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directed by: Jonathan Liebesman 

3 Stars

2014’s live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, directed by Jonathan Liebesman, follows April O’Neil’s father, who was a scientist, and among other pertinent experiments in his lab were a rat and 4 baby turtles into which he injected a powerful mutagen. On the night of the fire that killed him, young April managed to save the tiny test subjects, releasing them into the night. Awaiting the inevitable attack of the Shredder and his Foot Clan, Splinter and the turtles make a home in the underground, the sewers of New York city—mutating and preparing. April, now an unestablished news reporter eager to have the deets about the Foot Clan’s rising presence in the city, finds herself on a unique path to learning the truth about her father’s death and prior experiments. Meanwhile, she is trying to save the city alongside four 6-foot talking teenage turtles with thorough knowledge of Jujitsu, the names of early Renaissance painters, contrasting personalities, and overwhelming love of pizza. 

The movie tells of brotherhood and teamwork. As for that central team, there’s Leonardo, the leader, Raphael, the muscle, nerd Donatello, and Michelangelo, the jester. The duly movie keeps their traits true to being young, inexperienced, and sometimes rebellious teenagers. On the other hand, as the main character, April was a bit bland in terms of personality. Otherwise, there’s never a dull moment between defining juvenile humour and compelling action. With these, it pairs an effective score, heroic and riveting, that also features a hype Atlantic Records track, “Shell Shock”, to denote the teenage turtle aspect. 

Of course, at first glance, the concept is a bit extravagant—it was adapted from a kids’ comic books series. The bottom line is it couldn’t have managed a better ratio of real and kiddish entertainment. I recommend the movie to ages 12+. 

Chaya J.

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directed by: Andrew Niccol

4 Stars

  In 2011’s In Time, directed by Andrew Niccol, humans stop ageing at 25 and have an initial one year alive. Time is the currency, and one’s funds are the clock on their forearm, a line of steadily decreasing green digits; and “0000•00•0•00•00•00” means instantaneous death. Although much changed when “the clock” started, the disparity between the rich and poor—or rather the poor and the practically immortal—remains. Will Salas’s working-class lifestyle is relatively benign until Henry Hamilton, a stranger of means who’d had enough of life and a genocidal economy, gifts him his remaining century. Then ensues a mission to dismantle the system built on the wealthy’s notion that “for few to be immortal, many must die.” Having the skills of his deceased father, a notorious “time-fighter,” stolen the daughter of a man worth eons, and the “minutemen” and “timekeeper” pursuing them only adds to the challenge. 

The movie is a decent length and plays on the real-world ideology that “time is money,” which makes for a script laced with entertaining double entendres. It does a fair job with the characters. Sylvia, for one, is given a realistic starter personality, allowing for decent character development. This plays a part in executing a slight enemies-to-lovers trope which develops into an even more captivating Bonnie and Clyde dynamic. That being said, Justin Timberlake’s lead called for more charisma and intimidation at certain points. The central relationship needed more authentication, perhaps in the form of little accidental intimacies that distinguish the initial trope and the fate of a certain antagonist. This feels like neglect of an impactful actor and a potentially epiphany-like character development. 

Ultimately, the way In Time cleverly merges two fundamentals and is otherwise compelling—the action, romance, and sprinkle of humour—makes it completely worth experiencing. For ages 14+, I definitely recommend it. 

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directed by: Reginald Hudlin 

Based on true events, Marshall, directed by Reginald Hudlin and released in 2017, follows one of the most high-profile cases the young but diligent Thurgood Marshall faces in his career as a lawyer for the NAACP. The firm advocates for innocent Black people across America. The case is the alleged rape and attempted murder of a respectable white woman at the hands of her black chauffeur. On the case with him is Hebrew-American Sam Friedman. We witness as they piece together the story and fight for the life and dignity of the Black man whose innocence is being questioned—and not without having to withstand certain racial partialities that would accompany such a case in 1940. 

If not a testimony of “nothing is black and white,” this movie perfectly demonstrates the justice system as it relates to the endangerment and inequality of Black people and the audacity of dishonest accusers. The main characters being Black and Hebrew men, it’s also able to highlight the implications of race in general and personal setting. Through this, the movie also does the character-building justice. But mechanical aspects are also on point; the script, costume, storytelling, and jazzy, alluring music suit the setting. As if there isn’t already sufficient reason to experience this movie, it stars the late Chadwick Boseman, who of course, gives a particularly memorable performance alongside Josh Gad, who plays Sam. 

Marshall is an important and captivating story knitted with injustice, drama, a bit of surprise and an alleviating sprinkle of humour. It also happens to be true to life and history. I strongly recommend it for those ages 15+. 

Chaya J.

