'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2' Review

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 is the final film in The Hunger Games franchise and picks up right where the first part ends and doesn't waste any time jumping into the action. Francis Lawrence really demonstrates how much he's grown as a director over the course of his tenure directing the Hunger Games films. His growth with the franchise also gives him the opportunity to quickly progress with the story instead of dragging along with exposition, which was an issue of Mockingjay Part 1. He does a great job of balancing the exposition and action, ensuring too much weight is given to either and really creates what I consider to be the best film in the franchise. I do think it would work better as a companion to The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 and best if both parts were combined for a slightly longer film. Unfortunately the entire film feels like the second half of a film, which it essentially is, rather than a complete film. Once again as per usual with the franchise Lawrence, the visual effects team, the production design team, and the costuming department do a terrific job of encapsulating this dystopian war torn future. The action in the film was particularly enjoyable which is mainly composed of Katniss and the rebels slowly progressing through the Capitol, only to find several death traps lain out by the remaining Gamemakers. Once again the acting talent is at the top of their game. Jennifer Lawrence is phenomenal in the role as she has proved since the beginning of this franchise and is given a chance to dive into the more complex psyche of Katniss. Josh Hutcherson really is given the opportunity to shine with complications that arose at the end of the last film regarding his character and that provides for some interesting subplots. Liam Hemsworth is somewhat bland returning as Gale with nothing particularly interesting regarding his character this time around. However, the love triangle that has been an integral part of the franchise finally pays off in this film as it has been an aspect of the franchise that I always found to be somewhat annoying and unnecessary. The love triangle becomes significantly more interesting as it becomes more and more complicated by events in the film. (To avoid spoilers in this review I won't be discussing these specific plot points.) However one little nitpick I have with the film is the lack of effort to make up for the relationship between Katniss and Prim that never felt like much of a presence in the films although it's a crucial part of the books. A major turning point in the film sees something occurs to Prim but there isn't enough substance between the her and Katniss for it to have any significant emotional meaning. The remainder of the supporting cast each are given slightly reduced roles but really add to the film when present. Woody Harelson once again perfectly embodies the grouchy Haymitch, Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket returns eccentric as ever, Jenna Malone is particularly enjoyable as the snarky Johanna Mason. Phillip Seymour Hoffman returns as Plutarch, which surprised me due to his untimely passing during production of the film and was only able to shoot a small portion of the scenes however he was still appropriately given a presence in the film. Donald Sutherland once again perfectly the malevolent autocratic ruler as President Snow and every moment he is onscreen is a delight, especially the scenes he shares with Jennifer Lawrence as opposed to the other side of the coin (no pun intended) where Julianne Moore as President Coin is cold and calculating allowing for a wide range amongst the older cast. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 made for a satisfying conclusion to the franchise  but unfortunately doesn't quite work as a standalone film. I have also recently reviewed the previous Hunger Games films so feel free to check out my reviews on those films by clicking on the corresponding hyperlinks: The Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1. 

Film Assessment: B+

Throwback Thursday Review: 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire'

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the second installment in 'The Hunger Games' franchise and as of now the only Hunger Games film currently released which I haven't reviewed. I will review The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 within the next few days after I see the film which will be the conclusion to my Hunger Games series and my final Hunger Games review. If you would like to read my other reviews on the Hunger Games films they are as follows The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1. My next Throwback Thursday Reviews will be over Rocky and Up due to the release of both Creed and The Good Dinosaur next week. Then I will pick up and do Throwback Thursday Reviews over The Original Trilogy for Star Wars in further preparation for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. 

