Mocking Jay spoiler alert (and elongated rant alert...)
So I study social movements, democracy, change, things like that. I look at them specifically within the context of revolution and socio-economic and governmental change - as in how do we as a society categorically change the oppressive regimes that "govern" us, and replace them with more equitable and just social structures. I specifically work with notions of democracy that engage its etymological roots as a "rule by the people." Meaning that a true governance structure should include all of the people not just some of the powerful people. Within this I view democratic action in very broad terms: free speech, elections, protest, even insurgency and revolution are democratic acts. Non-violent, violent - whatever people are doing to gain or express their political voice and attempt to have some control over their lives. My point is that I study revolution and change as democratic action.
So what? So I just saw the Hunger Games Mocking Jay part 2, and have to say that I am thoroughly and unequivocally unimpressed. Actually, it was a horrible movie. And this comes upon the other three installments of the franchise that I truly loved. The Mocking Jay 1, is one of my favorite movies... "if we burn, you burn with us!" Oh my... I get emotionally choked up every time I see it. Makes it feel like a radical revolution is actually possible! But apparently, or so I learned tonight, it is not.
The first three movies were built upon a horrible distopia reminiscent of many of the underpinnings of modern society, and included a sound critique of situations many people face today. The first movie, The Hunger Games, shows us the terrible situation and the toll a society based on authoritarian and exploitative principles takes. In the second Hunger Games movie, we sees the seeds of revolt building, and hope arising among the oppressed. In the third movie, the Mocking Jay, the revolution begins. The oppressed finally take up arms and come together under the banner of one person, revered for her compassionate rebelliousness in "the games". The rebels have their spark, capacity, and structure, and use them to make their move. All of this done in a steady way that builds and develops story upon story, plot lines upon plot lines, characters upon characters, and really makes you feel both the revolution and its need. And then tonight happened, the Mocking Jay part II. And now the entire revolution has been betrayed...
2 hours of mindless war, blind action, no plot, little substance, all so that we can get to the last twenty minutes and they can throw the entire story, plot twist, and message in a tiny undeveloped space at the end, that completely betrayed the entire message of the other three movies. This film picked up where the last one left off, revolution has caught fire, most of the 12 districts have come together to fight the opulent capital, and rebels are about to march on (or attack) district 2 - the main military command center of the affluent capital. But there is no flow to this, no logical military pathway to district 2. The movie and rebels jump from segment to segment, completely ignoring any context that might tie things together, create any kind of a coherent battle narrative. In all the other movies, the capital is a dominant war machine, the rebels hopelessly outgunned and personed. Yet, at a blink of the eye, the rebels are fortified within the capital's most heavily armed district with only the command center to take. How in the world did they get than far and the capital that week - literally - over night? And then, the capital's most heavily fortified command center is easily taken out by avalanches... and sorry for my snippynesss, but does anyone that wrote this know anything about military strategy? Hey, lets put our great command center and armory - the cornerstone to our national defenses - all under ground in a crater-like valley surrounded on all sides by tall snow-capped mountains... So when was the last time you saw a castle not on the top of the hill, but at the bottom? I'm sorry, but i demand a little more common sense from a society that has methodically and successfully controlled, pacified, and overloarded over it population for 75 years.
And then, it is but a short walk and the next thing you know, they rebels are in the capital, behind the walls and outer defenses. The movie provides no narrative pathway for this, the rebels just flew in and said ok, we'll be here now, and we'll be here now. According to the second Mocking Jay movie, they spent years trying to get access and one plane through. They couldn't even go to different districts. But now, no fight, just show up and rebel!
After "breaching" the cities walls with bad narrative, the viewer is then offered an hour plus of a small group of people wandering around the capital fighting odd booby traps on some absurd propaganda mission. There is of course no word, notion of, connections, or context of anything else happening in this broader revolution or the battle for the capital city itself. And then we're underground fighting the "demons of mordor," and incredibly abandon all sense of the discipline and compassion they had throughout the hole of the three and a half movies. They of course lose key people... but then amazingly! out of no where, the key personas jump in with a refugee horde being ushered to the presidential palace for safety (which doesn't make the most military sense either), but then, in a second, bombs go off, people rush to help and more bombs go off, everyone practically dies, shit is all fucked up... etc. But more importantly, pretty much every principle shown throughout the previous three and half movies is forgotten, no notions of democracy are left, compassion abandoned, there is only rebellion and war. The screen fades to black, and we are presented with one nonsensical conclusive sentence from Woody Harrelson feigning at saying something, and bang the whole revolution ends. Just like that, "everyone knew it was time to stop fighting." Dropping bombs on medical staff all of a sudden became worse than shooting them on site for being out after crufew or deliberately bombing a hospital. Umm... one word, illogical.
