•  I just want to lay all the cards on the table and tell you despite how negative the points below may sound- I absolutely love The Hunger Games franchise, I just simply try to explore all points of view before making my own conclusions.
• Part 1, Part 2- Too little and then too much. Let me explain........ so these days epic film series always seem to follow a commercial pattern, in that the last film is always split into part 1 and part 2- driven by an insatiable hunger the industry has for box office hits and financial success that seems to have no end. These days it's practically the rule of the universe if there is a way to make more money, you go for it no questions asked even if it results in lack of loyalty and integrity. So let me tell you The Hunger Games is an example of money-hungry movie making. 

• (Above point continued) So Let's revise- What happened in Mockingjay part 1? Katniss filmed some propaganda, she watched a hospital get bombed up and she got Peeta back in a brainwashed condition. Did I miss anything? Nope I don't think I did. Now let's revise what happened in Mockingjay part 2- a lot more then I can sum up in one sentence. Thus too little then too much. Part 1 was really slow-paced only for part 2 to turn around at a really fast pace with action constantly thrown at the audience. My thoughts.....................................

•  (Continued) However, I do understand the producers and directors and screenwriters predicament- they couldn't really win. They could not make one film without taking dramatic liberties with the novel and they couldn't split one book in half to make 2 films that each had an ideal storyline with a build up, climax and resolution-the resolution obviously had to be saved for part 2. Also there were a few new characters in Mockingjay part 1, so if it wasn't a 2-part film we wouldn't have had the chance to empathize with some of them properly. So needless to say; it's no ones fault bringing a book to life on screen sadly has a time limit and it's difficult for people to work within those constraints. This is why I hate it when I watch a scene in a series like this that is completely unnecessary, When I do I have a conversation with my conscience that goes something along the lines of this- 

• Dystopian films are very in- in fact it almost seems as though The Hunger Games is a trendsetter that set of this chain of dystopian films- as follows Divergent and The Maze Runner. It is a very controversial issue in the public eye, many of you draw parallels between all three films and ask- are Divergent and The Maze runner just lesser-rated and less-cherished versions of The Hunger Games? In my personal opinion, I think that the sudden urge for creating dystopian films certainly emerged from the popularity of The Hunger Games but NO, they are not the same, sure they have similar elements- factions vs districts, arena's (THG, TMR) experiments and risks taken for human survival, identity controlled by a higher power/lives that are not our own, corrupt societies and beloved deaths from the very first films (Rue, Chuck, Will- ring a bell?) and the list continues........ The point is each has different story arcs, characters, cinematography and mise-en-scene (everything you pretty much see on screen!) which are pretty much all the features used to make a film. So for all you divergent fans you should understand the most that everything in life is divergent, everything in life has two or more sides. NOTHING is one sided, NOTHING is the same.       

Take a hint from a demigod himself!

•  Heavy themes that have been voiced from the very first film have consistently remained critical and contentious. However, these heavy themes escalated to a whole other level in one big blow or much rather one epic conclusion, so much so that in the last film the ending was simply the only light-heartened scene in the entire film. There were rarely tinges of comedy relief like in previous films and there's a simple answer as to why- The film was too tightly packed with action and drama and there was no room left for anything else. This is understandable, but when I saw Effie towards the end, hope was the first thing that entered my mind. I thought there would be a funny scene. I kept waiting and it never came but i'll go into a little more detail about this scene and my thoughts on it later on. 

• What I love about the world of Panem and The Capitol, is that it's distinctive features that separate this fictional world from others has been consistent throughout the whole franchise. The unearthly and eccentric but rich and colourful styles of the capitol to the poor Workman and labourer attire of Panem. Also I love the way Collins and Lawrence (The director! not our Katnip) have given ancient ideas new life in this dystopian society combined with futuristic elements. A few I picked up on was the arena where they fight to the death which replicates the Roman Colosseum in which Gladiators fought to the death, then there was also the chariots seen in the 1st and 2nd film and then there was more subtle ancient implications that I picked up on, like in Catching Fire when a capitol resident offers Peeta a drink that will help him throw up so he can continue eating, this replicates the ancient Roman elite who when full would tickle there throats with a feather to throw up so they too could continue eating (Kind of despicable when you think about people dying from starvation). Oh then of course there is the classic ancient names- Seneca, Ceasar, Cinna, Claudius, Octavia, Cato and the list continues. Then there is also the issues of government such as tyrannnical rule that dates back most likely to the beginning of time itself. After this, I searched and discovered how many more ancient influences were used and was shocked to discover just how many. 
• Then we have present day issues like implications of reality TV shows or the power of the media and government, kids competing against each other in a game show. 
• Then we have the universal issues of a loss of innocence, power, hope, reality vs fiction and the implications of war.
• Then we have the futuristic elements- hovercraft, force fields and computerized threats such as the mutts in the first film.
• So Ancient ideas + futuristic technology+ current controversies + universal themes = The formula to a successful dystopian film.

