Category Archives: Movies & Multimedia

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Fun Twist or Joke of the Classic Story

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prideprejudicezombies_sethsmithPride and Prejudice and Zombies is set to hit theaters on Thursday and the exploding media coverage on this spin of a classic tale has me questioning whether or not I should see the movie…and read the book.

When I first heard of this strange idea for a book, I was immediately against it. I thought a classic could not possibly be transformed into a modern chaotic plot in any successful way. Especially one with zombies. I was not at all interested in reading the novel. However, both the book and the movie seem to bred quite a lot of hype. It has me thinking of reading and seeing how the story unfolds!

I wonder if Jane Austen would be okay with her novel being twisted into a sci-fi fantasy. Part of me is now intrigued because a zombie meshing with a character such as Elizabeth Bennet would certainly make for a fascinating story. Especially now it is becoming more and more common to have a strong female main character. It appears that Jane Austen may have been ahead of her time with her creation of Elizabeth Bennet. This timeless female character is still cherished today for her bold and unapologetic spirit. Undoubtedly in the updated version, Elizabeth would be the one leading the charge against zombies.

I have high hopes for reading this book. But I am also uncertain about opening its pages. Will it bring a cool new edge to the classic novel? Or will I be left disappointed wishing zombies had never entered England? I am definitely willing to find out and I’m curious what reviews or ideas you all have regarding these books and movies.

Let me know what you think!

~Posted by Kelsey H. 12th grade

Itazura na Kiss

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itazura-na-kiss-1871Itazura Na Kiss is a manga, and later adapted into an anime, about an unlikely romance between two high school students. Spoilers to come!

Kotoko Aihara, a poor achieving high school student, falls in love with the genius Naoki Irie only to be flatly rejected and humiliated. Kotoko had fallen for Naoki since her first day of high school. When an earthquake strikes her house, she is forced to live with her father’s childhood friend. When Kotoko meets the family, she discovers that Irie is their son. How is she going to survive living under the same roof as Irie, especially being rejected?

Throughout the manga and anime, Irie develops feelings for Kotoko but life finds a way to intervene. They are both pulled away by other people in their lives, like Kotoko’s friend Ikezawa, who her ever since she started high school. There’s also Christine, a foreign exchange student who plans to marry Irie. Will they be drawn apart or will they settle down and get married?

Check out the anime and/or manga if you would like to know more about Itazura Na Kiss! I’ve spoiled enough. I would definitely recommend someone to check it out. This was my first anime that I’ve ever seen and probably one of my favorites! I would rate this series a 9/10.

-Kayla H. 11th Grade

The Martian Movie Review

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martian_filmThe Martian is a sci-fi drama film directed and produced by Ridley Scott. It stars Matt Damon as Mark Watney and features other familiar faces like Jeff Daniels and Sean Bean. The movie takes place some time in the near future, when human technology has improved so that outer space travel to Mars has been achieved. Mark Watney and the other members of his crew are on an expedition on Mars when a storm hits and the team is forced to evacuate, accidentally leaving Watney behind.

What transpires for the whole movie is Watney trying to survive and NASA trying to contact him. The movie jumps back and forth between the two settings at various times. Obviously with a situation like this, tension runs high throughout the film, and indeed there are several thrilling moments. However, the high points of the film for me are the intimate, thoughtful moments that show the psychological and emotional stress Watney and NASA go through during this crisis.

It’s these quiet and well presented moments that make this movie so memorable and special. You truly grow to care about Watney and feel invested in his struggle. Matt Damon does a phenomenal job at bringing Mark Watney to life from the novel, with some of the best acting of his career. The Martian also has a very unexpected aspect: comedy. Mark Watney himself has a very good sense of humor, further increasing his likability. He is very optimistic and upbeat about each situation. It also helps that there are other great comedy actors such as Michael Peña and Donald Glover.

Overall, I found The Martian to be a really great movie. It wasn’t a huge spectacle or had the action of Interstellar or Gravity, but rather focuses on smaller moments, whether emotional or comedic, to drive its appeal. It does these very well, and I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys drama/thrillers, or science fiction films.

-Ahmed H.

