UPDATE: May 30, 1:21 a.m.

A second update from Illini-Alert notified subscribers that police were on scene and investigating the incident. Individuals were again advised to avoid the area.

UPDATE: May 30, 1:36 a.m.

A third Illini-Alert notified subscribers of police having searched the scene, and the authorities believe the suspects involved in the incident have left the area. According to the update, it is safe to resume normal activities.

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

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It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years since the release of “Avengers: Endgame” and whether it was all of the toys on store shelves, countless TV spots or endless theories on what would happen in the film, it’s hard to deny that Marvel fever was everywhere leading up to the release of “Endgame.”

In case you’ve lived under a rock for the past 16 years, the release of “Iron Man” in 2008 marked the start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, otherwise known as the MCU.

Since then, the MCU has come out with 33 films and 10 TV shows — not including all of the shows released by Netflix and ABC — and currently has over 15 projects on the way.

There’s a good chance we’ll never get anything like it again, even with the MCU’s current buildup to their next big finale.

Up until the release of “Endgame,” the MCU had introduced over 30 heroes ranging from more popular ones such as Iron Man and Captain America to lesser-known characters turned memorable such as the Guardians of the Galaxy.

As the big finale to 11 years of content known as “The Infinity Saga,” “Avengers: Endgame” was the culmination of many storylines, and laid a path for future entries to follow.

Picking up after the events of “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame” begins with a scene with Hawkeye’s family. Everything seems normal for the Bartons — until they all disappear — seemingly as a result of Thanos’ snap, or as it’s known in the film, the Blip.

What makes this cold open extremely successful is that it not only establishes the current state of the MCU’s story arc of loss but immediately raises tensions as you realize that every person on screen is going to have something to fight for.

As the film progresses, jaws continue to drop as more plot points begin to develop, including revisiting the past to recollect the infinity stones to bring back everyone who got “blipped.”

The dream fight sequence of so many fans finally came to fruition with the final fight of the film, which saw almost all of the series’ heroes fight alongside one another to defeat Thanos and his army, the Black Order.

At the climax of the fight, everything seemed over for fans when Thanos got a hold of the Nano Gauntlet holding all of the stones and snapped his fingers, only for him to realize that Iron Man had taken the stone moments before.

Tears began to shed as audiences realized that Tony Stark was about to make the ultimate sacrifice, and Tony would do so with the same exact words he said at the end of his first film, “I am Iron Man.”

Once the film ended its theatrical run, “Avengers: Endgame” would see a box office total of $2.799 billion, leading it to be the highest-grossing film of all time, until 2009’s “Avatar” dethroned the film upon its re-release in Chinese theaters.

After the harrowing finale of the film, only one question remained for fans of the MCU, “What’s next?”

The answer to that query came in the form of the last film in phase three of the MCU, which began with 2019’s “Spider-Man: Far From Home” released a mere two months after “Endgame.”

Although “Far From Home” was generally well-received by critics, fans brought up several flaws with the film which include how the grandiose scale of the film didn’t make Spider-Man feel as grounded as the character should be considering how the web-slinger is supposed to be New York’s “friendly neighborhood” Spider-Man.

However, the biggest issue brought up with the film, and Spider-Man as a whole, is how much it relied on Iron Man’s death as a plot device. This didn’t let Spider-Man shine as his own character — rather, he felt stuck in the shadows of Iron Man and his legacy.

Unfortunately, this is a problem that would stick around with the MCU as more often than not, various projects such as “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” and “Hawkeye” would see themselves holding on too much to the past and what once was, instead of developing the newer characters and their stories.

Additionally, the introduction of the next overarching saga, “The Multiverse Saga” seemed to have been fairly planned out; that is until Marvel caused some burnout among fans after it released what some said was an overabundance of content. 

In both 2021 and 2022, Marvel would release nine MCU projects which led to a total of almost 56 hours worth of content between both years.

This wouldn’t be that bad if the content being put out was of the highest quality, or at the very least what fans were already used to, but unfortunately, many corners were seemingly cut to put out as much content as possible.

The MCU has since taken a step back with its output, as Disney CEO Bob Iger has mentioned wanting to focus on quality over quantity.

In an earnings call leading up to the release of last year’s “The Marvels,” Iger stated, “I’ve always felt that quantity can be actually a negative when it comes to quality, and I think that’s exactly what happened.” 

So far in 2024, the MCU has seen one TV show released in the form of “Echo” and only has one movie planned, which is Shawn Levy’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

Only time can tell if this will be a new age for the MCU, but it will be hard to stack up against the solid legacy “Avengers: Endgame” left behind in terms of both cultural status and acclaim.

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

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Rating 9.5/10

Following the shocking ending of its first season, Amazon Prime’s adaptation of “Invincible” finally returned after almost three years of waiting.

The show adapts the comic book series of the same name originally released in 2003 by Image Comics. This second season picks up soon after the ending of the first, which saw Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons) leave the planet and his son Mark, also known as Invincible (Steven Yeun), after not being able to conquer Earth for the empire of his home planet, Viltrum.

Season two of “Invincible” finds Mark dealing with what his father has done while balancing his life as a superhero and his grounded relationships with his girlfriend, family and college.

What stands out with this season’s storyline is how it manages to be grounded in some bases of reality while still showing a plethora of universes and dimensions full of life.

Although it’s highly unlikely that any student could relate to Mark’s superhero struggles, they might see themselves in the same situation that Mark is in with college and his girlfriend and how occasionally he simply cannot dedicate enough time to either factor, thus making him feel bad for not being able to be there enough.

This relatability to the characters allows “Invincible” to stand out among a sea of other superhero content.

However, one of the biggest highlights of the show is, without a doubt, how visceral it can be with its content. Not only does this help keep the story engaging, but it keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, all while maintaining the consistency of great storytelling.

For anyone unfamiliar with “Invincible,” the series is known for its occasionally gruesome moments, regardless if it’s toward the most random background characters or the more mainline characters such as Invincible and his allies or adversaries.

