ENTERTAINMENT

Oppenheimer is Radioactive

by Andrew Azizollahi

The story in the 2023 movie Oppenheimer is about physicist Albert Oppenheimer's life during World War II and how he was involved in making the atomic bomb. The plot was rather exciting and unlike other movies I've seen. The film is set in places such as labs and military bases in the USA, which captivates many. It was inspiring, and the dialogue was clever, feeling genuine. The movie makes you think about how hard life must have been for Oppenheimer, giving a new perspective on this legend of a scientist.

Cillian Murphy was as excellent as the movie. He made the character feel real; you could understand what Oppenheimer was going through. Robert Pattinson was also good, and the rest of the cast made the story feel so exciting and alive, as if the audience was really there.

Christopher Nolan did an outstanding job directing the movie. The film was edited well, and the scenes moved smoothly from one to the next. Incredible camera shots, like slow-motion scenes and close-ups, made the movie really engaging. The special effects were not too much but just right to keep the film feeling real.

The music was done by Hans Zimmer, making the movie feel more vibrant. The soundtrack was original and fit well with the scenes, making it feel like a symphony and a movie.

People who like history or thrilling stories would enjoy "Oppenheimer." My only problem was how long it was, so bring plenty of food and snacks! I recommend this movie. If you liked movies like "The Imitation Game," you'd probably like "Oppenheimer" too!

Scissor Seven Cuts the Mustard

by Solon Jones

Scissor Seven is an animated show with an exciting background. This show was directed by He Xiaofeng and from Sharefun Studio. Many people expected Scissor Seven to be eye-opening and action-packed. I have looked at another piece from him about an animated girl facing challenges in a real-life environment, and I expected it to be less captivating than Scissor Seven. Scissor Seven greatly exceeded my expectations by switching between his old self and a new one, once an assassin and a hairstylist.

Scissor Seven is about a #1 ranked assassin going out of the game and becoming a hairstylist, with other assassins chasing him down for leaving the association. The film's concept is a person trying to discover who they once were. After finding out, he was a big, flawless name. I have never seen a show or movie with a story as surprising and action-packed as this one. It has repetitive thoughts such as " You can't run away from your past." The film is neatly written as everything is explained and sequenced. The dialogue is authentic, with actors that fit the character's looks. The film has a repetitive theme: you cannot escape from your past. As voice actors, there are some moments where they get into character, and you can feel the energy of this animation. This character named Dai Bo has lied to Seven about his past, which has been a barrier to him becoming his old self if he wants to. One particular voice actor is the one for Dai Bo when he yells with the character many times but for one individual time when he brought him back from almost dying. 

The director helps by giving ideas for new camera angles and special effects. Scissor Seven has many camera angles, such as birds-eye, extreme close-ups of faces, and extreme zoom on weapons. Also, in this film, there are moments where he uses slow motion to finish moves and other incredible acrobatic scenes. Scissor Seven uses many animated special effects in fights, and some weapons have stronger special powers and better outcomes. This film is more fast-moving and darting/dashing. The screen can move quickly many times, especially during combat. 

The soundtrack is composed of a bunch of Chinese songs and intro music. The soundtrack enhances the film by giving hyped-up background music behind all the swords clanging and talking. The soundtrack is original but unoriginal because its songs are combined in an order that makes it unique. But it could be more memorable as you will most likely pay attention to the fight more.

I recommend this movie since it is delightful and entertaining. Become your assassin, and you will see what I mean when I say that this is an amazing thing to watch. 

Not A Pair of Ordinary Blondes

By Teja Wolfe

Barbie is taking the world by a pink storm. The Barbie Movie was released in 2023 by Warner Bros studio. Greta Gerwig directed it, and this was another one of her notable hits as a film director. Barbie was based on the Barbie dolls Mattel made and has been making for many years. Margot Robbie brings Barbie to life, and Ryan Gosling plays Ken perfectly. My expectation before watching this movie is that it would be a decent movie, but it has smashed that expectation by a mile. 

This movie is set in Barbie land, which is a land where all the Barbies, Kens, and one unique Alan live, and in the real world, which is where humans live. Barbie, played by actress Margot Robbie, is forced to go to the real world to find the cause of what makes her have flat feet (a peculiar malady). Ken, played by the famous Ryan Gosling, goes with Barbie to the real world to help her. Even one of our students at BVMS actually had a speaking line in the movie! Throughout the movie, Barbie and Ken make an unstoppable duo that is bound to make the audience laugh. This is an original movie, and the writing is spectacular. 

