Mufasa: The Lion King review

 Coming Soon! 

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3: 

LIVE AND LEARN, THE BLUE DEVIL’S THIRD CINEMATIC OUTING IS HIS BEST YET! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND SEGA

Sonic and Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3

 

            The Blue Blur and his friends are back and this time they’re up against 2 hammy Jim Carrey (The Mask, The Truman Show, How the Grinch Stole Christmas) performances and a mysterious black hedgehog in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the third installment of the Sonic the Hedgehog film series based on the beloved Sega video game franchise of the same name. If you read my reviews for the previous movies (or any of my reviews for Sonic media), you should know that I am a huge fan of the Sonic franchise and have been one since I was a kid with Sonic Adventure 2 (The debut game of Shadow the Hedgehog) being the very first game I played. 

            So, I am very familiar with Shadow’s storyline and this isn’t the first time it was adapted outside of video games as there was already an arc in the 2003 anime series, Sonic X based on the plot of SA2 and the for the most part it’s a relatively faithful retelling of the story. I was excited for this movie ever since the mid-credits scene in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 where Shadow was teased for the next movie, speaking of which I should give my quick thoughts on the previous films before moving forward. 

            The first Sonic movie from 2020 I like fine though it wasn’t exactly the movie I would have wanted as a child as it felt more like a generic kids film in terms of its story and execution, but the charm of the character and Jim Carrey’s over-the-top performance as Dr. Robotnik made it an entertaining enough time. The second movie in 2022 I really enjoyed as it incorporated more elements and characters from the games like Tails and Knuckles, the Master Emerald, and Super Sonic, it felt like the Sonic movie I wanted to see as a kid. 

            However, where Sonic the Hedgehog 2 felt like the Sonic movie I would have wanted to see as a kid, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 actually IS that Sonic movie for me. I loved every minute of Sonic 3 and it’s not just because of nostalgia, as a movie this one is the best paced, the story is far more engaging than its predecessors, the comedy is really damn funny, and there are some genuinely strong character moments here. 

            Sometime after the events of Sonic 2 (and Knuckles), Shadow the Hedgehog (voiced by Keanu Reeves-Speed,The Matrix franchise, John Wick franchise) has been awakened from his 50-year sleep and escaped a top secret military base seeking vengeance upon the world. The government organization, G.U.N. enlists the help of Sonic the Hedgehog (voiced by Ben Schwartz-Parks and Recreation, The Walk, DuckTales (2017)), Miles “Tails” Prower (voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey-Digimon, Danny Phantom, Naruto; reprising her role from the games), and Knuckles the Echidna (voiced by Idris Elba-Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Jungle Book (2016), The Suicide Squad) to locate and stop Shadow. 

But when they discover Shadow is too powerful to defeat, Team Sonic must form an unexpected alliance with their arch nemesis, Dr. Ivo Robotnik “Eggman” (Carrey) in order to save the world. However, during their team-up Eggman encounters a mysterious person from his past, his long-lost grandfather and scientific genius, Gerald Robotnik (Also played by Carrey) with a plan of his own. 

The film also stars James Marsden (X-Men franchise, Enchanted 1 and 2, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues) and Tika Sumpter (Get On Up, Southside with You, The Old Man and the Dog) reprising their roles as Team Sonic’s adoptive parents Tom and Maddie Wachowski, Krysten Ritter (Veronica Mars, Gilmore Girls, Breaking Bad) as Director Rockwell, Lee Majdoub (See No Evil 2, Dead Rising: Endgame, The Mountain Between Us) reprising his role as Robotnik’s lackey (and coffee maker) Agent Stone, and Alyla Browne (Three Thousand Years of Longing, True Spirit, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga) as Gerald’s deceased granddaughter and Shadow’s only friend Maria Robotnik. 

Overall, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 doesn’t just feel like another fun Sonic movie, it is a feature-length love letter to those who have followed this series of video games since childhood. There are so many references, callbacks, music cues, and characters quoting iconic dialogue from the games in this movie, I was smiling ear to ear during my viewing. 

The first two Sonic movies are a lot of fun don’t get me wrong, but they weren’t exactly that great in terms of storytelling. That is not the case here as Sonic 3’s plot retains the deep emotional core and heavy edge of Shadow’s backstory from Sonic Adventure 2 and it can be gut-wrenching at times especially for a PG-rated family film. 

The scenes involving Shadow’s past with Maria are very well-handled in the film and the backstory is even expanded upon by showing their lives together before her death. It was adapted perfectly to live-action cinema and it doesn’t feel like a drastic tone change compared to the rest of the film. 

Keanu Reeves knocked it out of the park as the voice of Shadow and really captures the brooding, lone warrior antihero from the games while still being incredibly sympathetic and shares some great moments with Sonic over the course of the film. Not to mention the Shadow design looks great in live-action with the added details to his quills and seeing him in motion whether running or fighting Sonic and friends, this is also coming from the same person who gushed over seeing Super Sonic on the big screen in Sonic 2. 

Jim Carrey is once again as gleefully cartoony as ever and now there’s two of him with Carrey putting his all into Eggman and Gerald and delivering the funniest moments. Seeing two Jim Carreys dancing together to avoid lasers and having a hilariously demented father/son montage is both really funny and actually kind of touching.

This movie also has the right amount of non-Eggman human characters, James Marsden and Tika Sumpter are still in a fair amount of the film, but they never hijack the movie for a random subplot or take the focus away from Sonic. All you wedding scene-hating Sonic 2 viewers can rest easy. 

The action scenes are some of the best out of the three movies and Knuckles with some of my favorites being a glorious chase sequence in Tokyo between Sonic and Shadow on his motorcycle and one great big homage to Sonic Adventure 2 in the climax. It also has one of the funniest deaths I’ve seen all year. 

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 works as a love letter to fan-favorite games in the series while also being an entertaining film on its own. This film took me back to being an 8-year-old boy in 2002 experiencing SA2 for the first time and after seeing the post-credits scenes, give me Sonic the Hedgehog 4 right now!  

