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(08/05/20 3:00pm)
The original game The Last of Us, developed by Naughty Dog and released on June 14, 2013, is nothing short of a masterpiece. The post-apocalyptic story follows two protagonists, Joel and Ellie, who must travel across the United States in the hopes that the latter can provide the cure to a fungal disease that has all but decimated humanity. Thanks to its complex and flawed characters, relentlessly bleak tone, and powerful themes, The Last of Us was critically acclaimed, with many (including yours truly) considering it to be one of the greatest video games ever made.
(08/05/20 12:55am)
Originally intended to be released last August and then delayed for a May release, Disney finally cut bait with Artemis Fowl and dumped it onto their streaming service. Based on a series of children’s books by author Eoin Colfer, the film had the potential to spawn a franchise for Disney, but given that it currently holds the terrible Rotten Tomatoes score of 10%, a sequel will probably never happen.
(08/05/20 12:44am)
Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers for Da Five Bloods.
(07/31/20 10:56pm)
Disclaimer: This review is of the Xbox One version of the game and was conducted on an Xbox One X.
(07/29/20 8:47pm)
The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte’s editorial board.
(07/29/20 8:40pm)
Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7 and previous seasons.
(07/24/20 5:16pm)
Rap. A genre born within the 1970s block parties of New York City by blending funk, soul, and disco. A genre hailed for its wordplay, punchlines, complexity, and “real” lyrics. Artists like Tupac and Biggie preach systematic issues like racism, class divide, drugs, etc. However, anybody unacquainted with the genre will tell you it glamorizes sex, violence, anarchy, and drugs. As this may have been true within the past couple of years, I think a light has been slowly growing right under our noses. A light that was almost snuffed out on Dec. 8, 2019, but has prospered above all. That light is Juice Wrld.
(07/23/20 7:52pm)
2019 was a huge year for movies, with nine films hitting the billion dollar mark. With many of the big blockbusters like Avengers: Endgame, Joker, and Aladdin tearing up the box office, there were many other great films released during this year that didn’t get the respect they deserved. Whether this was due to audiences not having enough time, or wanting to go see one of the bigger films, some of the best films of 2019 didn’t have droves of audiences see them. With this list, I have compiled five of my favorite films from 2019 that didn’t get enough recognition at the box office as they should have.
(07/23/20 7:32pm)
Disclaimer: This review is of the Xbox One version of the game and was conducted on an Xbox One X.
(07/21/20 6:44pm)
by Kellyn Harrison
Rap. A genre born within the 1970s block parties of New York City by blending funk, soul, and disco. A genre hailed for its wordplay, punchlines, complexity, and “real” lyrics. Artists like Tupac and Biggie preach systematic issues like racism, class divide, drugs, etc. However, anybody unacquainted with the genre will tell you it glamorizes sex, violence, anarchy, and drugs. As this may have been true within the past couple of years, I think a light has been slowly growing right under our noses. A light that was almost snuffed out on Dec. 8, 2019, but has prospered above all. That light is Juice Wrld.
The Man, The Myth, The Legend
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Juice Wrld grew up among many musically stylistic influences. His single mother first pushed him into the music scene by signing him up for piano lessons. Thus, encouraging him to pursue guitar, drums, and trumpet lessons. Even though Juice’s mother banned rap because of her conservatism, Juice claimed to secretly listen to Chief Keef and Gucci Mane when visiting his cousins. All the while, Juice stated a childhood crush piqued his interest in indie/punk rock artists such as Panic! at the Disco and Billy Idol. These idols would paint the hip-hop, trap, emo rap style we see in Juice’s music today. Juice even collaborated with Brendon Urie in 2018 with “Roses”.
[embed]https://youtu.be/S_1MXllHWMQ[/embed]
However, it was Juice’s life-altering struggles that truly shaped his music. In sixth grade, Juice’s drug abuse began. He tried to break free, but heartbreak, depression, and anxiety caused him to relapse. It wasn’t until meeting his current girlfriend, Ally Lotti, when he began to feel in control of his life. It was after he created his music and established a platform for himself that he found the encouragement he needed to keep working, even if it was only to help others. His vulnerability and emotionally seeping lyrics created a “family” of fans who could relate and trust him with the weight of their own struggles. This is something XXXTentacion started to create before his death in 2018.
