The long-awaited “Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is finally out. Fans who read the book, written by Suzanne Collins in May 2020 have been patiently anticipating this movie release, and it did not disappoint.
Arguably the most important part about book to movie adaptations is the integrity of the plot. Despite the long, 500-page novel, the film adaptation was pretty much spot on. Even so, some of the plot had to be changed to fit the two-hour and 38 minute run time of the movie. This is extremely important to the fanbase, considering that the movie would not have had the hype it did if it wasn’t for the previous “Hunger Games” trilogy series and this current prequel book.
The film also received high reviews because of the main character Coriolanus Snow, played by Tom Blyth. Many fans consider him to be very attractive and charming, despite him being the villain in the series. His looks distract the audience from his anger issues and led to a viral trend on social media where people posted how they could “fix him” or reminders to “remember the enemy.”
The director, Francis Lawrence, was also the director of the previous “Hunger Games” series released back in 2012–2015. He had a lot of ground to cover with this book, and considered making this movie two parts. Lawrence and his team decided to not follow through with this splitting decision, considering that they got a lot of backlash from fans for splitting “Mockingjay” into two parts, since nobody likes a cliffhanger.
This book turned film is a prequel and explains how the games, Capitol, districts and future President Snow came to be. There are many parallels between the trilogy and this prequel. Especially satisfying if you’ve read the books or seen the movies to see connections between the two.
One thing about the “Hunger Games” movies is no matter which one it is, the production crew and cast members go above and beyond to bring these books to life. The outfits, the makeup, the backgrounds, the soundtrack – everything – is always extravagant and well done. Even if you’re not a fan of the series, the attention to detail and professional skill set seen throughout the film is astounding.
There is a similar style of filming in all of the movies to reflect the beautiful landscape shots and regal capitol. The film crew films in locations all over the world, specifically places like Berlin, Germany and Wroclaw, Poland. The effort and detail put into this film is clearly evident and contributes to the experience of the story.
The soundtrack of this film is one that stands out the most among the rest of the series’ movies. This is because most of these songs that Lucy Gray, played by Rachel Zegler, sang during the “Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” are the original versions that we hear. There is also a lot of folk and soul vibes in these songs, as well themes that carry through Collin’s book series.
This movie received a 7.2/10 from IMDb and a 66 percent from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, even though the audience score posted on Rotten Tomatoes was 89 percent. I would agree with the score given by the audience because this film was exceptionally well done and follows the book almost perfectly. This film is worth watching especially if you are a fan of the previous “Hunger Games” trilogy. Despite some low ratings, snow always lands on top.
Phot Credits: IMDb
