"She has become mythical."
Hello everyone!
So this past Saturday, IT HAPPENED.
You know what I'm talking about.
Can you tell I'm excited yet?
I will admit. The Hunger Games as a whole have never been one of my favourite dystopian stories (I prefer the Divergent series books), but the movies have certainly made it likeable despite everything, and like everyone who has been following them, I wanted to see if the ending would be just as everything was in the books, or what was promised.
Turns out, it was, and with the impact of it happening on-screen, it was even better.
So before we head into the review for part two, allow me to remind you of part one, right here, which I reviewed last year. Gosh, time flies! And like last year, this part was viewed with friends. Everything's better with friends, right? Right! Besides, after the rather hellish weeks I've been having, some girl time was just what I needed.
In brief summary, however, for anyone who might have forgotten: in the first movie, Katniss Everdeen defeated the system and won the Hunger Games; in the second, she survived the Quarter Quell and managed to set the whole arena to a big ka-boom, being rescued and taken to District Thirteen; in the first part of movie three, she became the Mockingjay for the rebellion against President Snow.
Now we're up to speed!
This movie picks up right where the last one left off, which is Katniss recovering from Peeta's strangulation attack. She is pissed at the Capitol and wants to do whatever it takes, which means going to where the actual fighting is, and at the moment, it's at District Two.
District Two has the biggest weapons arsenal that stands in the way before they can march against the Capitol, and so the troops move in, deciding to try and bury the loyalists if they can't flush them out. Before that, we are told about a plan Gale has been devising, about setting off a bomb, then luring people to a location before setting off another bomb, later. Remember this, kids, because it's important.
In Two, Katniss makes a good effort at a speech as the loyalists appear (one holds her at gunpoint, too), but ends up getting shot, and this continues her endless trips to the hospital. At this point, however, the Mockingjay is no longer needed in the field, as President Coin decides it would be best for her to stay behind.
Obviously, this doesn't sit well with Katniss, whose sole mission in life at the moment is getting Snow and killing him for what he did to Peeta. So, after witnessing Finnick and Annie get married, she stoves herself away on one of the supply flights, and heads to the fighting area even though her orders were to stay put. But we all know how well she does with orders, right? Right. Plutarh can tell, and he's pretty much amused to no end.
The plan, as Katniss has it, is for her and Gale to slip away alone so they can cover ground faster, as the group she was assigned to is the prop one, who won't be doing fighting, but just filming her after the main battles have already moved on. However, turns out there's still action to be had as they go through pods that had been set up, ranging from man-eating oil to blazing flames. At this point in the movie, Peeta also arrives, because Coin sent him there, and it's pretty obvious to everyone that he isn't fit to be there and is a ploy to get Katniss killed (low blow, Coin, low blow).
As the group keeps moving through the Capitol, one by one they fall to the pods, forcing them underground into the sewer system. There, we meet the worst challenge yet - the mutts, which freak Peeta out badly, but are slightly different from the book version (although no less creepy!).
Side note: at this point, Peeta and Katniss have begun their 'real - not real' debates to ensure Peeta stays sane.
The mutts take Finnick at this point, and Katniss blows him up. Me, I'm sniveling like an iddiot, because SAM CLAFLIN.
Back to the story.
They finally find shelter, where Gale and Katniss part with the others, dressed up as Capitol citizens, when Snow, in a political move, invites the people to his residence where he'll protect them (or protect himself with a living wall?). Here, however, things go awry, as in the total silence, beeping from those small parachutes previously used in the games sounds above them all.
Me: If it's beeping, don't touch it.
Of course it goes boom.
Medics rush in to help out the wounded, and Katniss sees her sister - when there's another boom.
She ends up in the hospital (again), but learns Primrose is dead. The rebels have won, as everyone thought Snow had gone too far by bombing the children. Only, as Snow later tells Katniss, it wasn't him - it had been Coin. So later in an unofficial meeting of the last Hunger Games survivors, when she says the vote for president will be postponed until a calmer time and announces Hunger Games for the Capitol's children, Katniss seemingly agrees - and you can see Haymitch knows she's got a plan.
And she does.
Instead of executing Snow, as she should, she shoots an arrow through Coin's heart.
Obviously, this -doesn't get her killed though - Plutarh actually ocngratulates her and gets her out of the Capitol, back to District 12, and Peeta joins her soon afterwards. Slowly, but surely, they begin an actual relationship, and we learn that Katniss' mother remained at the Capitol to train medics, Gale went to District Two (in case you forgot - those bombs? His initial idea, so bye-bye), and Annie had a baby boy. We fast-forward to the future when Peeta and Katniss have two children of their own, and the world seems a much better place.
It was a very good ending to the storyline, the movie stayed true to the books and it's something I appreciate considering the fact that most Hollywood directors nowadays seem to be allergic to their source material. It's still not my favourite ever, but it's definitely good enough, and the night out was a standing success with a long, healthy chat afterwards!
xx
*images and video not mine
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