Margot Robbie's acting makes Barbie, the movie, and the character is spectacular. The way that she encapsulates all the different emotions that Barbie has, whether it is happy, sad, or confused. Margot Robbie delivers each line flawlessly and makes the character the perfect amount of doll and human. I cannot see anyone else playing Barbie. Also, Ryan Gosling's acting as Ken makes the character iconic and unforgettable. He makes the characters seem like they could never exist in real life, which is a good thing, considering that he is also playing a doll. Ken will be remembered in a whole different way because of him. 

The cinematography of Barbie is memorable, especially when Barbie travels to the real world with the cardboard cutout backgrounds. Also, when the dance scenes are filmed, the cinematography makes them come alive. The film is edited well, and the transitions are perfect in every moment. Some transitions between scenes can even be amusing. 

The soundtrack is glorious; there will often be songs that will be added to playlists and listened to all the time. The I Am Just Ken song that Ryan Gosling sings will be stuck in your head for days. Alternatively, the Nicki Minaj song will blow your mind. Overall, the soundtrack for the Barbie Movie is fantastic.

In conclusion,  the Barbie Movie is spectacular, whether it is the acting, plot, cinematography, or soundtrack. This movie is five stars. This movie was excellent, but it could use some improvement. 

Strange New Worlds Lead to Great Adventure

By Teja Wolfe

A show that came out last year is Star Trek Strange New Worlds. It is by CBS Studios and was directed and created by many people. It stars Anson Mount as Captain Pike and Ethan Peck as Spock.

This show is about Captain Pike’s journey on the USS Enterprise before Kirk took over. It shows what crazy adventures he and his team encounter and how the friendship between characters forms. Each episode is a different story that the Enterprise goes through. For example, they are encountering aliens or a cosmic entity. Season 2, episode 5, this episode is about an accident on a ship, and aliens help heal them. When healing Spock, they remove his Vulcan DNA, making him human. He has to perform tasks later that day that only Vulcans can do. Each episode is self-contained, and they are all like mini-movies. This show has exceeded my expectations greatly, and I would love to watch it for the first time again. 

Anson Mount, as Captain Christopher Pike, plays this character well. He makes Pike’s leadership and confidence brighten and come to life. His acting stood out, and you can tell that he liked his part as Captain Pike. Another actor that stood out to me is Ethan Peck as Spock. He captures the loyal and intelligent side of Spock, and in the later seasons, we see him experiencing human emotion. 

The Cinematography and the special effects are amazing. The intro is the USS Enterprise flying through space. There are stars, galaxies, and crazy planets. The ship looks well-animated, and you can see every little detail. The cinematograph enhances the show, too. Every cut and transition flows naturally and has a purpose. 

The soundtrack of this show also goes above and beyond. The intro music is lovely, and the music creates the mood of the episode. The soundtrack is especially remarkable in season 2, episode 10, when the crew randomly breaks into song. The music is tense in scenes that must be upbeat when things are going well. 

Overall, Star Trek Strange New Worlds is a beautiful show. I recommend this to Star Trek fans or people who like science fiction. This show is 4.5 stars. 

A Force to be Reckoned With

By Jian Jung

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the ninth movie in the Star Wars trilogy, directed by J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm. Star Wars Episode IX is part of the Star Wars trilogy. I had high expectations for this movie because all the other Star Wars movies were highly rated. I exceeded my expectations, except for the fact that Rey is a Palpatine and that Kylo died after he saved Rey's life.

The movie is about how Rey Palpatine discovered she was a Palpatine because she used to force lightning on an imperial freighter and discovered that she was a Palpatine. This movie was filmed in Wadi Rum, Jordan. The plot was very surprising because it turned out that Rey was a Palpatine. It was very action-packed, and they had a lot of fights, which was very exciting. First, they were looking for the hermit because they were looking for Exegol, located in a faraway place. Kylo Ren had found it using an imperial wayfinder, and they needed Ochi, the bestoon's dagger. Then they had to find Exegol. Eventually, they found a way to Exegol, and they sent the whole rebel fleet to the location where thousands of star destroyers were made by Palpatine. Anyway, eventually, Rey was facing Palpatine, and the knights of Ren cornered Kylo Ren, but eventually, they teamed up and obliterated the First Order.

