Author: Rayann

“I could eat Girl Scouts for breakfast. Actually, I have an uncle who went to prison for that.”

“I know I’m stubborn, single-minded, and obsessive. But those are all traits of great writers… And serial killers.”

I’m sure most of you have already heard of the television series the following quotes are from. Or if not the television series, at least the infamous family adored and feared by many. If you haven’t quite gotten who they are yet, just snap your fingers twice.

“The Addams Family!” Now if you managed to not instantly think of the theme song or even hum it to yourself, congrats I was unable to resist the fun melody.

The Addams Family has had many adaptations throughout the years, whether cartoons, movies, or a musical (PSA I was in a production of The Addams Family in high school) the iconic family of the Addams have been a huge part of the media. With so many existing adaptations of The Addams Family, I was somewhat surprised when Netflix revealed its new production, a television series called Wednesday. But I’ll admit I watched the whole series in a day because I just couldn’t stop watching it.

Enough of the chit-chat and time for a review of Netflix’s new series, Wednesday!

Characters:

The Addams Family is an amazing collection of characters. Gomez and Morticia have one of the best relationships in fiction. They are known not only for their passionate love for each other, but for their kids. Throughout the series it is shown how much Wednesday’s parents care for her. Other family members, such as Uncle Fester, Pugsley, and honorary member Thing, embrace the original and lovable personalities from other adaptations. Whoever cast Wednesday truly did an amazing job. The actors all were perfect in bringing the iconic and famous characters to life.

Wednesday, played by Jenna Ortega, is honestly my favorite Wednesday I’ve ever seen (yes, even over Sophomore me in The Addams Family Musical). Jenna Ortega put in a ton of effort for her charter and it shows. Wednesday is spooky, emotionless, and has a dark humor. Having Wednesday as the main character of the series adds so much to the overall series and makes this adaptation stand out from others.

Not only is Wednesday highly entertaining, but at times she is also relatable. Despite being dark and different from others, Wednesday has a small personality journey throughout the series. Another aspect of Wednesday that I love is how independent she is. She never lets others stand in her way or tell her what to do. While at times her lack of codependency is a personal flaw, Wednesday finds the perfect balance of relying on others while remaining independent.

Before I move on to other characters, here’s a quick fun fact about Wednesday. Tim Burton, the director, liked it when Jenna Ortega didn’t blink as she was playing Wednesday. Jenna Ortega later revealed in an interview that while playing Wednesday she hardly blinks when on camera.

Anyway moving on to side characters outside of the Addams Family. When Wednesday first moves into Nevermore Academy, she gets assigned a roommate. Enid, played by Emma Meyers, seems to be the complete opposite of Wednesday. She loves color, loud pop songs, emotional, and is overall a very cheery person. This stark comparison between the two characters is perfect. Over the series Wednesday and Enid never become the same, but rather begin to realize their differences make them work. Enid is shown going through her own struggles, including her parents, her crush on a fellow classmate, and attempting to develop a friendship with Wednesday. Despite all of this Enid perseveres. She is a strong, extremely lovable character and an amazing friend to Wednesday.

Tyler and Xavier both attempt to pursue relationships with Wednesday. However, neither of them fall into the love interest character. They have their own dynamic and personalities. It is nice to see characters that aren’t made to fit a mold like most love interests.

Another example of a side character defying a classic stereotype is Bianca. At first she is shown and portrays the ‘queen bee.’ However, throughout the series she develops into a more important and dynamic character. The best part about Bianca’s character was that this change wasn’t cheesy like most attempts are. 

Wednesday may have an amazing family, but she also has additional authority figures in her life. Principal Weems, Dr. Kinbott, and Marilyn Thornhill all play an influential part in Wednesday’s life. At times I didn’t like them, but I realized that was what the writers wanted. The series portrays them as how Wednesday views them. Therefore, it makes sense that there were times I did not like them because neither did Wednesday herself.

For characters, I give Wednesday a 10/10 because I can’t find a reason to take a point off.

Plot:

I love a good mystery. There’s nothing better than fantasy and mystery woven together, which is exactly what Wednesday does. People, both normies and students at Nevermore, began to be killed. What Wednesday discovers is that these attacks are committed by a monster. The search for the truth is full of twists and turns. The plot is a constant movement that is not too fast or too slow. While I did predict what would happen, I had to change my guess so often it doesn’t count. There were so many plot twists that kept me intrigued in the story. Some flaws good mysteries have is that the search before the end is more entertaining, meaning the ending and reveal is disappointing. However, this was not Wednesday because I found the ending perfect.

While the hunt for the person behind the murder attacks are the main plot Wednesday offers much more than that. There are subplots of love, friendship, finding yourself, and fitting in. Each one is interwoven perfectly into the story. They each have a good conclusion, build-up, and never overpower the main plot.

For plot, I give Wednesday a 9.5/10, simple because at times it was predictable but never fully.

Enjoyment:

If you couldn’t tell from how much I’ve complimented this series, I loved it. It truly is a good rendition of The Addams Family. It is iconic, captivating, entertained, and hilarious. Honestly I feel like I’ve already ranted too much about how much I liked this series, so I’ll spare your eyes from reading too much more.

For enjoyment, I rate Wednesday a 10/10!

Overall:

The overall score for Wednesday is 29.5/30! This is definitely the highest score I’ve given and may be the highest score I’ll ever give. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who thinks they might enjoy a dark comedy about an iconic character (also if you love Jenna Ortega cause duh).

