The House
If there’s a movie that screams unethical actions, it is “The House.” Starring Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler as Scott and Katie Johansen, these two decide to run an underground casino in order to pay for their daughter Alex’s college expenses. With the help of their gambling-addict neighbor Frank, these two face long nights of gambling and a potential life of crime.
Somehow, they manage to set up an entire casino in one night, complete with roulette wheels, neon signs and customers. When the city councilor confiscates their winnings, the couple decides to tell Alex, who suggests stealing it back. There are so many issues in the movie ranging from affairs, insurance fraud and using torture devices as a scare tactic. The fact almost all of the actions are illegal – while still trying to be funny – was the major downfall for me.
2/5
Julia Maldonado can be reached at [email protected] or @julianewsblog on Twitter.
Dunkirk
By Ulises Duenas
Dunkirk, directed by Christopher Nolan, is a suspenseful World War II movie and one of the best. Dunkirk is based on the real life Dunkirk Evacuation in which Allied forces were slowly evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk, France while under attack from German soldiers in 1940.
Nolan does a great job of keeping a sense of tension throughout the whole movie. The scenes convey the feeling of hopelessness and fear of war without focusing on the gory details.
My biggest problem with the movie is that because of the focus on the events of the plot, there isn’t much character development. The lead actors provide great performances, but none of them made for truly memorable characters.
Hans Zimmer, unsurprisingly, delivers a superb soundtrack that’s quiet when necessary and bombastic when needed.
Dunkirk delivered a World War II movie that will be remembered for years.
4/5
Ulises Duenas can be reached at [email protected] or @OrionUlisesD on Twitter.
Wonder Woman
DC Universe has outdone themselves with the recent summer blockbuster of “Wonder Woman,” starring Gal Gadot. Wonder Woman was a melting pot of a film, with the combination of a love story, comedy, action and mythology. The film starts out with a back story of the childhood of Diana Prince, later known as Wonder Woman.
Right from the get-go, the movie starts with fierce action between the Amazon women living on Themyscira and the German soldiers who accidentally discovered the hidden island. From that point on, the movie takes an interesting turn involving the era of World War I and how Ares, the God of War, created hatred among men.
It is Wonder Woman’s quest to kill Ares and stop the war from killing innocent civilians, but during the quest, there is a plot twist that movie goers might not see coming. Every scene in the movie leaves a cliffhanger as to what comes next, which makes it seem like the two hour film flies by.
With films out such as Batman and Superman, the American audience views most superheroes as men. A standing ovation is needed for this film and director Patty Jenkins for showing how much girl power is needed in a world dominated by men.
5/5
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Spider-Man: Homecoming is a much different film from the previous Spider-Man movies starring Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Tom Holland plays Spider-Man and Disney star Zendaya plays Michelle “MJ” Jones, an adaptation of Mary Jane Watson.
Moviegoers would definitely not see the same Spider-Man character in a prequel. In this rendition, Peter Parker is 15 years old and struggles to fit in as a superhero alongside the Avengers because he wants Iron Man’s attention to be able to help save the world.
There is more comedy in this film than the other Spider-Man films, such as Parker struggling to manage his body suit with voice commands. Despite being a heart-warming comedy and superhero movie, this film displays familiar high school scenarios such as asking a girl to prom and witnessing a bully. If you’re looking for a silly heroic movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming is for you.
5/5
Jafet Serrato can be reached at [email protected] or @jafetserrato on Twitter.
