Introduction
This edition of the SMC express is dedicated to Ukraine and its people. We keep them in our thoughts and hope for a safe resolution to the conflict.
Keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter accounts to stay up to date on a range of activities we have taking place across the school community in aid of the people of Ukraine.
Despite the harrowing details, we are compelled to report on the events unfolding in Ukraine. We hope that soon, in our future articles, we can write about the liberation of the Ukrainian people from the tyranny of Putin's war machine.
Massacre of Bucha
By Senan Quinn
There have been many reports of Russian soldiers carrying out war crimes on the outskirts of Kyiv with civilian killings and suspicions of assault before they were killed. An interview with Serhij Matuyk showed a detailed insight into what is happening in Ukraine.
Serhij Matuyk, whose job is to retrieve and bury bodies, shared his knowledge with a Sky reporter. He explained how he found four bodies, all of which had their hands tied back. This was not the only report of these violent crimes, around 300 civilians were found the same way in Bucha. Serhij estimated that 30% were either women or children.
Another report from a 47-year-old Ukrainian woman named Iryna claimed that she and her husband had witnessed a Russian Soldier murdering her neighbour. The couple watched as the man turned back to get his papers, and the Russian soldier shot him. Iryna and her husband dug a grave for the man after retrieving the body hours later.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy labeled the Russian soldiers killers, executioners, and marauders while the Russians denied killing civilians in Bucha. French President Emmanuel Macron stated there is "clear evidence of war crimes" in Bucha. He explained to France-Inter radio: "What just happened in Bucha calls for a new round of sanctions and very clear measures.” Russia's Defence Ministry denied all accusations of atrocities against civilians in Bucha.
We sincerely hope that Vladimir Putin faces justice for these crimes against humanity.
General: Pg 5-15
Green Schools Update by Rory Moloney Pg 5-11
My Change in Life when I Migrated to Ireland by Hershal Jayson Pg 12
Vex 2022 Championship by Cian Mulcahy Pg 13
Easter Egg Ranking by Ríon O'Neill Pg 14
Simply Coined by Lee Collopy Pg 15
Sports Pg 17-29
Ireland vs Belgium Overview by Nate Rivers Pg 17
Formula 1 Saudi Arabian GP Review by Niall McGuane Pg 18
Dublin Relegated for the First Time in 27 Years by James Connelly Pg 19
Skill gap from Premier League to Championship By Conor Hall Pg 20
Ideal United Transfers By Conor Mulcahy Pg 21 - 29
Media Pg 31-50
The Batman Review by Nate Rivers Pg 31
Moon Knight Review by Cian Kelly Pg 32
Oscars Disaster by Nate Rivers Pg 33
Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Review by Ríon O'Neill Pg 34
Uncharted Movie Review by Conor McCarthy Pg 35
Elden Ring Interview by Ríon O'Neill and Senan Quinn Pg 36-50
Green Schools Update:
By Rory Moloney
This article is to update everyone on what we are doing in Green Schools.
Currently our focus in Green Schools is trying to promote ourselves as much as we can on the social medias of St Munchin's college. By promoting ourselves more we are hoping more people will see the work we are doing around the school to make it a better place.
Some of the work we have been doing includes our walkability audit. Our walkability audit shows students and staff what we can do to improve the footpaths and roads for walkers and cyclists. Some of these include adding a cycle path along all the roads to make the journey to school safer. Another thing that will make the roads safer is adding bollards onto the curbs to stop cars parking on the side of footpaths. When cars park here it reduces space for walkers and cyclists which may lead to future accidents.
Below is a presentation displaying some of the actions taken by the Green Schools committee to combat climate change
Water Fountains
Our school has reduced the usage of plastic waters bottles by 80% since we have installed our water fountain system people are now using reusable water bottles which has reduced the amount of waste in the school.
15,000 water bottles are the equivalent to half a ton of plastic.
Green Schools Flag
To date our school has achieved a flag for litter & waste, energy conservation and water conservation this year we are hoping to add the travel flag to this with your help.
Green School Map
The Green Schools committee have put together a travel map which shows where students should be walking, cycling, and driving from. The map pinpoints bus stops and bus routes in the local area.
Bike Shelter
The Green Schools committee has managed to install a bike shelter outside of the front of the school. It has improved the number of people cycling to school by a 33% increase.
Solar Panels
Our school has installed 10,000 euro worth of solar panels. The energy they generate goes into the electric grid. Our school is acting as a generator for electricity. We hope to get more of these installed to make even more of a difference.
