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Teen Movie ReviewsClick on title for availability |
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ArrivalArrival (starring Amy Adams) is a sci-fi, speculative film about a linguist who must figure out a way to communicate with aliens who neither look like, nor speak/write, in a fashion remotely similar to humans. The concept alone is fascinating and refreshing---the film builds tension centered around exchange of knowledge, not the normal "war with the aliens" trope I've come to associate sci-fi movies involving aliens with. However, the complexity of alien linguistics is both the film's major draw...and drawback. Arrival is based on a short story, "Story of Your Life," by Ted Chiang. Personally, I enjoyed the story more than the movie---the physical and linguistic concepts were explained very clearly and concisely in writing, whereas I feel that the movie was rushing through or at times simply omitting the explanation of why the linguist was approaching the heptapod translations the way she was. In the story, Chiang illustrated the differences between thinking sequentially and simultaneously, and understanding this difference is critical in understanding the seemingly "random" flashback and flash-forward scenes the linguist experiences in the movie. These scenes have the potential to be poignant to the watcher, but I feel that without having read the short story, they lose some of their dramatic impact. I would recommend Arrival to people who want to watch sci-fi without watching another alien-invasion-leading-to-fight movie, but I would recommend that they read "Story of Your Life" first to fully enjoy the concepts presented in the movie.After alien ships arrive at locations around Earth, a linguist is called in to translate and understand the alien language |
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BoyThe PG-13 film, The Boy, is a scary, yet sensational movie! Taking place in a remote English village, in modern times, the plot follows a woman named Greta, who takes a job as a nanny to what she thought was a normal little boy. Turns out, she was employed by odd parents, and is left in a creaky, lonely mansion to take care of a doll, named Brahms. Greta is left with a set of rules, and if she breaks them, Brahms is right there to make her apologize. She soon realizes this doll is not what it seems. The genre is: horror. The main characters are: Greta, and Brahms. The side characters include: the mailman/ Greta’s friend, Malcolm, and Brahms’ parents, Mr. and Mrs. Heelshire. This movie is not very realistic (unless you believe in spirits, or hauntings), because it’s about a doll and how it can move around and haunt you all on its own. This movie is very dark, and the mood is set with sound. Because Brahms can move all on his own, it’s very scary for Greta to turn around and find him where she never put him. The sound affects the mood because when there is a scary moment or jumpscare, it’s very quiet...eerily quiet. All in all, this film is fantastic, and is definitely perfect to cuddle up to, and watch in the dark! Don't get too scared!
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Christmas carol
In the movie Disney's A Christmas Carol, Scrooge the main character is being rude to everyone on Christmas Eve. His worker Bob Crachit works tirelessly every day just to get enough money to put food on his plate. His nephew comes to Scrooge's office to wish him a Merry Christmas and Scrooge doesn't care and tells him to leave. This movie genre is a comedy and fantasy. This film took place in a Victorian city in London during the 1800s. Some main characters include Ebeneezer Scrooge, Bob Crachit and the three ghosts that visit him throughout the night. In this movie Scrooge will have to make an important decision for the fate of someone's life. If he will go down the path of good or evil. Some people that will help him make this decision are the three ghosts of Christmas, past, present, and future. These characters are just ghosts but will make a great impact on his life. The symbol of mans' greed is very prominent in this movie. This movie shows how Scrooge forgets about the poor and only cares about himself. I did enjoy the animation as it is different from anything I have ever seen. You should watch this movie with the idea that it teaches a lesson about being kind and noticing people not just because of their money.
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Five feet apartThis is one of the most inspirational movies I have ever watched. It takes place at Saint Grace General Hospital in modern times. The genre of this film is romance and drama. It is about three teens who suffer from Cystic Fibrosis, a life threatening disease. It causes them to have to live in the hospital, isolated from their friends and families. They can’t experience “normal life” or do the things they wish they could, but they still make the most out of it. The main character, Stella, is a teen girl who has a weak immune system. She lives in the hospital and shares her life on Youtube to teach and inspire others. She tries to be positive, but knows her life is always on the line. She faces many challenges. She struggles with OCD, and copes with her problems by trying to control everything she can and keep herself busy. She makes to-do lists everyday to try to fulfill her goals in life. Poe, Will, and Stella relate to one another by all having Cystic Fibrosis. But, they are all unique in their different lifestyles. Poe is gay and struggles with love and affection from others. Will has a much more pessimistic view of life. He is very doubtful of his chances of surviving much longer and contemplates taking care of himself and keeping up with his regimen in general. They all cope in different ways. For example, Will likes to draw to express his emotions. It is inspiring to see how different teens take on life when they have been completely altered by Cystic Fibrosis. Their roles are realistic, and emphasize the main feelings of life. Though they can’t experience physical touch with one another nor get close to each other, they find ways to spend time with each other and to stay connected. The music and the acting is amazing and makes you feel like you are taking on the challenges with them. This movie touches your heart and helps you appreciate life more than ever before.
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Hamilton“Hamilton” by Lin Manuel Miranda is a musical depiction of Alexander Hamilton’s life. The genre of the film is historical non-fiction. This film took place in the late 1700's to the early 1800's. The main story is how Alexander Hamilton became a staple in American history after all of the awful events that had occurred to him previously. The musical shows his arrival to the US, how he met his wife, and most importantly, the Revolutionary War and life after it, including his death. The main characters are Alexander Hamilton, (Lin Manuel Miranda) Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Elizabeth Hamilton (Phillipa Sue). There are many more important supporting characters like Angelica Schuyler, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. Angelica's character could be considered main in some ways, she was one of the strongest played characters, arguably the best one. The lighting and stage production really set the mood and angles for each scene. You would not be able to feel the same emotion without it. At the end of the show, Hamilton has a very strong monologue as the bullet that kills him approaches in slow motion. It’s about how he can already see his family and friends that have passed before him. He is panicked at first, he speaks about how Aaron Burr, his first friend in America was the one to end his life. Additionally, the costumes were very impressive, they really captured the clothing style in that era. They were all very well made in my opinion. I think viewers should watch this movie because the songs are extremely well written and catchy. Most of it is Hip Hop / Rap, interestingly. Some however are deep and meaningful. I recommend this film version to anybody who has watched the musical live, or has just listened to it.
