(Photo courtesy denofgeek.com)

By Michael Loschiavo – Sports Editor

“All American” is a 2018 Netflix series inspired by the life of a professional American football player that is full of suspense and emotion. The show is directed by Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter and written by April Blairwould and is based on a true story about a young football player Spencer James who was just trying to fit in after transferring to Beverly High School from South Crenshaw.

As a high schooler, fitting into a new school is a problem students face everyday. Drama spreads like wildfire and can follow people until they leave those doors for the last time. In “All American,” the main character, Spencer James (played by Daniel Erza), is having trouble making friends after transferring to Beverly Hills. Jordan Baker (played by Michael Evans Behling) is the captain and QB for the Beverley Hills football team. The Baker family, Laura Fine-Baker (played by Monet Mazur), Olivia Baker (played by Samantha Logan), and father Billy Baker (played by Taye Diggs) lets Spencer  stay at their house slo he can play football.

Spencer is torn between his two worlds, as his mother and brother both want him to relocate while his friend Coop struggles with gangs and his cultural shift in lifestyles. Spencer also struggles with his father’s abandonment for a coaching job. On his first day, he plays exceptionally well much to the concern of Asher, (played by Cody Christian). While Spencer gets close with his girlfriend Leila who is extremely wealthy and takes a liking to him. Billy’s daughter Olivia seems to be more interested in him.

“All American” is very suspenseful. Similar to shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “This Is Us,” “All-American” will have viewers sitting on the edge of their seat, leaving them on a cliffhanger at the end of every episode. This is an amazing TV series to watch and shows the importance of friendships, high school love, and the love for football.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy showpo.com)

By Mayur Somalinga – Staff Reporter

“To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” is a 2020 Netflix teen romance film based on the novel P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han and a sequel to “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” which is based on a Jenny Han book of the same title. 

[WARNING: This review contains spoilers for “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” as well as “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” Read ahead at your own risk.]

The movie starts, or more aptly, resumes, not long after the end of “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” which concluded with Lara Jean Covey (played by Lana Condor), better known as, Lara Jean, and Peter Kavinsky (played by Noah Centineo), beginning to date. Without delving too deep into the previous installment of the series, Lara Jean is the epitome of the modern-day hopeless romantic – from reading sappy romance novels to writing flowery love letters – she does it all. On the other hand, Peter is the stereotypical high school jock – tough, courageous, but still gentle when it comes to his girlfriend, Lara Jean. At first glance, Lara Jean and Peter could not be a more mismatched couple, however, their opposing qualities are what truly makes them such a good fit to the point where Lara Jean believes that Peter is her soulmate.

However, that is until Lara Jean receives a letter from John Ambrose McClaren (played by Jordan Fisher), or as he is more often referred to as, John Ambrose, the stylish, precocious, and devoted member of Model U.N., and childhood friend of Lara Jean. John Ambrose is introduced in the previous movie as one of Lara Jean’s previous crushes to whom Kitty Covey (played by Anna Cathcart), Lara Jean’s sister, sent Lara Jean’s secret love letters to, as well as the rest of her previous romantic interests (for more information on this plot point, watch “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”), in the prequel, including Peter, which ends with Lara Jean believing that was the last she was to hear of her infamous love letters, which given what happened, is not the case. Lara Jean being as quixotic as she is, after receiving the letter, can’t help but imagine, no matter how much she resists, what things would have been like if she was dating John Ambrose instead of Peter. These thoughts are further instigated when Lara Jean and John Ambrose end up volunteering together at Belleview, a retirement home, while Peter is volunteering at Oakwood Market. This, inevitably, leads to tension forming amongst Peter, Lara Jean, and John Ambrose for the rest of the film until Lara Jean finally realizes who she is meant to be with.

“To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” is a noteworthy sequel to its forerunner because, as stated before, it links the two movies perfectly since it starts right after the end of the first movie, which gives it a sense of fluidity. Furthermore, this movie provides a sense of closure between two, feuding characters in the past installment, Lara Jean and Genevieve (played by Emilija Baranac), or as she usually goes by in the film, Gen, otherwise known as Peter’s ex-girlfriend. This was particularly satisfying to see because as detailed in the prequel, Lara Jean and Gen used to be the best of friends that tore away from each other after Gen realized that Lara Jean liked Peter as well. The fact that they were able to reunite was very heartwarming, and a testament to the existence of jeong (정), a Korean word meaning an inseparable connection between two people that can endure the harsh realities of life, between the two former friends, as explained by Lara Jean, herself. While Lara Jean is an enthusiast for love, she is not one to match-make, unlike Kitty, as she does in the case of her father, Dr. Covey (played by John Corbett) with their neighbor, Ms. Rothschild (played by Sarayu Blue). Although Lara Jean is indifferent in the beginning to set up a romantic relationship between her father and Ms. Rothschild because she doesn’t believe in forcing love, she eventually changes her mind after seeing that her father does fancy Ms. Rothschild.

This plot element was gratifying to see for viewers of the prequel for the sole reason that in the previous movie it was explained that Lara Jean’s mother died very early on in her life, so the prospect of Lara Jean’s father experiencing a romantic relationship after so many years was heartening to Lara Jean, as well as the viewers. A minor, yet tasteful, detail, also utilized in the previous film, was the use of the school ceiling banners to denote the passage of time, significant events, and also, in this film, Lara Jean’s mood.

While this film extends the plot of its predecessor in a very realistic manner, the biggest issue in the film is a matter of how anticlimactic the story truly is. The movie does a stellar job of presenting the conflict from Lara Jean’s perspective, however, once the story reaches its apex at the defining moment when Lara Jean ultimately has to choose between Peter and John Ambrose, it staggers downwards abruptly, as opposed to deescalating slowly. The sensation is hard to describe without giving too much away but it can be equivocated to the sensation of going outside with an umbrella open because it is raining only to have the rain stop two seconds later. If the movie were to build from the climax for even as little as 15 minutes, the ending would feel much more rewarding. However, it could be argued that this swift resolution of the plot plays into the novelty of the story, and the certainty of true love.

All in all, “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” will leave romance-film-aficionados divided as Lara Jean works to look beyond what she thought she knew about love and uncover who her soulmate truly is.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars 

(Some information courtesy of imbd.com) 

(Photo courtesy billboard.com)

By Taylor Firla – Staff Reporter

Harry Styles is a former member of the popular boy band One Direction. One Direction went on a hiatus in January of 2016 for the other band members to pursue other projects. Harry Styles’ “Fine Line”  is the artist’s second album and was released on December 13, 2019. The album included the four singles “Lights Up,” “Watermelon Sugar,” “Falling,” and “Adore You”. 

“Fine Line” can be described as pop, rock, or pop-rock, and features 12 songs. Since Styles has grown from being a member of a band to a solo artist, it’s helped him express himself more as a person. His music helps him reach out to his fans so that they can know him better as a person and a singer. It’s common for artists to communicate with others through the lyrics of their songs, and Styles is a good example of an artist who uses their lyrics to communicate and help us understand what type of person he is.