Multiverses are also a huge aspect of this season of “Invincible,” creating not only variety in the characters we meet but also setting up the story beats of the possible third season.

The voice acting in “Invincible” not only reinforces the show’s strong repertoire but gives the show an immediate status of incredible craftsmanship due to the truly remarkable performances from the show’s actors.

Without a doubt, Yeun shines the brightest amongst the show’s stars as he plays the role of Mark in the most realistic way possible — despite the show being animated.

When the scene requires Mark to be sad, Yeun pulls at the viewer’s heartstrings, and if Mark needs to be angry, Yeun will erupt in a blaze of fury.

As impressive as much of the work that went into “Invincible” is, slight controversy plagued the show surrounding its release schedule.

Whereas all of the episodes in season one were released across the span of eight weeks back in 2021, half of season two’s episodes were released over four weeks in November of 2023.

In an interview with Collider, series creator Robert Kirkman said, “It was something that was somewhat of a practical thing because it was taking so long to get the show done” regarding the series’ schedule.

Not only did this decision leave fans perplexed about why there was a long break from the show, but it ultimately caused a rift between fans and general audiences that seemingly lowered the hype for the return of the series.

By the time the series ended, there seemed to be a severe lack of buzz around the show and its finale, despite it adapting one of the most memorable panels from the comic book series.

With season two of “Invincible” now over, fans are speculating that season three, which is greenlit, will hopefully be released sometime next year.

However, in the meantime, “Invincible” fans will be more than entertained and pleased with what Amazon Prime’s series has pulled off and achieved thus far. 

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

The post Review | ‘Invincible’ returns with a powerful second season appeared first on The Daily Illini.

Classic American rock band Kansas played at the Virginia Theatre on Friday for their 50th-anniversary tour titled “Another Fork in the Road.”

Throughout their two-hour show, Kansas played a total of 20 songs from their discography, ranging from their 1974 self-titled album to their most recent studio album from 2020, “The Absence of Presence.”

The setlist included fan favorites and all of the classics, allowing the band to shine on stage as they jammed along with one another.

Additionally, the tone of the setlist was equally balanced between highly energetic rock melodies and the band’s more acoustic and melodic songs.

John Pratt, a Kansas fan in attendance, shared his opinion on the set.

“Fantastic. There’s something about a classic 70s band at the Virginia Theatre,” Pratt said. “This is the third one I’ve seen in the last two years and it’s just wonderful.”

Kansas currently consists of six members, including Billy Greer on bass and vocals, Tom Brislin on keyboard, Ronnie Platt on vocals and keyboard, Joe Deninzon on the violin and guitar, Richard Williams on guitar and Phil Ehart on percussion. 

After Ehart survived a major heart attack, the band announced that he would be taking a break from performing and drum tech Eric Holmquist would be taking his spot on the tour.

Ehart, a founding member of Kansas who is still heavily involved with the band on their tour, has been acting as the band’s manager for the past 40 years. Despite Ehart and Kansas’ long and taxing history, the band was still successful in lighting up the stage Friday.

“These guys still know how to rock,” Teresa Blazaitis, an attendee of the concert, said.

Kansas’s setlist included “A Glimpse of Home” and “The Pinnacle,” two songs that have rarely been played in the past 40 years, the band announced on stage. 

Kansas ended their show around 9:30 p.m. without playing one of their most popular songs, “Carry on Wayward Son.” The band swiftly dismissed concerns of skipping the tune by coming back out for an encore to play it.

Throughout the show, the band received multiple standing ovations for their songs, including “Song for America,” “Dust in the Wind” and “Carry on Wayward Son,” which had the majority of the audience on their feet and singing along.

Time may be moving forward, but Kansas isn’t about to let that change them or their music. At the end of the show, Platt made sure to thank the audience for coming out and assured them that they’d keep on going with their performances, no matter what.

“You can just look at the crowd, everyone from young to old is still here,” David Fendley, another audience member, said. “It brings a whole mixed group of people together and as they said, they’re still going.”

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

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O.J. Simpson, former football running back and actor accused of murdering his wife, died at the age of 76.

According to a post on X by Simpson’s family, “On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.”

Simpson began his NFL career in 1969 when he played for the Buffalo Bills. Throughout his time playing for the Bills, Simpson made five first-team All-Pro squads, six Pro Bowls and was named NFL MVP in 1973. 

Simpson played for the Bills for a total of nine years before leaving to play for the San Francisco 49ers. In 1985, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In one of the biggest trials of the 20th century, Simpson was acquitted of stabbing and killing his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

Despite being found not guilty of the murders, Simpson was later found liable in a civil suit brought on by the victims’ families.

Thirteen years after this case, Simpson went to trial again for robbing two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint with five other men.

Because of this, Simpson was convicted of 12 counts of armed robbery and kidnapping, ending up with a sentence of 33 years in prison. Simpson was released on parole in October 2017 and was later discharged from parole in 2021.

Simpson first shared that he was dealing with cancer in May 2023 via a post on X. 

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

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Rating: 5/10

“Immaculate” is the newest horror film produced by independent film company NEON and directed by Michael Mohan.

The movie opens with a strong cold open that effectively sets up the film’s threat while engaging viewers for what appears to be a thrilling ride.

However, the film takes a major pause over the next hour as we follow Sister Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney), who moves to a convent in Italy following an incident that she sees as God saving her and a call to serve the church. She soon learns the convent has more nefarious activities underneath the religious facade.

Without going into spoilers, there is both a plot twist and development that reinvigorates the movie’s story and pacing.

With this development, the movie seemingly slips in a message about abortion out of nowhere. While this point could be important to bring up in modern times, it feels a little forced and unplanned on behalf of the movie’s writers.

Between the setup of both the setting and the story, “Immaculate” slowly burns its way to its more tense and upbeat moments. 

However, by the time the film regains traction around the end of the second act, most of the movie’s runtime had already passed.

