MOVIE REVIEW: THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES

 

Years before he becomes the tyrannical president of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow remains the last hope for his fading lineage. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow becomes alarmed when he's assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird from District 12. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and political savvy, they race against time to ultimately reveal who's a songbird and who's a snake.

Director: Francis Lawrence

Cast: Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Viola Davis

Release Date: November 17, 2023

Genre: Action,Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi,Thriller, War

Rated PG-13 for strong violent content and disturbing material.

Runtime: 2h 37m

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is a pleasant surprise on multiple levels from the quality of the direction and impressive performances from its cast.  This prequel avoids multiple pitfall that franchise expansion packs usually fall into by taking time and care with the story and characters presented.  Francis Lawrence delivers a wonderfully shot film which is aided by familiarity with the franchise and setting as he leans more into the art deco design.  He delivers some big sweeping moments even if some shoddy CGI kills the effect of a few action set pieces but the film works best when it focuses on its character.  Luckily, the film is blessed with an inspired cast that makes the film far more engaging than it should be.  English actor Tom Blyth takes on the role of a nascent Coriolanus Snow years before he becomes a dictator.  Blyth turns in a nuanced performance which is engaging enough to draw you in before he reveals bits of simmer rage and anger as the film moves on.  His committed performance makes it easier to overlook some of the more bombastic and melodramatic bits of dialogue that the script throws at him.  The chemistry he shares with Rachel Zegler is the engine that keeps the whole thing moving even during some of the lulls in the pacing during the film's runtime.  Zegler is just as committed throughout as the film takes full advantage of the multi talented artist which includes her singing talents, who knew there were so many hootenannies going in Panem, on top of her acting skills.  They are blessed with wonderful supporting cast made up of established stars whose characters give the film a sense of respectability.  Peter Dinklage is appropriately mournful as the accidental co creator of the Hunger Games while Jason Schwartzman is a perfectly preening predecessor to Stanley Tucci's character but Viola Davis leaves the biggest impression with a deliciously twisted turn which has her manically chewing up scenery to great effect.  The film though isn't without some issues with pacing being the most glaring.  There are noticeable lulls that pop up throughout the film's runtime making it feel far longer than it's 2 hour and 37 minutes length.  While there are plenty of moments in the first two acts that could use some trimming, the final act is strangely overstuffed and rushed so much so that you get the sense this story could have been broken up into two films.  Those issues aside, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, manages to be one of the more carefully crafted and enjoyable prequels in recent memory.  

B

MOVIE REVIEW: RED SPARROW

Prima ballerina Dominika Egorova faces a bleak and uncertain future after she suffers an injury that ends her career. She soon turns to Sparrow School, a secret intelligence service that trains exceptional young people to use their minds and bodies as weapons. Egorova emerges as the most dangerous Sparrow after completing the sadistic training process. As she comes to terms with her new abilities, Dominika meets a CIA agent who tries to convince her that he is the only person she can trust.

Director: Francis Lawrence

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Charlotte Rampling, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeremy Irons, Ciaran Hinds

Release Date: March 2, 2018

Genres: Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for strong violence, torture, sexual content, language and some graphic nudity

Runtime: 2h 19 min

Review:

Red Sparrow is a solid if predictable throwback to 80’s cold war spy thrillers like Gorky Park.  Those walking into this film expecting a fast movie action centric spy film will be thoroughly disappointed.  Francis Lawrence film moves at a snails pace with the cast keeping everything interesting even during some of the quieter moments.  The plot plays out in a pretty straightforward fashion so the twist and turns that inevitably occur don’t really surprise or shock that much.  Some of the graphic sequences are uncomfortable but they don’t hit the intended tone.  Thankfully, Jennifer Lawrence carries the film ably even though she’s acting through some impressive bangs an unconvincing Russian accent.  Still, she’s always interesting and engaging.  If this film had cast a lesser actress in the lead the film would have been thoroughly unbearable.  The supporting cast is rounded out with the excellent actors like Joel Edgerton, Jeremy Irons and Ciaran Hinds.  Sadly, Edgerton and Lawrence don’t really share much chemistry making their relationship feel forced throughout.  Jeremy Irons character could have used a bit more screen time to flesh out his motivations which are sadly passed off in single sequence late in the game.  Red Sparrow isn’t a terrible movie, it just one that feels like it could have been much better.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2

In the conclusion of the global-phenomenon, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) stakes her claim as the leader of District 13 and commands the revolution against the brutal dictatorship of President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and the Capitol. Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Jena Malone, and Julianne Moore all return to reprise their roles one last time, with Francis Lawrence continuing his directorial duties. ~ Daniel Gelb, Rovi

Director: Francis Lawrence    

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Dormer, Julianne Moore, Wes Chatham, Elden Henson.

