With the release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 in 2015, it seemed the YA craze might be coming to an end. Harry Potter and Twilight had both ended a few years prior, the Divergent series was flailing in the wind, and the Maze Runner series – while doing pretty good box office numbers – didn’t have the same rabid fanbase. But then in 2020, author Suzanne Collins released a prequel book, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, one last grasp at recapturing the magic her of her original trilogy.
A movie adaptation was all-but-guaranteed unless the book completely bombed, which it didn’t. So now here we are, with the release of the movie upon us this weekend. And what do we do when a beloved series releases a new entry? We rank, of course!
5) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
As much as I agree with the decision to split Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows into two movies, that’s the rare exception. The Hungers Games followed suit shortly after with their concluding movies, and Mockingjay – Part 1 suffered for it. It’s all set up for Part 2, and never fully realizes its own identity as a movie. In other words, it feels like a part 1.
Mockinjay – Part 1 is not a bad movie, though. It’s filled with good performances, and some fans really dig the political machinations at play.
4) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
With Mockingjay – Part 1 all setup, Part 2 should be all payoff. And it delivers. It takes the opportunity provided by having the book split into two movies and offers a mostly satisfying conclusion the story, both with the individual characters and the larger story overall. It’s a little plodding, though – probably didn’t need to be as long as it was. Not much to say here. Biggest point being that it feels like so many series falter at the end, but Part 2 stayed true to the themes that had been consistent throughout the first three movies, helping it stick the landing.
3) The Hunger Games
Packed with action, brutal violence, intense emotions, and terrific world building, The Hunger Games was the star the series needed. It sets up all the major characters and themes at play, and fully envelopes you in the world of Panem from the opening scene. It might, however, spend a little too much time on that setup, as it takes a little bit to really get going. But once you get to the reaping, it finds a nice groove that it’s able to keep up for most of the rest of the time.
Coming on the heels of the previous year’s X-Men: First Class, The Hunger Games cemented Jennifer Lawrence as both a box office force and legitimately great actor. She’s asked to do so much here as Katniss and she succeeds on every level.
One of its biggest issues is that it adheres so closely to some aspects of the book, sometimes to a fault. It’s a good example of “because that’s how it was in the book” not being reason enough to make it that way in the movie too.
2) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Like its predecessor, Catching Fire takes a little bit to get moving. The Katniss and Peeta’s Victory Tour offers some good dramatic moments, but, once again, once we hit the reaping, Catching Fire…catches fire and starts zipping along. Bringing past victors into the fold adds a new layer of insight into the themes and messaging of the series at large. The continued work and new depth of Katniss and Peeta’s relationship is also a highlight.
The action in the arena some of the best of the franchise, coupled with a creative arena setup. The “clock” design is genius, and worked as well in the movie as it did in the book.
Catching Fire has the best ending of any movie in the series. It’s a perfect cliffhanger, clearly setting the stage for what’s to come without coming at the expense of the present story.
1) The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical of this one. I thought the book was a good standalone story, but wasn’t a great addition to the larger universe, and for one main reason in particular. I didn’t need some tragic backstory for President Snow. Sometimes a bad guy can be a bad guy simply because he’s a bad guy. But the movie paints him more morally ambiguous, more in the gray area. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough. And with that not a worry, the movie succeeds with a gripping story and terrific cast.
Rachel Zegler is great as the District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird, punctuating her performance with some great musical moments. But Tom Blythe as Coriolanus Snow is the standout. He showcases a wide range, and nails everything asked of him. Some of the more emotional beats aren’t set up or developed all that well, but their chemistry and quality performances help bridge that gap. The movie doesn’t work without the emotional buy-in.
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