When Rey used her forceful lightning, it was obviously fake. Except for the fact that the plane exploded, it was really fake. It was literally lightning. Also, it was literally fake. Also, the forceful lightning wasn't at all realistic. That part of the movie was very fake. That performance really stood out. Also, it was very random. She was using the Force, but the lightning just came out of nowhere. It really stood out.

There was this one part when Rey accidentally used force lightning, and then time froze, and then the imperial transporter that was destroyed slowly fell to the floor. Rey was screaming, "Chewbacca!" as the imperial transporter slowly dissolved into pieces. It was a dramatic scene. The scenes had pretty cool special effects, but the forceful lightning was so fake. It looked so fake. Overall, the film was immaculate.

I like the original Star Wars soundtrack that always appears in all Star Wars movies. There are key moments in all of the Star Wars films at the start of the film when they say the summary of the start of the story and they play the Star Wars theme song. I really like that. That is the main reason why they use the original Star Wars soundtrack. They also use classical music when they have sad or dramatic moments. The soundtrack is mostly original, but some was a remake of a "Duel of Fates" song. The soundtrack is memorable.

All in all, I think that Star Wars Episode IX is a great movie.

Video Games Review

Conjuring Up Great Entertainment

by Donovan Bell

The Conjuring, directed by James Wan and produced by New Line Cinema, was released in 2013 as part of a more extensive series called "Conjuring Universe" featuring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, and Father Gordon. The film is based on real-life experiences and events with the most recognized paranormal hunters, Ed (Patrick Willson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga). As a fan of James Wan's work, like Saw, I like his storytelling when it comes to on-screen horror. This means my expectations for "The Conjuring" are incredibly high. Not only is the movie a part of a series, but more importantly, it's directed by James Wan, which guarantees high quality and a good plot. "The Conjuring" is a plot based on horror that tells the story of Ed and Lorraine Warren, a paranormal ghost hunter duo. The film follows the Warrens as they try to help the Perron family, who are experiencing disturbing events in their farmhouse in Rhode Island. Considering the genre's ability, the plot of "The Conjuring" is original. It stands out because it is based on a true story; the focus is on the process of the Warrens and the depth it brings to its characters.

The film is well-written, with a horror screenplay that balances character development. It takes place in a century-old farmhouse, adding a mysterious tone to the film. The basic idea of "The Conjuring" goes above the typical haunted house myths. The process of a carefully haunted investigation is explored, as well as its effect on the family and the investigators. Vera Farmiga's performance as Lorraine Warren stands out in The Conjuring. She does an excellent job showing Lorraine's passion and bravery, making her character feel real. Her description of Lorraine's intense experiences is genuinely believable. Patrick Wilson,

who plays Ed Warren, also does a great job. He makes Ed seem strong, brave, and determined. In his relationship with Vera, Farmiga's character feels so genuine. As for the Perron Family, Lilly Taylor, who plays Carolyn Perron, shows a strong performance, especially when possessed. She shows fright in the audience, making the horror better. Overall, the actors in The Conjuring make the characters seem real, which makes the film's horror level go up high. James Wan stands out in the place of horror with The Conjuring. Firstly, Wan helps the film by showing a unique style of storytelling that is good on spectacle rather than relying on jump scares. Keeping the viewers on the edge of their seats. The movie's editing deserves respect as well. It is smooth, ensuring that

In a horror film, the storyline is needed to maintain the excitement. Many sequences also feature extreme close-ups, which increase the excitement, etc.

The movie/show doesn't rely on special effects to create a good movie; instead, it uses actual effects and the actors' performances. Certain horror films use apparent visual effects, which sometimes need to be improved. Transitions between scenes in The Conjuring suit the movie well. 

The soundtrack was composed by Joseph Bishara, a collaborator with director James Wan. He has also written for other horror films like Annabelle. The soundtrack improves The Conjuring. Its scary, sudden music adds ominous gates with disturbing scenes, leaving the audience with a lasting sense of fear. It intensifies the fear of the movie and the overall purpose of excitement, making viewers feel scared and uneasy, which is suitable for a horror soundtrack. The soundtrack can be considered original as it

avoids recognizable horror soundtracks. It stands out because of the creative way it boosts the fear of jump scares. In conclusion, The Conjuring is a perfect fit for people who love horror and thriller. 