As fans go through the track list you can tell how different each song is, based on its pace, the emotion, the vibe, all of the details that are put into each song. The songs “Falling” and “Adore You” are diverse towards each other. “Falling” is a slow song with compelling lyrics about wanting to be this type of person he envisions  himself. The lyrics in the song “What if I’m someone I don’t want around?” and “What if I’m someone you won’t talk about?” really show that Styles is trying to tell his fans something. “Falling” also seems to be a sad song that tells us he’s going through a controversial time with asking all these questions. “Adore You” on the other hand is a more upbeat song. The lyrics “You don’t have to say you love me/You don’t have to say nothing/You don’t have to say your mine” and “I’d walk through fire for you/Just let me adore you” shows that the song has a happier tone than “Falling.” It also shows that Styles likes to experiment with different types of beats in his songs.

There are no weak points on “Fine Line.” Styles explores and creates his music by making different genres of music his own. He shows the listener how diverse his music is compared to other artists today and shows how much he’s grown as a singer.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

(Photo courtesy usanetwork.com)

By Alexis Broderick – News Editor 

“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” premiered on September 20, 1999, as the second series in Wolf’s successful “Law & Order” franchise. After the premiere of its 21st season in September 2019, the series became the longest-running U.S. live action series on television. This show features Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson, Ice-T as Officer Tutuola, and Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler.

The Special Victims Unit, or SVU, is a specially-trained squad of detectives in the N.Y.P.D., that investigate violent crimes, particularly sexual assault cases. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.

One of the most memorable episodes of the season is Episode 19. In this episode, the SVU struggles to find a serial predator who uses a drug that leaves no evidence behind.

“Law and Order: SVU” can be very educational to the viewer. For example, a 2015 Washington State University study found that college students who watched shows from the “Law & Order” franchise were better educated about rape and sexual consent. The study concluded, “For some people, shows like ‘SVU’ are helpful because it can help them categorize: ‘Wait a second. What happened to me looked like that, and that’s a crime.'”

The female actors in the show are very relatable and while this show can be scary at times, it is also super-informative and a good binge show to watch. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy zeemedia.com)

By Samiksha Mehta – Entertainment Editor

This dance movie with a hidden motive – action-packed yet super sad – is so incredibly good, you don’t want to miss it.

[WARNING: Review of this movie comes with spoilers. You have been warned.]

“Street Dancer 3” came to theaters on January 29 starring Varun Dhawan, Nora Fatehi, Shraddha Kapoor and Prabhu Deva, the four main characters essential to the plot. “Street Dancer 3” is a movie based on two rival dance crews competing in a worldwide dance competition for the ultimate grand prize: 100,000 euros ($107,865 U.S. dollars). 

While Sahej’s (Varun’s) crew prepares for the competition, Inayat’s (Shraddha’s) crew tries to help illegal immigrants while also preparing for the competition. However, when Sahej and a couple of his crew members (his crew name is “Street Dancers” while Inayat’s crew name is “Rule Breakers”) transfer over to an enemy crew (“Royals”), the rest of “Street Dancers” and even some of “Rule Breakers” get a little upset and try to convince them to join them in order to get the best result.

Sahej, of course, does not believe anything they’re saying because “Rule Breakers” is their enemy, and while “Street Dancers” was part of his family, he thought that joining “Royals” would give them a boost in the win because of how good the original dancers are. Besides, Mia (Nora), Sahej’s girlfriend, is also in “Royals” which makes it easier than to just meet up at different times behind the “Royals”’ back. 

As they’re prepping for the competition, Inayat tries to hide that she’s a dancer from her parents because her parents are extremely conservative and believe that all dancing is associated with revealing clothing and forbid it. However, she gets caught one day and is in the middle of being yelled at when her brother brings Sahej in and as an apology for smack-talking her crew. 

When one of Sahej’s best friends and crew members finds out what “Rule Breakers” ultimate motive is to win the competition, he switches from “Royals” and Sahej gets mad because they’d always said they would stick together. When Sahej’s friend leaves, he finds out “Street Dancer”’s motive for winning and tries to persuade Sahej but he doesn’t believe anything because of their ongoing rivalry.

As the movie progresses, however, Sahej comes to realize that what his friend was saying about “Street Dancer” was true and just at the start of the final performance, “Street Dancer” and “Rule Breakers” join together for a big breakout performance and end up winning the competition. Now that Sahej and everyone knows the real motive behind “Rule Breakers” insistence for them to join, they donate the money to the illegal immigrants that Inayat was secretly helping and at the end of the movie, there’s a scene of a special S.W.A.T. team helping out with food and other necessities for other people in need.

All in all, this movie – while incredibly action-packed – also carries a hidden message of “treat others the way you’d want to be treated”. The dance crews, all caught up in their rivalry, didn’t even notice the immigrants until Ram (Prabhu Deva) pointed them out with his failed attempt at secrecy. But when they did notice the immigrants, they immediately forgot or pushed back their own selfish needs and chipped the prize money towards the immigrants to get home and safe to their families. 

Besides the heavy plot, the movie also contains really good dance scenes and songs at enjoyable intervals, so when people aren’t concerned about the immigrants and what’s going to happen, they can enjoy the dances and songs as ways to get their spirits up. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy rogerebert.com)

By Hailey Boyle – Staff Reporter

“Dear John” is a romantic drama-war film based on the book by Nicholas Sparks. The movie stars Amanda Seyfried as Savannah Curtis, and Channing Tatum as John Tyree. The film was released on February 5, 2010, and displays a love story between a soldier, and a college student. 

John Tyree is a Staff Sergeant for the US Army, goes to Charleston South Carolina while on leave for two weeks. Savannah Curtis is a college student who is there on her spring break building houses for humanity. After saving her purse in the water, John and Savannah instantly hit it off. The two spend every day they have left with each other and grow towards a stronger and stronger romance. After Savannah meets John’s dad, John gets angered towards a comment she made saying his dad has autism like Allen, her life long friend Tom’s son. This caused John to storm off and accidently punch Tom in the face. The next day they both have to leave each other and Tom agrees to give Savannah a note that John left for her. When she receives the note she instantly goes to John’s house where they agree they will write letters to each other documenting everything, until John gets discharged in one year. 

While both lovers are counting down the days until the year is up, 9/11 happens. After the attack, John decides to re-enlist with his team which saddens Savannah tremendously. Their romance through letters continues, until Savannah stops writing for months. She finally sends one final “Dear John” letter, telling John she had met someone else and they had to break up. John loses his true love and stays in the army, until he is sent back home to see his father in the hospital after having a stroke. After his dad dies John visits Savannah and finds out the other man she married was Tim, who is suffering with lymphoma. 

This movie tugs on many heart strings with everything that is involved. An autistic child, a killer romance breaking up, war, a character with cancer, and a death of an autistic single father. This film is filled with passion and heartache that touches every viewer. The movie shows countless numbers of ups and downs making it more and more interesting. “Dear John” displays a beautiful, love at first sight, relationship that has everyone routing for the two. It makes the watchers emotional from seeing the tragic love story that doesn’t work out.

The film displays multiple things that are very heartwarming. Aside from the heart aching love story, it also shows a struggling father raising an autistic child, soldiers fighting in war, and the death of a single autistic father that loved his son. It goes back and forth from one heartwarming thing to another to create a theme of love, betrayal, and bittersweetness. The sweetness from both characters triumphs the heart wrenching break-up that everyone dreads. 

All in all, the movie “Dear John” is a great watch that will definitely make one shed a tear or two. The movie shows great love and passion throughout and the struggle of two lives just not meant to be.

