‘Come from Away’ Offers Light During Dark Times
By Janie Walenda
When the U.S. airspace was shut down following the terrorist attacks on September 11, hundreds of aircraft were diverted to airports across Canada. Thirty-eight of these airplanes landed in a small town called Gander. The arrival of these airplanes nearly doubled the population of the town, adding close to 7000 people. “Come from Away,” a professionally recorded musical released on Apple TV+, shows the aftermath as the people of Gander strives to accommodate their ...
Worlds Collide in ‘What If…?’ Episode Six
By Janie Walenda
While last week’s episode took place during recent MCU events, this week we return to the beginning of the MCU. “What If…Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?” brings us back to the world of 2008’s “Iron Man,” but this time with a Wakandan twist. I genuinely enjoyed seeing these worlds collide and the world of Wakanda being cemented in Marvel history.
The episode opens on the familiar scene from “Iron Man” where Tony’s convoy is attacked and he sees the ...
‘Shang Chi’ Starts Marvel’s New Phase in Spectacular Fashion
By Sam Acosta
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is a brilliant movie that pays homage to the classic Marvel blueprint while also creating something new and exciting. With a brilliant ensemble of actors supported by a well-written script, “Shang-Chi” never lets the audience get bored. Unlike some Marvel movies and shows, I never found myself looking at the time or wondering how much longer was left in the movie. I enjoyed every joke and every fight, and I was sad when it ...
‘What If…?’ Zombie Episode is Full of Fun and Action
By Janie Walenda
The last few years have been hard for Avengers fans, and “What If…?” hasn’t offered any reprieve. This week’s episode, eloquently entitled “What If…Zombies?!”, shows us a world where a zombie virus infects the earth’s mightiest heroes, leaving only a small group of superheroes behind.
The best part of this episode was our zombie-hunting crew. This ragtag group of heroes initially includes Peter Parker, Hope Pym, Bruce Banner, Bucky Barnes, Okoye, Sharon ...
Is ‘Cinderella’ a Fun Reinvention or a Trashy Reboot?
By Janie Walenda
I’m a big Cinderella fan, but I’ve rarely enjoyed stories that try to modernize her story. I was worried this movie would be a clumsy retread filled with generic pop songs and pandering messages about “empowerment.” While I wasn’t necessarily wrong, “Cinderella” has enough fun and magic to make this an enjoyable ride.
This version hits all the beats of the classic Cinderella story but adds some new twists and turns along the way. Ella wants to design ...
‘The Bad Batch’ Explores the Aftermath of Order 66
By Nick Ratliff
“The Bad Batch” is the newest Star Wars show to hit Disney Plus. Last year, Disney gave viewers the last season of the previously canceled “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” which introduced us to Clone Force 99, or the “Bad Batch” as some call them. Named after clone trooper 99 from “The Clone Wars,” the Bad Batch is a squad of genetically modified clones, each with his own set of specially enhanced abilities. Hunter has enhanced reaction speed and senses, Wrecker ...
‘What If…?’ Episode Four Unleashes The Dark Side Of The MCU
By Janie Walenda
If there’s anything we’ve learned from Marvel, it’s that superheroes do not cope well with grief. After “Endgame” saw the Avengers time-traveling to save their lost loved ones and “WandaVision” explored Wanda’s mourning process, “What If" episode 4 takes Dr. Strange down a similar path, with decidedly darker results.
In case you're unfamiliar with this series, let me catch you up. “What If” is an animated series exploring alternate realities of our ...
“Land” Serves as a Cutting Commentary On Grief
by Kathryn McDonald
“Grieving woman moves somewhere new to make a fresh start and escape her somewhat haunting and tragic past.” It’s a story that will doubtless be familiar to audiences; however, in her directorial debut “Land,” director Robin Wright takes this familiar tale and turns it into a timeless masterpiece.
In addition to directing, Wright stars as Edee, a troubled woman who decides that she has had enough of people telling her that she will eventually heal from the ...
“The Father” is a Poignant Look at the Devastating Reality of Dementia
by Kathryn McDonald
According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 50 million people worldwide who suffer from dementia, with an additional 10 million new cases each year. These staggering statistics make dementia one of the most common health conditions in elderly populations, with nearly 5-8% of those over the age of 60 experiencing some form of dementia.
It is little wonder, then, that the recently released film “The Father,” directed by Florian Zeller, ...
Season Finale Is A Mixed Bag of Satisfaction and Disappointment
by Sam Acosta
The finale for “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” is finally here, and it does some things well while butchering others. While I didn’t feel completely let down by the ending of this series, everything is so rushed that some of the story beats end up feeling unresolved. Episodes four and five gave me a lot of hope for this finale, but this episode ultimately wastes that momentum and lands a little flat.
One thing I did love about the finale was Sam’s transition into ...
