Book to Movie Review: Mockingjay pt. 2

The Hunger Games - Mockingjay part 2

Book by Suzanne Collins

As the war of Panem escalates to the destruction of other districts by the Capitol, Katniss Everdeen, the reluctant leader of the rebellion, must bring together an army against President Snow, while all she holds dear hangs in the balance.

I just. How can it be over?? Remember when we all anticipated the first movie? No one knew who Jennifer Lawrence was, we heard Rue's eerie whistle for the first time. It's been a great four years. You can read my reviews of the previous movies here.

Like the book, the Mockingjay movies are not as colorful and crazy as the first two. They're more serious, and are much closer to real life. That's also the reason I like them (book and movies) so much, though Catching Fire remains my favorite. 

SPOILERS AHEAD..

First item of praise, is that the makers of THG movies know all the Hollywood cliches and they use them against you. There's that scene in the tunnels before the mutts attack when the silence and the cameras just let you KNOW that something is about to happen and you brace yourself for a heart attack that doesn't come. But then it does and you fall off your chair. 

And the general problem of knowing what's going to happen just makes this more painful- waiting for Finnick to die, and Prim. And even the ones I had forgotten about wrenched my heart strings deeply- Boggs, the Leeg sisters. 

The actors continue to delight, with all the new people really bringing some great stuff to the table. I just wish we had more Josh Hutcherson - Peeta had a much stronger presence in the book than he did here, though granted that was in Katniss's thoughts. 

Overall, this installment and the series in general were very faithful to the source material, a fact for which I am eternally greatful and wouldn't have been able to forgive if it hadn't been true. The only little piece I wanted but didn't get was the cake at Finnick and Annie's wedding that tips Katniss (and us) off that Peeta is getting better. (ETA: also the memorial book K&P make in the end)

The scenes were truly glorious: 

Haymitch reading Plutarch's letter to Katniss
Katniss screaming at Buttercup the cat
HAYMITCH KISSING EFFIE
Effie saying goodbye to Katniss - finding the life of a victor
YOU LOVE ME REAL OR NOT REAL
my name is Katniss Everdeen
it's primrose
the scene of the symbolic Hunger Games
shooting Coin
my dear Katniss we agreed never to lie to each other
ADORABLE CHILD JUMPING ON DADDY PEETA
the Avox and his brother

And so many scenes that packed subtle punches- in the end, when Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta are eating back in District 12 and watching Paylor become President with Plutarch looking on, and Haymitch says " And they say no one ever wins the games". I loved that - it continues the implications that the whole war on the Capitol was also a game in a way (a game of thrones?), and Plutarch remained a gamemaker all throughout- somehow always on the winning side, and always influencing. It also shows how tyranny repeats itself, as do all human mistakes (This much is said explicitly in Plutarch's letter). 

The only thing I'm truly upset about: the distortion of Gale's character. They made him just SO DAMN ANNOYING. Everytime Peeta did or said anything relating to Katniss Gale had some stupid jealous comment about it. It was so irrelevant and unimportant, and book Gale was better than that. Also, the thing I ultimately respected most about Gale and in general about The Hunger Games is that Katniss didn't get to choose her beau in the end. GALE PICKED UP AND LEFT. He gave her an arrow, told her to shoot straight, kissed her forhead and scedaddled off to live his life. It was amazing, and cemented my love for him despite me being firmly Team Peeta. And while the double bomb was his idea, and as much as the book tried to make it seem otherwise, PRIM'S DEATH WAS NOT GALE'S FAULT. "Goodbye Gale" is not how Katniss and Gale should have ended, after all they'd been through. 

If you read up until here, with all my disregard for grammar and thousands of run-on sentences, YOU ARE AWESOME AND I LOVE YOU. Rating:

Book-to-Movie Review: Mockingjay Part 1

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

book by Suzanne Collins

When Katniss destroys the games, she goes to District 13 after District 12 is destroyed. She meets President Coin who convinces her to be the symbol of rebellion, while trying to save Peeta from the Capitol.

IMDb, you continue to fail with these synopses. 

My review of the Catching Fire movie. 

As you can see in the above review, Catching Fire was pretty much unbeatable on every front. Lucky for me, I wasn't holding out for better than the second movie, but rather a REALLY GOOD ADAPTATION of what Mockingjay as an individual book and the series as a whole was all about. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED.

However if you didn't like the book you won't like this movie (I'm basing this on friends). I thought Mockingjay was truly a perfect conclusion to the trilogy- full circle (Prim's death, Coin's suggestion of a new Hunger Games). Therefore, I found the film to be a real success.