Movie Review: The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

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manfromuncleThe Man from U.N.C.L.E is a modern take on a vintage spy show. The director, Guy Ritchie, tells the story of an American secret agent and a Russian secret agent teaming up to stop a third-party nuclear threat. The film takes place in the Cold War Era, when U.S.-Russia tensions are at an all-time high. The Berlin Wall still divides Germany. The American spy, Napoleon Solo, is both suave and daring. He carries out his missions with a casual confidence, in contrast to the Russian KGB agent Illya Kuryakin, who is serious and professional.

From the very beginning, the movie jumps right into action. Napoleon Solo travels to East Berlin to extract Gaby Teller from the country. Russia also wants her for information on Gaby’s father, a scientist who worked with the United States during World War II. After Solo and Kuryakin pit their skills against one another, Solo escapes across the wall. After the initial excitement, the movie slows down to reveal the exposition and driving force for the rest of the plot. Despite being locked in combat in the opening scene, circumstances eventually force the agents to work together to stop a terrorist organization from creating a nuclear warhead.

The 2015 film is based on a television show from the 1960s. As a result, everything seems old-fashioned, from the way people speak to the set design. The director creates the movie to be elegant and vintage, in sharp contrast to modern day blockbusters. Each scene is a work of art, using careful camera angles and interesting transitions. Even action scenes are well planned. Clear establishing shots ensure that viewers are never confused or overwhelmed.

The best aspect of this movie is the dynamics between characters. Solo and Kuryakin both have distinct personalities that often clash. Their friendly bickering is humorous and entertaining. As the movie progresses, they become unlikely friends, even adopting nicknames for each other. Although most of today’s audiences can’t really relate to the historical time period, it’s obvious that The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is vastly different from the typical action movie. If you’re interested in both action and elegance, this is the movie for you.

-Phillip Xiang

Movie Review: The Dark Knight

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darknightA superhero film isn’t meant to be incredibly serious. A superhero film isn’t meant to carry emotional weight. A superhero film isn’t meant to be regarded as one of the greatest films of the 21st century.

So when The Dark Knight was released back in 2008, it truly wowed fans and critics. The second installment in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, it follows Bruce Wayne, played by Christian Bale, as he deals with a new threat, The Joker, played by the late Heath Ledger.

This isn’t so much a superhero film as it is a crime thriller. No special effects, no green screen, just unfiltered cinematic brilliance. First of all, the film is shot very well with perfect camera angles and music that fits each scene. The plot is a cat-and-mouse game, with Joker performing a series of attacks on Gotham City. Batman attempts to save the day only to find Joker one step ahead of him each time. The Gotham police department is led by Commissioner Gordon, played by Gary Oldman. The relationship between Batman and Gordon, and also attorney Harvey Dent, is what drives the hunt for the Joker.

What really makes this film so legendary are the performances. With an all-star cast, consisting of names such as Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, the supporting characters are all quite interesting and play essential roles in the story. Christian Bale of course does a marvelous job as Bruce Wayne. But Heath Ledger really steals the show as Joker, putting on one of the best performances of the last decade, probably the best villain performance of all time. Maniacal and psychotic, yet deep and compelling all at once, Joker owns nearly every scene he’s in.

The Dark Knight is not your average superhero movie. It provides better plot, performances, music, and cinematography than most movies you’ll see nowadays. Any fan of thrillers, crime dramas, action, or Batman should definitely go see this.

-Ahmed H, 11th grade

The Dark Knight is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library. 

Movie Review: The Prophet

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theprophetThe Prophet, adapted from Kahlil Gibran’s work of the same name.

Kahlil Gibran is a Lebanese-American writer, poet, and artist, whose best known work is The Prophet. Published in 1923, this is a collection of “poetic essays” on various life topics, including love, death, marriage, children, work, and freedom.

So when I heard that this book was made into an animated film, I was eager to see it.

I was impressed by the film. I have not seen a lot of movies where the theme is comprised of feelings and ideas, so I felt that the way the film was portrayed was effective. The story followed a young girl named Almitra, who had been mute ever since her father died two years before. She steals from all the bakers/shops in the village, causing her and her mother to gain a bad reputation. One day, instead of going to school, she follows her mom to a cottage, where Almustafa has been kept prisoner for seven years. Though she doesn’t speak to him, they connect, and he begins to tell his tales, in the form of poems and songs. What I liked about those parts was the pictures representing the theme of the song. Some were paintings that morphed into different scenes. Others were geometric shapes, like colorful birds and profiles of people.

