The next chapter within the highly-rated and much-loved franchise that is 'The Hunger Games' has finally arrived, and following it's recent cinematic release, I don't feel as though fans will be complaining too much about the 8 year wait we had to sit through.
Fans of the four original movies and fans of the novels in which they are based on were sent into chaos when it was announced that the Hunger Games franchise would live on.
And although it was an emotional send off learning that Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen wouldn't be the main protagonist, an origin story based on Coriolanus Snow was quite the consolation prize.
It would be poor intentions to not initially state that I think you can watch this film without any prior knowledge to the Hunger Games storyline whatsoever, whether this is of the book or the recet 4 movies.
Of course, it would do you no harm to read the books or even see the movies before watching this film, but for those of you itching to see this film, it certainly isn't essential.
The unique selling point of 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes' is it's exceptionally intriguing storyline. For movies with a runtime of around 150 minutes, it can be easy to get lost in the story, become bored, and find yourself staring at your watch every 15 minutes attempting to predict how long is left.
But this just isn't the case for this film. Throughout the entire run time of this movie, there wasn't a moment I wasn't completely captivated and eager to know what is coming next. And most of the time, it was something far from predictable.
The Hunger Games isn't just a story about children attempting to murder eachother in and arena of death to purel entertain it's worldwide audience. Instead, there is much to be taken away from the concept between the battle of the disctircts.
And this film inparticular conveys many intirguing and through-provoking talking points such as the following:
What is more important, love or wealth?
How far would you go for the love of your life?
Are humans the genuine cause of our own destruction?
And although the world that we have come to know throughout The Hunger Games over the last decade may seem dystopian and very far from our own, this just isn't the case.
Much like the Hunger Games, our modern world today consists of similar traits such as war, hierarchy, poverty, people ending lives in protection of their own. And in reality, the Hunger Games is just like looking at our own world through a different shade of colour. Which inevitably makes this movie all the more compelling.
Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler both do amazing jobs in portraying the two lead protagonists in this film. Although their loving relationship can sometimes feel a bit forced throughout, the two actors are brilliant at bringing their individual characters to life and give the audience no choice but to genuinely care about them.
But if you thought the talent in casting only exceeded up to the point of the two lead protagonists then you are sadly mistaken as there are a number of exciting and thrilling performances scattered amongst the supporting cast.
Memorable shows from actors such as Josh Andres Rivera, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman and the omnipotent Viola Davis all play their part in producing an excellent cast ensemble.
The main aspect that really stood out to me of this film was the minor details scattered throughout that would later go on to play a huge part in the outcome of this story. Without providing too much information, all I would say is to pay close attention to each small detail because chances are, most things that were spoken were spoken for a reason.
It is rare to come across movies nowadays that make you care so much for the two lead characters, but the ability to make this happen seems almost effortless throughout this film.
As an audience member, I constantly found myself rooting for the safety and wellbeing of Lucy Gray and Coriolanus Snow, and given what they had to go through to maintain their relationship as well as their livelyhood, it was certainly quite the rollercoaster.
If you are the minority of the audience that has no previous knowledge of the Hunger Games franchise, you may be left slightly disheartened by the ending of this movie and the direction that certain characters go down. But if you come into the cinema prepared, you don't have too much to worry about.
This movie is genuinely such an intriguing and entertaining watch without a hint of boredom throughout. And although many fans all around the world may have thought different, The Hunger Games franchise is still very much alive.
Overall Rating: 9/10
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