Film Review: Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse (2018)

In my lifetime I have seen six different Spider-Man films brought to life. I have seen brought to life on the big screen by three different actors (Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland). Never have I enjoyed a Spider-Man movie as much as I enjoyed this one.

The animation brilliantly moves and feels like a comic book brought to life. It visually brilliant and incredibly cool to look at. The filmmakers who brought this adaptation of Spider-Man to life are the ones who have made "The Lego Movie" (which I have not seen) and "22 Jump Street" (which I have and also enjoyed immensely).

"Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse" brings different spider men and women from different alternate universes into the particular universe in which Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) an Afro-Latino (!) becomes Spider-Man.

This is an original Spider-Man story and while some things are re-treads of the old films (Miles gaining his powers, learning how to use them, losing someone close to him) they are presented in a new and fresh way. As you're watching Miles go through these things it feels like you are watching Spider-Man go through these things for the first time.

Miles is plunged into the world of superheroes after he watches the classic Peter Parker (Chris Pine) die under the hands of Kingpin (Liev Schrieber). Kingpin has commissioned a team to create a machine that will open up any alternate universes in existence. Things go awry and the different spideys are taken into Miles's world including an older Peter Parker (Jake Johnson). The new Peter unwillingly begins teaching Miles all there is to know about being Spider-Man.

Joining Peter and Miles is Spider-Gwen (teenage Gwen Stacy voiced by Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Man Noir (a spider-man straight out the noir genre voiced by Nicolas Cage), Peni Parker (a girl from the future with a futuristic robot voiced Kimiko Glenn ), and Spider-Ham (a pig voiced by John Mulaney). It is especially cool to see all the ways in which they make these characters unique to their worlds. Spider-Ham can be straight out of a Looney Toons cartoon, Peni can be straight out of an anime, and Spider-Man noir has wind to billow out his coat anywhere he goes.

It is fun to see all these characters working together and clashing with one another. The entire voice cast in phenomenal as well. They inhabit these characters perfectly so you never feel as though you are hearing a celebrity simply lending their voice to a film.

Miles, Peter and the all the rest team up to bring Kingpin down and send everyone to their respective dimensions. Miles learns how to be Spider-Man and how to embrace the daunting responsibility now in his hands. All of this is done in a funny and dynamic way. Everyone knows I'm not a fan of superhero films. They are formulaic and action packed which was fun... before the world was saturated with Marvel and DC films at every turn. This was new and exciting. This had me rooting for Miles in a way I hadn't rooted for a hero in a long time. If more superhero films were like this, maybe I would be more excited to watch them.

Broadway Review: Pretty Woman: The Musical

I have personally never seen "Pretty Woman" the film. If it's anything like the musical I'm not sure I want to. "Pretty Woman" stars Samantha Barks and Andy Karl and has music written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance. There's nothing else of importance worth mentioning.

It seems to follow the film almost exactly based on audience reactions. Multimillionaire Edward Lewis (Karl) gets lost on his way to his Beverly Hills Hotel and encounters prostitute Vivian Banks (Barks) and decides to take her with him. It's only supposed to be a one night deal, but Edwards pays her for a whole week's companionship teaching her in the process of a better life she could be living and she teaches him how to live in the moment.

Banks's Vivian is spunky and intelligent and it makes you wonder why she has never gotten herself out of this situation she clearly despises. There is also nothing romantic about how the two characters end up together. Still, the film is a classic and fans of the film were clearly enjoying a film they liked being brought to the stage.

The scenes between Vivian and her best friend Kit (Orfeh) are the best. Barks brings an immense likability to Vivian and it is fun to watch her. The awkward moments (besides in the way she is treated) come from the moments in which Vivian and Edward engage in sexual acts. The production team seems really intent on hammering in what they are engaging in while keeping it as PG as possible. There was no need for these moments other than to prove she's doing what she's getting paid to do I guess.

There were also moments that were completely glossed over. I guess their inclusion came from being in the film, but they are mentioned, and then quickly forgotten. There is a prostitute found dead early in action. Nothing comes of this. There is simply a dead prostitute. Being a prostitute can be a dangerous profession, but the other prostitutes are concerned for her death for a hot second and then they move on. I guess things became not so dangerous in a span of ten seconds.

