“The Lion King”
Review By Caleb Storey
The Lion King is a classic animated film that includes a mix of emotion and adventure. It follows Simba (Matthew Broderick), a young lion who is in line to become the next king. After the sudden death of his father, for which he is blamed by his uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons), Simba decides to run away and struggles to find his place in the world. He grows older and ultimately has to decide if he will become the leader he was always meant to be. The combination of voice acting and animation does a fantastic job at bringing the characters to life. The soundtrack also plays a significant role in the film, with songs like “Hakuna Matata” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” Overall, The Lion King is a strong movie due to its storytelling, emotional impact, and authentic characters. It is an enjoyable movie for all ages and is one of the most iconic animated films.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
“Regular Show (Season One)”
Review By Elijah Weaver
Cartoon Network’s Regular Show follows best friends Mordecai (J. G. Quintel), a blue jay and Rigby (William Salyers), a raccoon. The show is accompanied by side characters Benson, Pops, Muscle Man (all voiced by Sam Marin) and Skips (Mark Hamill). Mordecai and Rigby work as groundskeepers at a park for their boss, Benson, but are extremely lazy and don’t let anything get in the way of having fun. While the concept may sound boring or straightforward, each episode quickly evolves into something otherworldly. Episode two Just Set Up The Chairs begins exactly as it sounds. Mordecai and Rigby are given the simple task of setting up chairs for a party, which leads to them getting distracted and releasing the “Destroyer of Worlds” from an old arcade machine. Regular Show is an amazing TV series that I definitely recommend. While there isn’t a grandiose message conveyed, it’s a great watch you can pick up any time and have a laugh. And in the words of Pops, “Jolly good show.”
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
“Toy Story”
Review By Oscar Alcon
“To infinity and beyond!” Pixar’s Toy Story tells a tale about what happens to toys when their owners aren’t around. The movie follows Woody (Tom Hanks), who gets jealous when his owner, Andy (John Morris), is gifted a brand new popular toy, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). This movie features many memorable characters and scenes, including the famous Pizza Planet truck, which appears as an easter egg in nearly every Pixar movie. I highly recommend this movie, and watching it will make you want to explore Pixar’s films. Plus, it will prepare you for the release of “Toy Story 5” in late June.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”
Review By Alina Simons
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a movie adaptation of the Marvel superhero Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a young man who discovers he is one of many Spider-Men across the multiverse. He is joined by a team of Spider-Men stuck in his dimension to defeat the underground villain, Kingpin (Liev Schreiber), and return everyone safely home. A second installment came out in 2023, and a third is on the way, hopefully to be released in 2027. With the proliferation and monotony of 3D visuals, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse swoops in to not only redefine the genre, but also revive it. A trailblazer, this 2018 movie set a precedent for 3D films to come, which draw heavily on its ambitious stylization. Breaking up the saturation of modern Pixar’s “bean mouth” or Disney’s googly-eyed princesses, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” introduces a comic book style, meshing 2D and 3D in a complementary display. With its graphic art details, the story is beautiful to view and pays homage to the source material. Decorated by colorful landscapes, character designs that stand out, vocal performances that are off the charts, and an unforgettable soundtrack, it is nearly impossible to tear attention away. This motion picture tells a compelling story with a heartfelt message that is sure to stay with audience members, no matter their age or expertise in comics.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
