The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 finally arrives!

Movie:   The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2

Rating:  PG-13, 2 hours 16 minutes

Grade:   A-

In a Nutshell:    As Finnick (Sam Claflin) says, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 76^th Hunger Games!”

After 4 years and almost 9 hours of movie viewing, the concluding film in this popular action series is finally here!   This is a very sad and serious movie, but fans will feel an overall satisfaction with this last installment.  Jennifer Lawrence is fantastic, shining as always.  As Haymitch says, “I’ll say this for you Katniss, you don’t disappoint.”  She doesn’t. 

One thing that does is the reminder that Phillip Seymour Hoffman died while filming this final movie.  I always thought he was an excellent actor.  He will be missed. The rest of the cast is great too, offering a fond farewell.  Three cheers for Suzanne Collins for bringing us a thrilling book series that makes us think.

Be sure to watch Mockingjay Part 1, because this film picks up exactly where the last one left off.  

Uplifting Theme: 

·         Peeta explains, “There was no real life, because we didn’t have a choice.”  Free will has always been an important theme in all of these Hunger Game movies.

·         Do what’s right.

·         Revenge, justice, war, freedom, politics, revolution, loyalty, love

·         Which is worse: a clever, calculating, ruthless dictator you know or one you thought you knew?

Things I liked:

·         I absolutely love the last line of the movie.

·         While the book doesn’t mention it, the movie provides a touching moment when Effie and Haymitch kiss.  Viewers will have to decide if it was meant to be a romantic kiss or one that sweetly demonstrates their close bond over the years.  In fact, it was one of the better kisses in the movie.  Some of the other ones lacked some serious chemistry.

·         ADORABLE little blonde boy at the end.

·         I thought the idea and execution of the “pods” was super cool.

·         That black death water stuff was awesome.

·         SPOILER ALERT: President Snow’s subtle smile was perfect when he found out that Katniss had survived an attempt on her life.  He relishes the game.  Donald Sutherland does a great job ‘til the very end.

·         Pollux’s backpack looks like one of those roly poly bugs.  He sure is a sweet, brave character and well played by Elden Henson

·         It’s always good to see Julianne Moore, who plays President Alma Coin.

·         SPOILER ALERT:  Peeta brings Katniss a Primrose flower. So sweet.

·         I liked the “real or not real” conversations Peeta and Katniss have.
*  Jennifer Lawrence's nephew plays her son at the end of the movie.  He's a huge X-Men fan, although he tells her she's not a "real" X-Man.

Things I didn’t like:

·         The third part of the book series was unnecessarily broken into 2 movies.   Of course it’s all about making money.  The result is that these last two movies have a lot of slow moments in order to stretch out the source material.
      There wasn't a big, epic battle scene, but instead, a few minor skirmishes.

·         Very little humor. Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) and Effie (Elizabeth Banks) are much more subdued in this movie, whereas in former films, we could count on them for some comic relief.

·         I wish we could have seen more of Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman.  Thankfully, they gave more screen time to Elizabeth Banks than was originally written for her in the book.

·         Weird Tigress character.  Then again, she represents the extravagance of the Capitol.

Interesting lines:

·         “What’s going on in your head? – Gale (the handsome Liam Hemsworth)

“I don’t know. – Katniss

“It’s like kissing someone who’s drunk…it doesn’t count.”  - Gale

·         “It’s war Katniss.  Sometimes killing isn’t personal.  I would have thought out of all people, you’d know that.” – Gale

“I know it’s always personal.” – Katniss

·         “What about you, Mockingjay?  Feeling safe?” – Johanna  (Jena Malone)

“Til I got shot.” -  Katniss

·         Are you still trying to protect me?  Real or not real?” – Peeta (Josh Hutcherson)

“Real.  Because that’s what you and I do: keep each other alive.” - Katniss

Tips for Parents:

·         Blood, LOTS of violence with a high body count, and a lot of fire and explosions.

·         SPOILER ALERT: Several good characters die, which is sad, but especially traumatic are the deaths of children in one particular scene.

·         SPOILER ALERT:  There is a scary scene when Katniss and her comrades go underground and these creepy creatures attack them.  They're kind of like mutant, white zombies with no eyes and razor sharp teeth.  Super creepy.  I kinda wanted a closer look at them, but they were moving really fast.