'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' Review

Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a huge improvement over The Hunger Games and it seems that this film had a much larger budget as the camera work and cinematography seems much more polished and refined as opposed to it's predecessor. I was very relieved the first time I saw the film two years ago that there was practically no shaky cam, which is my largest problem with the first installment. Hunger Games: Catching Fire also is directed by Francis Lawrence, who directs the rest of the franchise's film adaptations, and I really liked his take on the novel and felt he did a terrific job bringing all the Districts to the screen, giving them a slightly new fresh take on the dystopian future and I really liked how the film centers around the theme of rebellion and revolution which is the central theme of the entire series as a whole but this film shows the beginnings of this rebellion and I really like how this film's narrative helps stitch the franchise all together as a bridge piece between the first film and last film, which is split into two parts. The film begins where the last one left off with Peeta and Katniss going on a victory tour of all of the districts which allows Francis Lawrence and the production design crew the opportunity to create the aesthetic for the Districts onscreen. The film then manages to differentiate itself from the first with a twist for the 75th annual Hunger Games that the Hunger Games will consist of previous victors raising the stakes in the arena since all of the characters are the cream of the crop since they've won previous Hunger games. This helps to prevent it from being a rehash of the first one by making things a little bit more interesting. The only weakness of the film's narrative for me is the love triangle with Gale, Peeta, and Katniss. I have read the books so I understand that this is a crucial part of the series but it just seems odd to me that she's constantly switching between the two in regards to who she loves more, etc. The love triangle parts of the film somewhat drag but the action in the arena during the second half of the film makes up for it.
One aspect I really liked about this film was the new arena itself as I always found it to be ingenious that it functions like a clock with a new threat each hour contained to a specific segment of the arena representing an hour on the clock. I really enjoyed all of the exhilarating action that takes place in the arena as it's refreshing for the franchise as the action maintains the excitement of the film. This film once again boasts some terrific performances along with a few new additions.Jennifer Lawrence once again shines in the film and is phenomenal every moment she is onscreen. Jennifer Lawrence is given further complexity to dive into Katniss' character with PTSD as the events from the first film are haunting her, as well as her inner conflict due to her love triangle, along with some great emotional scenes. Josh Hutcherson is once again serviceable as Peeta and Liam Hemsworth is given a much more significant role in this film since he is a part of the love triangle and really does quite well as Gale. Woody Harrelson as Haymitch and Lenny Kravitz as Cinna both are given much more prevalent roles for the franchise and both are terrific every moment they are onscreen. One of the new additions Sam Claflin seemed to fit perfectly in the role of Finnick Odair and I think he would have been a great casting choice for Aquaman in the DC's cinematic universe however they have already cast Jason Mamoa in the role. I enjoyed the complexity of Finnick's character as Katniss was unsure if she could trust him and I enjoy his role in the franchise. Philip Seymour Hoffman is another new addition for the franchise portraying Plutarch Heavensbee, the new game maker to replace the now dead Seneca Crane (the game maker from the first film) and Hoffman is phenomenal bringing a seriousness with him onscreen and was very effective in the film in his complex role. Donald Sutherland is finally able to become more than just a nefarious presence but is able to psychologically threaten and torture Katniss by manipulating the events of the Games changing the rules and really begins to step further into his villainous role. The supporting cast are once again each very effective with Stanley Tucci as the eccentric Cesar Flickerman, Elizabeth Banks as the pompous Effie Trinket adding quite a bit of humor and brightness to the film. Overall, I was very impressed by Hunger Games: Catching Fire and currently Hunger Games: Catching Fire is both my favorite book and film in the series and we will have to see if that remains true after I see The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2.

Film Assessment: A-

Throwback Thursday Review: 'The Hunger Games'

The Hunger Games is the first in the popular Hunger Games film franchise based off of novels of the same name. Given that The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, the final film in the Hunger Games franchise, will be released next week I thought I'd go back and review it's predecessors. This week I'm reviewing The Hunger Games and next week will review The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and if I have time will go back and modify my review on The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part One after rewatching it because it was one of my older reviews that didn't go to in-depth and I will add a Film Assessment to that review. I would like to make it a habit that when I re-watch a film that I reviewed a while back before I added the Film Assessment rating, I will go back and at least add that to the review or possibly modify the score if the film doesn't hold up to repeated viewings. 

