After three years and four movies, 'The Hunger Games' is coming to an end. Suzanne Collins's trilogy of bestselling books didn't initially seem like the best fit for the big screen: the concept of gladiatorial combat in a post-apocalyptic future had been seen in everything from 'Rollerball' to 'Battle Royale', and the lead was set to be played by some young actress no one had heard of. But a combination of strong screenwriting, muscular direction, a terrific supporting cast and some unexpectedly sharp political satire helped the movies transcend their source material – and the presence of that unknown actress, now one of the world's biggest movie stars, has made them into classics. We've seen 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2', the last instalment in the series, and here are ten reasons why it's a fitting finale.
Ten reasons we loved ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’
We're sad that ‘The Hunger Games’ series is coming to an end – but we're thrilled with how they decided to bow out
2. Francis Lawrence
3. The tunnel scene
4. The twists
5. The politics
6. The bleakness
7. An unexpected turn from Josh Hutcherson
8. A chance to say farewell to Philip Seymour Hoffman
9. Let's face it, the whole cast are great
10. The moral of the story
Read our review of ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2’
So here it is, the triumphant finale to ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise, and time for plucky heroine Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) to march proudly into the Capitol, aim her trusty arrow and loose it straight into the heart of that dastardly villain President Snow (Donald Sutherland). A rousing cheer, and we all go home satisfied. Except that ‘Mockingjay – Part 2’ isn’t that movie. This might be the most downbeat blockbuster in memory, a film that starts out pitiless and goes downhill from there, save for a fleeting glimmer of hope in the final moments.
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