Kraven the Hunter review

KRAVEN THE HUNTER: 

DESPITE A BLOODY R RATING, THIS SPIDER-MAN SPIN-OFF FEELS MORE LIKE PREY THAN PREDATOR! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: * ½ out of 4

COLUMBIA PICTURES AND MARVEL

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and The Rhino in Kraven the Hunter

 

            Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass 1 and 2, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Bullet Train) returns to comic books and superheroes/villains in Kraven the Hunter, the latest film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe consisting of movies based on Spider-Man characters that are separate from previous “Spider-Verses” and without the use of Spider-Man himself. The film is directed by J.C. Chandor (Margin Call, All is Lost, A Most Violent Year) and based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. 

This little experiment Sony has pulled in-between their collaborations with Disney/Marvel on the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies and their animated Spider-Verse films hasn’t exactly won over many audiences. The Venom movies starring Tom Hardy are technically the best regarded in Sony’s universe while Morbius and Madame Web are among the worst of the genre. 

            However, Kraven the Hunter did have something to set it apart from the rest of the Sony Spider-Man Universefilms when it was being made and that is it was going to have an R rating (The rest of the movies were rated PG-13) like the Deadpool movies and Logan. This was something I initially gave the first Venom movie a lot of flak for because I felt it was trying to be an R-rated movie that was watered-down to PG-13 to appeal to a general audience. 

            Despite that, the movie did not look good to me when I saw the trailer last year before it was delayed. It just looked like another bad Sony Spider-Man spin-off with the studio once again being clueless of what to do with the Spider-Man IP, now with blood, gore, and fuck. 

            I should also make this clear, I know very little about the Kraven the Hunter character as I’ve never read any of the Spider-Man comics featuring him. Most of my knowledge of Kraven came from the animated shows, Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003) and The Spectacular Spider-Man as well as the Spider-Man 2 video game for PlayStation 5. 

            I had low expectations with this movie given Sony’s track record with the previous films in this series, but I tried to be open to it. Maybe Kraven the Hunter can finally break the mold or at the very least be an enjoyable watch with alcohol in my system…no, not quite. 

            For the record, this movie is better than Morbius and Madame Web and there are times where it can be entertaining during the action. But it’s still another failed Spider-Man villain spin-off from Sony that misses the point of the character and wastes the potential it might have had; on top of that it’s remarkably dull. 

            The film follows Sergei Kravinoff (Johnson), a hunter whose complicated relationship with his estranged gangster father, Nikolai (Russell Crowe-Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, The Nice Guys) starts him down a path of vengeance after a group of mercenaries led by The Rhino (Alessandro Nivola-Face/Off, Jurassic Park III, The Many Saints of Newark) kidnap his half-brother, Dimitri (Fred Hechinger-Eighth Grade, Thelma, Gladiator II). As he starts axing people off on his list in brutal ways, he begins his descent into the greatest and most-feared hunter in the world, Kraven the Hunter. 

            The film also stars Ariana DeBose (West Side Story (2021), Argylle, Love Hurts) as Calypso Ezili, Christopher Abbott (A Most Violent Year, First Man, Poor Things) as The Foreigner, and Yuri Kolokolnikov (Game of Thrones, The Americans, Tenet) as Seymon Chorney. 

            Overall, Kraven the Hunter may not be the worst of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe films and Aaron Taylor-Johnson honestly isn’t that bad in the movie. But it’s still a pretty lackluster comic book film that leaves no impression once it ends aside from a few satisfying gory kills. 

            I will give this movie a little credit that some of the action is fun to watch like a scene where Kraven is chasing a car full of bad guys that actually is pretty exhilarating and another sequence where mercenaries are being chopped, smashed, and sliced in the jungle by Kraven’s traps while looking for him. That’s already a step up from Madame Web, at least this movie has some memorable action scenes. 

            The action can be fun at times, but the CGI is horrendous with animals looking more like stuff you’d see in Jumanji rather than a violent, R-rated, comic book movie with no real weight to anything. This film’s version of The Rhino may be more comic accurate than Paul Giamatti from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but it looks more like a poorly-animated Hulk with a rhino horn on his head and it doesn’t feel as satisfying to see Kraven fight him because he’s all CGI except when he’s human. 

            The movie also has this drab look in terms of cinematography that’s just not fun to watch for a long period of time. I know it’s supposed to be darker in tone compared to other Spider-Man films, but it ironically makes it more tedious than effective. 

            I don’t buy him as the infamous Spider-Man villain, but Aaron Taylor-Johnson is trying his hardest to make something out of this performance. I think he’s a very underrated actor and even when he’s in subpar material like this, I admire the fact that he gives his all and doesn’t phone it in, that dishonor goes to Ariana DeBose sadly. 

            I’ve seen DeBose give good performances before in other projects, but a lot of her line deliveries felt very stilted here and there’s even one moment where it sounds like she’s just reading a line off the script. I guess it’s still better than Dakota Johnson’s exposition dump from Madame Web. 

            In an age where Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: No Way Home are popular; it baffles me that Sony can be so creatively empty with their Spider-Man IP a lot of the time with films like this certainly not helping matters. I keep hearing this might be the last of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe and if that’s the case then hopefully, this will be a wake-up call for Sony to start taking their Spider-Man film rights more seriously. 

            Spider-Man is Sony’s most successful movie franchise so, wouldn’t it make sense for them to put as much thought and effort into it as they can? I really don’t care what universe it takes place in at the end of the day, just give me good Spider-Man movies and I’ll be happy. 

            Kraven the Hunter is the least bad of the non-Venom Sony Spider-Man spin-offs, but that is far from a recommendation. It’s neither hilariously bad nor insultingly bad enough to even take a gander at, it sits right up there with this year’s version of The Crow as one of the most unremarkable CBMs of the year. 

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM! 

