By: Abisola Dosunmu

The first two episodes of ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ were pretty fun to watch, and I am really excited to review it.

The set looked really pretty. The cabins looked straight out of my imagination. They all looked big and majestic, especially Percy’s cabin. There are green fields filled with campers going about their day, restocking weapons or training. The show really does a good job of transporting you into Camp Half Blood.

Walker Scobell, playing the role Percy Jackson, immediately brings Percy to life with his quick to miss, frustrated remarks. Aryan Simhadri plays Grover and is as lovable as his book counterpart. Leah Jeffries also looks good being the youngest of the actors, but her acting and delivery was a little stiff starting off. Later in the episode I could see a marked improvement as she grew more comfortable with her lines. The rest of the cast looks good too, but there’s still a lot to improve on, and the acting was a little rusty the first two episodes. Hoping this will improve in later episodes as the actors get more used to their roles.

Finally, the writing in this show was pretty tight considering there was a lot of action to pack in a thirty to forty minute episode, which left no time for fluff or filler. Which meant a lot of the scenes we saw in the book had to be cut out, which saddened a lot of PJO fans. The episode progresses in a rapid fire way, being that we are given some quick exposition on Percy, quickly introduced to him and Grover, then jumped right into it with him learning more about the world of Greek mythology. The dialogue is, like I said, quick or you miss it (like a bunch of stuff in the episode) with Scobell delivering it in a dry or deadpan way, similar to the way he did in ‘The Adam Project’.

The thing that disappointed me the most is that we only get the barebones of exposition; there’s little to no filler. I get why, because the directors were only given a short amount of time to deliver important scenes, but it gives off this energy of desperately trying to shove a few chapters worth into one episode and that energy is very apparent. Season two hasn’t been green lit so that definitely adds to the pressure to pack everything in. 

All in all, I’d give the series an eight out of ten. The newcomers watching the show won’t notice a difference at all, and it’s both a nod to the fans that read the book, and a welcome to the ones that haven’t and are just discovering PJO. I think the adaptation accomplished what it wanted to.

For more information, please go to:

• https://thefantasyreviews.com/2023/12/20/percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-episodes-1-2-reviewed/#:~:text=Overall%2C%20I%20am%20delighted%20to,it%20has%20all%20come%20out.

By: Cade Sullivan & Joey Briseno

‘Elf’, directed by Jon Favreau and released in 2003, has firmly established itself as a timeless holiday classic. Starring Will Ferrell as Buddy, this heartwarming comedy follows the story of a human, born and raised as an elf in the North Pole, who embarks on a journey to New York City to find his biological father.

At the center of the film is Will Ferrell’s endearing and charming performance as Buddy the Elf. Ferrell’s portrayal is excellent at infectious enthusiasm, capturing the essence of a silly, childlike man. His dedication to spreading Christmas cheer, combined with his larger-than-life personality, is the main comedic element of the movie and hits more often than it misses.

The film’s humor comes from the stark contrast between Buddy’s festive spirit and the harsh realism of New York City. Watching Buddy navigate the bustling streets of the city, his naïve yet charming attempts to embrace human culture, and his pure joy at discovering everyday experiences make for fun and quality entertainment.

Supporting performances, including James Caan as Walter Hobbs (Buddy’s biological father), Zooey Deschanel as love interest Jovie, and Bob Newhart as Papa Elf, contribute significantly to the film’s charm. Caan’s character undergoes massive character development, going from a work-focused individual to a father embracing the magic of Christmas. Deschanel brings warmth and dry wit to her character, Jovie, providing a romantic subplot that complements Buddy’s journey of self-discovery.

Visually, ‘Elf’ captures the essence of the holiday season with its vibrant and festive cinematography. The set designs and costumes, especially in the scenes set in the North Pole, are cute and deliver the feeling of holiday cheer. While the CGI may not impress or look as good as it once did, it is used sparingly and complements the practical sets well.

John Debney’s musical score shouldn’t be ignored either, as it elevates the film’s emotional beats and captures the essence of Christmas. From cheerful tunes to low-key melodies, the soundtrack complements the story, positively impacting the film by adding a sense of festivity through tunes.

While ‘Elf’ might follow some predictable tropes common in holiday films, its unique warmth and earnest delivery of positive themes resonated with us. The movie makes sure to drive home its themes, heavily emphasizing the importance of love, family, and embracing uniqueness. Its long-lasting popularity lies in its ability to cause laughter, make its viewers genuinely happy, and spread that unmistakable holiday feeling.

The film’s appeal lies in its ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia while offering a fresh and heartwarming take on the holiday genre. Its feel-good factor makes it a go-to movie for families seeking a fun and joyful experience come Christmas time.

