The prequel, for its part, follows the personal trajectory of its main character. For 2 hours and 38 minutes, Haymitch suffers, alone.
The release comes at a time when this dystopian universe has never resonated so strongly with current events.
The high-school student movement has seized on the aesthetic of The Hunger Games and its soundtrack to illustrate its anger on social media.
The visual universe stands out from the previous installments. Those remained very dark, especially in the arena.
This innovative setting is not enough to renew the entire narrative. The story suffers from a few repetitions.
The direction of this new installment remains very conventional. It is effective, without taking as many risks as the first three films.
Those first films managed to transcend their subject. They built a collective narrative capable of inciting the population of Panem to revolt.
The film also gives pride of place to stars, without leaving the framework of these televised games in which survival plays out under the cameras.
The contrast can thus be summed up in a few words: a more colorful arena, more violent trials, and a main character left to his solitude.