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Badger and Blob Pt. 3
By Miranda Vargas
Newspaper staff decided to do a special edition for their last issue. This issue consists of movie reviews of popular movies from each decade starting with the 80s.
The Karate Kid for the 1980s
By Imani Royal
The Karate Kid was an action-packed movie released on June 22, 1984 and it was rated PG. The main characters are Daniel Larusso who is played by Ralph Macchio, Johnny Lawrence who is played by William Zabka, and Mr. Miyagi who is played by Pat Morita. In the beginning of the movie, Daniel has just moved to California and was not fitting in. Another student named Johnny was harassing Daniel. During a Halloween party, Daniel and Johnny’s ex-girlfriend, Ali, are dancing and Daniel sees an opportunity to mess with Johnny, so he hooks a hose to his costume and sprays water all over Johnny while he’s in the bathroom. This prompts a severe beating of Daniel to take place by the bullies. Mr. Miyagi defends Daniel by using the art of karate to defeat the bullies. This caused Daniel to want to be trained in karate by him. Mr. Miyagi does decline, but offers to help him stop the bullying by talking to Johnny’s sensei, Kreese, who is played by Martin Kove. This goes badly as Kreese does not care, which prompts Mr. Miyagi to give them a deal that if Daniel does the Under 18 All Star Karate Championship and wins, they will leave him alone. Mr. Miyagi asks that the bullies leave Daniel alone while he trains. Kreese accepts the deal, but warns them that if Daniel does not win, both he and Mr. Miyagi will have consequences. To know the outcome of this rivalry, the movie must be watched.
Now onto the movie theatrics and information. The soundtrack was very refreshing. Some songs that were played were “The Moment of Truth” by Survivor during the end credits, “(Bop Bop) On the Beach” by The Flirts, and “You’re the Best” by Joe Esposito that played during the Karate Championship. Since the movie is based in the 80s there were a lot of plaids, neons, and 80s fashion. I believe that it’s a good reflection of its decade because it shows the life of someone in the 80s. The acting was surprisingly good for an 80s movie. However, there are some points where the acting is cringy.
Additionally, there was only some character development throughout the movie. I think that they did build up the characters to where I could understand them, especially Daniel and Mr. Miyagi. Daniel, I think, persevered through the bullying and self-doubt. He learned the importance of balance in life and martial arts, he also learned that courage is facing his fears and not running from them. He learned the value of repetition and discipline through Mr. Miyagi’s “wax on, wax off” technique. Mr Miyagi did not have character development, he pretty much stayed the same. However, he became a father figure to Daniel and taught him karate and life lessons.
On the other hand, I believe that the storyline development was exemplary, to the point that it went past my expectations. However, I felt like it could have been slowed down a little, but other than that, I never felt lost while watching it.
Now onto the rating of The Karate Kid. The Karate Kid was considered one of the highest grossing films of 1984 and was a commercial hit. People can watch Karate Kid on Netflix, Philo, Youtube TV, Prime Video, and Youtube. People can even borrow the movie from Lake County Public Libraries. There are four Karate Kid movies in total and a spinoff TV show. The sequels to Karate Kid are: Karate Kid II (1986), Karate Kid III (1989), and The Karate Kid (2010); however, the 2010 Karate Kid has nothing to do with the first three. The spinoff series is called Cobra Kai (2018) and there is also a new movie coming out in theaters on May 30th, 2025 that is called Karate Kid: Legends. I believe that there should be sequels because of the success of the first film. However, it could have been a stand alone film. My mother and father said that it was a classic for the 80s. Personally, I’d recommend this movie to those who love karate, action, and classics. For ratings, IMDb gives it a 7.3/10. Overall, my personal opinion is that the movie gets an 8.5/10!
Work Cited
Avildsen, John G., director. The Karate Kid. Columbia Pictures, 1984.
“The Karate Kid (1984).” IMDb, 1991, https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0087538/. Accessed 23 April 2025.
Clueless
By Miranda Vargas
Clueless is a movie rated PG-13 that was released on July 19, 1995. The movie is about a girl named Cher Horowitz, played by Alicia Silverstone, who lives in a mansion in Beverly Hills. Cher and her best friend, Dionne, played by Stacey Dash, are known to be the most popular and coolest people in the school. Cher wants to become a better person and do good deeds, so she befriended the new girl, Tai, played by Brittany Murphy, and helped her become popular. Tai gets more popular than Cher, therefore Cher tries to do more good deeds to gain her popularity back.
The soundtrack definitely suited the movie well. Some of the songs that were played were, “Kids in America” by The Muffs, which is played at the beginning of the movie. During a montage of Cher and her friends enjoying time together, “Just A Girl” by No Doubt is played. “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead is played when Josh (her ex-stepbrother) is listening to a college radio, which Cher doesn’t like. These songs are very 90s.
The costumes in this movie matched 90s fashion very well. Some fashion trends in the 90s were, slip dresses, plaid, chunky jewelry, baggy jeans, tie-dye, and bomber jackets. The acting in this movie was well done; it seemed like all of the actors were committed to their roles. Overall, the character development for Cher is poor despite the good acting. After Cher helped Tai become popular and consequently became less popular, her focus turned back to building her status and that is where she started. I feel like the timeline of the movie went by a little bit faster than it should’ve. However, I still understood everything and I wasn’t confused or lost while watching the movie.
When Clueless first came out it was rated 25 of 200 in the US Box Office for that year. I interviewed Giselle Villarreal on the 8th grade Copper Team. She said, “Okay so the movie is about a girl who is first witnessing love and her experience, choosing between certain people and making new things. My honest opinion on it is that it's a good movie and it shows her perspective on this. I kinda thought it was weird about how she fell in love with her "step" brother (related family), but at least she's happy and not with the wrong person? It was a good ending and overall it was amazing to watch and witness all about this.” Clueless is available to watch this highly rated movie on Youtube, Fandango at Home, Google Play Movies, Apple TV, or Prime Video. There is a sequel to Clueless, except it's a series and it aired from 1996-1999. I’ve never watched this, but one of the reviews I read said, “Clueless is a highly original and charming movie, but in the series they just turned it into a typical '90s sitcom that almost NOBODY liked.” However, it did have a rating of 5.8 out of 10 on IMDb whereas the movie had a 6.9/10 rating. I personally really love this movie, it's been one of my favorites for a while now and I’d definitely recommend this movie to someone who hasn't watched it.
Works Cited
“Clueless (1995).” IMDb, IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112697/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1.
“Clueless (TV Series 1996–1999).” IMDb, IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115137/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_2.
“Domestic Box Office For 1995.” Box Office Mojo, IMDbPro, https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1995/?ref_=bo_yl_table_31.
Kelley, Alicia. “Moral growth of Cher in Clueless.” Adolescence in 1990s Films, 7 February 2014, https://teenfilms1990s.wordpress.com/2014/02/07/moral-growth-of-cher-in-clueless/.
Legally Blonde
By Carli McMillen
Legally Blonde is a PG-13 movie that came out on July 13, 2001 about a woman named Elle Woods, a girl that’s part of the Delta Nu sorority. In the movie, she and her boyfriend break up because she isn't “smart enough” according to him. Elle Woods tries her best to get into Harvard and ends up getting accepted. She then pursues law school and proves her now ex-boyfriend wrong.
The casting of this movie was done very well. The actress that plays Elle Woods is Reese Witherspoon. In my opinion, Reese Witherspoon is a really beautiful woman and fits the character extremely well. I think she did a good job acting very ditzy at the beginning of the movie, but she then portrays a strong smart woman. Elle’s ex-boyfriend, Warner, is played by Mathew Davis. Mathew played the part excellently by being able to be arrogant like the part needed him to be.
The soundtrack for the movie was outstanding and fit the theme of the movie very well. The music is from the early 2000s and to me music from the 2000s is top tier. The fashion in this movie is early 2000s with a lot of bright tops and cropped shirts. The slang is what was typically used in the 2000s and it fit the characters perfectly.
Overall, I think it's a great movie. It got a 6.5/10 on IMDb. There is also a sequel Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde. I haven't watched it yet, but I feel like the second is never better than the first, especially since it got a 4.8/10 on IMDb. The first is iconic and a must-see.
Works Cited
“Legally Blonde (2001).” IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250494/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1.
Luketic, Robert, director. Legally Blonde. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, 2001.
