The Hunger Games is a plot captured from a book and brought to the big screen. The main characters are Katniss Everdeen and Peta Mellark. The Hunger Games is where two randomly selected teens will participate in a battle to the death. There are a total of thirteen districts involved meaning 26 people will participate. The primary reason for these games to be conducted is for the pure entertainment of others.
One thing I loved about the execution of this movie was the fact they were able to capture the fashion sense from the books straight into the movies. The fashion sense is colorful, bright, and daring. Most movies that were captured from books tend to leave out many parts due to time constraints yet in The Hunger Games we did not see that. The directors managed to include every detail.
Although I was very disappointed in the casting because Katniss was supposed to have olive skin yet she was fair. Peeta was said to have bright blue eyes yet he ended up having brown. I think the casting could have been better executed.
Also, the CGI was flawless. In the books the technology is very futuristic and the movie was able to capture this. Overall the movie was very intriguing and left the viewers wanting more.
-Sanjana S.
The Hunger Games movie trilogy is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.
Just look at this loveable family you will get to follow!
With summer around the corner, everybody needs some light and fun television shows to watch to fill the time. One of my favorite genres of television is sitcoms and I have watched many that have come to my liking. Today I am recommending Fresh Off the Boat! This sitcom originally started airing in 2015 but currently has 6 seasons with the idea that there will most likely be a season 7. So do not worry, there is plenty of content to keep you busy.
Fresh off the Boat stars a Chinese family moving from a majority Chinese town in DC to the majority white in Orlando, Florida. This show takes place in the 1990s which I believe is the icing on the top for this show. The mother, Jessica, is your typical tiger Asian mom. She attempts to control the lives of her three sons: Eddie, the teenager who only wants to play video games, Emery, the perfect son, and Evan, the young smartie pants who skips a grade. There is also the dad, Louis Huang, who runs a bbq restaurant and is your classic funny carefree dad. At the same time, Jessica attempts to fit in with the white neighborhood moms group. We get to see how it was like for an Asian family to enter a majority white area in the 1990s. Hence the name Fresh Off the Boat, meaning they are basically fresh immigration with little idea of how things work in a suburban area.
The story mainly revolves around Eddie, the oldest child. One of my personal favorite scenes of the entire show is in the first episode. Eddie goes to school and is made fun of for his Chinese lunch. All he dreams of having for lunch is Lunchables so he can be cool, it seems we all had the idea of what is cool even in the 1990s! He goes to the market and gets to pick out the cool “white people food” as he calls it and boosts his confidence. This show is full of comedy that keeps you laughing for the entire episode.
Nonetheless, my favorite character has to be Jessica Huang, the overprotective mother. We slowly get to witness her mellow out her ways and become more of a relaxed parent. Do not get me wrong, one of my favorite parts of the show is getting to watch her be the typical tiger mom with a twist of a comedic side. She always rocks her 1990’s fashion to no end that makes her a character that you cannot just help but adore.
If you need a new show to watch I would seriously recommend watching Fresh Off the Boat as soon as possible!!
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is one of my favorite Wes Anderson films. Its plot—combined with its direction, soundtrack, and cast—makes the film stand out against most of the films I’ve watched before. It centers around the themes of familial love as well as sadness, letting go of your past, and looking to the future.
The story follows Steve Zissou, an oceanographer and filmmaker, on a mission to kill a shark—specifically a “jaguar” shark (which he coined himself)—that ate his best friend and partner, Esteban. He’s pretty washed up, with his funds for his films low—due to how badly his films were doing. He’s out to kill this shark solely for revenge, and he says he’ll do whatever it takes to get justice for his friend. Zissou is accompanied by his friends—the crew of his ship, the Belafonte. There’s one special member, though—and it’s what sets the film into motion.
