I got the chance to view the film adaptation of Mockingjay: Part 2 last Saturday, which is based on Suzanne Collins’ Young Adult dystopian novel.
Just a quick recap: the first half of this two-part finale revolved around producing propaganda with Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) as the face of the revolution. With the Capitol taking some of the past Victors of the Hunger Games as prisoners including Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), the emotional and political tensions within and between the districts grew, leaving the burden of uniting them on Katniss’ shoulders. The movie ended with President Snow (Donald Sutherland) allowing the opposing forces to rescue the Victors from the Capitol, only for them to find Peeta unable to distinguish fact from fiction, turning him into a weapon against the Mockingjay herself (phew, talk about a lot of feels)!
With that out of the way, here are some reasons why you should check out the 2nd part of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay finale:
Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Watch the Epic Mockingjay: Part 2
5. The movie is much better than the books.
This line is a sin if you’re someone who loves reading. And yes, I am one of those “purists” when it comes to books-turned-movies, but I must say that all The Hunger Games movies are much better than the books. I personally find Mockingjay (the book) the weakest among the trilogy, but Francis Lawrence (director), while staying true to the novel, allowed both readers and non-readers of the book understand the dynamics of the “rebellion” smoothly without over-explaining unecessary details.
4. The lack of character development wasn’t a bad thing.
It’s typical to expect good character development, especially in finales, right? Well, Mockingjay didn’t have much of it, but it didn’t pose a problem. In the first THG movie, Peeta said that he “didn’t want the games to change [him].” Well, true to its message, most of the characters remained as they are.
Examples would be President Snow remaining as smug and cunning until the very end, Peeta being vulnerable and sentimental, and Katniss being headstrong and a bit misanthropic. However, all of this helped establish a strong conclusion to the somehow dark theme of the entire series.
3. The supporting characters gave life to some of the “okay” parts of the movie.
Every movie has its own flaws. Mockingjay may have its “where’s the action” moments, but as mentioned in #3, even the charm of the supporting characters were retained despite the grim turn of events starting from Catching Fire.
Johanna Mason (Jena Malone), for one, did not have a lot of screen time, but the anger and the sassiness of her character resonated in every scene she was in.
Even Gale (Liam Hemsworth), whom I resented ever since the first movie for the lack of emotion and conviction that made book-Gale an admirable character, gave a decent performance, especially in the last few moments of the movie.
Plus, Finnick Odair. Enough said.
2. Every scene with Katniss and Peeta is emotionally harrowing.
Goosebumps. Yes. That’s right. Every single scene between The Girl on Fire and The Boy With the Bread sent me on an emotional rollercoaster because of JLaw and Josh Hutcherson’s performances.
As mentioned in my recap earlier, Peeta had been ‘hijacked’ by the Capitol, with his memories of Katniss replaced, so that he sees her as a threat instead. This causes tension and hostility between the two characters, whether it be a dramatic confrontation or a ‘behind-the-glass’ observation. Whether you’ve read the books or not, both actors reflected the internal agony of their characters, truly taking you on a crazy emotional rollercoaster with every encounter.
1. It’s an epic way to end the movie franchise.
A combination of drama, action and socio-poilitical themes, the intensity that the past three movies built up was given justice by this last instalment. It didn’t end like a fairytale where everything was forgotten and forgiven. It clearly showed that each character still carried their burdens from the Games and the rebellion even long after everything else was over. It wasn’t an ‘all is well’ kind of ending but more of a realistic ‘the pain never really leaves but we move on’ sort of feel which will leave you with all sorts of emotions even as the credits roll.
All in all, I can say that it’s bittersweet that The Hunger Games series has ended. If you loved the first 3 parts, then Mockingjay Part 2 will give you the finale that you craved for.
(All photos are from Lionsgate Productions)
Special thanks to our friends from PMCM Events and Resorts World Manila for making this possible.
Watch The Official Trailer Here
Media friends and ticket winners witnessed the emotional and thrilling blockbuster starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland, Willow Shields, Paula Malcomson, and Stanley Tucci.
Before and after the cozy viewing experience inside Newport Cinema 2, everyone got to take home prizes and tokens from Em-Core Dot Net, Kambal Pandesal, Sunkist, Cocoline, Asian Secrets, Aquabest, Yoshinoya and more!
Have you watched The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 yet? Let us know in the comments below!
