The Hunger Games Apocalyptic Reread and Movie Watch

This post contains spoilers for all three books and all four movies. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020) will not be spoiled in this post.

I was reading a doorstop sized book, as per usual. Then the Covid 19 crisis happened and, like many of us, my anxiety left me with the attention span of a gnat. I looked on the ancient kindle I inherited from a dear friend for alternatives. There they were, the Hunger Games trilogy (2008-2014). It was time to revisit this bleak YA series, in which pretty much everyone dies and most, if not all, hope is lost.

First off, the biases. I love dystopian fiction and the Hunger Games is no exception. I lapped that shit up when I first discovered it. I listened to the first two books as audiobooks while working a dull clerical job. I’ve always liked the Hunger Games but it was pure coincidence that I picked it up again recently, along with a lot of other readers.

Strangely, I’m not the only one of late to gravitate towards the Hunger Games. I guess we all want to embrace the bleak right now. I have seen recent articles and YouTube videos urging readers to revisit the books. This is partly because the prequel to the Hunger Games, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, has been released. Enough of that, let’s talk about children battling to the death.

I will be breaking down my thoughts on each book and comparing them with the movies. Let’s go!

The Hunger Games

How cool are these new covers by the way?

Unless you have lived in an underground bunker for the last decade, you must know this story. The Hunger Games are a fight to the death. The games are broadcast annually. The fighters are children over the age of 12 and they are chosen each year from the Districts. These books are set in a country called Panem, which vaguely resembles the States. Each District is subordinate to the upper class, who all live in an area called the Capitol. Every year, two children from the districts, one boy and one girl are placed in the arena to fight for their lives. This battle is televised and known as the ‘Hunger Games’. The last survivor is known as the victor and their lives are a glamourous hell from there on out.

We follow Katniss, she is pretty cool, handy with an arrow and likes to hunt with her friend Gale in the woods. During the reaping, the ceremony to choose the competitors of The Hunger Games, Katniss’ little sister Prim is chosen and Katniss volunteers to take her place. Our story is born.

When I read dystopian fiction, I get most excited by the world building aspect of the storytelling.The Hunger Games answers my need for world building. Each new development requires an extensive history. Katniss’ inner monologue is always off on another tangent. On balance, the cliffhangers and high stakes are carefully distributed throughout the text. The Hunger Games author, Stephanie Collins, knows her craft.

Yet, I’m nothing if not a critical reader. At times, the text makes me cringe. The dialogue can be particularly embarrassing as it’s littered with clichés. Despite that, I am always rooting for Collins. The Hunger Games has a real charm to it, which doesn’t translate well to the screen. But we will get there, don’t you worry.

During this reread, the love triangle felt tiresome. It’s an overdone YA trope and it reads as a lazy point of intrigue. On the revisit, it was always going to be Peeta. Peeta, as you will well know, is randomly chosen as one of District 12’s competitors in the games. Unfortunately, I was once in support of team Gale, but Katniss’ and Gale’s shared experience is nothing on what Peeta and Katniss experience together in the games.

I think Collins could have entirely done away with the love triangle subplot and the books would still be engaging. I think removing Katniss’s inner turmoil over ‘who to choose’ would improve this trilogy. Gale could become her close friend and confidant. I will never grow bored of friendships between men and women in literature. These books really hold up and continue to be enjoyable as I age, but the love triangle is now off-putting.

The worst of the love triangle plot points don’t come in until the later books. In The Hunger Games, the first part of the book is dedicated to familiarising the reader with these characters. This is done beautifully. The fabric of this story is intricately woven. The stakes feel real. Katniss’ fierce loyalty to Prim makes the iconic moment where she volunteers as her tribute feel earned. Peeta and Katniss’ origin story creates a strong bond between the characters that follows them throughout the books.

Peeta’s family owns the local bakery, making them part of the comfortable working class. Peeta and his siblings may eat the stale bread that didn’t sell during the day but unlike Katniss, he never starves. The Hunger Games makes the case for kindness between class divides. Peeta sees the starving young Katniss sitting out on the street and covertly throws her spoiled bread. Peeta’s adoration for Katniss is unrelenting. His every move seems motivated to protect her, both inside and outside of the arena. His sacrifices are almost saintly.

