Spider-Man: No Way Home 

(Spoilers!)

Sam

Spider-Man: No Way Home was the most anticipated movie of 2021, and it delivered well. It smashed the box office with $1.6 Billion worldwide as of January 16.

This movie overall was a fever dream for all Spider-Man fans alike. Regardless of a few plot holes, the movie was flat out amazing.Yes, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprise their roles as Spider-Man, and play them fantastically.

The Sinister Six did their jobs as villains, especially William Dafoe’s Green Goblin and Alfred Molina’s Dr. Otto Octavius. They both single-handedly carried the Sinister Six. Especially in the middle act right before Aunt May dies, Green Goblin just radiates fear into the audience.

The ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home was a heartbreaker for many. No one knows who Peter Parker is; he loses many relationships like his best friend Ned, his girlfriend MJ, Happy, Dr. Strange, the Avengers, and everyone else.

Perhaps why the movie is called Spider-Man: No Way Home, is because he has no one to go to at the end of the movie.
It’s bewildering for all the Spider-Man fans—the acting was phenomenal, the CGI was perfect and the flow of the story and the ending was satisfying. I expect Symbiote Spider-Man in the fourth movie. 

The fan service didn’t ruin the story, and it actually pushed the story of the movie further. Overall, Spider-Man: No Way Home is a perfect movie for Spidey fans, even if you are unfamiliar with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

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Don’t Look Up

Sam

With the world coming to an end because of a planet-killing comet, this film portrays how we as humans would react and pokes fun at media and real life figures.

I feel like every satire film has its faults, but Don’t Look Up really appealed to most people who enjoy politics being bashed on, the impending apocalypse, and a sort of realism thrown into the mix.

This movie shows a light-hearted but realistic view on how the media, politicians, news, and religious organizations will react to such a thing, and the realistic approach makes many question if it is happening around us. In spite of the overwhelming evidence of such a disaster, people will deny or even abuse the catastrophe for their own profit. 

The pacing of the movie was quick, not drawn out, and the addition of Ariana Grande and an affair felt out of place at first until the end of the movie. 

Although, the acting was amazing and really fleshed out the two main characters.

The movie was supposed to start production around April 2020, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic it was delayed. It resumed in November of 2020 and finished in February of 2021.

I feel like the COVID-19 pandemic hit this movie perfectly. Changing the production time allowed for a real life experience to be represented in the movie, making it more appealing and relatable to its audience. 

Overall, Don’t Look Up has a deep meaning behind it despite the fact it represents itself in a humorous way; this helps the movie not seem as dark. 

It is the ideal watch for family or friends looking to discuss how many aspects of the movie can be seen in real time.

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The Matrix: Resurrections

Nicole

Almost twenty years after the iconic trilogy came to an end, Warner Bros. has added a fourth movie to their The Matrix franchise. With such a late edition to the story, many fans were concerned about the movie’s quality. 

While this fourth film doesn’t quite live up to its acclaimed trilogy, it’s far from a bad movie. There’s plenty to enjoy if you’re a fan of the original series.

To start off, a lot of the action and acting is great. It’s not quite on par with the original trilogy, but fun nonetheless. There’s plenty of callbacks to the first films, and Keanu Reeves delivers a great performance for the film’s new take on Neo’s character. Carrie-Anne Moss also gives a solid effort as Trinity, and Neil Patrick Harris serves as a super fun antagonist.

This film, while artistically different from the movies before it, still tries to reintroduce themes of identity and self-discovery by exploring them in ways where the other films couldn’t. It includes new concepts that add to the world building as well as interesting meta commentary on The Matrix franchise as a whole. 

However, as much as this film tries to add on to the series, that doesn’t distract from the fact that this movie kind of tells the same story. It’s hard not to view this movie’s existence as unnecessary and an ignorance to the events of the previous films. 

Overall, I can’t say that this movie is a serviceable continuation of the series, but that isn’t to say it’s not enjoyable. For fans of the original films, The Matrix: Resurrections will be a fun revisit to the notorious story.

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Encanto 

Nicole

Disney’s Encanto has become an instant classic among audiences worldwide. In this film, Disney sets out to tell a compelling story about familial bonds and hardships while also showcasing the vibrancy of Colombian culture.

The most notable feature about this movie is definitely its music. It very much captures the signature Disney magic with its amazing songs. They have been all the rage with audiences at the moment; it isn’t hard to see why they’re such hits. The extremely catchy tunes and vocal performances are great. These songs define the movie and its characters while still being able to reflect the unique sounds of Colombia.

Although this film is colorful and flowery, it doesn’t shy away from exploring more serious topics. These include family pressures and expectations, identity and self-worth, and even generational trauma. These themes are handled with care and intelligence, so they can be digestible for all audiences, especially children—important since the lessons in this film can apply to parents, children, relatives, and teachers of any kind. 

Finally, this film tops its story off with stunning visuals and animation. The animation combined with music hearken back to the original 2D Disney films that defined the studio. The rich, saturated colors and choreography highlight Colombian culture beautifully and make the whole movie pop. And while the film contains a plethora of characters, the unique designs of each one helps identify and make them memorable. 

All in all, there isn’t much to complain about this movie. The start may be a bit slow and it definitely isn’t the funniest animated movie, but it more than makes up for these minor flaws by delivering a charming and sincere story that provides a meaningful moral for generations.