‘Hunger Games’ Prequel Movie Improves Original Trilogy: Review
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes earns 3 stars (out of 4) from Us Weekly film critic Mara Reinstein.
In theory, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes doesn’t have the odds ever in his favor.
Not only has the franchise been absent from the cinematic consciousness since 2015, it’s also a prequel. Shrug. The let’s see how we turned out storyline was ineffective for epics like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. Why would revisiting the post-apocalyptic world of Panem result in a change for the better? We’ve known for decades that District 12 is doomed. It’s not like that Jennifer Lawrence will pop-up as Katniss Everdeen’s long-lost ancestor.
The twist is that The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes doesn’t need a Lawrence or a Hemsworth, as the young adult dystopian drama succeeds on its own merits. Based on Susanne Collins‘ 2020 novel, this is a well-crafted and entertaining story, enhanced by character development that rarely comes about in big-budget extravaganzas. Perhaps most impressively, it even reinforces the pop culture legacy of the original saga.
We are dropped off at the tenth annual Hunger Games, where two young people from each district of Panem are still randomly selected to fight to the death on TV. The female representative of the lowly District 12 is Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler by West Side Story), a traveling musician who makes a spectacle of himself during the harvest ceremony by throwing a snake over the back of a snobbish rival and then singing a defiant folk song. Tasked with being her mentor: a teenager named Coriolanus Snow (British actor Tom Blyth). He will eventually rule the country as a tyrannical president. For now, he’s a tough teenage student determined to help Lucy Gray so he can win a coveted cash prize and attend college. He is carrying a white rose. For friendly purposes!
The story is broken down into specific sections – and the structure, for the most part, goes according to plan. At first Lucy is wary of the ‘Corio’ of the upper crust. But the two soon grow closer. And although Corio receives instructions from the creator of the Games (Peter Dinklage) in order not to cheat as a form of strategy, he is willing to go to any lengths for his protégé. Blyth’s presence is so intriguing that we’re not sure whether he’s rebelling because of his ruthless desire to get the money or because he has genuine affection for the beautiful and nasty Lucy Gray. By the way, Dinklage’s presence is so intimidating that we believe him when he says there will be consequences if anyone is caught breaking the rules.
Spoiler. . . there are.
‘The Hunger Games’ Cast: Where Are They Now?
The odds were in their favor! While some stars go bankrupt after their big break, Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth have successfully left the Hunger Games franchise behind them. Based on the young adult books of the same name by author Suzanne Collins, 2012’s The Hunger Games, 2013’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, 2014’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — […]
As for that Hunger Games, the inevitable set piece is a bit of a thrilling letdown. After years of watching Katniss and her competitors continue, there is no longer any gruesome shock value in the concept of children ruthlessly killing each other. (To be fair, in our reality TV-dominated universe, Collins has tried to make this point in her books.) Once again, the bullies from the wealthier neighborhoods are the main antagonists; small silver parachutes filled with goodies fall from the sky as relief; and our heroine finds herself in danger and uses her wits to survive. Been there, done all that.
The unfolding drama is at least visually interesting. During this particular time in Panem, the Tributes must survive in a primitive low-fi arena where the fighting is the focus. Meanwhile, everyone watches the action on retro 1970s TVs. The Capitol itself is more sterile authoritarian than post-apocalyptic glamour. All of the above is a good thing: at 158 minutes, moviegoers might as well be treated to high-quality and expensive-looking production values. (Could more songs have been left out during the editing process? Um, yeah. Zegler’s got the chops, but we’re not here for The Hunger Games: the concert.)
That also means a longer term The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes does not end with a Tribute emerging victorious. And this is where the film really sets itself apart from its peers.
Remember, prequels tend to consistently disappoint because the stakes are zero. Obi-Wan Kenobi will grow into an old man, just as the physical body of Gandalf the Wizard will not die. It is clear that young Corio will not visit the oft-used guillotine for transgressions in the third act, so that he can transform into the white-haired Donald Sutherland. Instead, the character’s moral compass deconstructs through fascinating steps. It helps that he has the ultimate snake whispering in his ear in the form of Viola Davis‘sinister head gamemaker. The actress won’t win any awards for this performance, but she is committed to munching scenery in the most delicious ways.
At one point in the film, Lucy Gray drops a three-petaled flower named Katniss. A nod to the future, of course. The reference serves a more notable purpose: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes works because it makes us care deeply about the present, if not the past. Who needs archery when there is tension and harmony?
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will be in theaters from Friday, November 17.