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(04/16/21 1:12pm)
Ball State theatre students participated in a virtual Cave theatre production that opened Thursday, written by Stephen Adly Guirgis, and directed by Mason Golden. The plot follows Jackie, who believes that his girlfriend is cheating on him when he sees an unidentified hat in his apartment. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the Spring 2021 theatre season is entirely virtual, with this play being performed over Zoom, with each actor in a different room each calling in to interact with each other separately. The show is open Thursday-Sunday with showtimes from 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. For tickets, please visit https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/bsu/969.
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(04/12/21 10:23pm)
By Conner Tighe
Artist AJ Mitchell dropped his next teaser for his upcoming album Skyview, a music project inspired by the Skyview Drive-In in his hometown Belleville, IL. “STOP” is relatively similar to “Camera’s On” in vocals and presentation; however, the message is on the opposite end of the spectrum. The latest single takes the spotlight away from Mitchell’s inner struggles and taps into his personal desires. However, despite the amazing quality of his recent music, his tracks are beginning to blend together as fans— myself included— impatiently wait for Skyview. This album is something the artist has been discussing with the media since 2019.
Mitchell’s latest single is electric, fun, and solidifies the young artist’s rise to pop stardom. Taking place after his previous single “Camera’s On,” “STOP” continues Mitchell’s story of fame, this time focusing on his passions and inspirations.
(04/12/21 8:31pm)
By Mason Kupiainen
Melissa McCarthy’s career feels like it is going down the same path as Adam Sandler’s. She started with a few gems, including Bridesmaids and Spy. Then—for some reason—she started appearing in awful projects like The Happytime Murders, Ghostbusters, and The Kitchen. One aspect that has made many of her films bad has been her performances. Like Sandler, McCarthy has taken on the shtick of being the loud, obnoxious, annoying, and idiotic character. It worked in Spy, but that type of character hasn’t worked for her in any of her other comedies. McCarthy’s latest comedy brings her gimmick to the superhero genre in what might be labeled her worst performance and film yet.
Thunder Force takes place in a world with superpowered individuals. When Emily (Octavia Spencer) creates a treatment that gives ordinary people superpowers, Lydia (Melissa McCarthy) accidentally gets injected and develops super strength. Lydia’s friend, Emily, starts the treatment as well, developing the power of invisibility, and the two must team up to stop a dangerous villain. Although the Thunder Force trailer wasn’t promising, having Spencer as one of the leads was promising since she generally picks great projects. However, Thunder Force turned out to be worse than it appeared.
A comedy without humor
The main priority of any comedy should be to make the audience laugh. Unlikable characters, a horrible story, and cringy dialogue can be forgiven if the movie can make you laugh. McCarthy has proven herself to be a great comedic actress in Bridesmaids and Spy, but the comedy here goes for the low-brow, uncomfortable, and cringy humor. The humor switches from McCarthy’s usual screaming and obnoxious comedy style to drawing out what should have been a quick joke into a full scene of focusing on one joke. For example, there’s a scene where McCarthy makes a joke about Steve Urkel, which then gets drawn out into a scene where no one understands the joke and her imitating Urkel. The same thing is done a little bit later with a joke about Jodie Foster. The humor was more uncomfortable to watch than it was funny.
Almost all the characters are unlikeable in the film. With the exception of Emily’s daughter, Tracy, who was the most level-headed of all the characters; everyone else is too annoying to like. McCarthy basically plays herself: the screaming and wailing, over-the-top unpleasant person. She has given some awful performances in films like Tammy and The Boss, but her character is too obnoxious and annoying to care about.
The film even has two great actors, Spencer and Jason Bateman, and still isn’t able to have any likable characters. Spencer’s performance is poor, and her character lacks any substance. Although the film takes place in a world with superheroes, Bateman’s character felt odd within the film as his character has crab claws for arms. It didn’t add any humor to the film and didn’t fit within the world they set up.
Spotty action
The action in the movie is a mixed bag. Some action sequences were terrible, while other scenes were well-handled and entertaining. The final fight of the film is thrilling for the most part and has some great moments. It takes place within an office building, and they’re able to integrate their surroundings into the fight. Some of the other action scenes try to add awful humor into them by making jokes throughout the fights. During these sequences, the humor throws the scene off and makes what could have been thrilling action into a mess of a scene.
A great element of many superhero films is the villain. Characters like the Joker, Thanos, Mr. Glass, and Loki have helped improve their films. The villain in Thunder Force, The King, doesn’t have any of the elements that made villains like those great. He was your typical, run-of-the-mill villain who doesn’t have any depth and comes off as simply an evil villain who must be stopped.
From a filmmaking aspect, this movie doesn’t provide anything worthwhile. There weren’t any creative shots or scenes that were well handled. It all felt fundamental and cookie-cutter. Nothing ever felt intentional or the director trying to make a creative decision but rather felt like an average person trying to make a movie. Having some creative work behind the camera could have made some scenes more interesting; instead, you’re left with every scene feeling lifeless.
Sources: YouTube
Images: Den of Geek, Chicago Tribune
Featured Image: TV Insider
(04/11/21 8:00pm)
By Kellyn Harrison
Warning: This review may contain spoilers for this episode and previous episodes of "My Hero Academia"
After the last heart-skipping episode, many My Hero Academia fans were left vying for answers despite the number of questions addressed, alongside the huge presence of character and plot development the creators granted us. The resulting Pandora’s box is why this slightly easy-going episode might have been a blessing for the fans’ headspaces. Plus, it finally gave us the Class A and B combat training episode viewers were expecting to watch when the season's cover art dropped. It was apparent by the stark blue-red color differences and all the hero course students being featured that there would be some sort of clash between the two classes. We were just waiting for the episode/scene to happen. Fans who are not caught up on the manga likely only questioned why Hitoshi Shinso, the brainwashing quirk user, was featured on the art since he was considered a general studies student when we last saw him square off against Deku at the UA’s annual sports festival in season two.
“You Are Not Alone”
In the previous episode, we were left dangling with another cliffhanger, but Deku’s broken window was the farthest thing from our minds when it came to why he held the memories of the first One For All user, All For One, and the other One For All wielders. Not only that, but why Deku was able to speak directly with the first One For All user, unlike All Might, who received similar interactions from the vestiges. We weren’t given much beyond this information when Deku talked to All Might about the dream, but fans can only assume that this situation will be one of the main plot points developed in this season, alongside many others. While this long list of plot points may seem overwhelming, it isn’t. The story web works cohesively, and as we see later in the episode, when Shinso is introduced again, it only brings the storyline together. The last time Deku squared off against Shinso at the sports festival, Deku saw the vestiges under Shinso’s brainwashing and thought they forced him out from under his control by activating One For All, similar to Deku breaking his window. Therefore, Deku contemplates whether there is a correlation between Shinso and the visions, and feels drawn to him. This connection only strengthens the purpose behind Shinso’s introduction among the many other reasons, as we will get into later, and furthers Deku's character development by pushing him farther along in his quest to master One For All.