That special member is Ned Plimpton, a polite, young man who came to Zissou during the premiere of his latest film. Ned claims to be Zissou’s son, the child of Catherine Plimpton, a woman Zissou remembered and supposedly had an affair with. At first, Zissou doubts this—because both of them aren’t really sure. It’s only when Ned is invited to stay at Zissou’s island and headquarters, and Zissou wakes him up in the middle of the night to film some “jellyfish” on the shore. Standing there, with his boom microphone—Ned adlibs along with Zissou. Though it’s awkward, Zissou figures out that a narrative between him and Ned could make his next film—and mission—successful. He hires Ned right there, and Ned joins the crew.
I won’t be discussing the film in its entirety, but what I found very compelling about the film was how it handled the themes of familial love—specifically paternal love.
Ned and Steve are awkward together. The two of them tiptoe around the fact that Steve might or might not be his real father. They avoid even breaching the topic. But, when they do, Steve confesses that he never wanted to be a father, right in front of Ned. After that, they don’t talk about their relationship with one another.
During this, Steve is also still weighed down by the grief of losing his best friend. He’s mourning him, and his anger is what drives him throughout the entire film. Most of the crew is telling him not to do it, not to kill the shark—or that the shark didn’t even exist. Even so, Steve still pushes on—through bad weather, a pirate attack, and even a kidnapping of one of his crew members. They go through a lot, just trying to find this shark.
The most devastating part of the film happens next. The crew finally gets the shark on their radar, and they realize they’re only a few miles away. A helicopter ride. So, Steve and Ned—a pilot—climb into the Belafonte’s worn out helicopter and fly away. On the ride, Steve and Ned talk about a letter Ned sent to Steve when he was younger. He admired Steve, and admitted that he wanted to be an oceanographer when he grew up. Turns out, Steve had kept the letter all these years, and he pulls it out to show it to Ned. This connection shows that the two of them, especially Steve, care for each other—and that Steve was ready to become a father to Ned.
But, due to the helicopter being worn down and broken—they end up crashing into the water, just where the shark was. And although Steve is fine, Ned… wasn’t. The most interesting thing about this scene is that it’s framed to look like a shark attack—with Ned hanging onto a floating piece of debris, and red filling the water around them. Almost exactly the way Steve lost Esteban. (It’s later revealed that Steve was infertile. He couldn’t have children.)
Eventually, though, Steve and the crew are able to get into a submarine and see the shark up close. It’s my favorite, and most beautiful part of the film. The shark is swimming around them, glittering and beautiful, capturing the eyes of all the crew members—shocked that the shark was actually real. In the center of the frame is Steve, quietly reflecting on the events that had happened leading up to this moment—the moment where he’s “supposed” to kill the shark.
Instead, when asked if he still wants to kill the shark—Steve shakes his head, claiming they ran out of dynamite anyway. He tears up, and he asks, “I wonder if he still remembers me.” The whole crew then puts their arms on Steve, holding him as he cries, the shark still circling around.
I believe that the shark represents sadness. Something that is looming, circling, engulfing us. And when it attacks, there’s no stopping it. Steve has been going through this ever since Esteban died. His sadness and his grief engulfs him, consumes him, to the point where it causes the death of someone else close to him. It’s destructive, not only to others, but to himself. In an effort to find peace, Steve sets out to kill the shark—or, his sadness. He goes through so much, just to get rid of it.
In the end, when faced with it—when faced with his grief and he’s given the chance to finally kill it, he turns it down. He looks right into its eyes and says, “I wonder if he remembers me.” This is when Steve learns that sadness cannot be killed. It cannot be obliterated. Sadness can only be lived with, and that’s something we need to learn. It’s what comes with life. But what we can do is have others who support us and love us anyway. This is represented by his crew—his family—putting his arms around him and holding him as he cries. Even though his grief was engulfing, drowning him, the people who loved him and who he loved in return—were still there every step of the way.
Their film ends up getting produced, and receives lots of support. They’ve dedicated it to Ned.
The ending credits of the film leave a bittersweet feeling in your stomach. As the crew is walking down the pier, Buckaroo Banzai credits style, in the background you can see the Belafonte. It’s ready for their new adventure. And there, at the very top—with his signature pilot’s uniform and spyglass, stands Ned—guiding Steve and his crew, onward towards the future.
