Texan Mosaic

by: JENNY GARZA/Entertainment Editor

She’s the girl on fire, The Mockingjay, a girl who wants to be left to live her life in peace.

She also happens to be at her breaking point. The “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2” is the fourth and final installment in “The Hunger Games” film series.

The first three “Hunger Games” movies follow Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a girl who had a very rough life growing up in District 12. Every year, her name went into the drawing for the Hunger Games. She volunteered as tribute for her sister Primrose, who likely would have been killed. At least Katniss had a fighting chance. She participated in the games, but she must get close to the other person who came from her district, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson).

In the next film, “Catching Fire,” Katniss must return to the games because President Snow wants her to suffer because he did not get what he wanted in the first games. She must go through the killings and obstacles like she had to do in the first game, and she notices that she was lucky in the first games and it would not be likely she would be lucky again in saving herself and Peeta.

In the third installment, “Mockingjay Part 1,” Katniss and some of the tributes are saved from the games, but Peeta is not saved. Katniss wakes up in a different place in a hospital, but her family is there when she wakes up and even Gale (Liam Hemsworth), who is the other love interest and best friend, is there as well.

Katniss soon finds out that District 13 does actually still exist and that they want Katniss to be the symbol of the rebellion. She then decides to do that for them and for Peeta to make a barter to get him back. When they finally do get Peeta back, he is not the same. When meeting with Katniss, he began strangling her and trying to kill her. That is when the screen goes black.

In the final film, the opening scene begins with Katniss laying in a hospital unable to speak. Peeta, on the other hand, is locked in a room looking frail and severely crazed. They soon find out he is affected by tracker jacker venom, which causes Peeta to not know what is real and what memories were put into his mind.

Katniss wants to make her way back to into the city because she wants to be done with President Snow. She begins making plans with Gale or whoever may help her get back into the city. When she finally does try to make it into the city, her camera crew, along with some tributes, Gale, and Peeta, are right behind her. President Coin of District 13 is behind the camera crew because she would like publicity for herself.

Katniss knows this and despises it. As the film progresses, Katniss’ crew, “Star Squad,” is fighting their way through booby traps and obstacles that are to keep them away from President Snow and the center of the capitol.

I believe that the movie stayed close to the book. There were a few minor parts that didn’t fit quite well. But other than that, the actors and director kept Katniss and the other characters true to the book. They allowed for them to grow but also allowed for their book character personalities to stay true, such as Peeta’s caring for others, Katniss only wanting everyone she loves to be safe, and Gale always having Katniss’ back. I especially liked the ending and how it was much closer to how I had envisioned it in the book. Even though they had much trouble early in their lives, they lived through it and became somewhat happy as best as they could.

The scenes in the film were mostly shot in darkened places. You could sense that these characters, even though they are so young, had already gone through so much. In this day and age, many people can relate to this movie because of the many things that are happening in the world now.

Also, I loved how Peeta was not trusted around Katniss, and it showed that even though he loved her so much and they had been through so much, it could be changed by a simple act of another person.

This film was a great way to end the series, especially with how it all played out.

For those things, I would give this movie a 4 out of 5.