A DECENT ATTEMPT AT BRINGING ANIME INTO THE WORLD OF MIDDLE-EARTH! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

WARNER BROS. ANIMATION AND NEW LINE CINEMA

Princess Héra in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

 

            The world of J.R.R. Tolkien returns to the screen in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, a new anime feature film in the Lord of the Rings series serving as a prequel to both the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit storylines. This wouldn’t be the first time Middle-Earth was brought to life in animation form as there were already animated film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings by Ralph Bakshi and The Hobbit and Return of the King by Rankin/Bass in the late-70s and early-80s which aren’t quite as remembered much as Peter Jackson’s glorious live-action trilogy from the 2000s, but they have their fans. 

            I really like Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy though I’m not obsessed with it like a lot of other people are, but I’ve seen both theatrical and extended versions of the films many times throughout my life. I see them as incredible fantasy movies that are among the best of its genre with captivating stories, memorable characters, and amazing battle scenes and special effects; many of which still hold up today. 

            His Hobbit trilogy on the other hand is pretty inferior to the first trilogy, but they are still perfectly watchable movies with some impressive moments. Essentially like what the prequel trilogy was to Star Wars, but for Lord of the Rings and like that, I personally don’t have any super extreme reactions towards them, but I digress. 

            Now, we have this anime prequel film directed by Kenji Kamiyama (Akira, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) and produced by the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies director himself, Peter Jackson (The Frighteners, King Kong (2005), District 9) which I was genuinely curious about when it was first announced. How has there not been an anime based on The Lord of the Rings, series or movie until now? Especially since the worlds Tolkien created in his original books and Jackson with the film trilogy and their storylines are perfect for Japanese animation and practically lend themselves to the art form. 

            Well, after seeing The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim I can say it is an admirable effort at bringing the Lord of the Rings world to life in anime form, but it isn’t perfect. 

            The film is set over 100 years before Bilbo Baggins discovered the One Ring and follows Helm Hammerhand (voiced by Brian Cox-Braveheart, X2: X-Men United, Zodiac), a legendary and powerful king of Rohan who gets into a brutal scuffle against a rivaling lord that ultimately ends with the latter getting killed. Now, the son of the fallen Dunland lord named Wulf (voiced by Luke Pasqualino-Skins, The Musketeers, Our Girl) seeks revenge against Rohan with his childhood friend-turned-enemy and Helm’s rebellious daughter, Héra (voiced by Gaia Wise) standing in his way who will stop at nothing to protect her people and do what is right for her kingdom. 

            The film also features the voices of Miranda Otto (The Thin Red Line, Annabelle: Creation, Talk to Me) reprising her role as Éowyn who also narrates the movie, Lorraine Ashbourne (Child 44, Breathe, Blinded by the Light) as Olwyn, Shaun Dooley (EastEnders, Misfits, Saltburn) as Wulf’s father Freca, and archival voice recordings of the late, Christopher Lee reprising his role as Saruman. 

            Overall, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an interesting addition to the Lord of the Ringsfranchise that effectively expands upon the world of Middle-Earth even if it doesn’t quite have the epic scale or emotional weight of Jackson’s original trilogy. I should also make it clear that I am no expert in the Lord of the Ringsmythos or lore so my feelings towards this film may differ from a Tolkien aficionado. 

            As far as this movie goes, I think it does a decent job at giving more world-building beyond the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films and exploring new stories within the movies’ universe. Kind of like what the Harry PotterFantastic Beasts films and Star Wars movies like Rogue One and Solo started to do, but stopped abruptly and I hope this won’t be the end of anime LOTR expansion movies. 

            Nothing will ever top Jackson’s original trilogy (I haven’t seen the Rings of Power series on Prime Video yet though I’ve heard it’s good), but if you’re going to continue the Middle-Earth storyline beyond the six movies, this is the way to do it I think. Prequels and side-stories set before or during the main quest that expand upon the established world even if I feel this film’s plot is pretty generic. 

            It’s a typical rivaling clans fighting each other in a war set-up with conflicts between two friends turned enemies that’s been done several times before especially in fantasy. I appreciate that the movie isn’t trying to go big like the Peter Jackson trilogy, but compared to the plots in those it does feel lesser and not as engrossing as the earlier films. 

            With the exceptions of Héra, Hammerhand, and Wulf, I also don’t think the characters are that memorable especially compared to the original trilogy or even the Hobbit trilogy. Most of the side characters just feel like cookie cutter versions of characters from previous Middle-Earth films and I wasn’t all that attached to them, maybe if this film was longer or better paced it would have given the characters more time to be more fleshed out and endearing. 

            I actually found myself getting invested in Héra and Wulf’s scenario and seeing the events that led them across their destined paths unfold. Héra’s character in this movie is often compared to Nausicaa and yeah, I can totally see it because of her desire to prove herself and the lengths she’ll go to protect her people. 

            I think Wulf is one of the most unique antagonists in the entire Lord of the Rings franchise as he’s not some power-hungry warlord or demonic eye that tries to cause destruction, his motives are actually very justified and you do sympathize with him at various points. He wants revenge on Rohan for the king killing his father in a brawl and sure, I don’t really agree with his methods for achieving his goal, but I understand why he’s doing it. 

            The animation is gorgeous and looks great on the big screen especially the backgrounds, the animators did a stellar job bringing Middle-Earth to life in anime form. There are a few moments where the animation is choppy during some battle scenes, but for the most part it looks spectacular. 

            The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a lesser entry in the Lord of the Rings film series, but it’s a decent expansion to its universe with plenty of fan-service for the Tolkien enthusiasts. It may not be a grand quest, but hopefully it’ll be a starting point for future movies that expand upon the world of Middle-Earth and tell more stories beyond the One Ring. 

Y2K review

Y2K: 

CHAOTIC ROBOT APOCALYPSE MOVIE FEELS LIKE SOMETHING FROM THE 90S AND 2000S; AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** out of 4

A24

Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, and Julian Dennison in Y2K

 

            The machines have taken over in Y2K, the new disaster horror-comedy film from A24 and the directorial debut of Kyle Mooney (Saturday Night Live, Brigsby Bear, Saturday Morning All Star Hits!). Mooney is probably better known for his acting roles in both film and television such as being the voice of Michelangelo in Batman VS Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Murphy Brown Fünke in Arrested Development as well as being the co-creator of the series, Saturday Morning All Star Hits!. Now, he makes his first feature film directing effort produced by Jonah Hill (Superbad, 21/22 Jump Street, This is the End) and Christopher Storer (Eighth Grade, Ramy, The Bear) with a movie about a fictionalized version of the Year 2000 problem. 