The ideal audience for this film is males and females. People recommend being over 17 to watch something like this, but you don't require an age if you're like me (a horror enthusiast). Ultimately, I recommend this film primarily for people who love watching horror and don't mind it.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Is Worth the Wait

By Philip Lee

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (also called ATSV), directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, produced by Sony Pictures, is the long-awaited sequel to the universally acclaimed Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. 

The previous movie was enjoyable and set up the story for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which exceeded all expectations. While it is a part one, it holds its merit. 

The film is set across the multiverse in Pavitr's world: Mumbattan. A world that explores what would've happened if India had colonized North America instead of the English. In the Spider-Society, on Earth 928. In Gwen's world and Miles' worlds. Both his original universe and universe 42. The story follows Miles and his journey into the Spider-Society, meeting the likes of Miguel O'Hara and Peter B. Parker. In the 2020s, it's easy to become fatigued with multiverses due to several franchises dipping their toes into the genre and failing miserably. ATSV does multiverses correctly. 

  Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness is doing its best to use the unlimited possibilities of multiverses in the worst way possible. ATSV includes unique universes spanning Mumbattan, an amalgamation of Mumbai and Manhattan, creating a futuristic city with a unique color palette from any other universe shown in the movie. Mumbattan has many layers, with roads stacking up vertically. A combination of Manhattan's architecture and Mumbai's architecture is shown. Hobbie's world is entirely different from Pavitr's Mumbattan since it is full of newspaper-like cutouts in which the characters are portrayed. The paper representing the world is crumbled, reflecting Hobbie's antigovernment, anti-consistency, and anti-everything personality. 

The voice acting in ATSV is superb. Like Rio Morales, Luna Velez does a great job acting awkwardly when talking to Miles. Oscar Isaac did an excellent job as Miguel O'Hara. Isaac is great at convincing the audience of his menacingness. Other voice actors do very well, but none stand out. The animation in ATSV is terrifically done. 

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the previous movie in the series, changed the animation scene for all time, encouraging animators to "fight the computer." This means to animate on 2s, 3s, and 4s to control the flow of frames on screen. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is one such movie. The different styles of animation in other worlds are genius. Gwen's watercolor contrasts the Vulture's Renaissance, sketchy art style, encapsulating the fish out of water feeling. Mumbattan's incredibly unique architecture makes Pavitr's Earth feel unique from Miles' world and the Spider Society. 

The soundtrack for ATSV is undoubtedly excellent but falls short of the original. In terms of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. "What's up Danger?" by Blackway and Black Caviar stands out. Regarding Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Miguel's theme stands out, but not to the extent of "What's up, Danger?". 

Anyone who is anyone can enjoy this movie. However, before watching this movie, it is heavily recommended to watch the first one. Those who think that animation is for children should watch this movie. Those who believe in the strengths of animation should watch this movie. Everyone should watch this movie. 

Mutant Mayhem: Cinematic Disaster, Box Office Success

By Philip Lee

On Rotten Tomatoes, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is rated 96% by critics and 90% by the audience as of 9/13/23. Someone looking at reviews for this movie would not be at fault for believing this movie is incredible. However, watching the movie reveals that it is, in fact, an awful action flick that has worse writing than the average Dora the Explorer episode. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a trainwreck disaster of a movie because of its pointless secondary villain team and awful, contrived writing.

First, the secondary villain team, who might need a name, is a mess. Appearing only a handful of times within the movie, the team feels shoehorned into the script because the writers could not find an actual way to defeat the amalgamated Superfly, trying to tie them into the story neatly by adding in a weird joke with Jakie Chan’s character. It seems the only reason for the team’s existence is to give the turtles the anti-mutant-juice gun. They disappear almost entirely after the frankly disappointing payoff of a weird, not funny, joke from Splinter. They were purged from the script. 