Then the bad guy becomes the good guy, the good guy becomes the bad guy, people get murdered, no real rationale offered, democracy lives, no it dies, oh wait it lives, but no one knows who or how, only that every character has betrayed who they were throughout all the other movies. This of course, includes the amazing and fiery female heroin that single-handedly brought down two governments in 3.9 movies, who is now the perfectly happy little hausfrau sitting in a field with her angelic children and doting husband. What?!! Oh, and she drops her childhood, teenage, young adult, and adult love in an incoherent second over his new war by any means ideology, never to speak to him again despite spending 3.75 movies giving everyone a chance, showing compassion like its her only emotion, yet is now all of a sudden gone? I mean, the movies - all presenting this character is a hyper compassionate, loving character categorically against the barbaric games and death they bring, yet is completely cool with a small group of people deciding the hunger games will come back (this time using their enemies from the capital), cause she gets to kill someone. Umm... you drop him for indiscriminate killing, so you can? Oh, and both are categorically agaisnt the characters you became throughout 3.75 movies.
So basically, in 3.75 movies they build a certain character, with certain ideals and principles. they also create a certain revolutionary moment and rationale, and lots of characters to fill this moment, and then in .25 of a movie they undermine EVERYTHING they built prior. What a horrible incoherent movie and tie to a quadrilogy. So disappointing. What a chance to show what real radical change could look like, the struggles and problems, positives and negatives of social change and upheaval, revolution, etc. But no, instead we'll just blow a bunch of stuff up and then make it look like all revolutionaries are hypocritical and shit, and the dictators they rebelled against were actually consistent and honorable savages - unlike the power greedy rebels.
This is evident within each characters evolution:
In short, Susan Collins (writer of books) should be a bit ashamed that the incredible story she wrote, developed, and played out over four movies, ended showing her to have a completely disconnected understanding of revolution, politics, common sense, or even the very characters she developed throughout. I am so thoroughly disappointed. I can honestly say, I don't think I've ever been so disappointed in a movie. Three films that seemingly showed an astute understanding of humanity and society, that built incredible and complex characters, weaved together an incredibly powerful distopian narrative and tail of rebellion and adversity, but then contradicted it all in the final one film. Changed the characters; showed little to no understanding of military strategy, realities of strategic war, understanding of rebellion/resistance/and social movements; betrayed her characters; and ultimately debased the entire franchise with just a really poor final story. The revolution deserved better...
So I study social movements, democracy, change, things like that. I look at them specifically within the context of revolution and socio-economic and governmental change - as in how do we as a society categorically change the oppressive regimes that "govern" us, and replace them with more equitable and just social structures. I specifically work with notions of democracy that engage its etymological roots as a "rule by the people." Meaning that a true governance structure should include all of the people not just some of the powerful people. Within this I view democratic action in very broad terms: free speech, elections, protest, even insurgency and revolution are democratic acts. Non-violent, violent - whatever people are doing to gain or express their political voice and attempt to have some control over their lives. My point is that I study revolution and change as democratic action.
So what? So I just saw the Hunger Games Mocking Jay part 2, and have to say that I am thoroughly and unequivocally unimpressed. Actually, it was a horrible movie. And this comes upon the other three installments of the franchise that I truly loved. The Mocking Jay 1, is one of my favorite movies... "if we burn, you burn with us!" Oh my... I get emotionally choked up every time I see it. Makes it feel like a radical revolution is actually possible! But apparently, or so I learned tonight, it is not.
The first three movies were built upon a horrible distopia reminiscent of many of the underpinnings of modern society, and included a sound critique of situations many people face today. The first movie, The Hunger Games, shows us the terrible situation and the toll a society based on authoritarian and exploitative principles takes. In the second Hunger Games movie, we sees the seeds of revolt building, and hope arising among the oppressed. In the third movie, the Mocking Jay, the revolution begins. The oppressed finally take up arms and come together under the banner of one person, revered for her compassionate rebelliousness in "the games". The rebels have their spark, capacity, and structure, and use them to make their move. All of this done in a steady way that builds and develops story upon story, plot lines upon plot lines, characters upon characters, and really makes you feel both the revolution and its need. And then tonight happened, the Mocking Jay part II. And now the entire revolution has been betrayed...
