By: Taylor Roberts ~Staff Writer~

Katniss Everdeen shot her last arrow and gave her final three finger salute in “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2,” bringing the four film saga to a bittersweet end.

Based off the final book in the “Hunger Games” series by Suzanne Collins, the film, directed by Francis Lawrence, follows Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and her friends, including Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Gale (Liam Hemsworth), as they leave District 13 and prepare to fight against President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Sacrifices are made in this rebellion that define the fate of Panem in the final Hunger Games.

The film began in a peaceful fashion with lots of speeches and dialogue. However, it recharged the action with some outstanding features such as firebombs, land mines and underground mutants that induced an elevated heart rate, which was more than could be said for the love triangle between Katniss, Peeta and Gale.

Sutherland portrayed a delightfully evil villain as Snow and acted as a catalyst that spurred on Katniss’ emotions and actions. Lawrence, in turn, vividly played her role as a rebellious archer and the symbol of hope for the rebellion against Snow’s tyrannical hold over Panem. She truly captured the essence of Katniss’ character, displaying the glory and horrors of being a hero. Overall, her splendid performance grounded the film. In fact, the girl on fire may have been the only bright light in this film.

The final installment of the franchise took a dark turn compared to the other movies. Much of the film was shot underground in a dimly lit setting. One long sequence even took place in a sewer. Exteriors consisted of buildings reduced to ruins.

However, given the dark themes present in the movie and grim circumstances in which the characters find themselves, the setting fit the brooding mood of the film’s dystopian genre. The lighting truly showcased the idea of how power can corrupt not only villains, but heroes as well.

All in all, the film respected the book series and concluded the film saga in ways that stayed true to the book series or enhanced it.