The Hunger Games franchise is coming to a close, and fans will not be disappointed by the final film. Filled with action, romance, and drama, Mockingjay Part 2 is a perfect farewell to this beloved series.

The opening scene picks up where the previous film, Mockingjay Part 1, left off, with Peeta still entranced by the torture and manipulation of the Capital. In the opening scene, Katniss enters his hospital room, attempting to help him remember the truth about the previous games. The film focuses the tension between the Capital and District 13, which leads to star-studded squad of rebels secretly invading the Capital in order to defeat President Snow.

The highlight of this film is its cinematography. Throughout The Hunger Games series, the scenes have always been shot in great quality, and this film is no exception. The movie was shot in various locations around the world, including Paris and Atlanta. The main goal of a cinematographer is to pull in and connect the audience to the story. Many times, the camera would cut from a shaky shot to a clear, steady shot. The juxtaposition of these two very different types of camera shots expresses the unclear future that the rebels face and their unwavering belief and mission to destroy President Snow’s rule.

Mockingjay Part 2 is action-heavy, but unlike its prequel, it delves deeply into its characters’ psyches. Its focus on the consequences and effects of war is done in such a way that is both beautiful and relatable for the audience. The performances of Jennifer Lawrence, as Katniss, and Josh Hutcherson, as Peeta, were particularly convincing, and the feeling between these two characters felt very authentic and genuine.

In the midst of shooting this film, Philip Seymour Hoffman, who played Plutarch Heavensbee, died from a drug overdose on February 2, 2014. After his death, the cast and crew were given time to grieve, but in returning to set, director Francis Lawrence made a decision to not use extensive CGI, and instead re-wrote scenes to accommodate Hoffman’s absence.

Although the film runs almost two hours, it entrances the viewer until the very end. It contains multiple genres, including action and drama, which help the audience to stay interested and focused in the many details throughout, including the amazing architecture of buildings featured in the film.

Overall the film is very enjoyable to watch and exquisitely wraps up The Hunger Games series. Although this movie deals with some difficult issues such as  violence and loss, I would recommend this film to both teens and adults. I would also suggest watching the other movies before watching this film first; otherwise it is difficult to follow the plot. Fans will definitely be satisfied with Mockingjay Part 2, as it does the books justice and is one of the closest movie adaptations I have seen.

Images: Movie poster, and scenes from the movie shared on Reddit.