If you want to learn more about Wednesday visit its IMDB page!

“Most witches don’t have princess hair.”

“Ah, not caring how you look forces you to use your intelligence. Ugliness is freedom!”

“They say cats are good judges of character.”

If anyone recognizes the following quotes, you might have watched one of Netflix’s new movies. The School for Good and Evil is a book-to-movie adaptation that came out on Netflix on October 19, 2022. Now please don’t be upset at me for this, but I have never read the book. Sorry for those expecting a review based on its accuracy according to the book. This review is solely based on my thoughts on the movie, without attachment to the book series, it was based on.

Now that everything’s cleared up, let’s get into another media review!

Characters:

The main characters are a pair of best friends, Sophie (played by Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie). These two are very different from each other in many ways. Both have a very solid friendship that remains throughout the entire plot and acts as the centerpiece of the movie. However, there are times when this friendship doesn’t seem solid like the writers intended to be.

Sophie annoyed me for most of the movie. Sophia Anne Caruso did a great job acting the character, but in my opinion Sophie is just hard to like. She is very self-centered. Her actions aren’t driven by loyalty or love for others, but rather how they benefit her. Despite Agatha protesting leaving, Sophie insists on going to the School for Good and Evil. As well as being self-centered, Sophie is shallow. It’s one thing to care about looks and it’s another thing to prize yourself and others solely based on looks. To put it simply, Sophie reminds me of a ‘pick-me girl’ and I did not enjoy it, at all.

Agatha on the other hand is a great character. She has flaws, yes, but overall is someone that the audience wants to have a good ending. She truly cares about Sophie and it is very obvious throughout the movie. While some of her actions are sketchy, the motivation is because of her love and loyalty, not selfish reasons. Agatha is also a good person. She recognizes how flawed the school is in multiple ways and tries to make it better. Agatha honestly made watching this movie worth it.

Agatha and Sophie were the two main characters and their friendship carried a lot of the relationships in The School for Good and Evil. However, there were side characters that stood out in The School for Good and Evil that added to the story.

My two favorite side characters were the headmasters of each school, Professor Clarissa Dovey (played by Kerry Washington) and Lady Lesso (played by Charlize Theron). Lady Lesso is the dean for the School of Evil and Professor Clarissa Dovey is the dean of the School of Good. Their dynamic is hilarious. They don’t like each other and it’s very obvious. However, they have to work with each other every day. They provide comic relief while also standing as the heads of authority, which only know what they’re doing and what’s happening half of the time.

The villain, Rafal (played by Kit Young), is insanely good at embodying the personification of evil. He is a genius that works in the background, but plays an important role in The School for Good and Evil. His part is unique, but not as big as one would hope.

For characters I give The School for Good and Evil a 7/10.

Plot:

The School for Good and Evil’s plot is very much playing into the typical YA Fantasy tropes. Now, I’m not going to lie. I am a complete sucker for most tropes in YA Fantasy, so while it was basic, it was enjoyable. The School for Good and Evil took the existing tropes and added their own spin on them, which added a lot to the plot.

In terms of predictably, The School for Good and Evil has a lot of ranges. I hate to say it, but because of the stereotypes of YA Fantasy, it was easy to guess a lot of what was going to happen. However, there were a few plot twists that I never saw coming, so it wasn’t completely boring.

The plot of The School for Good and Evil also exhibited a lot of character growth. Multiple characters, including Sophie because she was the one who needed it the most, were dynamic and changed throughout the plot. Sophie actually got less annoying and started acting like a good friend to Agatha(yay!). It also had themes of what good and evil really stand for. The plot carried multiple messages that can be applied to everyday life and made the movie more impactful.

For plot I give The School for Good and Evil a 8/10.

Enjoyment:

If you can’t already tell from how much I dislike Sophie (the main character), The School for Good and Evil wasn’t my favorite movie ever. That being said, I did still enjoy it. I really liked the setting and a lot of other elements in the movie. The acting was amazing and I personally love a lot of the actors in The School for Good and Evil. That being said if they made more movies in this universe, or a sequel to this movie I would watch it.

Personally, I would only recommend this movie if you enjoy typical YA Fantasy with a bunch of overused tropes. The School for Good and Evil  was good, but there are better movies out there.

For enjoyment I rate The School for Good and Evil a 7.5/10.

Overall:

The overall rating for The School for Good and Evil is 22.5/30.

Thank you so much for reading and hopefully you enjoyed my review ofThe School for Good and Evil! If you would like to learn more about The School for Good and Evil, click here.

If you’ve read my previous blog posts, then you already know I love the Percy Jackson series. Or really any of Rick Riordan’s books. The Percy Jackson books were a huge part of my childhood and inspired the love I have for reading and writing. But all good things must finally come to an end, including the stories of mythology by Uncle Rick.

After a multitude of books and stories, Rick Riordan announced that the last book he would write in the Percy Jackson universe was the final installment of the Trials of Apollo series, The Tower of Nero. The Tower of Nero being the last book to be written in the Percy Jackson Universe was a bittersweet thing for me; which is why I preordered the book as soon as I could, but never actually read it until a week ago. Why did I finally read the book a week ago if I was scared before? Well because Uncle Rick has announced not one, but two more Percy Jackson books, meaning my childhood isn’t quite over yet. Also meaning I could read The Tower of Nero without fully sobbing.

