Plot: What’s it about?
I’ll admit to enjoying the first Hunger Games film, but I felt the sequels came up short. I won’t use the review of this latest film to delve too much into the past ones, however, I simply couldn’t get into them. All the excitement and praise I had for the first just seemed to slip away by the time the second arrived. In short, they lost me. Things seemed to have concluded for this series and laid to rest, but in Hollywood, money talks. Instead of simply remaking the first film, we’re treated to a prequel this time around. My feelings remain mixed on this film, but it does beg the question as to just why? I don’t think many people were craving a prequel to this series, and that is ultimately a problem that this film can’t overcome.
Many will remember the Donald Sutherland character from the original Hunger Games films. Sutherland played Coriolanus Snow. Since this film acts as a prequel, set some six decades before, we now find Snow played by Tom Blyth. We’re given his backstory, and the film focuses on Snow and his rise to where we saw him in the first films. There is a battle between the Panem Capitol and the 13 districts and Snow agrees to be a mentor in the upcoming games. For his assignment, Snow must mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). Snow becomes torn here as he wants the games to be a success but also takes to Lucy. While we get some action sequences here, the film feels far from exciting. There isn’t the urgency or suspense that was present in the first film with the players trying to survive the games. Peter Dinklage does nice work here as well, playing Casca Highbottom, who is the creator of the games. Much to my surprise was how much singing is featured in the film. I am not saying this is the worst thing, but it is certainly more prevalent than I would’ve expected. Our lead here, as played by Zegler is far different from Katniss from the previous films. I feel ok with that as it at least offers a new perspective on the female lead, even if the character just isn’t as interesting. I still enjoyed following Lucy and her journey. At least for portions of the film. The pacing becomes an issue here as it can feel downright boring at times.
One thing I noticed when I watched this film was just how downbeat it could feel at times. I am not saying the later films were more optimistic, but the world here is certainly a darker one with many forced into things they don’t agree with. Certainly, the excitement of the first film is missing here. Jennifer Lawrence was quite the heroine in her portrayal as Katniss Everdeen. I quite liked Rachel Zegler here as there was just something about her. Not only is she easy on the eyes, but her character is quite different from Katniss. Still, she’s stuck in an interior and less interesting film. There’s simply not much need for this film. The cast all do fine work, but they’re in a redundant story that I can’t imagine many people were asking for to begin with. Viewers can expect something of a frustrating ending as things aren’t exactly clear on some characters and their fate.
Video: How’s it look?
There’s bound to be comparisons with this movie and the ones that preceded it. There is increased color saturation (HDR) with the 4K version and colors are bold and deep in some scenes. Detail is spot on and we see some of the “antiquated” technology as compared to the first three films. I liked it to X-Men: Days of Future Past for context. Colors are bright and bold, flesh tones are warm and natural and black levels are strong. Let’s face it, it’s a new movie on a 4K disc – we know how it should look and it looks better than that.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The Dolby Atmos mix has plenty of opportunities to flex its muscle. Vocals are spot on, rich and vibrant, the surrounds offer a variety of sounds, ranging from jungle ambiance to explosions and the clashing of swords. The LFE are pretty involved as well, offering a robust feel to some of the later scenes in the film. Overall it’s a very immersive soundtrack that doesn’t fail to deliver. There’s not a lot more I can say about this other than to turn it up and enjoy it. Offering a more atmospheric and encompassing mix, this is a welcome change from the standard mix from before and it’s a nice inclusion to have.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The supplements on the 4K disc are identical to those found on the Blu-ray, but the 4K disc has trailers. That’s a first, more supplements on the 4K disc than the Blu-ray. Progress.
- Audio Commentary – Director Francis Lawrence and Producer Nina Jacobson sit down for a very long track that’s actually pretty insightful. The obvious are covered: casting, costume design, shooting locations and so forth as well as following in the shadow of the previous trilogy. It’s a good listen, but it’s also two and a half hours long, so…be prepared.
- Predator or Prey: Making The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes – The obligatory eight-part “documentary” that’s broken down into more digestible segments that cover the basis of the film.
- Songbirds & Snakes (The Acting Ensemble)
- Pure as the Driven Snow (The Music of Lucy Gray Baird)
- A Palette of Tactics (On Location in Poland and Berlin)
- Humanity Undressed (Costume, Makeup & Hair)
- To the Victor Go the Spoils (Stunts & Weapons)
- Inner Sanctum (The Post-Production Process)
- Snow Lands on Top (Reflections)
- The Hanging Tree: Song by Rachel Zegler – Pretty much that. Zegler performs the song with the film’s logo in the background.
- A Letter to the Fans – Suzanne Collins, who wrote the books, “thanks” her fans via a series of still images. Cool.
- Theatrical Trailers
The Bottom Line
My thoughts remain mixed on this film. I can appreciate that it doesn’t just repeat what we’ve seen already, but there’s also a feeling of redundancy. At no time during the film did I feel like I was watching something essential. At the very least I would say a rental isn’t out of the question.