Other than the beautiful story building, the visuals in this scene were breathtaking. As I have stated before, amazing visuals in My Hero Academia are a given. It wouldn’t be MHA if there weren’t at least several breathtaking visuals throughout. Especially when paired with seat-gripping or tear-jerking scenes, but this scene was something else. There aren’t many times where the viewer can just appreciate the art without action being thrown in and distracting the viewer from the design’s essence. But, when there are scenes without distractions, the impact is groundbreaking. There is only one other time where I have been awed senseless just from the art, and that was when Deku and All Might fist-bumped in the woods during season four. But what caught my attention this time, was the sheer magnitude within the shot of Deku standing outside contemplating his dream in the early morning light for several long seconds. The creators knew what they were doing, and they did it beautifully. At that moment, Deku was no longer the little boy All Might plucked off the side of the road. That was Deku, the young adult with the weight of the world on his shoulders and taking a break to process it all. Absolutely gorgeous and eye-opening.
Never judge a book by its cover
When I saw this season’s cover art and title sequence, I wasn't surprised to see Shinso shown because I knew the creators foreshadowed his return during the sports festival when his general studies classmates praised him for his fight with Deku. The fight gave them hope that they too, could be heroes. That in itself told me Shinso would fight to become a hero, especially when his quirk is constantly labeled as a villain type. However, I was surprised by his introduction into the show because I thought someone already enrolled would have to vacate to join a class. At least, that is what the anime established at the beginning of season two. However, the show kind of just welcomes him into the hero course, without giving him a seat in a specific class. I honestly prefer this change because the manga’s portrayal of Deku’s character development is getting to me right now.
But, I have been waiting for Shinso’s introduction because we see Class 1-A’s homeroom teacher, Shota Aizawa, (Hero name: Eraserhead), take the student under his wing. This budding relationship is exciting because Aizawa has always seemed like a distant father figure for the students, limiting his appearance of concern. Now, with Eri (a small girl rescued in season four) and Shinso growing under Aizawa’s guidance and the teacher driving Shoto Todoroki to see his family in the previous episode, we see the teacher warm up more to the students. This dynamic is a nice parallel to All Might and Deku’s relationship, which this episode pokes at, especially when we see how Shinso’s and Deku’s costumes reflect their teachers’; Deku with the ears and smiling mask, and Shinso with the scarf.
Going forward, I am curious to see how Shinso’s character develops because he has always seemed distant, like his teacher. At the beginning of the training episode, the student tells the others that he does not plan on being their friends; he only wants to work hard and grow beyond their level as heroes. It’s an interesting parallel to Todoroki’s stance on the hero course at the beginning of the show. But, soon after, Deku thawed the ice and warmed the youngest Todoroki’s attitude. (Pun intended) So, I am expecting the same for Shinso, especially when he goes head-to-head with Deku again in these next episodes.
Joint training
While this training arc is primarily focused on Shinso’s growth, some aspects of the event’s introduction pertaining to structure and class hierarchy need highlighting.
At the beginning of the exercise, we see the students show off/examine each other’s costumes because the setting has shifted into winter. While this lowkey worked as a timestamp for the show, the placement of the interaction was confusing. For how long the show has been running for, fans can forget just how much time has passed. However, why were the students showing off their costumes now instead of in the first episode when they had the prime opportunity to? The premiere episode was a review of the student’s abilities, so reviewing their costumes at the same time would have been seamless. It felt a little out of place, but I did enjoy hearing about the developments in their costumes, so I knew their advantages before going into the exercise.
Despite this, I loved the joint training arc because, as the copy quirk user, Neito Monoma, from Class 1-B points out, his class is seen as less competent than its counterpart. The class is always seen as less talented than Class 1-A, who are put on a pedestal, and I am curious to see how each fair in the exercise. As All Might said, Class 1-A has gotten more field experience, but Class 1-B has been studying the curriculum and training one-on-one with each other. Therefore, they are more aware of each other’s quirks and abilities.
Overall this episode was a great transition between the heaviness in the previous episode and the intense action predicted for the next. We received a little more information on Deku’s quirk development, saw Shinso again after so long, experienced breathtaking visuals, and finally got a taste of the joint training arc creators have been teasing. Viewers received a breather and are now ready to take on the next episode.
Sources: Byte
Images: IMDB, Fandom, Fandom
Featured Image: Crunchyroll
(04/11/21 5:46pm)
By Conner Tighe
When Taylor Swift rereleased her classic “Love Story” back in February, you best believe I was hyped. It was a teaser for her latest reimagined vision of her 2008 Fearless. I only now realized the crooked business war behind the album, but the announcement was something fresh and new she hadn’t done yet. We hadn’t heard country from Swift in years. The artist added an additional 13 tracks to her 2021 version making it her longest tracklist to date. You may find yourself accidentally listening to it for a number of hours like I did. Long story short, it’s worth the listen, let alone the purchase, if you have the cash.
Swift has come a long way after moving from Pennsylvania to Nashville at just 10-years-old. With inspirations from female country icons like Shania Twain and Faith Hill, who sang about faith and womanhood independence, the young artist pursued her interest in country, releasing her first album Taylor Swift in 2006. If you listen closely, Swift continues to keep those themes with some of her tracks. The 2006 album was the first of a string of troubles to come with previous label, Big Machine Records. Her latest album Fearless (Taylor’s Version), is her tenth album, and it is her best since 2019s Lover.
Ten years can make a difference for anyone, but try 13 years. After an ongoing battle with previous music manager, Scooter Braun, Swift decided to revamp her musical roots after Braun sold six of Swift’s albums for more than $300 million last year. This event came after Braun bought Big Machine Records. Since he was then in charge of Swift’s music future, he limited the artist on what she could and couldn’t perform. The founder of the company, Scott Borchetta, offered Swift a new label, but the artist took matters into her own hands singing onto Universal Music.
“Essentially, my musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it,” the singer said in a 2019 Tumblr post. Well, no more. 2021’s Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is a direct act of defiance toward Braun, and honestly, she’s better off because of it. Her independence as both a female artist and an artist of free will makes me love her even more.
Swift advocated for artists having the right to own their own work tweeting on Feb. 11.