The famous scene in which Edward closes the jewelry box on Vivian as she reaches for the diamond necklace is included, but so choreographed it loses all meaning. Clearly this is here simply for fans of the film who would be upset if it wasn't included. Vivian is strong and optimistic and she truly does not need a man in this adaptation. She ends up with Edward I suppose because she has to.

Karl does well in the role of Lewis, but there isn't much to him. He is money hungry in the beginning and almost instantly after meeting Vivian he is not. He is incredibly one dimensional that there is no place for him to truly develop as a character.

The entire cast though is fantastic. Barks and Karl sound great throughout. Orfeh steals the show anytime she is on stage. Leading us through the events of the story is the Happy Man (Eric Anderson). He doubles as the hotel manager and there is definitely a distinction between the two characters. He lights up the stage especially as the uptight hotel manager with a sense of humor.

The show isn't terrible. I have definitely seen worse productions on stage, but there is nothing memorable about it. It seemed to please fans of the film which is what matters I guess. The musical wasn't made for me or non fans of the film. Still I wish we could demand more. More emotional range and depth to the script. More opportunities to let these clearly talented actors showcase their skills. They seem to be having fun onstage, but I am sure they can do so much more.

Mike Birbiglia's The New One on Broadway at the Cort Theatre

Mike Birbiglia did not want to become a father. He states seven reasons as to why. Mainly he believed he was inadequate. He also did not want his life to change drastically.

He tells the audience all of this in "The New One". Playing for twelve weeks on Broadway's Cort Theatre, Birbiglia's experience is funny and also harsh. The first part of the show is dedicated to the reasons as to why he did not want to become a father. Interspersed are stories of his brother and nephew and his career. As someone who does not want children it was easy to relate to this, but as the show progresses even I thought some of the things he was saying were too mean.

Birbiglia is a comedian and actor who has appeared mainly with Amy Schumer. He is funny and endearing. You can't help but like him. He is relatable. That is why it is a shame that the second half of the show isn't as strong as the first half. The jokes aren't as funny especially when you stop to think about the things he is saying about his family which now includes his young daughter.

"The New One" begins with a stage bare of almost everything but a stool and a rug. Birbiglia begins his show talking about his first major purchase: a couch. This turns into a story involving his brother and nephew and after recounting this story to his wife she tells him she wants a baby. He insists that he shouldn't have one especially since upon marrying she knew how he felt about having one of his own. She reminds him that she was unsure at first whether or not she wanted one, but now it's official. She wants a baby.

He lists 6 out of the 7 reasons in detail why he should not have children. In the end he gives in to his wife's demand and she is pregnant and experiencing pregnancy hormones that double every three days.

The show is directed by Seth Barrish, and director and performer make the show funny. There are bits during his wife Jen's (he calls her Clo) pregnancy that are hilarious. It is fun to watch him relive his wife's pregnancy and all the funny moments that came with it.

When the baby arrives, the jokes keep coming. They just aren't as funny anymore.

It is possible that Birbiglia is overexaggerating how he felt after his daughter's birth for comedic effect. Even so, he is not as likable as he was before the birth of his daughter. He is upset by the fact that his life has drastically changed even though his wife promised it wouldn't and while that is understandable, he comes across as selfish and full of self pity.

There comes a moment after a particular interaction with his wife and daughter that he states "I know why dads leave". He makes a joke out of it, but it is still an incredibly harsh things to say. This is the moment in the show that got the least amount of laughs and those that did laugh did it more because they felt uncomfortable.

I am not familiar for Birbiglia's comedy. It is possible that he says things like this for shock value. I don't know. Even so it is not funny. It is a horrible thing to say and maybe he does legitimately feel this way. He hasn't left his wife and daughter, so maybe he feels this is why he can say something like this. I have no idea, but it did not sit right with me.

A lot of the jokes built around the birth of his daughter and life after her birth revolve around traditional gender roles. He is not as attached to his daughter because his wife is doing all of the work. She is raising their baby and still doing all the household chores without his help. Yes, there are people who live this way in reality and more power to them if they are both content. He is not content, though.

