Tag Archives: theater review

Inside Out 2 Movie experience at Cinépolis

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On the first day of summer, the hottest day of the year, we all piled into our car and headed for the Cinépolis to watch Inside Out 2. 


This theater is very different than the typical theater. We bought the tickets online; no attendants would direct you to your seats. We went to the theater studio for our movie and found our seats. The server came and took our order for dinner before the movie started.

What, you said theater? Dinner inside a theater? Why yes, at this theater, you can order a full dinner and even alcoholic beverages, snacks, and everything else you fancy before the movie. The best part is the recliner padded leather seats, making the experience even more comfortable when watching the film.

After we were done, we ordered our food and got ready for dinner. The light was off, and the movie started playing. I was still determining what to expect since it’s a cartoon movie, which I didn’t think would be any different from the others. 

It was not a typical Pixar movie. The Inside Out 2 storyline picks up where the first movie left off, exploring new challenges in Riley’s adolescence. The way the film showed Riley’s external experiences with her inner struggles shows how human changes and growth shape one’s emotions, and it’s more critical in teenagers.

This combined approach not only entertains but also shows viewers a deeper understanding of everyday emotions through different stages of life. I especially love the little characters that are people’s emotions, such as Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust. 

The movie continues to explore the main character’s emotions, Riley, using these characters, delivering an intriguing journey that blends heartwarming moments with profound insights into typical teen emotions. Through characters like Joy, Sadness, Anger, Embarrassment, and Anxiety, we see the complexities of human emotions.

As expected from Pixar, the animation is stunning and imaginative, with vibrant colors and intricate details bringing Riley’s mind’s internal and external workings to life. Pixar was so good at showing abstract concepts like core memories, personality islands, and the subconscious, making it visually delightful and captivating for audiences of all ages from start to finish.

The film’s success would be due to its characters. They are animated figures with relatable personalities, each with arcs and quirks. My favorite character is Joy. She has infectious optimism and is one of those friends you want on your side. Sadness’s endearing vulnerability and other emotions’ unique traits make them entertaining but deeply relatable, something every one of us experiences as a teen.

The voice cast was outstanding in their performance, adding emotion, depth, and authenticity to these characters, making them much more relatable and real. Through these characters, Inside Out 2 lets us explore complex emotions and topics so that younger viewers can understand and make it engaging for adults. It explores complex issues like identity, changes, and the importance of emotional resilience.

Overall, Inside Out 2 is a worthy continuation of its predecessor, offering an exploration to entertain and teach us about our daily emotional struggles with our emotions. The stunning animation and fun and upbeat storyline make this film memorable and worthwhile to watch with families and friends, especially with your younger siblings.

Whether you’re a fan of the original or new to the world of Riley’s mind, Inside Out 2 is a must-watch. This movie will leave you thinking about your emotions and their complexities long after the film ends. 

Here’s to a great movie experience!

Bella H.

Inside Out 2  is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Six The Musical Review

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When I was about ten years old and going through a heavy musical phase I discovered Six The Musical and I loved it. Six is about the six wives of Henry VIII (Henry the eighth). He wasn’t a particularly amazing king but he was remembered mainly for his wives and his death. However, this musical is not about Henry. It’s about is wives, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, Catherine Parr. Something most people think is that Henry beheaded all of his wives, which is not true. He only beheaded two of them.

This is actually how the marriages ended between them:

Catherine of Aragon: Divorced because she couldn’t have a male heir and so Henry could marry Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn: Beheaded because she couldn’t have a male heir and Henry became interested in Jane Seymour

Jane Seymour: Died early in the marriage after giving birth to a child

Anne of Cleves: Divorced because she didn’t look like her portrait

Catherine Howard: Beheaded

Catherine Parr: Outlived Henry but couldn’t be with the man she really loved

In the musical the women talk about the hardships Henry put them through and they acknowledge how without the six of them no one would know who they are in the form of pop songs. The whole environment of the musical is like a concert and I love that part.

I would give Six the Musical an 1000/10 rating because the women in the musical are so talented and absolutely hilarious.

Romeo and Juliet, A Theatre Review

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Recently, I sat in the audience of the Laguna Playhouse Youth Theatre in Laguna Beach as I watched actors both young and old act out Shakespeare’s famous play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. To be honest, I had no complaints about the play itself. The actors were all very well rehearsed and the performance was very polished, a difficult feat given how hard it is to read Shakespearean dialect, let alone memorize and perform it.

romeo and juliet

“Romeo and Juliet” by Frank Dicksee

Many parts which I remember from reading the play itself were identical in the stage adaption. A couple scenes were edited, but only slightly. Additionally, a few scenes were different than what I had pictured as well as from what the movie versions of the play depicts. A main example of this is the fight that the Capulet and Montague families have in the middle of the market in the beginning of the play. I imagined there to be more characters on each side while the Laguna Playhouse adaption maintained a smaller crowd. Regardless, these slight differences did not necessarily take away from the overall play. It was still very enjoyable.

If you are someone who enjoys watching student theatre productions, I would definitely recommend looking into the Laguna Playhouse productions. I have watched a variety of productions there, from Tom Sawyer to an adaption of Lois Lowry’s The Giver to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I have always been extremely impressed by the performances because these students are all able to produce a polished and entertaining performance in addition to handling the stress of school.

– Leila S., 10th grade