Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes: An Honest Review From a Die Hard Hunger Games Fan 

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My only complain is that I wish on the third act the romance was more intense. It felt like when they reunited they were super cold. So when they decide to escape together and he betrays her it doesn’t feel as heart wrenching as it could have been.

Adding that little detail of Crassus Snow's death being in District 12 was interesting. They really want to hammer in just how much Snow hates that place.

The movie captured how dark and intense the hunger games were more so than the originals did. Seeing them sick and weak like that was much more moving, especially the girl with Down syndrome that hit hard. The zoo scene too was particularly haunting

I really like how lucy disappeared yet her Hanging tree song got so far that Snow was so shocked to hear when Katniss sang it.

Surprised so many critics hated it, then again I never got the hate for the Mockingjay films either, this franchise is top tier in my opinion!

The scene when Sejanus called everyone monsters was a great delivery!

This movie felt like a jogging pace until the last half hour. The last half hour felt like a breath-taking sprint.

I absolutely adored this movie My only complaint is Dr Gaul wasn't as unhinged as she was in the book. Viola Davis was amazing in the role, but sometimes she seemed more indifferent than giddy at the the pain she caused In the book, I felt legit nauseated because of how sadistic she was, but I only really saw that in her first scene. And her sadism specifically relates to her philosophy (because if she loves hurting people, everyone secretly must). It's a small thing, but it's been in my mind since I saw it Looking at it on it's own merits, awesome movie. Comparing it to the book, still awesome, just something I would've done slightly different

the scene with Lucy Gray singing the hanging tree in that beautiful field....what a perfectly beautiful shot. it really is bittersweet now to go back and watch Katniss singing it now after having seen the person who created the song

Considering the seemingly “1960s” technology. I was confused about this as well, but then I thought about it more, and realised it kind of makes sense. The series it set after the end of the world, where they would have lost a lot of their technology, and likely would’ve had to start from the beginning. They may have only had the resources for older style technology. The capitol may also have been put pack due to the war, so this could have also contributed to their lack of innovation. I just thought it was something to think about 🙂

So overall, I really liked the film. I think Snow, Gaul and Lucy Gray were really well cast. I also saw it in IMAX, so I like how they changed the aspect ratios the same way they did in Catching Fire. I will say though, me personally, having read the book already, I was always auto-comparing it to the book. So I noticed when they skipped parts like the parade where they strung up the District 10 girl. One of my biggest complaints is that they practically skipped over the interviews scene. I think Tigris suffered especially for that since she didn't get that moment of being the first Hunger Games stylist with fixing up Lucy's dress, And I do agree with some of the issues with the final part. It just felt like Snow final descent was just a bit too abrupt, like that one moment where he started his turn was missing.

I absolutely loved this film. I think that Rachel Zeglers accent for Lucy Gray has something to do with her being from the Covey! She states that they originated and belong to everywhere, and nowhere. I like how her District 12 accent isn't fully refined, portraying this part of her character who belongs nowhere.

I absolutely loved it! It felt like reading a book! I loved the wardrobe the world the acting! One of the best films I’ve seen this year.

I agree, they got such an impressive amount of the book in. Didn't waste a second! I also thought the music was superbly done.

I just saw the movie yesterday. As someone who has (Uhmmm dont come at me) never read any of the Hunger Games Books and has only seen the original movies, I LOVED IT. Im not some die hard hunger games fan but as someone who went in with no previous knowledge and who watches movies religiously, It was amazing in my eyes

3:11 I also wish they’d included the mentor funerals (at the very least Arachne’s) Not to mention seeing Clemensia’s mutated form after being bitten by the rainbow snakes would’ve been INSANE, instead of just having her dragged away & never seeing her again like the film did.