Fighting Demons
Even though Juice faced drug abuse almost his entire life, he understood how damaging it can be, especially for one’s mental health, having faced depression and anxiety himself. Juice knew how powerful his position as an upcoming musician was. Thus, using his platform to focus on topics such as depression, anxiety, heartbreak, drug abuse, racism, and PTSD. Juice wanted to bring light to many unspoken issues in society and warn the younger generation as Tupac and Biggie did.
This change in rap is what draws the younger generation in. It is stated by Teen Mental Health that, “1 in 5 young people suffer from a mental illness, that’s 20 percent of our population…”. Therefore, as the rap industry discusses the struggles of mental health, more young adults feel heard and appreciated in a world where mental health is still seen as a stigma. Juice makes the younger generation feel heard, welcomed, and not alone in their battles. His music is a message for the world and a sense of release for those struggling under the weight of their own mental illnesses. This is something encouraging when rap has been stigmatized as unproductive and even damaging toward society. Even more so now when societal change is in such high demand.
Hear Me Calling
Sadly, at the height of his career, Juice Wrld died on Dec. 8, 2019, just a couple days after he turned 21. Not only did this shock the fans who relied on him, but it shocked the world. As his fans paid their respects and listened to his music over again, they noticed some chilling details in his music. Where we once believed his music was a confessional of his struggles, we realized it was a call for help. Especially in his newly released song “Wishing Well” where he states, “I cry out for help, do they listen? I’ma be alone until it’s finished.”
[embed]https://youtu.be/C5i-UnuUKUI[/embed]
We believed he was getting better because he had overcome most of his drug abuse struggles. We believed everything was fine. He was making tons of money, had a huge house, had a girlfriend, and many expensive clothes. But as his song “Fighting Demons” says, “I got rich, I got rich, I’m livin’ that fast life…and that’s supposed to make me happy. I got a couple of questions. How come that…don’t ever make me happy.”
[embed]https://youtu.be/rJZynxvJnlI[/embed]
His death and music only brought to light what our system was lacking when it came to mental health support/awareness. This is supported by Teen Mental Health, which states only four percent of the total health care budget is spent on our mental health. Even though it is understood the budget is tight under the demand for COVID-19 relief, the younger generation is expressing Juice’s call for help themselves and wishing for more to be done in the future, so those fighting will not lose so early like Juice did. Especially when the country is currently living in a time of fear and isolation.
Legends Never Die
Following Juice’s death many believed his untitled album, originally planned to drop on his birthday, was his last. However, many turned to his last interview with Forbes where he revealed he has over 1,000 unreleased songs. Shortly after his death, his team stated they would be honoring Juice’s legacy by continuing to release his music for those who have relied on it for so long. The connection many felt toward Juice and his struggles would not be snuffed, instead, it would be prolonged to help our generation and generations to come. Those struggling with mental illness themselves will continue to call on his cry for help and hold on to the hope for a better future in which they can receive the acknowledgment and help our society so desperately needs.
Here you can listen to Juice Wrld’s vulnerable posthumous album, Legends Never Die, that dives into his struggles with fame and his desire to save those who rely on him.
Sources: Byte, Forbes, NPR, Revolt, Teen Mental Health, Youtube
Featured Image: Billboard
(07/21/20 4:00pm)
by Trevor Sheffield
Throughout the history of cinema, there’s always been an obsession with attempting to recapture the past. Whether it’s films like Ben-Hur, All the President’s Men, or even movies that twist history like Inglorious Basterds, these movies often try to contextualize their stories as being more than just the “true” stories they’re based on in order to draw eyes. They sometimes claim accuracy despite drastically altering history in the name of entertainment. However, in a time when we are actively reckoning with our history, it begs the question: how do we channel our feelings about this history and how do we react to what has come before?
