A&E

Jayla Wright

Copy Editor

Avenger: Endgame takes place directly after the events of Avengers: Infinity War, in which a purple alien named Thanos eliminates half of the universe’s population with a single snap. Those who survived are left with the rest of their lives to fulfill, only now they’re trying their best to move on from the pain of losing their loved ones.

When I went to see, Avengers: Endgame there wasn’t an empty chair in sight. Avengers movies tend to draw in big crowds, but I’ve never seen one as big and emotive as the one for Endgame.

This particular Marvel movie is becoming a growing success. At the time of writing this, it has become a box office hit, ranking in at second place, with Avatar remaining in the lead. This development isn’t too surprising when considering that Marvel films gain more popularity with each release. Each film comes with a new wave of fans that strengthen the overall love of the franchise. This can be observed during the first two weeks of a film’s release where theatres tend to be more full.

I was used to people clapping and cheering with the occasional loud whisper to their movie companion. However, Endgame watchers were a different breed of moviegoers. They were more expressive and loved to yell their unfiltered opinions. Yes, Blockbuster movies tend to get this type of reception, but pretty much every scene made the crowd react. As the movie progressed, I could feel the rising excitement from waiting for its release bubble over.

Now, if you want to experience that too I suggest you run to the theatres quickly. The rest of this article will include spoilers.

ENDGAME SPOILERS BELOW

I would say that Endgame was a satisfying end to the current collection of movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It did a good job of utilizing most of the characters’ emotional development to move the plot along.

Some time after Thanos’ snap, the remaining Avengers are all doing whatever they can to move on with their lives. Tony Stark has started a family, Hawkeye is out doing vigilante work, Black Widow is trying to command disinterested superheroes, Steve Rogers holds a support group, and mostly everyone else is moving into a their own life routine.

The exception to this would be Thor who has neglected his rule over Asgard and has instead subjected himself to eating, drinking, and playing Fortnite. This characterization of Thor stems from Thor: Ragnarok, where he was shown as more humorous and silly. This interpretation of Thor works well in Ragnarok, but in Endgame I found that some moments of his could’ve been stronger if they toned the jokes down.

Now, I don’t think there’s an issue of having a more light-hearted Thor, as a lot of his scenes were funny. This seems just a issue that stems from the MCU having multiple directors. In Endgame’s case it seemed like the Russo brothers tried to work with the version of Thor that was made from Taika Waititi, however for them their concept was not as strong.

Despite that, the film was filled with small moments that made the film memorable. Such as any of the oddly Bruce-Bannerfied Hulk scenes, when Ant-Man reunites with his daughter, and when Tony Stark talks to his father after going back in time.

Bigger moments impacted all viewers. Steve summoning Mjolnir, Tony Stark’s final scene, and Steve going back in time to reunite with his old love, Peggy.

I found that ending on these ideas was satisfying. I was sad to watch a few characters go, but I found that this was the best way to end their narratives. It also opens up more opportunities for future Marvel movies.

Avengers: Endgame is not only a farewell to characters we love, it’s also an introduction to new stories we’ll cherish.

Eric Valenti

Jayla Wright

A&E Editor

Copy Editor

Detective Pikachu

On May 10th, the Detective Pikachu movie will come out. I am super excited to see the film mostly because I am a huge Pokémon fan and kinda geeked out when I heard about the movie. But I was a little skeptical when I saw the first trailer. In the past, films that have used CGI animated creatures and asked real-life actors to conversate with these creatures usually ends up being a total dumpster fire. Mixing animation with real life can sometimes be a little unappealing to the eye and its difficult for the audience to bond with something that is not real.

At first, the trailer definitely seemed slightly off-putting. The textures used for some of the  Pokémon were done tastefully and made them look like mythical creatures. Pikachu, for example, looked pretty good. I thought that the animators did a good job at making Pikachu look both cute but also still make it look real. However, Pokémon like Mr. Mime had a more skin-like texture that made me want to gag a bit because of how leathery and artificial he looked.

Besides the animation, I appreciated that the film used a lot of new actors. The main character’s (Tim Goodman) actor has been in a few big name films, such as Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Paper Towns but in both of those films, he played quite small roles, so hopefully, this film will help improve his career. There was a good blend of new and experienced actors. Choosing Ryan Reynolds to voice Detective Pikachu is both hilarious and really fitting. They took what appears to be one of the cutest characters in the gaming world and gave him the voice of one of the crudest, yet lovable actors. Might I just say that this is: perfection.