Astounding tracklist
I would be tone-deaf if I said the tracklist was overdone or not worthy of a listen. Fearless 13 years later continues to be heartfelt, even more so now with the history. I did not expect a 26-track filled album, as many of her albums range from 15-17 tracks per album, yet here we are. Swift combines past hits like 2008s “Fearless,” “White Horse,” and “You Belong With Me” and new tracks with her own spin on the classic guitar and love ballads. The album is a return to her teen angst years of high school, love gone wrong, and early days in the country music world.
We used to watch the sun go down/On the boats in the water/That's sorta how I feel right now/And Goodbye's so much harder/'Cause we were happy
Unlike Folklore and Evermore, Swift manages to carefully balance tear shedders with upbeat feminist vibes. Old collaborations like Colbie Caillat’s “Breathe” return, but its revamped version brings additional voices from Maren Morris (“You All Over Me”), and Keith Urban (“That’s When”). I enjoyed the collaborations as they were a breath of fresh air from her usual pop aesthetic. I only wish there were more country collaborations. Not only was the album a wave toward Braun, but was a heartwarming reminder of her musical past.
Swift has always been one for not needing a man in her life, but as she does, the singer sneaks in tracks like “Jump Then Fall (Taylor’s Version)” and “Don’t You (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” to provide reassurance that the artist is not entirely lost. Swift has been dating actor Joe Alwyn for four years and shows no signs of creating a breakup hit as she has kept her relationship out of the spotlight.
Original vs. Taylor’s Version
Swift came for first place when she delivered those additional 13 tracks. I found her original 13 tracks (Taylor’s Version tracks) to be better in presentation compared to new tracks (From the Vault). It’s difficult to pinpoint why but lately the artist has delved more into melancholy, slow-paced tracks which can deliver amazingly at times. Particularly “We Were Happy” sticks out as one of her best slower-sounding tracks on the list. I guess I have a special place in my heart for the young, country singer many of us were introduced to so many years ago. But don’t let this discourage you. Swift can still sing some country.
I was a dreamer before you went and let me down/Now it's too late for you and your white horse/To come around
Swift’s versions of past tracks like “White Horse,” “Hey Stephen,” and others sound nearly identical to her 2008 releases, but perhaps that’s the point. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is exactly that, Taylor’s version. In that regard, the revamped versions neither sink nor help her past releases climb in progression.
Top tracks:
Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
Fifteen (Taylor’s Version)
White Horse (Taylor’s Version)
Recommended if you like:
Harry Styles
Shawn Mendes
Maren Morris
Sources: Byte, TaylorSwift.com, Time, Fandom, Rolling Stone, Page Six, The New York Times, The New York Times, New York Post, Twitter, Insider
Featured Image: Genius
(04/10/21 1:00pm)
By Conner Tighe
Actor and artist Darren Criss released his latest music piece, “F*KN Around,” which centers on Criss’s days as a young wannabe star. I originally thought the piece was a larger project, and it turns out it is. But it would not be in an album but a start for more music, which is yet to come. Diverging from his other works like EPs Human and Homework, “F*KN Around” comes with a comedic, fun vibe that makes the singer sound like a half rock star and half pop star.
Criss grew up in California, mainly doing theater work for Team StarKid. He was always into the music scene, playing alongside his older brother Chuck. The two never went into full stardom until 2017, when they released EP Lost Boys Life under the name Computer Games. Perhaps what Criss is most well known for is his time in the spotlight as character Blaine Anderson on Fox’s Glee, which lasted for six seasons. He was one of the first openly gay characters on the show, an act completely different from Criss’s real life as he married his wife Mia Swier in 2019. He’s continued working for shows under Ryan Murphy’s handling, like American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace and Hollywood.
(04/06/21 2:00pm)
By Kellyn Harrison
Warning: This review may contain spoilers for this episode and previous episodes of "My Hero Academia"
Despite the season premier’s slow beginning, viewers were left on a cliff-hanger showing Dabi’s—the League of Villains' cyan fire wielder—confrontation with the No.1 hero, Endeavor. Fans who don’t read the manga were most likely confused about why Hawks, the show’s supposed protagonist and No. 2 hero, meets with Dabi after the confrontation. However, the unaddressed plot holes from the first episode were not only finally dug into but opened a whole new satisfying can of worms, leaving the viewer grappling with what exactly they watched by the end of the credits. Especially when the episode not only dove into what we saw in the ending credits of the previous episode regarding Hawk’s allegiance, but the Todoroki family’s road to closure regarding the familial bonds between their No.1 hero father Enji Todoroki, Endeavor; mother, Rei Todoroki, placed in a psychiatric hospital; and the three Todoroki siblings—Shoto, Fuyumi, and Natsuo. Furthermore, we were left with another shocking cliff-hanger showing Deku’s ‘One For All’ lineage and origin. All of this requires an even more satisfying second watch to make sure the smallest detail doesn’t go unmissed. Fans got everything and more in this episode; however, they were also treated to striking visuals and long awaiting character growth despite the overwhelming plot development. Thus, creating a proper balance throughout the entire episode. But, at this point, those factors are just a given in the world of "My Hero Academia."
(03/30/21 6:01pm)
By Conner Tighe
The Peach Tree Rascals released their first EP/album, Camp Nowhere which combines all the fun the band has had and morphed it into an alternative-Indie blast of a joyride. After an initial run-through, I found nothing entirely exquisite but, all the same, a good time. Those familiar with the Indie genre will recognize the slight inspirational sound from Foster the People, Poolside, Surfaces, and MGMT. The Peach Tree Rascals have never been one for deep, thoughtful essence in their art, but want to have fun doing what they love. Camp Nowhere continues the band’s adventures of combining the band’s cultural and musical backgrounds into a diverse mix of music OGs will come to love.
Jorge Olazaba (creative director), Tarrek Abdel-Khaliq (singer/rapper), Isaac Pech (singer/rapper), Joseph Barros (singer/rapper), and Dominic “Dom” Pizano (producer/mixer) met in high school. The five began producing small-time projects demonstrating what each member was capable of until they released their single, “Mariposa”, in 2019, which launched them to fame. The song talked about personal growth and accepting who you’re meant to be and used the Spanish word “mariposa” for “butterfly” to project that symbolization of change. The band has released 18 singles going back to their first single, “Glide”, in 2018.
A diverse sound
The band has diverse backgrounds in music, including Mexican, Filipino, and Palestinian. With their presentation of hip-hop, rap, and Latin-inspired sound, the album provides that mix of sound that most bands can’t offer. The Peach Tree Rascals are an example of taking unique backgrounds and forming them together in the name of not love, but music. Track one, “OOZ”, exemplifies hip-hop while track four, “Change My Mind,” has pop inspiration, and track seven, “Pockets”, sounds like a track from a John Mayer album. Those familiar with the pop, folk, and Indie genres will see through this transparent case of past musicians getting their due where it’s deserved.
