Many movie villains, under further scrutiny, actually make a good point. Whether or not the villain uses the correct methods to correct the issue, such as Thanos from the Avengers franchise, is definitely still up for debate. Personally, a (perhaps unorthodox) is the mother from Mrs. Doubtfire. While as kids, we loved Robin Williams's hilarious character, but the mom was absolutely right. While fun for the kids, Daniel Hillard (Williams) is not a good husband. He is a complete jokester who acts more as a friend than a parental figure. I can only imagine the stress the mom, Miranda, was under trying to essentially wrangle an extra child at all times. Regardless, I still love this movie and will continue to enjoy it.

For many young gamers, online games have always been a part of the experience. For many of us older folks, though, online was not only uncommon, but didn't even exist at first. While I did ultimately have consoles that were compatible online, we didn't have the ability to hook them up to the internet. It wasn't until my teen years when I was first introduced to Left 4 Dead 2 as my first foray into an online co-op game. I playing with strangers for hours before ultimately making friends and ing a gaming guild. Nowadays, though, it's very easy to play online with friends, and there's honestly even a surplus of online video games. I still prefer single player games, but I do frequently long for games like L4D2 where you can just hop in and play a few rounds each night.

In a new prequel series, NCIS: Origins brings back Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon, to learn more about his time in the Navy and what made him who he was in the main NCIS series. As someone who was an avid watcher for years, Gibbs was essentially the main character for much of the series. His professionalism and skills balance out with a generally wholesome ideology, which leads him to be a steadfast rock in the series. While I'm not necessarily a fan of prequel series, I do think I want to give at least an episode or two a try just for nostalgia's sake for Gibbs, especially since it appears this will be just a one-time appearance at the beginning.

Some movies, despite not being explicitly holiday movies, get classified as "Christmas" movies by some of their fans. Whether there is a holiday present in the film or are just a tradition for certain families, many people have at least one example of a film that fits this role for them. My family frequently watched the early movies of the Harry Potter series, for example, around the end of the year. Die Hard is another such movie that many argue about being a Christmas movie. Personally, I think it's a bit of a stretch, and it's definitely not canonically Christmas. However, the movie does undeniably take place at the Christmas season, and arguably for even longer than the holiday sections of the Harry Potter films. While I'm not one who watches Die Hard around the holiday season, I really can't fault those who do. It checks out!

The new Silent Hill 2 Remake has just been released to stellar reviews. Many fans praise the game as being a refreshing take on horror games, going back to the older style of appropriately difficult puzzles and masterfully crafted scares, focusing more on ambiance and atmosphere than cheap jump scares. Personally, I struggle playing horror games due to how easily I get frightened. While I've watched a good many hours of playthroughs, I still have yet to pick up the controller to play it directly.

The Until Dawn Remake was just recently released to a somewhat lukewarm reception. While the game was not unwanted by any means, the original was already visually stunning and available to be played on PS5. While the addition of a PC version was a big plus for some players, many felt like the remake wasn't worth getting too excited about. I feel somewhat similarly that a remake in lieu of a sequel would be a waste of time, but rumors have started that a sequel is in the works thanks to a teaser "news" story from actor Peter Stormare, who played Dr. Hill, on Instagram. I would be absolutely ecstatic to see more of the world of Until Dawn, especially since the long-awaited The Quarry didn't really live up to my expectations. While I've watched hundreds of hours of Until Dawn playthroughs, I only watched a single one of The Quarry. I really hope that Supermassive keeps the idea of a sequel on the table, despite the iffy performance of the remake. I think many fans, both new and old, would

There are dozens of different iterations of Spider-Man throughout recent years in film, comics, and even video games. The main three movie adaptations were played by Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland. Out of these three, I personally love Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man movies best. While I do have a lot of nostalgia for that time, I personally feel like the side characters as well fit in their roles, such as Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) and Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe). However, Maguire's awkward portrayal of Peter Parker is very relatable, even for some of the more cringe-inducing moments. I do think his adaptation of Spider-Man himself was less quip-y and witty than others, but I still prefer him most over Garfield or Holland.

