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Welcome back to this special edition of How It's Played! In this first edition of a two part series, we discuss the 2021 Game Awards and predict who will take home coveted title of "Game of the Year." Which of our lovely contestants accurately predict this year's winners? Find out on this edition of How It's Played!
By Anthony Herring Warning: This review contains spoilers for the first season of "Loki” Back in Avengers: Endgame, the Avengers enacted a “Time Heist” where they traveled through time to gather all six Infinity Stones. One of the places that they went to was New York City in 2012, where the final battle of The Avengers occurred. After a dangerous mishap involving the Hulk and a flight of stairs, the Avengers fail in gaining the Tesseract (Space Stone), and it ends up in the hands of none other than Loki. With the Stone in his possession, he disappears. That was the last time we all saw him, and none of us knew when he would see him again. Everything changed in 2019, where it was revealed that Loki’s story would continue in a Disney+ show, aptly titled 'Loki'. After several delays due to COVID-19, Loki premiered on Disney+ on June 9th, 2021 and ended on July 14th. It is the third MCU show on the platform, following WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and is the third installment of Phase Four. Overall, Loki ultimately proved to be a wacky ride from start to finish. He’s the Loki to All of This [caption id="" align="alignright" width="456"] Image from Inside the Magic[/caption] The show’s premise is this: the Loki that escaped in Endgame has been arrested by the Time Variance Authority (TVA), since his theft of the Tesseract violates the “Sacred Timeline.” This violation resulted in the near-creation of an alternate timeline, and Loki is dubbed a variant. Rather than face the threat of being erased from existence, Loki reluctantly works with the TVA to stop a rogue variant of himself from destroying the timeline. When it comes to playing this character, Tom Hiddleston has never phoned it in in a performance, and the streak continues here. The Loki that the show follows didn’t go through the redemption arc that ended in Infinity War, so Hiddleston has wiggle room to try something new: a semi-redemption of sorts. In the first episode, Glorious Purpose, Loki is shown both his life and failures by TVA agent Mobius (played by Owen Wilson). Mobius confronts him on the “God of Mischief” persona that Loki has created, and Hiddleston does a great job in conveying the character’s insecurities about it and rationale for creating it. The cherry on top is the fact that Loki actually witnesses what happened to him in the Sacred Timeline—including the moment where Thanos killed him. It’s a powerful scene, and it helps make Loki see that in order to change for the better, he’ll have to save himself first. Lament This-1 [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="442"] Image from Marvel[/caption] Since Loki deals with timelines, alternate timelines, and other things (more on that later), it’s not surprising to find that variants of the title character exist. The primary one that Loki encounters is Sylvie, played by Sophia Di Martino. She has a hatred for the TVA, who took her when she was a child and has been on the run from them ever since. Loki and Sylvie inevitably find their goals aligning, and go on a season-long adventure in the hopes of destroying the TVA. Di Martino is a welcome addition to the MCU, delivering a charismatic and engaging performance—even outshining Hiddleston on many occasions. (That; however, doesn’t hinder the wonderful chemistry that the two share). [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="445"] Image from Marvel[/caption] Other variants of Loki show up, such as Classic Loki, Boastful Loki, President Loki, Kid Loki, and even an alligator Loki (Alli-Loki?). When it comes to these other variants, results are…mixed. Classic Loki, played by Richard E. Grant, is by far the best of the bunch, providing a version of the character who has lost his “glorious purpose.” (Such purpose actually has an effective payoff for Classic Loki, where he helps Loki and Sylvie in an emotional way). Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the other variants. President Loki—also played by Hiddleston—has a hilarious scene with Alli-Loki, but that’s about it. Alli-Loki’s only gimmick is that he’s an alligator. Boastful Loki’s thing is that…he’s boastful—and a traitor. Kid Loki happens to be the oldest of this group of variants, having killed his Thor long ago. Despite that, his only real purpose is to gift Loki with a weapon that will prove useful to him in the future. Let’s go out with a Kang! [caption id="" align="alignright" width="379"] Image from Marvel[/caption] The final episode of the season, For All Time. Always., has Loki and Sylvie meet the creator of the TVA, He Who Remains (HWR), played by Jonathan Majors. HWR reveals to the duo that he created the organization, so as to keep the timeline safe from his more dangerous variants, HWR waged a “multiverse war” a long time ago. Loki ultimately hesitates on killing him, fearing the worst, but Sylvie thinks otherwise. She kills HWR and sends Loki back to the TVA—only to see that her actions have unleashed the worst. This episode will no doubt have massive ramifications for the MCU, and it all comes back to HWR. Majors’ performance as the character was a tad goofy, but considering that he has been doing this who-knows-how long—completely alone, mind you—it makes sense why he’d be a bit loony. It also is a bit worrisome considering that while HWR revealed his doings to Loki and Sylvie, he spoke about it all so…casually; as if everything he’s done is menial. Since HWR is meant to be the “good variant” of Kang the Conqueror—who Majors will be playing in 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania—this is a clear sign that Kang will not to be taken lightly. Sources: Marvel, IMDB, Disney, Disney, Disney, Marvel Images: Inside the Magic, Marvel, Marvel, Marvel Featured Image: Deadline
I’m just going to come out and say it: I love The Last of Us Part II. Sure, it made some controversial choices that didn’t sit well with everyone—Joel’s death primarily. Yes, it also made you play as the woman that killed him—who I found to be a compelling character. And yes, it was a pretty depressing game all around.