The subject in question is Hamilton, released this July 3rd on Disney+ (after initially being slated for a theatrical release in October 2021). Hamilton is a 2016 recording of the Broadway musical phenomenon written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, following the life and demise of the titular Alexander Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda). Taking place during the American Revolution and continuing through Hamilton’s final fatal duel with Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.), we see the orphaned Alexander cross paths with George Washington (Christopher Jackson), make enemies with Thomas Jefferson (Daveed Diggs), and fall in love with Angelica Schulyer (Renée Elise Goldsberry) but marry her sister Eliza (Phillipa Soo), all the while contemplating his own legacy and reckoning with death itself. Liberty, hot rhymes, and shenanigans ensue.
How the Sausage Gets Made
Going into Hamilton on Disney+, the most experience I had had with the musical (aside from seeing Miranda perform cuts from the original concept album at a presidential dinner and watching the infamous “Hamilton Polka” later on) were a few of the big numbers from the show. In the immediate wake of Hamilton’s success on Broadway, I admit that my interest in the show was somewhat shallow, partially due to a relative lack of interest in the theater beyond high school productions I had participated in (and my own clearly unrefined tastes). Regardless of this, I can now say without hesitation that it lives up to all the hype. Every aspect of Hamilton, including the music, the performances, and the overall style of the show, absolutely works. Directed for the stage by Thomas Kail (who collaborated with Miranda prior to this on the musical In the Heights), the story is staged in such a way that the action feels up-close and personal to the audience along with the folks at home. The cinematography used to capture the show blurs the line between theater and film, often juxtaposing shots of the entire stage with close-up shots of the actors during the show’s more emotionally resonant moments. Speaking of the actors, the sheer amount of talent the cast displays is awe-inspiring. While Miranda does an excellent job as the titular character, the two performances that absolutely steal the show are Odom’s and Diggs’s. With Diggs as Jefferson, you get an enjoyably cartoonish foil to Alexander’s hubris. In turn, you get Odom as Burr, whose pseudo-narrator role elevates every single sequence he’s in. It’s hard to explain without giving away the highlights, but Hamilton goes to great lengths in giving depth to “the damn fool that shot him.” Ultimately, what ties the piece together is the sheer humanity on display, through numbers like “Satisfied” and (in the case of the aforementioned Burr) “Wait for It.” The ensemble cast is also incredible, managing to not only flesh out the interior world of the piece through movement and interaction with the main cast, but bring to it all a sense of life that is palpable throughout the show’s runtime.
Saying No to This
However, despite the piece’s dedication to portraying the key figures in play as flawed, human characters, there’s undoubtedly some blind spots that are especially apparent given the current national situation. The biggest issue at play here is ultimately in how Hamilton tries to humanize its core cast. Throughout the show, the biggest flaws these characters display concern things like pride, selfishness, and even adultery (I’m not lying when I say that The Greatest Showman, another historical musical that came after Hamilton, shares a practically identical turning point regarding the main character cheating on his wife). However, like the aforementioned Showman, Hamilton chooses to largely ignore arguably the biggest issue surrounding its entire cast of historical figures: slavery.
Now, I’m not saying that Hamilton made this choice out of a place of malice (Miranda recently addressed this issue via Twitter, and the Disney+ release includes a roundtable discussion with the cast that touches on the racial aspect of the show), but speaking from a historical context, the choice to shy away from truly acknowledging it beyond a few barbs Hamilton spits at Thomas Jefferson mid-rap battle just feels off. It’s not so much a matter of negligence in that case, but rather a sense of willful side-stepping that comes off as the show trying to have its cake and eat it too—being able to tell the stories of “complicated” men without requiring the audience to truly question the irony of their complicity in slavery when conducting the American experiment. This is especially so considering the piece’s sense of patriotism and belief in the greater morals of the Founding Fathers. Overall, these portrayals are concerning in that they could be (given the show’s prominence in popular culture) used to brush off or otherwise ignore the genuinely terrible things some of these historical figures did, and justify it based on the show’s historical “accuracy.”
Living, Dying, and Telling Stories
All things considered, Hamilton is two things. On one hand, it’s an utterly astounding and ambitious piece of musical theater that attempts to reframe the kindling of our country in the voice of the then-voiceless. It’s an actively engaging piece whose greatest triumphs lie in its lyrics and performance, as well as the fact that it is willing to be more open about the faults of the figures metaphorically taking center stage.