My Change in Life when I Migrated to Ireland
By Hershal Jayson
When I first stepped foot on the land, the first thing I felt was the chilly weather. Vypin, the hometown where I used to live, has an extremely hot and humid climate and was where I used to live and to be frank it was not a pleasurable climate for us. At the beginning, I suffered from a cold and fever because of the sudden change in home climate. For me, 15 degrees Celsius was freezing cold at the start but later I got used to it and I would say the climate in Ireland is not bad. Rain is more common here but not as heavy, the rain we have in Kerala is severe. To me, Ireland felt like a dream land where I would stay with my family and have a fun time with everyone. People here are friendly, and they treat us like this wonderful land is our home.
I faced a lot of difficulties with the language and the accent, but within a few months I could understand everything quite well. Before stepping foot here, I thought I would face social anxiety, be awkward around others and lonely but I was wrong, no matter where you are from, how you look, what you speak, Ireland always welcomes you.
Thank you so much Ireland and the people here for helping me to tackle everything I faced, you deserve a great amount of respect with the humanity you've shown.
VEX 2022
By Conor Mulcahy
The VEX robotics competition is a competition held annually internationally. It is a competition in robotics and this year 95% of people reported they had an increased interest in STEM and pursuing STEM-related careers. In Ireland the competition is held at the regional and national level. This year the regional competition, which was originally meant to be held in January, has now been pushed back to after Easter due to COVID.
St. Munchin's are entering 2 teams into the regional competition this year. Should these teams do well in the regionals they’ll progress to the national competition in Dublin. Last year the international competition was won by Kinsale National School. This year the winners of the national competition will move onto the international competition in Dallas.
The aim of this competition is to build a robot who can go around the arena picking up the most rings. You control the robot, and your goal is to collect more rings than the other team.
For St. Munchin's this year it started off with just one team, the Brotherhood, but there was so much interest another team, the SMC robotics team, was made. These teams are led by Ms. Hayes, but Anthony Bayle from Dell also gives a lot of help and supplied the teams with the kits.
Work started on the robots in November and the teams were hard at work building and coding the robots. There were some bumps in the road but eventually the robots were finished and ready for the competition in two weeks' time. Hopefully St. Munchin's can win the competition in April.
Easter Egg Rankings
By Ríon O'Neill
Easter is many people's favorite time of year with the Easter Bunny delivering eggs to people across the globe, but which of those eggs is the best? For the sake of simplicity, we will define the ‘’best’’ egg as the most popular. To decide on each egg fairly, this is based on a survey given to a small group of students asking them to rank their ten favorite eggs with their number one giving ten points towards that egg all the way to their tenth giving one point towards that egg. Each person's preferred eggs will be tolled up using that point system and whichever has the most points wins. After the group of students completed the survey, the top 15 eggs were calculated to be the following:
1. Kinder
2. Galaxy
3. Mini Eggs
4. Crunchie
5. Maltesers
6. Golden Eggs
7. Smarties
8. Cadbury
9. Eton Mess
10. Mars
11. Kit Kat
12. Rolo
13. Mint Aero
14. Crème Egg
15. Hershey's
Simply Coined
By Lee Collopy
For a school mini company, we have decided to sell commemorative coins or graduate coins. We thought this would be a wonderful opportunity for schools to give to their pupils, and businesses to give to their workers. Some of these coins for school could be for students that have graduated school, TY parties or even for students that play sports for a team like rugby, hurling or basketball. For businesses, the coins could be given to workers that have retired, this would be a great gift. Other ideas for businesses include giving coins to workers that are leaving their job. On the coins could be a message thanking them for their work. They can also be given to people outside of school or business as a gift, but it is ideally for past pupils or retired workers.
Some social media platforms include Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and our name is Simply Coined. We have found success through our multiple social media platforms. If you would like a coin, please contact us on those pages.
The price we are selling the St Munchin’s large coin for is €25. The price we are selling the St Munchins small coin for is €10. We were able to produce this price as we also needed to be able to pay back the 30-day credit in time. Large coins can be engraved which cost €32.
