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.
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