Coming out on November, 20th is the final installment of the Hunger Games series: Mockingjay Part II. Let’s take a look at the finale of this amazing trilogy.

First off let’s get anyone not familiar with the previous movies or have read the books caught up on what is going on. This will take a few paragraphs, so bear with me everyone who already know the story. Think of it as a refresher before you go see this latest movie.

The movie stars Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark and Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne. There are also strong recurring roles of Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy, Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket and Donald Sutherland as President Snow. Other great actors include Stanley Tucci, Jena Malone, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Sam Claflin and Natalie Dormer. The movies are definitely star filled, but what of the plot? The movies are adapted from the dystopian, politically charged Hunger Games trilogy novels by Suzanne Collins.

Our protagonist is Katniss Everdeen. She has grown up in a dystopian future in a country called Panem located where the previous country of the US had been. Panem is divided into districts, with each having a specialty export that is sent to The Capitol, led by the evil President Snow. None of the districts are treated well and the one Katniss lives in, district 12, and is the worst off. They are located in the Appalachian Mountains and mine for coal. It is a desolate area and it is not uncommon to see people starve to death. The movies have downplayed that. Katniss is the head of her family since her father died a few years previously. She is only sixteen but she goes out and hunts for extra food (which is very illegal) and goes to school.

Every year there is an event called The Hunger Games. This is when every child from age 12 to 18 is put into a lottery. One boy and one girl are chosen from each district and they are sent to the Capitol to compete in the games. The only way to win is when every other competitor has died. The residents of the Capitol, who are spoiled and see the games as the best time of year do not have to participate because the games were put into place to punish the other districts for rebelling over seventy years ago.

Katniss volunteers in the place of her twelve year old sister and is sent with a boy named Peeta who gave Katniss food once. It is a brutal game and everyone cries over little Rue and then the unthinkable happens, it ends up between Katniss and Peeta. The Capitol had promised for once two winners, but quickly took it back. Katniss gets the idea that instead of one winner, they will get no winner. So she and Peeta eat poisoned berries at the same time and the games are forced to call them both winners. This sets up a chain reaction of events where the districts become restless again about their treatment and start looking to Katniss as a heroine who showed the Capitol up. Katniss then has to tread a very fine line of pleasing the Capitol so they won’t murder her family and friends in retaliation (which the books confirm they have done to others, a lot) and deciding for herself that this rebellion is worthwhile and that she is their symbol of it.

When the unrest becomes too much, the Capitol announces that there will be a special 75th Games, where the lottery is only chosen from previous winners in each district. Katniss and Peeta (who is her pretend boyfriend to the Capitol, but also maybe really likes her-the books/movies do a good job at Katniss being confused as to what is real or not) are again sent into the games and at the end is when the rebellion truly starts. The games are ruined and the rebels grab as many of the victors as they can before escaping, in retaliation the Capitol bombs district 12 into literal ash. Most of the people there die and only a small number are led out by Katniss’ best friend and maybe boyfriend Gale.

The other districts rebel as well and a full scale war starts up. There ends up being a secret district 13 and that is where the rebels hideout is as well. Katniss is asked to become the ‘mockingjay’ the actual symbol of the rebellion and to lead them through propaganda videos so the other districts will stay with them. She refuses and it isn’t until after Katniss witnesses a hospital being bombed does she accept her role. She demands Peeta and the other victors return though (as he had been left behind after the last games and had been forced to do propaganda videos for the Capitol). Peeta is able to give district 13 a warning of being bombed on live television and because of that everyone is saved.

That warning and Katniss’ condition of Peeta’s return for her cooperation, the leaders of the rebellion rescue him and the other victors. It ends up that Peeta has, like the other victors been being tortured and he has also been brainwashed and thinks Katniss is the enemy. The last movie ends with them trying to figure out how to reverse this to save Peeta and that they are planning to take over the Capitols defense stronghold in district 2.

Now we are to the starting point of this last movie.

This latest and last movie of the series brings in the conclusion of the Hunger Games. Katniss now knows that this rebellion isn’t just for survival as the previous games had been, but for all of their futures as free people as well. The war is now at its peak and Katniss is put onto a very interesting team and tasked with assassinating President Snow. Snow though is obsessed on destroying the rebellion and Katniss at any cost. He throws everything he’s got at them and it makes their lives hell. Both Katniss and Peeta have to make choices that weigh heavily on them and the entirety of Panem. Even though it is the last movie, there are many twists in the plot yet. Nothing is ever as it seems.

While I know how the books end, I can’t wait to see how it all plays out on the big screen. Katniss has to juggle not only being in the spot light (which she is very uncomfortable with), training and fighting in a war while already having to deal with her PTSD from the past games and losing her home, her emotions towards Peeta (who is still half brainwashed) and Gale, and protecting her mother and sister. The last being the only thing she ever actually wanted.

Will the rebels be able to take control of Panem once and for all? If they do, how will they run it? If Katniss lives through the war, will she complete her mission assassinating Snow? What will she do with her life beyond that? How and can she rebuild?

The only way to know these answers is to go watch the movie. It premieres November 20th, so less than a week away! We at the NGE will definitely be going and watching the movie and writing a review for it. Will you be there opening weekend? If so tell us in the comments below and how you think the Hunger Games will conclude. We love hearing from you guys!

Here is the official trailer for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet:

We also are big readers at the NGE and hope you will take time and go to your local bookstore or buy the series online and read the books for yourself. The movies are great, but so are the books! Sometime down the road, I will be rereading the series and I will write a review for each one for anyone who would like to read along with me.

Finally the NGE is running a giveaway to thank everyone for helping us grow so quickly! All you have to do to enter is follow us on twitter @thenerdygirlexp and RT the pinned giveaway tweet on our time line-that’s it! The more people who enter, the more prizes we are giving out so hurry and enter today.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

-Erica @quietlikeastorm