Now that the rebellion has Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) on their side and the Districts united, President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) and Plutarch (Philip Seymour Hoffman) are ready to launch their attack on the Capitol. As they plan their strategy, Katniss, hell-bent on killing President Snow (Donald Sutherland), makes her way to the front line to join the action.

Katniss and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) are assigned to the same team, under the leadership of Boggs (Mahershala Ali). Though, Boggs has a device that lets him see all the known booby traps that are set throughout the streets of the Capitol, it does not guarantee a safe passage. On top of new traps being set, there are surveillance cameras and Peace Keepers patrolling the city for rebels.

If Katniss and Gale can make it to Snow’s mansion, they can kill him and end the war. But, as with all wars, there is a high cost.

The final chapter to The Hunger Games franchise starts off well enough. It picks up where Mockingjay – Part 1 left off. Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) is still brainwashed by Snow. Katniss, while shocked at the horrors of war, will get to the Capitol to kill Snow at all costs. Gale is faithfully by her side.

The action at the beginning feels in step with the preceding films. Stakes are high. As Katniss and her team make their way through the deadly streets of the Capitol, the pace is decent. Once they encounter their first real “pod” (booby trap), things ramp up. The action reaches break-neck speeds. As the rebellion progresses towards Snow’s mansion, they meet dangers back to back to back. Things happen so fast you aren’t given time to process what is happening before they’re on to something even worse, and even more happens. Again, there is no time to come to grips, or even react to the events. And it keeps building. Once we reach what should be the climax, they slam on the brakes. The action stops. The story takes an odd turn. The atrocities of war are thrown in your face. Characters’ fates change. Then it slows down even further, giving a long, unsatisfying epilogue.

Unfortunately, Mockingjay – Part 2 doesn’t live up to the rest of the franchise or the hype. Its uneven pace and ending leaving you feeling empty and wishing for more. I haven’t read the books, but, surely the ending had to have been better. I was excited for the conclusion to the story, now I feel it was years of build up with no payoff. See the movie for closure to the story, such at it is, otherwise, I would have recommended passing on this one.