Gianna D’Alesandro: Spider-Man – Into The Spider-Verse
My favorite movie that has come out during 2023 has to be Spider-Aan Across The Spider-Verse.
The animation took them five years to put all together and all the different art styles that they incorporated into the movie was so unnecessary but oh so beautiful to watch on the big screen.
All the characters were written so well. Some characters were seen as the normal Spider-Man attitude being the comic relief and making dumb jokes you can’t help but love.
While others were written more complicated but thankfully not so much that the majority of the audience didn’t understand.
They are all fleshed out and we see why they are the way they are. Take Miguel O’Hara … without knowing his backstory, he just seems like an agitated boss that wants things to go a certain way.
But with his backstory you can empathize with him, he loses everything twice, the second time being his fault and not thinking of the consequences that his action could make for him.
And then we have Gwen Stacy, we get a little bit of her backstory in the first Spider-Verse movie, her best friend Peter Parker gets killed and she doesn’t make friends after but that changed after meeting Miles Morales.
And in Across the Spider-Verse we meet her dad, he thinks Spider-woman, Gwen, killed Peter. One reveal of her identity later prompts Gwen to leave her dimension.
I will forever love this movie as an example of great writing and even greater animation.
Aliya Merriwether: The Little Mermaid
Unsinkable Disney has done it again with The Little Mermaid (2023). The film is an amazing remake of the 1989 “The Little Mermaid”. The film captivated the hearts of many when they were kids and has done so again today. The story is timeless and is certain to have left audiences of all ages fascinated. Bursting with vibrant colors, breathtaking visuals, and an iconic soundtrack, this new live-action of the classic Disney fairy tale will make you believe in the power of dreams and the magic of the sea.
Halle Bailey’s beauty and graceful aura bring life to the iconic mermaid princess. The film brought a fresh and modern perspective to the character we all know and love. Bailey’s voice is something that cannot go unnoticed. Her singing is both angelic and powerful which effortlessly carries the film’s melodies, pulling the audience deeper and deeper into the world under the sea. The entire cast and storyline give the viewer a glimpse of how people of life can understand and live with one another.
Mia Rodriguez: Anyone But You
Anyone But You stars Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, which is one of the many reasons it was as good as it was. Both of these actors make any show or movie their in way more exciting, so seeing them both together makes the movie a lot more interesting.
The irony in this movie made the whole plot even better. The two started off going on an amazing first date, but things were misunderstood and they didn’t talk after.
When they met each other again at a wedding, they pretended to be a fake couple. This is why the movie was found so funny to people, since the two supposedly hated each other.
You get many good laughs when watching “Anyone But You,” but also deeper emotions that can make you cry. It connects with the audience on an emotional level and had people feeling certain ways.
When the two start to fall in love, it makes things feel exciting. The audience watches them connect deeper, and they feel as if they are doing the same.
Vince Taddei (editor): The Holdovers
There isn’t a filmmaker who can capture the beauty of the mundane better than director, Alexander Payne. As he did with Election, Sideways, Nebraska, and others, Payne can tell compelling stories about regular people in everyday situations. Connecting on such personal levels is truly a difficult thing to do, and The Holdovers is Payne’s finest work. Paul Giamatti should pick up his first Oscar for his work.