This is true of so many in Katniss’ immediate support circle. For all her misfortune in life, Katniss is truly privileged in the arena. She is a compelling character, and it’s not hard to believe she would be a fan favourite in the Capitol. It’s true that Katniss’ life experience, meaning her struggle to survive, have made her an ideal candidate for the games. But she would be a goner if it wasn’t for other people. There is a truth to this. We are all reliant on the support of others, we are nothing without the help of our community. Yet, Katniss irrationally resents this and wishes to owe nothing to anyone else. She sees any action in her favour as a debt to be repaid.

Over the course of the next few books, Katniss grows to trust others and begins to work communally with others. Prior to becoming the ‘Mockingjay’, young Katniss is a damaged youth in a grossly unjust situation. Physically, Katniss is prepared for the games, but emotionally she is extremely vulnerable. This aspect of her personality is what endears her to others, and most likely endears her to the reader. Katniss’ vulnerability towards her loved ones will ultimately be her strength.

The text isn’t afraid to really delve into the most brutally dark content. The core plot, the games itself, are unthinkably tragic. Forcing parents and communities watch their children kill each other, or failing that, die by some other means, is horrific to contemplate. Rather than painting herself into a corner, Collins opened a Pandora’s box of grief and injustice. It takes our story to unexpected places.

The Capitol is shrouded in mystery, it’s opulence is reliant on the suffering of the majority. All things bright and over the top are cherished in the Capitol, and I just find that endlessly fascinating. The nastiness of the Capitol citizens making themselves vomit so they can eat more while the districts starve is deliciously evil. It makes sense that The Hunger Games established this intriguing yet repellant upper class. The Capitol are the exaggerated version of our own 1%. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

It’s safe to say that this first instalment of The Hunger Games is a success. The games themselves are brutal and action packed. Collins never lets us linger too long, which makes sense. Hesitation means death. Giving into your urges is dangerous. We see a character killed early on for attracting attention by starting a fire. The more you can tolerate suffering, the more likely you are to survive.

This is the main advantage Katniss has in her arsenal, not her archery skills, but her ability to scale a tree and wait out the war. In this first novel, we are offered a strong group of characters and a well-constructed world to explore.

You’d think that filmmakers would be able to adapt this spirit of the story to film. You would be wrong.

The Hunger Games Movie

Katniss looking pensive at the "Reaping", or perhaps, her tights are falling down her bum.

Alright, the first hunger games film is a bit of a disaster. I say this mainly because I watched it recently and I can’t remember it. The film’s director is a big fan of shaky cam. I’m not a big fan of his directorial decisions. Gary Ross is also the director of such classics as, Seabiscuit (2003). Seabiscuit is a horse movie that my family made me watch at the cinema. He is also responsible for Pleasantville (1998). Actually, I like Pleasantville. Good job Gary. I don’t know how he became the director for this gritty dystopian drama. Regardless, he’s what we’ve got.

This film proves that no all-star cast can prop up a poorly done adaptation. I can only assume some directorial choices brought down the quality of this film. The Hunger Games crimes include- the aforementioned shaky cam, awkward line reads, and most importantly, the casting of a black and white cat for Buttercup.

Buttercup the cat is written with the emotional range of a human. According to Katniss, he loathes her with the intensity of a Disney villain. He plays an integral role in the third book. This is no small part. I know it’s a petty critique, but if you can’t get a ginger cat to play a ginger cat it says a lot about your loyalty to your book adaptation.

Gary Ross, what were you thinking with this film? Black and white buttercup, along with Ross, exited the Hunger Games franchise before the second film, and thank god for that.

My personal vendetta to this film's director aside, I tip my hat to the casting director. I want it on record that I realise she wasn’t responsible for the Buttercup disaster. I think some of the casting is fitting. Elizabeth Banks screams former theatre kid and I think she is a dead ringer for an Effy type. Effy is all about the theatrics and pomp and ceremony, all while being uncomprehendingly oblivious to the ethical nightmare that is The Hunger Games. Stanly Tucci makes for the best Caesar Flickerman, the charismatic television host of The Hunger Games. Everyone feels instantly at ease with the Tuch. I think it’s no coincidence that he also played a great serial killer in The Lovely Bones (2009).

Some of the casting is more surprising. I think Woody Harrelson is an odd choice for the deeply damaged Haymitch, the former victor and Peeta and Katniss' mentor in the Games. He does give the role its due with a certain perpetually grumpy and aloof energy. But, I wouldn’t have picked him out for the role.

Then there are our main three. Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mallark and Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne. There is a general consensus that Liam Hemsworth’s rugged handsomeness outshines his costar, Hutcherson. I tend to agree, and as I said I was traditionally a Team Gale.