– Claire C.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is available for checkout as a DVD or Blu-Ray at the Mission Viejo Library.
Before COVID and quarantine, movie theaters were always the place to see the best new movies when they came out. Though streaming services were great for watching older movies or TV shows as nostalgia, they weren’t really used as a way to release new content. Now with new restrictions and most movie theaters being closed, streaming services are beginning to release brand new movies and TV shows on their own.
This completely changes the experience of how a movie is watched. Usually when watching in theater, you get there early to grab drinks and snacks before making your way into the movie to watch previews for movies you might want to see later that year. With streaming services, such as Disney+ releasing their own movies or TV shows, people can watch movies in more relaxed settings. The downside is it seems like a much smaller deal. Plus, there are little to no previews so it becomes harder to find what to watch next.
I’ve also found with streaming services putting out their own content, I’m actually less likely to watch it than I was if it were to come out in theaters. Usually when I go onto a streaming app with the intention to watch something new, I end up clicking on something I’ve either already seen or am in the middle of rather than something entirely new.
Now of course, streaming platforms releasing new shows and movies and documentaries has been very helpful when I find myself bored with what I’m currently watching but I don’t find the experience matches at all to that of going to a movie theater. Hopefully sometime soon, the two can merge and be released both in movies safely while also being available on multiple streaming services right away rather than limited to just one.
You may have read the series, but the TV show is also thrilling! This show is about the first book in the The Mysterious Benedict Society series. With action, adventure, and excitement as well as lots of mystery, the TV show is exhilarating. Seeing The Mysterious Benedict Society’s show after reading about it can be really awesome. To see the story unfold in front of your eyes and being able to see if your imagination was on point with the characters is really exciting!
The story is about 4 kids, Reynie, Kate, Constance, and Sticky, who are all orphans and incredible kids. They all find an advertisement about some tests that a man named Mr. Benedicts has created. The kids go through test after test, and are tested on their logic and knowledge. These tests are much more than just tests though, as they help Mr. Benedict to create a team to go to the L.I.V.E. Academy (The Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened) where a man named Mr. Curtain is creating an evil plan to take control of the future in an event called The Emergency.
I did notice a couple changes between the book and the show, such as S.Q. Pedalian being Mr. Curtain’s adopted son in the show, while the book had him as his servant or companion. The episodes are mainly based off of the book, though.
The show features Tony Hale, who plays Mr. Curtain and Mr. Benedict, Mystic Inscho as Reynie Muldoon, Marta Timofeeva as Constance Contraire, Seth Carr as George “Sticky” Washington, and Emmy DeOliveira as Kate Wetherall. The show’s first episode was released on June 25th, and the show consists of 8 episodes, which will be coming out every Friday on Disney Plus.
I suggest this show to anyone who enjoys mystery and action. I have found myself very engaged and I always struggle to wait for the coming Friday in excitement about the next episode! My rating of this show is a 9 out of 10 so far because I have been really enjoying it! I feel like some of the small details were changed, but overall, it is a very good TV show and I definitely recommend this series to people who really like mystery shows. Enjoy!
The Adventures of Tintin, a film adaptation of Herge’s comic series, is an underrated masterpiece. Here’s why!
To start, a brief synopsis of the movie should be given. It begins with Tintin, a young reporter who shops at an outdoor market in Brussels, Belgium. Attended by his dog, Snowy, he buys The Unicorn, a replica of an old ship. As mysterious characters attempt to obtain the model from him, Tintin discovers that it contains clues that lead to a hidden treasure, but before he can act on it, he is taken by the notorious Sakharine.
Now with a little context, I can move on with my explanation!
#1: Visuals! Tintin is considered a “Noir Film,” since it applies shadows and dark radiance in order to capture audiences. It allows for the atmosphere to feel mysterious, harsh, and prepared for action.