“It’s the things we love most, that destroy us” I really love how they ended the movie with that iconic line from Mockingjay Part 1 and here’s why: It really emphasizes that it was the point of the story. It may not be the WHOLE point of this story, but it definitely is a BIG part, since it can be interpreted LITERALLY by the most obvious example being his “love” for Lucy Gray Baird. We know as an audience member for the book/movie that his “love” for her really wasn’t ever that real, since he was only doing it for selfish gain, but to him it was, so Lucy Gray “betraying” him in the end was the final nail in the coffin that “destroyed” him, and made him lose what little humanity he had left in him at that point, and immediately solidified his dark worldview. Along with all the other nails that were already established earlier in the story too. Then, later on in the timeline, it makes total sense as to why he chooses to brainwash Peeta and send him back to District 13 with the rebels so he could kill Katniss Everdeen. He could’ve very easily just attached a bomb and a camera on his body and then once Snow sees that he’s back in D13 and can see Katniss from the camera, then he could’ve detonated the bomb and killed both of them immediately but he didn’t. Why? Because he wanted Katniss to feel exactly what he felt when Lucy Gray “betrayed” him in the woods and tried to kill him. From that experience alone, Snow lost all trust for human beings after that, and that last sliver of hope he had of maybe being able to trust Lucy Gray one day was destroyed by her trying to kill him. So Snow wanted her to go through, and feel the same thing he did and lose her trust with Peeta and the rebels, and have her feel just as betrayed by the “person they both loved most”, like Snow did with Lucy Gray. However, that phrase can also be interpreted METAPHORICALLY in much more subtler ways too when for example his LOVE for power is what destroyed him. The movie posters for each character also really drives home this idea too by using the phrase, “Hunger for power” for Snow’s poster to which I believe the words “hunger” and “love” can both be used interchangeably in my opinion. Snow’s LOVE for power is what ultimately destroys him too in the end when we see him take his first life when he kills that District 8 tribute in the arena. His love for power is what drove him to make that instinctive fateful decision to take Bobbin’s life. Obviously nobody else made that decision but him. He did it because he wanted to have the higher power and to be on top of that situation. Hence, the phrase Snow lands on top, so his love for power is what drove him to kill that boy. He even says to Tigris in the movie that it felt powerful. It was also clear to us that he really liked that feeling of killing that boy because it felt powerful even though he never outright admitted it to her. It was subtle enough that it can be interpreted that way. Hence, his love for power grew even more and it ultimately destroyed him in the end, since as we saw later on, his love for that power is what also drove him to take Mayfair’s life, which was much easier for him, and then betraying Sejanus when he learned he was uncontrollable, becoming a rebel, and endangering his own life by involvement. He did all of that so he can guarantee that he’ll still have a future where he can obtain the ultimate power position of becoming president of Panem one day and literally have ALL the power in the world like he always loved and wanted to have. That intense love for power destroyed him as it ultimately made him not only lose all of his humanity, but also turned him into a tyrannical leader who condones mass genocide to maintain power over Panem. Another example of that phrase that can be interpreted metaphorically is his love for control and order. Obviously I won’t mention his assignments he had with Dr. Gaul in the book talking about the three C’s and how he’d love to have control since that’s self explanatory, but before the games began, we saw him do all sorts of things to cheat his way into making sure Lucy Gray would win so he can control the outcome and obtain that Plinth Prize. Obviously that can be interpreted as him just having feelings for her and wanting her to survive, but we all know that he only really wanted her to survive so he can also win that Plinth Prize too and then go to university and maintain his social and financial status with his classmates, so when it wasn’t going his way, and it was becoming more likely he wasn’t going to win that prize at all and be able to pay off all his expenses, hence him losing control, then this is when his love for control took over inside him and drove him to manipulate the outcome and guarantee that he’ll win that prize by cheating his way to victory, and he got what he wanted but at what cost? Cheating to get it when he can’t get it honorably? Giving Lucy Gray extra food so she could outlive her competitors by controlling who would win? Throwing in the handkerchief into the tank of snakes so that they wouldn’t kill Lucy Gray and once again control who would win the games? Giving Lucy Gray rat poison so she can use it to kill the others and once again control who wins the games? Then later on using poison to kill all his adversaries to maintain that control which he learned from doing it in the arena years prior so that he can maintain control of the outcome by insuring he would win that Plinth Prize? Using poison in general to kill anyone who poses the smallest threat to him due to his love for power and control and wanting to maintain it? Killing innocent people in general just so he can maintain control over the whole country? Not caring when people start calling him a tyrant, iron fisted and cruel just to ensure survival for survival’s sake and thinking humanity should thank him? Betraying Sejanus when he couldn’t maintain control over him anymore and control his safety as well as his own? Choosing the Capitol lifestyle over living in the woods or in the districts forever with the “love of his life” because he views the Capitol as being a more controlled civilization than the chaotic forest life? Betraying Lucy Gray and trying to kill her by tying up all loose ends that would lead to him being involved with those crimes in District 12 just so he can maintain control over his own destiny? Choosing to hunt down Lucy Gray when he could no longer control her after she used a snake to bite him and try to kill him? Controlling Sejanus to his advantage by actually allowing him to become friends with him when he learned that he made sure he graduated from the academy which sparked a lot of hope inside of him when he realizes he can still climb to power after all and maintain control over his life? When just moments before he was contemplating suicide because he literally just lost all control for his own life and destiny? So what would’ve happened if Sejanus didn’t save him? And what happens when the thing you love most is taken away from you? You end up committing suicide? Possibly. We saw that with Snow when he was thinking about killing himself when one of the things he loved most was taken away from him. That thing being control. He lost complete control for his life and destiny and genuinely felt like that there was no way that he could regain that control. Hence why he was pondering suicide right before Sejanus came in and saved the day. Hence, it is the things we love most, that destroy us. Literally. All of these are the examples and the final nails in the coffin both literally and metaphorically speaking that destroyed Coriolanus Snow by the end of the story and turned him into the monster we know from the original trilogy, because of his love for Lucy Gray, power, and control. Since it is in fact the things we love most that destroy us.