Words cannot express my love for Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series. I first played the initial three games—Drake’s Fortune, Among Thieves, and Drake’s Deception—back in high school, and wow, what a ride. The adventures of Nathan Drake and his friends captured both my imagination and my attention for months on end; I couldn’t stop playing them (resulting in play sessions that I labeled “Uncharted Days”).
by Anthony HerringI’m just going to come out and say it: I love The Last of Us Part II. Sure, it made some controversial choices that didn’t sit well with everyone—Joel’s death primarily. Yes, it also made you play as the woman that killed him—who I found to be a compelling character. And yes, it was a pretty depressing game all around.Despite all of that, I still loved it.
by Anthony HerringWords cannot express my love for Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series. I first played the initial three games—Drake’s Fortune, Among Thieves, and Drake’s Deception—back in high school, and wow, what a ride. The adventures of Nathan Drake and his friends captured both my imagination and my attention for months on end; I couldn’t stop playing them (resulting in play sessions that I labeled “Uncharted Days”).It was around this time that the next Uncharted game, titled A Thief’s End, was announced. The first teaser released for the project held a dark tone, with Drake waking up wounded in a jungle. While doing so, a voice over of his mentor, Victor “Sully” Sullivan, was playing; he asked Drake if he was willing to continue on the dangerous quest that he’s currently on. The trailer then ended with the title card.As the release date drew closer, Naughty Dog announced more about the game: Drake had an older brother named Sam, who was never mentioned before. Along with that, this was to be the final entry in Drake’s story, and the series creator, Amy Hennig, was no longer helming the project. Taking her place was Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley, the two directors behind the critically acclaimed, survival horror masterpiece The Last of Us. Needless to say, this game was shaping up to be familiar, yet different from its more light-hearted predecessors, and I couldn’t have been more excited.With A Thief’s End having celebrated its fifth birthday this past May, I wanted to discuss why I feel that this is the best installment in the series.
By Anthony Herring The Marvel Cinematic Universe has officially entered a new era of storytelling. Having utilized feature-length films for 11 years straight, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige announced that the MCU would venture into the world of television. At Comic-Con in 2019, he revealed that these shows would be released on Disney+, starting with five: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Loki, What If…?, and Hawkeye. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was scheduled as the first show to be released, with a tentative date of Fall 2020. Everything changed when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Every MCU show was delayed, resulting in the schedule being shuffled around to accommodate production changes. As a result, the first show to be released on Disney+ was WandaVision (back in January 2021), with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier following suit on March 19th. The show—part of the MCU’s Phase Four slate—manages to tell a compelling and timely story, despite a few stumbles here and there. Two peas in a pod Set six months after Avengers: Endgame, Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie) struggles with the fact that Steve Rogers chose him to be the next Captain America. Rather than take up the mantle, he decides to give it away to the U.S. government—a decision that backfires. What ultimately makes Wilson’s arc gripping is not only due to Mackie’s insanely likable performance, or that Wilson proves himself worthy of being Captain America time and time again—but because the show chooses to discuss how he is a Black man in America. He gives up Cap’s shield for this reason, as he believes that there’s no way that the country will accept him as this symbol of Americanism. The inner conflict presented here is portrayed well, and ultimately has a satisfying conclusion. The second half of this duo is none other than Bucky Barnes, played by Sebastian Stan. Before this show, it can be argued that Barnes didn’t really have any discernible character traits. The best I could give you regarding that is that he was both Steve Rogers’ best friend and the Winter Soldier. (Infinity War and Endgame did him no favors, as Barnes had barely any screen time in those films.) Thankfully, the show actually takes the character’s past and uses it in impactful ways, demonstrating how he seeks redemption for his crimes as the Winter Soldier. Not only that, but he feels like a real character, as there are multiple facets of his personality on display, such as his remorse and personal growth. The chemistry that Stan shares with Mackie is wonderful too (which is great, or else the show’s premise would’ve fallen flat). The Star-Spangled Man without a plan One of the show’s newest characters is John Walker, who is played by Wyatt Russell (the son of Kurt Russell, who was also in the MCU as Ego the Living Planet). The U.S. government chooses Walker—which goes against what Wilson wanted when he gave the shield away. To make matters worse, Walker is shown to be the perfect soldier: brave, in peak physical condition, and highly decorated—but not a wholly good man, which is in stark contrast to Wilson and Rogers. As a result, he is revealed to be emotionally unstable and slightly insecure, making dangerous and reckless decisions at the worst possible times. Russell does an incredible job showing these aspects of Walker’s character, so much to the point that many have thrown hate towards him. (Frankly, that hate should be thrown at Walker, not Russell, he’s just doing his job as an actor.) Despite all that, there are moments where the character expresses his humanity, which ultimately makes him a rather compelling anti-hero instead of a full-on villain. Chillin’ with a villain(s) Speaking of villains, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has a group of them in the name of the Flag-Smashers. They are led by Karli Morgenthau (portrayed by Erin Kellyman), and their goal is to make the world how it was during the Blip (the five-year period between Infinity War and Endgame). While their goals were clearly illustrated, Morgenthau and her accomplices as characters themselves were pretty uninteresting and unmemorable. Thankfully, the same cannot be said for Daniel Brühl’s Baron Helmut Zemo (who returns from Civil War). While it can be argued that Zemo didn’t have to be in the film—the Sokovia Accords provided enough for the Avengers—he definitely was one of the highlights of it. Zemo is one of the better MCU villains we’ve gotten, and it was delightful to see him return. The show reveals more about his backstory, gives a deeper insight into his hatred towards superpowered individuals, and manages to do the impossible: turn him into a meme. (That last part is a sight to behold.) Lastly, Emily VanCamp’s Sharon Carter returns as well (with her last appearance being in Civil War). Unlike the more benevolent portrayals of the character in the past, she is instead cast in a more suspicious light. She lives in the city of Madripoor (a staple from Marvel’s X-Men comics) and partakes in very mysterious dealings. Without getting into major spoilers, it is an interesting route to take Carter—considering that she’s the niece of the heroic Agent Peggy Carter. Sources: The Verge, Entertainment Weekly, CBR, IMDB Images: The Mary Sue, USA Today, Deadline Featured Image: MediaScrolls
The hugely popular Batman: Arkham franchise is one of my favorite video game franchises (alongside Uncharted and The Last of Us). I’ve been a fan of Rocksteady and Warner Bros. Games Montreal’s titles since I was 13, as they provided the ultimate experiences imaginable for me to become Batman. Now, while all of the Arkham series games are good at the very least, some are better than others. (Note: I will only be ranking the console releases. Therefore, I will not talk about the handheld entry Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, which came out on the Nintendo 3DS and PS Vita.)