However, this the love triangle subplot now brings me no joy. I can recognise that Gale needed to be attractive to raise the stakes of this tired YA trope. That aside, I am now realising that Hutcherson took his role in The Hunger Games movies very seriously. I did have to look up his name, but that’s not really fair on him as he’s not part of a legendary Hollywood family, like the Hemsworth brothers.

I think Jennifer Lawrence did a fine job as Katniss Everdeen. She plays controlled dramatic roles with a lot of skill. I think it is a shame that a woman of colour was not able to rise to prominence through this role. Katniss is written with olive skin and dark hair. I think there were many non-white actors who could have taken on this role. Almost ten years later, we are still struggling for representation, with roles written for women of colour habitually being threatened to be white washed. I think this choice would have only added to the film’s appeal. But I digress, Lawrence remains a well-cast lead.

I don’t have much more to say about this movie because it makes me mad. Bring on the second book!

Catching Fire

These book covers are still looking bloody good.

The second book sees Peeta and Katniss back in District 12 after their mutual victory at The Hunger Games. In fact, a mutual victory is unprecedented in The Hunger Games. Katniss is under the surveillance of the Capitol after floating the idea of a suicide pact if they weren't allowed to both walk out of the arena alive. 

Back in the relative safety of home, and in their new victors’ houses no less, the two are realising that a victor never escapes the games. Haymitch’s alcoholism begins to make sense as a coping mechanism. Victors are expected to do press junkets, and train future Hunger Games’ victims from their districts, essentially sending children into the arena to die. Their lives are irrevocably changed.

Catching Fire spends a lot of telling dwelling on life back in District 12, which I really enjoyed. The everyday lives of our characters are given more texture and intrigue. We also see the increased unrest in Panem, which will result in the revolution in book 3, Mockingjay.

Safe to say a lot happens and the plot developments are quick fire (mind the pun). The latter half of the book sees our characters thrust back into the arena in a special all-stars version of the Games for the 75th Hunger Games, known as the Quarter Quell. This results in my favourite plot development in the trilogy. The arena is shaped like a clock! I’m still amazed by this idea, that a nasty attack happens in every segment of the arena, on the hour. It’s inspired.

I will say that the destruction, and subsequent rescue, are too hard to follow. We are also just told as a reader that the destruction of the arena was the flame that started the fire in the Districts. Oh right, I just realised that’s why it’s called Catching Fire. This could have used more explanation. We keep getting told that Katniss and the Quarter Quell are the catalyst for a burgeoning revolution, but we aren’t really shown it.

I think that’s that limitations of the first-person narrative. The reader is only able to comprehend as much of the revolution as Katniss. I think this is one area where the movies do expand on the books well. The movie audience is prithee to information beyond Katniss’ orbit, and all the better for it. In the first film, we are mostly shown useless exchanges between President Snow of the Capitol with his Game Maker or granddaughter. These conversations do little to expand on the story. In the later films, however, this technique is used to greater effect and we are given a broader understanding of the revolution as an audience.

With that established, now let’s segue into the second film.

Catching Fire the Film

You just know that they have perfumed underpants for their farts in the Capitol.

Catching Fire is a straight forward film. It meets all the requirements of an adequate adaptation of the book, with little stylistic innovation. Some directors have a distinct style, a certain vision for their film. Francis Lawrence is the director of these last three Hunger Games films and he is not an innovator. The gritty realism of the first film, the quick shaky shots inside the District 12 houses, have been abandoned for Catching Fire. The film is better for it, the more stylised features of the first film were distracting rather than impressive.

Catching Fire features all the major plot points. Katniss kisses Gale, they are shown during the Victor’s tour, and then eventually at the Quarter Quell games. I would say this adaptation is simply, adequate.

I find it frustrating that when dystopian fiction is dramatised, the most passive actions of the characters are turned aggressive. In the book, Gale is publicly whipped after he is found with his kill following a hunt. Hunting is illegal as all the wild animals are considered fair game for the Capitol, exclusively. The Gale of the movie is not caught in the act, instead he is stupidly involved in an altercation with a peacekeeper, who are Panem’s answer to the police.

I take issue to these heroic actions because it’s not in keeping with typical human nature. In true authoritarian society, the people are often too scared to act. In a novel, the characters can absorb us in their internal monologue. We can witness the atrocities of their world without needing them to create conflict.

