‘Wicked: Part 1’ defies expectations
By Sophia Monastra
As I researched this movie, two thoughts ran through my mind: “This movie is how long?” and “What do you mean this is part 1?”
Full disclosure, I’ve never seen the musical “Wicked” due to limited finances, (or “Wizard of Oz” due to generational trauma from flying monkeys but that’s another matter), but research shows that the musical is around three hours long.
The movie is two and a half hours for Part 1. Surely the filmmakers had to be adding ...
‘Moana 2’ missed the mark
By Danielle Cherry
Eight years after the original motion picture was released, fans are welcomed back into Moana’s world, following new and old characters on a new adventure to reunite the community of the oceanic world by finding the Island of Tautai Vasa.
Beginning the film, I was excited to see where Moana’s story would go, how she would develop as a person and where this plot would be headed. Yet I was let down as the story had a very similar flow to the first film.
From ...
‘Skeleton Crew’ is unexpectedly charming
By Janie Walenda
Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) wants to be a hero. More specifically, he wants to be a Jedi. He spends most of his time listening to stories of the Jedi and the Sith, so when he finds a mysterious structure in the forest, he’s convinced it’s a Jedi Temple. One regretful button push later, and Wim and three other kids are blasted into space on an abandoned pirate spaceship.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, they discover that not only is their home planet, At Attin, not on ...
The Foreign Film Series: ‘Godzilla: Minus One’ is a triumphant roar
By Ben Konuch
“Everyone who survived the war, they deserve to have a life again.”
On the Tuesday evening of December 3, dozens of Cedarville students packed into the DeVries Theatre to watch the final screening of the semester for The Foreign Film Series. This screening, “Godzilla: Minus One” attracted one of the largest crowds of The Foreign Film Series as audience members laughed, gasped, and cheered together for each twist and turn.
“Godzilla: Minus One” released in ...
‘Our Little Secret’ is a little short on secrets
By Danielle Cherry
A jarring twist takes place in this classic Hallmark-style romance. Avery (Lindsey Lohan) and Logan (Ian Harding) were childhood best friends who later became lovers. But after Avery decides to move away, they never thought they would see each other again. Not until they bump into each other at their respective boyfriend and girlfriend's family home and discover that their significant others are siblings.
The reuniting of the characters was unique to that of ...
A musical film that ‘Spellbound’ me
By Danielle Cherry
Ellian is a princess in a whimsical kingdom, where her life is perfect… almost. The only problem is her parents are monsters. “Spellbound” follows the journey Ellian takes to bring her parents back, traversing uncertainties and a darkness that tries to overtake her.
From the get-go I was drawn in by the animation, almost realistic in style, yet maintaining a sketchy artistic vibe. It teeters on the edge between high-tech animation and a classic flip book. ...
‘Red One’ is the right choice for a refreshing Christmas story
By Danielle Cherry
“It is the choices you make that define you”
A technological Christmas wonderland awaits viewers of “The Red One,” filled with witty one-liners and seamless integration of Christmas culture from around the world. “The Red One” is a great film for older viewers, especially those seeking a thicker plot than an average Christmas movie and a thrill from suspenseful action sequences.
Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans) is a level-four naughty lister. ...
‘Arcane’ Season 2 gets downright Shakespearean (and I’m here for it)
By Ben Konuch
“No beast is as savage as man.”
“Arcane” is great. That’s a known fact by now, and I don’t think I’m going to win any originality points in this review by saying that. Over two-thirds of the way through its second and final season, “Arcane” has found a way to somehow keep doing more of what makes it such a phenomenal series. Unfortunately for us viewers, that includes the emotional stakes.
The series has always balanced great action, good humor and ...
‘The Penguin’ ends with perfected tragedy
By Ben Konuch
“I got the devil in my house, Rex. What am I supposed to do?”
If you ask any longtime DC fan who they think the most monstrous Batman villain is, you’d probably get the same answer: the Joker. Of course, plenty of Batman’s longtime enemies are nasty, but how do you make mobsters like Black Mask or the Penguin appear as sadistic or hateable as the iconic Clown Prince of Crime?
After finishing its final four episodes, I can now say that HBO’s “The Penguin” ...
‘An Almost Christmas Story’ was almost heartwarming
By Ashleigh Clark
I rarely enjoy modern Christmas movies. They usually have too much to say or are far too similar to the ones before them.
“An Almost Christmas Story” almost felt the same way.
Co-produced by Alfonso Cuaron, the short film tells the tale of a lost baby owl (Moon) and a little girl (Luna) trying to find their way home in unforgiving New York City.
Moon’s journey begins when he hides from a hawk in a giant pine tree. Unfortunately, this tree ...
