Mockingjay Part 1 ended with the scene of Katniss Everdeen’s beloved Peeta Mellark clamped to a bed, in agony. During the first parts of the movie, Katniss wondered if he was alive, then if he was brainwashed, and then if he could be found and rescued. Well, it all occurred. Peeta was rescued (by Gale Hawthorne, no less) but shortly afterward, it was discovered that Peeta was “hijacked” and now fears what he loved the most: Katniss. Movie watchers were left with that heartbreaking image, not knowing what would become of the two survivors and their world.

The film was largely about motivating the people of Panem to rebel against the capital, who exploited the labor of people for wealth. As people began to fight back, more soldiers were sent in and more acts of violence were committed. A hospital was destroyed, innocent lives were lost, and sacrifices were made. Sound familiar? With the comfort of fiction and television, movie watchers may be seeing the replication of history. These things happened in the past, are happening now, and no doubt will continue to happen in the future.

Will youth view Mockingjay as a cool movie or become inspired to be activists and participate politically? What did they think of the movie? I decided to find out.

Jake Tow, a sophomore at Highland, said, “The acting was really nice, the scenery was probably the best thing.” Katniss and the other’s courage impacted him the most.

Anna Foulks, a freshmen at Highland High said, “It was kind of slow; not much happened and a lot of stuff will happen in the next movie.” However she said that the parts that had action in them were cool and interesting.

Okay, so what about the inspiration part?

Tow said he was inspired to stand up for what he believes in, and Foulks was not really inspired by the movie.

Whether Mockingjay is just that awesome/uneventful movie, or a life changing experience, the finale of the series sparks curiosity in all of us (even the book readers). After all the propaganda and ‘soul wrenching’ speeches, what will this new, full-on battle bring?

Farewell, nation of Panem, until November 20^th, 2015!