Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

A return to cinema for the Hunger Games Franchise, this movie features a fantastic premise with a great cast and a stellar soundtrack. However, where it falls flat is the lengthy plot and sometimes heavy-handed reliance on nostalgia from the pre-teen demographic of the originals. While I find the movie on the whole to be a fantastic film in regards to actors acting against one another, they didn't miss the mark on delivering a prequel to a series I actually love. I read all the books minus this one and watched the movies. Considering it all, it's impressive it even happened. So, let's discuss the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes!

Addendum: I have removed the cons part as it often gets overutilized to repeat a point that I feel I already mentioned previously. If I use it in the future, it'll be for sections I feel I didn't cover.

PLOT: The worst part.

Yeah, I'm starting with the worst part. The film is painfully overdrawn and suffers from multiple contrivances in the plot. While the story is fun and engaging at times, it suffers from playing out events that we've seen before and relying on shock value to engage the audience in characters that don't stick around for the longterm regardless. Additionally, scenes go on too long and feel like they could be cut. For 2 hours and 40 minutes of film, this one really could've been just 2 hours if they trimmed the fat a bit. Additionally, some of the homages to the original series feel tacky and forced, except maybe the Hanging Tree song and the moments with the mockingjays.

CHARACTERS: The best part.

The movie knows how to utilize its characters and its actors to the fullest extent. All the actors are terrific in their roles and do their best to salvage the extensive plot and work this into a brilliant character study about actors who really know their craft. There's a scene between Viola Davis and Tom Blyth where the two act off one another and you have to constantly guess which one will come out on top. The scenes between Peter Dinklage and Blyth are so damned good specifically because of how much they get across in a few lines: hatred, loathing, and the feeling of contempt. It's so well done and is the strength of the movie. Rachel Zegler manages to convey so many different emotions, especially in the final half as the plot unfolds and it concludes with her character finally leaving the story, for better or worse.

SHOTS: Actually not bad.

I'm not a big fan of the cinematography in this particular director's movies, but he always knew how to shoot Hunger Games. This film continues it with grand sweeping shots of the Capitol and the Arena while shooting other sections low to the ground and claustrophobic to keep the tension up while we move through unfamiliar territory. The shots of the wartorn Arena are beautiful and keep you engaged. He even managed to improve on his action scenes with better choreography and shots to depict the frenzy of bloodlust these teens feel against one another. Good stuff all around.

SOUND: Ooh, boy.

This movie surprisingly features a lot of musical numbers that would feel out of place in any series but the Hunger Games. With songs already being a crucial part of the previous movies, this one uses them to further the plot and even bring origins to the tunes that became classics in the quadrilogy before it. But, the best part is by far Rachel Zegler singing her heart out in any scene. Her voice is terrific (and better than Jennifer Lawrence's) so the movie benefits from just having her sing.

WRITING: A good point.

While a strong point of the film isn't the plot, the writing is charming enough. The film does have awkward lines and strange choices from certain characters, but it's decently written and perfectly serviceable to the plot at hand. Overall, 7/10 writing.

LITTLE THINGS: The environment.

While the environment of the original movies was so clear and distinctly dystopian that it hurt, this one goes for something not too far away from modernity and it really helps this movie feel separate from the others. The time period seems unclear and unfocused sometimes and it really makes you feel as though this is a long time before the Mockingjay forms her revolution. Good stuff.

VERDICT: A flawed film featuring fabulous actors.

While certainly flawed, this movie presents a unique look at actors recapturing the magic of the original films and even performances from the originals. Tom Blyth as Snow is excellent casting and the others around him let you see exactly why there's blood in the Snow as you watch further into the film to see a man who wants to stop the games devolve into its biggest supporter. The acting is great, the music is top-notch, but it drags in specific places and holds too long to weigh in ideas. Overall, a solid flick that holds memorable imagery and a dang fun time.

SCORE: 7.5/10