2 hours of mindless war, blind action, no plot, little substance, all so that we can get to the last twenty minutes and they can throw the entire story, plot twist, and message in a tiny undeveloped space at the end, that completely betrayed the entire message of the other three movies. This film picked up where the last one left off, revolution has caught fire, most of the 12 districts have come together to fight the opulent capital, and rebels are about to march on (or attack) district 2 - the main military command center of the affluent capital. But there is no flow to this, no logical military pathway to district 2. The movie and rebels jump from segment to segment, completely ignoring any context that might tie things together, create any kind of a coherent battle narrative. In all the other movies, the capital is a dominant war machine, the rebels hopelessly outgunned and personed. Yet, at a blink of the eye, the rebels are fortified within the capital's most heavily armed district with only the command center to take. How in the world did they get than far and the capital that week - literally - over night? And then, the capital's most heavily fortified command center is easily taken out by avalanches... and sorry for my snippynesss, but does anyone that wrote this know anything about military strategy? Hey, lets put our great command center and armory - the cornerstone to our national defenses - all under ground in a crater-like valley surrounded on all sides by tall snow-capped mountains... So when was the last time you saw a castle not on the top of the hill, but at the bottom? I'm sorry, but i demand a little more common sense from a society that has methodically and successfully controlled, pacified, and overloarded over it population for 75 years.
And then, it is but a short walk and the next thing you know, they rebels are in the capital, behind the walls and outer defenses. The movie provides no narrative pathway for this, the rebels just flew in and said ok, we'll be here now, and we'll be here now. According to the second Mocking Jay movie, they spent years trying to get access and one plane through. They couldn't even go to different districts. But now, no fight, just show up and rebel!
After "breaching" the cities walls with bad narrative, the viewer is then offered an hour plus of a small group of people wandering around the capital fighting odd booby traps on some absurd propaganda mission. There is of course no word, notion of, connections, or context of anything else happening in this broader revolution or the battle for the capital city itself. And then we're underground fighting the "demons of mordor," and incredibly abandon all sense of the discipline and compassion they had throughout the hole of the three and a half movies. They of course lose key people... but then amazingly! out of no where, the key personas jump in with a refugee horde being ushered to the presidential palace for safety (which doesn't make the most military sense either), but then, in a second, bombs go off, people rush to help and more bombs go off, everyone practically dies, shit is all fucked up... etc. But more importantly, pretty much every principle shown throughout the previous three and half movies is forgotten, no notions of democracy are left, compassion abandoned, there is only rebellion and war. The screen fades to black, and we are presented with one nonsensical conclusive sentence from Woody Harrelson feigning at saying something, and bang the whole revolution ends. Just like that, "everyone knew it was time to stop fighting." Dropping bombs on medical staff all of a sudden became worse than shooting them on site for being out after crufew or deliberately bombing a hospital. Umm... one word, illogical.
Then the bad guy becomes the good guy, the good guy becomes the bad guy, people get murdered, no real rationale offered, democracy lives, no it dies, oh wait it lives, but no one knows who or how, only that every character has betrayed who they were throughout all the other movies. This of course, includes the amazing and fiery female heroin that single-handedly brought down two governments in 3.9 movies, who is now the perfectly happy little hausfrau sitting in a field with her angelic children and doting husband. What?!! Oh, and she drops her childhood, teenage, young adult, and adult love in an incoherent second over his new war by any means ideology, never to speak to him again despite spending 3.75 movies giving everyone a chance, showing compassion like its her only emotion, yet is now all of a sudden gone? I mean, the movies - all presenting this character is a hyper compassionate, loving character categorically against the barbaric games and death they bring, yet is completely cool with a small group of people deciding the hunger games will come back (this time using their enemies from the capital), cause she gets to kill someone. Umm... you drop him for indiscriminate killing, so you can? Oh, and both are categorically agaisnt the characters you became throughout 3.75 movies.
So basically, in 3.75 movies they build a certain character, with certain ideals and principles. they also create a certain revolutionary moment and rationale, and lots of characters to fill this moment, and then in .25 of a movie they undermine EVERYTHING they built prior. What a horrible incoherent movie and tie to a quadrilogy. So disappointing. What a chance to show what real radical change could look like, the struggles and problems, positives and negatives of social change and upheaval, revolution, etc. But no, instead we'll just blow a bunch of stuff up and then make it look like all revolutionaries are hypocritical and shit, and the dictators they rebelled against were actually consistent and honorable savages - unlike the power greedy rebels.