Ireland vs Belgium Overview
By Nate Rivers
On Saturday, the 26th of March, Ireland faced off against Belgium. This match and the Ireland vs Lithuania match are about building towards the National Leagues campaign this Summer and the Euro 2024 qualifiers which begin next year. Belgium is one of the best national teams in the world, providing an intimidating threat for Ireland. After the first twenty-five minutes, Booing was heard across the stadium for Thierry Henry, a player on the visitor's bench who infamously denied Ireland entry to the 2010 World Cup via a handball. Michy Batshuayi scored the first goal, allowing Belgium to take a one goal lead but Ireland quickly recovered with Chiedozie Ogbene scoring a fantastic finisher. Belgium enacted on their traditional method of playing it out from the back and kept a dominant possession of 64% and scored an extra goal but by the end of the second half, they were smothered. This resulted in Ireland winning an equalizing goal on Belgium with only five minutes remaining in the game. The game ended in a 2 - 2 score, showing Ireland had impressive performance and with the 1 - 0 results of their match in Lithuania, they have displayed potential growth in the future.
Formula 1 Saudi Arabian GP Review
By Niall McGuane
The Formula 1 circus rolled around to the Jeddah Corniche circuit on the 25th of March 2022 with Free Practice 1 starting at 16:30. Charles Leclerc topped the standings in FP1 with Reigning, defending world champion Max Verstappen close behind in his Red Bull. Valtteri Bottas rounded out the top three and seems to be adjusting well to his new team in Alfa Romeo. Later the same day under the floodlights at the Jeddah Corniche circuit, Charles Leclerc once again topped the timesheets with Max Verstappen in second. Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz was close behind in P3. Following Free Practice 1 in Saudi Arabia, a fire broke out from two oil tanks at a nearby Aramco facility causing a plume of black smoke, there were no deaths or injuries because of the fire as it was swiftly brought under control and extinguished. This brought concerns for everyone's safety including the 20 drivers on the F1 grid. However, after extensive meetings including all 20 drivers, it was decided that there was no danger, and the race would go ahead as planned.
As Free Practice 3 rolled around on Saturday afternoon, it seemed there was only going to be one man's name on the top of the timesheets and Charles Leclerc did not disappoint with taking the sweep of all three practice sessions, once again with Max Verstappen in P2. Sergio “Checo” Perez rounded out the top three to show Red Bull did have pace at Jeddah.
Later the same evening, Qualifying 1 started. The Formula 1 qualifying format consists of three stages. Q1 is 18 minutes long and at the end, the 5 drivers with the slowest times get knocked out. Q2 is 15 minutes long and ends with the slowest 5 drivers getting knocked out again. Q3 is a straight shootout for pole position for the race on Sunday. The shock of qualifying was the 7-time Lewis Hamilton getting knocked out in Q1 therefore would be starting the race Sunday in 16th place, his first time being knocked out in Q1 since Brazil 2017. Near the start of Q2 the session was suspended as Mick Schumacher suffered a heavy crash out of turn 11 with qualifying being suspended for over an hour as Schumacher was lifted out of the car and transferred to Hospital where he was found to be okay. The McLaren's did not have a wonderful time as both drivers were knocked out in Q2. In the end only one man could get pole position and it ended up being Sergio Perez with his first pole position at the 215th time of asking. The championship leader Charles Leclerc was in 2nd place with his teammate Carlos Sainz close behind in 3rd place. Max Verstappen, not getting a quick enough lap in, ended up in 4th place with Esteban Ocon, George Russell, Fernando Alonso, Valtteri Bottas, Pierre Gasly and the returning Kevin Magnussen to round out the top 10.
As the 5 red lights went out to signal the start of the race in Jeddah Max Verstappen jumped Carlos Sainz off the start with everything staying as it was at the front. Sergio Perez lost the lead after pitting as Nicolas Latifi crashed out bringing out the safety car, meaning Charles Leclerc got to pit under the safety car which meant he came out in P1. As the race went on, it seemed it would be another dominant win for Charles Leclerc, but on lap 47/50 Max Verstappen made the crucial overtake to win the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc came home in 2nd with Carlos Sainz in 3rd followed by Sergio Perez, George Russell, Esteban Ocon, Lando Norris, Pierre Gasly, Kevin Magnussen, and Lewis Hamilton to finish out the top 10 for the finishing order of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix for 2022.