“Poor, foolish, dead Sejanus” - Coriolanus Snow

What I would’ve loved seeing is the insight of Coriolanus’ thoughts somehow. It was the best aspect of the book, the psychological evolution, how he made his decisions or how he struggled to be human at times. I was scared to watch the movie because I knew that covering that aspect would’ve been hard. It’s still a good movie and the actor did a great job but you still don’t feel him the way you do in the book. The book to me was one of the best I’ve ever read because of this aspect.

I enjoyed this movie, even the third act. I was a little confused on the terms of how snow and Lucy ended. She had to have known he loved her or at least really liked her, because when he had that gun in that cabin, what’s to stop him from just killing her right then and there if he wanted to take her off the board as well. The thing was already loaded. I think she may have left because he lied about the 3rd person he killed. But to me I think partly is also because she knew that him being on the run with her that wasn’t the life he would’ve enjoyed and probably would’ve grown to resent her and himself with time so she gave him an out. She couldn’t have known what kind of man he was gonna turn into in the end. So I think her leaving was partly out of lack of trust, moral similarities, and partly out of mercy in her eyes. It may be a rarity, but good people and bad people are capable of developing feelings of true care toward one another. I think this story is an example of that. But in this case their moral and ideological differences were just too large to truly last for a lifetime together of equally mutual happiness.

I personally think this movie should have been like r-rated or something cuz this was wow to me it makes the other like the old hunger games movies feel like kid movies

I LOVED this movie! I agreed with almost everything you said, especially the part about the third act feeling a bit rushed. I think this movie would have been more elevated if it was R-rated. I liked that we got to see the beginning stages of the Hunger Games which allows for comparison to how it evolved over time. If they decided to make another Hunger Games movie focused on a different tribute, I would love to see more of The Capital. It was weird that I would catch myself rooting for young Snow at times but then I would remember what he would become in the future. It just exposes how tragic his upbringing was. This movie was amazing! Truly a gift to the fans.