The movie does not know when to pick up the pace surrounding its storytelling, leaving you wondering if the means justify the ends. 

The lack of real scares doesn’t help the film, since most of the horrifying moments mainly come from shock value and generic jumpscares.

If you’ve seen any horror film that takes place in a church or has religion-heavy themes such as “The Pope’s Exorcist,” “Prey for the Devil” or just about any movie with the word “exorcism” in its title, then you’ve already seen a lot of what “Immaculate” has to offer.

Despite these issues, there is one light at the end of the tunnel. The movie’s practical effects are not only well-made but are sure to make some horror newcomers a little squeamish.

Questionable lighting also plagues much of the movie, since most scenes that occur in the dark are extremely hard to see. It’s important to mention that this could have resulted from the movie theater that screened the movie, so your viewing experience may vary.

The setting of “Immaculate” is also a huge factor in the movie’s feel; in that department, the movie succeeds at establishing a convent that exudes beauty despite housing terrible secrets.

“Immaculate” brings a lot of fresh ideas to the table, along with some beautiful visuals and set design. But it doesn’t do much to keep its audiences engaged.

Sure, the last 20 minutes of the film slightly make up for the majority of the film, but does that make the movie any better than the rest of the church-themed schlock?

Spoiler alert — it doesn’t.

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

The post Review | Not so ‘Immaculate’ after all appeared first on The Daily Illini.

Rating: 5/10

“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” is the newest film in the long-running “Ghostbusters” franchise, directed by Gil Kenan, following 2021’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.”

The film follows the new Ghostbusters, who are now located in New York, taking care of the paranormal activities plaguing the city. 

A new threat begins to loom around in the form of Garraka, a spirit hellbent on taking over the human dimension with the power to control ghosts and lower the temperature to absolute zero.

The film is very much targeted towards fans of the series, as much of the film’s backbone relies on the power of nostalgia brought on by almost 40 years of support.

However, there’s one issue with how “Frozen Empire” tackles the idea of nostalgia: At what point does nostalgia become too much?

Sure, it’s nice to see the original Ghostbusters return for another fight against evil spirits, but the main point of this new series — to pass the torch to the new crew — seems to have been somewhat lost.

Both Finn Wolfhard and Celeste O’Connor’s characters have minimal screen time even though they were major characters in the previous installment.

The performances in the film are nothing to write home about, however, it’s important to note Paul Rudd’s performance as Gary Grooberson. Rudd exudes a fun energy unmatched by any other actor in the film, as he truly makes the most out of the script he was given.

For what it’s worth, the film has its fun moments and keeps the audience entertained enough, but the actual progression of the story completely drags down the pace of the movie.

The movie spends too much time on the wacky shenanigans that each member of the crew goes through, leaving one question to plague the viewer — where’s the plot?

Similar to “Ghostbusters II” (1989), the biggest issue plaguing this film is the lack of any real or severe threat.

In that film, most of the main threat comes from an evil ooze fueled by the anger of the citizens of New York. There’s a slight enemy presence every now and then, but for the most part, Garraka is not present until the final moments of the film. 

Unlike the original “Ghostbusters” from 1984, the film simply relies on moving everyday items and the ghosts from past films, causing the movie to experience a severe lack of originality in a world where the impossible is possible.

“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” is by no means a bad movie, but by the time the credits roll, what’s left is not so much a “Frozen Empire” but more of a “Clammy Inconvenience,” leaving viewers wishing they were watching a better film.

The movie ultimately suffers from not knowing how to balance its stories. As a result, it simply banks off both the recognizability of the franchise and fans who hoped this would swing the Ghostbusters into the status they had 40 years ago.

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

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Rating: 6/10

“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” is the newest entry in Warner Bros.’ and Legendary’s “Monsterverse” franchise and a direct sequel to 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong” directed by Adam Wingard.

Unlike some of the Japanese-produced entries of the “Godzilla” franchise by Toho, the “Monsterverse” franchise takes itself much less seriously, aiming simply to entertain the audience. 

The film oversees three major storylines — Kong finding his home, Godzilla absorbing power to fight an imminent threat and the human characters going into the hollow earth to investigate an apparent distress call.

These storylines fight over the spotlight over the first hour of the film, which causes the movie to feel extremely cluttered as it tries to piece everything together in the second half. 

What this movie does better than “Godzilla vs. Kong” is it takes itself less seriously and embraces the sillier side of both characters.

The greatest thing that “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” has going for it is that it’s reminiscent of the clumsier moments of Godzilla’s Shōwa era, such as “Godzilla vs Megalon,” “Invasion of Astro Monster” and, of course, “King Kong vs. Godzilla.”

This might sound like a hindrance for the film, but in the case of this movie, it acts as more of a benefit, as the overall premise boils down to a giant lizard and monkey banding together to fight another giant lizard and monkey.

“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” also benefits from the fact that it spends more time on the monsters instead of trying to force the humans’ story into the plot — at least for the most part.

While the human side of the plot is still very contrived and tackled almost out of nowhere, the movie learns to balance the screen time of both the humans and the monsters.

The film is a Kong story at heart, as the majority is spent with Kong finding others like himself. As a result of this, Godzilla feels underutilized, leaving him to appear alongside Kong in the final act of the film.

The severe lack of Godzilla almost makes you feel cheated on. In an interview with Empire, Wingard stated “The buddy-cop dysfunctional relationship dynamic is probably the best one to describe Godzilla and Kong.”

It’s a shame there wasn’t much interaction between the two monsters, as the film is at its best when the duo finally team up to stop the villains of the film, Skar King and Shimo.

The addition of the two adds a nice variety in villains, seeing as they are almost reflections of both Kong and Godzilla respectively. Skar King aims to control the surface land to gain power, while Shimo is forced to use her ice power for Skar King’s benefit.

Following the braindead dialogue in “Godzilla vs. Kong,” it could be argued that expectations were low for the quality of lines the humans would have in this film. However, the movie surpasses all of these expectations, even if it’s by a slight margin.