Ratings: 5 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy scifimoviepage.com)

By Eva Carroll – Staff Reporter

The movie “2012″ is an apocalyptic thriller released in 2009 directed by Ronald Emmerich. “2012″ is about a geological disaster that ultimately brings an end to the world. Dr. Adrian Helmsey and other geological scientists discover that increased radiation from the sun has melted the Earth’s core and caused the crust to destabilize. As a result, the crust will be free to rotate causing devastating earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. To save the human race, the United States government and other nations build storm proof ships which can protect 400,000 civilians. The story follows the journey of Jackson Curtis trying to save himself and his family from the coming disasters by traveling to the ships in hopes for salvation.

“2012” is an adrenaline-inducing film. The film includes multiple scenes where the family teetered on the verge of death. The suspense and fear over what could happen to the family stimulates adrenaline throughout audiences while at the same time keeping them entertained. One scene that was particularly thrilling was when Jackson gets the map to the government ships from an RV at Yellowstone park. During this scene, the Yellowstone Caldera erupts which will kill the family if they do not escape quickly enough. The scene includes multiple frames of the blast using proximity and vantage point to make the explosion seen even more destructive. The scene then alternates between Jackson madly driving away and gigantic chunks of debris crashing into and destroying the area around him. This feature highlights the imminent threat of danger that Jackson is faced with. At first, all other audio is cut besides the sound of the explosion. This technique isolates all other parts of the scene bringing undivided attention towards the devastating blast.

Afterward, intense crescendo music starts to build as Jackson gets closer and closer to the plane which builds up the intensity and urgency of the situation. When Jackson reaches the plane, he stays inside the RV looking for the map. As he does this, the ground underneath the RV collapses and the RV is seconds away from plummeting down to the core of the Earth. At this moment, the music stops and his children start to cry. Viewers are led to believe that Jackson is going to die. This scene has everyone jumping out of their seats pleading for Jackson to get out of the RV before it’s too late. Miraculously, Jackson manages to climb out of the RV and onto the plane runway. Jackson is seen running after the plane with the ash cloud and debris bellowing after him. He manages to make it on the plane with the map safely and escape from his near certain death. The producer could have made Jackson’s quest for the map easy, but he purposely made the task dangerous to make the film more adrenaline inducing. They incorporated multiple film techniques to increase the thrill and intensity of the scene such as manipulation of sound, usage of particular media elements (proximity, vantage point, etc.), and variation and alternation of frame clips. This was just one scene that made the movie all that more thrilling. 

“2012” spreads a positive theme about good vs. evil. In the film, there were multiple conflicts that the characters were faced with, but one in particular demonstrated the good nature of human beings against the evil nature in human beings. Different characters represented different sides to this battle. Characters like Mr. Anheuser, a greedy and selfish government official, and Yuri Karpov, a misogynistic billionaire, represent the evil in people. Characters such as Dr. Adrian Helmsey, a young geologist, represent the good in people. Dr. Helmsey works for Mr. Anheuser. Mr. Anheuser hid the truth from the American people and led the execution of anyone who tried to speak out. Whenever Dr. Helmsey tries to persuade Mr. Anheuser to let the public know, Mr. Anheuser shuts him down. It seems for the majority of the movie, evil is in control. However, at the end of the movie this changes. One of the final scenes takes place right after the boarding gates to the ships close. Hundreds of people who paid for their tickets were not boarded onto the ship. There is only 15 minutes until the tsunami wave hits the ships and the unboarded passengers herd outside the boarding gate. Dr. Adrian Helmsey makes a speech about how it is inhumane and wrong to allow hundreds of others to die. Mr. Anhueser argues that if they open the gates, they may not be able to close them in time and they will all die.

Dr. Helmsey attempts to convince the heads of the mission to open the gates by saying, “The moment we stop fighting for each other, that’s the moment we lose our humanity.” They have to decide if doing the right thing is worth the sacrifice. If the gates stay closed, it shows how evil nature wins because Mr. Anhueser gets what he wants and what is left of humanity is motivated by self interest and greed.

If the gates open, it shows how good nature wins because people are still fighting for each other and doing what is right. After a long silence, they open the gates spreading a message to viewers that the good in people will always trump the evil.

On the other hand, “2012″ is very cliche and repetitive. This movie has all the end of the world cliches out there. First of all, the stereotypical “loony bin” is the first one who tells Jackson about the coming events. Just like every other apocalypse movie, Jackson plays his warnings off  and later realizes that he was right the whole time. Further, it just so happens that Jackson can save his family from any situation even though it would be literally impossible to do so in real life. One example of this in the movie is when Jackson gets his family out of California which was becoming destabilized. Not only does he successfully swerve every falling car and piece of debris, he manages to speed through both a collapsing bridge and collapsing glass building completely unscathed. He also randomly has access to all different types of last minute transportation including two different planes. Throughout the movie there were so many unbelievable crazy coincidences that saved Jackson and his family that the movie became a little too unrealistic. On to my next point, some scenes were way too similar. For example, when Jackson drives out of California, the road behind them starts to crack and break apart as the crust destabilizes. Then, when Jackson and his family try to leave California by plane, the runway behind them starts cracking down and breaking as well. Moreover, when Jackson and his family leave Yellowstone park by plane, the same thing happens where the runway starts to crack and fall apart behind the plane’s path. Finally, when Jackson tries to get on a plane to china where the ships are located, the runway cracks and falls apart directly behind them….again.  

“2012” is successful in creating suspenseful and thrilling scenes that the audience expects in a thriller/action film. The film is also successful in incorporating deeper themes such as good versus evil. However, the film was cliche and repetitive which is why it does not deserve a 5 out of 5 rating.                    

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy radiotimes.com)

By Adarsh Senthilnathan – Staff Reporter

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS!

“London Has Fallen,” directed by Babak Najafi, is about Secret Service agent Mike Banning, played by Gerard Butler, and how he saves President Benjamin Asher, played by Aaron Eckhart, from terrorists in London, England. 

“London Has Fallen” has amassed a worldwide total of $205.9 million and $62.7 million in North America. Angela Bassett, who played Lynne Jacobs, was a nominee for the Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture. 

The movie focuses mainly on Mike Banning and how he manages to keep President Benjamin Asher safe and save him from the terrorists that capture him, but it also includes people like MI6 Agent Jacquelin Marshall, Secret Service Director Lynne Jacobs, and Vice President Alan Trumbull. 

The movie starts off with G8 intelligence services tracking Aamir Barkawi, who is an arms dealer and terrorist, and authorizing a US Air Force drone strike on his compound during his daughter’s wedding, the strike apparently killed and injured some of his family members, but not him. After this, two years have gone by in the movie, and British Prime Minister James Wilson suddenly dies, so President Asher, Mike, and Lynne go to the funeral in London. 

During President Asher’s car ride to Saint Paul’s Cathedral, mercenaries disguised as police officers and emergency responders coordinate attacks that kill five leaders that were set to attend the funeral proceedings. When President Asher arrives at Saint Paul’s Cathedral, gunfire reaches his location and many mercenaries attempt to kill him and his security detail, but Agent Voight escorts President Asher, Agent Banning, and Director Jacobs out of the cathedral plaza, until he is shot and killed. From that point, Agent Banning escorts President Asher and Director Jacobs to Somerset House, and they get on board Marine One, then Marine Two and Marine Three follow Marine One out of Somerset House. 