'The Hunger Games' Review

Gary Ross does a phenomenal job of weaving the cinematography, costuming, production design and visual effects all together to help visualize this dystopian future described in the young adult novel series. Ross and the design teams also do particularly well juxtaposing the different environments of the bleak, dismal District 12 with the lively, bustling Capitol which is a brilliant piece of social commentary. The Arena is also given it's own atmosphere and I like how the film helps place the audience in the character's eyes as once they enter the arena there is a genuine sense of confusion as it feels as though the audience is thrust into the games. However there is a huge blaring problem as soon as the Games begin there is an extensive overuse of shaky cam. I found this to be quite annoying and really distracting to the film and it's probably my largest issue with The Hunger Games. I'm unsure if the filmmakers were trying to create a sense of confusion but the shaky cam just didn't quite work for me. I believe shaky cam can some times help to elevate a film if used correctly but this is not the case as it's used in almost every scene shot in the arena and there are moments where I wonder if they even had  tripod on set while shooting this film. Despite the annoyance of the shaky cam, several of my favorite moments take place in the arena. I liked seeing the tributes utilize basic survival skills, and one scene between Rue and Katniss is just heartbreaking, I won't dive into spoiler territory though as it's a very impactful moment and I wouldn't want that scene to be ruined for anyone prior to viewing the film. The performances across the board aren't too impressive, but there are a few diamonds in the rough figuratively. The true star is Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, the film's lead, and fits perfectly into the role of the tough yet humble heroine. A majority of the scenes that transferred perfectly from the page to the screen were the scenes that focused on Katniss. In particular, the scene in which Katniss volunteers as tribute to save her sister is very emotionally moving and perfectly encapsulated the moment as it registered in my mind whilst reading the book. Other scenes that featured Katniss that just felt cohesive to the film's narrative with Lawrence's performance and maintaining pinpoint accuracy to the way these events unraveled in the book ranged from the scene where Katniss is being evaluated by the and she chooses to fire an arrow into the viewing area to catch their attention showing just how courageous Katniss is to the simple moment when Katniss is being interviewed by Cesar Flickerman and twirls in her dress to have the skirt become engulfed in small flames that earns her the nickname "The girl on fire".
Josh Hutchinson plays Peeta, the other tribute from District 12 and doesn't really bring anything special to the role but is certainly serviceable as the nice sensitive guy who is one of Katniss' love interests, the other being Liam Hemsworth is very underused in the role of Gale with very little screen time but he also doesn't booster too much acting prowess. One actress I was very impressed with was Amanda Stenberg, the child actress who portrayed Rue, as her character has one of the most pivotal emotional core moments in the entire film and the young actress nails it really "hitting the audience in the feels". The main supporting cast consisting of Stanley Tucci as the flamboyant Cesar Flickerman, Elizabeth Banks as the pretentious Effie Trinket, Woody Harrelson as the laid-back mentor Haymitch, and Lenny Kravitz as Katniss' stylist Cinna. Each of which fit quite well in their respective roles and really bring out the exaggerated characteristics of their characters which helps keep the film more interesting in the dialogue heavy scenes. In regards to villains, Wes Bentley is a very sly and smooth as the Gamemaker, Seneca, who designs the Arena and manipulates the situations inside the Hunger Games and Donald Sutherland has a very malevolent presences as the autocratic ruler of Panem, President Snow. Both actors wear out their villainous roles like a glove adding to the bleak dystopian atmosphere when present. Having read all of the books I can say that the film is very faithful to the source material and has fantastic world building onscreen that helps to place the audience in this dystopian future and feel as though they are truly watching the events of the book occur. Overall, the film is quite entertaining with a stellar lead in Jennifer Lawrence, a solid supporting cast, an intriguing narrative and riveting action despite the annoyance of the shaky cam. In spite of all of these elements that are well crafted together I personally prefer the book. If you have yet to see The Hunger Games I strongly recommend you watch it, especially if you have any interest in the book series.

Film Assessment: C+

'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1' Review

I went to go see the The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One today and I thought it was a good film. It was accurate to the book but I didn't feel that it was necessary to split the book into two movies. However the depiction of District 13 was perfect and exactly how I imagined it while reading the novel. The acting performances are great especially from Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, and Donald Sutherland. There was a few jokes in the film which surprised me because humor wasn't really present in the previous films. There is little action in the film though, which is due to the film being split into two parts so the main interesting aspect of the film was the use of propaganda to promote a cause. It was really cool to see the impact of the propaganda on the districts! Overall, it's a great film but there is little action in this instalment despite the franchise being action related. I recommend you see it if you read the books or saw the previous films.

Film Assessment: C