The hugely popular Batman: Arkham franchise is one of my favorite video game franchises (alongside Uncharted and The Last of Us). I’ve been a fan of Rocksteady and Warner Bros. Games Montreal’s titles since I was 13, as they provided the ultimate experiences imaginable for me to become Batman. Now, while all of the Arkham series games are good at the very least, some are better than others. (Note: I will only be ranking the console releases. Therefore, I will not talk about the handheld entry Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, which came out on the Nintendo 3DS and PS Vita.)
On Nov. 17, 2017, Warner Bros. released Justice League, the first live-action film to star the titular DC Comics superhero team. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the same film that director Zack Snyder was originally making. Earlier that year, he stepped down from the project after his daughter, Autumn, passed away. In his place, the studio hired Avengers director Joss Whedon to finish it. What resulted was a heavily reshot and rewritten mess of a film, not exactly the winner Warner Bros. was hoping for. Even now, it’s been implied that the studio knew what a disaster the theatrical cut really was.
By Anthony Herring On Nov. 17, 2017, Warner Bros. released Justice League, the first live-action film to star the titular DC Comics superhero team. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the same film that director Zack Snyder was originally making. Earlier that year, he stepped down from the project after his daughter, Autumn, passed away. In his place, the studio hired Avengers director Joss Whedon to finish it. What resulted was a heavily reshot and rewritten mess of a film, not exactly the winner Warner Bros. was hoping for. Even now, it’s been implied that the studio knew what a disaster the theatrical cut really was. After the theatrical cut’s critical and commercial failure, Snyder’s fanbase began to campaign for the release of his original version—famously labeled the “Snyder Cut.” For three-and-a-half years, the fanbase, naysayers, and Justice League actors like Jason Mamoa went back and forth on the existence of the film. Zack Snyder himself even entered the fray in 2019, confirming that his film really did exist after all. The campaign completed its goal in May 2020, when it was announced that the film—officially titled Zack Snyder’s Justice League―will be completed and released on the HBO Max streaming service. This version was eventually released on March 18, and unlike whatever the theatrical cut tried to accomplish, it wholly delivers on its thrilling and action-packed premise. A Justice League of our own Zack Snyder’s Justice League shares the same general plot as the theatrical cut: Months after the events of Superman’s death in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Batman tasks himself with assembling a team of heroes—Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash—to help protect the Earth from an alien villain called Steppenwolf (more on him later). Steppenwolf is terrorizing the planet because he is searching for three Mother Boxes, ancient cubes that will terraform Earth and ultimately lay waste to it. What makes Snyder’s cut superior is that it includes many, many elements that the theatrical cut left on the cutting room floor. One such element was tons of much-needed expository details, which would’ve helped explain certain plot points and character motivations. For example, in the theatrical cut, Steppenwolf knows—somehow—the exact location of a Mother Box hidden by the lost kingdom of Atlantis. Admittedly, it’s pretty minor, but it’s still something that isn’t explained. In Snyder’s cut, it’s actually shown how Steppenwolf found the Mother Box: he had to interrogate Atlantean soldiers to discover its location. Seeing scenes like this were such a relief: the Snyder Cut took the time to actually explain things that would be unclear to the viewer, and it managed to do this without insulting the viewer’s intelligence. The heart of the matter Another egregious exclusion from the theatrical cut was the entirety of Cyborg’s (Victor Stone) character and backstory. Theatrical Cyborg was an empty vessel, for crying out loud! He clumsily discovered his abilities, had a decent relationship with his father, Silas, and just went on his merry way with the Justice League. (Not to mention that the CGI for Cyborg was comically laughable). Thankfully, Cyborg is a far better character in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Several years ago, Cyborg was touted as the “heart of the film” by Snyder himself, and he was right. The character’s backstory is explored extensively, revealing Victor’s strained relationship with Silas, his frustration over his condition, and—what is most notable—his good heart. There is a sequence in the film where Victor helps a struggling, single mother, and it is truly heartwarming to witness. Not only that, but there’s another sequence where Silas teaches Victor how to use his newfound abilities (something the theatrical cut didn’t bother to include). Ray Fisher’s performance as the character is wonderful as well. He gives such humanity to Cyborg that I truly did feel sympathetic towards him, and I was very satisfied to see him triumph over his struggles. A Steppenwolf in sheep’s clothing Yet another misstep of the theatrical cut was Steppenwolf. While performed decently by actor Ciarán Hinds, the theatrical Steppenwolf looked like a villain from a PlayStation 2-era fantasy game. (Complete with a belt that had a skull on it, I’m not kidding). His appearance didn’t make him threatening, and his lack of a real personality or motivation didn’t help that much. Thankfully, Snyder’s Steppenwolf is an improvement. While his appearance is mired with overly spiky armor, Steppenwolf looks like a threatening alien monster. On top of that, he has a motivation here, too: he hopes that if he successfully finds the Mother Boxes, he’ll redeem himself in the eyes of his nephew, popular DC Comics villain Darkseid. This isn’t portrayed compellingly, but it’s still appreciated that a motivation is present for Steppenwolf in the first place. Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, HuffPost, Vox, Screen Rant, Variety, Screen Rant Images: The New Republic, GazetteXtra, Looper Featured Image: GamesRadar
By Anthony Herring WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR DISNEY PIXAR'S 'SOUL' When it comes to creating animated films of the highest quality, look no further than Pixar. Ever since the release of Toy Story back in 1995, the Disney-owned studio has consistently produced critically acclaimed works of art. Films such as WALL-E, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles have contributed to the pop-culture lexicon, giving us iconic characters like Dory, Frozone, and EVE. What makes Pixar’s filmography truly special is that the studio is more than willing to explore complex themes and emotional arcs. WALL-E tackles the consequences of corporate greed and waning environmentalism while telling a touching love story. Finding Nemo is a story of a loving, yet overprotective father who goes to great lengths to rescue his only son. The Incredibles is essentially a superhero drama about a family who’s forced to protect a society that no longer cares for people like them. Soul is the newest entry by the studio, having been directed by Pete Docter (of Up and Inside Out fame). The film was originally supposed to have a theatrical release on Jun. 19th, 2020, but eventually went to streaming on Disney+ due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Releasing on Dec. 25th, Soul follows Pixar’s classic framework, using its characters and story to tell a powerfully effective narrative. Not your average Joe The film’s plot follows Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx), an