This book and all the books in the Percy Jackson universe mean a lot to me. I’m saying this all because this review is biased. Because of the attachment, I have to Rick Riordan’s characters, writing style, and books I know that I enjoyed this book more than you might. Does this make this review untrustworthy? Of course not, but it might mean that my enjoyment is higher than your level of enjoyment simply because of my personal emotional attachment.

Without more to say, it’s time to review The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan.

Characters:

If there’s one thing that Rick Riordan excels at, it’s writing amazing characters. While no character will ever beat the Percy Jackson in my eyes, Apollo is pretty close. In terms of character development, Apollo is the best example of it. He starts off the series, for lack of a better term, as a complete arrogant prick. However, you get to see through his point of view, how being a human and going through trials changes him. It morphs him into a better person and makes the book much more impactful.

Not only does Apollo have amazing character development, he is a hilarious character who adds a lot of entertainment value to the book. His many character quirks, including sarcasm, make The Tower of Nero stand out.

Meg is Apollo’s sidekick, but in reality it’s the other way around. Meg, like Apollo, undergoes a lot of character development. She starts the series recovering from a manipulating tyrant who tried to play a father figure in her life. However by the end of the series and through The Tower of Nero she is a strong, independent character. Meg is not powerful and strong,  but she is caring. She and Apollo have a strong friendship that is highly enjoyable to read about.

Along with the dynamic duo of Meg and Apollo, The Tower of Nero features many other side characters. Some of the main side characters are Will, Nico, and Rachel. I love all of these characters. They each have their own, amazing personality that not only helps the story but makes it worth reading. Will and Nico are the definition of grumpy and sunshine trope that is perfectly executed. All of the side characters make the story way better.

The main villain in The Tower of Nero is Nero, who is easy to hate. He not only adopted Meg and manipulated her through her childhood, but is trying to rule the world. He is a great example of a power-hungry, crazy, and manipulative villain. His dynamic of being a master manipulator adds a lot to the impact of the book.

For characters I rate The Tower of Nero a 9.5/10.

Plot:

Rick Riordan is not only great at making characters but knows how to create great plots. Meg and Apollo journey to stop Nero with the help of Camp Half Blood. The Tower of Nero is full of action, heartfelt moments, and funny moments. The plot is, in my opinion, the perfect pace, not too slow yet not too fast. It is never too predictable, yet is perfectly reasonable. Nothing seems unlikely to happen or too unrealistic, well for a fiction story about Greek Mythology. 

This plot incorporated a lot of inside jokes from the original series as well as bringing a lot of new elements to the table. It was nostalgic but not redundant, the perfect combination.

For the plot of The Tower of Nero I rate it a 9.5/10.

Enjoyment:

Like I mentioned in the plot section, The Tower of Nero perfectly combines elements from the past books and brings in new references and jokes. Sometimes I would catch myself smiling just because of the joy I got from reading The Tower of Nero. The dialogue between characters was funny, but also added a lot of emotional value to the story. Apollo’s inner dialogue created meaning and themes, but also is hilarious to read. I was constantly entertained while reading and I found it extremely hard to put the book down. Granted it was not my favorite book, but it was amazing and truly enjoyable.

The characters and the plot truly make an excellent book. If it was the last book in the Percy Jackson universe, it would be a great ending installment.

For enjoyment I rate The Tower of Nero a 9.5/10.

Overall:

Overall I rate The Tower of Nero a 28.5/30! 

I definitely recommend reading any of Rick Riordan’s books, including The Tower of Nero. If you would like to learn more feel free to click here!

Last weekend I had the opportunity to go home for the weekend. For those who don’t know, I live in a small town in Iowa. This meant I had a few hours in the airport and on a plane. My favorite activity to do on a plane is to read a book because I can never hear movies well, due to what the pressure does to my ears. This brings me to my media of this week, The Hating Game by Sally Thorne.

I can practically guess what most of you are thinking, why a romance? Listen, I never used to like romance books, but something about enemies to lovers is just sheer perfection in my eyes (hopefully there are no psychology majors reading this). Anyway, I am also a complete sucker for Barnes and Noble. This is why when I saw this book on a table titled ‘Book Tok,’ I bought it and trusted the combination of TikTok and Barnes and Noble. Needless to say, I was not disappointed.

With nothing else to say, let’s get into the review!

Characters:

Lucy Hutton is an interesting protagonist. She has layers to her personality, but is also really to understand. Her character is quirky and determined. It’s really nice to read about a female protagonist that never quits and has her own goals. I also enjoyed reading the book from her perspective in 1st person because of how entertaining her thoughts were. Lucy Hutton is easy to relate to, including the amount of character growth she undergoes throughout the book.

Lucy Hutton is an amazing protagonist to see the story through because she is flawed, overthinks, and in her own way, hilarious. So it only makes sense that her love interest is also a great character. Josh Templemen is one of those characters that readers root for. He is hard to guess and read, but ultimately charming. Despite playing the role of the love interest, Josh has a solid character and personality of his own. It is clear and evident that he is more than just a love interest.

This book didn’t have a lot of focus on the side characters, due to the amount of stuff happening to just the main two characters, Lucy and Josh. However, The Hating Game still made the side characters stand out and impact the plot. Luck and Josh’s bosses, Mr. Bexley and Helene, are each unique characters in their own. Every time they appear, they add humor or some other important element to the story.

For characters I give The Hating Game a 9/10.

