The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Review)
Warning: Possible Spoilers Below.
The Hunger Games is a franchise that still continues to grow in popularity even after the series ended with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part Two in 2015. This time, the series makes its way back to it's dark beginnings.
In The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, years before he becomes the tyrannical president of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tim Blyth) remains the last hope for his fading lineage. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow becomes alarmed when he's assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird from District 12. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and political savvy, they race against time to ultimately reveal who's a songbird and who's a snake.
The film, like the book, is split into three parts: The Mentor, The Prize and The Peacekeeper. The film names the parts identically to the novel, keeping the lore accurate. Screenwriters Michael Arndt and Michael Lesslie do a great job at adapting the novel by Suzanne Collins. As someone who has already read most of the novel, I am pleased to say that everything that is considered a major event in the book also occurs in the movie. There are some more things I would have liked to see overall that was in the book, but I also understand that there is only so much they are able to translate to screen. I found this novel-to-film adaptaion to be done exceptionally well though.
The cast of the film couldn't have been better. Tim Blyth as Young Coriolanus Snow is a major stand out. He is likeable and even chilling when he needs to be. This is the uprising story of the villain in The Hunger Games series, something that not all villains get, but this translated well into the story we know of him in the main series. All he wants to do is have a shot to prove that the Snow name is worthy of greatness. He dresses fancily because he wants to be seen as someone. His ultimate goal is to attend the university so he can study under Dr. Gual and go on to do great things politcally. In order to do that - he must obtain the Plinth prize (a $10,000 scholarship) that will ensure him a start to the life that he wants. But standing in his way is the evil Dean Highbottom (Peter Dinklage).
Peter Dinklage is fantastic here - just as he is in all of his roles. They definitely tried to make him kind of Professor Snape like from Harry Potter, only here is didn't hit as hard like with his introduction. His introduction I found to be kind of wishy washy, but that could also be because I am comparing it to one of the greatest characters in fantasy. Dean Highbottom is the only one standing in Corniolanus' way because he has such a hateness for him. He wants to ensure he never sees a dime of the money as he has the final say in everything and that is also why he created the rule "the mentor with the most liked candidate in the hunger games" will earn that prize money.
Introduce Lucy Gray (Rachel Zegler). Lucy is the runt of the litter chosen for the games from District 12, the lowest of the low. Coriolanus is given the most daunting task he has ever faced - to turn this runt gril into not only a public figure - but a champion. He is sure that if he is able to do this he will be able to earn that money at whatever cost. The stakes are high and the movie can take its course.
In this story - the hunger games are more compact than the main story we know of them. The arena is smaller and it makes for more intense moments between candidates as we watch them fight to the death. Moments feel suspensful and is sure to get the blood flowing rapidly. This is aided by returning director Francis Lawrence, whose been behind the director's chair for the franchise since Catching Fire (2013) which is arguably the most loved installment of the franchise, both book and movie adaptions. His direction continues to shine strong as the sequences look clean and compact and each scene is a feast for the eyes color wise.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is just overall great. It is filled with stellar character development and makes you care for even the side characters that you know are igoing to meet their inevitable fate in the games. The action is phenomenal and has some good shock value. The story just flows nicely and I was happy to be taken back to this world once again.
RATING: 4.5/5.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is now playing exclusively in theaters. Check out the trailer below.