            I thought the movie looked fun when I saw the trailer in front of Heretic, I’m a sucker for films with completely absurd premises that go for broke and have a lot of dark humor so, this seemed right up my alley. I can definitely say that there are elements of absurdity and dark comedy to be had which are the best parts of the film, the rest of the time however, it’s an obnoxious time capsule of the 90s. 

            The film is set in 1999 on New Year’s Eve and follows two social outcast friends, Eli (Jaeden Martell-St. Vincent, Midnight Special, It: Chapters 1 and 2) and Danny (Julian Dennison-Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Deadpool 2, Godzilla VS Kong) crashing a high school party in hopes to get laid especially Eli because his crush, Laura (Rachel Zegler-West Side Story (2021), The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Snow White (2025)) is in attendance. But when the Y2K computer bug makes all technology come to life and turn against humanity, it turns into a fight for their lives and the safety of the human race…oh, and Fred Durst from Limp Bizkit makes an appearance. 

             The film also stars Daniel Zolghadri (Eighth Grade, Low Tide, Funny Pages) as CJ, Lachlan Watson (Nashville,Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Chucky) as Ash, Eduardo Franco (Stranger Things, Booksmart, Gabby’s Dollhouse) as Farkas, Mooney himself as Garrett, Mason Gooding (Ballers, Love, Victor, Scream 5 and 6) as Jonas, Miles Robbins (Blockers, Halloween (2018), Daniel Isn’t Real) as Nugz, Alicia Silverstone (Clueless, Batman & Robin, The Killing of a Scared Deer) as Robin, and Tim Heidecker (Bridesmaids, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Us) as Howard. 

            Overall, Y2K has some fun moments and the effects on the robots made out of appliances and technology are quite impressive. Unfortunately, the film is bogged down by characters that range from unlikable to just downright annoying and cringe-worthy humor and references to the time it takes place in. 

            I’ll admit, part of me enjoyed the references to things like the Nintendo 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time because I remembered them from my youth, but a lot of them felt extremely forced and not all that funny or clever. Also, missed opportunity to have a killer N64 in the movie, but the VCR that shot a bootleg tape of Varsity Bluesat a woman’s head and knocked her out got a chuckle. 

            However, when you have Rachel Zegler quoting the Will Smith “I make this look good!” line from Men in Black for literally no reason or Jaeden Martell and Julian Dennison are watching Arnold Schwarzenegger in Junior just because, it feels like the writers were too focused on cramming in as many 90s things as possible to the point where it just feels like really bad nostalgia-bating, I will say Limp Bizkit fit much better in this than when Jim Carrey referenced them in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. 

            It is also a movie that makes absolutely no sense, this is a film where a Tamagotchi somehow latches itself onto a drill and drills a hole in someone’s head so it’s best not to question any logic. Big surprise, the scenes where the machines are killing people are the best parts of the movie and they’re done in very creative and ridiculous ways like a blender grinding a man’s testicles and the already mentioned VCR and Tamagotchi, those moments are entertaining. 

            But why do creative deaths and robot designs matter when most of your characters are unlikable pricks despite being portrayed by some talented young actors. I get that it revolves around high school students so sophistication isn’t exactly one of their strong suits, but these characters are constantly making wise-ass remarks to each other, insults, references private areas (Because it’s funny, Huhuhuh!), and laughing and joking after witnessing a murder. 

            A24’s own, Bodies Bodies Bodies did something similar with its characters by having a bunch of snooty, privileged young people unintentionally axe each other off because of misunderstandings that occur. But that was done intentional as a social satire on Gen Z and class so, when you’re actually supposed to care about these obnoxious douchebags in a robot apocalypse, it doesn’t feel warranted and makes the stock characters from Freddy VS Jason look like Scorsese characters by comparison. 

            Despite some moments of enjoyment, Y2K is a misguided directorial debut for Kyle Mooney and so far, the worst film I’ve seen that has the A24 name on it. It’s a shame because I saw aspects of a fun movie here, but on top of the annoying stock characters and forced 90s references, it just makes you wish you were watching The Mitchells VS the Machines instead which is a way better movie about a robot apocalypse that’s actually smart and funny and takes full advantage of its premise. 

I’d suggest deleting this virus of a film sooner rather than later. 

Watchmen: Chapter II review

 Coming Soon! 

GAME REVIEW: Sonic x Shadow Generations review

GAME REVIEW: SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS: 

SHADOW’S STELLAR EXPANSION TO 20^TH ANNIVERSARY SONIC TITLE! 

By Nico Beland

Game Review: A 

SEGA/SONIC TEAM

Classic and Modern Sonic and Shadow the Hedgehog in Sonic x Shadow Generations

 

            In 2011, Sega released the video game, Sonic Generations in celebration of the 20^th Anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise which ended up being one of the best games in the series. I even reviewed the original game for my high school newspaper back when it came out as it was largely responsible for me rediscovering my love for Sonic after a string of underwhelming or downright terrible entries. 

            When I initially reviewed it, I gave it a B+ mainly because of Sonic’s friends doing very little in the story and that I thought it lacked the character development of games like Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 and even Sonic Heroes. Looking back, that was kind of a minor issue and the game itself is still an incredible time 13 years later, it’s an A-Rank now. 

            Now, with the release of the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie right around the corner which will feature the character, Shadow the Hedgehog’s big screen debut, I thought it’d be an appropriate time to pay tribute to that newspaper review I did all those years ago with the new, Sonic x Shadow Generations. The game is actually 2 games in 1 with the first being a remaster of Sonic Generations with re-recorded cutscene dialogue and a higher frame rate while the second is an all-new campaign set in-between the events of Sonic Generations focused on Shadow titled Shadow Generations which is what I played for this review. 

