The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (8 out of 10)

With “Mockingjay – Part 2” sucking most of the air out the multiplexes that left two new releases, Sony’s “The Night Before” and STX/IM Global’s “The Secret In Their Eyes”, struggling to get a few recognition. When the big-screen depiction of Suzanne Collins’ Panem debuted in March 2012, it brought in $152.5 million, the biggest opening ever for a movie with a female lead.

Filming the last Hunger Games movie moment occurred twice for Jennifer Lawrence.

The guns are loaded, the arrows sharpened and the gauntlet has been thrown down – war is coming to the Capitol in the final installment of “The Hunger Games”, and Katniss Everdeen is going out with a bang.

Fans who did go out to see Part 2 gave the film an A- on CinemaScore.

Along with Jennifer Lawrence, the star cast boasts of impressive names like Liam Hemsworth, Julianne Moore, Elizabeth Banks, Natalie Dormer, Stef Dawson, Jeffrey Wright and Evan Ross.

Dergarabedian attributes the showing to a down marketplace.

The bow ranks as the year’s fifth biggest opening, but it falls short of tracking that projected the picture would top $120 million in its initial weekend in theaters. “If we live in a world where a $100 million opening is a disappointment, that’s pretty insane”.

Lionsgate Studios spent roughly $160 million in the making of the major blockbuster.

The size of “The Hunger Games” is even more impressive considering that even though the films are focused towards young adults, the franchise carries heavy themes like death in a dystopian landscape.

“The Peanuts Movie” finished third with $12.8 million, and the Seth Rogen holiday comedy “The Night Before” came in fourth with an expected $10.1 million. Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara enter what is a forbidden relationship to 1950s society but a growing and cherished one between the two (***½ out of four; rated R; opens Friday in NY and Los Angeles, expands to additional cities through Christmas).

While the movie has a lot of fantasy elements sprinkled throughout, the constant theme of a totalitarian government oppressing its people is something that many viewers will connect with.

“It’s a great accomplishment”.

Oscar hopeful “Spotlight”, from independent film company Open Road, earned $3.6 million after expanding to 598 theaters. “Mockingjay – Part 1” set the stage for an epic finale, with a cliffhanger with Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) being brainwashed to kill Katniss.