I agree with what you said about the songs. They were not bad songs, in fact I’ve been listening to every single one after I finished watching the movie. The reaping and snakes songs specifically felt so out of place like they were in fact from a musical 😅 I was also kinda sad they didn’t include Sejanus in their trip to the lake.

The actor for snow did a fantastic job making it feel like the first snow we meet and the snow we know at the end are totally two different people

My cousin recommended that I should read the Hunger Games and I loved it. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes really exceeded my expectations

I liked the retro look of it. We don't know how much of the tech and data was completely destroyed during the Dark Days (I think). Who knows if they had to start from "scratch". And there's still 64 years between this and the original series.

I will admit I don’t like when they cast people because they fit into the DEI spectrum but I will admit seeing a tribute with 1 arm, one with Down syndrome and whatever the actor who played Tanner had really put into perspective that the capitol doesn’t care about your physical ailments if you’re between 12-18 and your name is called you’re going in the arena

Great review. I am 60 years old and loved this flick. It tells the story of how it began very well. Yes, a 60 year old Hunger Games fan. I hope you younger folks see what I see in this series. Never take your freedom for granted.

As someone who’s never read the books, this movie was great. I personally like it more than the other Hunger Games movies, the acting was good and Lucy Gray was so likeable, the ending was a shock for me and took a little bit of marinating for me to understand it, this is a perfect prequel.

I’ve seen it twice so far and I enjoyed it both times. I think the ending with adult Snow saying “it’s the things we love most that destroy us” with nothing but a black screen was perfect because it really connects the movie to the original series. I heard that line wasn’t supposed to be in it at all but once Francis Lawrence saw the first trailer with it he thought it was too perfect not to include because it really summarizes the point of the movie. The one thing I wish they would have included was Dr. Gaul’s speech about how she has no use for liars and lying was something people did to conceal weakness because I felt it was important to Snow’s character that he was traumatized to the point he never lied again (except for when he lied to his classmates about the injuries he got in the arena or lying to Lucy Gray about his third killing) and told others not to lie to him. Viola Davis was perfect for that role.

literally such a good adaptation in my opinion. I really wanted the romance between snow and lucy to be more and the relationship with the covey to be more on display. It really felt like Snow never questioned his decision of capital or Lucy which i thought he was in the book which really made the shock on the end so much more heartwrenching. Just felt like the betrayal wasn’t enough and it just didn’t feel like Snow was going crazy enough at the end for me. In the book i felt like he had basically lost his mind in that last scene and it really didn’t for do that in the movie for me.

I honestly wish they showed more of the dark days, like Coriolanus seeing his mother and sister die, their funeral, Crassus snows funeral, Tigris losing her parents, Tigris saving coryolanis from illness, and Coryo being assaulted by the peacekeeper. I would have also liked to see the ring twins funeral and Arachne’s funeral.

As a HUGE Hunger Games fan, I’m actually with the PG-13 rating. As I am a teenager, I probably wouldn’t have been able to see it. The movie was really, really awesome! Let’s hope Suzanne Collins makes more of these awesome prequels!

I enjoyed the movie and thought the cast did a great job. I knew parts of it would have to be cut to fit the time constraints. I would have loved to see Clemensia after the snake bite. They also made Snow seem messier in his cunning nature. He was much more cautious and calculating in the books. I also didn't like how Lucy said she could turn him in, because it took away how evil and paranoid Snow was. I agree a rated R version would have been better, I thought that about the original trilogy as well. Although it probably wouldn't do as well commercially.

7:00, i had the exact same thought about the retro thing. but something i thought about that saved it for me was that history tends to repeat itself especially with style, (fashion, decor, architecture etc.) we tend to bring back old trends often so maybe they were taking influence from past trends. that doesn't explain the technology part though, but helps me enjoy the story a little more to think of it that way!