This is evident within each characters evolution:
- Gale: throughout the previous three movies, Gale is a kind, caring, revolutionary character with a building sense of justice and anger against the capital. But at no point prior to this movie do you see a murderous, child and nurse killing, cold and callous radical with complete disregard for life and liberty in fighting the highly a securitized state. Perhaps if time elapsed between Mocking Jay part I and II they could have feigned a transition, but all of a sudden, after his whole point being fighting for people's lives, he suddenly doesn't care about them anymore? He is apparently the one that introduces the two tiered bomb used later in the movie that kills the medical attendants helping the wounded (from the previous bomb). He of course expresses shame and is remorseful it was actually used (which he didn't seem to know was going to happen), yet is unceremoniously cast out of Katnis' life, and then runs lock step into a life of military discipline, the exact opposite of what his character showed throughout the films. And this is of course happening while Katnis kills people. So for three movies you build a character, then in half of one you destroy it all. smh.
- Prim: Great, she is working her way up, about to become a doctor and helping people. But um... lets think about what actually happens and how she dies. She is a civilian doctor for the rebels... where would she be stationed and who would she be helping? Nevermind how the rebels she would have been travelling behind would would have gotten to the presidential palace that was still behind enemy lines, but what in the world would rebel civilian doctors be doing BEYOND the front lines, ahead of the troops? So even when Coin drops this horrible children and medic killing bomb (when she apparently already is well positioned to win the war, as seen in her change in Katnis' value), what are rebel medics doing beyond the front treating the enemy's dead in the middle of the battle itself? This makes no common, medical, or military sense that she would be there... And lets not even get into the absurdity of President Snow, the most compassionless person alive, opening his home to refugees? Right, so someone attacks the US and we're all going to be welcomed into the White House... NO! That is the military command center, so absurd.
- Peeta, actually, I feel like he is ok in a lot of ways, he slowly recovers from his "tracker jack incident,"and gets better, while having his difficult moments. But honestly, his inclusion on the PR mission feels contrived. I feel like they said, hey, this is one of the main characters, lets just through him in there and make up some bull shit reason why: oh, coin changed her mind on Katnis, now killing her with the capital's weapon to kill here is a good idea.... Feels so contrived. And then in the end, happy loving family, I mean, this is all humanity is about right? These heroes of the revolution just go back to their demolished district and start homesteading, raise a family and act like nothing happened? (living happily ever after I'm sure...) Sigh...
- Finik... He plays this huge roll throughout all 2.75 movies and then unceremoniously dies in the pits of "mordor" with dark creatures eating him. But the problem here is that the team loses all the discipline and compassion they had throughout. In the Hunger Games part 2, when it is Peeta, Mags, Finik, and Katnis, they fight for each other, don't leave one another, fight with their backs together until they all can flee poisonous fog or ravenous baboons. But here, they just run and lose all discipline as such, and he being last, just dies. And then Katnis throws this bad guy finder into the pit to blow them all up. Really? You need that... you're smarter than destroying that, or having him left to die. Put an arrow in him, out of his misery. Don't be stupid all of a sudden (like the movie).
- Katnis, where to begin. This radical revolutionary, built up over film after film. Sensitive, caring, won't kill people or things unless hunting or absolutely defending herself. She embodies humanity and goodness throughout. Then all of a sudden at the end she has no problem killing Coin? Cold blooded? In front of everyone? The revolutions operational leader? Then just disappears off to have babies like a good like girl... So shameful. Again, a character is built, and then abandoned. Completely.
- Coin: I certainly can say her turn was not a surprise, she always used words like I rather than we, and played the singular "leader" role way to well. Her turn to the dark side (or showing it as they did) was interesting, and raised a very good point about change and revolution. But honestly, was very disappointingly portrayed. If you want to show this corruption of power, and this is very common in revolutions and democratic overthrows, the former leaders become corrupted and do what she did in terms of power. So yeah, she dies and we have immediate elections...? No one cares, no one has an issue with her death? It'd be like the Union army - not the confederates - killing Lincoln after the Civil War was over and no one blinking...
In short, Susan Collins (writer of books) should be a bit ashamed that the incredible story she wrote, developed, and played out over four movies, ended showing her to have a completely disconnected understanding of revolution, politics, common sense, or even the very characters she developed throughout. I am so thoroughly disappointed. I can honestly say, I don't think I've ever been so disappointed in a movie. Three films that seemingly showed an astute understanding of humanity and society, that built incredible and complex characters, weaved together an incredibly powerful distopian narrative and tail of rebellion and adversity, but then contradicted it all in the final one film. Changed the characters; showed little to no understanding of military strategy, realities of strategic war, understanding of rebellion/resistance/and social movements; betrayed her characters; and ultimately debased the entire franchise with just a really poor final story. The revolution deserved better...
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