Movie reviews: What critics are saying about ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2’

 

MANILA, Philippines – It won’t be long now, and fans will soon be able to watch the final chapter of the Hunger Games movies on the big screen. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 features Katniss and her band of rebels and their efforts to win against The Capitol, leading up to the decisive final battle. 

Within the chaos of the ongoing war, our favorite characters are also facing their own inner battles, balancing their insecurities and uncertainties with the need to be strong and fight for their freedom.

Reviews have begun rolling in for the film. Let’s take a look at what some of them are saying, then check back on Rappler for our own review as soon as the film opens in Manila. 

The Wrap

Alonso Duralde of The Wrap praised The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, calling it “one of the year’s most satisfying popcorn movies.” 

Among the accomplishments of screenwriters Peter Craig and Danny Strong, and director Francis Lawrence, was keeping the audience interested in the romance in the film, but not making it the focal point, as there’s plenty else to absorb. “The men in Katniss’ life are important, yes, but they’re not her reason for being,” wrote Alonso.

The screenwriters and directors were able to “skillfully interweave political intrigue and deadly obstacles, all while still finding time for moments with the characters we’ve gotten to know over the course of the series,” added Alonso. As someone who isn’t a reader of the novels, he said the film kept him intrigued and interested in the plot.

Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly gave the movie a B-, saying that this movie – compared to the previous installments – was much darker. “With its political power struggles and prodigious body count, all rendered in a thousand shades of wintry greige, the movie feels less like teen entertainment than a sort of Hunger Games of Thrones,” critic Leah Greenblatt wrote.

Leah also commended the acting and production values of the film, as well as Jennifer Lawrence’s portrayal of Katniss.

 

The Guardian

Like The Wrap, The Guardian praises director Francis Lawrence’s work on the film. A scene where a creature chases Katniss through the sewers was singled out, ” I can’t recall anything quite so intense in any horror film of late,” wrote Benjamin Lee.

The Guardian does also say that this movie is much darker than its predecessors – “almost pitch black” – but gives it points for tackling heavier topics for younger viewers without being spoon-fed.

But the review also notes that Mockingjay – Part 2 fails at proper pacing. “The pace, which had been so tightly controlled in the first two films, is a curious mess, starting off painfully slowly, then rushing when it really matters,” wrote Benjamin. “While earlier scenes were overly expanded, later ones are flubbed. The death of a major character is confusingly handled while others are dispatched messily as we hurtle towards an ineffective climax,” he added.

 

Variety

On the other hand, Variety had no trouble with the pacing of Mockingjay – Part 2, as its “classical pace” has “become increasingly rare among breakneck modern blockbusters.” The slower pace allows for more moments between characters, in particular, one between Katniss and fellow victor Johanna (Jena Malone). It also builds up the suspense for the seige of the Capitol further into the movie.

Jennifer Lawrence’s performance is also a standout. “We experience much of Mockingjay from a relatively subjective point of view, either seeing things over her shoulder or processing how the resulting emotions register on her face, which the actress controls with a subtlety befitting the widescreen pic’s Imax proportions,” writes critic Peter Debruge.

Will you be seeing the film when it hits theaters November 18? Let us know in the comments below. – Rappler.com