I loved the retro look. It was very classy. Its as if it was a nod to an underlying story, confirming a broader story being told about history.... It was a very grounded knights of the old republic aesthetic. Very scholarly... Even the throw back blue collar laborer aesthetic, was nice. I really appreciated the retro style i must say..

I always love this type of prequel movie, not redeeming or trying to portray the villain as good or misunderstood, but showing the reasons why the villain exists as they do. How they exist. It is a great way to build upon characters without making them ‘good’

I wish they hadn't killed the rest of the tributes off with snakes in the end, I wanted to see how Treech, Teslee, Circ and Mizzen really died on the big screen. I also wish they included the district 3 tributes more. Im no movie expert or anything but I would have liked to see it

I'm fine with some of the technology seeming out of date because they just went through a devastating war that likely destroyed a lot of their tech, so it set them back a bit.

I think the tribute parts of the movie were the strongest. They made me care about a lot of the tributes even though most had little to no development. Snow punching the boy was so well done, it was the first time we got a glimpse of who he was deep down inside, and then when he did it again with the mayors daughter. It showed how deep down inside him, there was always some gross evil lurking there. His environment wasn’t all to blame, and I loved how they showed that.

I like Rachel Zagler as an actress and singer (especially in this movie), but I don't think she's the right casting for a live-action Snow White. At least not on the level of Lily James as Cinderella, Naomi Scott as Jasmine, Elle Fanning as Aroura, or Hallie Bailey as Ariel who were all phenomena in their respective roles and were all born to play their respective Disney princesses. I just think they could've looked harder for the perfect actress to bring the real Snow White to life. (And this has nothing to do with her as a person or an actress, I think she's great, but I just don't know if she is the right pick for Snow White when she clearly doesn't understand the original character of Snow White).

i thought rachels performance was great and believable, at times her singing made me cringe a little bit even though it sounded amazing its just the feeling i felt during most of those moments. shes definitely a great actor

The movie also forgot to add snows relationship with sejanus parents and Sejanus dad helping snow out while at the university🥺

I read the book while this film was in production. I even tried to find auditions for the remaining Tribute boys, but no luck. And funny enough, I saw this film last night. There were changes, but it was still a good film overall. Though I may prefer the original trilogy.

I loved the movie bc I read the book, but I can understand if strictly movie watchers didn’t like it. The cinematography was amazing, and for me, it was just like I imagined it. I really do wish they would’ve showed a little more of the violence, instead of watering those scenes down, but I feel that way about most young adult movies that have been adapted from books; however, I do get it.

I love the movie, I read the book multiple times and the movie managed to adapt it perfectly for me. The increasing tempo also added to the drama of Snow falling (but I get the complaints about the 3rd act being too fast and such, I just don't personally mind). And with the last scene, the huge statue in Capitol and Snow looking at it, after the murder of dean, I had chills - this was the evil Snow from original trilogy, you could see the ambitions and such in him, the ending was amazing!

i loved it! i think it was TOO much like the book at times. in the book we get snow's internal monologue and his thoughts about lucy gray and how he becomes evil with the killing etc. the movie COMPLETELY omits that. maybe they could've had him confide in tigris more??? or sejanus? idk but i still think they did a phenomenal job

So no one is going to talk about the easily winded drama student ordering everyone around with a trident in the games. Wow our expectations, RIP.

I do wish the members of Lucy Gray’s Covey family had gotten more spotlight - especially Maude Ivory & how much she saw Lucy Gray as her sister, as the group felt more like a band that just gets together a lot (a close band) but not as close as a family unit that lives together in the sticks (as was shown in the book)

I’m glad you mentioned how they made everything look like a futuristic 1960s. it caught me so offguard when I saw the movie trailer. Like if it’s supposed to be set in a futuristic US why is the tech so dated, idk it just bothered me a lot.