The show does have a happy ending. He begins to help his wife with the chores and he develops a bond with his daughter. There were beautiful moments on his way to the discovery of fatherhood, but there were also ugly moments. Those jokes might have been written in an exaggerated form of how he truly felt, and I am not knocking on his experience. He is allowed to feel how he does. The ending makes up for those moments, though.

Fireflies at Atlantic Theater Company

Donja R. Love's Fireflies opens with our protagonist Olivia (DeWanda Wise) writing a letter to a woman named Ruby. She mentions the bombs going off and hopes they end soon. She goes inside and after a few moments Olivia's husband Charles (Khris Davis) enters. From there we are thrust into Charles and Olivia's life together. Charles is a reverend who travels a lot preaching at different cities affected by violence due to the civil rights movement.

Olivia it turns out has hundreds of letters stashed under a floorboard all addressed to Ruby, but never mailed. Charles has known about the letters for three years, including the fact that they are filled with passion towards Ruby the mystery woman. The entirety of the play takes place at the couple's home with the majority of the action occurring in the kitchen. As the play progresses more and more secrets emerge. Charles has been cheating on his wife, he is an alcoholic and has beat her in the past. Olivia is pregnant, but does not want to be. She writes Charles's speeches as she is a gifted writer. This are difficult characters to portray and despite all their flaws, Wise and Davis do a remarkable job of bringing them to life fully fleshed out. It would be easy for these characters to be unlikable, but you sympathize with them and you understand their motives for everything they do.

The actors are wonderful and play off of each other well. They have great chemistry together. Olivia's final sermon is beautiful and delivered with immense passion by wise. Fireflies are God's people being called home, but they are more than that as Olivia proclaims. As she nears the ending of her sermon, the lights dim and the audience is greeted by thousands of fire flies projected on the stage. It is a powerful ending to a powerful piece of theatre.

Europa Report (2013)

There is something fascinating about "Europa Report" despite all the science fiction jargon.

Minutes into the film we discover that the crew in the film are in trouble. The rest of the film dedicates its time telling us how we reached this point, but you know the crew is in trouble from the beginning. And why wouldn't they be? They are in space after all.

The film is directed by Sebastian Cordero. In it Samantha Unger (Embeth Daviditz) sends a crew to Europa (one of Jupiter's moons) to discover whether or not there is life there as there is water on the moon.

The crew heads off to Europa. The film acts as a found footage film with the audience glimpsing into the lives of these astronauts through the cameras found on board their ship. There is nothing exciting going on at first, yet you are not bored watching them live on the ship.

As they are so far from Earth, the communications fail and the astronauts are left on their own. This is when the tension truly starts to build, as they are alone in space. This is also when things start to go wrong.

The film is simple and devoid of intense action scenes. Instead we are treated to the relationships the crew has with one another. This is a nice touch as too many films feel as though they have to do something drastic to keep the audiences' attention.

The crew consists of pilot Rosa (Anamaria Marinca), commander William (Daniel Wu), engineer Andrei (Michael Nyqvist), and science officer James (Sharlto Copley).

This is a story that has been done many times. There is nothing tremendously original about it, but it does have a scary feel to it. There is tension with everything the crew does especially since one screw up can mean the end for everybody.

They are all extremely passionate about their mission. They don't always make the smartest decisions, but neither are most people when they are on the brink of a major scientific discovery.

Reversing Roe (2018)

 The decision of Roe v. Wade is at stake as Brett Kavanaugh seems to be on his way to be nominated to the Supreme Court.

Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg's Netflix documentary comes at a critical time for many women. Currently seven states have only one operating abortion clinic. Several states have placed restrictions to make getting an abortion difficult. No matter which side of the abortion argument you stand, you know that the nomination is important. 

One of the first people we are introduced to is Colleen McNicholas, a Missouri based doctor who travels all over the country providing abortions to states with no abortion providing doctors.

The film itself provides a history of abortion beginning in the 60s before Roe v. Wade leading up to now where people continue to fight for or against the right for an abortion. 