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directed by: Guillermo del Toro

2013’s Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro, is set in an age where colossal dinosaur-like creatures that bleed a radioactivity neon blue occasionally ascend, one after the other, from a crack in the pacific ocean and wreak havoc on major cities across the globe. To combat these monstrosities, the nations collaborate in building monstrosities of their own—the jaeger—a two-man machine made of metal and brawn. And they get good at winning. But, the rate of kaiju attacks has increased, and the jaeger program, the only viable means of intervention, is in jeopardy, being deemed ineffective. They need funding. But they must prove themselves. So, they need better pilots. And they need Raleigh Becket, former jaeger pilot, who retired after a botched kaiju mission 5 years ago whereby he lost his brother/co-pilot. Raleigh and the jaeger program also have the overwhelming responsibility of safeguarding the world from a race of prehistoric creatures that prove more organized than they initially thought and continue coming.

This movie is memorable, to say the least—rather sci-fi, action, and military purpose done right. It carries trumping themes of responsibility, courage, and sacrifice. It builds important characters by working past events seamlessly into the setting and incorporates captivating but subsidiary romance. There isn’t much whelm around Charlie Hunnam’s lead, Mr. Becket, but other characters certainly make up for it; Idris Elba gives an irrefutable performance as stoic, authoritative, and to be respected Marshal Stacker Pentecost. The movie lasts a steadily paced two hours in which there’s never really a dull moment, and its riveting theme music makes it feel like an abomination to look away from kaiju-jaeger combat.

“Haven’t you heard, Mr. Becket? The world is coming to an end. So, where would you rather die, here… or in a Jaeger?”

 —Stacker           

Chaya J.

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directed by: Peter Jackson

4 Stars

In 2009’s The Lovely Bones, directed by Peter Jackson, 14-year-old Susie Salmon narrates the story of her murder. For most of the movie, Susie resides in an identical but desolate dimension between reality and the heaven explicitly built for her killer’s victims. Here, she struggles to come to terms with her own death while watching her family grieve her in the real world. But Susie’s lingering has devastating effects on her family and the “In Between.” She must move on so that her family can also.

The movie highlights the conflicts brought on by grief as well as the importance of acceptance. It also ends on somewhat of a good note, perhaps encouraging that after the darkest of times, it’ll be ok and life goes on. What’s particularly special about this film—and where it also becomes controversial—is that it also seeks to answer the question as to the fate of the young girls who die in this gruesome manner—at the hands of the vile men of the world. Some argue that the In-Between is too fantastical, and it thereby invalidates their suffering. However, it seems like a rather benign manifestation of our hope for those girls, that they might find in some other life what they were robbed of in this one. For the story overall, it creates a harmony of comfort and reality. It balances the crippling anxiety and hopelessness the film is keen on inducing otherwise, especially since there is a real lack of absolute justice and closure, which almost allows the audience to relate to Susie’s family.

Heartbreaking or heart-palpitating at moments and contrarily hopeful at others, The Lovely Bones is a beautiful and horrific story, not for the faint of heart, and accordingly more suitable for ages 14+, but somewhat crucial.

Chaya J.

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directed by: James Cameron

5 Stars

The wonderful movie Avatar is a science fiction/action movie that takes place in a world far away from Earth called Pandora in the year of 2154.

Jake Sully, who is a fictional character in the movie Avatar, is a paralyzed Marine veteran. Even though he might be injured, he still has a heart of a warrior. Jake is recruited by the U.S. military to travel light years to Pandora where a rare mineral can be found. That mineral can solve the Earth’s energy crisis. But little did Jake know, the planet Pandora was owned by the Na’vis, who are indigenous species. Jake’s mission was to control and gain access to the Na’vis, who were becoming a big problem in obtaining the ore(mineral). The US military developed an Avatar very identical to the Na’vis. This would help the humans communicate better with them. The United States had a very dangerous plan in mind. They were planning on mining and depleting Pandora’s resources. While Jake was on his entertaining/dangerous journey, he meets a very beautiful Na’vi female, who he eventually falls in love with. Jake Sully faces a hard challenge. He really wants to stay in his avatar form after falling in love but is not sure what to do.

Overall, I would give this movie a 5/5. It has almost everything I wanted. It had action, romantic scenes and it had many themes which I loved. It contained themes such as conflicts between humans and nature etc. I would recommend this movie to ages 12+.

Hasan Q.

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directed by: Robert Iscove

3 Stars

This movie, released in 1999 and directed by Robert Iscove, is considered a Teen Fiction classic. It’s set in California and follows Zach Siler. Torrance High‘s star student and athlete who accepts a bet with one of his jock friends. It entails turning one of their school’s most undesirable girls into the prom queen. Enter Laney Boggs, a clumsy, unpopular, glasses-wearing art student.

The starter plot is rather straightforward. However, the movie prompts quite a few themes that feel almost scattered. Along with the movie being reasonably fast-paced, it becomes a bit hard to pinpoint the real message or focus of the story. Is it the inciting incident, the resulting unintentional teen romance, the social hierarchy, or the characters’ coming of age? It doesn’t prioritize or invest enough into any of these areas after promoting a mirage of conflicts concerning each.

