Arts
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2021
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‘Invincible’ captivates viewers with intense plot BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer “Invincible,” is Robert Kirkman’s savage yet smart take on superheroes. It is amazingly fun and story-driven.The series lands on Amazon Prime Video with the intricate plot and graphic violence mirroring the comic book it is based on. Kirkman, along with co-creator Ryan Ottley, created “Invincible” and published the comic through Image Comics from 2003 until the series ended in 2018. Amazon has released the first three episodes of the animated show's first season and it is awesome. The story for “Invincible” starts out quite simple. The shows protagonist is Mark Grayson the son of Nolan— the world's most powerful superhero Omni-Man— and Debbie Grayson. Grayson is half-human and half-alien. His father Nolan is from the planet Viltrum. The origin of Nolan’s people is similar to DC Comics’ Kryptonians. But while Kryptonians gain abilities from a yellow sun, Viltrumites unlock their powers in their early years. The story goes on to show the trials and tribulations that life throws at a teenager when they gain super powers. He quite quickly settles on the name Invincible. “Invincible” has enough subplots in the first three episodes to carry on until the end of the season. Each of these smaller plots show either the darkside of being a part of the superhero community or the
moments where character growth is bound to happen on an emotional level. While the premise may sound cookie-cutter, it is the layer upon layer that is piled on the show in just the first episode that gives “Invincible” its edge. Grayson is voiced by Steven Yeun from “The Walking Dead,” another show of Kirkman’s creations. Yeun has a stellar turn as Grayson, he makes sure to infuse his voice acting with both, teenage angst and silliness. In the first half of the season, Grayson goes through not only the pains that make up young adulthood like dating, bullies and fitting in, but the character also gets to deal with what it means to have super powers. As Yeun’s character grows from a teen to superpowered Invincible, his acting shows just how emotional superheroes can be. Nolan, voiced sublimely by veteran actor J.K. Simmons, tries to teach his son that there are things people like them have to do and things they want to do. This is the show’s “with great power, comes great responsibility” speech. Simmons is the perfect actor to voice the role of Nolan. His voice goes from harsh to understanding in the middle of a sentence. Simmons knows just how to emphasize certain words allowing him to be both understanding and threatening all at once. The real stand-out on the show so far is Walter Goggins as Cecil Stedman. Goggins, from “Justified,” “Vice Principals” and “The Unicorn,” shows exactly why
he can be in almost any genre and remain memorable. Stedman is an older man who is the head of a worldwide organization that helps and fights alongside superheroes. The Marvel cinematic universe has the cool spy in Nick Fury, while the DC extended universe has the hardas-nails Amanda Waller helping heroes. The “Invisible” universe has Stedman who is grizzled, cranky but ultimately thoughtful and understanding as their superhero connection. Goggins voices the character in that exact way, yelling at underlings one second then being compassionate to a fallen hero’s partner the next. The rest of the cast on “Invincible” is spectacular as well. Debbie Grayson is voiced by the stellar Sandra Oh. Oh is perfect for the mother who won’t take any guff from a house full of superpowered people. Gillian Jacobs plays Eve, a friend and teammate of Grayson and Invincible. Finally, there is Zachary Quinto who voices Robot. Quinto’s take on Robot is similar to the inflections he used for Spock in the “Star Trek” movies, but just robotic enough to be eerie. It’s this eeriness that makes the character both interesting and unnerving. The first three episodes show Grayson learning how to be Invincible, his heroic alter-ego. The episodes are well balanced with both positive moments and darker-themed ones. Some of the more captivating scenes come during the first times Grayson flies around as Invincible. The music and movement on screen fills the
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FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT—Invincible, Mark Grayson, battles with the Flaxan General during the alien’s invasion of Earth. audience with the feeling of flight. The freedom it must bring to simply move through the air with ease is made real by the fun, light and energetic music. The animation also does a more than adequate job showing what an actual fight might feel like. The combination of the animation style and music also makes the fight scenes on screen more visceral than what audiences might be used to. While Marvel loves adding in SFX to make a splash in their battles and DC goes more down the somewhat
realistic view, “Invincible” takes the cake. The animation, music, and sound effects during fight scenes is incredible. Each punch, kick, and explosion shocks the system. There is a sense of brutality in the battles that is not often seen on-screen, unless of course if the audience is watching a war film. There are blood and broken things a plenty in “Invincible.” A m a z o n P r i m e ’s o r i g i n a l animated show is a winner in every way. Superb music, animation, voice acting and story pacing make
the show a must watch for fans of comic-related media. It is violent and dark, but it is infused with the morals and kindness of the characters that makes it so interesting and just plain fun to take in. “Invincible” is rated TV-MA for severe violence and gore, severe frightening and intense scenes and moderate profanity. It is now streaming its first three episodes on Amazon Prime. A new episode premieres every Friday for an eight-episode first season.
