**1/2 out of ****
In Mockingjay – Part 2, the cinematic version of Suzanne Collins’ young adult sci-fi trilogy comes to a close with movie number four. Katniss
Everdeen, with the push of some questionable revolutionaries, leads a raid into
the capitol of the dictatorship that has oppressed its working class
through terror for generations. I enjoyed the film for Jennifer Lawrence’s
stunning screen presence and epic production that brings Collins’ final story
to life.
Sadly, I wasn’t spared the familiar drawn-out passages, which
fail to build toward a satisfying emotional climax. In Part 1, I was critical
of the producers’ choice to follow the trend of treating movies like segmented
television drama. The second part of this final story suffers more because it
stops and pauses often enough to draw attention to all the underdeveloped
characteristics I’ve noticed about its futuristic dystopian setting and its
people.
Francis Lawrence has a lot of confidence in his astounding
filmmaking aesthetics and great actors at his disposal, but his direction lacks
an emotional charge in certain scenes, which deserve much more weight. He also wasted some time in this one with a creature attack scene reminiscent of his disappointing film, I Am Legend. You would think it would be better for his career to avoid doing any scene involving CGI ogres again.
I still
maintain my belief that Gary Ross’ first film in the series is the best - mostly
due to superior editing. I’m also a little disappointed in the over-used score
by composer James Newton Howard, who hasn’t come up with any memorably new
material since his excellent score to the original movie.
I certainly found the last entry in this series to be worth
my time, but it could have been so much better. Maybe I’m just nitpicking.
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