It’s here. The final chapter.
I have to give this trailer credit – I feel more excited about the end of Mockingjay than I thought I would, given how empty and flat the story left me feeling years ago. The fights were too endless, the blasts too uniform, and I stopped feeling anything.
There’s plenty of that here – all those lit up targets and endless running shots – but, even though we’re told how to feel by that music and that sweet, sweet Sutherland voiceover, there are enough moments of silence and other pauses to make this intense moneyfest have some impact.
The same million years ago, when Jennifer Lawrence was first cast as Katniss, there was ‘outcry’ because she didn’t look hungry enough, according to some. This trailer makes damn sure that’s not the issue here – Katniss looks thin, sick, and haunted, even before The Thing happens.
I can see that the special effects budget has doubled yet again. We’ve come a long way from the backyard where they shot The Hunger Games original recipe. As cool as that black lava shot is, though, I hope they leave some time for the performances to resonate. I know Snow and Coin and Katniss and Peeta are not necessarily Oscar-bait roles, but the actors have done a lot with them, especially over years. I’d like to have time to let them sink in.
Am I getting soft? Or does this seem like it might be, if not spectacular, kind of a fitting goodbye?