aspiring jazz musician stuck at a dead-end job as a middle-school band teacher. Despite the disapproval of his mother Libba (voiced by Phylicia Rashad), Joe manages to land a gig with legendary musician Dorothea Williams (voiced by Angela Bassett). However, a freak accident causes Joe’s soul to be separated from his body, and he has to find a way back to Earth--while dealing with a despondent soul named 22 (voiced by Tina Fey). The plot itself is fairly straightforward, but what makes it something ultimately poignant is that it’s willing to explore an important question: what does it mean to live? Both Joe’s and 22’s character arcs illustrate this, as they are both on opposite ends of the spectrum. Joe wants to go back to Earth to start living a life he has been chasing for years, while 22 is stuck in Limbo, having never found a real reason to live. However, that all changes when the duo manages to return to Earth, only for their souls to end up in the wrong bodies. While this dynamic is initially used for comedy, it eventually gives way for 22 to wonderfully develop as a character, as she learns the beauty in living and appreciating the little things in life. Her development is in line with Joe’s, as he grows to both understand and value the trials and triumphs of his own life, cherishing the journey rather than the destination. It’s about time! Soul is quite groundbreaking, as it is the first Pixar film to feature an African-American protagonist, along with a substantial African-American supporting cast. This is very pleasing and refreshing to see, as it adds a relatability factor for many viewers, who might be able to see themselves in Joe and understand his perspective. Not only that, but it offers a hearty glimpse into a culture that desperately needs to be illustrated more in mainstream animated films. Is this real life? Is this just fantasy? Unsurprisingly, the animation that brings the world of Soul to life is utterly breathtaking and is the best-looking Pixar film to date. The city of New York (one of the film’s main settings) is brought to life in spectacular detail, with buildings, shops, and even its denizens looking scarily lifelike. The worlds of the “Great Beyond” and the “Great Before” (where the titular souls inhabit) are beautifully ethereal, with an assortment of blues, greens, and purples creating these almost dreamlike realities. (Don’t be too shocked if Pixar’s next outing is so incredibly animated that it ends up just being live-action). Sources: Business Insider, Den of Geek, The Grio Featured Image: ComingSoon Images: Den of Geek, The New York Times
By Anthony Herring WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ SEASON 2 On Nov. 12, 2019, Disney unleashed its streaming service, Disney+, into the world. Out of all the touted original content for the platform, one was widely anticipated: The Mandalorian. Created by Jon Favreau, who started the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Iron Man, the series followed the titular Mandalorian (played by Pedro Pascal), who operated as a bounty hunter five years after the events of Return of the Jedi. During the show’s first season, the Mandalorian--whose real name is Din Djarin (pronounced “jar-en”)--found himself protecting the Child, a baby that was being hunted by an Imperial Moff named Gideon (played by Giancarlo Esposito). As The Mandalorian progressed, the show became insanely popular. Many viewers were enthralled by the everyday escapades of Djarin and the Child, who was given the nickname “Baby Yoda” since he was of the same species as Master Yoda. Others also compared it far favorably to the then-concluding Star Wars sequel trilogy, widely considered a mixed bag by the fandom. The show’s first season ended with Djarin managing to escape from Gideon and his forces, with his new mission being to bring Baby Yoda--whose real name is revealed to be Grogu in “Chapter 13: The Jedi”--to, well, the Jedi. However, this would prove to be difficult, as the Jedi were practically extinct around this time. Thankfully, the second season of the show, which began on Oct. 30 and ended on Dec. 18, provided a thrilling and emotionally satisfying outcome for the Mandalorian’s quest. Din and Grogu’s bogus journey The second season begins with Djarin looking for other Mandalorians in the hopes they can lead him and Grogu to any surviving Jedi. Their mission first takes them to the planet Tatooine. There, they meet Cobb Vanth (played by Timothy Olyphant), a marshal of a small settlement called Freetown, who wears Mandalorian armor that he stole. Djarin, who wants the armor from Vanth, helps him stop a monster called a Krayt Dragon from destroying Freetown. After leaving Tatooine, Djarin and Grogu are whisked throughout the Outer Rim, meeting many characters that eventually lead them to the Jedi. Fortunately, these additions never detracted from the heart of the show, which is the relationship between Djarin and Grogu. Due to the perils of their adventure, Djarin’s growing love for his newfound son is constantly tested. For instance, in “Chapter 16: The Rescue” (the season finale), Djarin gives Grogu away so he can finally be trained as a Jedi. At this moment, he removes his helmet--which is against his code of honor--so Grogu can finally see his face. It’s a stirring and powerful moment, illustrating how much he has grown as a father-figure, with Pascal’s performance giving him that much more humanity. Boy meets world Returning characters from last season appear during Djarin and Grogu’s journey, like Greef Karga (played by Carl Weathers) and Cara Dune (played by Gina Carano). However, due to season two’s larger scale, The Mandalorian includes characters previously introduced in other Star Wars media, such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. One such character is Bo-Katan Kryze (pronounced “kreeze”), who is played by Katee Sackoff (who voiced her in The Clone Wars and Rebels). She first appears in “Chapter 11: The Heiress” and again in “The Rescue.” Kryze’s inclusion in the show is a welcome one, as Sackoff does a great job with the character’s steely determination and stern attitude. This provides a compelling contrast with Djarin, as his demeanor is that of a man who is wrestling with forces that he doesn’t fully understand. Interestingly enough, Kryze’s storyline both ties into the threat of Moff Gideon (who also returns from season one) and provides some scintillating hints for the show’s future. Another character that leaves her mark on The Mandalorian is former Jedi Ahsoka Tano, who is played by Rosario Dawson. (Ashley Eckstein previously voiced the character in The Clone Wars and Rebels). Ahsoka’s only appearance is in “Chapter 13: The Jedi,” where she reveals that Grogu survived Anakin Skywalker’s attack on the Jedi Temple (as depicted in Revenge of the Sith). Dawson did a decent job with her portrayal, giving viewers a matured and subdued version of the character. However, it was rather jarring having someone else play the character when Eckstein spent a decade doing so. Post-Endor paracosm With The Mandalorian set within the 30-year gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, it was important for the show to provide details about this era of Star Wars. The first season gave details by revealing Gideon was leading a sizable military force of Imperial troops. This was surprising, as the Empire was not in power at this point, having been defeated by the New Republic four years before the show. Fortunately, this season doubles down, showing that Gideon also controls a laboratory and several starships. Despite all of that, his most mysterious item is the Darksaber, an ancient Mandalorian weapon that Kryze is hunting him down for. Their rivalry brings greater depth to Gideon’s foothold in the galaxy, demonstrating