Plot:

The plot seems like a typical ‘enemies to lovers’ trope. Coworkers, both assistants to the heads of the publishing company, compete for a new promotion. And of course, they hate each other.

Josh and Lucy are very much opposites and the plot plays on that really well. It was entertaining and held my attention. While romance is mostly predictable, this book still left me wanting to know how everything would come together and unfold. The detailing in the plot is perfect and makes the ending so much better. Everything is well thought out and well positioned in the story.

Overall the plot was cute, left me wanting more, and extremely enjoyable.

For plot I’m giving The Hating Game a 8.5/10.

Enjoyment:

I love the enemies to lovers trope, as I have already mentioned. The Hating Game lived up to my standard of that trope. Now was it the best book I’ve ever read? No, it isn’t even my favorite romance book. However, The Hating Game was a really good read. It made me happy, sad, and anxious all at the same time. I fell in love with Josh and Lucy’s dynamic as well as their story.

While some parts of the story seemed to drag and I was able to easily guess the ending, I couldn’t help but smile at some parts of the book. It was realistic, cute, and definitely a good read.

For enjoyment I give The Hating Game a 8/10.

Overall:

Overall I rate The Hating Game a 25.5/30.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! If you would like to order the book or read the synopsis, click here!

“That’s a tough one. I would have to say April 25th. Because it’s not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket.”

“I am in a dress, I have gel in my hair, I haven’t slept all night, I’m starved, and I’m armed! Don’t mess with me!”

The movie I am reviewing this week is what can only be defined as a true 2000s classic. It is truly iconic. Hopefully, some of you already guessed from the quotes above, but for those who don’t know, the movie is Miss Congeniality. Miss Congeniality is one of my comfort movies; it’s simple, funny, and just an overall feel-good movie. So when I had free time this previous weekend, I knew it was time for a rewatch.

But enough of the intro and let’s get into the actual review!

Characters:

As I have said before, the lead of any kind of media is one of the most important parts. They set the tone and enjoyment level for the entirety of the movie. They have to be a good balance between flawed, yet not annoyingly making wrong decisions. Sandra Bullock’s character is an example of an amazing main character.

Gracie Hart is very much an independent woman. She’s a top FBI agent who knows what she’s doing and values her work. However, she does have an issue following orders, which gets her in trouble various times throughout the movie. Gracie Hart is not only strong, but she’s entertaining to watch. Her character is highly comedic. This is due to multiple causes, one being the dramatic irony of her trying to fit in with a bunch of pageant contestants. Another cause for entertainment in Gracie’s character is simply her humor; she’s funny and does humorous things throughout the movie.

A majority of the side characters are either USA pageant contestants with Gracie or fellow FBI agents with Gracie. Each side character adds their own little aspect to the movie. For example, ‘Texas’ is very much in it to win it. By having so many personalities with so many little ‘quirks,’ the movie feels much more real.

A major character is Gracie’s friend in the FBI, Eric Matthews. Eric is the one running the task project. His character isn’t complex by any means, but is still dynamic. He, along with Gracie, go through character development throughout the movie. Eric and Gracie’s friendship works really well in terms of plot and entertainment.

Gracie’s main friend in the pageant is ‘Rhode Island’ or Cheryl. Cheryl is not the brightest person, but truly has a heart of gold. Her influence on Gracie throughout the pageant is what makes this movie so wholesome. Their friendship dynamic truly makes this movie special.

There are also other characters that make the movie better, such as Victor Melling. Victor Melling is hired by the FBI to help Gracie become a pageant content. Throughout Miss Congeniality he carries the one-liners and makes up a lot of the humor.

For characters I rate Miss Congeniality a 9/10.

Plot:

Gracie Hart, an FBI agent, gets put under review after making a mistake out in the field. However, she later needs to get put undercover in the USA pageant to find a person threatening the pageant. The plot is full of surprises and is honestly just really funny. This movie takes an audience on a wholesome journey through the eyes of Gracie. The ending might be cliche and predictable, but it still is entertaining to watch, as well as heartwarming.

For plot I give Miss Congeniality a 8/10.

Enjoyment:

As I mentioned before, Miss Congeniality is one of my comfort movies. It’s simple, cute, and funny. It makes me laugh as well as makes me feel good. Sandra Bullock always is amazing on screen and all the acting is amazing to watch. Is this one of the greatest movies I’ve watched? No. But will I watch it again? Heck yes.

For enjoyment I give Miss Congeniality a 9/10.

Final Score:

The final score for Miss Congeniality is 26/30!

Thank you for reading this and if you’d like to learn more go to Miss Congeniality’s IMDB Page!

Rick Riordan was a staple in my childhood and was part of the reason I fell in love with reading. Now don’t get me wrong, I loved reading before I first picked up The Lighting Thief, but little 3rd-grade me fell even more in love after reading Rick Riodan’s most popular series. I was so in love with Rick Riordan’s work that I read all of it throughout my youth. I have even reread most of his books at least 5 times… So with how much love I have for Rick Riordan’s other books, it only made sense to read the new one he published last year on October 5th.

Rick Riordan’s Daughter of the Deep had a lot to live up to in my mind. However, I was also worried I wouldn’t enjoy it because of my high expectations. I should learn to never doubt Uncle Rick because yet again with his works, I was pleasantly surprised.

So with no more introduction left, it’s time for the review!

Characters:

The main character of Daughter of the Deep is Ana Dakkar. The reader is shown the entire story through her eyes since it’s in first person, so it is highly important that Ana’s character is enjoyable.