Lucky Flickerman made a lot of people laugh when I went to see it Saturday

Style is cyclical. I actually loved the retro look they had in the movie! It gives a distinct visual cue for the viewer to associate this story with past events. There tech was advanced but not in a futuristic, flashy way which I liked because it kept the tone more grounded. The Capitol was definitely less flashy in this movie but it made sense to me because it looked like they were still rebuilding from the Dark Days. Maybe the Capitol before the Dark days occurred was originally more understated in style then over the decades that will come they get more outlandish.

Tbh I was pretty bummed abt how early they ended the games, simply killing off everyone with the snakes in contrast to the book but the movie is so freaking good I've already been to see it twice and am planning to go once more while it's still in theaters.

The song playing during the credits hit the nail on the head. It had the perfect vibe and is still playing in my head every time i think about the movie.

Thank you for waiting I saw it last night

Personally I liked the aesthetic of the retro low tech that’s actually high tech. They’re rebuilding society and in 10 years of time they’ve gotten to post modern nuclear futurism. I think that makes a lot of sense. Most of their technology is used for bioengineering anyway. So their biggest advancements are of course medicines, poisons, and genetic manipulation (mutts).

3:34 Agreed. I've said it before. This book felt like a roller coaster, parts 1 and 2 were the way up: really slow and filled with anticipation, detailed to the max, almost exhausting. But part 3 was the way down: rushing and moving too fast to the point of wanting to know more details.

the technology made sense to me, they just came back from a war where both sides suffered so its a good chance they were just using whatever they could for the time until they had the opportunity to upgrade them back to what they used to have

I don't usually watch review videos but this was a good balance one, well done.

I agree that there was way too little gore. Aracne’s death was poorly handled. They wafted over her taunting Brandy and Brandy’s method of killing was due to her work in District 10 slaughter houses. The snakes were disappointing in a way. I disliked that they left out the effect of the snake bites - rainbow pus. As well as how Clem was transformed.

Amazing. Second best hunger games film. Casting was on point, and incredibly close to the book.

Maybe I’m reaching but I think part of the reason her accent was inconsistent is because she’s lived so many different places

I can’t help it. As a die hard *_Hunger Games_* fan, I absolutely loved _The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes_ book & film. I just wish the film could have somehow implemented Snow’s inner sinister narcissistic monologue in the film because in the book that is exactly how he is.

My only real gripe is that they didn’t develop Lucy Gray and Snow as much as in the book but overall I loved it. All the characters were done so well and I think some of them were even done better than in the book. I wish the movie could have been a bit longer in order to fit more in but they did really well with what they had.

Some parts DID feel rushed. For example the scene at the Hob. In the book, Snow's reaction to Lucy's song about him was different and much longer, more emotional. He didn't just abruptly stand up and walk off. That was very disappointing, that they didn't play it that way, like in the book. I was also hoping for much more of the stomp dancing scene (pardon my ignorance, if there's a better term for this type of dancing)! That looked like so much fun in the trailers!

I heard there's an extended version that has 1 hr of extra footage. Hope they release it eventually if its true

Rachel's performance was phenomenal. I was honestly shocked because it was my first movie of her and I only knew of her dumb takes on Snow white from instagram. But she was so charismatic and good, almost on par with Jennifer Lawrences' Katniss

I loved this movie, but I was disappointed with the scene of Clemensia being attacked by a snake. It was horryfying in the books when A LOT of snakes immediately bited her, she went to hospital for days, and most of all, her skin got colorful scales. It really shows the madness of dr Gaul. Also, I wish we could hear The Hanging Tree only in the end when Snow haunts Lucy, it could be a lot creepier because it shows that the song is also about him

I love hunger games

I feel like they should have kept Dr Gauls lab as terriying as it was in the books. She had avox's (capital slaves with tongues removed) in cages, having been mutated with different animals. Corio mentions hearing their moans and screams. But when we see it in the movie, it's just weird things in jars. It would have helped show just how dark and twisted Dr Gaul truly is.

THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THE RETRO SET DESIGN AND CGI!!!! Everyone talks about how amazing it looks but it doesn’t fit the movie correctly and takes away from the dystopia look

one thing i would change is that during coriolanus's freak out sesh he was shooting the birds, not trying to hit lucy gray. i feel like it took away from his character arc and made him more of a moody teenager and not a psychopath

I was afraid I would unconsciously pick on Rachel Zegler because I didn't like her in interviews, but she was amazing! I only wish they would break the book in two movies so we could see more - I've missed some interactions between Snow and Sejanus mother for example

Theory: Dr. Gaul planted the explosions in the arena (to boost up interest and justify her attack with the snakes) and she also made Felix Ravenstill (the "son" of the president) disappear so that Snow can succeed Ravenstill as the next president of Panem

Totally agree about the R rating and them missing out the deaths of the escaped tributes and the impact they made the mentors deaths have in the book and how it impacted the games, it just happening to the president´s son rather than all the mentors that ended up ill or dead felt off. Again, wish they’d kept in Clemmy and what happened to her after she was bitten, would’ve loved to see how they worked in her new appearance and how unhinged she became. I really wish they’d kept the post tribute death mentor interviews, I think they added just that bit more to the tributes characters which we could’ve afforded seeing as there weren’t that many who actually started the games. They would’ve also worked really well for Jessup’s death which I thought was a wasted opportunity, nowhere near as tragic as it was in the books, from the start when he was attacked by a bat seemingly on the way and not a raccoon (or even some other animal) while he was in the capitals capture and his humanising message from his mentor at the end. Not to mention the relationship between the two district 12 mentors and how they supported each other, her using Jessups food and water to disarm Jessup and save Lucy Gray. Ma being cut was a shame because him becoming heir to the Plinth fortune seems more of a stretch and I think their relationship added an extra layer to Sejanus’ death knowing how well Ma treated him and owed him for saving Sejanus in the arena, and yet he still sent her son to the gallows. I don’t know if it’s because it’s how Snow perceives Lucy Gray but I feel she’s a lot nicer and less cunning that she could have come off in the books with her actions, but they definitely work in the snake trap as a definite deliberate act which I like. I do like how you can see all the things they implemented in later games because of the struggles you see now: making sure the tributes are taken care of and fed with 12 getting the best because they arguably start in the worst spot, basic training for everyone so it makes for an interesting fight, the tokens to remind you of home, changing the arena because it makes things new and exciting, everything is so thought out because of issues they’ve had. Peter Dinklage as Highbottom is great, you can see that he never actually wanted this to happen but my god he was going to make those around him suffer to try and make sure they would stop happening, and who comes to ruin it all again, a Snow. Perfect balance of arrogance and power with the tragedy of having at least 230 deaths on your conscience and counting with no end in sight thanks to another Snow. A theory I like that I know isn’t at all possible but I wish had been worked in somehow, is that Lucy Gray is/is the mother to Alma Coin, I would’ve loved for the battle for the capital to have come down to the teenaged lovers once again trying to survive each other as they had done 65 years earlier but instead of just the two of them, they brought the whole world down with them this time. Echos back to “it’s the things we love most that destroy us” 1 being Lucy Gray, the only girl he ever loved, but 2 his love for his power and his continuation of the games leads to him being overthrown and mobbed to death.

You should do videos on The Lord Of The Rings! I would fucking love that!

That’s so interesting! In Germany, the critics also hate this movie and I absolutely loved it! I am a huge fan of the original series, and was so nervous about this movie. But they absolutely crushed it 🤩

Even as a las vegas raiders fan I think your hoodie looks cool the eagles kelly green logo is pretty dope and I have HURTS SWIFT GOEDERT and AJ BROWN on my fantasy

Petition for another prequel following Tigris as a stylist during one of the early/mid games. Let’s make this happen. Fan demanded!