Pocket full of sunshine/Flowers help me find my way/Before the sunrise
Nothing is too serious or deep in this album, and it appears like the band wants to keep it that way, most likely to appeal to their younger audience. The Peach Tree Rascals are a fun, lighthearted group of guys who – you would assume – would describe themselves as “chill”. With inspirations from Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, The Beatles, and John Mayer, my respect for the five is that much stronger. Camp Nowhere pays its respects to the greats who came before them.
Stacking against the rest
Like many other artists in today’s age, the Peach Tree Rascals speak to the youth culture and this sense of coming of age appeal. It seems like the band is still on their own journey of self-discovery, and the lyrics expressed in Camp Nowhere speaks to a universal sense of confusion and what it means to be young. Drugs and musicians seem to coexist as you look more and more into the creative processes and personal stories. Tracks like “OOZ”, “JoJo”, and “LEAVE ME” speak about drugs as both a coping mechanism and piece of youth, while tracks like “papá” talk about growing up in a changing world.
See, I don't know and I never did/I'm on a road that'll never end/All my control flying with the wind
Top tracks:
OOZ
Pockets
Change My Mind
Recommended if you like:
MGMT
Foster the People
Poolside
Sources: Daily Bruin, Ones to Watch, Elicit Magazine, Spotify, BMI
Featured Image: Genius
(03/29/21 3:00pm)
By Kellyn Harrison
Warning: This review may contain spoilers for this episode and previous episodes of 'My Hero Academia'
My Hero Academia was recommended to me in December by a friend because they knew my appreciation for action anime series. As someone new to the anime world, I dived into the series, unaware of how much it would impact my standards for future viewing experiences. The series plays with your heart by presenting us with lovable characters, while giving us an extremely well-developed twist on what is sometimes an overused hero cliche.
Instead of just a group of people holding superpowers, 80 percent of the population is born with a quirk (Note: a quirk is a hero’s superpower), and a “quirkless” fanboy named Izuku Midoriya (Hero name: Deku) meets his role model hero, only to take over the infamous role of his predecessor, the No. 1 hero All Might. All Might, being the “symbol of peace” or someone people could rely on to keep evil away. Or specifically to Deku and many of his classmates in Class 1-A, someone who would influence and encourage the next generation of heroes to not only keep civilians safe, but restore society’s crumbling trust in heroes.
(03/22/21 9:50pm)
By Conner Tighe
Justin Bieber released his latest album, Justice, this past Friday and if you hyped this up like his last album, let me save you the trouble. Justice doesn’t achieve the same lasting effect as Changes. Like his last album, there’s a heavy inspiration from faith and Martin Luther King Jr. If this sounds strange, it is. It’s so out of place and is the first piece of audio you’ll hear on track one, “2 Much.” The singer is already receiving mixed feedback on the album, with some not appreciating MLK’s addition while others see it as a timely thing.
Bieber has come a long way from his pop and purple-dressed, shaggy hair-wearing days dancing for the girls. Justice solidifies his stance on religion and how faith can be life-changing as it has been for him. The artist acknowledges that much of the world is suffering, especially with the recent social injustices that have plagued this nation for decades. He provided a sense of truth and hope by incorporating his faith in Changes and continues to do so in Justice, although the overall experience comes across as a little stale.
A sense of truth
Nothing is heard in this 16-tracklisting that isn’t premeditated or signifying some other pop-Esque vibe that we usually hear every day. Bieber wants to stand out not only from other stars, but from his past self as much of the album is about moving on from past mistakes and celebrating the two people that have stood by him: his wife and his faith. To me, the listening experience was a clone of Changes and did little to differentiate itself from its predecessor. As Bieber talks about throughout, there are moments of weakness and temptation, but he continues to rise above it all through music. Few tracks stand out from others in the album except for his “Peaches” collaboration with Daniel Caesar and Giveon.
MLK returns for track seven as an interlude, talking about social injustice followed by more tracks about Bieber’s wife. The tone shifts when MLK is introduced intermittently to something serious and then we go back to the artist talking about Hailey Bieber. I understand that MLK signifies and talks about living with passion as better than not living with a passion — which Bieber uses to show his passion for music — but something about it didn’t sit right with me and was unnecessary. I can’t say the album is entirely about his faith, as there are pieces about his wife and the undying love he expresses for her.
Your touch blurred my vision/It's your world, and I'm just in it
Lack of inspiration
It's clear that much of his inspiration comes from his wife, but it seems tiring at this point. Bieber attempts to make his messages universal, like with “Somebody” talking about having a shoulder to cry on, or “Lonely” with the struggles of depression and mental health. The artist is moving away from rap, it seems, although slowly. His 2020 collaboration with Quavo on “Intentions” is a recent example; yet, even on this tracklist, he appears beside Chance the Rapper (“Holy”) and Khalid (“As I Am”). The R&B just doesn’t seem like who he is anymore.
Top tracks:
Die For You
Off My Face
Anyone
Recommended if you like:
Shawn Mendes
Ed Sheeran
Selena Gomez
Sources: New York Post, TMZ, YouTube, The New York Times
Featured Image: Genius
(03/18/21 8:40pm)
By Liz Rieth
While it’s a mesh of gospel, blues, and folk, this album is all heart at its center. These 13 brings together the best of Jimbo Mathus and Andrew Bird. Released on March 5, the pair stretches to new heights lyrically and musically with this soul-strung song collection.
Decades of collaboration
The makers of These 13 met decades before they collaborated on this album. In 1994, Mathus’ band, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, had just begun to become known for their style that encompassed everything from jazz to folk. While at the Black Mountain Music Festival, the band first ran into Bird. A few years later, the band invited Bird to play on 1996s album Hot, and after that, Bird recorded and occasionally toured with the Zippers throughout the ‘90s, though he never became a core member he focused on growing his own career.
These 13 is not Bird and Mathus’ first time playing together since then — in fact, Bird even played on their album Lost Songs of Doc Souchon just last year. But, this year’s album is the closest collaboration they have had, with the duo recording these songs around a single mic.
Both somber and easygoing, These 13 draws from a range of styles, but at its core, it’s a gospel album. The duo sings from their hearts as they meld their styles to create a rural and wild sound. Bird’s music has typically been folk music that runs wild, while Mathus, on the other hand, has stuck to traditional country and blues. These 13 mixes the meandering chords of Bird with the traditional roots of Mathus to create a sound all its own. The twangs of their voices mix as they sing sobering lyrics that cause the listener to turn inward and reflect.