In the end, Elf’ stands tall, like its protagonist among his elf friends, as a heartwarming and uplifting holiday gem. Will Ferrell’s special performance, coupled with an endearing storyline, strong supporting cast, and great visuals, makes it a must-watch during the holiday season. Its ability to capture the magic of Christmas and deliver a message of joy and acceptance has secured its place as a beloved classic for generations to come. ‘Elf’ is a film that not only entertains but also manages to warm hearts with its universal themes.

Despite its comedic tone, it manages to deeply explore themes of acceptance, belonging, and the importance of embracing your true self. Buddy’s journey of self-discovery is one to root for, and it reminds audiences about the importance of staying true to your beliefs and finding joy in life’s simplest pleasures. 5/5 stars

You are able to watch this film on:

• Amazon prime video: $3.79
• YouTube: $3.99
• Vudu: $3.99
• Google Play Movies & TV: $3.99
• Apple TV: $3.99
• The Roku Channel: Premium subscription

By: Stephanie Benitez Caballero

*Warning: This article contains spoilers

The movie ‘Leave the World Behind’ came out in 2023 on Netflix. It’s directed by Sam Esmail and produced by former first lady Michelle Obama and former president Barack Obama.

In the movie we are introduced to the Stanford family, a family of four, with Amanda and Clay as the parents and Rose and Archie as the children. Amanda books an Airbnb for her family to get away from the city and their work for a weekend. While on the way to the Airbnb the family starts to lose internet connection on all their devices. Rose, the youngest, complains about this as she is currently enamored with a show called ‘Friends’.

When at the Airbnb the family puts away their stuff and decides to head to the beach, and while at the beach Rose notices that a boat is slowly heading towards their direction. She points it out to her parents but they do not mind it. Not until later, when the boat is nearly at the beach, do the parents realize that the boat isn’t going to turn, making them panic and run away from the boat. The family decides to go back to their Airbnb. Once back at the Airbnb the family notices that the signal to the internet is completely gone, including on their TVs.

Later that night, George and Ruth show up at the Airbnb; we learn later that these are the owners of the house. They ask the Stanford family if they can stay there as they do not feel safe going anywhere else that isn’t their home. The Stanford family is skeptical about them being the owners so they ask them to prove it, which they do by opening the alcohol cabinets. They end up staying the night against Amanda’s wishes.

The next morning something goes up on the TV, a map of the US with a caption “Cyber Attack Across The Country” this sends the families into a bit of a chaos. During the day a lot of strange things happen to the families, loud ringing noises that hurt them occur, deers begin to show up more often and act weirdly, and Archie gets a bite from a deer tick which leads to him getting Lyme disease.

The families are now on the second day of being isolated together in the house, the Stanford family gets impatient and decides to try to go back to the city but while on the way to the city they encounter that the roads are blocked off by a bunch of cars. They quickly realize that the cars are self driving Tesla cars and that they are purposely rushing into one another. The family drives back to where they were staying as they find no other way back to the city.

The next day, Archie wakes up and starts to bleed from his mouth, and he starts to pull his teeth out. This was caused by the tick he got bitten from. In a panic, Clay, the father, tries to go out into town again to find some medicine for his child.

While out, the roads are empty and he believes to be alone, until he bumps into a Hispanic lady that only speaks Spanish. In a hurry, she tries to explain to him that she needs to get back home and that there’s planes in the sky dropping red papers. This makes Clay paranoid and leaves her behind.

Slowly approaching in the background we see the plane the lady was talking about, dropping thousands of red papers. Clay goes back and shows the paper to the others. It’s in Arabic, making them believe that the Arabs are the ones attacking them.

Rose disappears, so Ruth and Amanda go out to search for her while Clay and George try to go out with Archie to find medicine to treat the Lyme disease. They get to one of the closest houses and the owner tells them to back away because he couldn’t help them. He threatens them at gunpoint but they beg him to help them as they know he has the things need to save Archie. He gives in and supplies them with the medication.

The neighbor gives them so much information on everything going on, saying that he believes that it isn’t the Arabs attacking them, that the outside world is trying to confuse them and mess with them so that people will attack each other in confusion. He also lets them know one of the nearby houses has an underground base with many supplies and safety for all of them.

We cut to a scene of a house, a window broken. We see Rose inside eating what looks like a feast of junk food. Rose goes down to the basement where she finds an underground bunker, the one mentioned by the neighbor. Alone, Rose finds a DVD of the show Friends’, forgetting her family she sits down and smiles as she gets to watch the last episode of ‘Friends’.

I really liked this movie. I feel as if the trailer doesn’t spoil much but also gives a bit of context on what the movie will be about. I thought I knew what was going to happen but every moment new information and things came up. I think it’s a very realistic thing that would happen if the US were to get attacked. Some things weren’t explained further, such as who really created the attack, but I think that really adds to the movie.

I also really enjoyed the ending. I personally think that the last clip was to represent how in bad situations, that happen in the world, humans will always naturally turn to entertain themselves to distract them or make them forget about the world around them. I would rate this movie a 10/10.