Overall, by not trying to mean so much, it had the potential to mean more or could’ve, at least, made more sense. However, this may very well be a subconscious comparison with other movies with similar settings. Why might this movie have the renown that it does? Perhaps, ditching my Mean Girls conditioning, it’s not one to be analyzed in the first place. After all, it is a relatively short circa 2000 teen fiction cliché. So, almost naturally, other aspects of the film, such as the soundtrack “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer and the flippancy of movies of the era are what count because She’s All That is not at all incapable of being enjoyed. I recommend this movie for those ages 14+

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directed by Adrian Molina and Lee Unkrich

5 Stars

As your typical teen who occasionally overthinks about life’s ideals and how one, like myself, communicates these types of thoughts via any kind of art that tells a story. So as a person that really puts her soul into a movie she watches, I have to say that this film is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. Coco does an excellent job at capturing the viewer’s attention from the start. It skillfully portrays the beauty of the “Day of the Dead,” a Mexican tradition, while unravelling one of the most endearing storylines I’ve ever seen in a film, which depicts a young aspiring musician named Miguel and his pursuit of his ambition of being a musician despite the disapproval of his family.

Throughout the film, Miguel entangles himself in an adventurous journey through the land of the dead, and he is caught between the love he has for music and the importance of family. Coco manages to convey the core of what it is to be human in such a simple and lovely way. What it means to love and to be passionate about the things and people you care about. The tale was delivered in such an exquisite manner that it didn’t make me think about the ideals it represented, but rather let me feel them with each scene, without my even analyzing what I was seeing. It did it so gradually that at the conclusion, I was overcome with a sequence that surely ranks among my favourite movie scenes, and I found myself sobbing. I’m not crying as I normally do when a scene moves me. I could go on and on about Coco, but I’ll just say that it’s a great film that I’ve rewatched at least twice. This movie is definitely a must-see!

Manaal I.

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directed by Garth Jennings

5 Stars

Sing is not the first movie to incorporate the talent-show concept into its story, but it is unquestionably the most successful. While not especially unique, this zany escapade centered on a theatre-owning koala with great ambitions has enough charm and enough variety in the song choices to avoid alienating older audience members. Buster Moon, our protagonist, is barely hanging on to his business; the bank is ready to seize control of the theatre. Before tragedy hits, his plan of hosting a talent show draws the public interest. Throughout the movie, each of the main candidates is shown overcoming their own obstacles, whether it’s debilitating stage fright, the invisibility of being a stay-at-home mom, or a bank-robber dad with a job opening in the family firm. I didn’t have high hopes for this film at first.

This film was equally entertaining for both adults and children, and I honestly couldn’t tell you who had a larger crowd. I could tell from the teaser that this was going to be engaging because it wasn’t only animals singing, but also familiar voices! During the audition, they sang current songs as well as some older songs, but that was a good way to truly cater to their audience. Each actor/actress gave their all to their roles, and I was surprised to see that a few of them could sing! The start was interesting. It drew my interest, but I was hooked until the main character started talking about his current situation. The most intriguing aspect of the film was the lessons it taught, which were that people would do what they want when they want to do it and that you should never be scared to do what you are best at and go for your dreams! The great ensemble, which includes many well-known figures in the entertainment world, makes the film more appealing to parents as well. Overall, this film was enjoyable to see!

Manaal I.

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directed by Michael Gracey

The Greatest Showman is a biographical musical about the journey of young Phineas Barnum as a kid, entrepreneur, museum owner, circus producer, and entertainment producer. Phineas, son of a tailor, meets Charity, the daughter of one of his father’s affluent clients. He makes her laugh and gets slapped for it by her dad, but the spark from their first encounter lasts throughout their youth, even when she’s away at boarding school, and he’s an orphan on the streets. Despite all odds, Finn and Charity marry and have two daughters years later. In the midst of raising his family, he secures a loan to build a museum of curiosities, eventually fails. He is inspired by an encounter to ask unusual-looking people to participate in a performance centered on them.

With help from costumes and makeup, he launches what will become the first circus. Barnum’s show is critically criticized, but the general public enjoys it. Barnum makes a fortune, but he can’t seem to stop looking for approval from higher classes. We all need some positivity and light in our lives. The world is filled with so much hate and unkindness toward anybody who is different. This film teaches us that everyone is valuable, that everyone’s existence has significance and purpose, and that we should work hard to help everyone, rich or poor. The message of this movie reminds us of how we should treat those around us and gives those of us who are different the courage and power to be who we are. Not to mention the amazing songs people of all ages can enjoy! This is the type of movie which you can’t help but come back to just because of its timeless nature. Human nature craves the light and goodness movies such as The Greatest Showman give to us in this world.

Manaal I.

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