Soul-stirring lyrics
The album starts off the tone in the track “Poor Lost Souls,” a song that tells of the homeless situation in Los Angeles. They sing of potential that could have been in these men and women who are “just a lump of coal” when they “could have been a diamond.” The song is simple — the harmony of their voices and slow strumming guitar and fiddle — nonetheless, it effectively conveys the crushing poverty of the situation.
Not every song sets this sober of a tenor, “Sweet Oblivion” reflects more of Bird’s style with its quickened tempo and racing melodies. The foot wants to tap as they sing of the sweet oblivion of how “we were so very young.” The high notes of the fiddle remind of the times of youth.
Overall, the theme of mortality runs rampant throughout the album. In the track “Stonewall (1863),” the chorus resounds, “Let us now cross over the river,” as the pair look at the crossing from life to death. The album ends with this difficult theme in “Three White Horses and a Golden Chain,” which describes horses as they come to take the dead away. The song resounds, “You’re gonna need somebody when you come to die,” to convey the deep friendship the two artists have even till the end.
“My darkest night will turn to dust. Let the daylight have what it must. I'm alone, but I'm free”
Each track seems as if it were set in the wooden pew of a rural church. It could be something stumbled upon by a lonely gospel choir. Mathus and Bird offer up desperate prayers with each song. They implore, “in my life, how can any man be the unlucky guy so eternally?” in “Beat Still My Heart.” These are the melodies found in souls that wander the country.
These 13 was created out of the depth of a long-time friendship. The collaboration of two talented artists created a sound all-together innovative and new. Their bond shows in the lyrics that speak to the core of the soul. These are songs that can only come from the heart.
Top tracks:
Sweet Oblivion
Poor Lost Souls
Three White Horses and a Golden Chain
Recommended if you like:
Jeff Tweedy
M. Ward
Monsters Of Folk
Sources: Pitchfork, The Real Jimbo Mathus, Paste Magazine, Spotify, Jam Bands
Featured Image: Garden & Gun
(03/17/21 9:25pm)
By Conner Tighe
After a five-year hiatus between his last album, Last Year Was Complicated, and now, listeners will find much to love with Nick Jonas’ latest album Spaceman. This is the artist’s fourth solo album following his career, which started back in 2005 with his first album, Nicholas Jonas. After an initial listen-through, I was honestly impressed with every track, and this is coming from someone who is a moderate fan of Jonas. Spaceman is a huge step up from his 2016 album due to its more uplifting, fast-paced tempo and catchy lyrics. From the surface, the 11-track record is impressive, but as I got into the nitty-grittiness of the work, the waters became murkier as to how Jonas pulled off a valuable piece of art.
Floating in music ecstasy
Jonas introduced a new side of himself with his R&B-inspired Last Year Was Complicated, and that tradition continues with Spaceman; however, it's in moderate doses this time. The artist knows how to carefully balance his pop roots with R&B, and I would go so far as to say he includes some soul-inspired hits like “Sexual” and “Deeper Love.” Accompanying the tracks comes brilliant piano work, moderate drums, and of course, Jonas’ vocals to solidify the A-plus-quality journey of sound. Spaceman is not an album for background music: The album is above that level of mediocrity and is for bass-playing technology and loud atmospheres. I can personally see more than one track here winning an award or two.
It’s assumed Jonas worked on the album during the band’s revival and his marriage to Priyanka Chopra back in 2018; explanation as to what lies underneath the words. The tracks “Don’t Give Up On Us” and “Heights” talk about the conflict Jonas had with Chopra, although it’s unclear when. However, roughly 75 percent of the album is a love ballad to his wife, and he admits to taking inspiration from Stevie Wonder and the Bee Gees. Any sign of his brothers and the story behind their rehash remain out of the album, perhaps for privacy. One thing is clear, and that is that Jonas is at the highest point in his personal life.
This is Heaven / And I don't know how this could get much bettеr (Yeah) / Than you and me, herе right now
Better off alone
Jonas and his brothers, Joe and Kevin, collaborated on their 2019 album, Happiness Begins, which touched on their heartfelt reunion after years of divide. Happiness Begins, as well as the brothers’ other collaborative projects, have been sparks of pop fun, but frankly, they aren’t comparable to Nick’s solo works. Jonas has proved himself more worthwhile to listen to besides Joe and Kevin, and Spaceman further proves that point. Jonas cares about the care and presentation of his vocals and sound, which are beautifully represented here. No single track feels rushed or created for a quick cash grab of sales. That’s why the album knocks his brothers’ work down some pegs.
Top tracks:
This Is Heaven
Sexual
Deeper Love
Recommended if you like:
Miley Cyrus
Demi Lovato
Justin Bieber
Sources: BuzzFeed News, Seventeen
Featured Image: Genius
(03/15/21 4:00pm)
By Mason Kupiainen
After ruling the box office with Avengers: Endgame, the Russo Brothers moved away from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to take on smaller, more niche projects. While they produced 21 Bridges and wrote the screenplay for Extraction, Cherry is their first directorial project since their string of Marvel films.
Cherry follows the corruption of Nico Walker (Tom Holland), a war medic turned drug addict, to cope with his PTSD. While his relationship with his wife falls apart, they both turn to drugs to cope with their pain, leading them down a dark path. This path takes Walker into robbing banks to pay off the debt he’s gained while fueling his and his wife’s drug addiction.
Rough first half
Each of the Marvel entities the Russo’s directed, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, showed off their unique approach to action and visualization. All four of the films were beautifully shot and well-directed, and that skill translates over into Cherry. However, it felt as if the Russo’s were desperately trying to show off their artistry skills while trying to shed the innocence the Disney brand brought them. Although the book is dripping in dread, the film felt as if they made every attempt to expose the dark and grim nature more to shock the audience. The film is a dark, dread-fueled ride that shows the hopelessness of Walker’s life, but it does so in a way that’s unappealing to watch.
Along with this, Holland’s performance is similar to the Russo’s, since he’s become synonymous with playing Spider-Man, it felt as if he, too, was making every move to present himself as a darker and more dramatic actor. His last performance in The Devil All the Time took this similar approach, but he was more subtle with his performance and could disappear into the role. In Cherry, he completely subjects himself to the cruelness of Walker’s character and doesn’t give a believable performance in the first half of the film. When the movie moves past the college and military years of his life around the halfway mark, Holland’s performance surprisingly improves. He was able to pull off the PTSD suffering war vet while executing the drug addict as well. Overall, he still felt heavily miscast in the role as he doesn’t present himself as an edgy and hardened criminal. He lacks shedding his youthful charm he’s known to have, leaving him being another distracting element.