The film was very enjoyable. I appreciated that there was a plot, though a rather simple one, which accompanied the philosophical teachings of Kahlil Gibran. Because I am still relatively younger than the average audience for the book, some of the topics were clearly for those with more life experience, i.e. I found the poem about marriage difficult to comprehend.

However, I still could connect with some of the topics. For example, the section regarding how to raise children.

“You [the parents] may give them [the children] your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls.
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.”

– Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet: On Children (18)

I agree with his logic in that children should be allowed to make their own decisions, within reason. Children should not be expected to blindly follow what their parents think is the right thing to do, because everyone has their own moral compass guiding them. And after all, do we always learn a lesson just by listening to our parents? No. Often it takes trial and error. And I believe many of life’s lessons are learned through experience not purely by listening to teachings or lectures.

Overall, I would definitely recommend reading the book and/or watching the film. Both are educational and inspirational, in ways that can apply to everyone.

– Leila S. (10th grade)

The film’s source material, The Prophet, is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library. 

Movie Review: Ant-Man

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antmanI’m going to be honest, I’m a pretty big fan of superhero movies. Unfortunately, I wasn’t blown away by Avengers: Age of Ultron, but I was intrigued as to what Marvel would do with Ant-Man, a hero whom I never even heard of and whose name makes me laugh every time I see it. It’s safe to say they’ve surprised me again.

Ant-Man is directed by Peyton Reed and stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, and Evangeline Lilly as Hope Pym. It’s an action comedy set in present day United States. Hank Pym was a scientist who became the original Ant-Man after creating a substance that could shrink him down in size. Darren Cross, his former apprentice, wants to steal it to create his own super weapon. Hank asks help from Scott Lang, a former thief and divorced father failing at making a living.

What you’ll notice right away is just how humorous the movie really is. This doesn’t surprise me in the slightest, since Marvel is known for their witty dialogue and new age comedy. However, this movie takes it a step further by having actual comedic actors, like Michael Pena, play large roles. This amount of comedy may seem unnecessary, but I felt it really added to the tone of the movie and situation very well. It still maintains enough seriousness to make you understand the weight of the situation, though I’m glad the director didn’t try to make it dark and brooding. After all, this is a movie about a guy who shrinks and controls ants, right?

The movie paces itself quite well, introducing and setting up the main characters in a short time, explaining back stories and character relationships within the earlier points in the movie. It has action sequences throughout, and has a spectacular finale. It also much more emotional depth than you’d expect from a movie like this, but it serves the story well. The entire scope of the movie is very small compared to Marvel’s more recent film, Age of Ultron, and that’s very good because it lets you explore the characters more and it, again, works for this hero.

Overall, Ant-Man is a fun, humorous, action-packed summer blockbuster that anyone can enjoy. Whether you’re a superhero fan, an action fan, comedy fan, or just a fan of movies in general, you will most likely enjoy this film.

Ahmed H., 11th grade

Movie Review: Big Hero 6

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Disney_BigHero6_Poster_BaymaxThis past weekend, I got a chance to see Big Hero 6, a Disney movie about a 13 year old robotics prodigy named Hiro, who, after his brother, Tadashi, dies in a freak accident, is left with Tadashi’s health care robot, Baymax. After Hiro’s microbots (little robots) are stolen, and it is discovered that they are being used to do evil, Hiro and Baymax, with the help of Tadashi’s college friends, set out to find the man responsible for Tadashi’s death and the microbots’ evil escapades.

At first, Big Hero 6 may seem like a basic kid’s movie- a battle between good and evil. However, Big Hero 6 carries some more subtle, deeper messages. One of the themes of the movie is the message of the power of friendship. Big Hero 6 shows that by working together, even the biggest of problems can be solved. The movie also leans away from gender bias. Two of Tadashi’s friends are girls, and they are equally important and smart as the boys in the movie. Big Hero 6 also sets up a diverse cast of characters, characters of different races and from different backgrounds.

Big Hero 6 shows that decisions made in the quest for revenge and in anger are never good. When Hiro tries to get revenge from the man who killed Tadashi by taking out Baymax’s health care chip and leaving in his fighting chip, things go wrong. The movie also supports the idea of innovation and robotics, two things that can help society.
The main message in the movie is that those who are loved can always be remembered. When Tadashi dies, Hiro does not think this way. However, Baymax shows him that loved ones can always be remembered. This causes Hiro to think differently about things.