From what I could gather from the trailer, the plot seems to be about Tim Goodman, a young kid who lives in Rhyme city. Due to mysterious circumstances, Tim’s father goes missing and with the help of Detective Pikachu, hopefully, with Pikachu and some other friends and Pokémon Tim will be able to find his father. I think a simple plot like this really allows the audience to get more invested with the extravagant world building that we get to see in the trailer. Mysteries always keep people’s attention so I think that a lot of people will come whether or not their Pokémon fans.

I have high hopes for the Detective Pikachu movie. The movie may end up having a lot of flaws and may not do well on Rotten Tomatoes but ultimately I think audiences will definitely appreciate it. There has never been a live-action Pokémon film and there isn’t a lot of good live-action films in general. I am super excited to see this film and I definitely think this is what good CGI look like. Grab your magnifying glass and your Pokémon plush, and give Detective Pikachu a chance.

Sonic The Hedgehog

I was idly scrolling through various social media apps before I was hit by a wave of blue furry men. Figuring that the trailer for the upcoming Sonic The Hedgehog movie had caused all of this uproar I decided to check out the trailer myself before making any judgments.

The trailer shows a cop helping Sonic escape the clutches of the government and Dr. Robotnik who want to use Sonic’s powers for evil purposes. The trailer was pretty routine for an action movie. There was comedic moments, dramatic scenes, and Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” playing in the background (Yeah…  that was an interesting song choice).

As for the look of the speedy hedgehog. Sonic’s hands, feet, and body seemed awkward, but I overlooked this fact as I believed the rest of his design couldn’t be too bad. That thought lasted until I saw his teeth. Gah! It’s best described as if there were a human’s teeth stuck onto the face of a semi-realistic hedgehog. His overall look gave the impression that there were attempts to make him cartoony, but over time he was given more and more realistic traits until he was entrenched in uncanniness.

What saved the trailer was Jim Carrey’s role as Dr. Robotnik. Despite how bizarre the film seems to be, I believe Carrey will put his all into it. He seems to be having fun playing the scientist and the trailer has an after credits scene where Carrey looks more like the familiar Robotnik from the Sonic franchise.

When I came back to social media I saw the usual fans upset about the trailer, but also artists making fanmade redesigns of the movie’s version of Sonic. They all looked great, but it made me disappointed that fans did better than the movie’s producers at capturing the right look for the character. It gave the impression that the movie did not get enough passion as needed. Which is a shame, as live-action CGI films tend to not do well and this one could’ve strived to break that mold.

There’s added humiliation to the movie’s negative reception when you compare it to the Detective Pikachu. Both movies are live-action CGI, but only one has made something with love and dedication. The current Pokémon movie is an example of what the Sonic movie could have been.

After facing backlash, Sonic The Hedgehog’s Director tweeted on May 2nd, “Thank you for the support. And the criticism. The message is loud and clear… you aren’t happy with the design & you want changes. It’s going to happen. Everyone at Paramount & Sega are fully committed to making this character the BEST he can be…”

This decision sounds good in theory, but the movie’s release date hasn’t been changed, leaving animators 6 months to create improvements. All in all, this seems like a recipe for disaster.

If you’re curious towards how Sonic The Hedgehog will pan out, see it in theatres November 8th. But I won’t blame you if you do literally anything but that.

Eric Valenti

A&E Editor

On April 19, of this year, “Ramy,” a Hulu original tv series, was released. The drama follows the story of millennial Ramy Youssef who struggles to find a balance between his Muslim faith and the pressures of today’s societal expectations. But this isn’t a typical show following the story of someone who believes their losing their faith, prepare to be surprised. I came into this series with a little to no knowledge of the Muslim faith.

When I had initially seen the trailer for the Hulu series it definitely piqued my interest. There’s a noticeable lack of representation for the Muslim community most likely due to the negative stigma that the Muslim community gets from the terrorist attack on September 11th. “Ramy” tackles this stigma head-on in one of the ten episodes of the Hulu series.

The plot in “Ramy” is simply finding the balance between religion and being a millennial. In the Muslim faith, things such as drinking and premarital sex are looked down upon and Ramy is forced into a situation where he has to decide whether or not him partaking in these things makes him a “bad Muslim.” Though I myself am not religious I did to some extent find a way to relate to Ramy’s struggles.

If you’re looking for a short series that will not open your eyes to a new culture but also make you laugh, I would definitely recommend “Ramy.” If you don’t cry or laugh while watching the series, you’ll definitely stay hooked because of the relatability of the characters.

