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(01/30/19 7:00am)
By Amani Salahudeen
Staff Writer
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” takes audiences on a journey to a multidimensional universe where they meet the original Peter Parker, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Ham and other heroes with spider abilities from their own animated universes.
Originally co-written by Stan Lee in 1962, the “Spider-Man” comics have remained a long-loved classic.
I thought this was an outstanding movie. The acting was phenomenal, and if you haven’t seen the movie already, I definitely recommend it while it’s still in theaters. It’s cool to watch the different forms of animation, such as a black and white world and an anime world, all come together.
One of the Spider-Men, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), differs from the other film depictions of Parker, who were all played by white men. Morales is half-black and half-Puerto Rican and he and his mom speak both English and Spanish throughout the movie. As an Asian-American myself, I thought this was a nice acknowledgement of racial diversity.
Morales and his father get along, and his father becomes a source of motivation for the young hero.
“I see this spark in you. It’s amazing. Whatever you choose to do with it, you’ll be great,” he tells Morales. This fatherly advice shapes him while he grows up.
All the spider heroes have come together for one big mission. The film’s main villain, the Kingpin, accidentally warps all of the Spider-Men in one universe through an evil portal while he is trying to save his own family. The heroes have to travel back to their original homes through that same portal before it collapses.
Peter Parker (Chris Pine), Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage), Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), and Spider-Ham (John Mulaney) have to also defeat other villains, such as Doctor Octopus and the Green Goblin.
The animation style is very reflective of a comic book. The writers used onomatopoeia to make the action scenes come to life with words like “pow” and “bam” lighting up the screen with every punch.
Each protagonist, while essentially the same Spider-Man in their own respective universes, still brought a distinct aspect of the character to the movie, which eliminated any chance of redundancy and allowed fans to view the story from new perspectives.
It’s not necessary to see the other Spider-Man movies in order to experience the ride that is “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” though it is more enjoyable if you do. As a film, it is one of my all time favorites and I genuinely think any comic book or superhero fan will adore this. The vibrant characters and story brought a fresh perspective to an already fan-favorite classic, giving us a new spin on the Spider-Man we all know and love.
(12/05/18 3:46am)
By Amani Salahudeen
Staff Writer
Potterheads are rejoicing as the new film, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” finally hits theaters after its release on Nov. 18. The film, written by J.K. Rowling, is set in 1927, long before Harry Potter attended Hogwarts.
In the film is a sequel to “Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them” and is based off of Rowling’s book, “Fantastic Beasts.” Dumbeldore (Jude Law) and his former student, Newt (Eddie Redmayne), take it upon themselves to try to defeat the villain Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) and his efforts to create a world of purebred wizards to rule over all non-magical beings.
Newt is prohibited from traveling outside of England after the events that took place in New York and the confusion that ensued in the previous film. Tina (Katherine Waterston) is continuing her job as an Auror and is attempting to find Credence (Ezra Miller) who wants to know where he came from before Grindelwald finds him.
Meanwhile, Jacob (Dan Fogler) reclaimed his memory and began seeing Queenie (Alison Sudol) who is saddened knowing that her relationship with Non-Magi is unlawful in America.
As far as villians go, Grindelwald puts Voldemort to shame through the tireless and constant manipulation of his victims. Seeing a young Dumbledore and Newt interact reminded me of how Dumbledore interacted with Harry in the “Harry Potter” films. Fans find out just how close Dumbledore was to Grindelwald.
Scenes with the Niffler, a magical beast resembling an anteater, and Newt’s home were some of the main highlights of this film. Newt’s home added a comfortable vibe ot the film, and the Niffler always appeared on each scene with perfect comedic timing.
As a longtime “Harry Potter” fan, I thought that the film had the potential to be one really good sequel, but there were times when the movie fell flat. There were some subtle changes made to the second “Harry Potter” prequel. Dumbledore is portrayed as a professor of defense against the dark arts, but if you’re a fan of the books you’ll know that he taught the transfiguration class at Hogwarts.
As a fan, I have to admit that I was unaware of this at the time that I went to see the movie, but another matter of concern was the casting of Depp in the film after allegations of abuse by his former wife, Amber Heard. Rowling stands by her decision to keep Depp in the film, but many fans were angered by Rowling’s lack of outrage towards Depp’s allegations. Depp opened up to Variety magazine about the issue, saying that he was falsely accused of abuse and that Rowling saw the evidence and supported his story.
