Hunger Games Ranking

Last weekend, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, a prequel to the Hunger Games series came out in theaters so I decided to re-watch all of the Hunger Games films. The Hunger Games is one of my favorite YA book adaptations. I think this series does a decent job of accurately adapting the books and doesn't cut a whole lot from the story. This series was also extremely successful and started a YA adaptation phase in Hollywood. This is also one of Sarah's favorite franchises so we enjoy watching this series together. With that being said, here are my thoughts and ranking of the 5 films in the Hunger Games franchise.

5. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Mockingjay Part 1 is by far the worst in the franchise and is the consequence of splitting the book into two parts. There are few solid moments in this film. I liked the whole District 13 aspect. This is really the one thing the movie does well. We get to spend a lot of time in District 13 seeing how the rebels operate and how different life is than in the districts. I also liked the whole sparking of a rebellion aspect of the story where Katniss is used as the poster child against the capital. Essentially the story itself is not the problem. If it had been the first half of a 3 hour Mockingjay movie it would have been great. However, since they split this into two movies, this movie is all filler and no arc. Since it is just the first half of the story, there is no climax and no payoff. The book was not written to be split into two parts. Also because the studio wanted to make two movies, they had to pad the runtime out to have enough material which resulted in this movie having too much filler. The movie has probably about 60 minutes of material but somehow the movie is stretched to about two hours. They really needed to just make a 3 hour Mockingjay film. Overall, the story itself is fine as the first half of the Mockingjay book but does not really work as a movie on its own.

Score: 6/10 Grade: C+

4. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

Mockingjay Part 2 is essentially the opposite of Mockingjay Part 1. Where the first part was all set up and filler, this movie is all climax and payoff. Like the first part, the story itself is pretty solid. I really like the whole invasion aspect of the film where Katniss and her team have to fight their way through the capital. This movie also has a lot of solid action sequences with essentially the last 90 minutes of the film being nonstop action. The movie also does a great job addressing the idea of sacrifice and trying to determine who the real enemy is. This movie really keeps you on your toes until the end. I also like how characters like Finnick and Gale finally get some time in the spotlight after being off to the side in the last few films. They both get some solid action sequences and payoff moments. However, the same issues with Part 1 come into play here. While the first half has all the setup and no payoff, this one movie is all climax with no substance. Both parts really need to be together in one film to make the best version of this story. I think they needed to take the best moments of both films and combine them together into one film. In the end, while this movie does have some solid payoff, it really needs the build-up of part 1 to make for a complete story.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

3. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is the newest addition to the Hunger Games franchise. It follows a young President Snow as he rises to power in the Capital. The movie does a great job of showing us what life is like in the Capital and that not everyone in the Capital is well off. We also get to see a lot of interesting backstories on how the Hunger Games came to be what they are in the other film. The games themselves are very well done and come across as a lot more primitive than those in other films. The movie also brings in some interesting or fun characters such as Lucy Gray, Dr. Gaul, and Dean Highbottom. All of these characters add a new and compelling influence to Snow's life. This movie also does an excellent job of showing us the tragedy and fall of Snow's character. Starting out, he is a somewhat kind and selfless person but as time goes on and he makes worse and worse decisions, we see him become the person that we know in the Hunger Games. The biggest issues I have really stem from the book itself and not just the movie as the movie was just following the source material. I felt that this was essentially two separate stories combined into one. There was a very clear break on where the 2nd act (1st story) ends and where the 3rd act (second story begins). I also struggled to really see the purpose of the story. Nobody really asked for a Snow backstory and it wasn't anything I was wondering but here it is. Overall, while I did have some issues with the purpose and structure of the source material. The movie does a very good job of telling the story it was given.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

2. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Catching Fire is right up there very close to the original film. This movie does a great job of showing the impact of the last movie on the districts and the capital. We get to see this new life Katniss and Peeta sparked which is a great way to build off the previous film. While the first movie gives a base of what the capital is, this movie really shows how dangerous and powerful it truly is. I also like how this movie shows what life in the districts is like for those who won the Hunger Games. While they managed to not die, they are still slaves to the capitol and can never move on from the games. It just gives a great perspective and a refreshing take on this world. The movie also introduces us to a troop of new characters. Finnick, Johanna, and Beetee are all great additions to the story and add new and different personalities to complement Katniss and Peeta. The best part of the movie is the Games themselves. The new twist with tributes being former winners was such a great addition to the story and really added something different to the action. My only real issue with the story is that I wish they had spent more time in the actual games. Before the Games, the movie gets a little slow. Had they started early, I think the pacing would have been just right. Overall, this is a great follow-up to the original film that with some work on the pacing maybe would have been number one.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

1. The Hunger Games

This is one of my favorite YA book adaptions. It is one of the more accurate book-to-movie adaptions I have seen in that it doesn't leave too much out nor try to cram too much in. I find the general premise of the movie extremely interesting. Once the actual Hunger Games starts, the movie gets very exciting and doesn't really let up until the end. I think Jennifer Lawrence is a great choice to play Katniss. She brings just the right kind of energy and gives an accurate portrayal of her character in the book. I also really like Woody Harelson as Haymitch. He steals every scene he is in and plays the Haymitch character very convincingly. The movie also does an excellent job of building out this world. It establishes the concept of the districts and capital very effectively as well as shows us what the issues are in the society and how hungry everyone is. The world feels very lived in and is just an interesting place to set this franchise in. The movie also handles the romance aspect very well. It doesn't overpower the story, but it is still important enough that it adds another layer to the characters. Finally, the movie supplies some very emotional moments that really add to the story, specifically some moments between Katniss and Rue. Overall, this is a solid YA book adaptation and the start of a franchise that Sarah and I both enjoy.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-