Story: The movie follows the origins of the President of a fictional place, Panem. It’s about his journey from a young man with a seemingly gentle heart to the tyrannical President as he mentors a tribute for a death match.
Review: Adapted from Suzanne Collins's 2020 novel
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the fifth instalment in
The Hunger Games movie series serves as the backstory of the tyrannical President of Panem. The prequel reintroduces the dystopian world of the fictional land eight years after
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, taking the viewer 64 years back to the would-be authoritarian leader Coriolanus Snow’s (Tom Blyth) early political and romantic experiences. Snow’s lineage is fading when he’s tasked with mentoring Lucy Gray (Rachel Zegler) for the bloodsport, where tributes fight each other to survive.
The build-up to the game takes time, but when the action begins, the viewer will gape in awe at how slick and well-made the whole shebang is. The fights are brutal and horrifying, the canvas is expansive, and in between, one gets a glimpse of the participants’ characterisation. Since the prequel is based more than six decades into the past, the fights are less high-tech than its sequels. That being said, they are no less captivating, and director Francis Lawrence excels in creating the arena as well as the edge-of-the-seat action.
The story does not end with the death matches. A new track ensues to provide a build-up to what transforms a noble Coriolanus into a totalitarian leader. And this is where things get on shaky ground. The thrill of the arena action begins to wean and returns sporadically and briefly. Writers Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt’s narrative turns overstretched, and the sequences are unevenly paced and often long. While the difference in treatment and tonality are evident, Lawrence handles the shift efficiently.
Tom Blyth performs effortlessly as a gentle, blue-blooded young man, especially in scenes depicting an autocrat's making. Rachel Zegler, as a feisty gypsy entertainer, is decent. However, her characterisation is inconsistent. The spunk and defiance she exhibits when she is chosen as a tribute loses its steam, and she ends up being more hapless than heroic. Viola Davis plays the Head Game Maker, Dr Volumnia Gaul, and is powerful in her villainous role, with one piercing icy blue eye. Peter Dinklage as the Academy’s Dean, Casca Highbottom, and Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth deserve mention.
The movie will appeal to the book or film series fans, but it’s not a prequel to which one can introduce new followers. While not an ideal standalone movie, the action and the dystopian world make it worth a one-time watch. The film would have been more enjoyable if not for the length and uneven pace.