Movies often rely on action sequences to raise the stakes and engage audiences. Acts of aggression would have our characters enslaved or killed, which is in opposition with the intention of the books. Collins pulls out all the stops to keep her core group of characters alive. Their movie counterparts would surely be dead before the final act. We know from the books that any rebellious behavior is not tolerated in Panem. Traitors of the dictatorship are made into ‘avoxes’, meaning their tongues are forcibly removed and they are sent to the Capitol as slaves. The movie version of Gale would suffer more punishment than being whipped at the post. In summary, I don’t like this change, obviously.

The actors appear to be enjoying their craft more in this film. Jennifer Lawrence channels some intense face acting. I commend her for her ugly crying faces. Lawrence is not afraid to immerse herself in the emotionality of her role. I appreciate the effort the actors put into these roles because let’s be honest, at times it must be difficult for them to take their jobs seriously. 

The scenes in the arena are, again, adequate. The film makes sense of a very confusing plot development leading up to the destruction of the arena. The way the book reads implies that we, the reader, don’t truly need to understand the logistics of their strategy. In fact, it’s mostly dismissed as if to say- ‘it’s science, don’t worry about it.’ In the film, the film makers can show, and not tell, the convoluted plan of attack on their enemies in the arena, using a coil of wire and Katniss’ arrow. I won’t try to explain this plan, because I don’t think that I could do a better job than Collins in this respect.

This second film meets the mark (pun intended), but it doesn’t exceed expectations. It’s loyalty to the book is mostly sound but it drags in parts. With that said, it’s a vast improvement on the first film.

Mockingjay

Hey there, good looking.

Mockingjay follows Katniss after she is rescued from the arena. She finds herself in District 13 amid a growing rebellion. District 13 was said to be destroyed during a war between the Capitol and the rebels. Katniss finds that District 13, the former weapons manufacturer for the Capitol, is not only still in existence, it is at the centre of the revolutionary effort.

Coincidentally, Katniss is joined by the remaining citizens of District 12. The District was bombed by the Capitol into oblivion. It was only Gale’s rapid response with a rescue mission that meant that a handful of people survived. 

District 13 hasn’t fared well either, as many of the citizens were wiped out by a virus. Desperate to raise it’s population, District 13 welcomes any refugees with open arms. But refugees are only welcomed into the District if they follow a series of strict rules. Food is evenly rationed and each citizen is given a daily schedule tattooed on their arm. Of course, this doesn’t suit the rebellious Katniss at all, who ignores her schedule and makes lofty requests from the leader of the District, President Coin. Her most controversial request is to grant Peeta Mellark immunity. Peeta was captured by the Capitol and is being used as against the rebels, calling for a cease fire. This is the main point of tension for Katniss as our story opens.

Katniss is in full blown martyr mode in Mockingjay. By this I mean, that she is taking on the burdens of the revolutionary effort when it is entirely unnecessary to do so. She feels she is responsible for the destruction of District 12. She could only be at fault for the bombing metaphorically at best, given that she was not involved with the decision to bomb District 12, nor the dropping of the actual bombs.

She also feels responsible for Peeta’s torture in the Capitol. Katniss has the opposite of the victim complex, I guess a villain context? Everything is her fault and her guilt in Mockingjay is honestly somewhat exhausting. It makes sense that she is a teen because she lacks the perspective to recognise that the revolution, both its triumphs and consequences, are bigger than her.

The people around Katniss don’t do much to help. She is cursed with the burden of the being the face of the revolution. She rightfully feels used by President Coin and her associates. She is broadcast on television in a series called ‘propos’, to motivate the people of Panem. They have Katniss in war zones and making impassioned speeches to arm people for a fight.

This is where I think this last book is clever though, Mockingjay subverts the YA trope of the ‘chosen one’.

This trope is ubiquitous in the genre. Frequently, YA fantasy heroes are given abilities that make them special amongst their peers. They have responsibility thrust upon them at a young age and are expected to overcome great evils. In its essence, ‘the chosen one’ trope is a retelling on the classic good versus evil narrative. I think its appeal lies in the escapism of the characterisation. Young readers can imagine themselves as this powerful young hero and bask in the glory.

But Katniss is not only a reluctant chosen one, she is aware that she is merely a figurehead for a system well beyond her control. No leader in The Hunger Games series is without ulterior motives. On either side of this corrupt dystopian society, leaders are hungry for ultimate power. Both President Coin and President Snow are immoral dictators controlling their subjects with fear. In a way, Coin’s presidency is more insidious than Snow's, because she manipulates her people to believe they are on the right side of history. She uses this power over them to justify committing horrific deeds.