On the other hand, despite the problems it does acknowledge, it largely presents a rosy picture of the Founding Fathers, all but ignoring the issue of their relationship to slavery. Again, I wouldn’t claim this to be willful denial or ignorance on part of Mr. Miranda’s writing. However, it’s undeniable how people could see the show’s attitude toward our country’s founders (especially in 2020) as being almost naively optimistic toward the characters and intents of those in “The Room Where it Happens.”
With that being said, I still wholly recommend giving Hamilton your time. Regardless of the rose-colored glasses it may wear regarding history, the musical is still a genuinely engrossing masterpiece of music and choreography that feels impossibly solid, presented in one of the best filmed theatrical pieces I’ve ever seen, if not the best. As historical theater, it is by no means perfect. However, as a musical, it is downright historic.
Featured Image: IMDb
Images: IMDb
Sources: Bustle, YouTube
(07/03/20 3:22pm)
by Anthony Herring
The original game The Last of Us, developed by Naughty Dog and released on June 14, 2013, is nothing short of a masterpiece. The post-apocalyptic story follows two protagonists, Joel and Ellie, who must travel across the United States in the hopes that the latter can provide the cure to a fungal disease that has all but decimated humanity. Thanks to its complex and flawed characters, relentlessly bleak tone, and powerful themes, The Last of Us was critically acclaimed, with many (including yours truly) considering it to be one of the greatest video games ever made.
Save for a short story DLC called The Last of Us: Left Behind that was released in 2014, there was no real news that would hint at another adventure set in this universe. That all changed in December 2016, when The Last of Us Part II was officially revealed through an announcement trailer. The trailer depicted a nineteen-year-old Ellie playing guitar amongst the corpses of unknown enemies in a house, with Joel soon entering and asking her if she is “really going to go through with this” (with what “this” is referring to purposefully left unclear). The trailer ends with a close-up on Ellie, a hateful expression on her face, ominously replying, “I’m gonna find and I’m gonna kill every last one of them.”
Over the past few years, more details were revealed about Part II. The most notable ones were that the player would mostly control Ellie this time around (Joel was the main playable character in the original game), the sequel would be centered around hate (whereas the original game was centered around love), and that the game would be set five years later. After two delays, one for further development and the other due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, plus a massive, controversial story leak back in April, The Last of Us Part II was released on June 19, 2020. While the game has its notable strengths, Part II unfortunately could not reach the same heights as its predecessor.
Sit down kids, it’s storytime
On the surface, the basic plot of The Last of Us Part II is pretty straightforward: After a personal tragedy strikes, Ellie is compelled to go on a quest for vengeance against those that have wronged her. However, as the game’s story progresses, it becomes clear that there are many different layers to be uncovered. Said layers are primarily illustrated through two central characters: Ellie, a familiar character, and Abby, who is new to the series.
Ellie’s side of the story you play through first, and I genuinely was having fun playing through this half of the game. The characterization of her is excellent, offering great development from the more naive character Ellie was in the first game. Along with that, her relationship with her love interest, Dina, is wonderful, creating a realistic and believable bond between the two. Ellie’s portion also features a few flashbacks, further building onto the father-daughter relationship she has with Joel. I thought that these flashbacks were all great, as the tone and execution were reminiscent of Ellie and Joel’s relationship in the first game. When it comes to the actual story beats here, it does take some time to get truly engaging, which messes up the pacing of this portion a little bit. Thankfully, when the time comes for the story to grow darker for Ellie, the pacing and tone improve significantly, which profoundly impacted my perspective on what Ellie’s quest had come to symbolize. Ashley Johnson’s performance as the character also aids this, making the struggles that Ellie has to go through all the more heart-wrenching and believable.