I really do think the movie should've been in 2 parts. They put a lot of different things happening at once in the movie, or one after the other with no transition and it didn't feel like a very cohesive story.

Honestly, I feel this movie might have been the best one of all the Hunger Games movies (I haven't read any books yet, but I watched all the movies) my only complaint was that they didn't show what happened to Lucy Gray, but it leaves room for future storytelling. I just came back from watching it and I feel part 2 had most of my attention and my personal favorite part, but part 3 was probably the best not including my opinion. I hope the author makes "Snows Arc" a trilogy and maybe even a time before trilogy to see the complete Hunger Games.

Wanting it to be rated R is insane lowkey but I would love to see it too

After he kills Bobbin in the arena Tigris tells him that his father always had hate in his eyes and Coryo didn’t have to go that way too. And at the end of the movie he asks how he looks in his new suit and Tigris says “You look just like your father” 😳

Can you do the life of Lucy Gray Baird?

The movie was amazing! I wasn’t originally going to watch it because of Rachel Zegler being a controversial naughty person in real life but other than that I really enjoyed it!

The funniest thing I saw in the movie was when arachnie said Lucy gray looked like a clown when 65 years later the capital citizens look like they were pulled from a circus 😅😅😅

I noticed all of those missing s ends, but the only one I wished had been included was the return of Clemensia. Because after the snakes had their time, she was out and you never find out what happend to her.

Great review ! I enjoyed the movie very much. Agree about the snakes, the only place (for me) where maybe they could have spent more $ on the CGI. The gathering and covering of the bodies was more powerful in the movie than the book for me. I enjoyed all of the singing (Zegler fan) and was OK with the accent which was very reminiscent of a woman high school math teacher that I had. For the ending, the book was more poignant for me than the movie, but that did not detract from my overall enjoyment.

I really enjoyed this move. I am actually ok with the PG 13 rating. The violence was effectively showcased in the original 4 movies, and I personally felt equally shocked with some of the kills. I think especially when Flickerman was doing the weather in juxtaposition to someone being murdered. It's been a while since I've read the book, but I remember the 3rd part being my least favorite, though I felt the book actually dragged on a bit. I liked the last 5 pages though, like I liked that last 15mins of the movie.

I love how we saw how the games were like in the beginning how advanced they got later on

They adapted the book incredibly and showed true attention to detail. However, I wish the movie captured the film POV of President Snow and his own POV like what they did with Katniss showing her point of view in the film, it felt as If we were part of the games when we should have been in Snows POV like the book, and should've been outside as a spectator of the games rather than in.

Gotta love it when they take an R rated story and turn it into a vanilla show to attract more audiences and still get mixed reviews. I haven't had the chance to watch it yet but just knowing that they cut the carriage scene makes me go in with much lower expectations than I had before.

100% it should have been two movies. That way we could have met more of the mentors, actually gotten to know the Covey, We could have met the peacekeeper friends out in district 12, and could have gotten more of the story. I will say this: Arachne's actress really needs more props. She did not have a lot of time on screen but boy did she do a great job with that character.

Loved it!! Really added to the story as a whole!! I’m rewatching the hunger games now again because of it!!

I'm actually going to go and see this movie tomorrow, so I'm glad to hear that it's good.

I dislike Rachel Zegler as a person due to her actions during the strikes and her denegration of the original Snow White. However I think she gave a great performance as Lucy gray.

Isn’t the movie (and possibly book) supposed to take places in the 1980s? One of the televisions - inside the room where all the mentors watch their tributes - says that the current year was 1984. I remember that from a trail but maybe that date was later removed. Please tell me your thoughts Morgan.

It's really growing on me the more I think about it, and I already liked it alot!

no way more than 100 pages? my goodness that's a lot