The theater lights dim, the smell of popcorn wafts into your nose, and suddenly, you’re in the heart of Panem. Everything is in disarray and snow falls gently onto a ground littered with bodies, as young Snow and Tigris make a mad dash back to their run down apartment, fleeing a snarling stray dog who, just like them, is starving.
After what seemed like forever for Hunger Games fans, the prequel A Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes was released November 17th, and can now be streamed on Amazon Prime or watched in theaters.
After being starved for a new Hunger Games movie since 2015, fans can agree that this new movie is arguably the best of them all, with it earning a staggering $44M box office during opening weekend in North America.
A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes tells the simultaneously tragic, thrilling and heart-wrenching story of a young President Snow and how he rose to the top.
Heartthrob actor Tom Blyth was an protagonist and did not disappoint in his portrayal of the extremely dynamic character.
Blyth’s acting takes viewers on the journey of Corionalus Snow and immerses them into the story of how he went from a humble, yet ambitious boy struggling to make ends meet for his family, to a madly in love teenage to a greedy and heartless young man who turned out just like his father.
As with all movies based on previously written books, some of Coriolanus’s thoughts were missing from the story. Fortunately, with the way Blyth’s face displayed the emotions of the determined university student, moviegoers were given a deeper than usual understanding of what was going on inside the mind of Panem’s future villain.
Rachel Zeigler’s charisma and fascinating voice exceed the vision of even the charming and unforgettable Lucy Gray Baird we get from the original book. As she captivates the hearts of even the most heartless capital citizens and her donations pile up, she captivates the hearts of Hunger Games fans everywhere.
The only staggering thing missing from the movie that was a significant part of the book was dramatic snake bit scene. In the movie, audiences are left wondering what happened after Dovecote stuck her hand into the container of rainbow venom, while in the book she suffers disturbing effects like golden, peeling skin and yellow-colored eyes before she almost certainly dies.
In her role as Dr. Gaul, seasoned actress Viola Davis perfected her deception and cruelty; she’s sly and just like in the books as the gravity of what she’s done to young Snow slips right past viewers until the very end.
The casting of Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom shocked fans, but he fit the part perfectly. The foreshadowing of his seemingly malicious intentions unveil who the real villain is at the end seamlessly, just like the book.
The fascinating visual effects and the way the movie brings to life the tributes before they are capital citizens, concurrently disgusted and enthralled while watching the 10th annual Hunger Games.
The plot twists and unexpected reveals in the book written by mastermind Susanne Collins all played out exactly like the book and were portrayed perfectly. The movie even broke the internet, especially on TikTok, where a multitude of edits can be found.
Overall, fans are left wondering which perfection in this movie made it a massive success, rather than just another mediocre prequel. I The only suggestion of an answer is that, “Snow lands on top.”
