THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES (2023) REVIEW

 

Forget the Hunger Games themselves, the real excitement in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” kicks in fashionably late, like a tardy tribute realizing they've missed the bloodbath.

Sure, watching the Games' primitive beginnings, set 64 years before Katniss ever volunteered as tribute, has its charm. Panem hasn’t quite morphed into a dystopian mess yet, and this raw version of the spectacle serves as the Capitol’s early slap on the districts’ wrists for their little rebellion. You don’t need to be a superfan to appreciate the nods to Mockingjays or even the name Katniss. In these moments, we're all like Leo DiCaprio pointing at the screen going, “Hey, I know that!”

In this chaotic whirl, young Coriolanus Snow starts his climb to power. We know where he ends up—Donald Sutherland's icy portrayal tells us that—but watching Tom Blyth's journey from rich kid to ruthless leader is like witnessing a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, except the butterfly is a bit of a jerk.

The subtlety of this supervillain origin story is as unsettling as finding out your pet goldfish has been plotting world domination. Snow doesn’t flex muscles; he flexes his brain, making calculated moves like a chess grandmaster in a game of life and death. Initially, he convinces himself he’s making bad choices for noble reasons; eventually, he just stops bothering to justify it altogether.

We see it in his charade of wealth around snooty schoolmates, even though his family is as broke as a joke at a banker's convention. Granny (Fionnula Flanagan) acts all posh but can barely afford ramen noodles; cousin Tigris (Hunter Schafer) remains a ray of sunshine despite the gloom. These influences shape Snow's approach as mentor to Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the tribute from District 12 in the 10th Hunger Games.

Lucy Gray waltzes onto the scene like a breath of fresh air in a stuffy elevator. She’s got sass and a voice that could melt butter, and Zegler, fresh off "West Side Story," is a revelation. Her voice is angelic, but her sass is divine.

Blyth and Zegler spark off each other like flint and steel, equal parts attraction and suspicion. They realize they can help each other survive because winning the Hunger Games isn’t just about staying alive—it’s about being the star of the show, as head gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis, with just the right amount of villainous flair) points out.

Jason Schwartzman steals the spotlight as cheesy host Lucky Flickerman, serving up zingers like a chef at a comedy buffet. His catchphrase, “See what happens when you do stuff?” is the perfect commentary on our current attention-seeking culture.

Peter Dinklage grounds the chaos as Casca Highbottom, the voice of reason in a world gone mad. He’s the guy who helped invent the Hunger Games but now thinks they might be a bad idea. Dinklage brings a dry wit and wisdom, which is like a cool breeze on a sweltering day.

The kills are more brutal because these kids don’t have to solve puzzles to off each other; they just need to aim and shoot. Snow and Lucy Gray's bond adds depth to the mayhem, making the final chapter a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

“Snow always lands on top,” but the question is how and at what cost. That's what makes “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” a surprisingly gripping prequel.