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Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the first movie in the Harry Potter series. It was made in 2001 and is a fantasy/adventure film. Harry Potter seems to be a pretty ordinary boy, who lives with his aunt, uncle, and cousin, as his parents had died when he was a baby. One day Harry receives a letter in the mail saying he is to soon start at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft. The gamekeeper of Hogwarts, Hagrid, takes Harry from his family and brings him to the Wizard World where they prepare for Harry to go to Hogwarts. Harry soon meets Ron and Hermione, and the rest of the movie follows the ups and downs of Harry and his friends’ first year at Hogwarts. The special effects and detail in this movie really impressed me. I think it is unbelievable how they were able to create this whole world full of magic. The whole Harry Potter series is amazing, and the first movie will definitely get you hooked and have you rushing to watch the second movie right when you finish this one. The World that J.K. Rowling creates in the books, and is then transferred over to the movies, is so detailed and fascinating it will keep anyone interested and drawn in
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In the HeightsIn the Heights is an amazing movie. It is a musical drama that tells the story of a corner in Washington Heights, New York, set in the early 2000s’. But, not just any corner, a corner where every member of the community has hopes and dreams for a brighter future. It centers around the lives of a variety of characters living in that neighborhood. Usnavi is the main character, who is a 24 year-old bodega owner. He takes care of an older Cuban lady next door. Usnavi dreams of a better life, and admires a beautiful girl in a neighboring business to him. He has hopes to win the lottery, and aspirations to escape to the Dominican Republic, where his family immigrated from. He dreams to return there and open his father’s old business. An important character is Nina, who is one of Usnavi’s childhood friends. She returns after being away at college, and realizes how good it feels to be home, in their close-knit community, and it represents the communities of many, and the importance of them.
I think that another important aspect of this movie was the movie’s music. The lyrics were fast, and filled with energy. It gave the movie a joyous mood, and created a plentiful atmosphere, filled with singing and dancing. All in all, this movie is powerful and truly inspiring. It highlights the themes of family, love and community. This movie is a must-watch because it shows the importance of togetherness and the effect they can have on people.
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Midnight Sky (Available on Netflix)This movie tells about a solo scientist who's left in the Arctic to get in touch with a crew of astronauts as they return home through a mysterious global disaster. This movie takes place in the Arctic during modern times. The main characters were Augustine, the scientist who races to stop Sully and her crew of astronauts from returning during this disaster. There weren't any supporting characters but mainly focused on Augustine and his quest to stop Sully and her crew. The setting and the equipment worn by the characters impressed me and I was intrigued by the details put into creating the sets and the outfits. I thought that the equipment that was created to simulate that of astronauts were realistic and looked like what an astronaut would actually wear. Along with this, I liked the sets of the scenes. I'm not sure if the sets were built or if they were set at location but I was intrigued by the Aurora Borealis that occurred in the background of some of the scenes. I was fascinated by the colors and thought they were an interesting touch. Overall, viewers should check out this movie if they enjoy movies about natural disasters or space.
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Perks of being a wallflower
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a young adult movie that follows the life of 15 year old Charlie trying his best to navigate his life and get through high school. Charlie meets two friends, Patrick and Sam. Charlie has a crush on Sam but Sam is dating someone else. Charlie demonstrates later in the movie, that the two very traumatic experiences he experienced in the past (the suicide of his only middle-school friend, Michael Dobson, and the death of his favorite aunt, Helen) still impact his life today. The main characters in this movie are Charlie, Patrick, and Sam. Supporting characters include Charlie’s teacher Bill, Craig, Mary-Elizabeth, and Charlie’s sister. Bill helps Charlie find himself and feel more comfortable being himself. Patrick and Sam also help Charlie open up a lot. The tone throughout the movie is very nostalgic and inquisitive. It causes the watchers to reflect on their lives in the past. The Perks of Being a Wallflower uses music as a symbol for friendships. They use music to represent the state of their mood or friendship. Good or Bad. They also use the tunnel to represent adolescence. The transition from childhood to adulthood. I believe that if you are over the age of 13, you should definitely watch this movie. I feel that it accurately portrays high schoolers and it will teach you a good lesson if you watch it.
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The movie Soul takes place in New York City, around now. The genre is fantasy. Soul is about a jazz pianist who had a near-death experience and goes into the afterlife, to get back to the real world. The main characters are Joe Gardner, jazz pianist, and 22, who is a soul in the afterlife. The supporting character Moonwind made an impact because he can come and go to the afterlife and the real world. Moonwind is a really weird guy, who is going to help Joe to get back to the real world. Another supporting character that made an impact is Dorothea Williams, a singer because she made him make an important choice about his career. I would say it wasn’t very realistic, but could be to other people with different beliefs. The powerful monologue that I found was “Lost souls are obsessed by something that disconnects them from life.” said by Moonwind. This monologue is very powerful because I have experienced something like this before. When I play the piano and I get into it, I feel like I’m in a different place. The viewers should check this movie especially if they have uncertainties about their career. After watching Soul, you’ll feel warm and cozy. This movie will teach you an important lesson.
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