The film interviews Republicans who oppose abortion and the reasons why they are so against it. Due to this, I was surprised to learn that many of the original pro-abortion laws were passed by Republicans. In fact, Ronald Reagan passed the first, liberal abortion law when he was serving as governor of California in the 60s.

As opponents of abortion began to rise, they began campaigning for (and advising) several Republican candidates and anti-abortion sentiments became more of right-wing views. Many Republican candidates who were pro-choice or undecided won presidential elections after saying they were staunch pro-lifers (including Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Donald Trump). 

No matter what ends up happening with the new Supreme Court Justice, it is apparent that the battle will continue. We see Wendy Davis filibustering in Texas and the what this means for the future of abortion in this country. We also see what a difference it makes to have several women serving on the Supreme Court as opposed to none or even one.

The film is biased as most documentary films are. However, to include people with differing views in the film, I think is an admirable attempt at keeping things too biased. Check out the film and hopefully learn something new. All I ask is that you make as informed decisions as you possibly can. 

The House With a Clock in Its Walls (2018)

The House With A Clock in its Walls

Directed by: Eli Roth

Written by: Eric Kripke

Starring: Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro, Kyle MacLachlan

Classification: PG

104 minutes

3/5 Stars

This film is pure fun. The House With a Clock in its Walls is an adventure film I believe truly anyone will enjoy.

Lewis Barnavelt is an orphan who goes to live with his uncle (Jack Black). Lewis's uncle is a warlock who lives in a magical home and is best friends with the witch next door Mrs. Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett). There is a mysterious clock hidden within the walls of the house though, and this is causing major problems.

Our heroes have to find the clock before times runs out, if they do not the end of times will begin. Uncle Barnavelt and Mrs. Zimmerman are unable to find it as there is a hex preventing any witch or warlock from finding it. It is up to Lewis to find the ticking clock before time runs out. 

The cast all have great chemistry with each other. The film also has surprisingly dark imagery and characters for a children's film. Still, it is worth watching.

The Darkest Minds (2018)

Maybe I'm finally outgrowing the YA genre. I'm 27 years old and when I walk into any bookstore, that's the section I'm first drawn to. I see books that incite my interest and I'm dying to read them. Maybe I'm outgrowing the cliches found in every single YA dystopian novel. I haven't read this book though and I'm basing it purely off of the film adaptation. If the book is anything like the film adaptation though.... maybe I truly have outgrown the genre. In The Darkest Minds a disease kills off half of the US children's population. Those children who have not been killed off now have some sort of super skill or power. The government fears them and all the children are rounded up and sent to camps.

Ruby Daly (Amandla Stenberg) is our heroine in this film and is rounded up after she accidentally wipes her parents' memory of her. Ruby is an "orange" which means she has mind control powers. Children in the orange and red categories are killed immediately so Ruby mind controls a doctor in categorizing her as a "green". Greens are the least dangerous as they only have heightened intelligence. Six years later, Ruby is discovered as being an orange and is smuggled out of the camp by an undercover doctor (Mandy Moore). This doctor is part of an organization called the Children's League and their mission is to uncover the truth of the camps while growing an army using all the children they rescue. Ruby immediately becomes suspicious and runs off joining a group of kids on their way to a safe haven.

The adaptation is not interesting. The kids do one thing and then they do another and then they do another and so on and so forth. The four main actors play off of each other well, but their characters are woefully one-dimensional. Ruby and Liam (Harris Dickinson) have a romance going on, but at some points it feels incredibly forced. This has nothing to do with the actors themselves, it is simply poorly written. This is also an instance of where the plot twist isn't much of a twist as you can see it coming a mile away.

The film ends with the idea that there will be a sequel involved. I think a sequel could be interesting especially if there is a war as hinted in the ending of this one. No matter what I hope it would be higher stakes than this one. Even when they fight the antagonist in this film he was defeated way too easily.

The Play That Goes Wrong

When everything seems to be going wrong with the world and constant stories of racism plague your newsfeed, it feels good to unplug and just laugh.

The Play That Goes Wrong, currently running at the Lyceum Theatre, is a British farce. It opened in London before transferring to Broadway last year.

