“Ad Astra” Review
By Hunter Johnson
Brad Pitt is one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors. . He’s played a cowboy, an ancient Greek hero, a secret spy, a psychopath, a guy who ages backwards, the list goes on. It only makes sense that he would eventually play a futuristic astronaut.
“Ad Astra,” starring Pitt and directed by James Gray, tells the story of Roy, an extremely reserved man who feels disconnected from the world, including his family.
Tommy Lee Jones plays Roy’s father, Clifford, who ...
“The Peanut Butter Falcon” Review
By Hunter Johnson
In “The Peanut Butter Falcon,” writers and directors Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz turn what could’ve been a standard retelling of the Huckleberry Finn story into a modern tale of discovery between a redneck fisherman and a runaway person with Down Syndrome.
Zak (played by Zack Gottsagen) is in his early twenties and has been treated differently his whole life because he has Down Syndrome. Having no family to look after him, he lives in a retirement home, ...
Movie Review: ‘Shazam!’
by Hunter Johnson
DC has always had a rough time in their cinematic side of things. Nearly all of the thirty films released by the company over the last four decades — with the exception of less than 10 Superman and Batman films — has been critically panned as unsuccessful attempts at filmmaking.
This all changed in 2017 when “Wonder Woman” was released, becoming the first non-Superman, non-Batman DC film to receive worldwide acclaim. The next year, “Aquaman” released, and while ...
Play Review: ‘The Spitfire Grill’
by Katie Milligan
Cedarville University’s spring musical, “The Spitfire Grill,” is an engrossing tale of tragedy and brokenness, but ultimately a thrilling story of hope, healing and reconciliation.
The production begins with Perchance “Percy” Talbot (played by Emily Hunnemeyer) arriving at midnight to the middle-of-nowhere town of Gilead, Wisconsin. She has just completed a five-year stint in prison, and her parole officer Sheriff Joe Sutter (Byron Mrowiec) lands her a job as a ...
Movie Review: ‘How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World’
by Hunter Johnson
After two feature films, four short films, and 118 episodes of a tv show, the “How To Train Your Dragon” franchise has finally reached its end with “How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.”
“The Hidden World” follows Hiccup and his dragon Toothless as their village of Berk acts as a massive refugee camp for all dragons who need it.
To put it in a single word, this film is epic. And that’s not a reference to how enjoyable it is — although it certainly ...
Movie Review: ‘Captain Marvel’
by Ian Sarmiento
From Spider-Man to Captain America, Marvel Studios has had a lot of fun recreating beloved characters while crafting memorable action scenes and big moments of comedy. “Captain Marvel” joins in the fun as audiences are introduced to the MCU’s newest hero.
“Captain Marvel” is co-directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, known for their films “Mississippi Grind” and “Sugar.” The directors took Marvel’s newest movie and made it unique to their style, making it ...
Book Review: ‘Sunny Side Up’
by Sarah Pennington
If you were to have breakfast with Jesus, what might He say to you? That is the question that Cedarville professor Dan DeWitt answers in his latest book, “Sunny Side Up: The Breakfast Conversation That Could Change Your Life.” Taking his cues from Jesus’ conversation with Peter in John 21, DeWitt explores some of the issues that hinder Christians in doing what they’re called to do. He also provides practical applications and questions for readers to ponder as they ...
Movie Review: The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
by Hunter Johnson
In 2014, audiences were introduced to the lovable LEGO icon known as Emmet Brickowski, voiced by fan-favorite Chris Pratt. Based on the extremely popular construction toys, “The LEGO Movie” was expected to be a simple cash-grab for Warner Bros, that is, until the film actually came out.
“The LEGO Movie” dominated at the box office and at the critical arena. It was hailed as a groundbreaking achievement in both visual effects and in creative storytelling. Audiences ...
Movie Review: ‘Glass’
by Hunter Johnson
“He’s the new Steven Spielberg!”
“His signature twists amaze and astonish without fail!”
“His eye for filmmaking surpasses all others!”
These are the kinds of things audiences and critics were saying about director M. Night Shyamalan twenty years ago. With hits like “The Sixth Sense,” “Unbreakable,” and “Signs,” Shyamalan proved over and over again that he could do no wrong.
So what happened? What caused a director to suddenly fall out of ...
Movie Review: ‘Mary Poppins Returns’
by Hunter Johnson
Julie Andrews, the original Mary Poppins, has returned to theaters. She’s in Aquaman.
But I’m not reviewing “Aquaman,” instead I’m taking a look at “Mary Poppins Returns,” with Emily Blunt as the titular character.
From Rob Marshall, director of musicals such as “Chicago” and “Into the Woods,” “Mary Poppins Returns” revives the character that has been in the hearts of families across the world since 1964.
Emily Blunt, having already worked ...
