Reagan S
It’s OK. Glad this series is over.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
11/23/24
Full Review
John O
My girlfriend at the time and I really liked it
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/19/22
Full Review
Jules M
Ever since I can remember, my parents had told me not to read The Hunger Games books because I believe they thought it was too violent and portrays young people and children as bad examples for society. I have never actually read the books, and I don’t plan on reading them, but I did watch The Hunger Games movies with my cousin for the first time and I thought that they weren’t as bad as I had assumed they were made out to be. I know there are a lot of negative elements in the movies but I have found some very positive elements as well and I would really like to take the time to unpack some of its messages, not only for others, but for myself as well, so that I may gain better skills to discern the quality of a movie. In short, The Hunger Games movies are about a teenage girl who lives in a dystopian society where there are yearly games forcing children (including Katniss) to fight to the death in an arena in order to keep peace in the 12 Districts. The series follows Katniss, and her friends, as she fights to stay alive in the Games and eventually assassinate their dictator, President Snow, to end the Hunger Games. In Mockingjay Part 2, however, she begins her final quest to kill Snow while her friend Peeta, the boy she loves, struggles to overcome being manipulated in the Capitol.
In order to watch a movie like this without getting carried away by the drama, we need to pray for the virtue of temperance. As Dr. Gan in his book Infinite Bandwith: Encountering Christ in the Media says, “By keeping an open mind about media and looking at it from all angles, we can have more informed and balanced opinions.” (Gan, pg.42) When it comes to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, and the series as a whole, it can be difficult to see the balance in the movie. From all of the violence, to Katniss’ own self-degrading mindset. This probably is one of the biggest issues with the movies, in that they can be very negative and depressing because Katniss has such a low self-esteem. This is not entirely bad because it does represent a very realistic view of people who suffer from these mindsets and PTSD. But, for a movie that appeals to teens, they are already going through a hard enough time in their lives and it’s probably not wise to add a predominantly depressing movie. So in a very big way, the story lacks temperance which could have been an even more powerful message to show that in every instance when you feel worthless, you have a way to recognize your own value. However, that’s not to say there is no balance at all. Her friend Peeta, in some instances, is able to counteract her negative flow of thinking such as one scene where she feels guilty for the deaths of so many people, Peeta tells her, “If you end all of this, all those deaths, they mean something… They chose this. They chose you.” which significantly boosts her morale in the moment. It also helps boost her attitude awareness to keep her focused on her goal of destroying their corrupt government.
To help us see the types of attitudes presented in a movie, we need to pray for the cardinal virtue of prudence. Dr. Gan says that, attitude awareness helps “… us to maintain a critical perspective about the messages coming at us through the media.” (Gan, pg. 49) This is one virtue that can be difficult to apply. In the case of Mockingjay Part 2, people’s biases can prevent them from watching the movie with a critical eye. To avoid this, we must be very mindful to be prudent about some of the messages that are conveyed. The movie itself has no God so there is no real standard of morality. Several of the main characters lie, kill, and are inauthentic to themselves probably as a result of having no God. Regardless, movies should be promoting the exact opposite attitudes: truth, life, and authenticity. However, once again Katniss’ friend Peeta is the moral compass of the movie and the closest we come to prudence and morality in such a corrupted world. In the first hunger games he says, regarding the games, “…if I’m gonna die, I still want to be me." meaning that he wants to die without having killed anyone or compromised his humanity. With these elements in mind, it’s important to be aware of our attitude and the attitudes presented in the movie because it can be easy to fall into a life of deception which will ultimately lower the dignity of the human person.
While watching these kinds of apocalyptic movies, it is good to pray for the virtue of justice. “Media should help us understand our dignity and the dignity of others.” (Gan, pg. 66). Movies should portray the goodness of the human person in its highest dignity and treating the body with respect so that it can invite others to look at themselves and others with pure and chaste eyes. The movie does promote a sense of justice by honoring all those who had to die in the games and justice by condemning those who try to run other people’s lives. However, with regard to human dignity the movie does a good job in keeping the dignity of most of the characters except for a scene where Katniss and Peeta sleep in bed together. Although originally meant to comfort each other due to their severe PTSD, it does not justify an unmarried man and woman sleeping in bed together, even if no sex is implied. So, I believe this significantly lowers the dignity of the human person and does them an injustice because it tells young people that it is okay to sleep with your boyfriend or girlfriend, which inherently lowers the dignity of the person. This is why it is so important that movies are filled with truth and goodness regarding people.