Now we come to Abby’s side of the story. Much like Ellie’s side, flashbacks are also present here, and they help to flesh out Abby’s relationships to other characters, such as her boyfriend Owen. In fact, her side actually opens with a flashback, which offers an excellent recontextualization of certain events that transpired at the end of the original The Last of Us. As a whole, I found Abby’s side to be not as engaging as Ellie’s--at least not at first. As you are playing through Ellie’s side beforehand, this gradual momentum is built to the point where you feel that something big is about to happen. And it does—but then, the story cuts to Abby’s side for the second half of the game, and that feeling of momentum is completely lost. Thankfully, as her side progressed, it became more enjoyable. Laura Bailey’s performance aids in making Abby a bit more likable, and the sister-brother relationship she forms with a character named Lev gives Abby a sense of humanity. However, there are some moments that stoked my feelings of anger towards Abby, especially when I consider the horrible things that she committed in the game’s opening hours.
What’s old is new
Right out of the gate, one of the best aspects of The Last of Us Part II is the gameplay. It effortlessly builds upon the foundation that the first game created with smoother mechanics, like cleaner combat and shooting encounters, plus it adds new features, such as being able to go prone during stealth encounters.
One thing in this game that you should be prepared to do is collect a lot of materials. Since Part II is set over twenty years after a pandemic has ravaged the planet, materials are littered practically everywhere you go. Alcohol, rags, canisters, and even explosives can be found and used to craft useful items such as health kits, Molotov cocktails, pistol silencers, etc. This collecting and crafting system is instrumental to the player’s survival, so it is very important to take advantage of this. Environments are much larger than they were in The Last of Us, so I strongly recommend combing through each nook and cranny to find materials for crafting. Parts, which can be used to upgrade weapons, are also scattered throughout the world, so be on the lookout for those as well.
Part II features two types of enemies: regular humans and the Infected. The human enemies consist of the Washington Liberation Front, a militia that relies on military weaponry, and the Seraphites, a religious group that relies on bows and arrows. Combat encounters with these respective factions vary wildly. When fighting against the WLF, guns and explosives are the best methods to take them down. Unfortunately, the WLF uses dogs that can track your scent, which adds a layer of difficulty to these encounters. With the Seraphites, on the other hand, stealth is paramount. Bow and arrows, stealth takedowns, and the silenced pistol are crucial when fighting them, because if you’re too loud, these enemies will easily overwhelm you with their numbers and force you to retreat.
The Infected are a different beast entirely. The four main types -- Runners, Stalkers, Clickers, and Bloaters -- all return from the first game, and are far worse to deal with this time around, even on moderate difficulty (which is the setting I used). They are more aggressive and aren’t as vulnerable to certain attacks as they were in The Last of Us. For instance, don’t expect a Molotov to easily take out a group of Runners in this game. To shake things up, Part II also introduces a new type called the Shambler, which shoots out acidic spores from its body while it charges at you like an irritated rhino. These things are terrifying to deal with, and I shivered with fear whenever I discovered I was about to enter an encounter with one. There is also another Infected type that is introduced later on in Abby’s section of the game — the Rat King — that is quite a pain to fight.
High fidelity
Since Part II is a Naughty Dog title, it comes as no surprise that it is absolutely gorgeous. Environments are far larger than ever before, and as a result, the player is able to appreciate the level of craftsmanship that is put into them. For example, when I first arrived in Seattle as Ellie, I was greeted with this massive downtown area that was free to explore. All around were tall, decrepit skyscrapers that loomed over me, complete with a field littered with empty cars, trucks, and military vehicles that acted as a maze for me to navigate. The game sees that you travel all around the city, so players get to see a multitude of different environments rendered in astounding detail, such as dense forests, stormy beachfronts, and isolated, barren neighborhoods.
Featured Image: IMDb
Images: IMDb
(06/29/20 6:00pm)
by Blake Chapman
Disclaimer: This review is of the Xbox One version of the game and was conducted on an Xbox One X.
For any artist, it is difficult — if not impossible — to follow up your magnum opus with a piece of art that is even comparable. This is especially true when it comes to the world of video games. While it may take copious amounts of time and effort to create a sequel in a landmark series or an entirely new project that improves upon its predecessor, it only takes one sour note to bring all that work crumbling down.
