The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
It’s been almost ten years since the last Hunger Games film was released in 2015 and once again, The Hunger Games is back on the big screen. Though our stories of Katniss and Peta seem to be finished, this story takes us back all the way to the 10th Annual Hunger Games and attempts to delve into the history and early days of the evil President Snow. The film stays true to the structure and content of the novel but seems to stumble in a few key areas. Packing in a massive amount of story, character development, and drama, the two hour and thirty-minute run time seems it may not have been enough, but was still entertaining for the most part.
I went into the film with zero expectations as I had not seen a Hunger Games entry for quite some time, yet the film does a great job standing on its own, not needing you to have watched multiple films to follow along (unlike some of our other franchises these days). Tom Blythe and Rachel Zegler take on the lead roles in the film, playing Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Gray Baird. Promising a massive cash prize, the story follows Snow’s mentorship of Gray through the games, though as he begins to develop romantic feelings for her, their plans hit more roadblocks than they anticipate.
Along with Blythe and Zegler, there are some great appearances from both Viola Davis and Peter Dinklage. Davis plays the role of Dr. Gaul and as much as she captivated during her scenes, she did come off a bit too much at times, almost seeming more cartoonish than an evil leader should. Dinklage’s scenes were limited, but as the original creator of the games, his scenes were important, and he delivered as he normally does. I do wish I could have seen more from him, though.
The film’s first two parts are paced very well. Packed with a good amount of drama and the horror and grit of the games themselves, I felt myself really intrigued by the story and truly invested in the characters. Though I wish there was a little less emphasis on the romantics between Gray and Snow and more towards the inevitable villainous turn of Snow, the chemistry between Blythe and Zegler was undeniable and makes you truly care for the relationship.
The final act is where I had the most qualms. As the story turns, you feel as though Blythe comes into the last part of the film a completely different person, with little to no warning that he and his values have changed. Knowing that the story is focused on him becoming a villain, I would have loved to see more of what made him take that path other than the fact that we already knew it was coming and he ran into some bad luck.
But even as the film does seem a little flimsy in the last act, Zegler and her incredible voice do give the film some much needed pick-ups throughout, keeping the film on its feet at times when it feels like it may be stumbling. Her bright spirit as Gray keeps you rooting for her – a role that will earn her some great recognition. Knowing that this is series targets young adults like the books, I understand the focal point of the romance, but still wish there was more character study to truly showcase how the search for power can not only drive one mad but erase the complete fabric of humanity from existence.
All in all, Lawrence does a great job using the same dark tone mixed with love, tension, and drama as he did in the first four films. It was a good return for the franchise and a decent watch for both fans familiar with the story and for viewers coming in for the very first time.
3/5