Release Date: Nov 20, 2015    

Rated PG-13 for Intense sequences of violence and action, and for some thematic material    

Runtime: 2 hr. 16 min.    

Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy    

Review:

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 is unfortunately a laborious slog to the finish line of the franchise.  It’s never a particularly bad movie Francis Lawrence’s direction is solid throughout as are most of the performances from the films cast.  Jennifer Lawrence is fairly comfortable in Katniss skin and she does a solid job of showing us all sides of the character’s constant perturbness.  Donald Sutherland does get plenty of credit for perfecting the art of eyebrow acting.  The biggest issue at play here is the film’s story just isn’t that interesting.  The story plays out exactly as expected throughout with very little surprise and it never really builds to a crescendo to finish off the story.  It’s probably a result of unnecessarily stretching the story out to 2 films when it could have been handled ably in 1 film.  As it stands the final film delivers some solid action sequences and throws some character deaths at you to keep you awake during the 2 hours plus runtime but none of it carries all that much weight when it’s all said and done.

C+

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1

Dearest Blog, since a freakishly icy November morning cost me the cinema last weekend, I am a week late with my review of the latest Hunger Games installment. That means just one thing: prepare for my rambling to be even less relevant than usual!    

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or, you know, if you've been on the Internet at all this past week.     Katniss Everdeen becomes the face of the Districts' rebellion against the Capitol, but concern for Peeta's safety is chief on her mind.    

Well, dear reader(s), I'm not exactly what you'd call a Hunger Games fangirl. The movies are pretty well done, but, to me, it's a slightly-better-than-average young adult series that was fortunate to land on a shooting star at just the right moment. To its credit, the franchise seems well aware of that, and it utilizes Jennifer Lawrence's formidable talent, screen presence, and star power to their absolute fullest.     

If J-Law is as astonishing as we've come to expect, that takes nothing away from a supporting cast that is, to a person, very, very good, and Mockingjay Part 1 continues the series' tradition of leaving us wanting more of Woody Harrelson's Haymitch, especially.     

This third Hunger Games installment seems even more grim than the first two, which is really saying something when you take into account that the first one was about children killing one another for entertainment. Like the Hunger Games and Catching Fire, I left the theatre knowing I'd never watch Mockingjay again; it's just too miserable. The movie is also...erm...let's just say "deliberately paced" (to be polite) and runs perhaps a tad too long.     

None of that is to say, however, that it isn't interesting or well done; on the contrary, it is both. The story expertly sustains tension, and there are a couple disaster effects that left me holding my breath.    

Most of the film is set in muted greys and blacks and neutrals, effectively conveying the hopelessness felt by the Districts in their fight against the Capitol's oppression, and the ending will definitely leave you anxious for Mockingjay Part 2, coming next Thanksgiving.    

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 clocks in at 123 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images, and thematic material."    

The Hunger Games series has yet to prove itself worthy of the hype, but as the genre goes, it's still better than most.    

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 gets six.    

No reviews next weekend, as I'll be making my annual, much-anticipated trek to the Big Apple!    

Until next time..

If you're telling me someone fell for Josh Hutcherson while this guy was standing in front of them, I'm telling you that's the least-believable thing I've EVER seen in a movie!

MOVIE REVIEW: THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY, PART 1

The worldwide phenomenon of The Hunger Games continues to set the world on fire with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, which finds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage.

Director: Francis Lawrence 

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Julianne Moore, Sam Claflin

Release Date: Nov 21, 2014

Rated PG-13 for some Disturbing Images, Intense Sequences of Violence, Intense Sequences of 

Action and Thematic Material

Runtime: 2 hr. 3 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

The Hunger Games: MockingJay, Part 1 represents a lot of issues with long running franchises.  It’s overstuffed but undercooked all the way through.  There are plenty of interesting ideas thrown at the wall but none of them are explored fully or expounded upon.  Instead we get a slog of a movie which seems to be treading water more than actually moving the story forward, making the decision to split this finale into 2 parts even more baffling.  Lawrence delivers solid work as usual but she seems slightly bored with the proceedings from time to time as the film moves from creating a revolutionary symbol to stalling another hour before we get to some actual plot momentum.  There are a few set pieces which are worthwhile but mostly it’s a lot of overly serious sadness, mostly because the story type has changed from the first 2 films.  It’s a common issue with franchises like this, the story demand a larger scope which results in a change in the story’s DNA which isn’t always a good thing.