Ana is a freshman at Harding-Pencroft Academy, meaning she’ll have less knowledge and experience compared to other points of view in the story. However, this is part of what makes Ana’s character enjoyable. As a reader you get to see her pain and her struggle with it. It creates a very relatable and empathic feeling in the reader towards Ana; it creates a personal connection. The readers can almost feel Ana’s pain and therefore want her to have a good ending.

The personal connection with Ana’s character is just one of the traits I like. Ana is a funny narrator, she keeps the story entertaining no matter the action with her own internal dialogue. Her point of view of situations adds humor to the book, which is a very important factor to me. Ana is also very caring. She is shown throughout the story trying to do the best for everyone, despite not always knowing what is best. The last point brings me to one of my favorite parts of Ana’s character, that she is flawed. Ana isn’t perfect. She makes mistakes and doubts herself, and this makes the story realistic and relatable for the audience.

While we don’t get to see the story through their eyes, the side characters are also good examples of relatable and enjoyable characters. Ana has two best friends; Nelinha da Silva and Ester Harding. Each one brings their own element to the story. The three friends have different personalities that work together amazingly, while remaining unique to each character. Between the three of them they also cover a lot of representation for people, such as Ester having an anxiety disorder.

Daughter of the Deep also has other characters such as Gemini Twain and Dev Dakkar. Each charter plays their part of the story extremely well. They all interact in a way that resembles how a real freshman would react. The characters make the story entertaining, heartfelt, and as realistic as it can be. Even the ‘villains’ display real human emotions and motives, meaning there is more to them than just evil.

For characters I’m giving Daughter of the Deep a 9/10.

Plot:

At first the plot of Daughter of the Deep seems to be simple, however, Uncle Rick never does anything simple.

Tragedy strikes Ana and her friends and immediately introduces the readers to heart-racing tension they’ll feel for the rest of the book. From the moment the conflict starts til the moment the book ends, Daughter of the Deep’s plot kept my attention. It was entertaining, thrilling, and also managed to create a connection between the characters and the reader. The plot also weaves in life lessons and ways to deal with emotions in a healthy way. Uncle Rick even included a plot twist, which may have been somewhat expected, but played out in a way I didn’t expect.

For plot Daughter of the Deep receives a 9/10.

Enjoyment:

I’m going to be completely honest with you guys, I am somewhat biased in this review. Well, all my reviews are technically biased, but this one is more biased. This is because I have such a deep love for Rick Riordan and his books. His writing style and the way he brings characters to life makes him one of my favorite authors. Just keep in mind that for enjoyment it might score higher for me than it will for you if you end up reading Daughter of the Deep.

Based on my previous paragraph you should be able to guess that I enjoyed Daughter of the Deep. The characters and plot made the story entertaining, relatable, and thrilling. I could never tell where the story would go next and oftentimes found myself unable to put the book down because of my enjoyment. I was constantly wanting to know what was next and was upset when I finally reached the last page.

My score for enjoyment is 9.5/10.

Final Score:

The overall score for Daughter of the Deep is 27.5/30.

Thank you all for reading this and I hope you all enjoyed the review! If you would like to learn more about Daughter of the Deep go to Rick Riordan’s website.

“Once we bring the children back, we shall feast! …Not on them! We don’t do that anymore. That is a dark part of our history.”

“But Thor’s one true love was an Earth woman named Jane Fonda. Oh, wait. No. Jane Foster. But sadly, in the battle for love, Thor lost. In fact, he lost a lot of people in those days. His mum. His dad. And that guy. And that guy. And whoever that is. And Heimdall. And his brother. And his brother, again. And again.”

That’s right, the media I’ll be reviewing this week is for all the Marvel fans out there.

Thor: Love and Thunder was released in theaters on July 8, 2022, and was later released on Disney Plus on September 8, 2022. The movie is about Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) finding himself and reconnecting with his first love Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). I’m just kidding; Thor does find himself and reconnect with Jane, I can’t forget about all the action. Gorr (played by Christian Bale) sets out on a mission to kill all the gods after he loses his daughter. Thor, Jane (Mighty Thor), Valkyrie, and Korg must all work together to stop Gorr from slaughtering all the gods.

For anyone interested in the Marvel franchise, Thor: Love and Thunder had built up a lot of anticipation. The previous Thor movie, Thor Ragnarok, was personally my favorite Thor movie and in my top picks for my favorite Marvel movie. With such a background and expectation for this movie, it was at first hard to judge the actual movie itself. I found myself comparing the movie to the version of Thor: Love and Thunder I had envisioned in my head. However, as soon as I stopped setting my expectations too high, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Just remember, not every Marvel movie is going to be like Endgame or Spiderman: No Way Home, so make sure to enjoy the movie for what it is, not what it could have been.

Enough of the PSA and into the review!

Characters:

If anyone were to ever tell me they don’t like Thor’s character, I would instantly not trust them. Thor is a stable character in the Marvel universe and for good reason. He cares about all his friends and family and would do anything to keep them safe. He is also extremely loyal. Thor is a great leader and knows when it’s right for him to step down in terms of power. Among being a great person, Thor is also hilarious. His humor is simple, but still very entertaining.

Thor starts the movie with a closed-off attitude because of how much hurt he is in. This allows the movie and his character to have a deeper meaning. It allows character development within Thor and lessons to be learned by the audience. Overall in terms of main characters, Thor has a lot of other media types beat.