Eventually, President Asher is kidnapped by Barkawi’s men and severely physically harmed, and Agent Banning works with the British military to save President Asher from Barkawi and his men. 

One of the best parts of the movie is when Mike deleted the resignation letter that he had after he watched Vice President Trumbull talk about the United States of America prevailing. 

Previous to President Asher’s kidnapping, Mike and Benjamin enlisted the help of MI6 agent Jacquelin Marshall, the terrorists capture Trumbull’s encrypted message that they would send a delta team to Mike’s location, but the terrorists get to the building and attempt to assassinate Mike and President Asher. 

Agent Marshall found out that MI5 Intelligence Chief John Lancaster aided Barkawi through his attempt to assassinate President Asher, so she goes to arrest him but he goes for his gun, so she shoots at him and kills him. 

However, the movie could have included some more action in the beginning part of the movie, like before the drone strike. 

The director of the movie did a really good job of providing vivid details and action-packed fight scenes. 

“London Has Fallen” fits nicely between the two other movies in the “Fallen” series – “Olympus Has Fallen” and “Angel Has Fallen.”

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy nintendo.com)

By Stephanie Caron – Entertainment Editor

“Animal Crossing” is a fun-loving, classic video game that was first released 19 years ago on the Nintendo 64. “Animal Crossing” is a game where the player’s character is a human who lives in a village that is inhabited by various animals. In the game, the player goes fishing, searching for fossils to put into their museum, and bug catching. The last release of an “Animal Crossing” game before the latest one was “Animal Crossing: New Leaf” on the Nintendo 3DS back in 2012. The anticipation of the new game that is loved by so many was long, and highly demanded. “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” was released on the Nintendo Switch on March 20 and is better than anyone could have ever expected. 

Many features were updated and changed in the newest game: better graphics, new villagers, new buildings, new clothes, and many more. In the release in 2012, the main goal of the game was that you were the mayor and had to create the town from scratch, but with this release you are not the mayor, you are now on a deserted island and your job is to create a new town for visitors to come visit and live with you. You are given set goals to do to get further into the game, and many tasks to get new villagers. 

Including the basic features many there are smaller changes of the game that might not seem like a big deal to a new player, but to a fan of “Animal Crossing” it is a huge deal. Nintendo created a phone for you to carry around to connect with your encyclopedia of insects and fish, see what friends are on, your nook miles, and your DIY bench. The DIY bench and the Nook Miles are two new features that really shape the game as you are given many different quests to obtain your miles, and DIY projects to expand your village. It is shown throughout the game how much thought and detail went into the creation, and production of this new version. 

This game is very addicting, as you want to grow and expand your village to be the best it possibly can. Although the wait for this new “Animal Crossing” was long, it was completely worth the wait.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy empire.com)

By Jaelynn Shelton – Staff Reporter

“To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” was released as a Netflix original sequel to the first movie, “To All The Boys I Loved Before.” The film was released on February 12 in the U.S. The movie features Lana Condor as the main character, Lora Jean. She tries to navigate her new relationship, in the harsh high school environment.

In the first movie, it is shown that Lora Jean writes love letters to all of her crushes in the past. Lora Jean’s sister grows sick and tired of watching her older sister have no social life. In an attempt to better it her Lora’s younger sister releases her letters, to Lora’s past crushes in hopes that it will spice her life up. Lora Jean tries to run from her sister’s ex boyfriend (whom she wrote a letter to), as she tries to save the embarrassment. While running from one boy, she runs into the arms of another, unaware that they would fall in love. 

Lora’s love interest, Peter, is played by Noah Centineo. Peter and Lora make an agreement to start a fake relationship (they each have their personal reasons). The fake feelings eventually become real. They have their problems but by the end of the first film they end up together. 

In the sequel, Lora and Peter are dating, but Lora has a hard time adapting to the life of a girlfriend as she overthinks about both her and her boyfriends every move when they are together. She gets a letter in the mail from another one of her past crushes that received one of her famous crushing letters that she wrote when she was younger. His name is John and it is clear that he has feelings for Lora Jean from the letter. Lora tries to put the letter aside but when signing up for a volunteer opportunity, she gets stuck with John. Lora struggles with who to pick in a crazy love triangle, but in the end one connection is stronger than the other, and she finds her true love. 

There are many strong points in the sequel. The actors seemed really committed to the roles as they all played convincing parts. In some scenes, however, the camera work is a bit cringy. Sometimes, it’s best to keep it simple, but not awkward. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy spoilertv.com)

By Amelia Mower – Staff Reporter

An inside look into the daily affairs and scandal of Washington, D.C., along with the duties of President Tom Kirkman are encompassed in “Designated Survivor’s” third season, launched exclusively on Netflix. As former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, having no prior political experience, Tom Kirkman became President of the United States in the wake of tragedy. In Season Three of “Designated Survivor,” Kirkman is running for reelection as President, facing many unexpected challenges along the way. 

The 10-episode season touches on many sensitive and controversial topics that President Kirkman has to consider on his run for reelection. These topics range from bio-terrorist attacks and opioid addiction to the debate over immigration and transgender rights in the United States. The last episode of the season shows the ultimate result of Kirkman’s reelection and closes up some of the loose ends found in prior episodes. 

This season also digs deeper than ever before into the background and lives of some of the Presidential Cabinet members and people close to the President. Viewers find out about Aaron Shore’s questionable past, Emily Rhodes’ family issues, and Hannah Wells’ motivation. Affairs between colleagues and secrets between members of the Cabinet are sure to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. 

Although slightly different from the two seasons before it, the third season of “Designated Survivor “is definitely one to watch. It does a good job of portraying real-life issues, ones that even parallel the debates going on in our country today. One thing that is very unique to this season is the inclusion of real, non-actor people of the United States in President Kirkman’s campaign. This aspect and the input of actual people’s opinions and experiences make this season of “Designated Survivor” special.

The only downside of “Designated Survivor’s” third season is that it is the final one. Netflix cancelled the show after the third season aired in June 2019. Because of the cancellation, the last episode of the show poses many unanswered questions about the fate of Tom Kirkman and his Cabinet. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Morgan Taylor – Editor-in-Chief

The documentary series “Tiger King” was recently released on Netflix and quickly grew in popularity to make it onto the Top 10 list of shows to watch in the US. The story follows the life of Oklahoma native, Joe Exotic. Not only does Joe act like a character out of a dramatic TV show about country life, but he also owns over 200 big cats. While running his own private zoo called Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, Joe finds himself fighting against various animal rights activists, including one woman named Carole Baskin. Each episode of this seven-part series is filled with immense amounts of drama. From a disappearing husband to polygamy to a murder-for-hire trial, this show truly encompasses the drama that is involved with the private ownership of exotic animals. 

Although the show revolves around Joe Exotic, whose personality takes over the screen with his eccentric lifestyle of running his own broadcast network, filming a reality TV show, and continuing a singing career, the other people involved make the documentary really worth watching. Carole Baskin, the animal rights activist from Florida and Joe’s sworn enemy, runs her own sanctuary called Big Cat Rescue. With millions of followers on different social media platforms, Carole has a huge impact on the animal rights world. The feud between Joe and Carole gets more and more extreme throughout the series and makes the storyline that much more interesting. Joe accuses Carole of feeding her husband to her tigers and continuously berates her on his broadcast network. People such as John Finlay (Joe’s husband) Rick Kirkham (the reality TV show director), Doc Antle (a fellow big cat owner and breeder), and Joshua Dial (Joe’s campaign manager in his run for president and governor) all contribute to the dramatic storyline that explains Joe’s seemingly insane lifestyle.