Hunger Games: Catching Fire now out on DVD!

If you’re a Hunger Games fan, then you’ve probably already seen this, but if you haven’t, it’s now in stores on DVD for rental or purchase!

Movie Title:  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Grade: A

In a Nutshell:  This movie franchise has all the odds ever in its favor.  The gritty books are best-sellers and the intense films don’t disappoint.  The special effects are great and you really find yourself enveloped in the dark world of these compelling characters.  The games feel familiar from the first movie, but they take on some new twists that engage your sensibilities and heart.  As Haymitch Abernathy states “Last year was child’s play; this year you’re dealing with all experienced killers.” The fans and the smart storyline mature with this second movie in the successful trilogy.

President Snow announces “On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors.”  And then it begins.

Uplifting theme: 

• I liked the speech Peeta gave in District 11: “Our lives aren’t measured in years, but in the lives we touch and touch us around us.”
• “We don’t need to destroy her – just her image.  Sew fear.  It doesn’t work as long as they have hope” counsels Plutarch Heavensbee.  Hope is a very powerful thing.  When you’ve lost everything, hope is everything.  Primrose tells her sister that she notices something different about her world now.  Katniss asks “What can you see?”  Her answer:  “Hope.”  Katniss becomes the mockingjay herself, the image of a new hope to her people.
• The grim violence is physical AND emotional, deepening the layers of imprisonment and drama. 
• There is a weighty theme of cultural and personal revolution that could begin an interesting dinner table conversation in your home.
• Simply surviving is not the end-game, but creating a meaningful life that blesses those around you is.  Primrose Everdeen says to her sister “You saved my life.  You gave me a chance.”  Katniss confirms “Yes, to live.” Primrose corrects “No, to do something.”

Things I liked:

• I loved the FANTASTIC wedding dress-turned mocking jay gown visual effects!
• The cast is terrific: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, and Woody Harrelson.  Philip Seymour Hoffman was a national treasure and will be missed.
• The “lethal lovers” Katniss and Peeta twist their lives together in a new way that may become a new prison of sorts, even if they’re able to pull it off.

Things I didn’t like:

• I thought the yucky blisters caused by the fog were pretty gross.  I definitely felt relief when they were able to wash away the pain in the water
• The film is almost 2 ½ hours long, but ends abruptly.  Dang it!  Thankfully, we won’t have to wait too long to watch the rest of the story.  The third movie installment in the trilogy is expected to release on the big screen November 21, 2014.   Like the Harry Potter franchise, the final part of the story is going to be split into two movies: Mockingjay 1 and 2.  The very last movie will hit theaters November 10, 2015.
• Love triangles are a bit tired.

Interesting lines:

• “That’s how the friend thing works…you have to tell each other deep stuff.”
• President Snow: While you and Peeta are on tour, you need to smile, you need to be grateful, but above all, you need to madly end it all in love. You think you can manage that?
• Katniss Everdeen: Yes.
• President Snow: "Yes" what?
• Katniss Everdeen: I'll convince them.
• President Snow: No. Convince me.
• “Don’t look so cute.  We’ll kill you anyways.”  - Johanna Mason
• “Say good-bye and forget them.  I do my best, thinking of them one by one, releasing them like birds from the protective cages inside me, locking the doors against their return.”  - Katniss Everdeen
• “No wonder I won the Games.  No decent person ever does.” – Katniss Everdeen

Things to look for:

• You only seem them for a few seconds, but I adore Effie’s super cute gloves at the party on the last night of their tour.
• Effie’s outfits in this movie are fantastic.  Look at the details on her butterfly outfit.
• Katniss hangs the model of Seneca Crane in an act of defiance during the judging. 
• Did you know a spile, the tool Katniss uses to get water out of a tree, really works?  It’s used to get sap out of sugar maple trees to produce maple syrup.
You can learn more about Tap My Tree Maple Spile and Hook
• Did you know that Effie’s last name is Trinket?  So appropriate, don’t you think?  I love that her character deepens in this installment in the story.

Tips for parents:

There is some violence (mostly bloodless) and a cold-faced attitude of murder that should begin an honest discussion of humanity in your family. There is some profanity, but the Capitol itself bleeps out two F-bombs.

If you missed the first one and need to catch up, here are some links to the books and movies: