Anne with an E

Anne with an E is a heart-warming tv show about an imaginative, bright orphan adopted by an elderly brother and sister who give her a home in the wonderful Green Gables. The TV show is based on the book “Anne of Green Gables” by L.M. Montgomery. It’s set in Prince Edward island, in Canada, in the late 19th century. This follows Anne as she falls in love with her new family and Green Gables. The show, although set over 100 years ago, tackles many issues such as racism, sexism, social injustice and childhood trauma, which are still relevant today. It shows Anne through ups and downs as she befriends her peers and gains acceptance.

Starring Amy Beth McNutly as Anne Shirley who portrays the character perfectly, you would believe she was really Anne! Whether you are a fan of the book or not you will thoroughly enjoy this masterpiece of a show! All three seasons are available on Netflix and it will have you crying and laughing on every twist and turn on this truly wonderful adventure!

5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review by Emilia Milne (S1)

Mufasa: The Lion King

Mufasa: The lion king aired 20 December 2024. Mufasa, the sequel of the lion king, has redefined music with some people saying that it is its own genre of music on its own. In this article you will find out what the movie Mufasa is about, how and how it relates to The Lion King and my review of the movie.

How does The Lion king relate to Mufasa?

The Lion King is the story of how Simba as a cub is forced to leave the Pride Lands after his father Mufasa is murdered by his wicked uncle, Scar and tells Simba to run because Simba thinks he killed his father. Years later, he returns as a young lion to reclaim his throne and defeats scar. Mufasa is the backstory about how Taka (aka Scar) and Mufasa became brothers.

What is Mufasa about? (may include some spoilers)

The movie Mufasa the lion king is about how after Mufasa loses his parents, he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka (later to be known as scar), the heir to a royal bloodline. After the White lions try to take over an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits search for their destinies.

Mufasa is an exciting movie with amazing music overall, I think it is a great movie, and I would recommend this movie. I would give it 4.5/5 stars.

Review by Arinade Adediran (S2)

Sonic the Hedgehog 3: A High Speed Triumph

Sonic the hedgehog 3 has raced its way into theaters and onto streaming platforms, leaving fans and critics alike buzzing with great excitement.

The third instalment in the beloved franchise has proven to be a hit, garnering impressive reviews and solidifying its place as the best entry yet.

Cast

Jim Carrey as Dr. Ivo Robotnik / Gerald Robotnik
Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic
Keanu Reeves as the voice of Shadow
Idris Elba as the voice of Knuckles
Colleen O’Shaughnessey as the voice of Tails
James Marsden as Tom
Tika Sumpter as Maddie
Krysten Ritter as Director Rockwell
Natasha Rothwell as Rachel
Shemar Moore as Randall
Lee Majdoub as Agent stone
Alyla Browne as Maria
Tom Bustler as Commander Walters.

Plot

In 1974, a meteorite containing the alien shadow crash landed in Oklahoma and was seized by the U.S military. Shadow’s power is experimented on by Professor Gerald Robotnik at a Guardian Units of Nations (G.U.N.) research facility under the supervision of captain Walters. Shadow also develops a close friendship with Maria, Geraald’s granddaughter. One night when Gerald, Maria and Shadow try to escape the facility to prevent shadow from being taken away, Maria was accidentally killed in an explosion. In the present day, Sonic, Tails and knuckles face shadow the hedgehog, who allies with the mad scientist Ivo and Gerald Robotnik to pursue revenge against humanity. The trio must see out an unlikely alliance to stop shadow and protect the planet.

Ratings

The film holds an 85% critical rating and a 95% audience rating. Sonic the hedgehog 3 has earned $478.5 million globally, making it the highest grossing entry in the franchise so far. The movie has been praised for its engaging storyline, stunning visuals, and delightful performances, particularly Keanu Reeves portrayal of shadow. The film is a thrilling mix of action, adventure and comedy, drawing elements from the video games Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow the hedgehog.

In conclusion Sonic the hedgehog 3 is a must watch.

Review by Onyinyechi Uche (S2)

When he arrives in the snowy and mountainous region, he spots a small travellers village. He makes his way to the settlement and inquires about a place to stay for the night. Thomas manages to receive a room in the local tavern, even though the villagers seem apprehensive. An elderly woman leads him to his room, as she does Thomas asks about the journey to the castle of Count Orlok. The old woman warns him not to go and profusely tells him to pray. During the night Thomas is awakened by a procession of townsfolk, he follows them into the woods and witnesses a ritual involving the purge of a corpse. The crowd notices his reaction to the ritual and then it cuts to a scene where Thomas wakes up with his boots still covered in fresh mud.

