Mocking Jay Part 2 is a dark movie. It was clear for a while that it was going to be, illuminated by the third books grim nature and the natural progression of stakes laid out by the previous three installments. Everybody knew how this was going to end, hell I didn't read the books and I knew how it was going to end, but endings are never easy and never unanimously loved; Hunger Games Mocking Jay Part 2 promises to deliver the conclusion the franchise deserves, but in doing so sacrifices the heart that cemented its predecessors foundation.
The plot to the anticipated finale is a simple one. The Districts once divided by the power hungry Capital and its president, Snow (Donald Sutherland), are coming together. The Capital's days are numbered. In one last lash against the rebels, and in particular Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) who serves as a reluctant yet confident figure head of the rebellion, Snow redesigns the capitol as a killzone of monsters and booby traps to punish each steps the rebels take forward. Katniss's goal is to get to the heart of the Capital, Snow's Estate, and finish the fight by putting the tyrant down for good.
Mocking Jay is a smart book and the franchise as a whole up to this point has been an educated one. I have shared nothing but praise for the last couple of movies, with the second movie, Catching Fire, being amongst my favorites of 2013. Unfortunately despite being the climax of the trilogy, Mocking Jay part 2 is lacking the heart that the Hunger Games has carried and, outside a few key scenes, is mainly driven by set pieces that keep the characters on their toes. Its no longer about Katniss just trying to survive and more about the Districts getting the justice they deserve. This shift of focus is critical for the film since it positions Katniss more like a pawn in the plot and less like a character in a story. My favorite moments in Mocking Jay Part 2 were ironically the scenes between Katniss and Peeta. These scenes were clearly only a side plot among the action considering how they don't even contribute to the overall climax of the film, yet they are the scenes that explore the most depth and internal conflict. The movie ends up focusing on a story it needs to tell rather then expanding or better incorporating the stories it could have told.
Another blaring fault with the movie is the ending, which I know is the main point of controversy in almost every reader. Personally I think the ending, or rather the idea of it, is brillant, however it was not correctly executed here as I suspect it was it wasn't correctly executed in the book. I had some big problems with how they depicted a couple of the key moments and there was defiantly a class and confusion as a result of poor editing and scripting. More of this topic maybe I elaborate at another date.
Mocking Jay Part 2 is good movie and its worth checking out just because of how good the movies before it were. It is most certainly the weakest of the bunch lacking the depth or heart that established earlier entires into my memory. There is so much to say about it but at the same time there also really isn't, it is what it is. I liked the experience, I appreciated the bump in action and tone but overall this movie just cant reach the highs the others hit seamlessly.
No comments:
Post a Comment