NOW I'M GOING TO TAKE A BREAK FROM MY GIFS AND FUN TIME



Last one for now! I swear!

"All I Know Is That I Would've Saved Myself A Lot Of Suffering If I'd Just Given That Bread To The Pig."

Nonetheless i'm glad it was there- in Mockingjay part 1 when Peeta attacked Katniss my mind instantly reverted back to the scene in the book where he calls her a mutt who killed his family and destroys everything, in the book that hit me hard. I felt as though that was an intense prominent scene, so naturally if that wasn't in the film I was going to be disappointed and it wasn't. Only it did not occur to dense-minded me that would be in Mockingjay part 2. However, when this came in the beginning of Mockingjay part 2, to say the least I was not impressed. 

When the epic conclusion to The Hunger Games franchise began I didn't know what to expect or how it would begin and I certainly wasn't expecting to laugh in the first five seconds of the film which opened on Katniss trying to talk after being choked by Peeta in the previous film. If they wished to start the film on that note, in terms of Peeta's brainwashing and being dehumanized I would've liked it if they went about it differently. Perhaps have Katniss walking away from Peeta with an anxious or fretful countenance with Peeta behind her and his words "Your a mutt, you killed my family" fading in the back of her mind. Then Perhaps afterwards she could go check her throat to see how well she can talk. I don't know, but anything other then the beginning we got I would've been happy. 

Also, it made no sense to me whatsoever that Prim was the one to try calm Peeta down and make him rediscover who he was (She didn't know him that well to begin with), for the ones that already read the book and knew that Prim was to die it felt like the directors and producers felt it would make her death sadder if she was unnecessarily involved in more scenes in this film. Personally, it infuriates me when a scene is derailed by throwing in unnecessary characters who have no business being there It's a waste of time for the actors and actresses and the audience who are watching as I previously mentioned in my general note. Don't get me wrong i'm all for side or supporting characters but only when they have a purpose- that's why it made sense Effie was barely in this, it was sad but it made sense. 

Can I just say every character on point the whole way through- WOW!

Jennifer Lawrence- she never disappoints.  J-Law's portrayal of Katniss is the equivalent to Frodo's ring in Lord Of The Rings in regards to the power it generates,

I'd certainly say the amount of emotions J-Law develops rules us all

 both have the power to ignite intense emotional responses from audiences and the characters on screen. From Film 1 to this her acting has been consistent with the character's journey. The scene after Prim's death where she was yelling at the cat if that didn't destroy you then you have no soul- utterly breathtaking and oscar-worthy :( I love her acting in the end where she speaks to her baby of the nightmares of her past, it shows how much she's matured. How when the war was over she was no longer a pawn in anyone's games she controlled the pieces on her own chessboard now.
Josh Hutcherson- His acting is the embodiment of dehumanized, brainwashed and confined. Honestly this was his best performance, his acting was tangible in that you could almost feel his struggle in trying to regain his memories.
Liam Hemsworth- WOW! you could feel his struggle in that Katniss was never going to love him in the way in which he wanted her to, so he turns to what he loves instead of who and makes that his priority, he focuses on helping protect people and the greater good and turning his life into a militaristic one. Hemsworth portrayed this character brilliantly, from innocent, vulnerable and fragile to willing to do anything to protect those he loves, then willing to do anything to protect the greater good. To the one that betrayed the one he loves. Honestly, in the end I didn't know what to make of his character.   

1. Catching Fire- has always been my go-to Hunger Games film
2. The Hunger Games 
3. Mockingjay part 2
4. Mockingjay part 1 

So partying is such sweet sorrow

.....but with a heavy heart.....

We Say Farewell ......

and May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favour!