Mockingjay Part 2: Katniss Everdeen Never Dies

by Devina Gunawan

I read the books. Did you?

Mockingjay Part 2 was a better treat than Part 1, that much I can tell you.

We picked up right where we left Katniss last year, after Peeta attacked her and nearly killed her. Katniss, after losing her voice and the man who had loved her unconditionally, regained her strength and returned to assume her role as the Mockingjay.

Gale, ever so pining over Katniss, realized that Katniss loved Peeta more than she loved him, and made his point a little bit too often for my liking. He also turned dark, agreeing to massive murder for “good cause” and seeing death of some as a necessary step to winning.

Peeta, on the other hand, was keen on convincing his visitors that Katniss was a monster and that she should be killed. I never liked J-Hutch playing my beloved novel Peeta, but he grew on me somehow.

Katniss, Katniss, you just had to love the man who wanted you dead and ignore the one who’d die for you. She was fixated in the Peeta she had fallen for, that the brainwashed, skinny Peeta standing in front of her served her as nothing more than just a reminder. He was a threat, and I don’t think Katniss liked him very much.

So enough of the romantic drama.

We then witnessed more of filming. It’s like Snow and Coin were playing a game of who could produce better videos. And their interaction was just mini sessions of broadcast to everyone.

Katniss was a symbol, and that was all she did throughout. Wherever she went, people whispered, “That’s her.”

She led a group of star players across the Capitol to murder Snow. Of course, Katniss didn’t really know what she was doing. As usual. So she led her team underground, into a group of mutts, in and out of danger, and several people had to die.

Including Finnick Odair.

I knew it was coming, but it was still painful to watch.

Meanwhile, Coin was sitting safely in her own bunk. She was controlling the game, and she had planned to dispose of Katniss once everything was done. Why? The Mockingjay was a threat to her.

She wanted Snow’s place. Obviously.

Then, Katniss and Gale marched with Capitol residents towards Snow’s house, where shelter and food were provided to everyone who needed safety and warmth. However, there were bombs dropped onto the little children and later on the group of medics, in which Primrose was a part of.

So Katniss lost the main drive in her battle. Since the very beginning, Prim was Katniss’ main drive to volunteering Hunger Games and winning it. So her death sealed her in the state of denial and bitterness.

She woke up to victory, or what seemed to be one. Gale never confessed to being a part of the team that planned the bombing that killed Prim, but he left Katniss in regrets and shame.

Katniss was summoned to see Coin, who arranged a meeting for the remaining victors to discuss the fate of the Panem. Coin proposed a symbolic Hunger Games, with Capitol children as tributes, to get back at Snow.

After she got the votes she needed, Coin announced that the Hunger Games would be announced after Snow’s execution. To which, Katniss was given the privilege to do.

So she killed Coin, and before she could commit suicide, Peeta stopped her.

Promised to be pardoned someday, Katniss was requested to leave the Capitol and back home. Haymitch was to look after her, and Effie bid the girl on fire the final goodbye.

They kept on saying goodbye, but Katniss just never died.

Katniss then went back home, and grieved over her loss. Peeta returned and joined her, and the resumed their subtle romance.

Now, I have a lot of things to say about this movie.

Visually, it’s stunning. It is wonderful, and the actors are pretty. I loved the characters in the books, but I am not sure if I loved the actors as much.

There was this little layer of romance that was just growing thicker in each movie, and it felt a bit forced. We never saw much of Peeta and Katniss in the earlier movies. In the books, the romance was real. In the movies, however, not so much.

The movies did well in portraying Katniss’ fire. Jennifer Lawrence gave an A performance, and she was the Mockingjay. She was strong and vulnerable at the same time, and she was broken and powerful.

She was immortal though, and that was insane. She was the James Bond in the movie. Nothing could kill her.

Hemsworth disappointed me a little in his portrayal of Gale. It could be the script. But I had pictured Gale much differently.

J-Hutch was excellent. I could not say that I hated him anymore after watching this, but I still preferred someone else as Peeta. I love him as an actor, but not as Peeta Mellark I suppose. Peeta Mellark was the heart of the Hunger Games trilogy to me, despite people saying that it was Primrose. Peeta was the voice of reason for Katniss. She had started the fight due to Prim, but what kept her going was Peeta. Prim was the push that started it all, but Peeta was the driving force behind the rebellion.

Thanks to Peeta, we got interesting novels. If it was just Gale, ah, I don’t know if I’d have read the whole trilogy.

Effie was more of Katniss’ mother than the real mother herself. Haymitch too, he was a father figure to Katniss. It was undeniable that the people Katniss had been with during her Hunger Games experience were her real family. Those who looked after her and gave her comfort when death was the only thing that was visible to her were those she held onto for the rest of her life.

So yeah, sorry team Gale, but he never made the cut.

I wish this movie had better pace, and I wish it wasn’t so slow. I wish something was explosive, emotionally, I mean. Everything felt dragged and slow, and there was no real punch in the guts. It was as if everything was filmed beautifully, in order, according to plan.

We audience want surprise elements, and we didn’t get any.

For that, I give Mockingjay Part 2 a 7/10.

It’s much better than part 1, let me remind you again.