I wasn’t overly impressed by this film as I was with the first one, but I didn’t completely hate it either. It was entertaining, but not as magical as I had hoped.
(10/03/18 6:43pm)
By Amani Salahudeen
Staff Writer
“Atypical” is a fascinating and heartwarming Netflix original, and the second season expands on an already complex story of mental illness, family bonds and young adulthood.
The show is about a teenager named Sam (Keir Gilchrist) who is on the autism spectrum. His parents have difficulty adapting to the challenges that come with having a son with autism, and Sam endures daily hardships because of his parents’ difficulties.
Season two of the show introduces major life-changing incidents for Sam, who is still coping with being autistic. In this season, Sam is applying to colleges and is trying to figure out what he wants to do once he’s done with high school.
In season two, we get to see the development of other characters aside Sam as well. Sam starts to interact more with his sister, Casey (Brigette Lundy-Paine), than he did in season one. He finds himself adapting better to the role of an older brother to Casey, which is a nice change.
In season one, I felt that Casey was the one being more protective of Sam. There is also more focus on Sam’s parents, and how other issues within the family affect Sam’s wellbeing.
The audience also gets to see his mother Elsa’s (Jennifer Jason Leigh) rollercoaster of a marriage during her midlife crisis, which is a new twist for viewers after her kids refused to talk to her in the season one finale.
This show teaches viewers to be more empathetic toward those around them. The show’s portrayal of an autistic main character takes steps to alleviate negative stereotypes. It is a very heartwarming show that will help you to understand a little bit of what it’s like for people with autism and for their loved ones to cope with everyday struggles.
“Atypical” may not be a must-see show, but it is definitely enjoyable if you’re a fan of family dramas. Sam is a quirky and funny character, and if you want a show with heart and with some classic family drama, “Atypical” absolutely must make your Netflix watch-list.
(09/18/18 9:26pm)
By Amani Salahudeen
Staff Writer
“Crazy Rich Asians,” the movie everyone’s been swooning over for the past month, is more revolutionary than you think — it is a movie about self discovery and being comfortable with your heritage.
It is important for everyone to be able to envision themselves as characters that are portrayed on TV, and recently, people have started to speak up about movies casting a mainly all-white cast –– just take a look at “Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist” or “Charmed.” Hollywood is heading in the right direction by including more Asian representation, which is why it is so crucial for more people to go and watch it.
The movie, based on the novel by Kevin Kwan and directed by Jon M. Chu, is about an economics professor at New York University, Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), who has an American-Chinese background. She falls in love with the ever so charismatic (and rich) Nick Young, who is played by Henry Golding. This movie has an incredible cast.
Of course, Rachel has no clue how rich he is is or what his massive overbearing family is like. Even Nick downplays his family’s importance. Rachel tells Nick, “You’re like the Prince William of Asia!” To which he responds, “I’m much more of a Harry.”
It is often unusual when a movie lives up to the hype, but this is the case for “Crazy Rich Asians.” I loved that there were underlying messages sprinkled throughout the film, such as the importance of family and standing up for what you believe is right even if everyone else is against you.
This film is a meet-the-family romantic comedy with an Asian flair. Seeing an all-Asian cast on screen was pretty groundbreaking for a Hollywood movie. It also gave a nod to Korean dramas about disapproving in-laws and fairy-tale like romance.
Perhaps on the surface the movie might seem like a frivolous rom-com, but I believe it can still be relatable. Having relatives play a major role in your life is also something most Asians can relate to. There’s a scene where everyone is on a huge WhatsApp group just for family. That part is all too familiar for me.
As an Asian-American I often find it difficult to find a balance between the two cultures, because when you visit family overseas they see you as a foreigner, but when you’re living in the U.S. you’re also perceived as foreigner. Learning to be comfortable in your own skin and of your heritage can be difficult growing up and I was amazed by how well they demonstrated that struggle in “Crazy Rich Asians.”
One of the most heartbreaking scenes occurs during the climax which is when Rachel apologizes to her mom for all the difficulty she went through, and her Mom states: “Don’t be sorry. You listen to me: Everything that has happened in my past life is the reason why I got you.”
If that quote doesn’t make you want to see this tear-jerker film, I don’t know what will. After all, it’s loud, it’s funny, it’s “Crazy, Rich, Asians.”