            I already hailed the original Sonic Generations as one of Sonic’s best games, but Shadow Generations adds even more on top of an already fantastic game and his campaign alone makes it worth checking out even if you still have your OG game. It is significantly shorter than the base game, but Shadow Generations takes full advantage of what’s given to it and manages to be more story-driven than the original in its short amount of time. 

            The game follows Shadow the Hedgehog aboard the Space Colony ARK (Where he was created by Professor Gerald Robotnik in Sonic Adventure 2) investigating a report of unusual activity (Oh, and Rouge the Bat is at Sonic’s birthday party while this is happening). It turns out there is something on the ARK and it’s none other than Shadow’s alien second father and arch nemesis, Black Doom who survived his defeat at the end of Shadow the Hedgehog. 

            When he tries to pursue him, the Time Eater (from Sonic Generations) appears and warps Shadow to the realm of White Space (The white void where Sonic and friends are teleported to in Sonic Generations where time doesn’t exist) where a mysterious object known as the Black Moon hovers over it. 

Shadow notices a few familiar faces including his Team Dark partner, E-123 Omega, Big the Cat, and Dr. Eggman’s robots, Orbot and Cubot in White Space. However, the most shocking to him is Shadow finds his seemingly alive creator and Eggman’s grandfather, Gerald Robotnik and Gerald’s granddaughter and his only friend aboard the ARK, Maria Robotnik before she and Gerald met their demise 50 years ago when Shadow was created. 

            Determined to find answers, Shadow speeds through his entire history (Stages from previous Sonic games likeRadical Highway from Sonic Adventure 2, Rail Canyon from Sonic Heroes, Kingdom Valley from Sonic ’06, etc.) while along the way discovering new powers and abilities courtesy of Black Doom’s influence. But Black Doom has other plans as he intends to use the newly powerful Shadow to possess him, gain his powers, and become unstoppable; and Shadow ain’t having that. 

            I didn’t spend much time on Sonic Generations as that part of the game is exactly the same except higher quality graphics, re-recorded dialogue during cutscenes as already mentioned (Some of the characters’ voice actors changed since the release of the original) that at times feels stilted, and now there’s Chao to collect in each stage (Kind of like in Sonic Advance 3). You’re still getting one of the best Sonic games of all time regardless even if I don’t think the cutscene dialogue is nearly as snappy as in the original. 

            Shadow Generations is the real meat and bones of this review and is essentially what Bowser’s Fury was to the remastered Super Mario 3D World where it expands upon the original game and gives more insight on the characters and plot. The plot is still pretty simple like Sonic Generations, Sonic/Shadow are sent to a dimension where there’s no time and have to go through previous events to figure out what’s happening, but Shadow’s story also involves him avoiding the returning Black Doom’s temptations and reuniting with Maria and Gerald before they were killed and hopes to change their fate. 

            There are some genuinely heartfelt moments in Shadow’s part of the game specifically when Maria and Gerald enter the picture. There’s a scene where Shadow is full of anger and revenge because of Black Doom and Maria knocks some sense into him by telling her that “Without light, there is only darkness and a shadow will help you find the light” (Hence why she named him Shadow) in a very touching moment and even the ending of Shadow Generations where he, Maria, and Gerald accept their eventual fate in order to save the fabric of time almost had me teary-eyed. 

            The game is also filled with references and callbacks to previous games, I was delighted when the Fake Chaos Emerald Tails made in Sonic Adventure 2 to foil Eggman’s plan was shown in the beginning and when Shadow encounters Sonic and says the “It’ll be a date to die for” line from Sonic Heroes. Even Shadow’s motorcycle from Shadow the Hedgehog makes an appearance in the game’s Collection Room that houses art, music, and movies you unlock during the game. 

            It’s also structured like Sonic Generations where you complete 3 Zones, 2 Acts per Zone, play Challenge Stages to unlock Boss Keys, and defeat Boss enemies including The Biolizard from Sonic Adventure 2, Metal Overlord from Sonic Heroes, and Mephiles the Dark from Sonic ’06. A lot of the Challenge Stages are a great way to test your reflexes, abilities, and reaching the Goal Ring under specific conditions like with only one Ring to protect you or destroy a certain amount of enemies in the time limit. 

            I appreciate the fact the game isn’t insane with its challenge when it tests your platforming skills and when you fail an obstacle or challenge it doesn’t make you want to rage quit, it makes you want to get better at it. I found it a mostly relaxed time though it did start kicking my butt in the later part of the game. 

            The gameplay is similar to Sonic Generations and other titles in the Sonic boost-era where much of it is about blazing at high speeds, but Shadow has his own unique moves to make him more than just a Sonic skin. For example, Shadow can shoot Chaos Spears to stun enemies and activate locks on gated off areas and when the Chaos Control meter is filled up, you can use it to slow down time and zip past obstacles with a Boost which is very satisfying to do; he can also Double Jump which Sonic can’t do in the original game by pressing the jump button twice and the attack button for the Homing Attack. 

            Shadow also has his new abilities from Black Doom that either enhance or transform him depending on what they do such as creating a giant manta ray known as the Doom Surf which allows him to travel across water and turning himself into a giant squid to get across sticky goop and swing across airborne orbs with the Doom Morph, and finally growing a pair of demon wings and gliding through the levels called…well, Doom Wings. These can take some time to get the hang of, but they can make for some fun ways to progress through the levels. 

            This is easily the best Shadow has controlled since Sonic Adventure 2 and if you ask me it’s way more refined here. Shadow isn’t as slippery as in other games even when boosting and his ground control is super responsive, he is just a joy to control here whether it’s speed or platforming, and any slipperiness or failing an obstacle felt like it was me simply being careless and not on the game itself.  