The dialogue between all of the human characters still has a level of cheesiness that can make the movie a struggle to listen to. However, since the tone of the film is far lighter than previous entries, the dialogue fits in.

This is mainly apparent with the character of Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry), whose quirky and eccentric nature from “Godzilla vs. Kong” gets dialed up to a whole new level, causing him to be a little annoying for many of the scenes he’s in.

Henry definitely sells the role, but the film’s writing makes him suffer from a lack of personality as he’s stuck as mainly being the “comic relief” character.

“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” doesn’t break new ground in sci-fi kaiju films, but it adopts most of the charm and characteristics that older entries of both the “Godzilla” and “King Kong” franchises are occasionally known for.

However, the questionable story setup and laughably cheesy dialogue make this movie a struggle at times to sit through. When looking past these setbacks, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” is an entertaining blockbuster flick where you can just turn your brain off and have fun.

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

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Rating: 9/10

Four years after the release of its predecessor, Square Enix’s “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth” for the PlayStation 5 is finally out. The game improved upon many of the flaws of “Final Fantasy VII Remake” presented.

The game is the second installment in a planned trilogy remaking the 1997 title “Final Fantasy VII” released for PlayStation.

It follows Cloud Strife and his crew, who after leaving the city of Midgar behind must go on a quest to find and kill Sephiroth, a rogue soldier who wants to claim the planet as his own.

While the first game followed more of a linear setup with missions following a guided path for the story and side missions, this title adopts a more open-world approach that allows the player to not only deeply explore the world around them but also lets them complete missions at their own pace.

The open world is massive and full of things to explore including minigames, side missions and character interactions that expand the lore of the world around Strife and his party.

The game makes way for “relationships,” a way to connect more with the other characters, which increases both your interactions with each other and options for combat.

The combat in the game is also more refined and feels as satisfying as ever with the addition of Synergy Abilities. These abilities depend on your selected party as well as the status of your relationship with that character.

All of these different additions and means to explore your path help add to the game’s idea of changing a future that already seems set.

Still, there is one apparent issue with the game: Its missions occasionally feel like bloated time fillers. 

Although these specific missions were in the original game and helped to expand the world, they sometimes go on for too long, leaving players to just play along before the next major story development comes around.

If there’s one thing that “Final Fantasy VII” and the franchise as a whole are known for, it would be its incredible selection of music, and “Rebirth” is no exception.

Composers Mitsuto Suzuki and Masashi Hamauzu perfectly encapsulate both the whimsical nature of the game and the serious undertones that often arise in the game’s story.

When riding through the open world on a chocobo, it’s hard to imagine what the game would be like without hearing the music around you.

“Final Fantasy VII Rebirth” contains two different graphical modes including “Graphics” mode, which runs at a targeted framerate of 30 fps at a 4K resolution, and “Performance” mode, which runs at 60 fps at a 1080p or 1440p resolution, depending on the monitor. 

Graphics mode is the recommended way to play, due to the fact that the framerate is extremely stable, with it only going under the 30 fps goal in very specific situations.

Additionally, the 4K resolution makes everything pop out and look incredible when seeing large landscapes and focusing on minute details.

On the other hand, running the game in performance mode proved to be a mixed experience, mainly because of the dynamic resolution resulting in an image that looks fuzzy and unpolished. 

Although the game feels the smoothest in performance mode, the fuzziness of textures is extremely noticeable, especially when taking a moment to gaze upon the game’s landscapes and character models.

“Final Fantasy VII Rebirth” is an incredible experience that cannot be recommended enough for both fans of the series and newcomers. 

Only time will tell when the next entry in the series will be released, but for now, this “reunion” is more than great. 

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

The post Review | ‘Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth’ breaks all of its limits appeared first on The Daily Illini.

Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan and his wife, film producer Emma Thomas, are to receive a knighthood and damehood.

According to the BBC, Nolan and Thomas are being honored for their services to film.

Nolan recently won his first Oscar for directing “Oppenheimer,” which Thomas also produced.

The film won a total of seven Oscars, which included Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Cinematography.

The couple met at University College London as students and married in 1997. They currently live in Los Angeles and have four children.

Since then, the two have co-founded the film production company Syncopy and worked together on films directed by Nolan such as “Tenet,” “Interstellar” and the “Dark Knight” trilogy.

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

The post ‘Oppenheimer’ director Christopher Nolan to receive knighthood appeared first on The Daily Illini.

There’s something special that Maize Mexican Grill excels at — authenticity.

Everything served at Maize Mexican Grill is prepared and served the way they are standardly made, and that’s something not done by various “Mexican” restaurants. 

Maize Mexican Grill doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel — it instead provides visitors with meals prepared extraordinarily well in the way they would normally have been served. Because of that, the food comes out tasting incredible.

The restaurant also has several customizable options, including vegetarian alternatives which allow anyone to enjoy their meal the way they want it.

Maize Mexican Grill is located on the corner of First and Green streets and has remained a staple on campus since it opened in 2011. The interior of the restaurant has a homey feel that makes any visitors feel welcome.

If you haven’t tried Maize Mexican Grill, give it a shot, and see that it’s the winner of Best Mexican Food for a reason!

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

The post Best of CU | Best Mexican Food: Maize Mexican Grill appeared first on The Daily Illini.

“We make movies better” is AMC Theatres’ tagline, and the AMC Champaign 13 is a great example of this, as it’s this year’s winner for Best Off-Campus Entertainment.

With its frequently changing selection of films available in all formats, there is always something new for students and community members alike to watch and dive into. 

Additionally, AMC’s “Discount Tuesdays” make way for a cheap and easy way to watch the newest releases for a lower price. 

The price deals don’t end there. If you attend a showing during matinee times, you get 20% off the standard price!

The theater’s BigD format is also perfect for large-scale movies, as it has a significantly bigger screen and enough seats to house a crowd of moviegoers.