This novel could be separated into two acts. In the second act, Katniss and a rag tag crew of other soldiers enter the depths of the Capitol, hell bent on capturing President Snow. I don’t have too much to say about this section of the novel except that the actions scenes are compelling. Also, some of the major players in the books are finally being taken down in this epic finale. RIP Finnick.

What happens next is a little murkier for me. A group of capitol children are gathered together after their families have deserted their homes in fear. The children are then bombed by parachutes falling from the sky. This is a nasty trick as parachutes are used in The Hunger Games to give the tributes gifts that may determine their survival. This means that the children are expecting gifts rather than violence. District 13 paramedics enter the scene to attend to the victims, including Katniss’ sister Prim. Then, another fatal bombing occurs, presumably killing everyone involved. Katniss runs to Prims aid and is injured in the explosion but ultimately survives.

When I first read Mockingjay, this death felt like a personal attack to me as a reader. Prim is one of the most tragic deaths in the book, perhaps only overtaken by 12-year-old Rue who died in the first book. There is a cruel irony in the decision to kill off Prim. Katniss enters The Hunger Games in the first instance to take Prim’s place. In a way, the series of events leading up to the events in Mockingjay can all be linked back to Katniss’ need to protect her younger sister. Prim is also a promising young woman with an aspiration for becoming a doctor.

This starts the domino effect that creates this novel’s thrilling conclusion. President Snow is captured and prepped for a ceremonial killing by Katniss. But, before Katniss can have the killing she has been thirsty for, Snow puts a seed of doubt in Katniss’ mind. Were the children killed by the Capitol or planned by President Coin of District 13? The plan could have been carefully orchestrated by Coin herself, to frame the decision makers in the Capitol. The massacre was the final nail in the coffin for the citizens of the Capitol.

Katniss doubts Coin’s moral integrity right from the beginning and in the final moment before she is supposed to kill Snow, she turns instead to kill Coin. This is a simplistic understanding of the system which oppressed and ultimately massacred the people of Panem. If Katniss’ suspicions are correct, Coin and her allies are not only responsible for the deaths of innocent Capitol children, she is also responsible for the deaths of her own people. This puts the cause firmly before the survival of her own people. Katniss overlooks the issues of the system that created leaders like Coin. Coin was not a solo agent and others must have been responsible for approving this devastating plan of action. Coin is only one player in a corrupt system. Despite this, it was epic to read this thrilling 180 on Katniss’ part.

And this is the ultimate challenge of a dystopian story, the ending. At its most depressing, there is no hope. It’s a despondent Winston at the end of 1984 (1949) with no chance of a better world. The Hunger Games series ends on a partly positive note. Our favourite characters have moved on with their lives, and some have found a sense of purpose within this new society. It’s interesting that such a cruel narrative, that rarely overlooked an opportunity to be truly bleak, ended with such a happy ending. It is nice that Katniss is finally at peace and in its own way this feels earned.

Yet, it would be in keeping with the trajectory of this story for the worst to happen again. I hope for Katniss’ sake this is not the case. After all, at the concluding chapter of Mockingjay, she is a mother of two.

Mockingjay the Movie Part 1

TFW some fool told you it was a costume party and no one else dressed up

Remember when it became a trend for book adaptations to be split into multiple movies? It happened to Twilight, the Hobbit and Harry Potter. It’s a common trend for massive film franchises to rely on expanding the story into two parts, or more. I’m ambivalent to this model.

The issue is that the necessary drastic editing of the previous books is replaced by struggling to fill the longer time slots. As viewers, we no longer have the advantage of missing the less desirable parts of the story to save time. I think there are pros and cons of this model, but often, the first movie plays out as a set up for the more compelling finale in part two.

Mockingjay (2014) part one is no exception to this rule, the parts of the book you may feel compelled to skim read to get the action have been adapted to film. As a stand alone film, Mockingjay part 1 is not very strong. It has its moments but for the most part, it isn’t the most compelling of the movie output. Still, this film is of a better quality to the first Hunger Games film, I will give it that.

I also think the performances are a highlight in this film. At this point in the story, Katniss and her allies are under a great deal of pressure. This allows for the all star cast to really delve into the emotional journey of their characters. Hutcherson and Lawrence are particularly great in this film. I have always been sceptical about Hutcherson’s Peeta but I think in this film he won me over. Towards the end of the film, we see a defeated Peeta return to Katniss in District 13 after being tortured and essentially hypnotised in the Capitol. He now believes that Katniss is an agent of the Capitol, manipulating everyone around her.

