I was attracted to Incredibles 2 ever since I saw the vibrant poster. I couldn’t help but investigate the family of superheroes running at the train, all while holding a baby, who was astonishingly shooting lasers at a frightened raccoon. When I squinted even closer, I saw even more superheroes lurking in the background. The mysterious figure over the iconic Incredibles logo only added to the anticipation of watching this movie. When I finally got the chance to see it a couple of months later, it exceeded my extremely high expectations … by a lot. Incredibles 2 is an electrifying movie directed by Brad Bird, a famous director who shares an Oregon upbringing with me. Bird’s exceptional talents won him two Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and many Best Original Screenplay nominations. He also directed Ratatouille and The Iron Giant, which paved his path to later directing Incredibles 2. Incredibles 2 is a sequel to the movie Incredibles, and both revolve around the Parr family (a.k.a The Incredibles). After Helen accepts a job in order to regain public trust for superheroes, Bob struggles to simultaneously deal with Dash’s math homework and Violet’s boyfriend, who had his memory wiped after discovering Violet’s role as a superhero. Brad Bird manages to fit the entire story in only 1 hour 58 minutes! This allows you to watch it, even if you don’t have a lot of time. One of my favorite parts about the movie is the vivid designs and stunning animation. One of the advantages Pixar had with this film was its team of highly talented animators, which enabled them to have more flexibility over character designs. Another great part about this movie is the variety of characters. Brad Bird also introduced six new “superheroes” to Incredibles 2 with the names of: Screech, He-Lectrix, Reflux, Brick, Krushauer, and Voyd. These additions provide the movie with a rich array of characters and personalities. They play an important role in the final battle, since their abilities are used for good and bad, giving the viewer both perspectives on superpowers. My favorite character in the movie is Jack-Jack (the baby). He has a variety of superpowers such as multiplying himself, turning into a purple demon-looking thing, and becoming a human torch. Even though this movie was a smashing success, I believe there were some parts that could have been done better. One of the criticisms I have is the repetition of superpowers. For example, Mr. Incredible and Brick share the same ability, making each one less special. In the film, Voyd, Elastigirl, and Screech all survived a free fall at some point. Another main problem in this film is the sheer amount of characters. It can help make the movie diverse, but ruin it at the same time. Incredibles 2 cannot focus on one group of people without leaving the others behind. Therefore, they don’t really spend a lot of time on an individual character. This blocks the viewer’s ability to go in-depth on the characters they like. Some characters only appear once or twice in this movie, even though they are really well written and have a unique personality. Overall, this is a fantastic film. It uses high-tech animations and technologies to create a visually pleasing effect. The thrilling plot keeps you on your toes throughout the entire movie, while maintaining a humorous outline at the same time. Even though I believe there are some things they could have improved on, it still deserves a standing ovation at the end. This movie is perfect for people who like superheroes, comedy, and a whole lot of action!
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Weekly Creativity #273 | Flash Contest #60: Make Up an Imaginary Celebrity and Write a Story in Which They are the Main Character
Make up an imaginary celebrity and write a story in which they are the main character. What are they famous for? What does their life look like out of the public eye?
Fever 1973, Reviewed by Zoe Li, 12
Laurie Halse Anderson’s historical novel Fever 1793 takes place in Philadelphia during the Yellow Fever epidemic. Nearly 5,000 people died from yellow fever, and those who could afford to leave town fled to safety. Like the recent global COVID-19 epidemic, chaos reigned, and majority groups started accusing minorities and immigrants for spreading the sickness. Yellow fever struck fear in the hearts of the people in Philadelphia as everyone was petrified of catching the fatal disease. Oftentimes, sick people were denied entry into hospitals, homes, and towns. The infected were left to fend for themselves. Matilda Cook tells the story of a 14-year-old girl who lives with her widowed mother and grandfather. Matilda’s mother owns and operates a coffeehouse with only the help of her cook, Eliza. Eliza is a free African American woman who is part of the Free African Society, a group of people who help with taking care of the sick. Matilda’s grandfather, a Revolutionary War veteran, takes on her father’s role and brings humor and color to the story. Matilda is a strong female character who is lovable, smart, and caring. Teens, especially girls, will relate to Matilda as she expresses her independence from her mother on her way to adulthood. She grows and matures from a lazy kid to an independent and hardworking teen. Hints of romance are dropped along the way, but the partnership is not the main point. Matilda is a very dramatic character who must change her personality if she wants to survive. The separation of social classes presents another challenge that Matilda faces in addition to death. As the deadly plague spreads throughout the town, only the rich can afford to leave, while the less fortunate must stay. Matilda faces many dire situations and problems that could potentially end her life. While reading this book, I felt Anderson wanted to inform readers about yellow fever. She did an excellent job! She filled the book with information. Before reading Fever 1793, I knew nothing about yellow fever. I did not even know that Pennsylvania had a pandemic. When reading this book, readers will learn the details about the role African Americans played during the Yellow Fever epidemic, the strange medical practices that “treated” patients, and the controversy that surrounded doctors at the time. Although Fever 1793 is a great book, there are other historical fiction books that I would recommend more. The plot did not fully engage me at all times, and the author had not developed strong enough characters to make me have to keep turning the pages. The plot was predictable, and the suspense was not emphasized enough so it was not always a page turner. All things considered, it was one of the easiest historical novels that I have read. Not only does this book follow a chronological order, which is easy to follow and understand, it also did not leave out any key elements. Everything that I needed and wanted to know is conveyed in the book. The only thing I would do differently, if I was the author, is fully develop the minor characters. When a character goes through something bad or unfortunate, I wanted to feel empathy for that character but instead, I did not care about them. Generally speaking, Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson is good, but not a must read book. If you are looking for an easy historical novel to read that is interesting and relatable, this is the perfect book for you. If you like this genre, then what are you waiting for? Stop staring at your screen and start reading! Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2002. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