For any 21-plus guests, you can also indulge in the theater’s own MacGuffins Bar, which offers wine and beer as well as themed cocktails based on the newest movie releases.

Movies bring people together, and the AMC Champaign 13 is the best place to do so when it comes to all off-campus entertainment. Go visit the theater in north Champaign and see any of your favorite latest releases.

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

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Rating: 4.5/10 

“Kung Fu Panda 4,” released on March 8, marks the next movie in the iconic animated film series following 2016’s “Kung Fu Panda 3.” Unfortunately, the film did not keep up with the same level of consistency and quality that the series is known for.

The movie follows Po (Jack Black), who must find a successor for his role as the dragon warrior. However, as a new threat comes around in the form of the Chameleon (Viola Davis), Po must trust a sneaky convict Zhen (Awkwafina) to help take her down. 

The movie has a generic theme of making sure you do things for the right reasons, no matter your background.

On the bright side, the animation is at an all-time high for the series. The new style is still very much similar to that of the first three films but far flashier and more fluid in terms of the movements and expressions of the characters.

Action scenes are one of the main aspects the series is known for, and “Kung Fu Panda 4” continues that tradition and even improves in that aspect.

The animation took inspiration from other recent movies, specifically Sony’s “Spider-Verse” films, as detailed in an interview from Total Film. 

Black is the highlight of the film, as he is a great example of just how memorable a performance can be when an actor gives it their all.

Unfortunately, there is one major issue with “Kung Fu Panda 4”: the lack of subtlety. 

Most kids aren’t clueless when it comes to understanding a movie’s message, especially when it’s a kids’ movie. However, it seems like the screenwriters for this film figured it would be better to throw the message in the viewers’ faces instead of letting them figure it out on their own.

Because of this, whenever the same message of  “do the right thing” gets brought up, the movie feels dumbed down, even for the youngest of audiences.

The jokes are also very dependent on the kind of humor that the viewer finds entertaining, but there seems to be less of a focus on keeping all viewers engaged and more of an aim toward younger audiences with potty humor and food jokes.

This results in a film experience that feels like jingling a set of keys in front of the face of an infant.

The movie also sees issues with its pacing. The film’s first half is rushed, leaving no time for audiences to meet new characters and take in the world around them.

The film is at its very best when it slows down and takes its time to establish new settings. It’s a shame that it doesn’t do this enough and instead focuses on speeding through the story.

Unfortunately, this is mainly seen with the main villain of the film. Davis as the Chameleon does great with the work she is given — however, viewers don’t get nearly as much time as they need to care about her character and be worried about her actions.

“Kung Fu Panda 4” deserved better treatment than it received, which is likely to leave long-time fans of the series disappointed at what eight years of waiting had to offer.

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

The post Review | ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ plays it safe with disappointing sequel  appeared first on The Daily Illini.

Late-night talk show personality Jimmy Kimmel hosted the 96th annual Academy Awards last night live from Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre. 

The evening started off with Kimmel telling jokes, with each being the equivalent of a coin flip as some landed with laughs while others made the audience visibly uncomfortable in their seats.

Kimmel went as far as to joke about “Oppenheimer” actor Robert Downey Jr.’s history with drug use, causing the actor himself to signal to move on.

The night was littered with star-studded performances and appearances, starting with Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell’s “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie,” which was nominated for Best Original Song. 

The emotional performance pulled on some heartstrings, earning a standing ovation from the crowd.

Soon after, actor and professional wrestler John Cena took the crowd by surprise with his presentation for the award for Best Costume Design seemingly in his birthday suit. After reading out the nominees, he magically appeared once again with a long dress.

Ryan Gosling’s highly anticipated performance of “I’m Just Ken” from the “Barbie” soundtrack came to fruition with the best choreography of the night. The performance was bright, colorful and full of life as Gosling paraded his way through the stage and crowd. 

Notable wins included Da’Vine Joy Rudoplh taking home Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in “The Holdovers,” Cillian Murphy’s first-ever Academy Award win with Best Actor for his lead role in “Oppenheimer,” Christopher Nolan’s win for Best Director with “Oppenheimer” and Emma Stone’s win of Best Actress for her portrayal of Bella Baxter in “Poor Things.”

The night made history for Godzilla fans as “Godzilla Minus One” won Best Visual Effects, making it the first Academy Award the franchise received in almost 70 years of its existence.

Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” dominated the night, taking home seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. “Poor Things” followed up with four.

Below is the complete list of this year’s winners.

BEST PICTURE

American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer – WINNER
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

BEST DIRECTOR

Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest
Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer – WINNER
Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Annette Bening, Nyad
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Emma Stone, Poor Things – WINNER

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer – WINNER
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
America Ferrera, Barbie
Jodie Foster, Nyad
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers – WINNER

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer – WINNER
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, Anatomy of a Fall – WINNER
David Hemingson, The Holdovers
Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer, Maestro
Samy Burch, May December
Celine Song, Past Lives

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Cord Jefferson, American Fiction – WINNER
Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Barbie
Tony McNamara, Poor Things
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

Io Capitano
Perfect Days
Society of the Snow
The Teacher’s Lounge
The Zone of Interest – WINNER

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

The Boy and the Heron – WINNER
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Bobi Wine: The People’s President
The Eternal Memory
“Four Daughters”
To Kill a Tiger
20 Days in Mariupol – WINNER

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

El Conde
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer – WINNER
Poor Things

BEST EDITING

Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer – WINNER
Poor Things

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things – WINNER

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP 

Golda
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things – WINNER
Society of the Snow

BEST SOUND

The Creator
Maestro
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest – WINNER

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

The Creator
Godzilla Minus One – WINNER
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things – WINNER

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“What Was I Made For?”, Billie Eilish and Finneas, Barbie – WINNER
“I’m Just Ken,” Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, Barbie
“The Fire Inside,” Diane Warren, Flamin’ Hot
“It Never Went Away,” Jon Batiste, American Symphony
“Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People),” Osage Tribal Singers, “Killers of the Flower Moon”

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

American Fiction
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer – WINNER
Poor Things

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT

The After
Invincible
Knight of Fortune
Red, White and Blue
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar – WINNER

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

Letter to a Pig
Ninety-Five Senses
Our Uniform
Pachyderme
War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko – WINNER

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

The ABCs of Book Banning
The Barber of Little Rock
Island in Between
The Last Repair Shop – WINNER
Nai Nai & Wai Po

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

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Rating: 9/10

What is hope? Is it a beacon of light for those who are lost or a false belief for those who cannot accept the truth? That is the question that “Dune: Part Two” and its characters seemingly try to answer.