Artistry gone wrong
In terms of consistency, the film is a complete mess. As mentioned before, it felt as if the Russo’s were trying to demonstrate their skills in this film. Without the restraints of Disney and Marvel Studio’s president Kevin Fiege, it felt as if they were given complete creative control, which turned out to be an issue. One of the major issues is the use of fourth-wall breaking. A few times throughout the film, Holland will turn to the camera to give a monologue or give a quick comment to the audience, but it’s used so sparingly that whenever it happens, it feels strange. The film will also change aspect ratio and color grading, adding to the film’s odd creative choices. There are also these oddball moments that felt like bizarre choices for this type of film. For example, there’s a moment in the film during the training sequences where the doctor is examining him, and we get a shot from inside Holland's butt as the doctor does his examination. Decisions like these made for uncomfortable and weird moments that didn’t fit in line with the film’s tone. Most of these creative decisions are well presented, but they’re executed so oddly that it becomes distracting throughout the entire film.
Along with the odd creative choices, there are many elements in the film that made it feel like the filmmakers were trying to adapt elements of the book that don’t work for the film. For example, the book will pause to explain the background of a character to set up certain elements. With many characters in the film, they will be introduced but don’t hold much value in the context of the film. They are given quick cuts to give some useless information on those characters and end up being throwable moments. With the film being about two and a half hours, it would have helped trim down the bloated run-time and make the film more tightly packed. Similarly to how a book will explain information to the audience, the movie relies on voice-over way too much. This method of presenting information could have been the Russo’s trying to be more creative and artsy with their work, but it simply came off as a lazy approach to present information without showing it.
Most of these elements could be forgiven if the story and script were exceptional, yet the film lacks in this region as well. The film often cuts away and moves quickly past interesting moments of his life, and lingers too much in the duller aspects. Since the movie moves past certain elements too quickly, it will gloss over characters that become important later on, yet when the film asks you to care about these moments, they did a lazy job setting it up so that it falls apart. The film is juggling too many elements and jumping around so that you cannot grab hold of anything, leading to the film feeling distant and lifeless.
Sources: Box Office Mojo, IMDB (21 Bridges), IMDB (Extraction), IMDB (Cherry)
Images: Variety, IGN
Featured Image: YouTube
(03/15/21 2:00pm)
By Conner Tighe
AJ Mitchell’s latest single, “Cameras On,” presents another beautifully crafted piece of artwork differing from the rest of his music. “Cameras On” talks about Mitchell’s loneliness and reality check he faced at the beginning of his singing career in 2017. When the cameras are on, as he talks about, everyone is friendly and happy, but when the cameras turn off, things change. Mitchell talks about the entertainment industry's fakeness and inner workings through his personal experiences and what it means to be famous.
Excellent production
A dramatic piano opening with Mitchell’s soft vocal turns all ears in this heartfelt single. Many of his singles like “Slow Dance,” “Like Strangers Do,” and collaboration “Hate You + Love You” with Cheat Codes include those sweet, intimate verses talking about his struggles with love and stardom. “Cameras On” goes for a different performance, with Mitchell not focusing on love but on the music industry's reality. After listening to the single, listeners will find no better way to proclaim sadness and inner truths unless it’s with bittersweet vocals.
Cameras on/And I see the faces changing/I wanna run, I wanna run/Cameras on/Now I'm friends with every stranger/I wanna run, I wanna run
Harsh realities
“Cameras On” is a courageous delivery of patience and servitude to Mitchell’s self-care. The single was a three-year project in the making, and the final delivery is astonishing. The artist’s vocals, usually the main focal point, are only a side matter in his latest single. It’s rare in the pop genre and with Mitchell’s track record to focus on something felt more worldwide rather than individual pain. It’s been confirmed that “Cameras On” is a small peek into Mitchell’s upcoming album Skyview, which was inspired by his hometown Belleville, Illinois. Since the hype and anticipation have been ongoing for some time, it’s possible the album will blow us all away.
Recommended if you like:
Justin Bieber
HRVY
Shawn Mendes
Sources: Facebook, Totalntertainment, Tmrw Magazine
Featured Image: Genius
(03/13/21 5:00pm)
Theatre and dance majors will be performing in the first dance show of the spring 2021 season in "Tribute." "Tribute" is a 50 minute show choreographed by Anne Beck and Michael Humphrey showcasing the African roots of popular musical stylings such as Jazz and swing, and how it even affects modern styles of dance and music. The show will be only shown as a livestream on March 13, at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, please visit bsu.edu/theatre.
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(03/12/21 10:30pm)
By Brandon Carson
Metal-core/pop-punk band, A Day to Remember (ADTR) has been around the block before. They’ve written teenage pop-punk anthems like, “Have Faith in Me,” metal-core ragers like, “Sometimes You’re the Hammer, Sometimes You’re the Nail,” and of course emo ballads like “If I Leave.” They were on many Vans Warped Tours and helped put metal-core into the mainstream with records like Homesick and the almighty Common Courtesy. Unfortunately, ADTR flopped hard with 2016’s Bad Vibrations, full of filler and basic metal-core songs. However, throughout their career, the band established a sound and used it as much as possible. But You’re Welcome is a true anomaly. The record is an attempt to bring ADTR back into the mainstream. Every song feels like the band is trying to do an impression of popular, radio-friendly, rock bands. The songs feel too produced, repetitive, bland, and forgettable. But the biggest headache of You’re Welcome is that it has no idea what it is.
Familiar faces
ADTR has always held a recognizable sound and mainstream qualities. Homesick saw the band hone in on what makes ADTR great: the catchy hooks, hard-hitting riffs, brilliant pop-punk screams, and vocals from Jeremy McKinnon. What Separates Me From You pushed their boundaries further, bringing the band deeper into the mainstream and on the radio as well as Common Courtesy. But on You’re Welcome, they keep trying to sound like other popular mainstream rock bands, when they already are one. “Bloodsucker” takes a page from Imagine Dragons’ book with a big “Woahs” and “Ohs” chorus and heavy percussion. “Last Chance to Dance (Bad Friend)” starts quite promising with a heavy, Code Orange-esque riff. But then, out of nowhere, McKinnon does his best Ivan Moody, of Five Finger Death Punch, impression with the lyrics,
“Twist the blade/Leavin' a wound that never heals inside me/Twist the blade, let it die/Vengeance is hereby mine.”
“Resentment” is what probably happened when ADTR listened to Bring Me the Horizon’s newest record, POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR, and “High Diving” has Twenty One Pilots written all over it. The problem here isn’t that ADTR has modern influences, but they get so washed up in them that they barely try and stay original with their sound.
