On the first day of its release in Canada, Mockingjay Part 2 was proven to be a sought-after blockbuster. Movie theatres in the Vancouver area were almost overloaded with people who surged in to take a first glimpse of the last installment in the well-known Hunger Games series. However, we should not merely jump on the bandwagon; read the following review and make reasonable judgments.

“We all have one enemy… Tonight, turn your weapons to the Capitol!”

Mockingjay Part 2 continues the saga of The Hunger Games, but this time the new Games have a different purpose: to rebel against the totalitarian state of Panem. In the movie, Katniss volunteers to assassinate President Snow. During the march towards the Capitol, Katniss, Peeta, and their team have to clear all hidden bombs and escape from any dangers. They try to go underground to evade the bombs and surveillance cameras, but are tortured by the deadly creatures down there.

Their journey is so enthralling, action-packed and stirring that some scenes will twitch our nerves and make us sweat. After receiving negative critiques from the public about the lack of action in Mockingjay Part 1, the producers of the movie did not repeat the same mistake this time; improvements were obviously made in order to entice those who were disappointed by the previous movie to watch the finale.

“I am done, being a piece, in his game.”

Peeta is brainwashed by the Capitol and he attempts to kill Katniss from time to time. The team eventually makes it to the Capitol and Katniss walks towards Snow’s mansion among the crowd, when an explosion occurs which injures Katniss and kills her sister Primrose, adding insult to her injury.

Both the desperation and the courage of people are portrayed in the movie. When the government makes us someone we are not, compels us to do something we are reluctant to, and turns “the best of us against each other”, we should stand up for ourselves. No matter how the revolution progresses and what the result is, the power possessed by the people is undeniably significant. In a democratic society, we decide the future of ourselves, and the power of the government is only granted by the people. When the government is trying to outweigh its people, the inclination of the balance will create tragedies like those throughout The Hunger Games series.

“If you end all of this, all those deaths… they mean something.”

Even though this movie carries on the impetus generated by the prestige of the whole series, something rather disappointing is its conclusion. The movie simply describes but does not depict how the government is overthrown, which should be the most important part of the story. Katniss lives with Peeta and their kids happily ever after, which is definitely a hackneyed idea from our childhood tales. The rather peaceful ending may not appeal to everyone; but when excitement prevails in the previous three movies and the conflict is finally resolved, some of us may believe that Katniss and Peeta do not deserve any more brutalities and moments of life and death.

I think this movie is generally great but not flawless. The storyline should include more details about the final course of the fall of the dystopia to yield a better denouement. No matter what your opinions are, I believe that the final Hunger Games marks the dissolution of the vicious cycle of suppression and oppression and should be remembered by all of us. The aftersound from the Mockingjay will guide us through darkness and cascade from generation to generation.

Ratings: ★★★★☆ 4/5