This movie is great for people of all ages, go see it as soon as possible.

Two series of books that I recommend to those who liked this movie:

  • The Moomintroll series, by Tove Jansson. Although these books may be hard to find, the Moomintrolls have the same kind of cuddly appearance and personality as Baymax.
  • Alex Rider series, by Anthony Horowitz. Just like Big Hero 6, these book are packed full of action and adventure.

-Will R., 10th grade

Get Ready for Mockingjay

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mockingjay_coverYes, it is that time of the year– November is the month that the Hunger Games movies always seem to come out. Mockingjay, written by Suzanne Collins, is the last volume of the Hunger Games trilogy. Seems to the readers that the games are over. But we are mistaken.

Katniss has identified her new position in District 13; she is the rebel. During the second Hunger Games, Katniss and some other fellow participants were removed from the Quarter Quell. However, Peeta is still missing, meaning that he is under the sharp eyes of the Capitol. Soon, some rebels find Peeta. Peeta has unfortunately been brainwashed, and now sees Katniss as the enemy of this entire situation.

Since the movie is releasing this Thursday, November 20 at midnight, I will not discuss the plot of the story any more. The movie is only the first part of the novel, and I do not know how far the writers will go based on the storyline.

I am very excited for this movie. I think that since Mockingjay is broken into two parts, the film will be extraordinary due to the clear oversaturation of events in the novel for it to be made into one film. Are you excited for this highly-anticipated movie? What are your thoughts on how well the Hunger Games movies represent the novels?

-Nirmeet B., 11th grade

Book vs. Movie: The Giver

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giver_bookvmovieThe Giver is an award-winning book written by Lois Lowry about a futuristic dystopian community of “Sameness.” The book was written in 1993 – before the teen dystopian literature era took off so I guess you could say it was before its time in two ways!

Because most middle-schoolers end up reading The Giver as part of their curriculum, I don’t want to go into the novel or movie details. However, I will share that the novel was originally written by Ms. Lowry as a result of realizing her father was losing his memory. This sad, negative situation was developed into imagining a society that had lost its memory; that is, it had no past. Eliminating a “history” means that many ingredients making up that “history” must also be eliminated. The protagonist in The Giver is Jonas, an 11-year old who lives in this resulting community known as “Sameness,” a seemingly utopian society where everything is the same and everything is equal. Jonas, through a developing uniqueness, is able to see past this “sameness” and perceived utopia.

After 18-19 long years of hoping and trying to bring the novel to the big screen, Jeff Bridges, who plays The Giver in the movie, successfully premiered the movie on August 11th and opened it nationwide on August 15th. I have seen it twice: I attended a special showing on premiere night and then saw a regular showing about a week later. I had been anticipating the release of this movie since last August when I first learned that Taylor Swift was going to play a small, but important character role of “Rosemary.”   As a Swiftie and a lover of Lois Lowry’s Giver Quartet (of which The Giver is the first novel), my excitement was barely containable!

So because I saw the movie twice within one week, you probably think I LOVED the movie the first time and went back to enjoy it a second time. Not exactly . . .

I was actually disappointed when I saw The Giver movie the first time. I thought the beginning was very rushed. I was annoyed by the changes made in the movie. I sort of expected the movie to be a bit more accurate because I had read they kept writing, discarding, and rewriting the screenplay in those 18 or so years. And I was extremely “let down” that the anticipation of the movie was over.

When I saw it the second time, I went into it expecting to be disappointed again. (I had promised my friend to see it with her.) Surprisingly, I found I liked the movie this time. I really did!! So what changed?

Yes, compared to the book, the beginning is rushed. But you can’t fit a 200+ page book into a two-hour movie. So, I guess I’m okay with that. The “rushed beginning” still set the stage for the movie which was what it needed to do.

As for the changes in the screenplay . . .all the people involved, including Lois Lowry, agreed that the movie stayed true to the book’s storyline. So who am I to get upset with the changes? Yes, the movie is different than the book.   But that’s not necessarily a bad or negative thing.

And as for being “let down” . . . I left the movie the second time feeling more satisfied, happier, seeing the positives more, and appreciating the movie for its differences. I actually LIKE the movie and hope that the other Lois Lowry books in The Giver Quartet also find their way to the big screen!

-Danielle L., 7th grade