C+

Cindy Prascik's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Dearest Blog, today I was off to the cinema with every single teenager on Earth to catch the latest Hunger Games installment, Catching Fire.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

Following her victory in the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen becomes a symbol of hope to the people of Panem, sparking a rebellion against the Capitol.

I haven't read The Hunger Games series and therefore shall take no side in the age-old books vs. movies debate.

Catching Fire is, like its predecessor, a very good movie, and not something only the die-hard fandom can appreciate. If you're looking for a well-written, well-acted, nail-biter of a film, Catching Fire is the one for you.

That's not to say the Hunger Games movies are always an easy or pleasant watch; on the contrary, these are the Game of Thrones of the big screen. Don't go getting too attached to anyone, ya hear? What's important is any unpleasantness feels organic and absolutely integral to moving the story along, nothing is done just for shock value.

Jennifer Lawrence is as fantastic as ever in the lead. I could be accused of some bias there, and the accusation would be fair, but the young lady is a treasure. There's truthfully not a weak link among the cast, though Woody Harrelson is once again my favorite. Can't say having Philip Seymour Hoffman around ever hurt a movie, either.

Catching Fire gets full marks for costumes and set design, the lavish ridiculousness of the Capitol standing in stark contrast to the desolation of the other districts.

Catching Fire runs a slightly overlong 146 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of violence and action, some frightening images, thematic elements, a suggestive situation, and language."

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is an outstanding film from start to finish. It features sharp writing, a terrific cast, and will leave you on the edge of your seat until The Hunger Games: Mockingjay is released next Thansgiving.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire gets seven and a half.

Next week we get a new Statham flick, so I'm sure I don't need to tell anyone where to find me!!

Until next time...



Oh, hai...just having some folks over to watch the game...

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE

The Hunger Games saga continues in this sequel that finds a revolution brewing as Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) take a "Victor's Tour" of the districts, and President Snow (Donald Sutherland) plots their downfall during preparations for The Quarter Quell, which only occurs every 25 years in celebration of the Capitol's victory over the districts. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Francis Lawrence

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Jena Malone, Woody Harrelson

Release Date: Nov 22, 2013

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some
frightening images, thematic elements, a suggestive situation and language.

Runtime: 2 hr. 26 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

The 2nd film in a major film franchise is typically the most difficult. It has to deal with heightened expectations first and foremost with most films failing to match the energy that made the first entry successful. Thankfully The Hunger Games: Catching Fire isn’t one of those films. Catching Fire does everything you want a 2nd entry in a big budget franchise to do, it corrects chemistry and story problems from the 1st film while expanding the world, while delivering a deeper exploration of the themes at play. It’s an impressive feat accomplished by the cast and crew. Francis Lawrence’s direction is steady and capable making the 2 and ½ hour run seem necessary with rarely a wasted scene in the whole film. Lawrence moves the film at a steady pace, giving the audience enough time to digest the events on screen but never lingering. The first two acts in particular are quite impressive mainly because with a lesser director, cast and script it’d be a laborious slog through exposition. Instead the first act serves nicely as an epilogue/entry point for the new film as it shows the after effects of the first film. The 2nd act starts the main plot in earnest even though we do start to run into some retread moments with slightly different spins with the 3rd act leaving you with an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. It’s not a major fault but it does feel very familiar until the last 15 minutes change up the entire game. The cast lead by Jennifer Lawrence, providing even more depth to the reluctant rebel, is excellent throughout. Lawrence is the center of the film providing it with heart and strength while maintaining a tangible vulnerability. Thankfully, Josh Hutcherson’s character and performance in this entry is stronger overall even if he does seem to suffer from damsel in distress syndrome quite a bit. The returning cast member, Harrelson and Banks in particular, are given a bit more to chew on, fleshing out their characters into living breathing human beings. Sam Claflin and Jena Malone are both welcome additions to the cast even if Malone tends to oversell her performance from time to time. When you add it all up, Catching Fire really delivers on nearly all counts, stumbling slightly in the 3rd act which can get a little repetitive before an interesting turn and cliffhanger.

B+