#2: Scene transitions! It’s somewhat hard to elaborate upon, but shifts between events of a movie can be quite difficult to smoothen out, but Steven Spielberg (the director of this film) was able to capture these moments easily while remaining true to the spirit of Tintin. If you decide to watch the movie, consider this!
#3: Characters! Tintin is portrayed as an energetic, curious reporter, exactly as depicted in the comic series. However, the added element of obsession that stems from his search to uncover the “secret of the unicorn” makes him more fun to watch.
In 2019, there was some debate on plans for a sequel, as the original idea was to have two more movies after the release of the first. However, there have been some delays, due to redrafts of the script, the recast of certain actors, and slow production. As a major Herge fan, I hope there’s a chance of a second film in sight …
Before I conclude, I’d like to recommend that you check out Herge’s original comics. They’re a terrific, sweet read, and quick to grasp! Plus, it might also assist in the film’s general enjoyment. Therefore, look for “The Secret of the Unicorn” and “The Crab with the Golden Claws,” as these had the largest impact on the motion picture.
Side Note: Top 3 Favorite Tintin Comics
#1: The Castafiore Emerald – it reminds me of Seinfeld; as much as its conclusion might frustrate you, the elements of suspicion, doubt, and wonder hold your attention
#2: Destination Moon/Explorers on the Moon – written almost two decades prior to the Apollo 11 mission, Herge’s imagination gives significance to space exploration
#3: The Seven Crystal Balls/Prisoners of the Sun – not only is it filled with action, but it gives insight on old civilizations and customs thought forgotten
Studio Ghibli is a film franchise globally known for its popular movies, such as Spirited Away or My Neighbor Totoro. Compared to other animation studios like Disney or Pixar, Studio Ghibli creates memorable movies with plots that surpass the typical hero’s journey or romance trope. With a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, Grave of the Fireflies isn’t an average film. It leaves viewers with a long-lasting emotional experience; one cannot even fathom its beauty, especially since its drawn entirely by hand. The movie is terribly sad and ends with a bittersweet ending, albeit its simple story moves viewers to tears and reveals nothing but the tragic, cruel truth of war.
Made in 1988 by film director Isao Takahata, the movie depicts a story of two Japanese siblings, Setsuko (age 4) and Seita (age 14), living in the midst of World War II. After surviving a U.S. bombing in Kobe, Japan, and becoming orphans, they move into their aunt’s house. With a staggering family relationship, the siblings decide to leave the house and find their own place. Unfortunately, living progressively becomes more difficult; as food grows scarce and less people are willing to help them, the struggle for survival grows stronger and their will to live diminishes. The movie is based on the novel titled Grave of the Fireflies by Akiyuki Nosaka, conveying a recollection of the author’s own experiences before, during, and after the firebombing of Kobe in 1945.
To begin with, the art style is extremely detailed; every drawing depicts something new, with different emotions drawn out from each event. Viewers are able to understand the characters’ thoughts and feelings simply through facial features. Each background drawn has clear details that bring life and realism. The plot and method of storytelling is well-thought out, intertwining artistic and literary beauty. To elaborate more would spoil some of the movie, but the plot often shifts between its beginning and conclusion, reaching a midpoint at the movie’s end. Even though the characters don’t explain much and the plot can seem drawn out at times, every small event builds up to one meaningful, heart-throbbing ending.
What I most enjoy about this movie is its message; the perspective of watching two children suffering is difficult enough to bear, but it teaches the audience about war’s negative impacts, of how many innocent lives are harmed by another group’s disagreements. In reality, the movie was not made to entertain–it was made to inform, to warn others about the consequences of violence. As a result, there’s no honor or glory; those who truly suffer are the ones who were never part of the conflict.
The personal impact of this story is often too difficult to put into words. In a mix of both horrid and beautiful scenes, each holding its own meaningful touch to the story, Graveof the Fireflies is a movie that’s been underrated and forgotten for years. And yet, once you watch it, even if it’s just once, it’s difficult to forget.
