Well, let me tell ya ’bout this new Hunger Games movie, the one they’re callin’ “Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”. I ain’t no fancy movie critic, ya know, just a regular person who likes a good story. And this one? Hmm, it’s a mixed bag, like a sack of potatoes with a few rotten ones thrown in.
First off, this movie is long. Lordy, it felt like I was sittin’ in that theater forever. They coulda chopped it in half, I swear. Remember them old Hunger Games movies? They split the last one into two parts, and that made sense. This one? They shoulda done the same. It’s like they tried to cram too much stuff in, ya know? Like tryin’ to stuff a whole chicken into a little jar.
Now, they filmed this thing in Hawaii. Pretty place, that Hawaii. I seen pictures. They got beaches and rainforests and all that. And the movie shows it off, I guess. Lots of pretty scenery. But honestly, I was more interested in the story than the scenery, ya see?
Speaking of the story, it’s about this young fella, way before Katniss and all them. He’s called Snow, and he’s supposed to be the bad guy in the later movies, but here he’s just a young’un tryin’ to make his way. They got this Hunger Games thing going on, but it’s different. Not as fancy, not as…well, not as good as the ones with Katniss, if you ask me. It’s like watching a practice game before the real match starts.
- The good parts? Well, the actors are pretty good, I guess. They do their job. And the movie looks nice, like I said, all that Hawaii scenery and all.
- The bad parts? Like I said, it’s too long. And it’s slow, especially in the beginning. They spend forever settin’ things up, and then they rush through the end. It’s like they got tired of makin’ the movie and just wanted it to be over.
Some folks say it ain’t exactly like the book. I ain’t read the book, so I can’t say for sure. But they say they changed some things. Maybe for the better, maybe not. Who knows? But I did like how they made the Capitol and the districts look. Real creepy and futuristic, ya know? Like something outta one of them sci-fi shows.
Another thing, this movie ain’t like them old Hunger Games movies with all the action. This one’s more about the people, about Snow and this girl he’s gotta mentor in the games. It’s supposed to be about how he becomes the bad guy, I guess. But honestly, I didn’t see much of that. He just seemed like a confused kid to me, not some evil mastermind.
And the games themselves? Not as exciting as the old ones. They felt kinda…cheap, ya know? Like they didn’t have as much money to spend on the special effects or somethin’. I remember them old movies, with the fire and the explosions and all that. This one? It’s more talkin’ than fightin’.
So, would I recommend this movie? Well, it depends. If you’re a big fan of the Hunger Games, maybe you’ll like it. It gives you some background on Snow and all that. But if you’re lookin’ for a fast-paced action movie like the old ones? You might be disappointed. It’s a long, slow burn, and it don’t always pay off. It’s like plantin’ a whole field of corn and only gettin’ a few ears.
It ain’t the worst movie I ever seen, but it ain’t the best neither. It’s just…okay. And for a movie that cost as much as they say it did, “okay” ain’t good enough. They shoulda made it shorter, faster, and more excitin’. That’s what I think, anyway. And Lord knows I’ve seen enough stories in my time to know a good one from a bad one, this one’s just middlin’.
Tags: [Hunger Games, Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, movie review, prequel, Suzanne Collins, Panem, Coriolanus Snow, Lucy Gray Baird, film criticism]