The supporting characters are also incredibly strong and independent.

King Valkyrie is shown as a strong, fierce leader. But the writers also make sure to make her ‘human.’ They allow Valkyrie to experience a whirlwind of emotions and partake in her own character growth like Thor. Valkyrie also gives those with a sense of dry humor a chance to laugh. Her character adds so much to the movie, whether it be with her friendship with Thor or her value to the plot.

Jane Foster plays the part of Thor’s love interest, but if there’s one thing Marvel’s improved on, it’s how ‘love interests’ are seen in the cinematic universe. Instead of only existing to be Thor’s love interest, Jane is her own character with her own personality and problems. In Thor: Love and Thunder, they prove how Jane is more than Thor’s love interest by making her a superhero. Yeah, that’s right, Jane Foster is Mighty Thor, and let me tell you, it is so cool.

There are a lot of other supporting characters that add to the entertainment and plot value of Thor: Love and Thunder. Each one is funny and unique in its own way.

The last character I want to talk about before I move on is Gorr. First of all, Christian Bale acted the hell out of the part. Gorr is incredibly relatable, which in my mind also makes the villain scarier. His villain origin story is short but allows the audience to understand all of the emotions Gorr lets motivate him. While Gorr is in the wrong for killing gods, the audience can understand why he’s doing it. Also, Gorr’s character is just entertaining to watch; he plays an excellent villain.

For characters, I’m rating Thor: Love and Thunder a 9.5/10.

Plot:

Honestly, I love goats, so the minute goats were included in Thor: Love and Thunder, my attention was devoted. Thor: Love and Thunder’s plot is technically simple, but kept me more than entertained throughout the movie.

There were times when it was serious. Times were it was sad. But mostly the plot relied on humor, which in my opinion was funny. The plot had a nice balance of emotions and even if it was comedic, allowed lessons and morals to be presented throughout the storyline.

In terms of action and fighting, Thor: Love and Thunder provided great fight scenes throughout the movie. It also helped that each fight scene was different from the others so it didn’t feel like one big fight for the entire movie.

For the plot, I give Thor: Love and Thunder a 9/10.

Enjoyment:

Thor: Love and Thunder was a great movie to watch and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot, characters, writing, and other cinema elements were astounding and lived up to the Marvel name. The film had good lessons, a good plot, and fantastic characters. It may not be my favorite Marvel movie or even in my top favorite Marvel movies, but it was still worth watching, and I would certainly watch Thor: Love and Thunder again.

For enjoyment, I’m rating the movie an 8.5/10.

Final Score:

The final score for Thor: Love and Thunder is 27/30.

Thank you for reading this week’s post; I hope you enjoyed it! If you would like to learn more about Thor: Love and Thunder, go to their IMDB Page!

“It’ll be like our very own version of friendship tattoos, except you know, with trauma.”

“My therapist says that hurt people hurt people, but I just don’t think that applies to teenage girls. I think sometimes they’re just evil.”

The media I’ll be reviewing this week was just released on Netflix on September 16th, 2022. For those who haven’t seen the trailers or ads for it, I’m referring to Netflix’s Do Revenge. 

Do Revenge is about a high schooler named Drea (played by Camila Mendes). After a promiscuous video of her gets released, she goes from queen bee to outcast. All because of her boyfriend, the king of the school, Max (played by Austin Abrams). Eleanor (played by Maya Hawke) is a new transfer student who is not looking forward to going to school with Carissa (played by Ava Capri) after she ruined her life with a nasty rumor at summer camp. Once Drea and Eleanor meet they hatch a plan to ruin the lives of each other’s enemies, or ‘do revenge.’

By this point you should know the drill, so let’s get into the review!

Characters:

Drea is extremely problematic. She is very much portrayed to be like every other queen bee in high school movies. However, Drea also isn’t like the other kids at her school, due to her lack of wealth. This means that when she falls from her social standing, she falls hard. But it also means Drea has more room for character growth. Drea’s character is meant to be one the audience hates but learns to love. The writers do a good job of making the audience want Drea to get revenge and get the life she wants. While she is a difficult character to like at times, Drea’s character is funny and relatable and I enjoyed her development through the story.

Eleanor is the other main character and is easily my favorite character, not just because she’s played by Maya Hawke. Eleanor is seen as awkward compared to confident Drea. They are pretty much shown in the beginning as opposites. However, just like Drea Eleanor undergoes a lot of changes throughout the movie. The best part about Eleanor’s development is that she remains who she was in the beginning, just more confident and happier. Eleanor’s humor is different from Drea’s humor but is just as funny. The two of them in a scene, even if serious, always made me laugh. The connection between Drea and Eleanor form is alone something that makes the movie worth watching.

Drea’s old friends; Tara, Montana, Gabbi, and Elliot, along with her ex-boyfriend Max, all add depth to the movie. Eleanor’s ‘enemy’ Carissa also deepens the movie in terms of characters. Each character undergoes a development, whether small or big, and each one is shown going through a change. Some side characters are more relatable than others, but each represents human qualities and how humans interact. Also, Max is so annoying it’s almost funny to watch. To describe it more in detail, it’s like he represents a character so painfully accurate that you can’t help but laugh at how sad it is that people like him exist.

For characters, Do Revenge scores a 9/10.

