'Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' offers tiring runtime full of mischaracterization

Throughout the majority of the 2010s, it was almost impossible to avoid the "Hunger Games" franchise, whether it be through the books or the movies.

In retrospect, despite its dominance over pop culture around that time, the film franchise came to a relatively premature end, lasting only four movies. 

While the story didn’t need to be stretched out any longer, unlike the seemingly endless stream of Marvel and DC movies today, there seemed to be some untapped potential in exploring smaller-scale side stories within the same universe.

That's why the fifth entry in the franchise, "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," evokes some mixed feelings. 

This prequel follows the journey of the original books and films’ main antagonist, Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), from an ambitious student to the tyrannical ruler of Panem. In his quest for power, he forms a complicated relationship with Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) from District 12, a tribute in the 10th annual Hunger Games that Snow is assigned to mentor. 

With eight years having passed since the release of the last "Hunger Games" movie, there is some concern about whether "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" might be another attempt from a studio to capitalize on nostalgia. In the case of this latest prequel, this concern is justified. 

Instead of addressing the loose ends or unanswered questions from the original “Hunger Games” story, "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" is a rushed mishmash of unfocused ideas left over from the previous movies. With an approximately two-and-a-half-hour runtime, it tries to cover a lot of ground, but none of it's fully fleshed out. 

The movie is split into three acts, with the first two focusing on the 10th Hunger Games and the third on its aftermath. The initial acts function as a reintroduction to Panem and an introduction to new characters. While this part of the movie is the strongest, it still has some issues, particularly in how much it assumes you remember about the world's rules. 

The movie completely collapses in the third act, as many of the established stakes fall flat, and the extended runtime begins to feel sluggish. It all results in a conclusion that attempts to connect to the rest of the movies, but it is ultimately unsatisfying and contains some inconsistent characterization.

For almost the entire movie, Snow is portrayed as morally ambiguous, willing to do anything to get what he wants but still deeply caring to his family and friends. Toward the end, his character takes a sudden shift toward darkness that feels artificial, seemingly only occurring to fit in with his character's portrayal in the other movies.

Even the characters who don't appear in the other movies, specifically Lucy Gray, lack full realization and seem a bit contradictory. It's unclear whether the movie wants you to view her as naive and charming or cunning and manipulative. She also has this defining characteristic of singing constantly, something that became repetitive as the runtime went on.

The strength of "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" lies undoubtedly in its acting. Despite some underwritten characters, the actors are clearly giving their best attempt. 

Blyth and Zegler give great performances, carrying most of the movie with their undeniable chemistry. They offer the most heartfelt moments and the only instances where the movie truly matches the energy of its predecessors.

Similarly to other "Hunger Games" movies, the side characters outshine the protagonists. Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage and Jason Schwartzman all give standout performances, leaving audiences wishing that the movie had focused more on them.

Above all else, "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" caters to the fans who grew up obsessing over the series. For casual fans or those curious about the hype, revisiting the original movies might be a more rewarding experience.