Thomas finds that everyone has left the village and his horse has disappeared, therefore he must hike to the castle. As Thomas is walking down a long, tree-lined path, he suddenly hears the neigh of horses and an ornate black carriage halts in front of him. He steps into the seemingly unmanned carriage and it takes him through the mountains, to Orlok’s castle. Thomas blindly enters the gates of the castle and follows the mere silhouette of the Count, through the fortresses' gloomy halls. They make their way to the dining room, the Count effortlessly moves in and out of the shadows while talking and commanding Thomas to drink and eat the food left out for him. Thomas accidentally cuts himself and Count’s senses become heightened, Thomas is shown shaking in terror.

Rats are released from the vessel and a plague soon spreads throughout the city. Thomas suddenly arrives outside Friedrich’s home in a weak and damaged state. That night, Ellen and Thomas return home. Ellen confesses that she already knew about the Count and then she experiences another attack. Ellen then receives a vision of Count Orlok, in the form of a physical manifestation, he reveals her desire for her and tells her that she has three days to willfully come to him. Over the next two days, many people close to Ellen violently die by the hands of the Count or the plague. The professor decides to form a plan, where he, Thomas, Sievers and Friedrich go to the manor house bought by Orlok during the daylight hours and purge his body. As the men wait for Friedrich, they grow extremely impatient. They do find him, although he had succumbed to the plague and the grief of losing people important to him. The men must go on without him, as they have very little time left. They travel to the manor and break into its chapel. It is filled with the diseased rats and a stone coffin is placed at the back of the room. Thomas goes to purge the vampire, although when he opens the coffin he accidentally kills someone he once respected. The professor tells Thomas that Ellen was part of the plan all along, and that she was the only way to destroy the Orlok. Back at the Hutter’s home, Ellen gets ready to accept her fate. As the Count enters her bedroom she surrenders to him and sacrifices herself in order to save everyone else. Thomas sprints home, although he is too late, the Count is dead and the curse of the Nosferatu is broken.

Nosferatu

This film review is appropriate for S3 upwards as the movie is rated a 15.

“Nosferatu” is the newest film adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic novel, “Dracula”. The film is directed by Robert Eggers, who is known for his gothic horror films with dark themes. The film stars Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok (the vampire), Nicholas Hoult as Thomas Hutter, Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter, Willem Dafoe as Albin Eberhart von Franz, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Friedrich Harding and Emma Corrin as Anna Harding. Nosferatu is an interesting movie… to say the least, as it has both good aspects and downsides which are prominently shown throughout the film.

The film follows the newly wed Thomas Hutter, who is a young and ambitious estate agent in the fictional German city of “Wisburg” in the 1830s. At the start of the film, Thomas is given a contract by his employer, Herr Knock, to seal a purchase of an ancient manor house in Wisburg by a “Count Orlok”. He accepts the task as it could secure his place in the company, although this mysterious Count lives in a remote region of eastern Europe known as Transylvania. Thomas rushes home and tells his wife, Ellen, the news. She is worried for him, as she reveals to Thomas that she has been having strange dark dreams. Thomas insists that he will be fine and promises that he will come back with great wealth. Thomas and Ellen then visit Thomas’ friend Friedrich’s house, when it is decided that Ellen would stay with Friedrich and his wife Anna throughout the time that Thomas is away. Thomas says his goodbyes and leaves on horseback to Transylvania.

In Wisburg, Ellen is shown having various unexplained seizures and nightly attacks, as she experiences visions of Count Orlok. Friedrich calls upon his friend, Dr Sievers, to try and help Ellen, although after trying to stop the attacks with various medicines, nothing seems to be working. The movie also shows Herr Knock become delusional and somewhat psychotic, as he is shown being thrown into an asylum cell. As Dr Sievers reveals that he is powerless to do anything else to help Ellen, he and Friedrich seek out his old university professor, Albin Eberhart von Franz. They find the professor, who had turned into an occult expert. He shoos them away at first, although he eventually agrees to help them. After viewing one of Ellen’s attacks, he concludes that an otherworldly presence is causing the outbursts, as he suggests that it might be the result of a vampire. Thomas is then shown trying to find a way to escape the castle; he stumbles across a staircase leading to a crypt. He enters it and stumbles upon various coffins laid out on the floor, he opens one of the coffins and finds someone he wasn't expecting to see. Later on, Thomas does find a way to escape the castle. A ship is then shown heading towards Wisburg, all of the ship’s crew have fallen ill to a plague caused by the cargo within. When the cargo is investigated by one of the uninfected crew members, he is attacked by the Count himself!