how his actions have affected other characters. What makes this even more complicated is Djarin, who won the Darksaber from Gideon in “The Rescue”, and is now the rightful owner of the weapon. Such a development illustrates how obsessed Kryze is with getting the Darksaber, due to her refusing to take it from Djarin as she wants to win it during combat. Unfortunately, this plotline isn’t resolved; surely, season three will recognize this and make it the central conflict. Lastly, the criminal underworld--one of season one’s main selling points--is also given more context on its place during this era. Fan-favorite character Boba Fett (played by Temuera Morrison, who also played Jango Fett in the prequel trilogy) returns, where it’s explained that he survived his “death” in Return of the Jedi. He ends up helping Djarin protect Grogu, and when that mission is over, soon takes control of Jabba the Hutt’s palace on Tatooine with Fennec Shand (played by Ming-Na Wen, another veteran from season one). The decision to include Fett in the season was worthwhile since he was a competent and fearsome bounty hunter--something the original trilogy failed to capture. With him and Shand now soon-to-be crime lords, the future has grown all the more exciting, and we only have to wait till next year to see how it all unfolds. Sources: Entertainment Weekly, Observer Featured Image: IMDB Images: Syfy Wire, Meaww, Newsweek
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the storyline of ‘The Last of Us Part II’
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the storyline of 'The Last of Us Part II' 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. By Anthony Herring [caption id="" align="alignright" width="430"] Image from YouTube[/caption] With its recent Game of the Year win at the 2020 Game Awards and its six-month anniversary quickly approaching, I figured now would be the perfect time to revisit ‘The Last of Us Part II.’ When the game released on Jun. 19, its thrilling performances, pulse-pounding gameplay, and breathtaking visuals were all acclaimed. However, the same cannot be said for its narrative. Said narrative saw 19-year-old Ellie, one of the protagonists from 2013’s ‘The Last of Us’, go on the warpath in order to avenge the death of Joel, her father figure, and the other protagonist from the original game. The person responsible for Joel’s death was a young woman named Abigail “Abby” Anderson. In a shocking twist, players were made to control her for nearly half the game’s runtime. Such a tactic allowed for her perspective of the game’s storyline to be illustrated. The double whammy of having to witness Joel die at the hands of Abby and having to play as her for such a long span of time, caused many players to find the narrative worthy of derision. They felt Joel’s death was stupid, meant to be simple shock value and nothing more. Some believed Joel should’ve come out a hero, sacrificing his life to save Ellie from...something. And others felt it was ludicrous they play as “Joel’s killer” and be forced to sympathize with Abby. Unfortunately, this hatred towards Abby and her actions spilled into the real world. The talented Laura Bailey, who portrayed the character, received numerous death threats over this when the game first released. I don’t need to tell you that the actions committed by these people are heinous and utterly vile. (Mind you, not everyone who disliked the game sent these threats; it was only a select few). But I digress. Instead, I want to talk more about Abby Anderson, and why I think she doesn’t deserve the hatred many have given her. Who is Abby Anderson? Before I give my thoughts, it’s important I give some background on who Abby is. In the world of ‘The Last of Us,’ she is the daughter of Dr. Jerry Anderson, a doctor in league with the Fireflies. This militia group formed after a fungal outbreak decimated 60% of humanity, and they desperately desired to create a cure. This led to Joel and Ellie’s journey in the original game, as Ellie was the only known person immune to the infection. When they arrived at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, the Fireflies’ headquarters, Ellie was to be prepped for surgery, with Jerry being the head surgeon. While Jerry doubted his abilities, especially considering how Ellie was to die during the operation, Abby reassured him. Unfortunately, Joel was made aware of Ellie’s fate and he subsequently killed many of the Fireflies in Saint Mary’s, Jerry included. This event devastated Abby, causing her to become obsessed with finding Joel for the next four years. Culminating with her and a group of her friends, and finding him near his home in Jackson, Wyoming. It was here where Abby killed him, sending Ellie down her own path of vengeance. A hole-in-one Here’s where I’m going to get controversial, so strap yourselves in: I strongly believe Abby is a great character. Do I still have your attention? Good, because I would like to explain why. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="334"] Image from Den of Geek[/caption] For starters, I would like to address the elephant in the room. I believe the only reason people hate this character is due to the fact she killed Joel. Now, don’t get me wrong: I hated Abby for this same reason during my first playthrough. In fact, I utterly despised her during the first half of the story. Much like Ellie, Abby was the antagonist in my eyes. She killed Joel, our precious Joel, and both Ellie and I wanted to take her down. What makes Abby think she can get away with such a crime? Well...with a viewpoint like that, it really hampers how Abby’s character is perceived, and it glosses over the ample development her side of the story gives to the overall experience. As I mentioned earlier, you have no choice but to play as Abby during the second half of the story. During these sections, you play through the same length of in-universe time (which is three days in Seattle, Washington) as Ellie, but from Abby’s perspective. Through this, you discover that even after avenging her father’s death, Abby has found no sense of peace. She still suffers from the nightmares that plagued her since Jerry died, and her relationships with those close to her have been irreversibly fractured. The greatest victim of this was her relationship with her ex-boyfriend Owen. Although I didn’t see it at first, it took me until my second play through to sympathize with Joel’s killer. I no longer saw her as some inhuman monster that needed to be stopped, but rather as a flawed human being. Although it is something I don’t condone, I found Abby’s drive to kill Joel understandable. He killed her father so he could save Ellie, who was essentially a second daughter to him. However, the decision left Abby as an orphan. Such feelings of anger, rage, and revenge are entirely within reason for anyone who goes through this, especially when you figure out who was responsible. Moving onward, Abby grows more compassionate upon the arrival of two new characters: Lev and Yara. The brother-sister duo are members of a religious sect called the Seraphites, who are embroiled in a turf war with the Washington Liberation Front, a militia group that Abby herself is a member of. Lev and Yara end up saving Abby’s life when she is captured by the Seraphites. Because of this, she develops a protective attachment to them. Her connection to the siblings allows Abby to feel some semblance of humanity for the first time in years, and it allows her to find closure over her father’s death. In a way, Abby’s character mirrors Joel’s from the original game. There, Joel was a survivor who had been hardened due to the death of his daughter, Sarah, at the onset of the outbreak. However, Joel regains his humanity through his relationship with Ellie, finding his sense of purpose in protecting someone other