“Dune: Part Two” is the sequel to 2021’s “Dune,” directed by Denis Villeneuve, and continues the film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” book series, which started in 1965.

Without going into specifics, the film follows Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he learns the ways of the Fremen people to free them by taking revenge on the Harkonnens. 

Additionally, Paul sees a future that is full of destruction and despair, leaving him to take on the mantle of a prophecy he may not even believe in to stop it.

The movie has a slight theme of religion and provides perspective on the beliefs that come with following a fulfillment of prophecy. We see the majority of characters fall on one of two sides of a coin, with one side fully believing the prophecy to its fullest extent and the other side seeing the prophecy as a means to enslave their people.

Hope is a double-edged sword in “Dune: Part Two,” as many characters find themselves clinging to hope as a way to guide them in a time when they may need it. However, when that hope is cut short, or doesn’t meet expectations, anger and sadness are the only remaining factors.

One of the highlights of the film is the talented — and large — cast of actors, which includes Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya and Rebbeca Ferguson. 

Each of these actors not only fully understands and respects the characters they play, but portrays them with a level of complexity that feels as if they were ripped directly from the books.

Another great aspect of “Dune: Part Two” is its catalog of villains and the conflicts they bring forth for Paul and the Fremen. 

These conflicts add a great amount of tension and suspense, which make the movie’s villains more compelling as well as threatening.

Throughout the two-hour-and-46-minute runtime, the movie would have benefited from more time with its villains and the world they came from, as the film shines the most when it shows off the lives of not only Paul and the other protagonists but the lives of those going against him.

More action sequences were also included in this sequel, which was not only entertaining and engaging but also demonstrated the amazing choreography in each sequence.

Alongside the addition of action, there was also an increase in the franchise’s worldbuilding, which gave an interesting insight into the politics and ideals seen within this complex universe.

By increasing the level of action and world-building in “Dune: Part Two,” viewers were more likely to be enamored with the story and setting at hand, placing them in the shoes of Paul and the rest of the cast.

“Dune: Part Two” also had the privilege of being filmed entirely for IMAX. If you have access to a local IMAX theater, you can watch the film the way it was intended to be shown, with roughly 26% more of the picture being shown compared to a standard showing of a movie.

The digital IMAX cut of “Dune: Part Two” alternates between the IMAX-standard 1.43:1 ratio and 1.90:1 ratio. 

This essentially means that, unlike standard showings of “Dune: Part Two” with the two black bars above and below the screen, the IMAX version will not only be played on a bigger screen but will show more — if not all — of what was originally filmed.

This is crucial to keep in mind, as one of the key factors of “Dune: Part Two” and the rest of the series as a whole is the overall scale and magnitude of the story. There are many moments in the movie where the beauty of what is happening on-screen is jaw-dropping.

The cinematography in the film is immaculate. Even then, it feels like an understatement to just summarize it in one word. Cinematographer Greig Fraser perfectly captures the beauty of the world around the characters, all while portraying the essence of what makes “science fiction” a science fiction.

IMAX theaters and auditoriums are additionally known for having powerful and dynamic sound systems, and this film knows how to make the most of it. The movie already has a rich and powerful sound design, but when you pair that with the IMAX speakers, the result is pure, aural bliss.

The speakers also helped out the score of the film, which was composed by Hans Zimmer. The compositions are not only fitting for intense moments, but they also light up the auditorium making people shake in their seats as the powerful music vibrates the theater to its core.

“Dune: Part Two” is without a doubt one of the best pieces of sci-fi media ever, as it brings a level of spectacle that is not seen with other franchises and stories. 

Only time will tell how long it’ll be until we see the next chapter in the “Dune” story, but for now, fans and newcomers alike will enjoy the world brought to life in “Dune: Part Two.”

This is a movie that deserves and almost demands you to watch it on the biggest screen possible — it very much earns that viewing experience. 

Visit your local theater, grab your exclusive “Dune: Part Two” popcorn bucket and watch one of the best movies 2024 has to offer so far.

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

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Rating: 1/10 

Filmmaking is no easy feat, but it’s movies like “Madame Web” that let aspiring filmmakers know that if a movie like “Madame Web” can be made, anything is possible.

“Madame Web” is the newest addition to Sony’s long-running — and disappointing — Spider-Man Universe directed by S.J Clarkson.

The main story of “Madame Web” is an extremely loose adaptation of stories from the Spider-Man comic character of the same name. The film follows Cassie Webb (Dakota Johnson) who — with her powers to see into the future — is determined to save three girls from the evil Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim) who is determined to kill the girls after getting haunting visions of them killing him.

The movie has some of the worst writing ever seen — not only for a superhero movie but for any movie in recent years. However, that shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the writers of “Madame Web” have a consistent track record of writing poorly received movies, including other comically atrocious films such as “Morbius,” “The Last Witch Hunter” and “Gods of Egypt.”

It’s hard to sit through the movie in its entirety since the writing is a disjointed mess that doesn’t attempt to have any sort of common sense.

There are several undeserving attempts at emotional moments, as the movie doesn’t even try to give the characters any sort of coherent background that would make people feel for them. 

The characters in “Madame Web” are as insufferable as they are bland and uninteresting. The main trio of girls act more as stereotypes rather than actual people.

