Anna Ford, Assistant Culture Editor
• May 13, 2023
In a bittersweet and satisfying conclusion to the beloved trilogy, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (“Vol. 3”) follows the events of "Thor: Love and Thunder" as Peter Quill (Chris Pratt)—a.k.a “Star-Lord”—and the rest of the team race to save Rocket's (Bradley Cooper) life and come to terms with their ever-shifting group dynamics.
Ari Aster’s third theatrical release, “Beau Is Afraid,” is undoubtedly his most daunting from a viewer’s perspective. It is a three-hour display of Murphy’s Law, where everything that can go wrong does go wrong. While Aster’s first two films “Hereditary” (2018) and “Midsommar” (2019) were certainly horror films, “Beau Is Afraid” is equal parts comedy, drama and horror. With each unfolding of events, the number of possible interpretations of the story grows as the lines blur between reality, dreams, nightmares and hallucinations.
What was once regarded as a cringe teen summer show is now a national hit. “Outer Banks” returns for its long-awaited third season, chock full of potential. Audiences left off with the Pogues once again taking the hit, while the Camerons got away with the treasure. Will the Pogues be able to right last season’s wrongs? Or is something entirely new in store for them?
“Cocaine Bear” spends so much time confused about which tone to take on that it lacks any real direction. This film had every chance to provide an over-the-top thrill ride that mimics the aforementioned effects of cocaine for viewers. Instead, it’s an hour and a half of back-and-forth scenes that leave the audience confused on whether to laugh or cry.
James Cameron’s "Avatar: The Way of Water," the sequel to 2009’s "Avatar," finally hit theaters on Dec. 16, well over a decade after the first film’s release. As a sequel to the highest-grossing film of all time, expectations are high for this next installment. But, does it live up to the legacy of the original?
With the arrival of the holidays comes a slew of Christmas films, both new and old. “Violent Night” is the most recent entry in this canon. While many recent releases fail to utilize the talent of their stars, David Harbor plays the perfect morally gray Santa in this creative Christmas tale, and grown-up fans of “Home Alone” are sure to enjoy this film’s gory gimmicks.
After hitting theaters on Friday, Nov. 11, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” proves an instant success for the MCU franchise. An unsurprising verdict, the sequel follows the fan-favorite “Black Panther,” which broke theaters in 2018 with its very-needed inclusion of an African MCU superhero. “Wakanda Forever” now pays tribute to late actor Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa) whilst introducing a new Black Panther in his place.
“The Northman” is a masterful film for Eggers that showcases his capabilities with a greater budget than his previous works. Despite going from A24’s niche distribution to major studio backing from Focus Features, Eggers maintains the artistic flourishes that made his first two films worthy of acclaim. This film is an unforgettable experience that will stay with viewers for some time after watching.
Disney+’s Marvel shows have so far proven to be strong additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the movies give us the epic narratives factoring into a larger story arc, the shows give more personable stories. Ones like “Hawkeye,” “WandaVision” and “Loki” give us introspective looks into central characters that the films can’t always allot within a two-hour runtime. “Moon Knight,” the latest series, stands out for being the first Disney+ series to adapt a new hero to headline their own show. Its first episode out of six shows promise in the series being a mind-bending and exhilarating thrill-ride unlike anything Marvel’s done before.
Abigail Celoria, Assistant Culture Editor
• February 6, 2022
The opening of “Moonfall” seems to offer a movie that isn’t great, but something worth the watch before reality sets in midway through. It is at least entertaining in the sense that it is something to laugh at, but even this is not enough to move past the antsy boredom audiences are likely to feel by the end.
“Reacher,” Amazon Prime Video’s latest TV series is based on the long-running Jack Reacher novel series by British author Lee Child. “Reacher” is not the first live-action adaptation of the character, as Tom Cruise previously starred as him in the films “Jack Reacher” and “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.” While the films were thrilling adaptations of later novels, the eight-episode season is based on the first Reacher story “Killing Floor.” The films were entertaining in their own right, but season one of “Reacher” is a faithful adaptation that acts as a strong entry point into the Jack Reacher franchise and a tightly-knit crime thriller.
Reboots can be tiresome, especially as we approach the second Batman recasting over the past decade, but they can also lead to the most invigorating visions. It is true that movie studios and screenwriters should focus on more original ideas, but movie reboots are not something that should be dismissed immediately. Reboots such as “Batman Begins,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” and “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” show us that reboots can be the best thing for a franchise when done correctly. Instead of viewing each reboot with dismay once they come to our attention, we can view it with curiosity. If we ever find ourselves disappointed or unimpressed by a reboot, then we can always go back to the original.