Generic madness
ADTR has never shied away from their clichés. Their sound contains many metal-core and pop-punk clichés. But in their earlier records like Homesick, What Separates Me From You, and even Common Courtesy, they would balance that with excellent hooks and creative breakdowns. They would have plenty of generic, relatable qualities, but the way they crafted a song around it was interesting and unique. You’re Welcome is the complete generic package: with no unique qualities, filler tracks, repetitive structures, and an overproduced mix. The first offender is “Only Money,” which begins the song with the tried and true, “My momma called me…” The song is basically every radio ballad you hear on the radio. The lyrics are bland and repetitive, the definition of filler. “F.Y.M.” is equally as generic and bland, not even sounding like the same band. The third offender, “Mindreader,” is the band on autopilot, with the same structure that every song on the record contains. Among the fillers in the record are: “Resentment,” “Degenerates,” “Permanent,” and “Re-Entry.”
But the biggest misstep on the record goes to the closer, “Everything We Need.” Not only is the instrumental a bland, overproduced mess, but the lyrics are painfully dull and clichéd. It sounds like the first chorus they came up with for the song and never wanted to make it any better.
“Cuz I know I got you/And you know you got me/We got everything we need/We got everything we need/I know I got you (I know I got you)/And you know you got me/We got everything we need/We got everything we need.”
To give credit where it’s due, “Last Chance to Dance (Bad Friend),” and “Resentment,” have some explosive, heavy moments that blend well with the new songwriting style. It should also be acknowledged that they are taking a big risk, changing their sound from something pop-punk/metal-core to radio-friendly hits.
No identity
This record suffers the most from having no identity or vision with its bland lyrics and instrumentals, each track sounds completely different from the next, and not in a way that still connects it all as a whole. The result is that the record suffers an identity crisis. It’s constantly changing moods and styles, but still managing to contain the bland and annoying mainstream clichés. It jumps from the seemingly Imagine Dragons inspired, “Bloodsucker,” to “Last Chance to Dance (Bad Friend),” to “F.Y.M.,” in a row! Then the filler tracks arrive and throw off the pacing of the record near the end. Fortunately, “Last Chance to Dance (Bad Friend)” has a brutally heavy riff.
Top tracks:
“Looks Like Hell”
“Resentment”
“Re-Entry”
Recommended if you like:
Pierce the Veil
Bring Me the Horizon
We Came As Romans
Sources: Revolver
Featured Image: Genius
(03/09/21 4:28pm)
By Mason Kupiainen
In recent years, Stephen King has been shifting away from the strange and horror genres. Books like The Outsider and If It Bleeds still implement horror and bizarre elements, but it’s beginning to feel as if these elements have been placed on the backburner. He's been fixated on the crime, mystery, and detective genres with novels such as the Mr. Mercedes trilogy and The Outsider. King has released novels under the Hard Case Crime imprint, books intended to catch the feel of classic pulp fiction and noir novels, beginning with The Colorado Kid and Joyland. King once again returns to Hard Case Crimes with Later.
Later follows Jamie Conklin, who has the ability to talk to the dead, but with minor exceptions. When asked a question, the dead have to give him the truth, and these ghosts can only stay around a few days until passing on. Jamie lives with his single mother, who’s a struggling editor. Once her bestselling author dies without finishing his final novel, she uses Jamie to talk with the deceased author to finish the book. His mother’s detective girlfriend, Liz, struggles to believe he has this ability while drawing him into a case with the hopes of stopping a deceased serial killer who left behind one final surprise.
King at his finest
One of the best aspects of King is his approach to bizarre and outlandish ideas. Novels like Pet Sematary, The Shining, and It perfectly showcase his ability to take strange concepts and turn them into some of literature’s finest works. Later follows this same idea with having a concept that might sound similar to The Sixth Sense but approaches it differently. The concept is structured in a way so that it feels fresh and unique. Since it is a Hard Case Crime novel, the book has a quick and speedy pace; these novels tend to be shorter than King’s usually lengthy tomes. Unlike some of King’s other works, like Pet Sematary and The Stand that linger around in some areas, Later gets to the point right from the start and never slows down. The story also bleeds in and out of different smaller stories that connect to the overall tale. It begins with Jamie’s mother trying to finish the dead author’s novel before leading into the small crime portion of the book. Both of these then lead into the actual meat of the story.
The book also makes use of its title by incorporating multiple layers. The word “later” holds many meanings and is used continuously throughout, without ever feeling repetitive. For example, the story is told from a first-person perspective, with Jamie reflecting on his life. On almost every page, Jamie will point out something that might seem minor now which comes into play “later” or mention a subtle detail he didn’t catch until “later.”
For being published under the Hard Case Crime series, it was surprising to find that Later wasn’t a crime novel. There are crime elements sprinkled throughout, and for the exception of a minor section of the book, there isn’t much detective work. The focus on horror instead of the detective work is a detour from The Colorado Kid and Joyland — both released under Hard Case Crimes. However, Later turned out to be the best of the three by improving upon many aspects. Later feels less like King trying to force his style into a genre that can’t support it and instead feels like a stereotypical King novel.
And, of course, you can’t have a King novel without references to the larger King universe. Fans of his work will enjoy the connections to the rest of his universe. From small references to a novel like The Shawshank Redemption to major plot elements taken from It, this tale was almost like a Where’s Waldo? for King fans.
Maybe later
Later does struggle from some elements that feel like a result of King’s age. The dialogue and actions at times when Jamie was younger did not feel natural to how kids are today. Although King is notorious for capturing the essence of children within his books — most notably It and The Body (adapted into the film Stand By Me) — Later feels almost as if King is too far removed from his youth to portray children perfectly. The way the story follows Jamie growing up was done well for being a shorter book, but it still has its minor missteps here and there.
Something annoying that King has usually been good at leaving to the wayside is talk of politics. King’s never been afraid to add monologues about topics and ideas within his books, but he usually tries to avoid putting his political beliefs within his work. Even though Later doesn’t contain many examples of this, it was annoying at certain points when the story felt as if it paused to present his views on the political climate. Perhaps if these elements were better woven into the story, so they didn’t stick out like a sore thumb, it would have appeared less intrusive. However, in the beginning, there are certain points where it felt as if King was sacrificing the characters to force political drama that did not feel natural to how the characters were introduced.
Since the book revolves around the young boy being able to talk to the dead, this ties in with the theme of secrets. Countless times throughout the story, disturbing secrets are revealed about characters, tying into a theme that some secrets are better left unknown. This concept works well for most of the secrets, except for one. A mystery that haunts Jamie is who his father is because his mother refuses to tell him. Once his identity is revealed in the end, it works with the theme of leaving secrets alone. It does feel like King went a little too far because most will wish they hadn’t learned the answer to this particular question.
