The highly anticipated fourth installment The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2 has joined the films that have dominated the movie screens as of late, with another James Bond film, Spectre and a sequel following the first Maze Runner. Another Star Wars film, Episode VII, is set to release December 18th also. The recent trend that has emerged of “new” films that, in reality, just piggyback on films that were successful their opening weekend, while very few of these follow-up films bring in equal or more than the amount the original films before them did, unless content in the films vary enough to capture potential viewers attention enough to lasso them into buying tickets.

When “The Hunger Games” first was released in bookstores, readers around the world became encapsulated in the dystopian fantasy featuring a strong female lead. The two novels following the original had been highly anticipated by readers, and while the second, “Catching Fire”, had book ratings similar to the first, the final installment, “Mockingjay”, disappointed a large number of fans. Most reviews of the third book were pretty central on what they disliked about it. A main issue many fans had was the deaths of some of their favorite characters, the absence of Peeta throughout most of the novel, and who she ends up with. “What did you expect from a dystopian fantasy?” one review points out to others that had been upset about the tearful ending, while some readers that were fans of the novel stated that many people didn’t like “Mockingjay” because it had been too realistic for them, lacking the “fairy tale ending” that other fantasy series had, such as the Twilight series.

While most readers of the book series have enjoyed the first two novels better, movie-goers are optimistic to go see the final film of the highly anticipated series. While senior Katie Ringler may have been less of a fan of “Mockingjay” than the two other novels, she still feels that the final movie will be a good conclusion to the saga.

“I am excited for the last part of the movie because I think it is going to be even better than the first and the second movies,” Ringler said. “I think that the movies are definitely not the same as the books, but the movies are still good.”

Like most readers, Ringler began reading the novels when they first began gaining popularity, several years after they were published. She admired Katniss Everdeen, the strong, fearless heroine that dominated the series, who became a role model to female readers around the world. Jennifer Lawrence, who portrays Katniss on the big screen, has become an icon to young women around the world, continually slamming weight standards that exist in the acting industry and otherwise.

Perhaps this is the reason why Lawrence has identified with her character in The Hunger Games so well and continues to impress audiences that, without stellar performances from her and her castmates, would have otherwise made The Hunger Games yet another series in which the transition from excellent book to movie did not go as smoothly for. Nonetheless, Lawrence acts as a backbone in the films, and could be the reason why the last movie is just as anticipated as the others, rather than less.

“I’m more excited [for the last installment],” senior Lauren Ryan, fan of the series, said. “I think the movies have done an awesome job at portraying the books accurately.”

Those who have read the books will tell you; Mockingjay is definitely on the radar of fans and movie fanatics alike. Already being hailed by critics as a gritty, powerful finale to the series that took the world by storm, Mockingjay ends with an unforgettable bang that should not be missed.