A constitutional right of the president to reject a

The Force isn’t strong with these flms

Aydan Herold ’20

Cats (2019)

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Cats is the film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s 1981 Broadway musical of the same name. The movie was directed by Tom Hooper, an Oscar-winning director celebrated for his films The King’s Speech and Les Miserables. Naturally, one would assume that this kind of pairing would result in a, at the very least, a satisfying movie musical. Unfortunately, the end result is a catastrophe that reeks of creative choices left unchecked and rushed Computer Generated Imagery (CGI). The story of Cats (what little of it there is) revolves around a cat named Victoria (Francisca Hayward), who seeks to join a gang of alley cats named the Jellicle Cats. While these Jellicle Cats do little to explain what the word “jellicle” means, they do explain that their leader, an elderly cat named Old Deuteronomy (Dame Judi Dench), will be hosting a “Jellicle Ball” and granting one lucky cat the chance at a “new life.” For the next ninety minutes, the audience is bombarded with a series of songs in which several cats, played by such stars as James Corden, Rebel Wilson, and Jason Derulo, introduce themselves and state how they intend to be reborn, until the movie reaches a climax equivalent to a bump on a rollercoaster meant for five year olds. The cats sing about their names and what they do, then disappear for almost the entire rest of the movie. According to reviews from Vox and The New York Times, Cats works better when seen live. At the play, one can better appreciate the singing, dancing, and eccentric costumes and sets. Some also say that the show does not force much of a plot in order to accentuate its assets. This does not work within a film where plot is one of the most important elements, especially when being released to mainstream audiences. Another reason the musical does not translate to film is because every character is completely covered up by horrifying CGI. The bizarre fusion of feline traits with human body limbs and torsos obfuscates the dancers’ performances and actively draws attention to the uncanny valley of their characters’ faces. This indecision on where the line between cat and human should be drawn leads into my next issue with this film: the rating. Despite being rated PG, there is an undeniable sexual overtone present in nearly every scene. The human bodies of the cats mixed with their rather short fur makes every character looks like a naked human from a distance. Throughout the film there are moments where the characters are supposed to be nuzzling, but due to a lack of felinity in their faces and musical cues, the audience is led to believe that they will kiss. Never has a film this year made me laugh so hard while feeling so empty on the inside. The attempt at a story is pitiful. The CGI makes me question who at Universal Pictures still has a job after allowing it to play in theaters around the country. The acting is over the top and strange. I was unsure whether to call this film worthless and give it a zero, or decree that it is so bad that it’s good and give it a two. I will instead compromise and give Cats a 1/10. If you hate musicals, or bad movies in general, this is certainly one to avoid. However, if you enjoy watching “so-bad-they’re-good” films, I beg of you to see this movie. It will be an experience unlike any other. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the last movie in the Star Wars series and supposedly the last movie in the entire Skywalker saga. It is the end of a series spanning nine movies, forty years, and billions of dollars in revenue. After escaping the First Order in The Last Jedi, main characters Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe (Oscar Isaac) are continuing to lead the rebellion against the fearsome regime. However, the course of the war changes when the villainous Emperor rises again with an immense army of Star Destroyers. He urges the leader of the First Order, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), to bring Rey to him and to crush the rebellion once and for all. Unfortunately, The Rise of Skywalker’s biggest problem is its script. In turn, the characters and pacing of its first act suffer greatly as well. The first forty minutes of the movie are quite repetitive. The main characters find themselves in a cycle of finding a new planet to look for a plot device, finding said plot device, being interrupted by the First Order, fighting Kylo Ren, then leaving said planet. The same scene essentially happens three times over before The Rise of Skywalker begins to build any real momentum towards its conclusion. Additionally, I felt as though many of the characters do not experience any meaningful change. This is disappointing considering that these characters are what made the last two films in the series interesting. As a result, the events of the film appear to have had little impact on the characters by the end. On the bright side, the acting is a major highlight of this film. Ridley holds her own as the central star of the film. Boyega and Isaac both seem to be having fun with their parts, and add needed levity to the film. Driver is able to bring much more emotion to his character than the script