than himself. The fact that Abby shares similarities with him is quite interesting, but I feel it highlights something I love so much about her character: no matter how far you fall, you can still find a way to get back up. I have one last thing to discuss: the resolution of Abby’s arc. At the end of the game, she and Lev have been held captive for months by a group called the Rattlers. Thankfully, they are freed by none other than Ellie, who tracked them to Santa Barbara, California. By this point in the game, Abby is no longer the obsessive, revenge-driven woman she once was. She is now a weakened yet determined older sister to Lev, wanting to protect him as they journey to Catalina Island. At this point, they are searching for the Fireflies, who are revealed to be actively regrouping. After a brutal fight with Ellie, which ends with letting her go, Abby takes a boat she uses to go to the island with Lev. With that, her journey has reached its conclusion. While it was a turbulent ride, I inevitably found Abby Anderson to be a fascinating and gripping character. Yes, what she did to Joel was unforgivable, but the world of ‘The Last of Us’ is in itself unforgivable. Joel himself has done horrible things in order to survive. Ellie has taken numerous lives in pursuit of Abby. And even in spite of that, these three, along with the many other characters who inhabit this world, have also shown compassion and love for others. Nothing is black and white here, just shades of grey—and Abby Anderson is a great example of that. Sources: CNET, Forbes, Kotaku, Polygon, TechRadar Images: Den of Geek, YouTube Featured Image: Inverse
By Anthony Herring On Nov. 17, 1978 — over one year after the original Star Wars film released — the CBS network aired a TV film called the Star Wars Holiday Special. Set after the events of A New Hope, the special follows Chewbacca and Han Solo, celebrating the holiday known as Life Day with Chewbacca’s family. However, their celebration is interrupted by the evil Galactic Empire hunting them down, along with other members of the heroic Rebel Alliance, such as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. The special ends with the Empire being defeated and the heroes celebrating Life Day in peace. While the main story focused on Life Day, the special also included oddly-placed sketches and animated segments — with one segment introducing the fan-favorite character Boba Fett — making the Star Wars Holiday Special a variety show. Despite the cheery and lighthearted tone that the special had, it was critically panned, with many considering it to be an utter failure. However, in the decades since its original airing, the Star Wars Holiday Special has gained a cult following within the Star Wars fan community. Many have watched the special themselves and are intrigued by what transpired within it. The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special acts as an homage to the original Holiday Special and was released on Nov. 17 on Disney+. Unlike the original special, this new one is told entirely in an animated format and is set after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Thankfully, this version manages to pull off an entertaining and charming romp in a galaxy far, far away. Canon to the right of them, canon to the left of them The main plot of the special pertains to two central storylines. The first storyline revolves around Rey Skywalker, the Star Wars sequel trilogy protagonist, struggling to train her best friend — and fellow hero of the sequel trilogy — Finn as a Jedi. The second storyline focuses on the other sequel trilogy characters like Poe Dameron, Chewbacca, and Rose Tico preparing the Millennium Falcon for a large Life Day celebration. Rey’s story takes center stage in the grand scheme of things as her journey into becoming a better teacher leads her to find a mysterious crystal. This object sends her spiraling throughout the Star Wars timeline, landing herself in the franchise’s most iconic moments, such as Luke Skywalker’s successful destruction of the first Death Star. I found Rey’s storyline the more fulfilling of the two. Not only does it provide a plethora of Easter eggs, references, and numerous cameos — more on that in a later section — but it also gives the story plenty of heart. There are a few moments where Rey doubts her abilities, and these bits are emotional (not to the point where I teared up or started wailing like a baby, mind you, but merely enough to get the job done). These moments have payoffs as well which makes Rey’s triumphs all the more rewarding. On the other hand, the Life Day story is a bit weak. While the character interactions between Poe, Rose, and Chewbacca are equal parts delightful and charming, it appeared that the special often forgot about this storyline at times. When the special was following Rey’s adventures, it was so creatively crafted to the point where it seemed that the Life Day crew’s story was placed on the backburner. Quite the bummer to be honest as the holiday tackled heartwarming messages about the power of family and love, and the special would’ve benefited from more of that. An Easter egg hunt Rey’s story is chock-full of Easter eggs and references, and trust me: there are many of them. For Star Wars fans, this ought to be a pleasant surprise (especially by the sheer amount that there are to catch for a Lego Star Wars special). For example, Rey and her droid friend, BB-8, travel to the past and land on the second Death Star (as depicted in Return of the Jedi). There, they encounter Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. The scene is amusing, as Palpatine is annoyed by Vader’s Life Day gift to him: a “Galaxy’s Best Emperor” mug, which the Emperor comically mocks. The scene becomes outright hilarious when Vader tells Palpatine that the name “Death Star 2” is derivative, and suggests that he change the name to “Starkiller Base.” The joke itself is referencing the planet-destroying Starkiller Base from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Not only that, but the idea of being derivative relates to Starkiller Base as well, as it is merely a rip-off of the Death Stars from the original Star Wars trilogy. Laughter is the best medicine The Lego Star Wars Special is a lighthearted and more family-friendly take on Star Wars; with this comes a barrage of joke upon joke. It seems with every passing second, a character will exaggerate some humorous dialogue or a situation for comedic purposes. The problem with this is that there will be times in which there will be a strike with every hit. Some jokes that work are the ones in the vein of the Starkiller Base quip by Vader or the brilliant use of “hello there” by not one, not two, but three different Obi-Wan Kenobis. Jokes that fall flat involve characters acting like hyperactive monkeys — take Dameron, for instance — who run around, spout a-mile-a-minute one-liners, and desperately try to enact their own, unique brand of physical humor. Images: Disney+ Featured Image: IMDB
The ‘Uncharted’ series is without a doubt one of the most popular PlayStation franchises. Created by the now-former creative director at Naughty Dog, Amy Hennig, the series began in 2007 with ‘Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune’ on the PlayStation 3. Unlike the developers’ previous efforts, ‘Drake’s Fortune’ sought to replicate the experience of watching an action film: it was plentiful with charismatic characters, brisk pacing, and wildly bombastic set pieces. Naughty Dog was hugely successful in their endeavor, as ‘Drake’s Fortune’ was positively received by both critics and players alike. The game’s success spawned three sequels, a prequel, and a spin-off: ‘Among Thieves’ (2009), ‘Drake’s Deception,’ (2011), ‘A Thief’s End’ (2016), ‘Golden Abyss’ (2012), and ‘The Lost Legacy’ (2017).