Out of any game developer in the world, Mojang Studios has been able to smoothly navigate this conflict. Since releasing Minecraft in 2011, the Swedish developer’s biggest challenge has simply been expanding that game for the last decade. Other than some smaller titles with equally small reception, the only projects Mojang Studios has worked on are a re-release of the original Minecraft for browsers, an augmented reality version of the game, and the recently released Minecraft Dungeons. This dungeon crawler lets players traverse multiple biomes from the original game while on a quest to defeat an army of the undead — with plenty of role-playing additions to boot. While it offers a very simple experience geared towards newcomers which can become frustrating at times, this dungeon crawler is overall a fun journey from start to finish.
Smooth gameplay with some hard edges
As much as Minecraft is a survival game where exploration and building are the defining principles of the experience, combat is the defining principle of Dungeons. The typical hack-and-slash elements mixed with a fair amount of magic is what players should expect since the aforementioned elements of exploration and building are not here to round out the experience. Overall, it feels streamlined and uncomplicated while still offering a satisfying new adventure. The large amount of weapons, artifacts, and armor sets allow for vast customization and new combat scenarios as well — whether you’re wielding a hammer with lightning splash damage or a pair of daggers that spawn poison clouds.
At times, the heavy focus on combat can get you into tight spots where the random generation of levels works heavily against you. These include room layouts backing you into a corner without the ability to properly see your character model’s actions, mobs spawning in the hundreds in one room and choking you off from the rest of the dungeon, or a meager amount of enemies that can simply be picked off with arrows in the next room over. Random level design is nothing new to dungeon crawlers and therefore only adds to Dungeons in terms of exploration and replayability; yet, that does not stop it from being a very straightforward game. The campaign is strangely short, and the only offerings when it comes to open navigation lead you down dead ends the majority of the time. Overall, the combat forcing you into tight spots for no apparent reason does little to season any player, and it is more of an annoyance than anything else.
While the developers said they wanted to maximize the adventurous elements of the game, a full campaign that lasts around 10 hours at the most does not work in their favor. There is not much incentive to go back and explore previous areas other than getting extra items or armor, which players will inevitably deconstruct by the end of the very next level. For more casual Minecraft fans, this adventure’s straightforwardness is merely a slight positive and such brevity is only frustrating for more experienced gamers.
Design that needed more time in the furnace
While the larger design elements of Minecraft Dungeons are — for the most part — well crafted and interesting, the smaller gameplay mechanics end up being disappointing. For starters, even though the impressive amount of equipment and custom gear you can come across is a great change of pace from Minecraft itself, it all gets pretty dizzying without a proper way to filter and organize your inventory. After only half a level, multiples of weapons and bows begin piling up. Even though the team at Mojang did not hope players would focus on a single piece of gear for the majority of the game, throughout the first half it is difficult to sift through everything — subsequently causing players to shift back to their original paladin-like setup without exploring any variation.
When it comes to further customizing gear, the possibilities are unique on their own but overall shallow. Enchantments, which are random sets of status buffs that can be upgraded each time you level up, are numerous and effective but do little to differentiate the weapons from each other. Artifacts are wonderful gadgets that make up for the lack of a solid mage or wizard class, but they come with multiple caveats. You cannot enchant them or level them up in any way; yet, there are some with a simple “common” classification that are useful beyond what their classification would suggest. This means the evolution of power does not naturally progress with the difficulty of enemies or overall level and many artifacts end up becoming sacrifices for more emeralds.
A great amount of fun with wonderful accessibility
Dungeons’ personality and its focus on welcoming new and returning players rounds out the experience. For one, the story is interesting and engaging while not hampering down players with loads of lore. As a hero, you must journey throughout different biomes to defeat the Arch-Illiger and his mob of the undead; nothing too complicated, but still enough new characters and story beats to keep adventurers’ anticipation high.
Along with the story, the difficulty settings are another example of accessibility working for all players no matter their previous knowledge of Minecraft or dungeon crawlers. While the entirety of Dungeons runs on a standard difficulty setting that unlocks subsequent modes once you finish the first and easiest one, each level also comes with tiers that determine the type of loot and abilities you pick up throughout. At times, it can lock you into a specific tier based on your team’s power in multiplayer, but overall, it increases replayability and offers unique challenges all on its own.