Because his hub-world is in 3D unlike in Sonic Generations, it’s just as much fun to simply run through the world, test out Shadow’s abilities, and uncover special chests filled with hidden goodies you get when collecting emblems in a stage (Basically Shadow’s version of the Red Rings). Shadow’s journey is much shorter yet there’s so much more to do than in Sonic’s campaign. 

I do have some issues though, while the Maria and Gerald moments are the emotional core of the game, they aren’t given much to do in the storyline. There needed to be more scenes or dialogue pieces with Shadow, Maria, and Gerald together to make it more effective, as is they’re very well-executed, but I felt they could have done more with them.  

This game is also called Sonic x Shadow Generations and aside from the return of Black Doom and his army of Black Arms aliens, there is hardly any acknowledgement of Shadow the Hedgehog’s own game from 2005. It is not a good game don’t get me wrong, but because it is tied to Shadow’s story I think it would make more sense to have a level based off Westopolis (The first stage in the game) here and instead they went with 2 levels from games Shadow was either barely involved with or wasn’t even in at all (Sunset Heights from Sonic Forces and Chaos Island from Sonic Frontiers), I thought that was a serious missed opportunity. 

I think I said all I can about the game in this behemoth of a review, Sonic x Shadow Generations is a spectacular entry in the Sonic franchise that adds more on top of an already great game. This truly is the Year of Shadow and rightfully so as I eagerly await his appearance in the third Sonic movie voiced by Keanu Reeves this Christmas. 

Moana 2 review

MOANA 2: 

A DECENT BUT SHALLOWER SECOND SAILING WITH MOANA AND MAUI! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY

Moana, Maui, Pua, and Heihei are back in Moana 2

 

            The (sorta) Disney Princess who’s literally friends with the ocean returns for another fantastic voyage in Moana 2, the latest feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios and follow-up to the 2016 animated musical, Moana. I really enjoyed the first Moana and hailed it as one of the best animated films from 2016 alongside Disney’s other release that year, Zootopia (Which coincidentally is getting a sequel next year). 

            Sure it doesn’t have nearly as big a cultural impact as The Lion King or Frozen, but the songs are incredibly catchy, the characters are lovable, and the story is downright brilliant and really pushed the envelope for how an animated Disney Princess film is told. It was widely praised and financially successful to the point where now we’re getting a live-action remake of Moana in the near future, but that’s for another time. 

            Instead, we’re talking about the sequel to the original animated film with Auliʻi Cravalho (All Together Now,Hailey’s On It, Mean Girls (2024)) and Dwayne Johnson (The Scorpion King, Fast & Furious franchise, Jumanji 2 and 3) reprising their roles as the voice of Polynesian wayfinder, Moana and shape-shifting demigod, Maui and David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller taking over directing duties from John Musker and Ron Clements. The movie was originally intended to be a miniseries on Disney+, but I guess because of the success the first film had, Disney trimmed the fat, stitched it together as a feature, and put it into theaters for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

            I was skeptical about that because turning what was originally meant to be a series or episodes of a series into a film is a very difficult task with Digimon: The Movie being a prime example of how NOT to do it. Well, now that Moana’s second venture out at sea has arrived, how does it hold up especially compared to its stellar predecessor? Moana 2 is…a perfectly serviceable continuation. 

            This is easily better than Disney’s other recent animated feature outings (Strange World, Wish), but coming off a movie that took the Disney animated formula in a new direction, Moana 2 pretty much gives the exact movie you’re expecting if you’ve seen the trailers. With that said, it’s mostly done well and there isn’t really anything wrong with the film, but more on that later. 

            Set three years after the first movie, the film follows Moana spending her days exploring new islands with her friends, Pua the Pig and Heihei the Chicken in hopes of finding more people who are connected to the ocean. But when she receives an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana and Maui (and the rest) set off on another adventure at sea to find a mysterious sunken island known as Motufetu and break its curse to save Oceania. 

            The film also features the voices of Rose Matafeo (Funny Girls, Baby Done, Starstruck) as Loto, David Fane (Sione 1 and 2, Our Flag Means Death, Next Goal Wins) as Kele, Temuera Morrison (Vertical Limit, Star Wars: Episodes II and III, Aquaman 1 and 2) reprising his role as Chief Tui, Nicole Scherzinger (Be Cool, Men in Black 3, Ralph Breaks the Internet) reprising her role as Sina, Rachel House (Whale Rider, Thor: Ragnarok, Soul) reprising her role as Tala, and Alan Tudyk (Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) reprising his role as the voice of Heihei. 

            Overall, Moana 2 pales in comparison to its predecessor and doesn’t really take audiences anywhere new, but it’s a gorgeously animated and charming enough continuation of the Moana storyline. It didn’t feel like Wish where it seemed so artificial and soulless in its execution, it felt like the filmmakers couldn’t quite create something that would live up to the first and decided to just make a fun albeit familiar animated adventure for the kids and families to watch over the Thanksgiving holiday with characters they know and love, there was actual passion put into this. 

            I will praise this movie on an animation standpoint as Moana 2 is simply breathtaking and looks spectacular on the big screen. The vibrant colors, the textures, the characters’ details, etc. it’s Frozen II caliber animation but on the water and even though I wasn’t fully immersed in the story, I was marveling at this film on a technical level. 

            It hits a lot of similar beats as the first, but there was never a point where I was calling the movie out for being a lazy cash grab. There were a few times while watching it where I was like “Okay, this is basically this movie’s equivalent of this scene, that scene, this song, that song, this character, that character!”, but not once did they seem like beat-for-beat rip-offs to me as the movie adds enough unique personalities and charm to their characters both old and new (Yes, even Moana’s crew which I initially thought was going to be the aspect that sinks the movie, but they won me over). 

One thing this movie excels at is its heart, I actually found the scenes at the beginning with Moana and her younger sister very sweet and there’s also a pretty touching moment towards the climax involving Moana and Maui that was quite effective which also led into one of the best songs in the movie, Can I Get a Chee Hoo?  

