The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
“Years before he becomes the tyrannical president of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow remains the last hope for his fading lineage. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow becomes alarmed when he's assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird from District 12. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and political savvy, they race against time to ultimately reveal who's a songbird and who's a snake.”
I haven't had the opportunity to watch The Hunger Games series, including the novels or movies. However, I found the prequel movie to be engaging and entertaining, despite my lack of prior knowledge. The film successfully incorporates enough action scenes to keep the audience engaged throughout its nearly three-hour runtime.
While the main character Lucy's singing was a bit excessive for my taste, I must admit that watching the film in AMC's Dolby Theater with its impressive surround sound added an immersive element, particularly during the finale scene. Overall, I consider it to be a good film, although its running time is long.
Interesting fact: It's worth noting that the film's budget of $100 million is significantly lower than Marvel's $275 million budget, yet it has received favorable reviews from movie critics.