by Anthony Herring The games... [caption id="" align="alignright" width="336"] Image from GamesRadar[/caption] The ‘Uncharted’ series is without a doubt one of the most popular PlayStation franchises. Created by the now-former creative director at Naughty Dog, Amy Hennig, the series began in 2007 with ‘Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune’ on the PlayStation 3. Unlike the developers’ previous efforts, ‘Drake’s Fortune’ sought to replicate the experience of watching an action film: it was plentiful with charismatic characters, brisk pacing, and wildly bombastic set pieces. Naughty Dog was hugely successful in their endeavor, as ‘Drake’s Fortune’ was positively received by both critics and players alike. The game’s success spawned three sequels, a prequel, and a spin-off: ‘Among Thieves’ (2009), ‘Drake’s Deception,’ (2011), ‘A Thief’s End’ (2016), ‘Golden Abyss’ (2012), and ‘The Lost Legacy’ (2017). ...and the movie However, that is only half of the story. While the ‘Uncharted’ games were still actively being released, the movie division of Sony, the company that produces the PlayStation console, was developing an ‘Uncharted’ feature film. This process began in 2008, where producer Avi Arad revealed that he was working to develop a film based on the franchise. The film’s development would proceed to last for over a decade, being rewritten numerous times and being cycled through several directors, such as David O. Russell and Shawn Levy. During this time, the film also attracted several, high-profile actors to it, such as Mark Wahlberg, Nathan Fillion, and Chris Pratt. Unlike Fillion and Pratt, Wahlberg became a permanent addition in 2010 as a young Victor “Sully” Sullivan, the mentor to series protagonist Nathan Drake (a deviation from the games, where Victor is a much older man). Years later, in 2017, a few months before ‘The Lost Legacy’ released, the film finally found its Nathan in Tom Holland, where it was revealed that he would be playing a younger version of the character-another deviation, as Nathan is an adult in the games. The film eventually got a release date as well: Dec.18, 2020, until it had to be delayed because of scheduling conflicts involving Holland and then-director Travis Knight in 2019. The film eventually found a new director in Jan. 2020: Ruben Fleischer, who directed the 2018 surprise hit ‘Venom’ for Sony. With a new director on board, ‘Uncharted’ finally began filming in March 2020—only for it to be delayed for several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, filming resumed in July and concluded not that long ago, on Oct. 29. With filming now complete, ‘Uncharted’ is set to be released on July 16, 2021. A Train of Thought When it comes to ‘Uncharted,’ I am definitely a fan—of the games. (I’ll get to the movie in just a bit). I was introduced to them back in late 2014 when I was a freshman in high school, where I had bought the first three games for my PlayStation 3. After a month of playing through them, I had fallen in love with the characters and world that Hennig and Naughty Dog created. It was also around this time that ‘A Thief’s End’ was announced for the PlayStation 4, and I could not be more excited to play the final adventure in Nathan’s story (which absolutely delivered in terms of gameplay, story, and emotional weight, might I add). Even after six years of replaying the series several times, save for ‘Golden Abyss,’ which was a title for the PlayStation Vita, a handheld console that I never played on, I can confidently say that ‘Uncharted’ is by far my favorite video game franchise. I honestly hope that Naughty Dog develops another installment for the PlayStation 5, just so I can dive into a brand-new adventure in this amazing series. Alas, I cannot speak such praise about the film. Now, make no mistake, I don’t want the ‘Uncharted’ film to fail. I genuinely don’t. For starters, I feel that Tom Holland is a pretty good actor, having absolutely enjoyed his take on Peter Parker / Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and I believe that he could pull off a young Nathan Drake. However, there was an apprehension that he might make his take on Nathan too much like Peter, as the two characters could not be more different in terms of personality and motivations. Thankfully, this fear was quelled, somewhat, by Nolan North, the actor behind Nathan in the video games. He recently visited the set of the film, in which he met and praised Holland for his work ethic and performance as the character. Essentially, North gave Holland, and the film by extension, his wholehearted blessing. Other factors hinder my views on this film. Mark Wahlberg as Sully, for instance. Now, Wahlberg is well-known for playing stoic, tough guys who could beat you to a pulp if you gave them a weird side-eye. The problem there is that Sully’s character isn’t like that at all. In the games, Sully is a wisecracking yet caring mentor and father-figure to Nathan who would do anything to support him. If Wahlberg manages to portray Sully in a fairly accurate manner, or provide his own, unique spin on the character, then I’ll be pleasantly surprised. Another factor that worries me is the film’s writers, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. The duo is responsible for writing ‘Iron Man’ (2008), which is not just a great film, but also helped to jumpstart the MCU. However, they also wrote films such as ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ (2017) and ‘Men in Black: International’ (2019), which are films that I found to be...less than desirable, to say the least. Much like with Wahlberg, I hope that Marcum and Holloway are able to recapture the magic of their ‘Iron Man’ script, and not end up crafting a replica of ‘The Last Knight.’ One final thing that I will discuss is the elephant in the room: ‘Uncharted’ is a video game movie. When it comes to these types of movies, they have a comically abysmal track record. ‘Mortal Kombat: Annihilation’ (1997), ‘Super Mario Bros.’ (1993), and ‘Assassin’s Creed’ (2016) are a few examples, having gained notoriety for their truly horrible execution, complete lack of respect for the source material, and simply boring/uninteresting tone, respectively. Despite that, there have been video game movies that were considered to be okay—not good, just okay—like ‘Warcraft’ (2016) and ‘Tomb Raider’ (2018). Films like these had decent aspects to them, like action scenes and performances, but were ultimately forgettable. Oddly enough, it appears that the only anomaly to this is ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ (2020), where many have referred to it as the best video game movie, which isn’t exactly high praise. At the end of the day, despite some of the film’s moving parts giving me some apprehension about the project overall, I do wish the best of luck to the ‘Uncharted’ movie. Who knows, maybe it’ll end up being the best video game movie ever made. Maybe it’ll end up just being a great movie on its own. Maybe it’ll end up being awful. Until then, all I can do is hope. Images: GamesRadar Featured Image: CinemaBlend
For decades, superheroes (and by extension, their superpowers) have been all the rage. Characters such as Superman, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, and many more possess abilities that regular people like you and me can only dream of having. Who wouldn’t want to leap tall buildings in a single bound, create and generate their own electrical fields, move objects with only their mind, or shoot laser beams out of their eyes? The possibilities are seemingly endless.
