The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2

The rebellion of the Districts against the Capitol is nearing an end and the rebels are about to take over the government and depose President Snow in an effort to free Panem from his rule. Katniss as the voice and inspiration behind the conflict is sent in with a propaganda unit to shoot footage in an effort to convince Capitol citizens to turn against Snow. Peeta is still fighting the brutal conditioning that is telling him to kill Katniss at all costs. When the squad leader is killed, Katniss takes over leadership of the unit and tells them she’s under orders from President Coin to kill Snow. She and Gale pose as refugees when Snow asks all Capitol citizens to come to his mansion for refuge. The rebellion unleashes a final attack that turns everyone against the regime and the rebellion is victorious. But the costs are high and Katniss still has one final decision to make that will determine the future of everyone in Panem.

It can often be difficult to follow the plot of a movie that only covers the second half of the original book. It’s Hollywood standard these days to split the final novel in a series in two to generate more revenue but the long break between films is rarely a good thing. In the case of Mockingjay Part 2, director Francis Lawrence has done a good job of reminding us what’s happened so far and creating a movie that stands well on its own.

The balance between drama and action is good but I wasn’t terribly fond of the love triangle between Peeta, Gale and Katniss. Even with Peeta’s conditioning/brainwashing in play, it’s still pretty obvious who Katniss has chosen. Yet they talk as if she has yet to make a decision. I found it a distraction since it contributed nothing to the plot. The central focus is the politics of war and government as the plot explores the leaders’ different agendas. Ultimately the goal should be freedom and self-determination but President Coin evolves into the very thing she’s trying to destroy.

As much as I enjoyed and would recommend this final chapter of The Hunger Games, I liked the first two movies better. The premise of the contest and all its intricacies was far more engaging than the political drama and war story told in chapters three and four. But of course I’ll be going back to the beginning so I can watch all four movies back to back because they are highly entertaining and make great fare for home theater.

With the advanced digital imagery found in most new releases, I expected a razor-sharp image. For the most part detail is strongly rendered but there are more than a few moments of softness that keep this transfer from the reference level. Contrast is excellent with amazing shadow detail in dark scenes; and there are lots of them. The film is fairly dark throughout and even outdoor scenes take place under heavy cloud cover until the very end. Color varies in palette from cool blues to greens to the warmth of sunlight and candlelit interiors.

This is the first Dolby Atmos soundtrack that didn’t blow me away. There was a distinct lack of ambient effects and most of the impact came from a broad front soundstage. Bass is strong in the battle scenes but you won’t be giving your sub too great a workout. Dialog is clear and well-defined. The best aspect of the mix is the bombastic musical score which enhances Mockingjay better than many other films.

The making of feature is split into eight parts and totals over two hours and twenty minutes. You also get insights into costume design, a 10-minute slideshow of production stills and an episode of a show called Jet To The Set where journalists visit movie sets and interview cast members.