In conclusion, Nosferatu is a movie which is quite intriguing, visually stunning and a movie which has its faults. The use of cinematography in Nosferatu is truly excellent as its use of lighting creates this atmosphere of dread and darkness. I also thought that the setting of 1830s Germany was quite interesting as it was beautiful to see and conveys the romanticism of the literature from this period. The scare factor in the film is also done horrifically well, as there are some jumpscares and tense moments that had me on the edge of my seat. Although Nosferatu also has some aspects which aren’t up to standard, even though the cast of the film is varied and includes great actors, the actual acting felt forced and I personally didn’t really connect with any of the characters. The dialogue is also quite rough and even blatant at some points, as it feels as if the actors were just getting too much into the script. The whole movie just felt like it was made for a 19th century audience, as it is a very dramatic film with a lot of overacted scenes (especially Ellen’s possessions). I would personally rate this film an 6.5/10 and recommend you watch at your own risk!

Review by Daniel Mcghee (S3)

The middle of the film then focuses on Robbie meeting Nicole Appleton, who was a member of the girl band “All Saints”. She and Robbie fall in love and almost have a baby, although fame gets in the way as in order to continue her career Nicole must sacrifice her child and the integrity of her relationship with Robbie. This impacts Robbie significantly as he starts to experiment with drugs, eventually Nicole finds out and Robbie finds himself alone again.

Robbie then pushes himself to become one of the best singers of all time, the film goes through a compilation of Robbie performing various shows and him experiencing various horrific psychological impacts caused by the huge amount of drugs he was consuming. This is further escalated by the death of his beloved nan. At one point Robbie even thought about ending his own life, although he prevents himself from doing so. After becoming one of the most popular solo artists of all time, Robbie finds himself feeling empty and realises that he pushed aside the people he loved the most. This causes him to find rehabilitation and by the end of the film he has saved himself, and finally makes peace with his father.

Article by Daniel McGhee (S3)

Better Man

This review is for S3 and upwards as the movie is rated 15.

“Better Man” is the biopic of the English singer/songwriter Robbie Williams. The film is directed by Michael Gracey, who is best known for the direction of “The Greatest Showman”. The film stars Robbie Williams as narrator and lead vocalist, Jonno Davies as the speaking voice and performance capture of Robbie Williams, Raechelle Banno as Nicole Appleton and Steve Pemberton as Robbie’s father. Better Man is a moving story, showing both the amusing and serious sides of the life of Robbie Williams.

First of all, I know the CGI monkey seems strange or even ridiculous, although just give it a chance. When I started watching the film it was weird at first, but as time went on I personally didn’t notice and connected with Robbie Williams’ idea that he felt “less evolved” than other people. The start of Better Man focuses on the early life of Robbie; it shows how he always had a love for singing and showmanship. It also conveys the impact of Robbie’s father leaving him at a young age and how he thought that his dad never cared about anyone but himself. The movie then presents how Robbie Williams joined the hit 90s boy band “Take That”. It goes through Robbie’s journey as a young pop star, tackling the affection from devoted fans and the judgement of his fellow band members (especially Gary Barlow) as they thought he wasn’t talented enough. After a while, Gary Barlow forces Robbie to leave the band. This causes Robbie to go on the hunt for revenge as he tries to outshine everyone by himself.

In conclusion, Better Man is a story of rebirth and looking back at the regrettable parts of life. It also highlights the difficult life of Robbie Williams and the effort he had to put in to get to where he is today. The film also gives a raw and brutally honest account of Robbie’s battle with mental health and drug abuse. It is a playful but sober take on a classic biopic, showing Robbie’s cheeky nature and confident personality through the director’s use of flashy visuals and clever song/dance sequences. The movie incorporates some of Robbie Williams’ best songs, including feel, rock DJ, she’s the one and let me entertain you. Better Man is a captivating movie with an interesting story that should be heard. I would rate it an 8/10 and recommend you watch it.

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