Featured Image: Minecraft
Images: Minecraft
Sources: Engadget, Metacritic, US Gamer
(06/26/20 7:52pm)
by Mason Kupiainen
Originally intended to be released last August and then delayed for a May release, Disney finally cut bait with Artemis Fowl and dumped it onto their streaming service. Based on a series of children's books by author Eoin Colfer, the film had the potential to spawn a franchise for Disney, but given that it currently holds the terrible Rotten Tomatoes score of 10%, a sequel will probably never happen.
While I have never read the books myself, I remember them being a big deal with kids back in my elementary school. When I heard they were making a movie out of the series, my interest was piqued. When Kenneth Branagh was announced as director, I was excited to see what he could do with the source material and was thrilled at the potential for a new Harry Potter-esque fantasy series. The trailers for the movie looked intriguing and set up the potential for an epic franchise, yet Disney completely botched their opportunity with this film.
Artemis Fowl follows twelve-year-old Artemis, a child genius (who apparently has many gifts, although we never really learn what they are), as he tries to rescue his father from a mysterious villain. While trying to find his missing father, Artemis gets involved in a battle between a race of fairies who he believes has information on his father’s disappearance.
A messy plot
Let me be clear; this movie is TERRIBLE, and I usually can find something redeeming in just about any movie —not here, however. There are very few, if any, redeeming qualities to this film. Beginning with the plot, there is very little happening throughout the movie. A majority of the film takes place within Artemis’ house, with not much happening plot wise. With the character development and world building rushed in the very beginning of the film, the entire remainder of the 95 minute runtime focuses on Artemis trying to retrieve an object called the Aculos by kidnapping a fairy and keeping her hostage. What felt as if it should have taken about the first third of the movie is drawn out for the whole film, with everything wrapping up in a very rushed fashion in the end.
The movie also does one of the worst things a movie can do when banking on creating a franchise, which is that it makes the film feel like a commercial for a potential franchise without first making sure the film is at least good. There are many things throughout the movie that felt like it was a commercial, but one of the main ones was how the film ends. The entire movie builds up toward the end, only to have nothing resolved and end with the characters just now ready to begin their journey. Since it seems unlikely that a franchise will spawn from this film (at least I, along with the rest of the world, hope not), it’s frustrating that they crafted the entire film as a set-up for future sequels.
The plot also suffers from not sticking to its own mythology. While the movie had certain rules in place, many times the movie backpedaled on them to fulfill certain plot points. For example, there’s a device that allows users to freeze time around them that is introduced in the beginning of the film and reintroduced later into the third act, but there were changes in how the device was used. There could be some explanation for these changes, but they’re never addressed, and it comes off as sloppy writing. This happens multiple times throughout the movie, and it quickly becomes annoying how much the film doesn't stick to its own rules.
Boring and bland characters
Having great characters that the audience could get behind might potentially make up for a lackluster plot, yet the movie fails at that as well. Even with respectable performers like Judi Dench and Colin Farrell, the cast brings nothing to the film. Ferdia Shaw stars as Artemis, and this is his first role — which definitely shows. His performance was stiff and made his character lifeless. The supporting cast was humdrum as well, bringing hollow performances that do nothing to add to the film. It could potentially be a result of how poorly the characters were written in the script, but none of the actors stood out or brought anything to their characters to improve them.
The bare minimum
Ultimately, it felt as if the filmmakers were not trying to make an impressive film at all, but rather just a film that parents could play to distract their kids for a while. Kenneth Branagh is a very respectable director and has proven himself with some of his previous movies like Thor and Murder on the Orient Express, but here it feels like he was simply working for a paycheck. Performers like Ferrell and Dench have also proven themselves to bring quality performances, but here they too fell flat and seemed as if they were simply in it for the money.
Some might brush these critiques off and use the excuse that it’s a children's movie for its lack of quality, but saying it’s a children's film doesn't justify how terrible the movie turned out. Many kids’ movies have been able to entertain both kids and adults. Films like Harry Potter and The Goonies have been able to bridge the gap between children and grownups to make a satisfying movie for both, so it's disappointing to see a movie like Artemis Fowl where it feels as if little (if any) effort was placed into it by the filmmakers. What could have been a possible new Harry Potter or Percy Jackson franchise with a massive toy-box of a world to play in turned into a cheap, uninteresting mess of a movie with very little care put into it. Seeing the potential that was here for a new franchise with a deep mythology be completely wasted is disappointing, and it’s frustrating that a proper adaptation of the books wasn’t met.
