The Panther Post features work submitted by our talented students who have a love for the arts and writing! This month, we asked our students to tell us about the summer movies they saw in theaters, and we received some great reviews!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead

Ant-Man

 2015 | Science Fiction film/Thriller | 1h 57m

It was an extraordinary movie because there was a lot of intense action. My favorite part of the amazing movie was when he was willing to die for his daughters. He was willing to give up everything so that the yellow jacket (villain) would not hurt his little girl. At the ending of the movie there was a short film that showed you a little of the next movie when the girl (other main character) becomes the wasp (another hero).

– Rachael Moore, grade 10

Jurassic World

  2015 | Science Fiction film/Thriller | 2h 5m

“And remember if something chases you, run.” Jokingly says the mother of Zach and Gray just before they are sent to visit their aunt who is the operations manager of a secluded theme park on the fictional island of Isla Nublar in Universal Studio’s Jurassic World. This much anticipated addition to the classic Steven Spielberg Jurassic Park movie series was electrifying, heart pumping, and had me sitting off on the edge of my seat throughout the whole movie. Taking place about 22 years after the events of the second Jurassic Park movie, Jurassic world brought a whole new storyline, along with the infamous dinosaurs to the screen in this must see blockbuster. Centering around brothers Zach and Gray as they visit their workaholic aunt Claire who plays a big role in the management of the theme park Jurassic World whose main attraction is interaction with dinosaurs. Early on in the movie it becomes clear that Claire’s main focus is around the soon to be newest addition to the park, a genetically modified super dinosaur rather then her nephews. When this dangerously vicious dinosaur escapes and starts to roam the island praying on anything that moves the lives of thousands are at stake. When a dream vacation turns into a nightmare Owen, one of the parks dinosaur trainers provides some leadership in the takedown of the dinosaur.

This movie has an eerie undertone that keeps you in suspense until the very end making it quite frightening. The visual effects are excellent and realistically show some gruesome attacks that are hard for some to watch. The script was in my opinion done perfectly, having some comic relief thrown in there to ease the mood. Overall I believe the movie is worth taking the time to watch especially if you are in the mood for an action packed, sensational, knock your socks off experience.

– Lisette Duarte, grade 10

Inside Out

  2015 | Fantasy/Drama film | 1h 42m

To start off, the movie I went to see was “Inside Out” from Pixar. This movie was creative, funny, sad, and personally eye opening to life. This movie is about an 11-year old girl named Riley. In her head and everyone’s head are little emotions (people) talking and controlling them. These emotions are Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear. Throughout Riley’s life, like anyone else’s, we create memories. These memories are withheld in spheres. Since we have so many memories these spheres need a place to stay. That place is called “Long Term Memory”. Just imagine a huge maze created by bookshelves, and in these shelves are where they place the memories. From all our memories we have special memories called “Core Memories”. Core Memories are the most important memories we have. For example, the first time riding a bike, or graduating from high school.

In the movie Riley and her family moved from Minnesota to San Francisco and Riley was depressed because she was leaving her friends. When Riley gets to San Francisco she begins to feel sad becuase she feels left out in school but tries to remain positive. In her head we see Sadness having the urge to touch Riley’s memories, and this makes Riley sad. Joy however tries so hard to keep Riley happy. Later in the movie, we see Sadness get clumsy around the Core Memories which makes them fall and get vacuumed up through a tube along with Joy and herself (Sadness is a girl). Those Core Memories defines a person. Joy, and Sadness must find a way to get Riley’s Core Memories back in place or she will just feel lost. Which is really what she is feeling.

Trying to find a way through the memory maze to get back to the headquarters (Where the Core Memories Belong), Joy and Sadness stumble upon “Bing Bong”, Riley’s Imaginary Friend. Bing Bong helps Joy and Sadness so that Joy can help Riley remember him. Through Joy and Sadness’s adventure, Riley becomes more and more lost that the path to get to headquarters becomes more difficult. Through this path is an deep abyss where information gets lost forever. Unfortunately, Joy and Bing Bong fall into the abyss. During Riley’s toddler stage she and Bing Bong created an imaginary wagon that flies when you sing a special song. She and Bing Bong always flew it to the moon, so keep that in mind. The good news is that the wagon also fell into the abyss. So, Joy and Bing Bong got in the wagon and sang so loud to get out of the abyss. After so many tries and failing Joy felt helpless. After their last try Bing Bong tells Joy to sing even louder. Once they are half way up, Bing Bong decides that the only way for Joy to make it out was for him to get left behind. Midway through the air Bing Bong jumps off the wagon and falls back into the abyss. Joy does make it out but notices Bing Bong is not with her. At this moment the theater goes silent and everyone’s eyes are filled with tears. Those tears came rolling down once Bing Bong told Joy “Take her to the moon for me” referring to Riley. Everyone’s heart broke because at the same time he was fading away, and after he said that to Joy he disappeared forever.

Joy gets back to Sadness and they end up making it back to headquarters. During the end of the movie Riley felt even more sad that she planned to run away. She was already on a bus back to Minnesota, and when Joy and Sadness come back to headquarters, Riley changes her mind and goes back home. At this point, Joy realizes that keeping Riley’s sadness all bottled up made it even worse. She realizes that Sadness is very important to getting Riley happy again. Finally when Riley gets home to her parents, Joy lets Sadness take control and Riley just falls apart crying. In the end Riley is happy again with the love and support from her parents, a hockey team and friends.

This movie to me was just so eye-opening because people do need to release all of their sadness. Not so long ago my dad was really really sad. He told me that he just wanted to cry. After he did, he told me that he felt so much better. He just felt 10 times lighter. Regarding to Bing Bong, we have to remember that he is an imaginary friend. As kids get older they just forget about their imaginary friends or if they ever had one and it’s really sad. This movie to me is so perfect, fresh and new compared to the typical Pixar movies. Finally, to end on a good note here is a life lesson; Always find a way to express your emotions and just live life happy.

– Diana Hernandez, grade 12