Speaking of which, the songs in Moana 2 are still great though I don’t think they’re quite as memorable as the first movie, this is probably because I had just seen the movie and need time for them to sit with me, but in the moment the songs are well-versed and the musical numbers are entertaining. The opening song, We’re Back is very catchy and a great way to start the movie off, Beyond is essentially this movie’s version of How Far I’ll Go but is still an amazing song, What Could Be Better Than This? is the comedic song to establish the ragtag crew accompanying Moana and Maui on their adventure and it gets some laughs, and Get Lost by Awhimal Fraser (Who voices the film’s kinda villain, Matangi) had me bopping my head in the theater, it’s so good! 

The first Moana I thought had a much stronger story and was more engaging whereas this one mostly goes through the motions and gives a follow-up that treads familiar waters (Pun completely intended this time), but that doesn’t automatically make it bad. It’s a film that gives more of what people enjoyed about the first movie and it succeeds at what it’s doing. 

It isn’t a cinematic game-changer nor is it even a great Disney animated film, but a decent second adventure with Moana and Maui is good enough for me. Sail on in and see for yourself. 

Gladiator II review

GLADIATOR II: 

RIDLEY SCOTT RETURNS TO THE COLOSSEUM IN EPIC SEQUEL! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, and Connie Nielsen in Gladiator II

 

            Director Ridley Scott (Alien, Kingdom of Heaven, The Martian) is back in the colosseum in Gladiator II, the much anticipated sequel to his 2000 epic, Gladiator. The first Gladiator which starred Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius was a huge deal when it was released as it became the second highest-grossing film of 2000 behind Mission: Impossible 2 and took home the Oscar for Best Picture that year. 

            I can see why it had such a big impact because the first Gladiator is awesome with spectacular battle sequences that still look amazing today, a captivating Russell Crowe performance, and a scene-stealing Joaquin Phoenix as the devious, Commodus. It was a solid, self-contained historical epic that ended on a strong note…anyway, now we have a sequel. 

            Talks of a Gladiator sequel dated all the way to 2001 after the release of the first film, but production was halted after DreamWorks sold the IP to Paramount in 2006 among other setbacks. I was a little skeptical when Gladiator IIwas in active development because how do you follow Gladiator up when the main character is already dead? 

            The answer, make it about the young boy from the first movie who’s now grown up and bring a couple cast members from its predecessor back and there you go. Nevertheless, making a sequel to an Oscar-winning movie is no easy task especially with a film like Gladiator, but I’m happy to report that Gladiator II is a worthy follow-up. 

            Do I think it’s as great as the first film? Not exactly, but I was entertained during my viewing of it. The battle scenes are amazing especially on an IMAX screen and the film does a solid job tying into the first movie. 

            The film is set sixteen years after the death of Maximus and follows his son, Lucius (Paul Mescal-God’s Creatures, Carmen, All of Us Strangers; replacing Spencer Treat Clark from the first film) who is now grown up and becomes a gladiator after his home is invaded by the Roman Army led by General Acacius (Pedro Pascal-The Mandalorian, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, The Wild Robot). Seeking revenge, Lucius fights as a gladiator for Macrinus (Denzel Washington-Training Day, American Gangster, The Equalizer trilogy), a former slave who plans to overthrow the tyrannical emperors, Geta (Joseph Quinn-Overlord, A Quiet Place: Day One, The Fantastic Four: First Steps) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger-Eighth Grade, News of the World, Thelma). 

            The film also stars Connie Nielsen (One Hour Photo, DC Extended Universe, Nobody) reprising her role from the first film as Lucius’s mother Lucilla, Lior Raz (Policeman, Operation: Finale, 6 Underground) as Viggo, Sir Derek Jacobi (Hamlet (1996), Gosford Park, The King’s Speech) reprising his role from the first film as Senator Gracchus, Peter Mensah (Hidalgo, The Incredible Hulk, Avatar) as Jubartha, Matt Lucas (Little Britain, Paddington, Wonka) as the Master of Ceremonies, Alexander Karim (Zero Dark Thirty, Dying of the Light) as Ravi, Tim McInnerny (101/102 Dalmatians, Notting Hill, Johnny English Reborn) as Senator Thraex, Rory McCann (Game of Thrones, XXX: Return of Xander Cage, Jumanji: The Next Level) as Tegula, Alec Utgoff (The Tourist, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, San Andreas) as Darius, and Yann Gael (Loro, Saloum, Hot Milk) as Bostar. 

            Overall, Gladiator II doesn’t really offer much new and if you’ve seen the first you know what kind of movie you’re going to get. Regardless, it is still a phenomenally made movie that takes advantage of the size and scope of the big screen while still offering plenty of substance alongside the spectacle. 

            I will say the film does borrow a lot from its predecessor in terms of its storytelling and characters, but I wouldn’t go on record and call it a blatant carbon copy of the first movie. You look at some of these characters and be like “Oh, this must be this movie’s version of this character and that must be this movie’s version of that character” and that’s not exactly a bad thing because for the most part the actors bring their own energy to their roles. 

            Paul Mescal is no Russell Crowe (I don’t think I need to say that), but I found his character endearing and was invested in his arc throughout the film, he does a great job making you care about him and wanting to see him get his revenge. Much like Joaquin Phoenix in the first movie, Denzel Washington is the scene-stealer of this film as he commands every scene he’s in and perfectly balances between being incredibly charming and threatening sometimes in the same scenes, easily worthy of a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. 

            Pedro Pascal also plays an interesting and complex character as Acacius who on the surface is the man you want to see fall at the hands of Paul Mescal’s Lucius, but he has so many layers to his character that he too becomes someone you end up caring about to an extent. Going further would require stepping into Spoiler territory so I will just say Pascal won me over here. 

            The battle sequences are incredible and it’s astounding that the 86-year-old Ridley Scott is still actively putting his money and resources on the screen to create the most epic, large-scale movie he can. The opening sequence with the ships coming in and invading Lucius’s home had my eyes glued to the screen and is probably my favorite action scene in the movie with flaming catapults and people getting stabbed by arrows and sliced with swords. 

