As a fan of the franchise — both the books and the films — I’m disappointed. The heroic Katniss deserves a much bigger and better tribute. The fourth and final installment, made by splitting the third book in two to reap more profit from the franchise, is a grim, gray, glum slog, with only a few sparks of action and genuine emotion.

Since Jennifer Lawrence has become a critically acclaimed, Oscar winning actress, Julianne Moore has also won an Oscar, Elizabeth Banks has directed a hit film and Philip Seymour Hoffman has passed, this just feels like a rushed attempt to finish off the franchise. Director Francis Lawrence, who also helmed the prior two, seems to have run out of steam.

Still, fans will flock, and they will not be entirely dismayed.

Some liberties have been taken with the book, as the film format necessitates, and they are, as a whole, not bad. I’m especially fond of the tone of the ending, which is decidedly more satisfying than the literary version. But if I hadn’t read the books, I think I might have been more than a little confused about some plot points and characters, particularly Gale. The young mother sitting next to me, who hadn’t read the books or seen any of the prior Hunger Games films, told me she was confused, bored, and not particularly eager to rush out and view its predecessors. A better made film would have been entertaining on its own, and enticed her to want more.

I’m sure the film will make hundreds of millions worldwide, and it’s not entirely undeserving. It’s the stuff teen dreams are made of — Millennials trying to overthrow a corrupt government and save the world as they know it. It helps that the lead character is a heroic female, and it surpasses the Twilight franchise by leaps and bounds. Perhaps those are reasons enough to see it. If it’s a bit underwhelming, most fans are willing to look the other way, kiss three fingers and whistle.

Rated PG-13

2 Hours 16 Minutes

Get times and tickets at Fandango.com.

 THE HUNGER GAMES MOCKING JAY PART 2 Review — Whistling Away