Second, the writing could be better and more varied. April, a recurring character in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, meets the turtles after they throw a shuriken into her helmet. Leonardo promptly falls in love with her when the only thing he has ever seen her do is yell about how throwing a shuriken at someone is not pleasant. What is more perplexing than April’s introduction, however, is the climax of her character arc. She wants to be a journalist but has past trauma of being on screen because she vomited the one time she tried. Later, in the fight against Superfly, she overcomes her fear and runs into the conveniently placed broadcasting office. She assaults the news anchor and spews nonsense about the turtles being the good guys with no hint of proof. However, she did not overcome her fear. Not a minute after she gets in front of the camera, she vomits. Despite her nonsensical ramblings and vomiting, the turtles can save the day with the help of the humans who despised them moments ago. 

Some may argue that the movie is harmful fun directed at kids. However, the marketing of the movie itself says otherwise, verbatim saying, “crushes for every age.”

Overall, it is just a movie. It is a movie with a useless villain team and terrible writing. It is a movie that could have massive ramifications. It could lead aspiring writers, children, adults, or even massive studios astray. However, there is an upside. A terrible script is just as valid as a beautifully written script when learning to write. Those who see this movie should take the opportunity to learn from the faults of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and improve their writing.

A Most Unusual Detective

By Teja Wolfe

The Mentalist is a spectacular show by Bruno Heller and the Warner Bros. studio. You can watch The Mentalist on Max, Prime Video, and more. It is safe to say that I have never seen a show like this in my life. I thought crime TV would be severe and gloomy, but The Mentalist has made me laugh too often for a show investigating murders. It has exceeded my expectations so much that I have watched all seven seasons.

The setting and plot of The Mentalist are two of my favorite aspects of the show. The Mentalist is set all around California. The show is about Patrick Jane, but everyone calls him Jane. Jane had a wife and a daughter whom he loved more than anything in the world, and he made a living pretending to be a physicist because he was good at reading body language, observation, hypnosis, and mind games. He went on TV talking about this serial killer named Red John. No one knows who Red John is or why he kills, but Jane starts insulting Red John, pretending that the spirits told him this. When Jane got home, he saw a note on his door from Red John, telling Patrick that he had killed his wife and child. Jane opens the door and sees Red John's symbol. A smiley face made out of blood from his victims Because of this, Jane wants to kill Red John, but no one knows who he is. So Jane joins the CBI (California Bureau of Investigation) as a consultant and helps solve murders around California with the help of his teammates, Teresa Lisbon, Grace VanPelt, Wayne Rigsby, and Kimball Cho. Jane always comes up with mind-bending ways to solve the murders, and they will always leave you thinking about what just happened. Each episode of the show is about a new murder that has to be solved; even though that can sound like it can be boring after a while, the writers of the show always find a way to make each murder entertaining to watch. The show never has any unnecessary dialogue, and every single word has a purpose, whether it is to develop a character more or to contribute clues to the murderer.

Simon Baker as Patrick Jane has an outstanding performance. He makes the character come to life. He has mastered the charming and quick-witted nature of Patrick Jane and the sadder, darker side of him—the side when he investigates a Red John case or remembers his wife and child. Simon Baker makes Patrick Jane seem like a natural person that could exist in real life. He makes the character feel real and believable. Another spectacular actor in The Mentalist is Robbin Tunney as Teresa Lisbon. I cannot imagine The Mentalist without Robbin Tunney playing Lisbon. She captures the no-nonsense, witty, and intelligent personality of Lisbon perfectly. She gives the perfect amount of emotion in each scene in the show, and her character is believable and real.

The cinematography in The Mentalist captures the characters and plot flawlessly. The transitions between the scenes are natural for calm scenes, and in the more action-packed scenes, they are quick and jumpy. The explosions in a couple of the episodes seem so real, and the editing makes the whole thing genuinely excellent.

The soundtrack to The Mentalist was made by Blake Neely (WordPress). The intro music makes the whole show feel lighthearted. In the later seasons, they change the intro music every episode, but they always have some aspect close to the original. When Jane comes up with a plan to catch the murderer, the music is happier, but when he is in trouble or something horrible happens, the music is more intense and suspenseful. The music plays an integral part in the show, and the intro music will forever be etched in my head as a good memory.

Overall, the ideal audience for The Mentalist is people who like crime and mysteries but also like more of a happy and upbeat show. Another show you might like if you liked The Mentalist is Law and Order. Ultimately, this show deserves five stars because everything about it is spectacular.