Plot:

When I first saw the summary for this movie, I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to watch it. I mean the ‘high school movie about the popular girl teaming up with the new and unpopular girl’ has been done so many times before. However, I liked where the writers went with the plot.

It starts extremely cliche, which in my opinion is still good as long as it’s done correctly. Anyway, as the plot progresses I realized this was not just another high school movie. Now I don’t want to spoil it, but I was completely shocked when the plot twist happened. I’m normally good at predicting plots, yet for some reason that was not at all what I thought would happen. Literally so good.

Other than the events in the plot and the amazing plot twist, the plot overall was hilarious with several good lessons intertwined. It’s funny and in its own way inspirational.

For the plot, I’m giving Do Revenge a 9/10.

Enjoyment:

If you couldn’t tell from my previous paragraphs, I really liked watching Do Revenge. The cast did a great job of acting out the characters and making them human in every way, meaning you loved them and you hated them. The visuals of the movie were all nicely done, meaning the sets and shots were all ‘appealing to the eye.’ The plot, mainly the plot twist, was a jaw-dropping moment and honestly worth watching the movie for a second time. I loved the relationships formed throughout the movie between the characters, but my favorite was the friendship between Drea and Eleanor. Despite multiple bumps in the road the two manage to create a very unlikely and solid friendship. The ending of the movie is also one I loved because it tied up all loose ends and is one that makes the audience feel good.

For enjoyment, I’m giving Do Revenge a 9.5/10.

Final Score:

The final score for Do Revenge is 27.5/30.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this, even if it was required. If you want to learn more about Do Revenge go to their IMDB Page!

“I’m going to help you rediscover your manhood. Do you have any idea where you could have lost it?” 

“I do…I don’t know! I was supposed to say that you are the perfect combination of sexy and cute. Which is actually something that I used to say to my wife, but now it’s become corrupted and I have eighteen layers of clothes on. I’m wearing a shirt and a tie and a sweater and a suede jacket that just seals in all the heat. Seals in all the juices. I’m just…it’s all sweat under here. This is just sweat from here down. I’m…this sweater, this is called slim cut, but it feels like a scuba suite and I’m looking at your breasts. What’s that about?”

If you recognize the quotes above then odds are you’ve heard of the media I’ll be reviewing this week. 

Crazy, Stupid, Love. is a movie that first came out in 2011 and includes actors such as Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, and Emma Stone. The movie is focused around Cal, played by Steve Carell, as he and his wife, Emily (played by Julianne Moore), get a divorce. The story follows Cal as he befriends Jacob, played by Ryan Gosling, and begins to navigate the emotions he is dealing with after the divorce. The movie is a comedy that also plucks the heartstrings and makes you feel good about life.

But enough summary, let’s get into the good part, or what I think is the good part, the review!

Characters:

The main character for Crazy, Stupid, Love. is Cal. Cal is from the very beginning a good guy. He is not only very in love with his wife, but cares about her wishes and what’s best for his kids. However, this becomes one of his faults because he cares so much about protecting his wife’s wishes that he becomes submissive in what he wants. 

Cal is one of those characters the audience wants to be happy because of how caring he is, but also because of how naive and funny. Cal is very naive and when he gets entered back into the dating pool the transition is, well, rough. But I loved how Cal’s character dealt with everything, even if it was extremely awkward at moments.

Jacob is the opposite of Cal. He is, for lack of better terms, an f-boy. Jacob doesn’t have a family or any personal attachment, so he buys a lot of things and sleeps with a bunch of women. Jacob is one of those characters who I didn’t want to like at first, but with the dynamic between him and Cal it’s hard not too. Out of all the characters Jacob’s character development is the best because he learns about deeper attachment and finds happiness that isn’t just in material objects.

Jacob’s character also adds to the comedic effect of this movie through his smooth and arrogant personality compared to the rest of the characters. He is mostly put together so anytime he’s around someone who isn’t, it’s slightly funny. However the best thing about Jacob’s character is how many times he either gets slapped or slaps someone.

Emily or Cal’s wife is also a very interesting character. She isn’t written as a terrible person since she cheated, yet she also isn’t written as a ‘perfect’ wife. I like the way the writers made Emily because she feels very much human. She makes mistakes and does good things. Her emotions stand separately from Cal’s own emotions and she isn’t just his love interest, which in my mind represents a good character.

My favorite character from the movie is Hannah. I mean Hannah is literally played by Emma Stone; it can’t get much better than that. Hannah’s character is just funny. She knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to say it, but she also has difficulty finding someone who matches her own worth. Honestly Hannah is more of just a side character, but she makes an impact in the scenes she’s in and adds to the humor and lessons of the movie.

The other variety of side characters are also equally hilarious and well written. Whether it’s Cal’s kids or their babysitter, each side character has something unique and hilarious to offer.

Each character has their own individual traits that they never lose, even if they go through character development. The way each character interacts with each other adds humor and lessons to the movie. The overall emotional range each character has creates not only a good romantic comedy, but a heartfelt and emotional movie that leaves an impact on the audience. For characters I give Crazy, Stupid, Love. a 9 out of 10.

Plot:

The plot is entertaining throughout the whole show. Yes, it is the cheesy ‘man gets makeover after divorce’ plot, but there are so many other subplots added that it makes it a movie with much more depth. The plot combines funny, cute, romantic, sad, and emotional all into one. It never seems that the plot is too overloaded, but still manages to get a lot across to the audience. The only two complaints I do have about the plot is that some plot points are skipped over fast or mentioned briefly and that the plot is oftentimes highly predictable. I could often tell what would happen next. However, Crazy, Stupid, Love. still left me impacted by the plot so for plot it gets 8.5/10.