Cheesy killer jeans kill movie ‘Slaxx’ ‘Law & Order’ fans get closure BY BRENDA DE LA CRUZ Staff Writer If you’re in the mood for a cheesy, somewhat funny film and inspiring message, look no further, because “Slaxx” is it. The film centers around a pair of form-fitting jeans that turn out to be, wait for it, killer jeans. Not killer as in trendy, but killer as in murderous. That’s right. The pair of jeans is somehow possessed or powered by something the employees at Canadian Cotton Clothiers (CCC) don’t understand. The pair of jeans appears to have some sort of vendetta it is after and obtains this by killing those near it as much as possible. However, it can be calmed enough to “talk” to it through the sound of Bollywood music. The film does make an attempt at sending out a heartfelt message to the public about GMOs and the dangers of using them, as well as child labor and basically just being a good human being. The Canadian film is directed by Elza Kephart and the cast includes Romane Denis, Brett Donahue, Sehar Bhojani and Kenny Wong among the top-billed. While the poster board itself can give off a ‘90s look and feel, the movie is a bit corny and annoying as it progresses. It feels like a joke but a joke the writer may not know
is occurring. It has comedic scenes but hardly anything worth talking about. The acting is not terrible and while the actors have the potential to shine elsewhere, they absolutely do not shine in this film. Overall, this film is one that
many would probably not mind missing out on. Only watch this if another pandemic starts and there is literally nothing else to watch. “Slaxx” can be streamed on either Amazon or Shudder and runs 77 minutes.
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BY RAYMOND NAVA Staff Writer The “Law & Order Special Victims Unit” and “Organized Crime” crossover gives longtime fans a reunion that was 10 years in the making. It also gives them a new chapter in Dick Wolf's Law & Order franchise. In the SVU episode, “Return of the Prodigal Son,” Christopher Meloni returns as Elliot Stabler for the first time in 10 years since leaving the show. He is reunited with his former partner Olivia Benson, played by Mariska Hargitay. The episode is followed by the premiere episode of the new show "Organized Crime," in which Meloni also stars in. The SVU episode has Elliot suffering a devastating loss while reuniting with his former colleagues. The reunion isn't all happy. Setting aside and with the urgent situation already in the episode, the reunion between Benson and Stabler shows tension between the two characters. It's revealed that the two haven't spoken in ten years following Stabler's abrupt departure. This makes sense as Benson would still hold some sort of resentment towrads him. It's clear that their relationship will need time to heal and the “Organized Crime” part of the crossover, shows this to be the case as well.
The episode of “Organized Crime” was a good start to the new series. The episode follows up on Stabler's investigation into who is responsible for his devastating loss. It also sets up what looks to be a season-long plot line rather than a story of the week format found in previous iterations— though it's possible this may not be the case. The series doesn't use the traditional time and location cards that have been a staple of the franchise, since seasons 6-8 of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” The show's pacing doesn't feel like previous shows either. It feels more like “Chicago PD” and the “FBI” franchise, which were also created by Dick Wolf. While this could divert some fans from the franchise, it makes sense. The show’s material, which deals with organized crime, is more intense than other types of crime handled in the other shows in the franchise, and so the same pacing would not suit the previous format. While the event was overall wellexecuted, there were a few things that were disappointing. There were also some things in “Organized Crime” that did not really work. Unlike previous shows in the Law & Order franchise, some of the actors for the main criminals in “Organized Crime” are credited as part of the main cast. While this has happened in other shows, it's very
weird for this to be the case in Law & Order. This also seems to further the idea that the series is following an overarching storyline. This helps explain the next issue. The event was advertised as a two-part crossover and while it technically was, it felt like a pretty light crossover. Of the five main cast members in “Organized Crime,” only 3 play cops. Meloni was the only character from OC to appear on the SVU episode while Mariska Hargitay was the only character to appear on the OC episode. While this might be enough to call it a two-part crossover, some may find the small number of characters crossing over disappointing. However given that the crossover also served as the first episode of OC, this makes sense. The episode was able to act on its own in setting up the series, and too many crossover characters could cloud it. The crossover finally gives some closure to Meloni’s character's abrupt exit from SVU. “Organized Crime” shows a lot of potential and it will be exciting to see what direction it goes throughout the season. The event is solid and any former viewer of SVU should definitely check it out.
Horror film‘The Unholy’ warns against blind trust BY GRACE RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer Director and writer Evan Spilotopulous’ film “The Unholy” was the right amount of intense but most noteworthy, was its ability to maintain the mystery element. While the release date was overshadowed by the much -anticipated “Godzilla v Kong,” the film is still a hit among horror movie enthusiasts. The film reiterates the message, “beware of false prophets.” It blends religion and horror well. It can definitely be put up against some of the greatest horror movies for originality. While the concept of blending religion and horror is not new, Spilotopulous manages to showcase the power of faith in a non-preachy manner. However, the biggest hang-up with the film is the fact that viewers go into the film with much anticipation. By the end of the film the question of what is going to happen is answered, but the question of why remains. The purpose of the film is one that is questionable overall. But for what the film is, the mystery element makes it interesting enough to want
to watch in the first place. The opening scene, meant to foreshadow the plot that is unraveled later in the movie, shows what appears to be a ‘crucifiction’ of a woman. The scene is a perfectly dramatic precursor for viewers to be introduced to the mystery that is to come. A quick change in mood leads viewers to meet Gerry Fenn, the main character played by Jeffree Dean Morgan who is best known for his work on AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” Gerry Fenn is a struggling journalist desperate for a story. Fenn has a character arc that is more prominent than any other character in the film. In the beginning, viewers are introduced to a Gerry that has serious baggage and was recently exposed for fabricating stories at his previous job. Although Fenn comes off as a famed-crazed journalist, his growth throughout the film emphasizes his redemption arc. The cast is well chosen. Monsignor Delgarde, played by Diogo Morgado is stellar in his role as the investigator of miracles on behalf of the church. His character acts as an in-film critic discussing realistic scenarios the film could
have taken, leaving no stone unturned. This really grounds the film well and helps with plot holes. Dr. Natalie Gates, played by Katie Aselton, is a minor character at first, but becomes essential to the plot later in the film. While she plays the character well, the film could have been well off without her character. Still her acting leaves viewers wanting to see more of the doctor after each scene. Alice, played by Cricket Brown, is the most essential character of the film. She is the catalyst of the mystery. Cricket Brown shines in this role. Her facial expressions and overall aloofness are well-played. Father Hagan, played by William Sadler is Alice’s uncle and caretaker. The role suits Sadler well. He manages to be a likable character with traits that are not always honorable. Most notable of this character is not the execution of the acting, instead it is Spilotopulous’ use of the character to showcase his wordsmithing abilities. The line, “There’s nothing Satan loves more than to disturb our faith” is just one example where viewers cannot help but hang on to every word. The film stood out from others because it was not afraid to kill off
some of the most likable characters. This gave viewers a sense of an unresolved ending just before the actual resolution making its twists that much more powerful. The film’s message, “Beware of
false prophets.” is interesting. How much of this message applies to our world today is subjective, but the movie as whole is still worth the watch. It is not for the faint of heart as there are plenty of jump-scares.
“The Unholy” sold out a few showtimes in different cities and completely sold out in Downey and Norwalk this Friday.
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ASHES TO ASHES—The entity Mary is exposed and burned to the ground. www.ELACCampusNews.com