Sources: Hard Case Crime, IMDB
Featured Image: GameSpot
(03/08/21 6:22am)
By Aaron Dwyer
Well… another day, another reboot of a beloved childhood property. And yet somehow, I never saw this coming. Didn’t they already try making a Tom & Jerry movie back in 1992? And wasn’t it a widely-panned disaster that failed to make its money back, relegating Tom and Jerry’s “cinematic” presence to direct-to-TV specials on Cartoon Network? Yes, to all of the above. And yet, apparently, someone thought they could do it better this time. Luckily, this one doesn’t make the mistake of having Tom and Jerry talk, but it does make the mistake of writing in human characters that we’re supposed to care about.
In this family comedy, Tom and Jerry find themselves stranded in New York with nowhere to sleep - apparently, the cost of living there is so high now that even street animals have to pay rent - and Jerry finds the perfect solution: sneaking into a ritzy hotel to live a life of luxury and resume his usual trouble-causing ways. Meanwhile, a young lady named Kayla (Chloë Grace Moretz) has lied her way into getting a job at the Royal Gate Hotel right as it's preparing to host a wedding for one of New York society’s hottest couples. The last thing she needs is a mouse sneaking around, so she enlists Tom to hunt down Jerry through various slapstick routines. Throw in an uptight manager that’s onto Kayla’s scheme, some oddball hotel workers, the bumbling high society guests, and you’ve got… well, kind of a mess, to be honest.
(03/07/21 11:30pm)
By Mason Kupiainen
After a year without many blockbusters, it seems like studios are being forced to start releasing their more high-profile works. Warner Brothers has been doing this recently with films like Wonder Woman 1984, The Little Things, and Tom & Jerry. Now, Disney follows Warner Bros.’s similar concept of releasing films on their streaming services on the same day they drop in theaters. However, Disney is taking a different approach by including a premium charge on top of requiring a subscription to their service.
Raya and the Last Dragon takes place in a fantasy land where humans and dragons once cohabited together. Once monsters began turning humans and dragons into stone, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. An orb that protected humanity from the monsters after the dragons left is broken, and it’s up to Raya to go on a journey to find the last dragon.
(03/07/21 6:00pm)
By Mason Kupiainen
It’s been well over a year since we’ve received the last bit of Marvel content. Ever since Spider-Man: Far From Home was released in July of 2019, there’s been a year and five-month drought of Marvel films and television. With Black Widow, Eternals, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier all getting bumped, WandaVision became our first look into where Phase Four of Marvel will go.
WandaVision follows Wanda and Vision after the events of Avengers: Endgame, where they find themselves within a sitcom reality. As the show progresses, more and more strange things begin to occur as the truth is slowly peeled back.
A great first step
Although WandaVision was originally going to be released after Black Widow, The Eternals, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it oddly felt like a natural introduction to Phase Four. Since the show takes place within weeks after the events of Avengers: Endgame, audiences can witness various aspects of how Thanos’ actions have impacted lives. Spider-Man: Far From Home gave a glimpse of this, but it mostly was played off for comedy. WandaVison, however, takes the effects of The Snap and shows how both the people who survived those five years and those who disappeared are struggling to cope with billions of people suddenly returning from the dead.
Marvel also set up the show to introduce characters who’ll have bigger roles in the future. One of the characters involved in this series, Monica Rambeau, daughter of Maria Rambeau, makes her introduction as an adult in this series after being introduced as a child in Captain Marvel. The character will continue on in future projects, most notably Captain Marvel 2, so getting to follow and understand the character in this series was a great set up for her future character.
Giving Wanda the spotlight in the series allowed viewers to understand the deeper struggle of the character. Ever since her introduction in Avengers: Age of Ultron, we’ve understood that her character is deeply broken ever since her parents and brother were killed. Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War solidified that she was heading down an unstable path; however, the character has officially been broken to her core now, leading her to desperately do whatever she can to reverse the tragic events of her past. Her character arc led to many mysteries surrounding the show, including how Vision is back after being killed off in Avengers: Infinity War. These mysteries became a driving force behind the show since the slow pace kept audiences trailing behind.
Marvel’s first mystery
As mentioned, there are many mysteries within this show. Some of them include why they are living in a sitcom, how is Vision alive, and how does Wanda have children? With the show being nine episodes, it was able to creatively and steadily build its mystery. This could throw some off since the first three episodes are traditional sitcom episodes, with a few clues sprinkled throughout hinting at what’s to come. Audiences expecting to see the traditional style of action and humor of Marvel films could be frustrated with this, but those who can stick with it and allow the story to unfold will be rewarded with an excellent and bizarre show that has never been done before.
Despite the incredible storytelling, there are a few drawbacks to the series. One of the issues that affected The Mandalorian was carried over into this series, and that’s the length of the episodes. There are countless episodes where it felt as if they could have tacked on an extra 10 or 15 minutes to allow the story to breathe a little, instead of trying to cram a truckload of information into a short 30-minute episode. So far, with Disney’s shows, it feels as if they’re simply being cheap and won’t allow for longer episodes. With the blend of sitcom and normal Marvel storytelling, there are too many episodes where the writers rush both of these elements. Leaning closer to having hour-long episodes would allow the sitcom aspects to play out while allowing the other storylines to carry on and develop further.
Another gripe against the show was having odd and frustrating misdirects that might leave viewers furious. For example, Quicksilver’s character is reintroduced in this film after being killed off in Avengers: Age of Ultron. However, the actor playing him wasn’t Aaron Taylor-Johnson, but instead Evan Peters, the actor who played the character in the X-Men films. With Doctor Strange 2 having the title In the Multiverse of Madness, it was exciting to see Peters play the role, since his interpretation was superior to Johnson’s, but the revelation of the character felt like a punch to the gut for fans of the Marvel Universe, as well as the X-Men films.
Slow starter
Around episode four, the series kicks into high gear and ends satisfyingly. However, the first two episodes were a rough start. Since those episodes reflected classic sitcoms so well, it felt odd to start the series off like that. Little to no context is given as to what’s happening, leaving you confused about what you’re watching. Except for a quick moment here or there where you see that there’s something strange happening, you’re left watching a standard episode from the 50s and 60s. Episode three, “Now In Color”, reflects the 70s and progressed the story further, but was still left feeling very slow. Audiences who don’t have the patience to watch three episodes until the roof is blown off in episode four will probably drop out. However, those who can push through this slow start will be rewarded with an explosive ending.
Sources: IMDB (Spider-Man: Far From Home), Vox, IMDB (Captain Marvel II), IMDB (WandaVision)
Images: Den of Geek, SuperHeroHype, Entertainment Weekly
Featured Image: Review Geek