The best of the series so far.

Rating: 8/10 (10 February 2015)

After watching a film, many people will have many different reactions to it, whether it be one of joy or one of hatred. Other times however, another reaction to a film could be one of disappointment. Whether it be the film not living up to its hype and potential or seeming like a film that was too big to fail, there are many films that while not overall bad, are considered major disappointments. Many would tell you that this film would be a continuation of this trend, due to being overlong, slow and not much payoff, as well as being a supposed weak follow-up to the previous films (which admittedly aren't great films to begin with). The film is a lot better than many give it credit for however, and is definitely the best of the series so far.
The story is that after the events of the previous film, Katniss has gone into hiding along with her family and the rest of the rebels who are planning to overthrow the capital. One way they'll try to do this is through propaganda videos, using Katniss' image as the Mockingjay in order to inspire rebellion in the other districts. However, with her allies at risk and the closing in on the rebels, will she give in?
The plot development is the best of the series yet, as despite not moving at the same quick pace as the previous films (mainly due to how the film is mostly set inside a bunker), in place of it, there is a lot more attention paid on character, story and themes that the other films lacked.
Firstly, all of the characters are well developed. Katniss finally forms into a three dimensional character at this point, and is a lot more interesting this time round. We see her interact with her family, her close friends and the rebels, and because of the amount of time spent on her, we become more sympathetic towards her cause, as she is no longer the whiny and annoying character as seen before, but as a caring, bold and rebellious young woman with a lot of internal conflict to deal with, due to her struggles with her image as the Mockingjay and how it affects everyone around her. Her character is much more rounded this time round, and Jennifer Lawrence gives it her all, clearly showing that after her previous below par performances in the other films, she is fully comfortable in her role. The supporting cast are all around great as well.
Another thing that is really well done is the themes, as they are delivered in a more subtle way this time round, in particular, the idea of the rebels being as bad as the Capitol, considering how they use propaganda and terrorist attacks to inspire rebellion, but arguably are no better than the Capitol, who use similar tactics against the rebels, and in the process, both sides take major losses. It's a very clever idea that's well handled that gives the series more depth than it did previously.
The action in the film is also well done, as there is none of the shaky cam nonsense of the previous films, but now scenes which are well shot and paced and have a strong sense of tension throughout. This is helped by the fact that the villains this time around feel a lot more threatening, with many scenes showing how ruthless they can be, with the highlight of these scenes being Katniss returning to District 12 and finding the place to be completely in ruins, eventually stumbling across skulls and other body parts in the rubble. It is due to this that the villains feel much more intimidating this time round, which makes you even more invested and caring towards the main characters.
However, despite many positive attributes, there are still some problems. Despite the increased threat that the villains have, Donald Sutherland still feels widely miscast as President Snow, delivers a goofy performance that would be more appropriate of the Adam West Batman show of the 60's, rather than a dark and gritty film like this. Luckily, he doesn't have much screen time, but kills the mood when on screen. There is also some really unfunny comic relief as well, particularly in the case of Katniss' cat and while humour is needed to calm the audience after so much action and dark moments, the comic relief sometimes goes too silly for its own good, and once again ruins the tone.
But outside of that, this film was fantastic. After the below par efforts previously, this sequel finally gives the series the jab in the arm it needed in order to truly take off, with a great story, strong characters that you care about, subtle themes and humour and a lot of exciting action with a lot of tension throughout. While not succeeding in every area, this film is something everyone should see as it is truly great cinema. Ignore the naysayers and check this movie out.