For example, Mattie (Celeste O’Connor) is an average angsty and rebellious teen who likes to cause trouble. Anya (Isabella Merced) is the brains of the group, with many lines being dedicated to her solving math equations extremely quickly or saying overcomplicated lines with science jargon. 

Julia (Sydney Sweeney) is the timid one of the group, constantly being paranoid about what will happen next.

The lack of depth made these characters an absolute drag to sit through and watch, as their performances fell flat. However, it’s important to note that the majority of issues with the characters seemed rooted in the screenplay rather than the actresses’ performances.

The issues continue with the screenplay ruining aspects of the already flawed movie, as the villain of “Madame Web” stands tall and proud as quite possibly the worst villain in comic book movie history.

Despite having an interesting story and motive in the comic books, Sims is motivated by money and power. That’s all. Aside from that, he just wants to kill the three girls so he doesn’t die.

Editing is another weak point throughout “Madame Web,” as the film is disjointed and broken apart to the point where it feels like entire scenes are missing.

Many errors can be found in the movie without much difficulty. In some scenes where Sims is talking, his mouth is not moving at all, likely as a result of terrible automated dialogue replacement. The movie does this multiple times and occasionally will try to claim it’s a power, almost as if it’s done on purpose.

To add to the laziness of “Madame Web,” the film reuses a scene from 2004’s “Spider-Man 2” as an establishing shot. On the bright side, at least there’s some sort of close reference to the original web-slinger in this movie.

“Madame Web” contains no post-credit scenes, which brings up one major question: Why is Sony producing these low-quality movies if they aren’t going anywhere?

There’s only one reason that this movie would come out this way, and while it hasn’t been confirmed by Sony, it’s clear the company is willing to do anything to keep the movie license for the “Spider-Man” franchise.

Back in 1999, Marvel Comics was on the verge of bankruptcy, and as a result, they sold various film rights of different characters including the Hulk, the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man to different companies. 

Sony got the rights to the web-slinger for $7 million and has kept the license going ever since, even with the addition of Spider-Man in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“Madame Web” is an affront to not only the movie industry but also to the comic book fans who possessed any hope that this movie would be good. Instead, they have a movie that will more than likely end up in a Dollar Tree — maybe if Sony is lucky enough, it’ll land in Walmart’s $5 bin. Even then, it still wouldn’t be worth the watch.

nroacho2@dailyillini.com 

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“Argylle” is the newest film from director Matthew Vaughn, who is mainly known for his “Kingsman” movies, “X-Men: First Class” and “Kick-Ass.”

Vaughn’s movies are known for their over-the-top action and twisted moments, which had audiences excited for his next work after the release of his 2022 film “The King’s Man.”

In “Argylle,” esteemed author Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) gets roped into a messy situation with a secret hidden organization as real-life events unravel to the pattern of her recent book.

She is helped by Aiden (Sam Rockwell), a spy who mirrors one of the characters in her book, as they try to take down the secret organization before they can spur chaos across the world.

On paper, this concept sounds engaging and entertaining; if it were pulled off right, “Argylle” would have been an incredible experience. However, that wasn’t the case.

Right off the bat, “Argylle” has an extremely rough start, as the first 15 minutes consist of extremely uninteresting exposition and introductions that feel as slow as sitting in standstill traffic. 

The movie suffers from dull writing, giving off a feeling that Vaughn was going more for style than substance. As a result, there’s an overabundance of characters that get little to no introduction as to who they are and why they do the things they do.

Because of this, there’s a severe lack of importance to many of the characters, making the audience not care about them and their motives — or, in this case, lack of motives.

“Argylle” also likes to confuse the audience with its writing, as there are often twists thrown to the audience that, while unexpected, are absurd, only adding to that feeling of the movie being more style over substance. 

Twists in movies have the ability to not only engage the audience but also keep the audience invested in the story you have to tell. But when a movie just spits out twist after twist to the viewers, it leaves the audience feeling more confused than anything else.

As a result, “Argylle” is the equivalent of a pair of entangled earbuds that you never want to use again because you know it won’t be worth going through great pain just to untangle that mess.

The performances in “Argylle” are entertaining enough for the most part, with Rockwell and Howard’s performances acting as the backbone for the film. They are not only engaging in their roles but their chemistry on screen was well-done and fitting for their characters.

The rest of the characters and roles are portrayed as best as possible but are dragged down by the questionable screenplay.

When compared to Vaughn’s “Kingsman” movies, the action in “Argylle” is engaging enough to keep audiences from leaving but is tamer and more held back than Vaughn’s other movies, which may leave fans of the director disappointed. This was likely due to the film’s PG-13 rating.

“Argylle” and its concept is something that deserved better but was instead left in the oven for a little too long, resulting in a project that is a little overcooked for both fans of Vaughn’s work and general audiences.

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

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American singer, songwriter and pianist Billy Joel has released his new single “Turn the Lights Back On” after 17 years since his last original song.

In an interview with Vulture, Joel originally claimed that he retired from songwriting shortly after his 1993 album “River of Dreams” fell short of his expectations of commercial success.

Joel also revealed in the interview that he was not in charge of his recording, stating that there was supposed to be a return of copyright to him in 2013. As a result, Joel doesn’t own the rights to many of his recordings.

“People wonder why there’ve been so many Billy Joel live albums and compilations,” Joel said. “They’re not my idea. The record company owns all these recordings and can package them any way they want.” 

Ever since, Joel has done countless tours all over the world with fans wondering if he would ever make a return. 

While on stage last year, Joel did hint at the existence of new music by telling the audience that “We’ve got a little something we’ve been working on you might hear sometime.”

“Turn the Lights Back On” sees the return of Joel’s piano skills with lyrics written by Joel, Arthur Bacon, Freddy Wexler and Wayne Hector. 

As a result, “Turn the Lights Back On” is a somber yet hopeful ballad that feels like an amalgamation of things that made Joel’s music stand out.

