Newest movie is truly a ‘Wonder’
By Tara Sohal
December 7, 2017
A few months back, I stumbled upon a random movie trailer on Instagram as most of us do. After finding myself an emotional mess from only watching the trailer, I knew I had to see the full film. “Wonder”, released on Nov. 17, bases its story on a boy named Auggie Pullman, played by Jacob Tremb...
Engaging, but not a ‘runaway’ hit
By Aishwarya Jayadeep
December 4, 2017
A girl faces the wall in her parents’ garage, her back to the van behind her. Her outfit is a dedicated shrine to bubblegum innocence: there’s a little cat-shaped clip in her wavy hair, pastel dinosaurs on her pink shirt, purple speckles on her leggings and chunky magenta bracelets around her ...
The second can be as bad as the first
By Izzy La Rue
November 6, 2017
Tyler Perry's "Boo 2! A Madea Halloween” is the second installment in the Madea Halloween movies. The movie focuses on how recurring Madea character Tiffany is going to a halloween party that her dad doesn’t want her to go. It was generally very funny. Perry played the role of as three...
“Professor Marston and the Wonder Woman”: a total lie
By Avalon Allen
November 6, 2017
“Professor Marston and the Wonder Woman,” released on Oct. 13, arrives only five months after the box-office success of “Wonder Woman.” Rather than being about the superwoman though, this movie focuses on the inspiration and personal lives of her creators: Professor William Marston, Elizabeth Marston and Olive Bryne. According to the movie, Bryne is ...
Similar to another Marvel movie
By Izzy La Rue
November 6, 2017
In this third installation of the Thor movie series, “Thor Ragnarok” takes a less serious angle than in the past movies. Throughout the whole entire movie it felt as if the movie had a “Guardians of the Galaxy” feel to it. The vibe that “Guardians of the Galaxy” brings it bright, flas...
The Reel: Why “The Lion King” is the greatest animated film of all time
By Mark Lu
May 10, 2017
My all-time favorite movie (yes, my favorite movie ever) is the 1994 Disney animation and now-classic “The Lion King,” written by Irene Mecchi & Jonathan Roberts and directed by Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff, with an iconic score by Hans Zimmer & Elton John. “The Lion King” featu...
The Reel: Poetic storytelling should not be celebrated for being poetic
By Mark Lu
April 20, 2017
A while ago, I saw “Moonlight,” a film that I commended for its screenplay craftsmanship in another column. Despite being ambitious and beautifully-shot, it lacks the essential quality of entertainment: substance. Of course, it conveys principles much needed for today’s changing times, but would it have hurt at all to add a visible storyline? I loved “Moonlight.” But as I watched it with my famil...
‘Ghost in the Shell:’ a hollow adaptation
By Manfred Lau
April 11, 2017
I never particularly liked the original Ghost in the Shell - the 1995 anime movie directed by Mamoru Oshii. It didn’t immediately blow my mind. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by 21st century visuals. It could have been the dense political intrigue, or the (literally) drawn-out shots of random city scenery. But...
“CHiPs:” a crime of a movie
By Skylar Cunniff
April 4, 2017
The police comedy, action movie Chips that came out on Mar. 24 was a modern comedy based off of an older TV show. Dax Shepard wrote, directed and starred in the movie as the main character Jon Baker. Michael Pena acted as the other main character, Frank "Ponch" Poncherello. The two characters played off of...
King Kong is back, and he’s definitely worth your money
By Mark Lu
March 13, 2017
The first film ever about a giant gorilla batting angrily at aircraft first came out in 1933. Since then, along with the Japanese monster Godzilla, King Kong has been an icon in film history, revolutionizing, if not setting off, the long string of giant monster films that would ultimately follow it. ...
“Logan,” an overrated, misguided Western, fails to make up for a flimsy plotline
By Mark Lu
March 13, 2017
Yes, that’s right. I did not enjoy “Logan.” It’s actually not that terrible of a movie. The action sequences are well executed and Hugh Jackman did an excellent job portraying a mentally-wounded warrior with many scars, as did Patrick Stewart with Professor X. Newcomer Dafne Keen impresses a...
Teenage story reveals hidden life messages
By Hana Baig
March 13, 2017
The face of a worried girl fills the big screen, and everyone is silent. The people’s heartbeats quicken as the audience grows tense. We see the face of this girl wake up to the same day over and over. Everyone waits on the edge of their seats, anxious to see what the girl will do. This was the eff...