If people are looking for a series to binge for the entire day during quarantine, “Tiger King” is perfect. The fact that this show is completely true makes it that much more interesting and keeps the viewer on the edge of their couch. Grab some popcorn and take a seat cause you won’t want to get up until the whole show is over.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy busniessinsider.com)

By Malakai Pisacreta – Staff Reporter

“I NEVER LEARNED HOW TO READ!” says an angel who has just been sent into the distance by a plumber with a red hat, blue overalls, and a mustache that no one can forget.

This is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, a game pitting video game characters from different licenses, developers, and franchises, against each other. Though the game has been out since December of 2018, this game is only just getting started when it comes to content for players. 

This game has the largest roster yet of any Super Smash Bros. game with 74 characters at launch, six DLC characters, and six more to come.

The game play is typical of other Smash Bros. games, multiple different modes such as, Classic, Stadium, Smash, and Online.

The main mode that most play is Smash, where you can have up to eight people play at once, which is a fun way to have family and friends alike, good or bad, enjoy the game.

There is also Classic Mode, which takes the player through different challenges as the character they choose, ending when they give up, or beating the final boss.

With not many things to do in quarantine, gamers can turn to Smash to help fill the time by playing online, with friends or strangers.

Playing online is fun, but without a stable connection, the game can feel super slow, and unresponsive.

Smash is also a good way to have fun with younger siblings or parents, because the controls are simple enough. 

Unlike other fighting games, 77 characters in the roster do not need those complex button inputs, (ex, down, forward, down, forward a). 

Most fighters will only need to have the a or b button pressed while holding the joystick in a direction or without a direction.

The three exceptions are for fighting game characters, Ryu, Ken, Terry Bogard. These characters require the experience of either, playing the games they come from, or button-mashing.

Overall, the game has so much potential, and hopefully many more years of play to experience.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy whats-on-netflix.com)

By Sydney Simpson – Staff Reporter 

The CW series “All-American” starring Daniel Ezra is now one of the top three most streamed shows on Netflix due to the release of its second season on March 7. Loosely based on the story of former NFL star Spencer Paysinger, Season 1 of the show follows main character Spencer James (Daniel Ezra) who is a junior in high school and who also happens to be one of the top 100 football players in the country. 

James was originally from South Crenshaw, a tight, loving community and a town that suffers massive amounts of gang violence. After being recruited by Beverly Hills High School’s football coach Billy Baker (Taye Diggs), James left South Crenshaw to play for Baker in hopes of more opportunities. In order to meet the requirement to be a student at Beverly, James had to move in with coach Baker and his family, further separating him from his friends, family, and community. The first season of the show focused more on James’s football career, how he acclimated to life in Beverly Hills, and how he led his new team to the state championship, while season two focuses more on his home life, and the heartbreaking issues occurring in his community. 

Season 2 of the show was inspiring, heart wrenching, and frustrating all in one. With multiple plots occurring at once, the show really keeps the watcher on their toes. There are a multitude of characters, all with their own complex emotions, backgrounds, and problems that add to the interesting and exciting storyline. It was inspiring by showing that anyone, no matter where they come from, can overcome even their biggest obstacles. Almost every character in this show had at least one struggle during season two, either external or internal, and the ways that each individual dealt with those struggles were different. Some needed more help than others, but in the end, almost all of them were resolved. 

Season 2 of the show focuses more on the home lives of the characters rather than just on football, and it really goes in depth with the struggles of being a teenager and the pressures that kids put on themselves to make people proud or to be the best. It has heartwarming moments, such as the teenagers of both communities coming together at points throughout the season to fight for what’s important to them, and the multiple times that James and his friends stood up for each other no matter what happened. Family values were instilled throughout the season as well, by showing how Spencer remains close with his Mom and his brother while living in Beverly, and how he deals with the issues he has with his father. On the downside,  there is a lot going on through the season and it could be hard to keep track of, which makes the show slightly confusing. It also discusses many mature topics, such as depression, drugs, violence, and more that could be unsuitable for younger viewers. 

All in all, the show “All-American” is an incredible view into the struggles of teenage life while at the same time being an entertaining and realistic show about American high school football. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy primetimer.com)

By Hanna Broderick – Staff Reporter

“John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch” is a children’s comedy special created by Mulaney and Marika Sawyer. The special came out on December 24, 2019 on Netflix, where Mulaney has done three previous stand-up comedy specials. Mulaney’s intention was to create a special that resembled 70s kids television. It was mainly inspired by classic series’ “Sesame Street,” “The Electric Company” and “The Great Space Coaster.” The special features Mulaney alongside 15 child actors and singers ages 8-13, and includes special guests Jake Gyllenhaal, David Byrne, and André De Shields.

At the beginning of the special Mulaney talks about how he was recently watching children’s TV and he didn’t like it. Remembering how much he enjoyed it as a kid, he concludes that TV was simply better back then and his goal was to create something similar to what he enjoyed as a kid. It does exactly that, each skit tackles a different topic through sketches and songs. 

The show is funny for adults because of how much of it represents the innocence and silliness of kids. It sort of pokes fun at the ‘dumbness’ of kids without being condescending towards them. It also makes multiple comments on how sometimes the more simplistic and oddly intelligent approach that children often take, could be the best.

In one sketch, the kids are sitting in a meeting room holding a focus group led by Mulaney about a fake movie he produced, one of the kids breathlessly explains the whole plot to him, despite him obviously already knowing. However, the child does a great job in summarizing the movie and Mulaney realizes that it would be the perfect logline. This is all why it is an appealing special to people of all ages.

Considering that the show was made for kids and adults, the actual format of the show could have been made more in mind of children. The special is 1 hour and 10 minutes long which most kids do not have the attention span to watch. It could have been served better as a multiple episode mini-series showing only one or two skits an episode. Besides that, the actual writing, directing, production and screenplay was phenomenal. 

“John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch” is the perfect special to watch for anyone, of any demographic. It is extremely funny and explores topics that have not been previously talked about in a kids show.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

(Photo courtesy popsugar.com)

By Tyanna Xavier – Staff Reporter

“Five Feet Apart” is a 2019 classic and romantic film that will have every woman at the edge of their seat in tears. This film was directed by Justin Baldoni and written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis. The film was based on a true story of a couple named Dalton and Katie Prager who both had cystic fibrosis. 

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects the glands that produce mucus and sweat, causing mucus to become thick and sticky. As the mucus builds up, it can block airways in the lungs making it harder to breathe.

In the movie, the main character, Stella (played by Haley Lu Richardson), checks into the hospital for help with her cystic fibrosis (CF), as though it is her second home. Stella has been there so long she became friends with a lot of the staff and other sick patients that are around her age. When she is roaming the halls of the hospital she comes across another patient named Will (played by Cole Spouse) who also has CF. However, Will was there to do it through an experimental trial to help with the CF. 

As most women have seen many romance movies in their lives, this is one to remebever. Will was so tired of having this disease he didn’t care what would happen to him. However, Stella refused to let him think that way. Every day she would see him but of course, stand five feet apart and just help him stay organized with his medicine and tell him that they are going to get through this together. 