The use of the piano is reminiscent of “Piano Man,” with it invoking both a sense of regret and memories of a better past. 

The lyrics are as emotional as the majority of Joel’s discography, with there being an overall theme of wanting a second chance. The song by no means breaks new ground but is a nostalgic trip for any older fans of Joel’s work. 

There are different ways to interpret the song and its meaning. The story represents a long relationship that has gone cold, or maybe Joel’s way of questioning whether or not he still has the ability to make more music.

“I’m late, but I’m here right now/ And I’m tryin’ to find the magic/ that we lost somehow,” Joel sings on the track.

Joel mentioned in an interview with Rolling Stone that “(He’s) never going to say never” when it comes to making new music. 

Joel will be performing “Turn the Lights Back On” at the 66th annual Grammys on Sunday. 

nroacho2@dailyillini.com 

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“Rocky” and “Predator” actor Carl Weathers has died at the age of 76. 

According to AP News, a statement from Weathers’ family said he died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday.

Weather’s filmography is vast. He has played characters in several notable projects such as Dillion in “Predator,” Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” franchise and Chubbs in “Happy Gilmore.”

Weathers also directed several episodes of various shows including “The Mandalorian,” “Chicago Med” and more.

Before starting his acting career, Weathers played in the NFL as a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders, going on to become a strong safety for the team. Afterward, he was transferred to the Canadian Football League, where he played 18 games with the BC Lions before retiring in 1974 to pursue his acting career.

In the same statement by his family, Weathers was described as “an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life,” as well as “a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner, and friend.”

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

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The Last of Us Part II Remastered is a remaster of Naughty Dog’s 2020 dystopian action horror game, The Last of Us Part II, exclusively released for the PlayStation 5. 

The remaster was announced back in November after a leak revealed the game’s existence. Since the announcement, there has been skepticism on why a remaster for a game that’s already graphically impressive would come out three and a half years after its release.

The trailer revealed almost little to no changes to the game, which only worsened reactions to its pricing.

For anyone unfamiliar with The Last of Us Part II, the game takes place four years after the first. It follows Ellie, who, after suffering a great tragedy, goes on a search for the group responsible in order to avenge those she lost in this zombie-ridden future. 

The game’s story is fairly divisive among both critics and fans, with some believing the story was a major disappointment following the first game’s story and others praising the game’s powerful narrative, with it even going as far as winning Game of the Year at the 2020 Game Awards.

In this new remaster, the story remains unchanged. Graphically speaking, there is an improvement that the PlayStation 5 takes advantage of — however, unless you’re spending time pausing and going into photo mode to see how the grass looks clearer, you won’t notice much of the upgraded graphics during your playtime.

The game has two modes: a fidelity mode and a performance mode. The fidelity mode runs the game at a 4K resolution at 30 frames per second. This is the best way to see the new graphical improvements, and the steady 30 fps makes this mode an enjoyable experience.

In performance mode, the game balances both resolution and frame rate, which results in it running with an upscaled resolution of 4K or 1440p — depending on your video output — and a targeted 60 fps. Playing in performance mode is not only super smooth but loses little graphical quality, which is hard to notice when you are moving around fighting a horde of enemies.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered also includes several new additions, such as DualSense support, which adds support for the controller’s usage of haptic feedback; adaptive triggers; and more. Additionally, there are new skins available for the characters and weapons which can only be unlocked by playing the game. 

Another addition in the remaster is the roguelike survival mode No Return. In No Return, players can unlock and play as multiple characters, each of which has their own weapons and abilities, and play through a path of randomized encounters ending with a boss fight. 

At first, I was worried that this new mode would end up being repetitive — however, by unlocking new characters and gameplay mechanics specifically made for No Return, the mode did not get stale after several hours of playing time. The mode was extremely fun and engaging while proving to be a challenge even for veteran players of the series.

If you’re looking for any reason to try out this new remaster, No Return is that reason.

This remaster also added three extra levels that can be played outside of the main story, which were originally for the game but ended up being cut. 

Called the “Lost Levels,” this addition is another interesting element to the game even though they were in the alpha stage of production, meaning several things were missing from the levels — such as dialogue and some other additions.

The last major addition in The Last of Us Part II Remastered is the Guitar Free Play mode, which allows you to play the guitar as Ellie, Joel or even the game’s composer, Gustavo Santaolalla. It’s a simple and fun little mode where you can recreate whatever song you want with different guitars, effects and characters.

All of these additions and upgrades in The Last of Us Part II Remastered are great; however, things begin to get messy when you look at the game’s price tag and the different ways of obtaining it.

For digital PS5 owners, there are two options to get this new remaster: Pay the retail price of $49.99 or — if you’re a previous owner of the digital PS4 version — pay $10 to upgrade your current version.

PS5 owners with a physical disc drive are slightly luckier, as they have the option to either buy a copy of the game for $49.99 or upgrade to the remaster for $10. However, users who upgrade their physical copy of the game can only play the remaster when the disc is inserted into the system. 

Copies of the PS4 edition of The Last of Us Part II are currently selling for around $20 for a used copy and $25 for a new copy. Add $10 to either of those prices, and you end up paying roughly $30 to $35 for what is originally a $50 title.

It’s hard to recommend The Last of Us Part II Remastered to anyone who is currently looking to experience this game at its current price — simply because there is not much added or improved upon to justify that price. 

However, if you can upgrade the game for $10 or purchase a PS4 copy of the game and then upgrade, then the value of what you get for the price you pay is more justified.

Although it has only been around four years since the original release, The Last of Us Part II Remastered is a more detailed version of an already well-rounded game. That said, for a game that is generally worth $25, the upcharge of another $25 is not a great value for what is essentially the same experience plus a fairly fun game mode and a couple of small extras. 

If you can get the $10 upgrade, this is an opportunity you won’t want to miss out on. However, if you are stuck having to pay $49.99, maybe wait for a sale to pick up The Last of Us Part II Remastered.

nroacho2@dailyillini.com

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