by Anthony Herring For decades, superheroes (and by extension, their superpowers) have been all the rage. Characters such as Superman, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, and many more possess abilities that regular people like you and me can only dream of having. Who wouldn’t want to leap tall buildings in a single bound, create and generate their own electrical fields, move objects with only their mind, or shoot laser beams out of their eyes? The possibilities are seemingly endless. Project Power, a film released on Netflix on August 14th, explores this superhero concept. However, rather than having its characters gain their powers through radioactive spider-bites or mutant X-genes, they get powers through an interesting method: by taking a pill. Much like the way superpowers are shelled out in comic books, the powers you are given if you take one of these pills is entirely randomized. You want to have super speed? Well, you better pray that’s what you get, because you have to leave it all to chance. Now, with such a unique premise at its disposal, I was hoping that Project Power would be a very entertaining thrill ride. Unfortunately, however, the entertainment was marred with many flaws. Story? What story? The story of Project Power starts off simple enough: a pill known as “Power” is being supplied throughout the city of New Orleans, and it grants users superpowers for only five minutes. The suppliers of the pill act as the film’s interpretation of drug dealers, giving potential users Power for a price. This concept is at the forefront of the film’s first act, and I thought it was very creative. Seeing people take this pill and use their powers in pretty inventive ways—such as an invulnerable cop taking a bullet to the head and surviving it during a bank robbery—was quite fun to watch. However, the film’s story becomes generic and predictable once the second act begins. It is revealed that the U.S. government and a private military contractor created the pill--which is itself the result of an operation known as “Project Power” (See what they did there?). I consider these revelations to be rather tired and cliched, as other pieces of comic-book and superhero-related media have done similar plotlines many times before, and in some instances, in a far better and more complex manner than this film. (I’m looking at you, Black Lightning). It doesn’t help that the main antagonists of Project Power are your typical run-of-the-mill, power-crazy bad guys that spout monologues about their product being the “next stage of human evolution,” being “humanity’s saviors”... yadda-yadda-yadda. Foxx and Friends The film follows three main characters: Art (played by Jamie Foxx), an ex-soldier who was in league with the U.S. government; Robin Reilly (played by newcomer Dominique Fishback), a street-smart kid that deals Power; and Frank Shaver (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a morally flexible cop that is friends with Robin. When Project Power begins, the viewer is made to believe that Robin is the main character. Her life as a Power dealer is shown, along with her friendship with Frank, who gives her a motorbike as a belated birthday present. Her school life is also on display, showing her hating her classes and wanting to be a rapper when she gets older. Fishback’s performance as Robin is one of the better parts of the film, providing a grounded contrast to the wackier events that unfold around her. However, once Art enters the picture, her character is relegated to a supporting role. This was very disappointing, as we are left with a Robin who could’ve been developed further. Our second main character is Frank. He is the weakest character of the main three, as the movie provides little to no backstory about him. All we know is that he’s a cop, he’s friends with Robin, and he uses Power—that’s it. Matters aren’t made any better with his character as there are significant chunks of the film where Frank is nowhere to be found, almost as if the filmmakers forgot about one of their leading actors. If there is one positive I can give to this character, it’s that Levitt’s performance is passable, save for the poor attempt at a Southern accent (which slips constantly when Levitt delivers his lines, and the actor seems to throw in the towel by the third act and just use his regular voice). Lastly, we have Art. Foxx’s character is by far the most developed of the three, with a five-to-ten-minute sequence dedicated entirely to delivering his backstory. From this backstory, it is revealed that he has a daughter who is being held captive by the government and that he wants to rescue her. Art’s relationship with his daughter is first hinted at through frantic flashbacks, which I found effective in highlighting the trauma he experienced from losing her. Consequently, the film tries to create a similar bond between Art and Robin, but it fell flat as I felt no sincere connection between them at all. Having Robin suddenly be invested in Art’s mission after only knowing him for less than 24 hours isn’t exactly the best way to go about establishing a deep bond. Still, Foxx’s performance as Art is the strongest of the trio, with him delivering some solid comedic and emotional moments. Visual Splendor Project Power truly excels in its visuals. The special effects used to illustrate the effects of Power aid in showing how terrifying and awe-inspiring these abilities can be. For instance, there is a scene toward the midpoint of the movie where the Power pill is being demonstrated in front of a group of potential buyers. The pill is subsequently given to a woman, who gains ice-based abilities. Her breath becomes frosty, ice forms on her arms and legs, and when she touches a glass cage, the glass itself freezes over. During this entire scene, the visuals are breathtaking, as the ice that the woman created looked insanely lifelike and believable. The film has strong cinematography and color grading as well. While they are not used as much as I would’ve liked, the establishing shots are breathtaking, engulfing the screen in the entirety of New Orleans, some of its more distinct districts, or even the Gulf of Mexico right near the city. The use of color helps these shots look even more beautiful, making them pop with vibrant reds, greens, blues, and yellows. Featured Image: IMDb Images: IMDb