Some strong points of the film were that it was unpredictable, yet very realistic. This film was fiction but it introduced real life problems and complications in people’s lives. People with cystic fibrosis should never meet each other because they carry bacteria within their lungs that could be harmful to each other. Therefore, for this movie to be a rom-com about two teens who can love from a distance but never touch is very eye-watering.

As much as this movie was very thrilling, however, it did resemble many other romance movies. For one, it is similar to “The Fault In Our Stars” and “The Notebook” because the plot involves characters battling with medical issues. Notwithstanding, this movie was very entertaining. It just could have had a slightly different storyline than these other romance movies. 

This is a great movie to watch on a girls’ night along with some ice cream and a box of tissues. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy mentalfloss.com)

By Maddie Papcun ─ Staff Reporter

Tim Burton is well known in the entertainment industry for his dark direction of macabre cartoons and horror films, such as “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Yet, while animated movies in general lend themselves more to whimsical or high-spirited themes, Burton pushes the envelope again and again, especially with “Corpse Bride.” 

Released on September 23, 2005, and now almost 15 years old, “Corpse Bride” is the tale of Emily, a bride of the afterlife, and Victor Van Dort, her still-breathing groom. It is set in a fictional, Victorian-era village of England. 

As the film opens, Victor, the son of newly-wealthy fish merchants, is set to marry Victoria Everglot, the daughter of newly-poor aristocrats. The hope is that such a union will raise the social status of Victor’s family, while simultaneously raising the financial status of the Everglots. 

Nervous about marrying someone he does not know, Victor struggles through the wedding rehearsal and eventually runs away to the forest to practice his vows alone. As he places a ring on a branch, it manifests into the hand of Emily, a dead woman in a tattered bridal gown who agrees, saying “I do.” Thus, Victor is caught between two marriages, and struggles to find his place in both the mortal world and the Land of the Dead. 

The strongest point of “Corpse Bride” by far is the soundtrack. The movie is semi-musical in nature, as some of the plot is told by songs the characters sing. These songs reach a wide range of genres, but the best one is titled, “Remains of the Day,” and utilizes a New Orleans jazz style to explain how Emily came to be the titular  “Corpse Bride.” 

Another strength Burton’s “Corpse Bride” holds is the casting. Johnny Depp voices Victor, and Helena Bonham Carter is the voice of Emily. Honestly, this should not be a surprise, as Burton has a habit of casting the two actors in opposing roles of his movies. This would seemingly make the pairing overdone, but the opposite is actually the case; each applies perfect emotion and characterization through their voice acting. 

Additionally, “Corpse Bride” does a fantastic job of explaining typically difficult concepts to its younger audience. It is an animated film and is intended for children, but it also deals with heavy topics such as death, true love, and murder. Burton’s film does not struggle in explaining these concepts simply, rather it perfectly breaks each difficult point down while telling an entertaining story. 

While “Corpse Bride” is a movie that’s a little older, it is a timeless story of love and loss told through Tim Burton’s classic style of stop-motion animation, suitable for all ages. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

(Some information courtesy of imbd.com) 

By Samiksha Mehta – Entertainment Editor

Tons of new songs have come out during these three months in 2020. Many of those songs have been on TikTok, which is a platform where people post videos to get likes and views and get “TikTok famous.” Some of the songs include “You Should Be Sad” by Halsey, “Yummy” by Justin Bieber, and “What A Man Gotta Do” by the Jonas Brothers.

~~

(Photo courtesy habe.org)

Halsey has been known for her distinctive singing voice and the way her songs make her fans feel like they can do anything. Some of her songs are about getting over bad breakups or about getting over that friendship that was so toxic you didn’t have anything to fall back on. “You Should Be Sad” is about a girl getting ready to breakup with her significant other and no matter how gently she’s doing it, she’s doing it in a way that makes it obvious that she never wants to see him again. 

The lyrics “I wanna start this out and say / I gotta get it off my chest / Got no anger, got no malice / Just a little bit of regret” start off the first verse by conveying the meaning that she’s had this in her for a while and needs to get it off in a way to let her continue to be free and without regrets.

One strong part in “You Should Be Sad” is the lyrics “Oh, I feel so sorry / I feel so sad / I tried to help you / It just made you mad” because it shows that she’s trying to be the bigger person while also trying to reject him as clearly as she can. It shows that you can do anything you put your mind to as long as you’re focused and ready. 

A confusing part of song is the line “Let me start this off by saying / I really meant well from the start” because it’s confusing and makes questions arise like “was she planning on breaking up with him before the relationship even became official?” or it could’ve given off the impression that she was in it for the glory or whatever and then ended it because she wasn’t satisfied.

~~

(Photo courtesy slate.com)

Before releasing his new album “Changes,”  Justin Bieber had about as many songs as diehard fans have on their liked songs playlist on Spotify. One of the extremely popular songs on “Changes” is called “Yummy” which is about his deep affection for his wife and how he’d do anything for her; drop everything and go to her if that was what she wanted. 

The most memorable lyrics in “Yummy” are “Say the word, on my way / Any night, any day / In the morning or late / Say the word, on my way” because it shows that he’s always ready to drop everything and go to her if she ever needs him no matter what’s happening and that’s basically what his whole album is about, basically just showing his true “intentions” (another song on his album) and letting his wife know that he’s always there for her since the album is basically dedicated to her and his relationship with her. 

A weak point in “Yummy” is when Bieber sings “Standing up, keep me on a rise / Lost control of myself, I’m compromised / You’re incriminated, no disguise / And you ain’t never running low on supplies” because it’s confusing, simple as that. Probably only Bieber knows what this means, and while that is okay and all because it’s his album, it’s a lot more confusing for his fans too because they would want to know what it means if they can’t figure it out.

~~

(Photo courtesy etlnine.com)

The Jonas Brothers’ album “Happiness Begins” is all about the era of being tied down, marriage, and the honeymoon phase in marriage and Kevin, Nick and Joe really play it up in their songs on this album. 

“What A Man Gotta Do” is about the passion behind the marriage and how the husband is reassuring the wife that they’re in it together no matter what. 

The lyrics “I’d move the earth or lose a fight just to see you smile / ‘Cause you got no flaws, no flaws” are memorable because it shows that the husband is pleased to praise his wife and that he’d do anything for her happiness, even if it made him a little upset. 

A weak point in “What A Man Gotta Do” is the lyric “Cut my heart about one, two times” because only the artist knows what it means and although that’s normal for songs because fans can’t be expected to know what all of the lyrics mean, it’s still confusing because they don’t know what the singers are trying to convey. 

~~

Overall, “You Should Be sad”, “Yummy”, and “What A Man Gotta Do” are actually really good songs to move around to and to gather inspiration from (especially “You Should Be Sad” for that last one).

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy axs.com)

By Samiksha Mehta – Entertainment Editor

Music fans may know “Falling” by Trevor Daniel. Well, he recently released a new song called “Past Life” which is him talking about his past life and basically what he would change to make his new life better. He reflects on all he did in his past life and how he’s trying to better himself by recounting what he did and would not do. 

“And I don’t want to sit in all my sadness / I know it’s a habit of mine” is a part of the song where Daniel acknowledges that he spends most of his time wallowing in his despair and that he doesn’t want to do that anymore in this “new” life of his. 

