The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2

Usually franchise films are set aside for the summer months, however since students have a good many days off during the holiday time--Thanksgiving and Christmas, what a better time to release another franchise, which the younger generation seems to gravitate to more than others. This time we have the fourth, count them, the fourth installment of the Hunger Games appropriately titled "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2" as the follow up to last year's Part 1.

As the war of Panem escalates to the destruction of other districts by the Capitol, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), the reluctant leader of the rebellion known as the Mockingjay by the president of the rebellion, Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) and her advisor, Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman), must bring together an army against President Snow (Donald Sutherland), while all she holds dear hangs in the balance.
However, to get to Snow, Katniss must get to District 2 in order to convince those in that district that all must band together to be free of Snow and his cohorts. With this move, Katniss recruits the best to help her: Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth), Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), Finnick Odair (Sam Clafin), Boggs (Mahershala Ali) and even Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). As they get closer to the Capitol to kill Snow, they end up getting more than they bargained for.

Others to round out the cast are Willow Shields as Primrose Everdeen, Katniss' younger sister, Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, Jena Malone as Johanna Mason, Jeffrey Wright as Beetee, Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman, Evan Ross as Mesalla, Elden Henson as Pollux and Wes Chatham as Castor.

This was effortlessly directed by Francis Lawrence ("Constantine" '05, "I Am Legend" '07, "Water for Elephants" '11, "Gotham" (TV movie) '12, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" '13, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1" '14). Since the same director directed both Part 1 and 2, it's almost like watching the same film. All actors found their places in character as they did in Part 1, so this couldn't have been a stretch for either director or actors. It was written by Peter Craig and Danny Strong who also wrote Part 1 which, again, made each installment quite similar. Of course, this basically being a continuation of Part 1, the similarity is more forgiving. The franchise has certainly evolved from being about kids from different districts being forced in situations where it's kill or be killed, to becoming part of a rebellion to fight the very one that put them in the Hunger Games scenario. I have to say that this is not the first time we've seen films about a 'resistance' fighting 'big brother' basically--this is just with a slightly different backdrop. Remember the "Divergent" series? Sound familiar? I think you get the picture. The writing wasn't terrible--it was well scripted, just not original in the concept involved here. This being the last of the series, it's nicely tied up with a Hollywood bow, so all can walk out of the multiplex feeling resolved.

If you're into franchises and serial films, then you'll be in filmdom heaven, however if one is looking for substance instead of seasoned actors yawning their way through their roles that they've done for the fourth time since the franchise's inception, then this may be something you may want to avoid.

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                             Rated: PG-13                             137mins.