There are so many game mechanics out there today worthy of a gripe, with some of the more popular being loot crates, stealth missions (in non-stealth games), and escort missions. My personal most hated mechanic is any sort of forced continuous play, or punishment for not logging in. Mobile games are particularly notorious for this. Any sort of "daily" reward that resets while absent is something I absolutely hate, especially if limited-time events are tied to it. Battle es are one thing, as they require you to play and accomplish certain feats, but at any time throughout the whole 's timeline. Events that simply need you to , however, are exceptionally frustrating. You don't need any sort of skill to do so, just a habit that the game wants to enforce. The worst of them all are punishments for not logging in, such as losing progress towards a reward or loss of progress (such as crops dying in FarmVille). Nothing makes me lose interest faster than a game that mandates my fu

Despite not seeming to have launched as a smash hit, Star Wars Outlaws has surprisingly been named as the third best-selling game of August. Honestly, I didn't end up picking this one up. Even though I do enjoy the Star Wars franchise, I wouldn't say I absolutely love it, so I wasn't really inclined to pick up yet another open-world adventure RPG. Though the setting and graphics seemed pretty good, I really don't have a lot of time or bandwidth to get into multiple, long games with extensive exploration and questing. That said, I'm wondering if maybe the game is worth picking up after all, especially considering how well it performed.

It was recently announced that the Weinstein Company has finally released its grip on the 1999 comedy film, Dogma. It's been quite a while since the Kevin Smith movie has been in the limelight, and the new owners of the rights have apparently approached him about a re-release, intended for 2026. I am personally so excited to see this movie back in the mainstream, and can't wait to revisit classic Y2K humor. We also haven't had a Jay and Silent Bob-focused film since the reboot in 2019, and the newer ones just don't quite have the same humor and charm as the originals. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the official re-release date.

It was announced in January 2024 that Jennifer Coolidge has been cast in the A Minecraft Movie, but in what role? Even though we're now starting to see promotional materials and trailers (of, granted, controversial quality), we have yet to see anything that includes Coolidge or her potential role. Though there are still other NPC characters she could possibly play, I personally think that she is likely to play the role of a mother. Similar to how The Lego Movie stepped out of the Lego world into the real life situation behind it, I feel like it's very possible that the Minecraft movie could be similar. There could be a fourth wall break of sorts where a concerned mother talks to her child, potentially one of the main protagonists, about how worries she is because of how long they're playing Minecraft. Hopefully, we will learn more soon, but I feel a parent is one of the more fitting roles from the ones I can think of.

When I was a pre-teen, I absolutely loved Freaky Friday. Not only does Tess, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, remind me a lot of my mother, but the general relationship between the two felt very relatable to me. The misunderstood, rebel teen, Anna, with the strict, put-together mom was a family dynamic I was quite familiar with! Though we don't know too much yet, I am really excited about the sequel, Freakier Friday, to see what new dynamic they show. Personally, I'm hoping that Anna is now a serious, business-oriented young woman who is constantly planning and worrying about adult struggles. Tess, now retired, could instead be the relaxed, blasé one who doesn't understand the stress Anna is under anymore. Whichever direction they go, I'm still looking forward to giving it a watch.

The concept of "development hell" is unfortunately not new in the gaming industry, and Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is one of the more recent examples of how trapped games can become. With the original game releasing in 2004, it's now been twenty years since it's release, with sequels being discussed as early as that same year. To summarize (as best as possible), White Wolf was purchased by Paradox in 2015, and discussions of a sequel began. It was eventually pitched in early 2019 for a March 2020 release, then in October 2019, was pushed back to an unclear 2020 release date. In August 2020, it was delayed again to an unspecified 2021 date. In February 2021, it was announced that the developers were changing, and that the game would be released sometime after 2021. Finally, last September, we officially received notification from the new developers that the game was being released in late 2024. However, as of August, we've just been notified it's now going to be 2025. As much

Beware of spoilers ahead! With the new Until Dawn Remake release, many returning players are getting to enjoy the game a second time (albeit with only moderately improved graphics; the original was gorgeous), and new players hopping in for the first time. Like most Supermassive games, decisions play heavily on the outcome of the game, with essentially every character at risk of dying at different stages. Some deaths in particular are quite harrowing. For me, the one that scared me the most was Ashley's death in the mines. While escaping the lodge, Ash hears the voice of Jessica calling for help from another tunnel. We just saw that Jessica was still alive, so many players quickly want to rescue her, as her attack is what kicked off the whole story. However, if you lead Ashley down the tunnel, there is a latched trap door. If you decide to commit to opening the door, despite several moments where you can turn back, the Wendigo will jump out of the open hatch and decapitate her. This dea