Just like in the first two movies, this one stays close to the book not only in dialogue and events, but in TONE AND FEEL. You experience everything Katniss feels right along with her. You can especially see this in the scene with the rescue mission for Peeta (a welcome addition that wasn't in the novel)- you're worried sick for BOTH Gale and Peeta, and at the same time listening to Finnick tell his story and absolutely destroying your heart. You're jumpy just like she is- the cat makes a little noise and the whole crowd got a heart attack. 

I missed Cinna and loved Prim. 

Effie and Haymitch. I actually applauded when they FINALLY got on screen. (quietly. Relax, I remembered I was in a theater) If nothing else, they are the reason I watch these films. 

The acting was SUPERB. I was peering through my fingers from fear in the scene where Peeta attacks. And Jennifer Lawrence gave me chills with her lines REPEATEDLY.

Mockingjay Part 1 was not a feast for the eyes the way Catching Fire was (in regards to the gorgeous shots) but it touched my soul in the way the book did and the previous movies didn't- the sirens, the bombings, the wounded, the bodies, the chilling shots of massacres and singing of The Hanging Tree (dear god that one is going to play in people's nightmares for a long time). Everything was so real and realistic. 

Amazing work, people. Now please hurry along Part 2. A year is too long a wait for me. 

Rating: 

Happy weekend!

Love,

Esty

Book to Movie Review: CATCHING FIRE

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2)
Suzanne Collins
defies categorization

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark become targets of the Capitol after their victory in the 74th Hunger Games sparks a rebellion in the Districts of Panem. (IMDb)


IS THAT NOT THE COOLEST MOVIE COVER YOU HAVE EVER SEEN??? In fact, the sheer coolness of this movie was the cause of my several loud and dramatic deaths in the movie theater (once again, I apologize, innocent-moviegoers-who-had-the-misfortune-to-sit-near-me). Luckily, my friends and several other crazy fans were right there with me on the freaking out.

What can I say? Google Catching Fire pictures and you'll be blown away by the astounding beauty and badassness of the stills. The entire 146 minutes were comprised of intense awesomeness- GOD, THE TRIBUTE PARADE. When I saw Katniss, I sent up a prayer that went something like this. "Dear Lord, may I one day look at sick as that. Thank you." 

AND THE LINES. Never before have I encountered a movie that was SO TRUE TO THE BOOK. All the dialogues in the beginning were done word for word. I was practically drowning in happy tears. 

NOT TO MENTION THE ACTING. Oh, the acting. Seven words: THE FACES DURING THE JOHANNA STRIP SCENE.

Something I was not expecting but ultimately happy about was how EMOTIONAL the movie was. The deaths. Finnick's speech in the Ceasar interview. Everything Peeta. But teary wasn't the only thing I felt- the anger, the pain, and plenty of fear. I did not think I would be as emotionally drawn in as I was and I hold that to the extreme credit of the makers. Also, the movie had it's fair share of laughter, not to worry(;
(Haymitch, Peeta, Effie, and Ceasar. *bows down in worship*) 

Guess what? No annoying soundtrack in the background! Not that there was in the first movie, but you never know these days. (I'm looking at you, City of Bones)

Another thing I loved were the scenes with President Snow and his granddaughter. What happens in movies is that they can't always communicate the characters' thoughts and conclusions, and therefore resort to disconnected verbal explanations or just omitting important details. These brilliant, few-seconds-a-scene interludes helped us understand what was happening outside the arena and Snow's building anger. Pure genius, the whole thing. 

Teeny nitpick: The scene where Katniss dances with Plutarch in the Capitol on the Victory Tour happened, so what was the problem showing us the Mockingjay watch, huh? I mean, otherwise, why show that bit? 

So, um, watch this movie (like I need to tell you- you obviously went to see it on your own, RIGHT??) I'm sooo getting this on DVD.
Rating: 


ETA: In my post-movie frenzy I completely forgot to mention the most powerful and well done scene I have ever witnessed: The moment when they found out they were going back into the arena. Flash from Katniss to Peeta to Haymitch to running into the woods to running to Katniss to running to Haymitch to shock to fear to insane mess. Also, right after when she finally goes to Haymitch and the whole scene where he's like what does it say that he was here asking the same thing about you 45 minutes ago? And she'd all like I came here for a drink and he's like finally, something I can help you with and etcetera. I'm not looking forward to Mockingjay. I don't know how I'll survive it.