First and foremost, I am a big "Hunger Games," fan. I gobbled all the books, I've loved all the movies, I made my dad and my husband read the books. You don't have to convince me. I enjoyed "Mockingjay: Part 2." I have felt that the movies have all been fairly close to the books though I know it would be impossible to be exact. These are young adult books and they are not all that long and still they contain enough source material that the last book was split into two movies. I feel like the movie split was somewhat of a disservice to that last book. The story is so engaging and nuanced, it was easy to forget all the parts and pieces that went into Katniss' relationship with Coin and the hallow, terrifying look in Peeta's eyes while he was under Snow's control. I did enjoy that Part 2 picked up right where Part 1 left off. There weren't any opening credits, no fanfare. There was a title card and then we're back in that hospital room with Peeta and Katniss. This was good for reemerson into the story but was not helpful in that the teenage girls in the theater thought they had another minute or two to finish their conversations and and to text their boyfriends who didn't want to go see this girl movie.
I have to say, this was a very strange theater to sit in. We go to a theater that doesn't get a ton of foot traffic. On a typical Friday night, opening weekend of most movies, the main theater will be maybe half full. This particular Friday, opening weekend for Mockingjay, the theater was almost at capacity and there were maybe 15 males in the entire place. It was entirely full of high school girls. There was a goddamn sisterhood of traveling pants occurring in that theater. Whenever one of the characters was killed, a wash of "Awwwwwww," swept over the theater. My husband and I laughed as silently as possible every time that happened. I'm a Hunger Games fan but they were collectively The Revolution. The FELT IT. And then there was the kid behind me who, throughout the entire movie, yelled out what was going to happen right before it happened. I mean yes, I get it. We've all read the fracking books and we know what will happen. Please stop telling us, you're pulling us out of the cinematic experience. And please tell your girlfriend to stop saying she's gonna like, totally kill herself if such and such happens. Please stop! Okay, I admit I just hate seeing movies with other people... ever.
I appreciated the way the movie treated the relationship between Peeta and Katniss though I wish there would have been more, "Real or not real?" dialogue as I felt that was the thing that brought them back together in the book. I do understand that the movie could not be forever long, though I would have stayed for the whole thing if it had been. Watching the victors battle their way through District One was totally engrossing and nearly perfect. The sets were beautiful and the action felt real. One thing I have always loved about these movies is their ability to grab you by your heart strings and not let go. This film did not disappoint.
The only thing I did not like about this movie was the ending. Yes, I know it was true to the book and had the little epilogue where Katniss and Peeta live in their district's Victor's Village very nearly alone with their kidlets running through the fields that Katniss and Gale used to hunt in. I feel like the movie would have been better if they had ended with Peeta and Katniss lying in bed together and Peeta asking, "You love me. Real or not real?" That is a sweet, beautiful ending and I think everyone would be totally satisfied with that but instead we got an internal monologue of Katniss congratulating herself that her children will never know the fear and pain she lived through and they will never be forced to hunt another child. Yes, Katniss and Peeta are heroes but it just doesn't feel natural for Katniss to be patting herself on the back.
Overall, an enjoyable movie and a totally satisfying ending to this franchise. I will gladly watch all of these movies again.
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