Sommerleigh Pollonais, Senior Writer
Plot: Coriolanus Snow mentors and develops feelings for the female District 12 tribute during the 10th Hunger Games.
Review: I'm not sure who exactly was pining for a prequel to The Hunger Games movies, other than those who may have read the novel it's based off, but The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes takes us back to the dystopian world of districts, elaborate games and the eccentric villains and underdog heroes that make up the world of Panem.
CORIOLANUS: They call me "Snow" because I'm cool like ice. LUCY: They should call you "Swamp" because your breath stinks like a bog. Eww!
Taking place 64 years before the events that made Jennifer Lawrence a household name, the story is centered on a young Coriolanus Snow as he begins his rise to eventually becoming President. Donald Sutherland effortlessly created the cold hearted and calculating Snow and as much as I wasn't interested in seeing how he became the big bad of Panem, it was interesting and even a bit sad watching the character go from a somewhat naïve and kind-hearted young man to the manipulator and monster we know him to be. Watching the movie, I kept thinking of the Star Wars prequels, with Anakin Skywalker's journey to the dark side and the sadness of knowing what he was going to become. Tom Blyth's performance goes a long way in keeping you invested in a story where you already know the outcome and I was genuinely impressed with him. It's definitely a standout performance.
Replacing Katniss Everdeen here is Lucy Gray (if you take a shot every time someone says her name, you'll be wasted before the third act begins) played by Rachel Zegler. While the actress is solid in the role and her chemistry with Blyth is credible, she disappears for huge chunks of the runtime, making it hard to care about her the way we did with Katniss. Not to mention the curse of the prequel strikes again because we all know they don't end up together so you're just watching and waiting for everything to fall apart. This is Snow's story after all. Supporting roles played by A-listers like Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis, Hunter Schafer and Jason Schwartzman are also solid and memorable but again it's all expected. And then there's the singing.
Oh no. She's going to start singing again, isn't she? And there she goes. *Puts in earplugs* Ahh. That's better
Whose idea was it to turn these movies into musicals? Fans of the series all fondly remember the dark call to arms that was Katniss' song, "The Hanging Tree". This ballad served a purpose in the story; it was a rallying cry to the rebels, a song of loss and perseverance. Here characters (mostly Lucy) would break out in song at the strangest times making me cringe. I get what they were trying to do as she's referred to as "songbird", but it made the already tedious two hours plus runtime feel endless.
Unlike Anakin's journey into darkness, I don't think anyone (other than fans of the novels) were interested in seeing a sympathetic side to the man who would be President of Panem and the writing, like the rest of the Hunger Games movies, doesn't do the story any favours. Of course, this being a prequel, a lot of the movie's focus is on the creation of the games, the costumes and the moments that will make fans of the franchise point at the screen as they delight in pointing out the Easter eggs that litter the story. Although having never read the prequel novel, a lot of the story here was new to me so I could immerse myself in the narrative more than I expected, and I also appreciated the brutality of the games were amped up here, similarly to that of the books (and in a way that was also lacking from the Hunger Games films prior). It made the stakes feel higher and some of the tributes' deaths more impactful.
Meh. I'll wait for the whole season to come out and then binge it
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a mishmash of surprisingly impactful moments and hokey nonsense like the overuse of songs and mediocre writing, but perhaps the biggest flaw was with how much of the plot felt unnecessary. Maybe if I had read the novels, I would've been more invested in the side plots, supporting characters and their narratives, but once the games ended, I found my interest wandering only to realise there was still an hour of runtime left! Ultimately, this prequel doesn't feel like there's enough here to keep your interest for further films. So, for the sake of fandom one can only hope they have more to come than just brutal games and more unnecessary singing.
Sommer's Score: 6 out of 10
Have you checked out The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes? Does it make you hungry for more prequels or do it leave you unsatisfied? Hit us up in the comments. And you can check out more YA action below:
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Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge-Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I'll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby! Read More
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