Sixty four years before Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), there was another victor in town. Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) wasn’t always a tyrannical dictator. Wanting what is best for his family, he sees a chance at improving not only their future but his own when he is chosen as a mentor for the tenth annual Hunger Games. Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) is everything that Coriolanus is not. Somehow he still find himself drawn to her.
The grand return to Panem was one I wasn’t sure how to feel about. I remember being hesitant about this prequel because Snow wasn’t a character I cared for in the first four films. Why would I want to read about him? I did become curious, however, when I heard they were adapting the novel for the screen.
While I cannot speak as to whether or not they stayed close to the source material, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the film. There was a lot to fit into its two hour and twenty seven minute run time, but I think it flowed moderately well. The first two parts were jam-packed. Unfortunately the momentum was lost in the final act and we were left with a rather abrupt ending.
The casting was pretty spot on here. Blythe was a great choice for our lead. I’d not seen him before and appreciated that he was able to keep things going. Zegler, on the other hand, is an actress that I have grown to love over the years. She is so talented and I love that she was able to show off her incredible singing voice in this role. Other standouts include Viola Davis as the creepy Dr. Gaul, Hunter Schafer as Corio’s devoted sister Tigris and Peter Dinklage as Dean Casca Highbottom.
With brilliant set design and special effects that totally transported me back to the Capital and the Districts, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is definitely one of the stronger entries of the franchise. It had constant high energy that had me gripping my seat, a diverse cast of characters and a touching love story that I couldn’t help rooting for. Of course I wish we’d seen more of Snow’s downfall, but I still had a good time.
Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5
Credits Rolling 