The set is gorgeous, but oddly cheap looking. Done by Nigel Hook the set fits the aesthetic of the show perfectly.

The Play That Goes Wrong is similar to Noises Off. If you've seen Noises Off and you enjoy it, then you'll enjoy this play. If you've never heard of or seen Noises Off then everything you need to know is in the title of this one.

The Play That Goes Wrong actually follows the Cornley University Drama Society (from England) as they present their production of "The Murder at Haversham Manor".

Upon entering the theatre, we got a glimpse of the crew of the play putting the final touches on the set and being helped by a member of the audience.

Before the start of the play, director Chris Bean (Mark Evans) introduces us to the Drama Society as well as the show. Evans delivers his lines with great comedic timing as we learn more about the problems that have plagued the Drama Society in the past.

Mr. Bean is of course the director of "The Murder of Haversham Manor" (as well as the designer) and not of The Play That Goes Wrong which is directed by Mark Bell. The Play That Goes Wrong is written by Henry Shields, Henry Lewis, and Jonathan Sayer. "The Murder at Faversham Manor" is written by Susie H.K. Brideswell. The playbill has the fun detail of including the information of the actual play and the fictional one we are watching unfold.

If this is all confusing, I promise it is not once you are watching it. You are watching a play within a play and the play within the play is getting shown from beginning to end. This is different from the aforementioned Noises Off which focuses more on the backstage antics of the performers.

As the title states everything goes wrong. Doors stick and the set falls apart. 

The play within a play begins with a corpse of Charles Haversham (Jonathan Fielding) who cannot stay still. Of course you can't have a dead body without suspects so we are then introduced to Charles's fiancee (Amelia McClain), the butler (Harrison Unger), Charles's brother (Alex Mandell) and Charles's best friend (Preston Boyd).

We also get glimpses of Trevor (Akron Watson), the light board and sound board operator, and the stage manager (Ashley Bryant). Everyone from the cast and the crew must act "bad" and they do it well.

The show goes horribly wrong from the beginning and only gets worse and worse as the show progresses. It looks like a lot of fun, but as an actor I can't even begin to imagine how exhausted the actors are at the end of each performance. 

It is a lot to take in. Several gags happen at once multiple times throughout the show. It is tons of fun though.

The audience I was with absolutely loved it. They laughed from beginning to end. 

The woman behind me commented throughout the whole show as she noticed the different gags happening. I had fun and as evidenced by those around me, you probably will, too.

The Gentleman Caller

We are first introduced to Tennessee Williams.

He tells the audience who he is and his whereabouts as William Inge prepares drinks in the background. Inge is an unknown journalist preparing to interview Williams in his home in St. Louis.

The opening monologue has some good lines. Juan Francisco Villa delivers them with comedic timing. The Gentleman Caller by Philip Dawkins and produced by the Abingdon Theatre Company is currently running at the Cherry Lane Theatre.  The play takes place as Williams's new play "The Gentleman Caller" (now known as "The Glass Menagerie") is set to open in Chicago.

Williams breaks the fourth wall as he narrates the events of the evening, the evening the play opens and the events that occur after William Inge is discovered. Inge and Williams were both gay men and they did know each other, but as far as I know the events involving the two of them are a work of fiction.

There is not much action in this play, but there is a lot of talk. Inge (Daniel K. Isaac) spends most of the play refusing Williams's advances while also struggling with his wanting to proceed. There many innuendos to keep the audience entertained.

The play is off balanced in terms of the characters. Williams definitely dominates the play with Inge interjecting some lines of dialogue every now and then. Inge does have a final monologue, but it seemed written more for shock value than anything else.

Directed by Tony Speciale, the play was dominated by a strong performance that overpowered the weaker one. The set designed by Sara C. Walsh was gorgeous. Lamps were stacked upon manuscripts towering over the actors. It was beautiful to look at.

Good overpowers the not so good, and in the end deserves an audience.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

The Stone Witch at Westside Theatre

The Stone Witch is currently playing at the Westside theatre. It is a good show, but it is overshadowed by the production values. Upon entering the theatre, you are immediately taken in by the gorgeous set which is covered with magical creatures and has a child like whimsy to it. In various parts of the show, you are treated to gorgeous projections depicting the illustrations found in the children's book the characters are working on.