Dublin Relegated for the First Time in 27 Years
By James Connelly
On Sunday, Dublin lost to Monaghan in a dramatic match that put them down into division two for the first time in 27 years. If you were to tell me before the league started that Dublin would be relegated, I would have told you that you were mad. The question is what could be the reason for Dublin's downfall in the league? Is it that the new young players just are not good enough and they are missing their experienced veterans? I think this might be the case as when you watch their matches the players that always stand out are players like Dean Rock, Ciaran Kilkenny, and Brian Fenton. I think that the young players they have come through just are not good enough for Dublin. One man Dublin are majorly missing is Stephen Cluxton. Cluxton was a leader and got the team going every game and with that he was also the best keeper in the country. I do not think Evan Comerford has been impressive since he came onto the team, and he certainly does not have the same presence Cluxton had. Another question I would ask is if the management is good enough and are their tactics working? Dessie Farrell took the Dublin management job after Jim Gavin in late 2019, and after that, I do not think Dublin has been the same team it was. Farrell’s men do not seem to be as eager to win compared to the Dublin team Jim Gavin had. They look unorganized in a lot of their games, and this is a big problem for them. It is only the league so I am wondering will they be back in form when it really matters once the championship begins or will they continue to flop again?
Skill gap from Premier League to Championship
By Conor Hall
Over the last few months, we saw championship sides knock premier league clubs, including ‘the big six’ out of the FA Cup. This makes everyone consider what the true skill gap is between Premier League and Championship players? I think the two leagues can be as competitive as ever, as we saw teams get promoted and finish high in the Premier League table. We also saw the lower-level Premier League teams get relegated and in the case of Sunderland suffered back-to-back relegations to League One. Although there are not any top-class players in the Championship now as there would be in the old First Division there still is high quality players stored in the league such as Alexander Mitrovic, who has scored 35 goals in as many games in the Championship and score 8 in 8 in World Cup Qualifiers for Serbia.
However, Mitrovic gets complaints for not being able to cut it in the premier league, but this simply is not true. Mitrovic managed to score 11 goals in 37 games in his first premier league campaign, which is respectable for a Fulham side who were relegated. Failing to create many chances by the 2020-21 season, Fulham manager, Scott Parker had deemed Mitrovic a liability due to his fiery temper. This season saw Mitrovic labeled as too good for the championship but not good enough for the premier league as he only scored 3 goals. This season, Mitrovic managed to smash the Championship scoring record and as time of writing, he has 9 more games to set the pace for anyone who follows.
Teams such as Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest progressed into the FA cup quarter finals as Forest beat Arsenal and Leicester while Middlesbrough knocked out Man United and Spurs. Despite this, neither could reach the semis as Middlesbrough were knocked out 2-0 to Chelsea. Forest only saw a narrow 0-1 defeat at the hands of Liverpool. A couple of dubious refereeing decisions could have Forest fans feeling hard done by at the result as they saw their side go toe to toe with one of the best teams in the world and at times looked the better of the two. Djed Spence looks like a move to a European club in the summer with Arsenal, Spurs and even Bayern Munich monitoring him. Despite all the attention on him, Djed has expressed his desire to stay at Forest if they get promoted this season and he is not the only one.
Brennan Johnson, Joe Worrall, and James Garner all have had interest from Premier League sides and Forest even rejected a mouthwatering offer of £25 million for Johnson. It is reported that Man United are going to give James Garner a chance as he continues to impress against the best teams. Isiah Jones from Middlesbrough has also had interest from Spurs as they search for a new right wing back.
Although the top players in the Premier League have that sharpness and quality unmatched by most players in the world, the number of players making the step up into the premier league and succeeding cannot be ignored. Premier League teams will have to stop underestimating these Championship sides or we will see the biggest teams fall down the divisions as the less wealthy, better ran clubs jump ahead of them. The young players who are deciding to stay loyal to the place they grew up in are becoming increasingly common in the EFL. The PL2 for u23s and u18s now hold multiple EFL sides and many are producing strong academy teams while developing youth in their first team.
Although the skill gap is still visible, it has become a lot closer and now there is no black and white between a good Championship player and a decent Premier League player. If this trend continues, we could be seeing the start of a more competitive English topflight with more academy players being the focus of many teams.
Ideal Man United Transfer Window
By Conor Mulcahy
With Man United’s season all but over, after crashing out of the Champions League, both domestic cups and after a draw to Leicester it looks like even their top 4 campaign looks highly unlikely, it is time to look towards next season. While I could just say my dream transfer is to bring in the likes of Haaland, Mbappe and Van Dijk, I’m not going to do that, I’m going to try and make a realistic transfer window that could happen and build a team that I believe could get United back to where they belong, fighting for league titles and Champions Leagues.
