Nordling here.
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY had no business being two movies. There’s a lot to be said about the power of story economy and editing, and it’s difficult to not be cynical about how the splitting of MOCKINGJAY was purely for financial reasons and not artistic ones. The filmmakers can swear up and down that that isn’t the case, but the fact remains that there is one pretty great movie inside MOCKINGJAY Parts 1 and 2, buried under bloat, sluggish pacing, and unnecessary exposition.
That’s not to say that MOCKINGJAY PART 2 isn’t worthwhile. Once we get to the meat of the conflict, as Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), her friends, loved ones, and fellow soldiers infiltrate the evil Capitol, ruled by President Snow (Donald Sutherland), the movie finds its footing and becomes quite thrilling. But it takes so long to get there, and not just in this film. The first part of MOCKINGJAY is almost entirely set-up, and as it turns out, mostly unnecessary, and the first 40 or so minutes of Part 2 are more of the same.
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 is frustrating, because there’s so much that director Francis Lawrence gets right – Jennifer Lawrence’s work as Katniss, for example, deserves better. Lionsgate was very prescient to cast her, and as I’ve said in earlier reviews, I feel like Jennifer Lawrence is the next great action heroine, and Katniss should take her place along such heroes as Leia, Ripley, and even this year’s Furiosa. Lawrence fills her with emotion, but also grit and determination. She’ll be remembered for this role for years to come.
MOCKINGJAY PART 2 also, finally, brings Josh Hutcherson’s Peeta Mallark from the sidelines and although I’ve been critical of Hutcherson’s work in this franchise in the past, he does a lot of heavy lifting here. Struggling with the torture and the brainwashing he underwent as Snow’s prisoner, Peeta overcomes his programming to fight at Katniss’s side. Peeta is conflicted with his purpose, and questions not only Katniss, but the machinations of President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), who more and more seems not to be so much a leader of the resistance as she is ambitious in seizing power. Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) is caught in the crossfire between serving the resistance and protecting Katniss, which aren’t necessarily the same thing. When their propaganda mission becomes a desperate push to kill President Snow, Katniss cannot be sure where Peeta or Gale’s loyalties truly lie.
THE HUNGER GAMES saga has worked for two reasons – first, the characters are fully created, not just through the scripts, but through the performances. No one phones it in in these films, and there is an ache in seeing Philip Seymour Hoffman in his final role, especially since his Plutarch Heavensbee is such an interesting, enigmatic character, but that’s to be expected from an actor of his caliber. I love how much fun Donald Sutherland seems to be having. Snow’s a terrific villain and a great foil for Katniss. I appreciate the work Julianne Moore does too, as Alma Coin manipulates just as effectively as Snow does, and for her own reasons. Woody Harrelson’s Haymitch, Jeffrey Wright’s Beetee, Elizabeth Banks’ Effie, Sam Claflin’s Finnick – all are terrific characters played very well. We believe in this world because they do.
The second reason these films work is that they don’t shy away from the horrors of war, and the spiritual destruction in its wake. The series has always taken death seriously, giving this story thematic weight. These people will never have true peace, but perhaps they can find some solace as time distances them from the pain and the hurt. Jennifer Lawrence is especially effective at showing us how much the events of these films has damaged Katniss, and it’s heartbreaking to watch her realize that there are some pieces from her soul that will never be replaced. MOCKINGJAY PART 2 is a somber affair, and I admired that the film goes to some dark places.
But, at the same time, had MOCKINGJAY been better edited and paced, these points would have been made more effectively. Too much of MOCKINGJAY – both films – stops to make these points over and over unnecessarily. These movies are at their best when they move forward, unencumbered by all that exposition. An underground sequence, as Katniss and her team try to escape the monstrous “mutts”, is one of the most thrilling and terrifying action scenes of the year. MOCKINGJAY PART 2 needed more of that, and again, had this been one film, the intensity would have been exceptional. But the bloat dilutes the story that the filmmakers are trying to tell.
The MPAA has done a disservice to THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 in rating it PG-13. This is a war film, and yes, I’m aware that the subject matter was always brutal, but it feels deceitful and purely a marketing decision to stamp this a PG-13, as parents take their kids to a weekend at the movies only to see some traumatizing visuals and some vicious moments. At times, I was forcibly reminded of the march on Omaha Beach in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, even though we are spared the gore and viscera of that sequence (which, in a way, makes it worse – if you’re going to show the devastation of war, go all the way and be honest about the abomination of it). Frankly, there are moments that I would be hesitant to show a 13-year-old. Before anyone confuses that with disparaging the story, I have no problem with what the filmmakers are doing. But parents should be warned – there are some horrific moments in MOCKINGJAY PART 2, moments that may cause distress in the younger set. MOCKINGJAY PART 2 should have been rated R, but we have tickets in bulk to sell, and it’s disingenuous for the MPAA and the studio to push this as simple weekend entertainment.
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 sticks the landing, but this could have been so much better had the filmmakers annotated the story more effectively. At some point, someone’s going to make a really terrific fan edit of these two films, efficaciously telling the story and bringing us closer to the material. For fans of this series, MOCKINGJAY PART 2 should give you the closure you’re looking for (unless you hated the ending of the book, in which case, this won’t change your mind). THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE exploded this world, full of possibility, giving us a sequel that could be compared positively to THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. MOCKINGJAY, along those same comparative lines, can be seen as RETURN OF THE JEDI – there’s good stuff in there, if you can get through the less compelling material.
Nordling, out.