A strong part in the song is when Daniel sings, “Don’t re-, don’t remind me / I ruined it before it began” because of how he acknowledges that he ruined the life before it began, and that he doesn’t want to be reminded of his past actions. It shows that Daniel is willing to move on and forget his “past” life and transition into his “new life” while also making sure he fixes his mistakes or avoids making them again. 

One weak point point in the song is when Daniel sings, “Got me here like you can never figure me out / Last night was the last time, was the last time” because it gets kind of confusing. Like, why was last night the last time? What was it the last time for? What did he do to make it sound like he was definitely never gonna do it again? Also, what does he mean by “you can never figure me out”? Is he trying to block out the people who hate on him? Is he leaving clues that the recipient will never figure out? The lyrics are very confusing and leave a lot up to interpretation. 

Overall, “Past Life” by Trevor Daniel is a good song and it could inspire someone to block out their haters or cut off toxic people so they can move on and get started on their “new life” and make new friends or keep old friends and create new bonds. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy rogerebert.com)

By Addison Schwing – Editorial and News Editor 

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR “PARASITE”

Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” has taken the box office by storm. The comedy-thriller premiered at the Cannes film festival in 2019, whereupon it received the Palme d’Or, the first South Korean film to do so. Upon its release in Korea at the end of May, Parasite was met with critical acclaim, going on to receive over 180 awards, including four Oscars. 

Parasite follows the story of the Kim family, who are destitute and live in a basement apartment in the slums of an unnamed Korean city (the movie was filmed around Seoul and in Jeonju). The Kim family father Ki-taek, mother Chung-sook, daughter Ki-jung and son Ki-woo hold temporary jobs as pizza box holders and struggle to make ends meet. One day, Ki-woo’s friend offers him a job as an English tutor for the exorbitantly wealthy Park family, who live in a lavish modern house and drive nice cars. 

Soon, Ki-woo helps the rest of his family infiltrate the Park family, with Ki-jung posing as an art therapist, Ki-taek working as the family chauffeur, and Chung-sook taking up the position of housekeeper. They revel in the glory of the Park family’s riches until they discover a secret that will tear the two families apart, and see innocent blood spilled. 

“Parasite” is a joy to watch. The stark contrasts drawn between the two families are evident in subtle symbolism, such as a scene where Chung-sook hastily prepares instant noodles for the Park family’s eccentric son Da-song, and tops it with high-grade sirloin beef, presumably to illustrate the sheer wealth gap in the movie. The film builds tension through the orchestra-focused soundtrack, with the sharp resonance of violins builds as the heat rises. On the surface, Parasite is an innocent enough comedy, but under its shiny surface lies a dark and malicious interior. 

The climax of the movie, where the Kim family discovers someone living under the house, signals a sudden shift in the movie’s tone, and the switch is so sudden it easily catches you off guard. You simply can’t prepare yourself for the sheer speed that the climax happens in. Many subtle, yet significant details lie hidden beneath the surface, commanding the watcher’s absolute focus. It is certainly a film intended for higher levels of thinking, and without such high attention, the watcher can quickly become lost in the metaphorical hurricane that is this movie. 

“Parasite” is a surefire win for anyone who wants to get deeply invested in a complex spiderweb-like plot with rich characters and gorgeous cinematography. This movie is a blast and is well-deserving of its innumerable accolades. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy medium.com)

By Mia Cerrato – Editorial Editor

“Black Mirror” is a show that was first released in December 2011. While it came out nearly nine years ago, it still managed to convey extremely technologically advanced ideas through each of their episodes.

“Black Mirror” speculatively examines modern society. The show executes this idea of a technological future by focusing on humanity’s relationship to technology and the consequences that may have on the world. Each episode of “Black Mirror” focuses on a different reality in order to allow people to understand that there may be future adverse effects to the technological advancements we are currently making.

For example, in one episode of the show, a top gamer company creates a video game in which players can physically enter the game. With the game eliciting a mix of thrill and fear, it results in the audience being on the edge of their seats. However, just like every other episode of “Black Mirror,” the episode ends in a tragedy, as the main character ends up dead because of a flaw in the game’s design.

With the end of each episode resulting in feelings of uncertainty and oftentimes bewilderment, the show manages to teach the audience lessons about how the misuse of technology can lead to our downfall.

(Photo courtesy latimes.com)

By Mia Cerrato – Editorial Editor

“After Parkland” is an intimate documentary following the lives of families who lost loved ones in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. 

The documentary shows people navigating their way through life while dealing with grief and loss. It shows the effects of the shooting that took place only a year ago. Emily Taguchi and Jake Letterman, producers for ABC’s Nightline, followed the survivors months after the shooting. They follow multiple survivors as well as the lives of the parents who lost their child. 

The documentary is not about the shooting itself but how people grappled with the aftermath of the shooting. The film has a tone of sadness at the thought of so many young lives can be taken at any moment. It also touches upon how activism can be seen as a way to cope with the tragedy. The focus on activism serves as a remembrance of the incident.

One of the victim’s fathers creates pictures with his son’s images and slogan, “Change the Ref,” the name of the non-profit he and his wife created. This will be able to help their son’s generation to work against gun violence and other issues. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy imdb.com)

By Jaelynn Shelton – Staff Reporter

The new “Bad Boys For Life” movie was released on January 17. The film was the fourth of the “Bad Boys” series and features Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett as the main characters.   

The new “Bad Boys For Life” movie stars Will Smith as Mike Lowery and Martin Lawrence as Marcus Burnett. The two characters were played perfectly by these amazing actors.

The two actors are portrayed as partners in crime, or more appropriately, partners in justice. The two are detectives in the Miami Police Department and chase down bad guys and fight for justice while having a good time. 

Although the film gives an interesting and fun insight into the field of police work, it is at times unrealistic and features many exaggerated scenes. One example of that would be the excessive car crashes, fires, and destruction that occurs in the film. While police work can be daring and harmful, these are extreme circumstances.

This particular film talks about Detective Lowrey’s life before he met his partner in justice. His life before his partner was interesting to say the least, as he was sent as an undercover cop to a Mexican cartel. In an unexpected turn of events, he fell in love with a vicious woman, a woman that defied all his principles. Many times in the film it is mentioned that she turned him into the man that he is. Without her, he wouldn’t have the hard-core exoskeleton that is so often portrayed throughout the series.

When terrible acts are committed to members of an old case, it is clear that a rivalry has appeared between the caseworkers and the convicted. In an effort to sort out the crime, Lowrey takes on the case. Only this time, Mike and Marcus can’t do it alone. 

A new team is then introduced to viewers. AMMO is introduced as a more new and younger way to solve crime. In a way giving that famous clash of the ages that we are so used to hearing or feeling. Both of the main characters struggle with the idea of this new and more efficient way of doing things.

At the end of the film, none of that really matters, as both the young and old crime workers come together to find the bad guys and try to solve the case.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy criticalhit.net)

By Adarsh Senthilnathan – Staff Reporter

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS

“21 Bridges”, directed by Brian Kirk, is about New York Police Department detective André Davis, played by Chadwick Boseman, and his involvement in uncovering a huge conspiracy involving corrupt police officers. 

“21 Bridges” has amassed over $48.9 million worldwide and over $28.5 million in the United States of America. 

The movie focuses mainly on Detective André Davis and how he discovers that there are some police officers that are not following the law and participating in illegal activities, but it also includes people like Captain Matt McKenna, Detective Frankie Burns, Michael Trujilo, and Ray Jackson. 