Featured Image: IMDb
Images: IMDb
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
(06/23/20 9:47pm)
by Mason Kupiainen
Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers for Da Five Bloods.
To put it lightly, 2020 has been a bad year for just about everyone, and movie fans are among those suffering. While the handful of films released this year have been underwhelming, there have been a few diamonds in the rough, including The Invisible Man, The Way Back, and Bad Boys For Life. Beyond that, many of the big and exciting films scheduled to be released this year have either been indefinitely delayed or pushed back into next year. With theaters being forced to close down for the time being, streaming and on-demand films have been the only sources for new content.
One of the new and exciting movies to come out for streaming recently is Da Five Bloods. Coming off the heels of his critically-acclaimed film, BlacKkKlansman, Spike Lee returns to the director’s chair with his first Netflix movie. The film follows a group of four Vietnam veterans returning to Vietnam years later in search of gold and the remains of their fallen friend.
Creative storytelling techniques
One of the unique aspects of this film is how it was shot. Throughout the movie, we jump back and forth between when our characters were in the Vietnam war and to present day. When these jumps in time happen, the aspect ratio and film stock change to give each setting of the film a different feel. Whenever the film jumps back in time to the war, the aspect ratio changes to 4 by 3, and by digitally reverse-engineering the film to appear as 16mm, they were able to give it a vintage look, similar to last year's The Lighthouse. The movie begins with our characters getting ready to return to Vietnam. These scenes were shot in the standard 2:35 aspect ratio with a black bar on the top and bottom of the screen. Once our characters enter Vietnam, however, the aspect ratio changes again to a 3:2 ratio that looks like IMAX, where the black bars disappear and the picture fills the entire screen, giving these scenes a much grander feel to them. These distinctions in aspect ratio and film stock give each setting a distinct feel to help plug the viewer into the specific setting.
Beyond the filmmaking aspects of the movie, the entire cast brought their A game, with a particularly stellar performance by Chadwick Boseman as Stormin’ Norman. He took what easily could have been a forgettable performance, with a character that is only there to serve our main four, and made it the standout lead. He brings a likability to the character and has total command over the screen every time he is present. It didn’t feel as if Boseman was trying to hog the spotlight, but instead, it just felt like Boseman’s charm and natural charisma blended effortlessly with how the character was written, elevating the character to a higher level.
A passionate filmmaker
Looking back at BlacKkKlansman, one of the best aspects of that movie was how the viewer could feel the passion and enthusiasm Lee had for the film. That enthusiasm and passion is present in this film as well, and is even elevated. With the unique cinematography choices made in alternating between the different settings and other creative decisions, it shone through that the movie was the product of a passionate filmmaker.
A lackluster story
The movie starts out strongly, but unfortunately, it quickly withers away. It begins with our four leads before they go to Vietnam and moves at a brisk pace to keep the viewer engaged with the characters and the journey they’re about to endure. Once the characters get to the jungles of Vietnam, the movie continues to move along with the same quality as before, but around the halfway point, the movie starts to fall apart. Once the characters find the gold and the corpse of their dead friend, the movie becomes predictable and feels as if the filmmakers didn’t know where to take the story beyond that point. The pacing grinds to a halt and the movie drags from that point on, becoming rather clunky with its storytelling.
The ending is underwhelming and closes the story on a bit of a whimper. How they end the story for some characters isn’t satisfying and doesn't hold up to the same quality as the beginning of the film. Some of the lead protagonists felt as if they went out of character and made choices just to serve a particular message the filmmakers wanted to convey. Wanting to have some of these characters make certain choices toward the end is fine, but a few rewrites to the script probably could have smoothed out these issues and made it feel more natural than it did.
Featured Image: IMDb
Images: IMDb
Sources: Ars Technica, Byte, Variety
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