The action in general looks and sounds great on IMAX, you hear every blow with those loud speakers to the point where I was wincing at some of the things people did to each other in the movie and the size and scope of the screen make it feel like you’re right there in the colosseum. I was just marveling at the ancient Roman architecture, costume designs, and large, crowded shots of civilizations, it’s a movie that constantly feels big even when there isn’t any slicing and dicing or blood spurting onscreen. 

Gladiator II probably won’t leave as big an impact as its acclaimed 2000 predecessor, but for those who enjoy the first movie or sword and sandals epics in general, I would strongly recommend seeing this movie in theaters on the biggest screen you can and the loudest sound possible. Are you not entertained? The answer is yes, I was very entertained. 

Wicked review

WICKED: 

CYNTHIA ERIVO AND ARIANA GRANDE DEFY GRAVITY IN FILM VERSION OF ICONIC MUSICAL! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in Wicked

 

            The land of Oz returns to the screen in Wicked, the highly anticipated first chapter of the 2-part film adaptation of the beloved Broadway stage musical of the same name and sort of prequel to 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. The film is directed by Jon M. Chu (Now You See Me 2, Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights) and tells the origin of Glinda the Good Witch and The Wicked Witch of the West before Dorothy Gale dropped in. 

            I should make this clear, I have never seen the original musical so I’m not sure how faithful it is to the source material and will be judging it on its own merits. I thought the movie looked good as someone who has not seen the stage version when I first saw the trailer though I did start to get tired of seeing it before almost every movie released this year. 

            Well, after all that buzz surrounding the film, I gave the movie version of Wicked and watch and I have to say, this completely exceeded my expectations. For a movie I initially thought looked good but dangerously close to being overhyped, I was enthralled by its story and characters and was even moving my feet while seated along to many of the songs.  

            The film follows Glinda (Ariana Grande-Victorious, Sam & Cat, Don’t Look Up) who after the demise of The Wicked Witch of the West recounts a time when she wasn’t so wicked and was simply known as Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo-Widows, Bad Times at the El Royale, Harriet), a young woman with a peculiar condition, and by that I mean she has green skin and magic powers. When she is enrolled into Shiz University, Elphaba meets the popular and privileged, Glinda and what begins as a rivalry soon becomes a strong friendship between the two witches. 

            But a fateful trip to the Emerald City and encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum-The Big Chill, Jurassic Park franchise, Thor: Ragnarok) leads to a conflict between Glinda and Elphaba with the latter slowly beginning her descent into The Wicked Witch of the West. 

            The film also stars Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Everything Everywhere All at Once, A Haunting in Venice) as Shiz University Dean of Sorcery Madame Morrible, Jonathan Bailey (Testament of Youth, The Young Messiah, Jurassic World: Rebirth) as Fiyero Tigelaar, Ethan Slater (SpongeBob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical) as Boq Woodsman, Marissa Bode as Elphaba’s paraplegic sister Nessarose, Peter Dinklage (Elf, Game of Thrones, Avengers: Infinity War) as the voice of Dr. Dillamond, and Bowen Yang (The Lost City, Bros, Dicks: The Musical) and Bronwyn James (Harlots, The Dig, How to Train Your Dragon (2025)) as Glinda’s friends Pfannee and ShenShen. 

            Overall, this first chapter of the Wicked film adaptation is an incredible feat on both a technical and storytelling level with an interesting perspective and greater depth on these characters we’ve known for a very long time through other Oz stories. This is also one of the most large-scale, visually dazzling movies I’ve seen all year (Gladiator II is tomorrow FYI) and I strongly urge people to see this in a theater for the best experience. 

            Yes, there is some CGI used on things like Flying Monkeys and Talking Goats, but most of this film was shot on sets with practical effects and it is incredible to look at. Much like films such as Avatar and Hugo, I was relishing in Wicked’s gorgeous production design and admiring all the work that went into it, I didn’t see it in IMAX but the movie looked amazing on the screen I watched it on. 

            On top of the visuals, I was captivated by Elphaba and Glinda’s stories and seeing how they became the characters we know from The Wizard of Oz to the point where now, I’m going to feel very sorry for the Wicked Witch when Dorothy dumps the bucket of water on her next time I revisit the original film. You legitimately feel for Elphaba in this movie and throughout the movie, you’re pretty much on her side even when she starts to descend into the Wicked Witch towards the end of the film and a lot of that is because of Cynthia Erivo who is damn good here. 

            Erivo really brings this likability and tragedy to the misunderstood, Elphaba and has outstanding chemistry with Grande’s Glinda, not to mention a chilling and phenomenal singing voice that blasts through the theater speakers. I’m serious, I just might have to get the soundtrack to this movie just because of her voice I mean, damn! 

            Ariana Grande is also a standout as Glinda and my personal feelings towards her aside, I thought she was great in the role and surprisingly hilarious as this hybrid of essentially Glinda from Wizard of Oz and Regina George from Mean Girls. She starts off as this wealthy, self-obsessed princess who only cares about herself but much like Erivo’s Elphaba, her character evolves over the course of the film and even during her mean moments she is somehow still very likable which is really difficult to do with a character like this. 

            The musical numbers are marvelous with so much kinetic energy, passion, and visual dazzle exploding onto the screen. My favorites are probably Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero’s Dancing Through Life song sequence where the Shiz students are dancing in what appears to be a giant clock and the Popular duet by Erivo and Grande, the climactic Defying Gravity sequence by Erivo is also top-tier and gave me goosebumps despite hearing the song in every trailer for the movie. 

            I’ve never seen the stage version, but I could tell by this movie that Jon M. Chu has a lot of love for the musical and does what he can to put as many plot elements into the movie as possible, especially with it being a 2-parter. There’s even a neat cameo from Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth who played Elphaba and Glinda in the original musical in here. 

            For a movie I didn’t have much anticipation for, Wicked defied gravity and surpassed my expectations with a truly magical and irresistible film adaptation that’s among the best Wizard of Oz-related movies. I have fallen under the film’s spell and I eagerly await Wicked: Part Two next year to see where it goes next.