Simon Grundberg (Dan Lauria) is a world renown children book author and illustrator. However not having written a book in twelve years, his editor Claire Forloni (Carolyn McCormick) is desperate for a book she can put out by Christmas. Peter Chandler (Rupak Ginn) is a young hopeful who is sent by Claire to inspire Simon into writing his new novel with the promise of $10,000 and his own chance of being published after the fact.

Peter reluctantly agrees and meets Simon in the latter's woodland cabin. Simon is fighting some demons who are preventing him from writing. Peter soothes these demons, but Peter is also bursting to get his ideas seen. He is unsure how to help Simon, but is willing to try anything once things begin to go awry.

The majority of the play takes place in Simon's scenic cabin. Only two scenes are not set there and one of them is unnecessary. I honestly forgot it existed up until this point! Anyway, it is fun to see the world surrounding the cabin come to life while also seeing Simon's demons projected behind him.

The Stone Witch is a wonderful show, but I did feel there was something missing in the overall story. I am not sure what exactly, but it definitely dealt with the overall storyline. There were some aspects of Simon's that were brought up, but not fully explained. There were also weak explanations for other things brought up about Simon. Simon is an interesting character, but there was too much background in his story and not enough ways to tie them in together.

The actors were great as well. Carolyn McCormick was the perfect blend of professional editor who can intimidate others to get her way while also caring for them. Rupak Ginn was good as well, but there were moments that did not feel authentic. Dan Lauria was fantastic as Simon Grundberg. He had a commanding presence and was able to portray all the aspects of the character in a manner in which the audience was able to sympathize with him.

Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)

"The Maze Runner" has always been vastly different from the books. I am a book purist and tend to hate movie adaptations if they vary too much from the source material. I didn't mind too much with the first installment, hated the second and having disliked the third book welcomed the changes the third installment had to offer.

This franchise was welcomed overall as it featured a male lead in a dystopian future as opposed to the female leads that seemed to dominate the dystopian young adult franchises. I obviously enjoyed reading the female lead novels and watching their adaptations, but it was interesting and refreshing to read a male authors' perspective.

"The Maze Runner" follows a group of young men as they are dropped into a maze and must find their way out. Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) and his friends quickly discover they are pawns in a corporation called WICKED's trials. Thomas and his friends are immune for the most part to the "flare", a disease that turns humans into zombie like cranks.

Thomas has one simple goal: escape WICKED's clutches with his friends alive. It is difficult to do so as he and his friends are pursued relentlessly by WICKED as they try to find a cure for the flare.

"The Death Cure" opens on Thomas and his friends as they hijack a train in order to rescue their captured friend Minho (Ki Hong Lee). Unfortunately, they take the wrong train car and Minho ends up in WICKED's headquarters. Testing continues on Minho as he is tortured in order to speed up the process of finding a cure. Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), the only female in the maze with them, is one of the scientists involved in torturing Minho which angers Thomas as he had strong feelings for her.

That is the main plot of the film: find a way to rescue Minho and escape with all the other immunes in tow. There are some surprising reunions and fun action sequences.

The film is action packed and the pacing keeps things interesting. There are a lot of coincidences, but there are even more in the book. Yes, these coincidences are annoying and extremely convenient, but if you have read the book they are easy to ignore.

There is a lot to digest in this film and could have had a shorter run time, but honestly I highly disliked the book and so the problems in this film did not bother me as much. I have heard mixed reviews from casual movie goers though. I say the action is fun and the pacing keeps the film moving. It is not the best film in the young adult dystopian category, but it is still engaging and worth a watch.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

I enjoy Star Wars, but it has never been a fandom I follow loyally. My brother is the Star Wars fanatic in my family. He eagerly awaits all the film releases and gets upset if I decide to wait until the Star Wars crowds die down before watching the films. (True story!)

Now that I live in New York and my brother can't get upset I barely got around to watching the film. This story has nothing to do with the rest of the review other than I find it funny because I'm an annoying little sister and what kind of sister would I be if I didn't do a good job of annoying my brother?

Anyway, there are many good things about the eighth installment of the franchise. In The Force Awakens we were introduced to Rey (Daisy Ridley) who is a female drawn to the force which is awesome to see. The film ended with Rey returning Luke's (Mark Hamill) lightsaber to Luke after he left to go into hiding. This film picks up where the other left off, with Rey trying to get Luke to train her and join the fight the rebels are fighting. He is reluctant to do either as his previous venture of mentoring ended in failure. I enjoyed that twist as the previous Jedi masters were all confident mentors.

Luke's previous student was his nephew Ben Solo who later turned into Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Kylo Ren killed his father Han Solo (Harrison Ford) in the previous installment. Luke has just learned this news and as he sees similarities between Rey and Ben he refuses to train her as he is now scared of what can be accomplished with such natural power.

It is interesting to see Rey take on what was Luke's role in "A New Hope" and see Luke remember once again that he must take on Obi-Wan Kenobi's role. There are other parallels as well.

Luke like Obi-Wan also blames himself for his student's corruption as Kylo Ren takes on what was essentially Anakin Skywalker's role in the prequels. Kylo, like Anakin, destroyed the temple where he was being trained and the students who decided not to join him were killed.

Luke reluctantly teaches Rey a bit about the force. He tells her that it is the energy found everywhere that binds everything together. He gets scared when Rey is seemingly drawn to the darkness residing in the island way too quickly. He sees so much of Ben in her that he cannot continue the training.

Luke is not a great mentor, but there are hints that Rey possesses everything she needs to be a great Jedi master even if she has no formal training. I am curious to see how the next film will handle Rey's  storyline and continue to see how she grows. I am also curious to see where Kylo Ren's storyline goes. Hopefully we will get to see their storylines unfold with more interesting villains to face than the ones found in this film.

The Parisian Woman

Uma Thurman stars in "The Parisian Woman" playing at the Hudson Theatre on Broadway.

The first thing you notice is definitely the set. It sits openly as the audience takes their seats and it is gorgeous. All the sets are gorgeous and add to the richness of the characters who all live in DC.

That being said be prepared for politics from beginning to end.

The play is written by Beau Willimon. Willimon is the creator of "House of Cards" and you can definitely see the similarities between the play and the show. The play is politically driven and the characters are all deceitful and fighting for the upper hand.

Thurman plays the wife of a lawyer who is seeking to run for office. She is willing to help him achieve that goal no matter what it takes.

Chloe (Thurman) spends her days doing things that would improve the country's view of her husband. She knows how to avoid scandal and know which pieces to play in order to gain the upper hand.

Chloe's husband Tom (Josh Lucas) is presented the opportunity to run for an open sear in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. The play consists of five characters and they are all key players in ensuring Tom gets the nomination. Peter (Marton Csokas) is Chloe's lover and having fallen in love with her is willing to put in a good word with the president on Tom's behalf. When he fails to do so, Chloe turns to her friend Jeanette (Blair Brown) to achieve this. Even Jeanette's daughter Rebecca (Philippa Soo) is thrown into this mix.

There are plenty of surprises thrown into the mix from the first scene. From their the secrets revealed only get more and more outrageous and yet the way they are used brings in a sense of dread. This could easily have turned into a farce, but it never crosses that line. No matter how ridiculous the situation you feel scared for how negative the political game can truly be.

There have been many things added to the show since it premiered after Donald Trump's election. Though he is never mentioned by name, it is obvious that this takes place in the present and the president mentioned is currently the one in office. There are plenty of digs thrown his way.

These digs brought on plenty of laughs from the audience, and yet I have not heard any complaints about this show being offensive.

The play is ultimately about power and the lengths people will go to obtain it. Chloe and Tom are both liberal, though they never outright say it. They know how to talk to friends with opposing viewpoints, not because they are being politically correct, but because they know how to gain what they need from them.

Chloe and Tom's marriage is very similar to that in "House of Cards". Affairs can be had as long as there is something to be gained from it and as long as the other person knows about it. Chloe is willing to stand by her husband and help him gain the things he needs to succeed. At times the events in the show can be hard to grasp, but it is engaging enough.

