Real or Not Real? Tea Without Sugar Sucks?

Last night I watched the end of a series that for me has been one of the most successful attempts at adapting a book series to film.  In the first three films all of the main elements from the book carried over to the screen.  There was great use of character and any changes seemed to only strengthen the series.  Mockingjay 2 did not disappoint in upholding that legacy.  I’ll touch on both the key points and the really unfortunate ones.  There will be spoilerish discussion.

The film picks up pretty close to where the last one left off.  Peeta isn’t doing so well.  He still can’t seem to remember what is real, and what isn’t real.  Is he Quaid or Hauser?  He doesn’t know.  And even when Katniss is healing from vocal cord injuries people are still telling her what to say.  She throws shade at the Doctor examining her while Haymitch does what Haymitch does for most of the film, hang out in the corner fixing his weave and following Katniss around.  Harrelson was way underutilized. 

Keep an eye out for Plutarch, btw, he is like the Little Finger of Panem.  It makes me sad to think about how much more we could have had of his great character if it weren't for the tragic death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman. 

Now that Katniss had her voice back she immediately asked to go see Prince Eric, of course they tell her no, because it’s way too dangerous, but wait- he is doing better and so they want to send in someone who he knows to see how he reacts.  I’m thinking, it’s dangerous, so Haymitch, right?  Nope, what is too dangerous for Katniss is not too dangerous for Prim.  It doesn’t go well, Peeta is still crazy and he still looks decrepit.  Snow – 1, Team MJ – 0.  Throughout the entire film, Josh Hutcherson does a great job of presenting the internal struggle that Peeta is dealing with.  There is dialogue direct from the book that I was happy to see.  In addition to that, it's like you see him plump up as his character gets a grasp on reality and he starts to look more like a real boy.

Lookin' good, Peeta

 

About now we get to see a bit of what is going on in the rest of Panem.  Rebels be rebelling, loyals be hiding in a mountain, Snow be coughing, Coin be plotting, and Finnick is making babies!  One thing that I was really glad they downplayed was the intensity of the love triangle.  When reading the novels, I was never a huge fan of Katniss.  I found the way she was so fickle with Peeta and Gale’s emotions to be about as thoughtful as Jenny in Forrest Gump.  Do not fear shippers, the love triangle is there, it’s just not quite as flip-floppy as it was in the books.  The films makes it pretty clear that Peeta is the one who gets the majority of Katniss’ attention.  Instead of actually getting down with Gale while Total Recall is in the next tent, their intimacy is limited to a kiss meant to divert her having to talk about which dude she loves always and forever, and Gale is having no part of it. 


No idea.  I hate you. 

 

After the end of the first Mockingjay film I did find myself concerned that they wouldn’t be able to establish Coin as a villain in one movie.  When I’m wrong, I’m wrong, and I wasn’t right!  Julianne Moore did a great job with Coin.  She came across as very cold and manipulative in a way that made her very different than Snow.  I actually find their names pretty juxtaposed.  Coins name fits Snow in that everything seems like a game or a spectacle to him.  On the flip side, pun intended, Snows name fits Coins very cold personality. 

Moving on, the visual effects and action of the film were infinitely my favorite of the series so far.  The game like activity of the pods when the group takes the Capitol was amped up in a good way.  It was a lot of fun to finally get to see Finnick unleash some asskickery, even though it was super bitter sweet knowing what was coming.  The mutts were much scarier than expected, they had a very Resident Evil look to them, and this scene brought on the feels even with years of preparation. 



Claflin, I think your stunt double is showing

 

After that unfortunate moment, Katniss carries on in a slightly different manner than in the books, she meets Cheetara and takes a nap with her squad before she and Gale do a really bad job at blending in with the Capitol crowd.  I don't know what was more difficult to watch, the bomb scene or how stupid the Capitol citizens were in the moments that proceeded it. 

Oh look, a weird looking thing falling from the sky after they just ripped our children out of our arms and the rebels shot at us!  I wonder what it could be? 

Good things I’m sure. 

 

I had a hard time the moment the little girl started screaming for her presumed dead mother (R.I.P random citizen) when the rebels attacked.  I don’t do well with things like that, but I digress. 

From this point forward things played out very similarly to how they did in the books.  Haymitch is still lurking around not doing much.  He has a good comment here or there, but mostly he just lingers.  The execution scene was grandiose.  I do wish they wouldn’t have cut out Katniss’ suicide attempt because I think it really shows where she was as a person and her struggles with the idea of being captive, but we end up at that same place, with the same outcome and feeling.  Which for me would be, why the hell do I have to go back and live in District 12?  That place looked bad before.  Peeta is back to being more baker and less Jack Torrance.  Katniss has severe PTSD and plays OCD games in her head all day, every day.  Basically, all’s well that ends well.

Random Thoughts-

How exactly did Prims cat get back to District 12? 

Anyone else notice that Finnick seems to find just about everything funny?

We get it, Katniss is the girl repetitively on fire either literally or symbolically. 

Note to directors- try not to make your audience vomit before all of the good parts.

This went on forever, and ever, and ever, and...

 

 Until next time, may the odds be ever in your favor.