In Avengers: Endgame, when a few of the Avengers went to New York (2012) to retrieve one of the much needed Infinity Stones, Loki grabbed the Tesseract and escaped his captors, who were the 2012 versions of the Avengers. This show answers the question of where Loki ended up after using the Space stone.
Loki, by using the stone, created alternate realities, or a branch in the timeline. So, the TVA (Time Variance Authority) reset that branch, and there is only one remaining timeline left. It is later revealed that the TVA’s job is to make sure there are no alternate timelines, and they were given this job by the Timekeepers. When someone travels off of their timeline or changes something that shouldn’t be changed (according to the TVA) that person becomes a Variant, meaning they are an alternate version of themselves. The mysterious Timekeepers are in control of the TVA, and they are the ones who look into the future and give instructions on the way events should be taking place.
This show is really entertaining. I think that it shows us a different part of Loki’s personality and character. Since he has been portrayed as a villain most of his time in the MCU, this is an extremely important part of Loki’s developing personality. Another part about this show that I liked was how there were constantly plot twists and new things being revealed to both Loki and the viewer. I would recommend you to watch this show if you are a Marvel fan or enjoy exciting and adventurous TV shows.
Recently dropping on Netflix, Ginny & Georgia has quickly become very popular amongst teens around the world. Packed with witty comments and hysterical jokes, it climbed to Netflix’s top ten list within 24-hours of dropping.
This TV series follows a teenage girl, Virginia “Ginny” Miller, and her mother, Georgia Miller. When Georgia’s very wealthy husband suddenly dies in a car accident, Georgia moves her two children, Ginny and Austin, to Wellsbury, Massachusetts. Finding some stability in the town, Ginny and Georgia use this town to leave their past behind and to truly get a fresh start.
Starting with Ginny, this television series emphasizes her character in ways many other shows have not. Ginny is one of a couple biracial characters in the show as her father is Black and her mother, Georgia, is white. Since she grows up primarily with her mother, she can’t fully grasp which culture she is supposed to fit into. Although she seems a little lost with her own self-identity, her beliefs and morals are steadfast and unwavering. Within the first twenty minutes of the show, Ginny shows her unwillingness to be a bystander to racism and underrepresentation in her education. Overall, Ginny is a strong 15-year-old lead who depicts not only the problems in society but also a relatable teenage life.
Next, is the famous Georgia Miller, or maybe infamous. Georgia is the definition of a strong woman who does not rely on anyone. She flaunts her beauty and Southern accent not only to attract men but to get what she wants. Georgia will stop at nothing to give Ginny and Austin the childhood she never had, even if her children don’t recognize it. Throughout the ten episodes that have dropped, her character has been developed through scenes from the past and present. The constant flashbacks make every aspect of her present life clear, and this is what makes Ginny & Georgia such a phenomenal show.
Lastly, I just wanted to add that this show is one of the closest representations of a high school teen’s life. I recommend it to anyone at least sixteen years and older because it does have topics and scenes on the more sensitive side. So, please make sure that you are a part of the appropriate audience/age to watch. I only touched on two of the characters, but there are so many personalities and underrepresented aspects of life within this show that it would be a mistake not to give it a try.
Cars is an iconic movie that most people have seen but if you haven’t seen it Cars is a movie about Lightning McQueen who is a race car who is one of the best out there.
At the beginning of the movie, McQueen is very self-centered and he does not respect his team around him and he thinks that he is a one-man team and doesn’t go in for a pit stop which made the race ended in a three-way tie for first place. Over the rest of the movie, some events happen like him being stranded in this random town. This town ends up helping McQueen get back on his feet and help him become a better person. When it comes to the end of the movie he has the choice of winning the race or doing the right thing and he decides to help his friend end the race after a big crash. That is one example that shows how much McQueen has grown as a character over the movie and also an example of what makes this movie something special. Even though this movie is quite old I would still urge you to rewatch it sometime because it’s quite nostalgic rewatching an old movie.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53887707/lifeaquaticmain.0.jpg)
Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice 