This review will contain spoilers

   After eight years of waiting, “The Hunger Games” is back on the big screen with a new prequel: “The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes”. The film tells the backstory of Coriolanus Snow(Tom Blyth), showcasing the 10th annual Hunger Games and how the program became the spectacle it is in the original trilogy. But does it measure up to the original Hunger Games series?

Promotions

A: Before we start, I like to point out the multiple promotions for the movie before it was released. It certainly grabbed the audience’s attention. I was so excited to get a first look at the Academy, which is the school in the book, with the Roblox partnership. The attention to detail absolutely blew me away, it felt like I was in Panem. 

   I also liked how at the end of the trailers for the movie, the phone number works. If you text (717)-844-6559, you are greeted as  if you were a student in the Academy and got notified when the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes releaseedany exciting news. 

   Also on the Hunger Games YouTube Channel, you can find news reports from Jason Schwartzman’s Lucky Flickerman. 

For some self promotion, way before the movie came out, I made a song (if it doesn’t work, try downloading the song) that represents Snow’s rise to power in my Music Production class.

 Performance

   K: The actors and actresses in this film provide the emotional depth needed for a “Hunger Games” installment. I loved Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray. She has such heart and wit—not to mention her incredible vocals—and was the perfect person for this role. It’s her best role to date.

   Tom Blyth packs a punch as Snow. Seeing his circumstances, you almost feel bad for him until he talks about making the “Hunger Games” into a gambling spectacle where you get attached to the tributes only to see them gruesomely die. The brutality he brings to Snow, as he unveils the layers of just how sick he truly is, provides even more character to the series’ largest villain.

   Hunter Schafer’s performance as Tigris was heartbreaking. Seeing her backstory and how Snow treats her both past and present made me feel sorry for her. It’s also awesome to see such a talented trans actress in the spotlight. I can’t wait to see what she does next!

   Jason Schwartzman is hilarious as Lucky Flickerman. His one-liners provide some needed comic relief to the dark story, and had me cracking up the entire film. He is truly a highlight.

   Viola Davis gave such a menacing performance as Dr. Gaul. From the moment you see her make an academy student put their hand in a vat of snakes to prove they lied, you see just how ruthless her character is. She was so refreshingly evil, and easily one of the best villains of the series. 

A: I feel like Peter Dinklage as Dean Highbottom was a great performance. While watching him in the movie, you can really feel his hatred towards Snow. I felt bad for Highbottom at the end of the movie. He explains how he didn’t want to create the Hunger Games in the first place, it was only an idea he and Snow’s father came up with. 

   Josh Andrés Rivera did an excellent job with Sejanus Plinth. You could really feel his connection with District Two, his home before moving to the Capital. His intentions were good, but to the Capital, it was only an act of treason. In my opinion, the Academy students should have been respectful of Sejanus instead of talking about him behind his back. When Sejanus was hung for treason, I felt sad because he didn’t deserve to die, he was only doing what felt right. Sejanus was a good character especially with his close bond to Snow. After Sejanus dies, Snow feels sorry for him because he knew he sent the jabberjay to Dr. Gaul which led to Sejanus’s death. 

   The actors and actresses who did the tributes in the 10th Hunger Games were well done. You could tell that none of them wanted to be there and were taken against their own will. When the games started, the one that stood out the most was Coral. Mackenzie Lansing gave a menacing performance as Coral. The pack that she formed reminded me of the pack from the first Hunger Games movie. Congratulations to all of the actors and actresses who got a role in the movie, they were perfect for each character.

Soundtrack

   K: “Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes” easily has the best soundtrack of a “Hunger Games” film. And that’s saying something, considering the first film had “Safe & Sound” by Taylor Swift.

   Rachel Zegler’s vocals shine in all of her songs, but especially in “Nothing You Can Take From Me” and “The Old Therebefore”. You hear the power her voice holds, and the range of it as compared to her voice in the recent “West Side Story”. The fact that they used their natural vocals from her singing on set makes it feel much more real and grounded.

   Olivia Rodrigo’s “Can’t Catch Me Now” in the credits is so drastically different from her other discography and honestly such a delight to listen to. You can tell how much care she put into writing it, and the airiness of her vocals and the acoustic sound of the song make it feel so hard-hitting and fitting for the film.

A: I loved listening to Rachel Zegler’s “Hanging Tree” in the movie. I like the repetition of the song in the movie too. It’s definitely up there with “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Lorde from Catching Fire.

Cinematography

   K: The cinematography of “Songbirds and Snakes” captured the grime. Of the arena, the districts, and even the capitol. They capture the war-ridden landscape and the stakes of the games beautifully. It feels so much more raw than the other films and demonstrates it was less commercial before Snow changed the game.

A: I agree with you! I also really like how the lighting demonstrates the mood of the scene. Like in the beginning of the movie, it is very dark which helps capture the essence and mood of the Dark Days that are briefly mentioned in the franchise. Also, the contrast of how the Capital is brighter than the Districts. 

Costumes

   K: I loved the costumes for the film. Lucy Gray’s dress was so beautiful and captured the sentimentality of her character. The capitol uniforms also captured the post-war landscape, and how the Capitol was not always as lush as it is in the 74th and 75th Hunger Games.

A: The costumes are my favorite in the movie. I loved Lucy’s dress and the Academy uniforms, it gives away how wealthy the Capitol is. 

Book Accuracy

   K: I have to confess, I haven’t read the book since 2020. But to my remembrance, it is very book-accurate! Some things aren’t included, like Clemensia still being seen as a mentor after the bite, and Wovey and Dill dying in opposite ways, but that is to be expected when adapting such a large story. I felt that they picked the most important parts of the book, and it is a very strong book-to-film adaptation.

A: I read the book before the movie came out. The movie was pretty accurate to the book.  I can see how some parts had to get removed, it was too violent to show in the movie (Clemensia getting bitten by the snake) or it was just long (Snow’s time as a Peacekeeper). Besides those few details, the movie was pretty accurate showing all of Panem’s glory during Snow’s time as described in the book.

Overall

   K: “The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes” is honestly one of my favorites, if not my favorite of the series. I love how raw it is, how great the performances are, and the demonstration of how the modern Hunger Games came to be. I would say it’s just as good, if not better, than “Catching Fire”. I would recommend it, even if you aren’t familiar with the franchise.

A: I really loved the movie. Like every Hunger Games movie, there are a few parts that I would deem too violent. But the casting, cinematography, and the book accuracy was very well done. Some book to film adaptations are hard to find because the movie might not be so accurate, but this was beyond my expectations so I would rate this movie a 10/10. Exciting news, the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is now on streaming services so you can watch it at home if the movie theater is busy.