Occasionally, I'll pick up a video game and be absolutely enraptured at the start. Delving head-first into the plot, I can spend hours upon hours playing constantly. However, these games can sometimes end up fizzling out. Whether it's due to a change in the story or just an eventual drain from repetition, it's always extremely disappointing when you realize your interest is waning. For me, this happened with Dragon's Dogma 2. I absolutely adored the game at first, especially the uniqueness of the pawn system. I'd spend so much time choosing and adventuring with my pawns, exploring the world, and finding secrets or treasures. Eventually, the main and side quests start to branch out even further, and travel begins to become a chore. Though the world is relatively full of at least minor encounters, like goblins or wolves, these eventually become trivial and tedious, doing nothing more than slow you down. I would long for a Griffin or Drake to give me a challenge, but after several more ho

Wendy's has finally released the Krabby Patty meal as part of its collaboration with Paramount for the 25th anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants. I decided today to give it a try, and I'm pretty happy with the result! I got the full combo, which was the Krabby Patty, fries, and a Pineapple Under the Sea Frosty. I was quite disappointed that the burger did not come with sesame seeds like the original Krabby Patty does, but overall, it was a decent burger. My local store prepared it well with fresh ingredients, and the sauce was very good, though really just your classic burger sauce. Probably a combination of mayo, ketchup, mustard, etc. The fries were normal fries, but the Frosty is really what stood apart for me. The Frosty is just a regular vanilla frosty, but with a purée of pineapple and mango added in. It was delicious. Not too sweet or fruity, nor too tart; it was just right and surprisingly refreshing. It may not be for everyone, but the fruit flavor really surprised me with how

While there are no doubt some similarities between Greta Gerwig's Barbie and Disney's Enchanted, I don't feel like they were overly similar. While the general "teleported from a fantasy world to the real world" plot was similar, I feel the actual stories of the two films teach different (but thoughtful) lessons. For example, Enchanted follows the classic Disney princess formula of the princess finding her true love. However, the story twists on its head by swapping partners, sending real-world Nancy to Andalasia with Prince Edward, and leaving Giselle in the real world with Robert. The story, though, does push thee idea of being yourself, even if others might not understand. Kindness and love can be strengths, and you shouldn't be afraid to be you. Barbie similarly has an empowering message, but focuses a bit harder on not striving only for perfection. It also teaches that everyone has different experiences, and it's important to do our best to understand where others are coming from.

It's been over ten years since Cloverfield was released in theaters. With a unique found footage style, this monster film was considerably different from other classic Kaiju movies, like Legendary's Godzilla, but uniquely keeps the monster mostly hidden for the duration of the movie. Unfortunately, we've yet to see a true sequel to this story, but I would be very excited to see a continuation of this type of monster film. Seeing devastation from the point of view of a regular citizen is a vastly different take than the action-packed sequences of most movies of the genre. Hopefully, one day, we'll get to see more from this sci-fi universe.

There's no doubt that video games can indicate pivotal moments in our lives, whether they bring nostalgia for a particular time or were the catalyst of a major change. For better or worse, these games can be a huge influence on us. For me, I am where I am today because of Left 4 Dead 2. To keep things brief, I was first introduced to the game in 2008 on the XBox 360. However, I only had a laptop, so I picked it up as my first ever Steam game and FPS PC game. Through multiplayer, I managed to meet a new set of friends who lasted through my college years, then made a recommendation for my first real job. At my job, I met a coworker who offered for me to their Dungeons & Dragons group, as I'd never had the opportunity to play. I ed the group where I met my now-husband, and we're happily married and still play D&D weekly.

While I'm never one to knock the talents of Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, I personally feel like Joker: Folie à Deux was not needed. I'm still somewhat interested in learning more about where they took the story, but the plot of Joker was self-contained and wrapped up nicely. Arthur Fleck, Phoenix's character, obsesses over the talk show host, Murray Franklin, to an unhealthy degree. His obsession continues to peak as he becomes more separated from reality. Ultimately, his breaking point is the climactic finale of the movie, and provides closure with a clear indication that his psychosis is not resolved. Additionally, though I do tend to love musicals, adding a musical theme to Folie à Deux feels disted from the original, especially considering it is a jukebox musical without original numbers. It seems the reviews confirm the lack of value added by this sequel.