Enjoyment:

I had seen short videos of Crazy, Stupid, Love. on both Tiktok and Instagram before watching, and each clip would always make me laugh (even if I didn’t understand what was going on). Basically I knew before I started watching this movie, that I would enjoy it.

The characters and the events they go through create a funny and emotional balance that few movies manage to do well. It balances harder topics with good humor, and not just incredibly cheesy and wrong-timed jokes. This film is an incredible example of a romantic comedy that actually speaks true to the lives we live today.

It’s safe to say my enjoyment for this movie is on behalf of multiple reasons, not just because of Emma Stone. Anyway for Crazy, Stupid, Love. on enjoyment, I rate it 9/10.

Final Score:

The Final Score for Crazy, Stupid, Love. is 26.5/30.

Thank you for reading this and if you’d like to learn more please go to Crazy, Stupid, Love.’s IMBD Page!

Since there is a multitude of media, finding an average review scale to accommodate the media I will write about on this blog was a little difficult. However, I worked out a system in order to ensure that each review applies to all media, but is also able to properly judge the media it is intended for.

The ‘rubric’ I will be using to judge and review each media will include three categories. The three categories are characters, plot, and the most important category, enjoyment. Each category will be on a scale from 1-10 points. At the end, each category score will be added up for a total up to 30 points. But enough of the boring stuff, let’s get into the first ‘review.’

This week the chosen media I have decided to write about is a TV Show, or more specifically Netflix’s Never Have I Ever.

Never Have I Ever is about an Indian American teenage girl named Devi Vishwakumar, played by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. Devi and her two best friends, Eleanor Wong (Ramona Young) and Fabiola Torres (Lee Rodriguez), must navigate the difficult world of modern day high school. Never Have I Ever includes three seasons; the third season came out August 12 of 2022 and the fourth season is expected for sometime in 2023.

Characters:

Before I start actually reviewing the depth of the characters and their personalities, let me just get the obvious out of the way. The cast members of Never Have I Ever are all very attractive. The only issue with a cast being attractive is that sometimes the characters feel out of age for the role they are playing, but Never Have I Ever does well on maintaining a general ‘high schooler’ look.

Now that the obvious is out of the way, the main character for Never Have I Ever is Devi Vishwakumar. Devi is definitely, as they say in the south, a character. I’m going to state it simply, but the first two seasons Devi practically made every wrong decision. When given a choice Devi always picks the worst one, which left me irritated with her character. However, the writers knew how to also make Devi incredibly relatable. Devi lost her father recently and is just a normal high schooler trying to navigate growing up, which almost everyone can relate to, especially the intended audience of high schoolers and young adults. So despite Devi making all the wrong choices, the audience (including me), wants Devi to end up with a happy ending. Devi also expresses great character growth throughout the show, mainly in season three.

Eleanor Wong, Fabiola Torres, and Aneesa are all Devi’s best friends. Each character has their own little quirk and separate personalities that each add to Devi’s friend group. To me, the best way to determine if side characters are good or not is if they could stand alone in their own show. For these three characters I believe they all could have their own show because of their unique and entertaining personalities.

Devi also has a few love interests throughout three seasons. The main two love interest characters are Paxton Hall-Yoshida and Ben Gross. Paxton’s character is the classic ‘hot popular boy,’ but throughout the show the writers progress his character into something more. Ben’s character is highly complex, especially his relationship with Devi. Essentially both Ben and Paxton stand alone as characters apart from being Devi’s love interest. Both are seen as strong characters in the show, even when not playing the part of  ‘love interest.’

Nalini Vishwakumar and Kamala are both part of Devi’s family. Nalini is Devi’s mom and really gives the audience a rollercoaster of emotions. Nalini as a character helps relate the struggles of being a parent and losing a loved one. Kamala also is a strong character and shows struggles in her life that relate to people and helps influence other characters in the show.

Each character seems to be strong and special in their own way. They all interact in a different and unique way, which adds to the entertainment factor of the show. While the characters are all irritating at different points of the show, overall the audience wants each one to end up happy. For characters, the score is 8.

Plot:

I don’t want to spoil a lot, so I’ll keep the plot simple and to the point. The plot, just like Devi, is often irritating. It always seems like people should make better decisions and certain situations shouldn’t happen. However, each situation is reasonable to happen in a normal high school. While the plot can be irritating, it is always engaging and has fantastic resolutions. Since the plot is not only entertaining, but accurate to the real world and has good endings it gets a score of 7.5.

Enjoyment:

Despite being constantly annoyed with at least one character during the first two seasons, I enjoyed watching this show. Season three was overall the best season and really turned around my opinions of some characters and the opinion of the show overall. Never Have I Ever is entertaining, emotional, and features real life lessons and an overall positive story.

Devi’s life is different from mine in many ways, yet is also relatable in many ways. Which makes the show more impactful and memorable. The writing also adds to the enjoyment due to the funny lines. Along with the funny lines the writing also brings out the emotional side of the audience.

Due to the impact and overall humor of Never Have I Ever, I rate the show an 8 on enjoyment.

Final Score:

The final score of Never Have I Ever is 23.5/30, which I think is pretty good.

Thanks for reading and if you want to learn more (or read a more professional review) go to IMDB Never Have I Ever.