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: SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS

 

Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with their adult superhero alter egos. When a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrives on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Shazam and his allies get thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world.

Director: David F. Sandberg

Cast: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Grace Caroline Currey, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, Meagan Good, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou, Helen Mirren

Release Date: March 17, 2023

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Fantasy, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and language

Runtime:  2h 10m

Review:

David F. Sandberg's original Shazam had a sort of goofy charm captured perfectly by Zachary Levi's performance as the titular superhero.  The follow up still has that energy even though its more frenetic and unfocused than the first go around.  This film is clearly shooting for a more family friendly angle than the majority of the superhero with a lighter tone even with the assortment of action set pieces on display.  Those set pieces are decidedly bigger than the first go around which are fun, but they may turn off people who aren't fans of heavy CGI usage.  Levi is still the focus, but the story does expand a bit to include more of his adopted siblings/superhero team with Grace Caroline Currey and Asher Angel getting the biggest chunks of the spotlight.  Currey and Angel make the most of the opportunity as they flesh out their particular characters.  Sadly, the rest of the ensemble only gets a few passing moments leaving Meagan Good's fun performance  being terribly underutilized.  Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren and Djimon Hounsou have fun in their roles with Mirren proving more than capable of bringing back some of that classic Morgana energy from Excalibur.  Rachel Zegler is appropriately wide eyed throughout but her character is thinly written not terribly interesting which doesn't do the film or story any favors.  It doesn't help matters that the film could have used some trimming here and there to make it a more enjoyable experience.  Ultimately, Shazam! Fury of the Gods falls into the cliched sequelitis where everything is bigger and louder but it’s not as effective as the original.  

C+

Cindy Prascik's Review of West Side Story

 

My dear, neglected reader(s), the weekend just passed saw a major new release in cinemas that was very much of interest to me (The Batman), and a brand new Sebastian Stan movie that I could have screened in the comfort and safety of my own home (Fresh). Instead I elected to watch the remake of West Side Story, which, at the very least, is new to a couple streaming services this week...in other words, no longer a twrnty-dollar rental. Twenty-dollar rentals are the hill on which I've chosen to die.

Spoiler level here will be mild, I suppose, though I can't imagine anyone doesn't know how this plays out by now.

Against a backdrop of racially-motivated gang violence and neighborhood gentrification, a young Puerto Rican girl and a Polish-American boy fall in love.

I am of the...vintage...where everything I've ever loved is being remade into something I don't understand by people younger than I can remember. I try not to be bitter about it and, generally, I don't hate remakes for the sake of it. (Just don't get me started on The Crow.) That being said, I'm a big fan of the original West Side Story, and I wasn't sure how to feel about it being remade. It seems somewhat cemented in its time. I'm happy to report this is neither destruction nor fawning copy of the original. It also isn't some "woke" reimagining. The show's message endures, without this new version feeling the need to beat anyone over the head with it.

WSS-2021 is two and a half hours long, but it doesn't feel bloated or slow. The better and more interesting musical numbers all occur in the first half, and there's nothing for it, but I never was checking the time incessantly or waiting for the movie to end. With one notable exception (more on that later), vocal performances are solid and acting is okay-ish. The dancing is exceptional, with choreography is reminiscent of the original, but somehow busier and, thus - to someone with two left feet, anyway - all the more fascinating. Bonus points for eliminating that chicken-walk thing (which I've always hated) from the mambo!

On the minus side, I don't think Ansel Elgort was hired for his voice. He's not a bad singer, but he's not a particularly good singer, either. The 1961 version used voice doubles for some of the leads, and may have had the right idea. Staging sucks the life right out of some formerly dynamic numbers (notably, America), and many of the exteriors have the same awful green-screen effect that plagued In the Heights. Also, not that it could be helped, but no one in this move is George Chakiris, and that's never less than a shame.

West Side Story runs 156 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some strong violence, strong language, thematic content, suggestive material, and brief smoking."

I definitely don't get the awards love for any of it, but the remake of West Side Story is a decent effort, and if its recognition keeps people making movie musicals, I'm all for it. Of a possible nine Weasleys, West Side Story gets seven.

West Side Story is now streaming on Disney+ and the HBO family of channels.

Fangirl points: Brian d'Arcy James! Corey Stoll!

Oh, and, for the record, I did start Fresh and realized about 30 minutes in that — no matter how much I love Sebastian Stan — I can no longer be a person who watches everything he does. Hard pass.

MOVIE REVIEW: WEST SIDE STORY

 

Love at first sight strikes when young Tony spots Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. Their burgeoning romance helps to fuel the fire between the warring Jets and Sharks -- two rival gangs vying for control of the streets.

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Rita Moreno, Corey Stoll

Release Date: November 19, 2021

Genre: Crime, Drama, Musical, Romance

Rated PG-13 for some strong violence, strong language, thematic content, suggestive material and brief smoking.

Runtime: 2h 36m

Review:

Steven Spielberg's West Side Story isn't really necessary in the grand scheme of things since the 1961 Robert Wise film is considered cinematic royalty.  Perhaps Spielberg is one of the few directors around who could pull off the amazing feat of delivering a vibrant and relevant refresh of this story. The film pulsates with a palatable verve from it's opening frame.  Each shot is meticulously constructed and composed which displays the amount of care that went into this production.  The songs are instantly recognizable but the choreography and costuming are just breathtaking to behold in terms of size and scope.  Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler lead the cast as the star crossed lovers.  Zegler, in her big screen debut, is perfect from the moment she hits the screen with a voice that's sure to leave an impression.  There's an air of authenticity in her performance that bleeds through the screen. Elgort though feels like a weak spot in the cast with his performance and voice coming off flat for large portions of time.  Zegler and Elgort don't share that spark of onscreen chemistry you'd expect from the central couple and in a lesser film it'd probably sink the whole production.  It's a testament to the film that it really doesn't matter in the long run since the supporting cast more than makes up for it.  Mike Faist turn as Riff is a kinetic punch of charismatic juvenile delinquency making him the most interesting person onscreen for a large portion of the film.  David Alvarez is equally strong as Riff's rival Bernardo.  Alvarez reeks of masculinity and machismo which fits perfectly with the character.  Ariana DeBose, who takes on Rita Moreno's role from the original film, manages to leave a huge impression with her energetic and ultimately tragic turn with the centerpiece being her performance of America.  Spielberg's West Side Story is a rare cinematic feat especially for a remake, it's engrossing, uplifting, timely and moving in the best way.

A-