Though I do not identify with any religion at this time, I do sometimes feel pressured to do things that I’m unsure about because of peer pressure or parental expectations, similar to Ramy. Something the show did well was creating an environment that was both relatable but also informative as well. In my opinion, this came through with not only the writing but the acting as well.

May Calamay who plays Ramy’s sister, Dena, the plotline is only focused on in one episode but offers a ton of insight on the life of a Muslim girl. Dena does a fantastic job of playing a sensitive yet closed off character. Her character struggles with things like having more “rules” to follow then men in Muslim faith have to. Things such as deciding to wear a hijab, respecting her parents’ belief that a man has control over her life as well as her struggle to stay a virgin until she is married.

The subject while quite serious is actually easy to handle because of the comedy that is thrown into the mix. I definitely appreciate the relatable humor of coming from an immigrant family but also the blend of humor about being a millennial and being Muslim. In the first episode specifically, where Ramy is talking about picking up girls with his mom, Ramy makes the joke, “You can’t just go up to a girl and ask her, ‘Hey can I get your father’s number?” Subtle jokes like this aren’t worth crying over but it does make you chuckle a bit which I appreciate.

Eric Valenti

A&E Editor

On January 26 of this year, “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” mini-series premiered to Netflix, revealing countless facts and secrets about Bundy and the murders that took place because of him. Two days following the release of the tapes, COTA’s film was released at the Sundance Film Festival as “Extremely Wicked,” starring Zac Efron as Ted Bundy.

When the trailer was originally released, people had mixed feelings about Efron playing the monstrous Ted Bundy. The trailer depicted Bundy as a misunderstood cool guy with a secret, almost like an action star. This approach is not the first of its kind –there have been many recreations of other murders such as “My Friend Dahmer” and “The Assassination of Versace,” which were both quite critically acclaimed. But are these portrayals inaccurate? And if they inaccurate, are they harmful?

Senior Matthew Reed, who is a fan of such shows, doesn’t see a problem.

“Making movies off of these people allow us to get an insight into the lives of a killer. You’re bringing awareness to people and for all, we know someone could know a person who could do something like this one day. It brings awareness and information,” Reed stated.

Dramatizations of these events aren’t necessarily bad. There entertaining and they’re able to teach people about events that impacted America in such a large way that people felt the need for these stories to be recreated by actors and shown for generations to come. Recreations of these events occur also to show either new evidence that has come up or when a director/writer believes there is a new way to tell these stories.

However, One of the parts of the dramatizations that people forget about is that there not always 100% facts. Some details are added in order to fill the unknown. Senior Shilo Kendall believes that documentaries, and not dramatic re-creations, are the proper way for a person to learn about these events.

“Having tapes or people who are apart of the investigations who were involved in any way with the people are more interesting than a dramatization,” she stated. Who cares about what it looks like if you’re not actually portraying the facts of the situation?” Kendall stated.

Even some of the younger people of today believe that the dramatizations that are shown on all different types of viewing media actually do more harm than good. If the show is entertaining enough,  viewers may not feel compelled to research these heinous people and their actions.

In the case of  Ted Bundy, he may be seen as a character instead of a criminal, thus making him easy to sympathize with and seem more humane. For example, In “Extremly Wicked” it was noted that because the movie was told in the perspective of Bundy’s girlfriend, it displayed Bundy as a father who was being harassed by a court and prevented him from being with his girlfriend and her daughter. The crimes themselves were not as noteworthy in the film but were more just brought up and talked about but not actually shown all that much.

Math TeacherBrad Latimer, who is also a devoted True Crime Podcast listener, stressed the importance of the mindset the viewers have while watching a dramatization.

“I always think about the nature vs nurture thing. What sort of things can impact someone’s life that can lead someone down a certain path? What kinds of trauma can people experience when their younger can lead them to go down a path that most don’t follow.” Latimer stated.

It’s difficult to determine whether or not dramatizations are harmful. Some argue that these portrayals of famous killers cause individuals to become demonetized to violence and make people see these murderers as the victim because of the harmful environment that they lived/grew up in. Others believe that portrayals of murders allow people to better understand the time period where these murders took place in order to further their understanding of whether or not a murderer is born or created.

It appears that the biggest thing to understand when watching dramatizations like “Extremely Wicked” is that these people are actors, these are characters that are based on real people and true events, but it’s not all facts.