It takes a lot of skill to elicit emotion in a viewer who already anticipates the characters actions. I knew that Peeta would attack Katniss when he saw her but I was still shocked by Hutcherson’s take on Peeta’s state of mind. The action sequence is brutal and it made me physically jump as he threw Katniss across the room.

I also think Julianne Moore plays a wonderful President Coin, the shady leader of District 13. She plays the role with great control, which really brought the manipulative authoritarian leader to life. Philip Seymour Hoffman was also a delight. The way he could act calm and charming in one moment and completely fly off the handle in the next exhibited his great skills as an actor.

Beyond these points, I wasn’t really taken by this film. I think there is a loyalty to the book for the most part. Although, one of the most troubling plot points of Katniss’ former makeup crew being tortured in District 13 was removed for the movie. The addition of the torture in 13 gives the reader a hint of the maliciousness underlying this district. The authority figures in this District maintain a great deal of control over their citizens, which makes the similarities between District 13 and the Capitol very acute. Establishing the conflict Katniss feels against District 13 is an integral aspect of the book and I think this was an oversight of the movie.

As a rule, films can only be as good as their source material. I think Mockingjay part 1 proves that the first half of the book wasn’t particularly strong. I think part 2 will be the superior film.

Mockingjay the Movie Part 2

Warning, tame bird may not actually feature in the film. Imagine if it did though??

Let me reiterate, the first part of a film adaptation of a final book is always exposition heavy in preparation for the action packed second half. See the adaptations of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2010-2011) or Breaking Dawn (2010-2011) of the Twilight series. Mockingjay (2015) part 2 really delivers. The film plays out like an action film with a sprinkling of brief emotional scenes as our favourite characters grapple with their world in turmoil.

The latter half of the book seems to pass by so fast on the screen. All the major plot points are there but the action scenes are given far more development. We see our heroes literally fist fighting the muttations of the Capitol. I may be wrong, but in the books our heroes weren’t even close to these monsters, as that would mean a certain death. In the film, Katniss and her fellow soldiers are literally backflipping the lizard beasts created by the Capitol with the sole purpose of destroying the rebels.

This final film was enjoyable in that the more confusing parts of the narrative are given shape. I couldn’t quite imagine the sludge that releases from the pods, an attack network created by the Capitol, from my reading. The film brought the fatal sludge to life as our characters run for their lives from the tar like substance.

I would argue that the emotional impact of the deaths is sidelined in favour of the fast-paced action. Many soldiers’ deaths seem ephemeral to the main mission, whereas in the books these deaths were treated with pause. Only Finnick’s and Prim’s painful demise is given its due in the film’s main combat, with many of the other fatalities appearing only briefly or off screen.

This is also relevant to the book, but I can’t understand Katniss’ logic when she agrees that Capitol children should be forced into a new version of The Hunger Games. These new Games would act as penance for the wrongdoings of their parents. It seems out of character. Katniss is always on the side of mercy and disapproves of Gale’s stance on the conflict. Gale often advocates for combat over negotiation with the districts which are more loyal to the Capitol. Katniss as a supporter of Coin’s awful plan to continue the unnecessary suffering of children and their families seems to be a very last minute change of heart.

Our final show down between Katniss and Snow, with the twist of Katniss taking down Coin is done well. Coin, standing above Snow is taken down in a surprise attack from Katniss, with her signature bow and arrow. It may be a little on the nose, but Coin’s literal fall from grace makes for an epic watch.

We are also given a fitting reprieve for the remaining characters. And Lawrence isn’t going to get out of this without one final heart wrenching performance. This time she is yelling at Buttercup the cat. I said it once in this post and I’ll say it again. Buttercup is an important character. 

After yelling what remains of her heart out at the creature, ‘Prim’s not here anymore,’ etc, Lawrence produces actual spittle. You can see a line of spit! Amazing. Say what you will, but Lawrence has a dedication to the craft of acting. She’s not afraid to look real gross when portraying the depths of grief.

I thought Katniss' speech to her baby at the end was very cheesy. Yet, it’s nice that her and Peeta have a cute baby and young child. That moved me, despite some of Peeta and Katniss’ interactions making me roll my eyes during this film.

I have said far too much about all the films and books at this point. TLDR: this series holds up. It’s compelling, it’s emotional and it’s dark. If you are thinking about watching or reading the Hunger Games, I urge you to do so.