Girl on Fire sears in thrilling finale

Zoya Muneeb, Staff Reporter

The hugely popular “Hunger Games” movie series premiered in 2012, based off of a trilogy of the same name by Suzanne Collins. Topping the box offices on November 20, with an estimated $101 million opening weekend, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” was watched worldwide. It stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth and many more of my favorite actors.

The anticipation for the second part of “Mockingjay” to come out is finally over. “Mockingjay – Part 1” had left the audience uneasy and so very anxiously eager for more. In the style of every book since “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the “Mockingjay” book was split into two parts. After a long year wait, tickets started being purchased early, and lines were increasingly getting bigger the night of the release.

“Mockingjay – Part 2” picks up shortly after a Capitol-brainwashed Peeta attacks Katniss. Peeta continues to show violent behavior, and Katniss is fully convinced that Peeta will never return to normal. Katniss asks President Coin to send her to the Capital for the good of the rebellion.

After being shot by a Capitol loyalist in District 2, Katniss decides that enough is enough, and it’s time to kill President Snow, played by actor Donald Sutherland, and put an end to violence. Gale and Katniss join a special ops team that includes characters Finnick, Cressida, and a brainwashed Peeta. The team enters the Capitol which Snow has filled with obstacles straight out of the Hunger Games arena. With every move they make, there are traps that are meant to kill them. Katniss learns who her enemies are and who her allies are and finally decides if she wants a future with Gale or Peeta.

The movie stepped off on the right foot, starting right where the last one left off. The opening scenes were already leaving me anxious for more. If you have not seen the first part of “Mockingjay,” I would not watch the second one yet. The first few minutes of the film reminded me of how Katniss and Peeta had first started: two poor kids barely noticing the existence of each other. Now they are two people head over heels over each other.

For some people, the last movie of the “Hunger Games” series will make or break everything. Actress Lawrence does an amazing job portraying Katniss Everdeen; the cast was perfectly selected for this movie. Such as actor Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark and actor Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne. The onscreen effects were good, the costumes were good, and the plot line was amazing. It would have been better if they had made an important scene near the end a little bit more suspenseful.

“Mockingjay – Part 2” is a wonderful movie. That’s not to say that it isn’t hard to watch; it can be. There are many scenes in the movie that are scary and emotional and real, just like in the book. I think that “Part 2” is the second best film in the Hunger Games franchise, just behind “Catching Fire.”

This movie was very faithful to the source material, with very few things being added or changed. I had kind of hoped that the filmmakers would have changed the plot, so that my favorite characters could avoid dying.

The film currently stands with a 71% percent critic enjoyment rating on review site, Rotten Tomatoes. It seems “Mockingjay Part – 2” might not have been successful in the eyes of all the movie lovers. Some of those movie lovers were unhappy with the ending of the movie, but no matter what movie you choose, you won’t be able to satisfy everyone.

If you’re in search of a movie with a bit of romance, action, and remorse, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2” is the perfect movie to watch.