The Peanuts Movie for the 2010s
By Annabel Cheney
The Peanuts Movie came out in the year 2015 on November 6th. The main characters include Charlie Brown who was voiced by Noah Schnapp, Snoopy and Woodstock voiced by Bill Melendez, and lastly The Little Red Haired Girl who was voiced by Francesca Capaldi. The movie is divided up into two storylines, one with Charlie Brown embarking on his quest to pursue the Little Red Haired Girl whilst Snoopy is on a journey to become a pilot to fly a WWI flying ace. Snoopy’s journey follows Charlie's plotline when the Little Red Haired Girl moves into Charlie Brown’s neighborhood and he starts to try and impress her in various ways along with Snoopy’s help.
There were some specific things that were good about the movie. The soundtrack for this movie was impressive with the hit song being “That’s What I Like” by Flo Rida. I think that Charlie Brown was amazing in this movie with his funny humor, but also his ability to say heart-warming and serious things. I enjoyed Charlie Brown’s quote when he said, “It’s nice to have someone sit down and just listen to you.” One can learn to truly connect with him as a character because of how intellectual he is. I loved the actor who played Snoopy and his ability to create amazing sound effects for him making it truly feel like the 60’s version of the Charlie Brown Show.
The movie rated at a stunning seven out of ten on IMDB with viewers saying it was one of the best films of its decade! One can currently watch the movie on Youtube for only 49 cents. In fact, I personally loved the movie and I think it was an amazing watch for all the Charlie Brown and Snoopy fans out there. I believe that whether a person thinks they are interested or not, everyone should definitely watch it.
Works Cited
Guaraldi, Vince. “The Peanuts Movie (2015).” IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2452042/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_6_nm_2_in_0_q_the%2520peanu. Accessed 24 April 2025.
Martino, Steve, director. The Peanuts Movie. Peanuts Worldwide, 2015.
Five Nights at Freddy's
By Alayah Marable
The movie I am reviewing came from the 2020s. The horror and thriller movie Five Nights at Freddy’s, rated PG-13 and produced by Blumhouse, came out in 2023 and was adored by lots of fans that are familiar with the FNaF franchise. The movie has a very interesting plot in my opinion.
The main character, Mike Schmidt, played by Josh Hutcherson, got fired from his first job as a security guard at a mall. He is currently looking for a job to support him and his little sister Abby, who is played by Piper Rubio. On top of finding a job, he is dealing with the worries of finding his younger brother, who was kidnapped when they were younger. He is offered a job by a man named Steve Raglan, played by Mathew Lillard, to be a night guard at an abandoned pizzeria from the 1980s. As he is at the pizzeria, he meets a police officer named Vanessa Shelly, played by Elizabeth Lail, who is very familiar with the place. Vanessa introduces Mike to the old animatronics named Freddy Fazbear, Chica, Bonnie, and Foxy. While Mike has his concerns with the animatronics, Abby is very fond of them. Mike finds that the animatronics have something to do with the disappearance of his brother and the mystery is up to the viewers to discover.
Personally, I have been a FNaF fan of both the novels and the games, for many years and I am a huge fan of the movie. Although there are many characters that previously exist in the franchise, the viewer learns a lot about the characters through just watching the movie. This means that people don’t need previous knowledge of the franchise to understand the film. The character development that takes place throughout the film is astonishing! It is shown that Mike is struggling a lot in the beginning and throughout the film it is shown that he starts to learn and is doing much better. There is a plot twist at the end of the movie that is very engrossing, although it's very subtly predictable.
The movie is very impressive and I can tell there are lots of contrivances, taking into account everything that was worked on in the movie! For example, the animatronics in the movie look spectacular and I can tell they took time to make them basically identical to the games. The acting in the movie was done splendidly! Another honorable mention is the movie's soundtrack. The background music just adds to the eerie atmosphere that is given throughout the movie. A song from the movie that blew up on social media was called “Talking in your Sleep” by The Romantics.
Overall, the FNaF movie is very engaging and kept me interested throughout the entire movie. The movie was very good with production, excellent storyline, superb character development, and great at keeping the fans watching! The FNaF movie is an acceptable representation of movies in the 2020s decade. Many fans were thrilled after discovering that there will be a sequel called Five Nights At Freddy's 2, coming out December 5th, 2025. The movie is available to watch on Peacock, Youtube for $3.99, Apple TV for $3.99, Fandango for $3.99, and Amazon Prime for $3.99.
Work Cited
Tammi, Emma, director. Five Nights at Freddy's. Warner Bros. Pictures, 2023.
Thank you to my 8th grade staff for two awesome years of interesting meetings, cool ideas, and amusing writing!
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