Summer Retrospective: ‘Nope’ Is Entertaining But Confusing
By Sam Acosta
This review contains spoilers for “Nope”
Jordan Peele strikes again with his third film, “Nope,” which brings a new take on the alien genre. While Peele’s brilliance is undoubted and shines frequently throughout the film, this is not as strong as his past two blockbusters. There were just a few times when an odd or unresolved plot choice pulled me out of the action and made me question whether I was missing something or not. Yet, while “Nope” may not be ...
Summer Retrospective: ‘Bullet Train’ is an Exciting and Stylish Ride
By Ben Konuch
"You are getting the new, improved me. Because if you put peace out in the world, you get peace back.”
There are two different types of films that I would consider great. There are the kinds of films that are intricately composed, with such attention to detail and layers of hidden meanings and themes that you can almost feel the artistry, such as with “The Dark Knight" or “Schindler’s List.” On the other end of the spectrum you have the kind of films that aim to ...
The ‘God’s Not Dead’ Syndrome
By Ben Hiett
I’ve always been a sucker for Christian motifs in movies. I remember my mind being absolutely blown by Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel” because of the overt parallels between Clark Kent and Jesus, minus the excessive punching. More recently, a friend of mine introduced me to M. Night Shyamalan’s “Signs,” now one of my all-time favorite films because of its themes of faith lost and faith regained. All that to say, I’m a big fan of stories that speak to my beliefs and ...
‘Uncharted’ Brings a Beloved Video Game to the Big Screen
By Ben Konuch
"Greatness From Small Beginnings. That's You And Me."
The Uncharted video game franchise started back in 2007 with the release of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, a fun, Tomb Raider-esque adventure game that sold well despite not achieving any great awards. That would change with 2009’s Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which became one of the best games of its era and won countless awards. It spawned two more sequels, a spinoff game, and worldwide love for its iconic lead characters ...
‘The Batman’ Shows Off the World’s Greatest Detective
By Samuel Acosta
[Editor’s Note: This review contains spoilers for “The Batman.”]
As someone who grew up watching “The Dark Knight” trilogy and experienced the chaotic fiasco that was the Snyder-verse, I had low expectations when I first heard about a new Batman movie. To my pleasant surprise, I was also absolutely enamored with the dark and gritty Gotham that director Matt Reeves has given to us. While it doesn’t quite overshadow the Nolan trilogy, “The Batman” places ...
‘Peacemaker’ Episode 5 Keeps Peace Alive (and its Villains Very Dead)
By Cedars A&E Staff
“But if you would just take a second and just drop that, and be Chris Smith, I think people might actually like you.”
Now more than halfway through “Peacemaker’s” runtime, it’s finally coming into focus on what kind of show it's trying to be. Sure, there’s a whole “body-snatcher” type alien threat that Peacemaker and his team are trying to stop, along with plenty of mysteries to uncover and loads of bloody action to experience. However, episode 5 ...
‘Moonfall’ isn’t Spectacular, but it’s Definitely Enjoyable
By Ben Konuch
"This planet has suffered five extinctions. This is going to be the sixth."
"Moonfall", the newest disaster movie from Roland Emmerich, finds itself in an interesting conundrum. Part disaster epic, part sci-fi thriller, “Moonfall” can’t quite fit fully into a specific genre, but it does manage to craft a unique identity against the crowded library of the disaster movie genre. While the film does have uneven pacing in the first act and the main twist at the end will leave ...
‘Belle’ is Truly Beautiful
By Ben Konuch
“Gales of song, guide me through the storm. Let the melody lift me high, I’ll be me.”
"Belle”, simply put, is a beautiful film. Gorgeously animated, wonderfully written, and with stunning original songs, “Belle” swept me up into its world of style, emotion, and heart. Part coming-of-age story, part teen drama and part musical with a pinch of science fiction, this anime feature was loosely based on the story of Beauty and the Beast. While some may be wary of this ...
‘Peacemaker’ Episode 4 is What the Series Needed
By the Cedars A&E Staff
"Look, we all want to believe that our parents are flawed but innately good, and maybe, usually, that's the case, but not here. Your dad is not a good man!"
The fourth episode of "Peacemaker" is great. Following hot off the heels of a solid third episode, this one sees Peacemaker and his team deal with the captured Judomaster as well as trying to contain the situation when Peacemaker finds out that his father has been framed to cover up his own mess. Playing up the ...
‘Peacemaker’ 3-Episode Premiere is a Frustrating Mixture of Greatness and Failures
By the Cedars A&E Staff
(The following review will contain spoilers for James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad”)
“Peacemaker. What a joke.”
If you’ve seen “The Suicide Squad”, the idea of a spinoff devoted entirely to Peacemaker should alone make you question a couple things - in a good way. When I heard that Gunn was making a Peacemaker series, I was intrigued to see how the show would handle one of the most nuanced DC characters of recent memory. Almost right after that, I ...
