Big movie sagas don’t often end on a good note, but the last film in the “Hunger Games” series leaves fans generally satisfied.
“Mockingjay Part 2” picks up immediately where “Part 1” left off, following Katniss Everdeen and the band of rebels from District 13 on their final moves against the Capitol. Throughout the film,  there were moments when I was gripping my seat, especially near the end.
After three iterations of “Hunger Games” movies, this film has the action fans have come to know and love. This film took the spectacle of the book and made it into an adventurous, intense and heartbreaking ride that will not soon be forgotten.
With that in mind, this movie can be seen either through the eyes of a movie-goer, or a “Hunger Games” fan. I am somewhere in the middle of being a devoted film-junkie and a Hunger Games fanatic. After reading all the books through twice over and seeing the other films, I walked out of “Mockingjay Part 2” with mixed feelings.
I was thoroughly entertained by the world of “Hunger Games” portrayed in the film, and the ever-so-satisfying conclusion the movie surprisingly well put together. On the other hand, as a moviegoer, I was disappointed. The character arcs set up in the last film were rarely explored in this installment, and the overall pacing just felt lazy.
Many scenes could have been cut in half, or omitted altogether. Suzanne Collins’ third installment was an average-sized book, and seeing the way “Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2” are paced, it makes fans wonder if they made the right decision in splitting these two movies apart.
This movie wasn’t bad though — it portrayed the final installment in a way almost better than the novel itself. The action of the film mirrors the intensity of the books and keeps you entertained for the most part. Although the film has pacing problems, there is no doubt that “Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2” was a solid conclusion to this epic saga.
Phillip Dupree is an engineering freshman and news reporter for The Battalion.