by Ken B.
Well, it’s just about over. The Hunger Games is really the first major franchise whose films I have covered in full on the site, and with the first preview for the final installment, Mockingjay Part 2, released earlier today (June 9), I figured it would be appropriate to record my thoughts.
The one thing that I’m wary about is the “part 2” in the title — the negative effect of dragging out a single novel over multiple films has been demonstrated by many franchises, and here, in Mockingjay Part 1. However, the second half tends to be more brisk, with the languid setups of its predecessor left behind. That’s how it worked with other series, such as Harry Potter, so I expect a somewhat similar result here. I do hope that the political undertones that arched through Part 1 resurface in Part 2. Apparently it’s the one major theme of Suzanne Collins’ novels that didn’t translate over to the screen very well (I’ve only found time to read the first one, so I can’t speak on the front).
The film gets the band back together — a main cast of Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, and Josh Hutcherson and a supporting cast consisting, in part, of Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, and Donald Sutherland. Francis Lawrence, who directed the prior two installments, returns to helm the finale. The trailer itself is a decent enough tease, and it piques my interest enough to the point where I’ll probably see and review it, even for completion’s sake if nothing else.
Have any thoughts on the trailer? Leave a comment below.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 will open on November 20, 2015 in virtually every country and territory where it is being released.
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