4 March 23, 2023
Editor: Angie Escalante| life.viewpointsonline@gmail.com
Reviewing what’s in right now ‘The Last of Us’ humanizes a digital apocalypse VIANNEY MORLAES STAFF REPORTER
Showrunner Craig Mazin proved his HBO series adaptation of the popular video game ‘The Last of Us” isn’t truly about zombies or the apocalypse, it’s about love. In a world with little hope for humanity, the relationship between a person and the one they care for is the backbone of their survival. Video game adaptations are notoriously difficult to pull off. Due to the interactive nature of video games, it’s difficult to fully capture the essence while vicariously living through the characters during gameplay. “The Last Of Us” uses the medium of TV to its full advantage. The first episode strategically yet subtly leads up to the outbreak, thrusting you into the chaos that emerges. Even without knowing the plot you start to root for these characters and anxiously hope that they will survive. Following the initial outbreak, the scene time skips to 20 years after. The government has taken over the perimeter of major cities, to allegedly protect people from “the infected.” Viewers immediately understand that the government is abusing its power. The rugged and emotionally cold Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) is dealt with the responsibility of being 14-year-old Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) caretaker. They embark on a journey across the country to take Ellie to doctors that could possibly find a cure for infection from her mysterious immunity. When we first meet these characters, they couldn’t be more different from each other. We see early on that Ellie has had a certain affinity to violence.
ILLUSTRATION BY ELIANA KLEVEN | VIEWPOINTS
However, that rage unleashes as she spends more time with Joel and starts to mirror his violent tendencies. Naturally—however, strongly against their will—their relationship slowly begins to resemble that of a father and his daughter. They become each other’s protector. Joel makes Ellie stronger but Ellie makes Joel weaker. Joel’s failure to protect his daughter makes him guarded against Ellie, fearing he’ll get too attached and never recover if he’s unable to protect her.
Emotions on the ropes in ‘Creed III’ JAZMYN DE JESUS STAFF REPORTER
The third installment of the Creed series presents a new take on a brother’s betrayal story that serves as a positive example of Black masculinity with plenty of anime references woven into the creative fight scenes despite shortcomings in its visuals and script. Michael B. Jordan stars in and makes his directorial debut with “Creed III.” While the previous two Creed films follow the same plotlines and story progressions of the Rocky films, “Creed III” differentiates slightly and arguably has a more meaningful social commentary. Jordan incorporated much of his own influences and views with the latest installment which helped the movie as much as harming it. Due to the fact that the prior films were written by Jordan’s longtime collaborator, director Ryan Coogler, Jordan’s attempt at mimicking the visuals and verbal cues seemed a bit awkward and at
times corny. “Creed III” attempts to be the most unique out of the series, but some directorial choices come off as odd and not intentional. The heavily promoted “Creed III” soundtrack includes a very long and out of place cameo from singer-songwriter Kehlani, which is overly glaring. S i m i l a r l y, t h e p r o d u c t placement in this movie is not very discreet. Thankfully that did not take away from any significant character moments. The dialogue and script is straight forward enough. However, more emotionally heavy scenes with Bianca (Tessa Thompson), Adonis Creed’s wife, could have been more fleshed out. These scenes could have also shown more of Thompson and Jordan’s acting chops and developed the story further. The acting performances from Jordan, Thompson, and Jonathan Majors were all excellent. They brought life to what could have been a dull script. Thompson’s character was given a very one-note role as
Creed’s wife in this installment compared to the previous films. Yet, with the few lines she had, she still managed to help the audience see what was not being said. Visually, compared to similar action-dramas that have come out in recent years, it was not very unique. However the final fight between Adonis Creed (Micheal B. Jordan) and Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors) was definitely a highlight. The two characters started off as childhood friends who felt more
A new Ghostface generation rises, killing continues CHRIS DIOSOMITO STAFF REPORTER
Ghostface made his return to theaters in the goriest addition to the iconic Scream franchise this weekend. As a long time fan of the franchise, I loved this film. The opening sequence sets the tone for this new Ghostface. Every first kill in this franchise is memorable in its own sense, but this one is something special. It’s unexpected and menacing from start to finish. The famous phone call is
disturbing and keeps the viewers anxious throughout the entire scene. Ghostface immediately demonstrates that means business in the opening scene and that the characters have to keep one eye open in the city that never sleeps. Being truly unique to the franchise, there isn’t a whole lot I can say without ruining the experience. It’s shocking, gut wrenching and a must see on the big screen. As made very clear from the start, everyone in this film is expendable. You won’t only be
trying to guess who the killer is, you’ll also be guessing who gets killed next. As suggested by the trailer for “Scream VI,” there has never been a Ghostface like the one in this film. Finally out of Woodsboro, Ghostface takes to New York with new rules. This Ghostface is much bolder in the crowded city. Kills are more gruesome and sudden in the Big Apple and during Halloween, it is hard to tell who the real Ghostface is. This factor within the film makes the atmosphere tenser and
when he finally strikes, it packs that much more of a shock factor. This Ghostface is scary every time he’s on and off screen and the New York setting elevates his presence. Along with Ghostface, Samantha Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) is the main focus of this film. She’s treated like the original Sidney Prescott as the killers are fascinated by her backstory. Being the daughter of Billy Loomis, the original Ghostface, Carpenter deals with public opinion throughout the film which portrays the trauma of the past movie and
how everyone views her through the lens of her father’s legacy. “Scream VI” is a breath of fresh air in the series. It’s one of the best in the franchise since the original that was released in 1996. The film is a fun slasher like the many previous ones in this long lasting series. It’s definitely worth seeing as soon as possible to avoid spoilers regarding the big reveal on who’s the killer. “Scream VI” will leave you wanting more and excited for what’s to come in the future from this franchise.