Praying for fortitude can aid people in discerning truth. “The virtue of fortitude enables one to conquer fear, even fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions” (CCC 1808). “Through media, truth can… connect with people on the level of emotion. It can attract them to beauty… by engaging them in the story.” (Gan, pg. 91). In The Hunger Games series as a whole, there are a lot of lies or false promises the characters make which can have major consequences-from playing with people’s emotions to misrepresenting oneself. But, the movies do speak to the truth of the horrors of war and the damage it has on people and their lives. It also shows the beauty and truth of sacrificing oneself for your country and the people you love. This movie shows an incredible amount of fortitude from Katniss even though she is a broken person, she continues on for love of her country and the people she cares about. Peeta becomes brainwashed and has to relearn truth through the people he once trusted so that they can show him the truth about his own goodness to give him the strength to keep going. They are good examples of how important truth and fortitude is because even though they may lie, most of the time they end up being remorseful of their dishonesty. An example of this is when Katniss, in the final movie, lies and tells her unit that the President sent her on a mission, but after the deaths of several people, she confesses and apologizes for her behavior that she knew was wrong. These are important messages that show the consequences of sin but the reward of having fortitude. It can inspire people to be more courageous and honest which will eventually lead them to Christ.
By praying for the theological virtue of hope, we can be inspired by movies to do what is right. “God helped man to develop media so that we could use it to inspire people to pursue virtue and a relationship with Him” (Gan, pg. 100). This final Hunger Games movie definitely inspires love and self-sacrifice, not only for the people you love but for your country as well. Movies like this give us hope that we have seen the evil of our ways in the past and will hopefully not return to them again. There’s a scene at the very end where it shows Katniss sitting with her baby and her (now) husband Peeta with her other son. It inspires women to settle down, become mothers, and shows the beauty of motherhood and fatherhood in a single scene which is very moving and powerful. It is something we don’t typically see in more recent movies. The scene also shows that there is hope of a good life for people who have suffered in their lives. I also find the scene inspiring because Katniss and Peeta use each other to heal from their tortured past, The first time I saw the movie, that part made me think of the verse in the Bible where Raguel, referring to Tobiah’s new wife, tells Tobiah, “‘…you shall bring joy to my daughter’s afflicted spirit.’” (Tobit 8:20). I love thinking about this connection because it shows the deep care and responsibility of the husband for the wife; to uphold her and love her while she supports and loves him back. The love between family is a beautiful representation of the love in the Trinity which can lead to a deeper faith in God.
When we pray for the virtue of faith, we are able to see the love God has for us and know that we mean something to Him. “Ultimately, no matter how deadly or false the underlying message of a particular piece of media might be, if it comes in the right package… it will strike many people as good and true.” (Gan, pg. 125). With movies, we have to be very careful how messages (good or bad) are presented because they can shape our worldview into either one that has no faith in God, or one that will help us know and love Him better. In this case, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, the movie itself is skillfully developed, with a great soundtrack, visual effects, storyline, and acting. But, it is not skillfully developed in the most important area: faith. There is no mention of God or a higher power, so all the characters have to rely on are themselves, their government, and the people close to them. This can be seen several times throughout the movie when characters attempt or prepare to take their own lives. They do the best they can in a Godless society, but they lack the knowledge of a higher power who loves them and gives them a reason to live. This representation is an unrealistic world and fails to encourage others in the virtue of faith. There could have been so much more meaning if the characters lived for God and their experiences meant something for the world and their soul, which in turn could have significantly affected viewers because it would relate to other experiences that people have.
The theological virtue of charity is what we must pray for when we see messages conveyed through experiences. “If media isn’t motivated by experience of some truth, some event, some place, it’s not carrying out its proper task.” (Gan, pg. 138). Media that doesn’t convey some sort of truth lacks the virtue of charity. In this last Hunger Games movie, it is highly motivated and relevant to experience because it strongly resembles the times of Roman history gladiatorial contests and Hitler’s Germany. It again calls to mind the times in the past when we have dehumanized humanity. This conveys the fundamental truth that people are sinners and as long as there is sin, they will make the same mistakes. One of my favorite lines is when a fellow comrade of Katniss’ writes her a letter at the end of the movie after they have taken over the corrupt government. He says, “‘… we're fickle stupid beings, with poor memories and a great gift for self-destruction. Although, who knows? Maybe this time, we'll learn.’” These words should hopefully remind everyone of our own history and how lives were lost because of evil and corruption so that ideally we would desire to love others with Christ-like charity so as not to repeat recent events. There are also several scenes where Katniss risks her life to protect her loved ones and is a good example of the selfless charity and love we should all have for others.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
09/28/25
Full Review
Andrew
It’s not bad but not good
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
09/06/25
Full Review
Ry N
The war continues as they storm the capital with a still tweaking Peeta. I enjoyed the plot twist to never trust politicians and the irony of Katniss losing the very thing she's fought for since the beginning.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
08/20/25
Full Review
Michael D
I really wanted to love this final installment, but the ending left me feeling a little underwhelmed. Jennifer Lawrence once again delivers a stellar performance, and the world-building is at its most impressive yet. The musical score is powerful and emotionally resonant, but it can't quite save the film from its flaws.
Unfortunately, glaring continuity issues rear their heads again. After four films, the love triangle feels exhausted.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
08/13/25
Full Review
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