presented. Visually, this movie is also a treat. The lightsaber fights are well choreographed, the space battles are adrenaline-pumping, and the Computer Generated Imagery looks fantastic. However, these elements lose something due to this film’s lacking script. Without investment in the story and characters, there is no real meaning or stakes to all the action. Overall, The Rise of Skywalker is a relatively disappointing ending to a franchise that once had more potential than any other. Although it delivers a ride that is fun in the moment, with good effects, and a stellar cast, upon a closer look at the story and how this movie fits into the Star Wars Saga as a whole, I very much doubt that this movie will have the legs to stand for longer than an initial viewing. It spends too long trying to appeal to fans and fill its runtime, which weighs down what could have been a spectacular finale to this space opera. While it is not the worst movie out of the nine, and I can see myself rewatching it, it is one of the more forgettable entries, and feels more like a corporate product than the vision of a director wanting to conclude a series. I am giving The Rise of Skywalker a 5/10. I will likely not remember it as clearly or as fondly as The Force Awakens or The Last Jedi within the coming months, but I would not call my experience watching it a particularly bad time either. Go see this one if you really love Star Wars or simply want to go to the theaters for a fun movie. What to watch this Valentine’s Day We may all occasionally make fun of cheesy Valentine’s Daythemed movies, but to some extent, we have to admit that they are quite entertaining. There are variety of flms ofer diferent components that can add a little something special to the holiday of love. Each of these flm recommendations revolves around one common theme: love, and thus they are perfect for keeping you entertained this Valentine’s Day. If you’re looking to watch a classic romantic drama, try... La La Land– Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a jazz pianist, initially meet in a ft of road rage. As the story progresses, they are drawn together through the pursuit of their dream jobs in entertainment. The ending makes this flm great for Valentine’s Day. Also, this flm is flled with amazing musical numbers that will captivate viewers. The cinematography is wonderful, including many beautiful color combinations. I cannot recommend this movie enough. If you are interested in rom-coms, check out... To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before– This movie is defnitely worth a watch this Valentine’s Day, even if you’ve already watched it well over fve times (not speaking from personal experience). When Lara Jean Covey’s (Lana Condor) love letters to her crushes are unexpectedly sent out, even though they were intended for her eyes only, her life turns into chaos–but the good kind, obviously. Whether you’re swooning over love interest Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), relating to Lara Jean, or just looking to enjoy the drama, you will surely appreciate this flm. Not to mention, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You will also be released on February 12, 2020. Anyone can enjoy this movie, especially hopeless romantics. Make sure to watch it if you haven’t, rewatch it if you have, and get excited for the sequel! Crazy Rich Asians–Crazy Rich Asians is a wonderful flm to watch this Valentine’s Day. In this movie, NYU Professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) accompanies her boyfriend, Nick (Henry Golding), to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. There, she learns that Nick is a member of an extremely wealthy family, and that his mother (Michelle Yeoh) does not approve of her. Rachel must now deal with his disapproving mother and the newfound attention that she receives. This movie may seem cliché at frst, but it is really so much more. Crazy Rich Asians delivers many meaningful scenes that make it incredibly entertaining. If you don’t feel like watching live action movies, here are some animated ones to watch instead... Tangled– The relationship between Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) and Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) is one of the most genuine out of the Disney princess flms. They spend lots of time together and gain each other’s trust before eventually falling in love, which can be seen as a good model for real-life relationships. Additionally, they are both willing to sacrifce important components of their lives for each other, which is representative of true love. If you want a resounding happily-ever-after ending, this is a great option for Valentine’s Day. Not to mention, Rapunzel’s pet chameleon adds an extra fair to this already phenomenal flm. Your Name– This is a Japanese animated romantic flm tells the story of a school girl (Mone Kamishiraishi) who grows tired with her life in the country. After wishing to be a handsome boy in her next life, she switches bodies with a high school boy (Ryūnosuke Kamiki). They then both begin to afect each other’s lives. But what happens when a comet separates their timelines? Will they ever meet? I highly recommend this romance flm because of its interesting plotline and beautiful animation. Katherine Fang ’23 Graphic by Cate Roser ’21/Staf