The movie starts off with Davis at his father’s funeral service at a Church in New York City. Davis’s father, Reginald, was a police officer who was murdered during one of his shifts, therefore there was a closed casket ceremony. 

19 years go by in the movie and then André Davis becomes a detective in the NYPD. Davis gets assigned to a case involving two drug thieves breaking into a building to steal a rival gang’s cocaine. At this point, Davis does not know that the responding officers to the break-in were actually trying to steal the cocaine themselves as well, but later on in the movie he will figure this out. 

Federal Bureau of Investigation agents Butchco and Dugan attempt to take over the case from Davis and Burns, but at the end of this argument Davis and Burns are allowed to lead the case. 

During the chase of Michael and Ray, the two suspects, Davis mortally wounds Ray and then Michael manages to keep Burns at gunpoint. Michael tells Davis how suspicious the whole everything is on the drives that he received from the money cleaner that they went to after getting cash from Adi, their drug dealing friend. 

Eventually, after looking at Burns’s phone, Davis realizes that she is a corrupt police officer and she was in on the plan to raid the drugs in the building. 

One of the best parts of the movie is when André Davis is in Captain McKenna’s home and he tells Captain McKenna that he knows that he was in the ring of corrupt police officers because he has proof from the drives. 

Soon after this, corrupt police officers and the two corrupt FBI agents, Butcho and Dugan, come to shoot Davis but he shoots them down and shoots Captain McKenna because he attempted to kill him. Davis then arrests Burns because she put down her weapon and badge. The movie ends with Davis driving off with the drives in a cup holder in his car. 

However, the movie could have been a little more clear in the beginning of the movie with the drug stealing scene and the aftermath of that scene. 

Overall, the director did a really good job at making the movie interesting and memorable. 

“21 Bridges” can be compared to other movies involving police officers and law enforcement agencies like, “21 Jump Street” and “The Heat”. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

(Photo courtesy cbr.com)

By Mayur Somalinga – Staff Reporter

“The Flash,” ever since its pilot episode aired on October 7, 2014, has been a favorite among comic fans alike as a dynamic extension of the “Arrowverse.” However, in recent years, namely in 2016 when Season 3 debuted, the love for the show began to die out due to retcon inconsistencies, repetition, a lack of lightheartedness that made the previous seasons of the show successful, amongst other issues. Season 6, however, so far, seems to be an impetus for redemption for the show as a whole that has allowed for the return of viewers that were not fond of previous seasons.

[WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers for “The Flash” Season 6 Episodes 1 – 11 and Crisis on Infinite Earths. Read ahead at your own risk.]

The show features Iris West-Allen played by Candice Patton, Dr. Caitilin Snow/Killer Frost (Dr. Snow’s alter ego) played by Danielle Panabaker, Cisco Ramon played by Carlos Valdes, Joe West played by Jesse L. Martin, Cecile Horton played by Danielle Nicolet, Ralph Dibny (aka Elongated Man) played by Hartley Sawyer, Harrison Nash Wells (this season’s rendition of the Harrison Wells character), Allegra Garcia (the newest addition to “Team Flash”) played by Kayla Compton, and last but not least, Barry Allen, or better known as the fastest man alive, The Flash, played by Grant Gustin.

Season 6, while humorful, starts in a dark place as it begins right after the disintegration of Nora West-Allen (played by Jessica Parker Kennedy), the daughter of Barry and Iris that traveled back in time to see them. Although Nora is quite distant and mysterious in the beginning, especially with Iris, she eventually develops a tight-knit relationship with her parents which makes it all the more difficult for them to say goodbye after Nora disappears into thin air after a confrontation with The Flash’s archnemesis, The Reverse-Flash. To add insult to injury, Barry and Iris discover that Barry is fated to die during Crisis on Infinite Earths, an event that threatens the very existence of the multiverse.

However, no season of “The Flash” would be complete without a formidable antagonist and for this season, the directors introduced Ramsey Rosso (played by Sendhil Ramamurthy), a seemingly mild-mannered doctor who after witnessing his mother fall at the hand of HLH (a rare blood disorder), and knowing that he also will contract the disease, goes mad trying to develop a cure which leads him to break the Hippocratic Oath and become the villain known as Bloodwork. Bloodwork is unlike any of the other villains seen in past seasons as he is not a speedster but rather he is a meta-human that possesses the ability to infect others to create invincible henchmen that he can command. Overall, due to the uniqueness of the character and his motives, Bloodwork has proven to be a worthy adversary of The Flash so far.

As stated before, Season 6 of “The Flash” is more of a reboot for the show in terms of its reputation amongst its fans. The primary reason for this being the case is the fact that this time around the show has been made to mirror the cheerfulness and humor that was the cause of Season 1’s enormous success. Also, in past seasons, namely Seasons 4 and 5, Iris has played the role of leader of “Team Flash,” and while there is no doubt that Iris and Barry are soul mates, most fans would agree that the role of leader does not highlight Iris’ strengths as a character and that showcasing her as the intrepid investigative journalist that she is by nature would be a lot more beneficial to the show which is how Iris has been portrayed thus far in the season. Another highlight of this season, in particular, has been the version of The Flash suit Barry has donned which compared to the previous 5 seasons, is the most comic-accurate and aesthetically pleasing with the reintroduction of the chin strap and overall minimalistic design. This season also displays the adept acting ability of the cast through the perfect combination between intense emotional scenes and those that present the dorkier and more hilarious sides of the characters. All of the previously mentioned high points of the season are worth discussing, however, the most impactful was the fact that as a result of the aftermath of Crisis on Infinite Earths, the multiverse was destroyed which means that all the superheroes and villains now reside on one Earth, known as Earth-Prime. Of course, this is also quite unfortunate as many of the fans fell in love with the concept of the “Arrowverse” characters being able to travel to other worlds, often intensifying the plot. However, with all that being said, it is quite an exciting installment as at the end of Crisis of Infinite Earths Barry creates a union amongst the heroes, much like DC Comics’ “Justice League.”

Although just above, the death of the multiverse was stated as a positive, there is one repercussion of the end of the multiverse that makes the event seem very indecorous, indeed, which is that, with the multiverse being a construct of the past, it eliminates the possibility of another Harrison Wells character being introduced. This is quite upsetting to fans as the introduction of a new Harrison Wells character every season has garnered the affections of many fans and has been very helpful to “Team Flash” as they work to quell their ever-expanding rogues’ gallery. In contrast, now, “The Flash” is left with Harrison Nash Wells being the only version left to assist “Team Flash,” however, the accuracy of that statement may need to be furthered examined as at the end of Season 6 Episode 11 (“Love is a Battlefield”) there is a shot in which Harrison Nash Wells sees Harrison “Harry” Wells (first introduced during Season 2) for a quarter of a second before he disappears. It is currently unclear what the implications of this happenchance are, however, fans theorize that it may be a hallucination caused by the guilt he faces since he incidentally started Crisis on Infinite Earths out of hubris leading to the subsequent destruction of all other worlds and thus all versions of Harrison Wells, also. 

Although most viewers have stopped watching since Season 3 onwards, as alluded to previously, Season 6 is a perfect opportunity to return without any feelings of regret with the introduction of the Season 1 inspired approaches to plot construction and character development.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars