The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes hit theaters last weekend, eight years after we last visited the dystopian world of Panem. The introduction of Rachel Zegler’s Lucy Gray Baird in the Coriolanus Snow origin story drew mixed results from critics, who said it failed to sidestep the common prequel problem of weaving a compelling tale when we already know at least one of the character’s fates. Fans of the franchise, however, still showed up, making The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes the No. 1 movie at the box office, and their feedback suggests they liked the movie way more than critics did.
While early reactions to The Hunger Games prequel had many calling it the best of the series, other critics pointed out some of the film’s flaws, including “rehashing many of the same plots and themes” as its predecessors, according to one assessment. The audience, however, either doesn’t agree or doesn’t care, because despite the movie pulling a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 63 percent from the critics, its Audience Score is a certified-fresh 91 percent. One fan, Madeline T, rated the movie 5 out of 5 stars writing:
Amazing. So true to the book, was exactly how I pictured it. I’m obsessed!
It’s not uncommon to see Audience Scores outshine the critics’ grades — especially for a franchise film such as this with an established fanbase. Those familiar with Suzanne Collins’ books or Jennifer Lawrence’s movies are more likely to give a higher rating, even if there were one or two aspects of the film they found lacking. Examples of some of the 4- and 5-star ratings include:
- I really enjoyed it overall. There were a few unnecessary changes from the book but what can you do? – James
- Solid film. A few things feel rushed but overall great music and visual makes it well worth the watch. – Vincent
- It was interesting but there were moments where I would find myself a little bored. – Alexa
- Very fun and high action until the last 30 min. Slowed down but explained connections to previous films. – Joe
In our own CinemaBlend review of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Sarah El-Mahmoud writes that the movie doesn’t really answer why the prequel centers around Snow, when the games themselves and Lucy Gray’s journey are both more interesting stories. Many of the audience opinions, however, seem to like learning about how Coryo transforms into The Hunger Games villain and being able to question whether or not Snow really did love Lucy Gray.
Other critics say they don’t need all the parallels between Lucy Gray’s journey and Katniss Everdeen’s, but audience member Kevin N. appreciates the connections made between the two time periods, writing:
Solid story and character development. There were surprises and interesting threads of connective tissue between this film and the Hunger Games films.
Fans’ pre-existing feelings about The Hunger Games franchise may have played into the scores they doled out for The Ballad of Songbirds and Songs, but whatever the reason, the difference between the critical rating and the Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes is pretty drastic.
If you want to see which side you agree with more, the prequel starring Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth is in theaters now, and be sure to check out our 2023 movie release calendar to see what else is hitting the big screen before the end of the year.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
