by Jon Partridge
The Hunger Games has been a box office phenomenon taking more than $2 billion with the release of the past 3 films in the series. The last installment, Mockingjay Part 1, was the result of a controversial split of the books’ final entry. This first segment looked at the prelude to war, the buildup, plans, and most prominently the use of propaganda that can be used to sway opinion and support, largely through the totem and titular “Mockingjay” Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence). The release of Part 2, now on home video, promised a plunge into the action as well as the closeout to the series.
Mockingjay Part 2 picks up immediately where the first left off. Katniss, recovering from her brutal assault by the brainwashed Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) is determined to join the assault on District 2, the home to much of Panem’s defensive arsenal. With the rallying of resistance troops they finally break through, leaving an assault on the Capitol possible. As they advance they find that President Snow (Donald Sutherland) has instructed the Gamemakers to turn the outer edges of the city into the equivalent of a Hunger Games arena. Katniss and her team fight their way through the dangers as she focuses on her intent to assassinate Snow and end the war while President Coin (Julianne Moore) presses her advantage, seemingly having plans for the fate of Panem as well as Katniss herself.
The final outing is certainly more of a war film than its lead-in, throwing the characters into the midst of the rebellion. The opening provides a personal emotional wallop to Katniss as a small prelude to battle. It’s dark, not just in aesthetics (grey being the predominant color) but also in mood. While the film feels bigger in scale there is a hollowness to them, a sparse quality. The perpetual danger and political machinations that infused Catching Fire are fleeting here. It’s only when the final act kicks in that you feel larger stakes at play. The majority of the film is spent with a small band of fighters traipsing through the Capitol, avoiding traps (“PODs”) with the intent of eliminating President Snow. Another rehash of the Hunger Games theme. This is the fundamental issue with the film: a repetitious structure. Talk a bit, go into battle, fight a bit, Katniss gets injured, recovers a bit, then the cycle repeats. This happens no less than 3 times in the film. Granted there are some great moments scattered within these cycles but they are insufficient to sustain the film.
Compounding things is an issue with pace. The beginning feels like it wallows a little too much in the Peeta/Katniss relationship. While towards the end, where much of the more gripping content occurs, it feels somewhat rushed. This is likely an imbalance stemming from splitting the film in two, which also makes the fleeting appearance of established characters such as Effie (Elizabeth Banks), Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman, so… understandable), Beetee (Jeffrey Wright), Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) and Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) all the more noticeable. It’s an oddly unbalanced affair, hitting the marks it needs to but just feeling off; stretched too thin. We also get a tacked on “happy” ending that felt no less egregious in the book. While it does acquiesce to the long term scarring of warfare and work in a bittersweet ending, it still feels jarring by its inclusion.
Director Francis Lawrence does well in parts to build a film that conveys the horrors of war despite the film’s rating and lack of bloodshed. While hamstrung by the structure of these concluding films, he acquits himself well overall, particularly with a sewer-set sequence that is genuinely thrilling. Sadly its inclusion only serves to highlight how bereft the rest of the movie is of such tension and pace. For the most part it feels somber and brutal, more tangible than anything else that has come in the wake of the franchise. I’m looking at you Maze Runner and Divergent. While there is minimal bloodshed, there are fleeting moments of unsettling cruelty, deaths of known and unknown cast members, a hammering home of how senseless war is (A scene towards the end showing civilian casualties being particularly startling). The film shows a spark here and there but overall lacks the fire that the Mockingjay is supposed to incite.
Jennifer Lawrence continues to excel and captivate onscreen. She is the center of this film and it is to her credit that with so much riding on her she delivers. In Katniss she has helped craft a very modern and singular feminine hero. If The Hunger Games has one legacy it is that it gave us a female lead with emotion married to intelligence, passion paired with wisdom, and elevated her above overt sexualization. Here it’s the boys left with the forlorn glances and pouts. In addition, the franchise has gradually built up an impressive core of supporting female actors. Julianne Moore provides a chilly counter to the mustache twirling Donald Sutherland and is backed up by Patina Miller as Commander Paylor, Natalie Dormer makes good use of expanded screentime as Cressida, Jena Malone is a fantastic unhinged presence, the addition of Michelle Forbes to any cast is always welcome, and a blink and you’ll miss it role for Gwendolyn Christie (Captain Brienne ‘the Beauty’ Phasma herself). The usually hunky male actors take a back seat, brooders rather than doers. It’s refreshing and reassuring that such a changeup is becoming more common and frequently accompanied by box office success.
THE PACKAGEThe visuals of the film are dominated by grey hues, occasional pops of color from flashes of action or the denizens of the Capitol. The transfer is pristine, sharp detail, deep blacks, no artifacts. The crumbling ruins of our future society have never looked so well defined.
Special features run a cumulative total of over 5 hours. There’s an interesting audio commentary with Director Francis Lawrence and Producer Nina Jacobson who touch on making the film and aspects of splitting the final chapter in two. The Hunger Games: A Photographic Journey presents a gallery of behind the scenes shots and film stills, Cinna’s Sketchbook: Secrets of the Mockingjay Armor is a detailed look at costume design while Panem on Display: The Hunger Games: The Exhibition looks at the display that toured the country offering fans the opportunity to see props, costumes and other items from the film. The most notable feature is Pawns No More: Making The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2. A documentary split into eight chapters; Walking Through Fire (Concluding the Saga), Real or Not Real (Visual Design), High-Value Targets (The Acting Ensemble), From Head to Toe (Costume, Make-up & Hair), Navigating the Minefield (Production in Atlanta, Paris & Berlin), Collateral Damage (Stunts, Special Effects & Weapons), Tightening the Noose (The Post-Production Process and finally A Different World (Reflections). The titles are self-explanatory while the content is pretty insightful. An effort seems to have been made during production to capture the film making process. Overall, a well stuffed release capped off with a UV digital copy.
THE BOTTOM LINEMockingjay Part 2 is a sporadic conclusion to the Hunger Games saga. A film that embraces the dark side of war and champions the difference one person can make. But due to pacing and structure issues, the film loses much of the impact it strives for. The highlight, of course, is Lawrence, a captivating presence even when the film was not. Fans of the series will find plenty to appreciate in a Blu-ray release that packs in plenty of extra content.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2 is released on Blu-ray and DVD on March 22nd.