by Joshua Lucero

Aquaman is a film about more than just waterlogged voice echos and continuous hair movement.

Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) was brought into the world through two people from completely separate worlds. Atlanta (Nicole Kidman) and Tom Curry (Temuera Morrison) were brought together when Atlanta, the most recent Queen of Atlantis at the time, ran away from an arranged marriage and washed up on the shores to Curry, a lighthouse man.

These two people from separate worlds would soon fall in love and give life to a child named Arthur Curry, otherwise known as Aquaman. He would live his life with his father, as Atlanta would be away in Atlantis serving as queen. Later, she would be sacrificed to the “Trench,” which is one of seven tribes in Atlantis, and was assumed to be dead. Arthur Curry – as a young boy – felt a call not only to the sea but to all of its inhabitants.

This film knocks all other DC Universe movies out of the ballpark. Aquaman is conflicted between two worlds that are soon to collide. His half brother – King Orm (Patrick Wilson) – has his sights locked in on the surface dwellers. King Orm believes it is time to take over the surface world, because if they don’t the surface will attack first.

In order to defeat his half brother, Aquaman must battle and defeat his younger brother in combat to take the throne of Atlantis and stop this war from happening. In this process, he is helped by Mera (Amber Heard), who is the soon to be wife of Orm, and Vulko a caretaker of both Orm and Aquaman ever since they were young boys (Willem Dafoe).

When watching this movie, it is more than just a screen in front of you but rather a film that keeps you on the edge of your seat and wanting more. When watching, you see the conflicted pain eating away at Aquaman, as he believes he is unworthy to be called king and blames Atlantis for the death of his mother. This pain inside him is one of the many reasons why this movie is a must-watch.

The viewer is drawn in not only to the many action scenes, but can seen the appeal emotionally to the character.

The movie capitalizes on introducing other characters, including one widely known as Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Black Manties can be seen in all types of DC movies and shows. He is mainly known to be one of Aquaman’s enemies, and when introduced to him we see him with his team pirating a submarine. Aquaman intervenes and lets his father Jesse (Michael Beach) die, starting this vendetta against Aquaman.

Overall, Aquaman hits many stand points as a great film. Bringing the life of the underwater civilization with massive buildings of light that many couldn’t dream of is breathtaking. Their technological advancements makes the viewer wonder what life could be like if we had the same opportunities. This movie is a must-watch and is highly recommended for all viewers.

by Nick Hernandez

Creed II is a boxing masterpiece, released on November 21st of this year, the film received major support from fans and critics alike. Their immediate responses gravitated towards overall astonishment and gratitude for the truly breathtaking performances by the actors on screen.

When reviewing the critique given by Rotten Tomatoes – an accredited website that certifies movies based on their appeal to both experienced critics and the average moviegoer – it’s obvious that the film did very well, receiving an 85 percent rating overall and a Certified Fresh rating.

Creed II begins by introducing its antagonist Viktor Drago, and the harsh life that he and his father live in Russia. Together, the two train for Viktor’s first fight, where that night he destroys his opponent within the first 2 rounds.

The film then jumps to fight-night where Creed is preparing for a bout of his own. In turn, he wins and receives the title of Heavyweight Champion.

From this point on, the world’s of the two fighters draw closer together until they finally meet for the first time in the ring. Drago challenges Creed, but when he considers the offer, those closest to Adonis begin to doubt him and his abilities, ultimately discouraging him from accepting the fight.

It’s with this self-conflict that Creed goes into the fight and loses, badly, resulting in the destruction of Creed’s body and spirit. This is partly because of unpreparedness, but also relies on the fact that his trainer, Rocky, was not in his corner to support him.

Creed thereafter is stuck recovering from the physical trauma of the fight, but more importantly working to fix his relationship with Rocky.

The intensity picks up again when Rocky and Creed train for the rematch against Drago. Adonis pushes his body to the limit, working to overcome all obstacles and toughen himself in every way possible.

Finally, on the night of the boxing match, Creed struggles to stand up for himself in the early rounds but proves his worth throughout the fight. In the 12th round, Drago is knocked down and after a barrage of blows from Creed, Drago’s father forfeits the fight and Creed maintains his title as champion, showing the world that he’s got what it takes.

The film ends with Drago Senior consoling his son after their loss and showing the pair back in Russia training together.

As a whole, Creed II was an astounding film, filled with action and emotions that made the viewer feel and live through the experiences seen within the movie. Together, screenwriters Sylvester Stallone and Cheo Hodari Coker created a screenplay that emphasized the importance of relationships. Without them, you will not perform to the best of your ability.

While there are more moments in feature that reveal a greater sympathetic and emotional appeal, such as the scene with Creed’s fiancé and daughter, the film does a good job of applying what is experienced in this instance throughout the picture in its entirety.

Creed II in it’s current state is perfect and in no need of a third movie to the add to the series.

Actors Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson and those supporting have built upon a franchise that was already successful and created a story that adds to that fame, ultimately proving that ‘Creed’ is flawless and in need of no change (add-ons).