing. And to think how hard Donald Sutherland was trying... / Lesson learned: Are you fighting for great ideals? Prepare to be disappointed. (09/11/2022)

Unfortunately, the Hunger Games series, with the exception of the second installment, is just a mediocre teen saga for me. For the first hour almost nothing happens, but as soon as the first traps arrive on the scene we are thrust into an aggressive whirlpool that paces solidly, but after forty minutes it runs out of breath again and for the last twenty minutes I was eagerly waiting for the end credits, wiggling, squirming, falling off my seat and choking on popcorn. The film has an overly intellectual look to it, one that doesn't fit at all, there are horribly long and slow shots, dreamy and emotional looks from everyone involved, it really made me sick. At least the very good scene with the mutants is worth praising, it lasts about ten minutes, has an excellent jump scare and dares to compete with most horror films in terms of atmosphere. The "finale" is rather quieter, but with a fine drum score. For a final part, there is little action and drama and too much uninteresting intellectual bullshit. I don't recommend 3D. 60%. (11/19/2015)

Even though I left the movie theater disappointed because I still think the film lacked suitable progression and only aimed for effect with some scenes (this was very positively achieved in the underground scene, in its most dramatic part), I do think the socially critical themes are accentuated well here, and it's possible to ponder over the film. In the end, the romance ends a bit foolishly and without the necessary punch, but it's bearable. (11/19/2015)

Even as I was awestruck watching how Danny Strong and Peter Craig adapted the dragging first half of my least favorite book into the best of the films, I knew that their final arrow, like Katniss, would hit the target perfectly. Fortunately, I was not mistaken, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 became my favorite Hunger Games adaptation in the most obvious way. It is mainly because of the brilliant gradation, which transitions from depressing dialogue and a gloomy atmosphere to intense battles, painful losses – and even more depressing dialogue. Two climax scenes (the sewer and the march to the palace) had me on the edge of my seat so much that I found myself holding my breath at times, despite knowing all the twists. And that's exactly what Mockingjay is about. It's about an ending that fulfills the most tragically imaginable irony, about heroes who are irreversibly marked and worth rooting for until the very last second. But first and foremost, Hunger Games is the story of a Girl on Fire, whose destiny and determination can be a metaphor, a prototype, a warning, and everything else imaginable. Even if only to ensure that none of us ever have to stand in her place. (11/22/2015)