I am sure that these are extreme cases and not all political figures turn to such drastic measures to get what they want. (At least I can hope that most of them are not like this, though I will never know for sure). The actors are invested in the events these characters are experiencing and it is fun to watch.

Thurman is good in this role, though I do think I have seen her give better performances. She has a power and presence that are impossible to ignore, but I still feel she could have done more with the role.

The rest of the cast did wonderful, though the best performance comes from Soo. Her portrayal of Rebecca is believable and she never faltered. She fully embraced the character's experiences. When a plot twist involving her character is revealed, there is nothing to foreshadow this turn of events. (Although this can be attributed to the writing as Chloe is perhaps the only three dimensional character in the play). Still something can be said for throwing the audience through a loop.

This play is interesting and can be engaging, but ultimately not enough for the theatre. With all its similarities this could have worked as an episode of House of Cards or perhaps a spin off series. Not that it was disinteresting, but it definitely would have worked better in a different medium other than the stage.

The technical aspects in this show were truly astonishing. This isn't something I usually focus on, but in this show I had plenty of time to do so.

Latin History for Morons

John Leguizamo is a great actor and it is even more apparent in "Latin History for Morons" as he tackles centuries of Latin history. He finds ways of making each individual person he talks about stand out in a unique way.

Leguizamo is also not afraid to make a fool of himself. He is absolutely hilarious from beginning to end, although not if you're a Conservative, white male and proud Trump supporter. (And really I don't care if Leguizamo hurts your feelings :P)

Leguizamo covers the history of all the indigenous peoples of all the Latin countries as well as the state of being Latin in the modern world. He provides interesting facts (and their sources) as he tries to get his son excited for his roots.

The premise of the show is that his 8th grade son has been bullied by another classmate who has called him a "beaner". The bullying, as well as a school project, inspire Leguizamo to research Latin history in order to provide his son with a sense of self pride.

Leguizamo transitions smoothly from the historical figures to the present day where he plays himself and each member of his family.

The set is simple, but provides everything Leguizamo needs to teach his son and the audience all about the rich history of the Latin community.

Leguizamo takes his role as educator seriously, though he is also not afraid to have fun. There are many dance breaks in the show that, of course, tie into different jokes within this history lesson..

The portions in which Leguizamo deal with his family are also heartwarming. He is the goofy husband to his ever patient wife. His daughter is oddly aware of the things going on around her and offers poignant advice at the most unexpected moments. His son struggles to find his identity as all the historical figures his father mentions are flawed in some shape, way or form.

There were some facts presented by Leguizamo that are common knowledge (although we'll see how long that lasts with the way some textbooks are being written). There are a lot of facts though, that I was not aware of. They filled me with great pride and sadness all the same. My people have done wonderful things, but we have not been acknowledged for these things. These are things that might bring more respect to our community, though that might be wishful thinking.

The final point of the show is driven home by the completion of his son's project. It is a satisfying and beautiful ending.

Leguizamo is angry and I understand his anger. I am tired of being ignored. I am tired of being told that my people, and our Latin brothers and sisters, are nothing. That we have done nothing. That we are a smudge that the United States cannot erase. Leguizamo points this out as he tells us of an incident he experienced while in Texas. Texas will always be my home, but that does not mean I don't know about the prejudice and racism that lives in my home state.

This show may not speak to everyone, but it spoke to me and I know it will speak to those who feel as ignored as I do. While the show is full of serious topics, it never feels like a downer as Leguizamo keeps the laughs coming. He does know when to transition to serious moments when a point needs to be driven home which is also nice.

What is nice as well is that this is not the show that premiered a few months back. As in Leguizamo finds ways to add current events into his show. There were jokes told the night we went that could not have been part of the original script as the events mentioned hadn't happened yet. This adds to the humor.

The show is funny although the events Leguizamo talks about are not. The humor keeps the show from being too heavy. It is sad that even in 2018 accomplished Latinos can feel like they are treated like second class citizens, but if we remember our history and the things we have accomplished we can have pride in the beauty that is us.