I’ll start with the players that I think should leave Old Trafford this Summer. While it’s never easy to see a player leave, looking at the team’s performance over the last year, a change is clearly needed.
The first player I would show the door is Harry Maguire. While this may be unrealistic as the club seem to want to keep him around as captain, I think anything north of 30 million pounds should be enough to see the England captain playing elsewhere. However, for the sake of generosity, and considering Ben White cost Arsenal 50 million, I think it is fair to say that United could get in the region of that considering he captains the national side and the United team right now, let's say Newcastle or even a foreign side, would pay around 45 million for his services.
Another person that should leave but I don’t think we really have a say in is Paul Pogba. Only United could let a player leave for free, pay 100 million to get him back, then run down his contract while he does not want to play for us and then ultimately let him leave for free again. Saying that, getting his extortionate wage off the club’s bill will only be good for the club’s financial situation.
Another man that should leave, and I can really see leaving is Aaron Wan-Bissaka. He is valued at 30 million, but I don’t think it is ridiculous to say we could get 35 million for him.
One last player I think we should let leave is Scott McTominay. I think it is in the interest of both United and McTominay to let him go. If we make the transfers, I’m going to talk about in a second, he won’t get playing time, and seen as we could easily get 30 million, maybe even more for him, I think it is of mutual interest that we let him go.
I also think it’s vital United sell Anthony Martial. We could get around 25 million for the Frenchman and I don’t think he brings anything to the team, and it is certainly his time to go to whoever will take him.
All these transfers would bring around 140 million pounds into the club, along with freeing up Pogba’s eye-watering 350,000 pounds a week wage bill up.
With this added money, there are a few players I think we should bring in. However, no matter what players are brought in nothing is more important than securing the signature of Ajax’s boss Erik Ten Hag. At the time of writing this, it looks likely that United will secure his signature and I think getting the Dutchman is the most important thing for United this Summer. His attacking style of football is exactly what United needs right now. He’s also proved he can build a team having built the famous 2019 team who went all the way to the Champions League semi-final and was a last-minute Moura strike away from a historic Champions League Final. He didn’t only build this team, he also built a great Ajax team of today, with Tadic, Mazrouai, Blind and Tagliafico being the only real players to play with both. I think Ten Hag is the man to turn Man United’s fortunes around.
Aside from a new manager, I think United should do all they can to secure the services of former Turin wonderkid, Paolo Dybala. The man who was once heralded as the heir to Messi, is still one of the world’s best, and would bring a much-needed creative spark to a team’s that only source of creativity cause of late has come from Jadon Sancho. While there may be questions about how the 2 have worked in the past, I think reuniting Dybala and Ronaldo is in everyone’s interest and would bring the best out of the still unbelievable 37-year-old. Let us not forget, he would be free as he is out of contract with Juventus.
With the hypothetical departure of Harry Maguire, United will need to strengthen the backline. In my opinion there’s no better way to do this than the 23-year-old French international currently playing in Seville, Jules Koundé. Most people think 50 million would be enough to secure his signature, I consider this is an absolute bargain for a proven centre-back in the Spanish league and on the European stage. His performance in a losing effort against West Ham was enough to show me how good the young Frenchman is.
Another man I think it is vital we bring in is another Frenchman, Monaco’s young superstar Aurelien Tchouameni. United have been calling out for a holding midfielder since the departure of Michael Carrick really, but especially in the last 3 years it has become clear that we need a holding midfielder. While some people may say that Declan Rice is the answer, I think his price tag of over 100 million is far too much to pay. It would take around 40 million to lure Tchouameni away from Monaco is much better value for money then Rice. The young man has been capped 8 times for the national side and I believe he is the answer to fill in a huge gap in the Man United team.
The final crucial signing I think we should make is playing under Ten Hag right now, and it is rumoured that should Ten Hag come he will bring him with him. I think skilled Brazilian winger Antony is someone who could bring a lot to the United team. He will cost around 35 million, which is a healthy number to bring in such a talented young player, who has proven can work under Ten Hag.
I also think United should make two other signings, however I do not see them to be as crucial as the other four. Sticking with the theme of Ten Hag bringing the Ajax team with him, I think young centre back Jurrien Timber would be a great young prospect to bring into the team knowing he works brilliantly under Ten Hag. It would again cost around 30 million to secure his signature, and Timber would be eager to join United, and keep working under his great manager. The last signing, I think United should make is another Premier league proven, creative centre midfielder. I think Ruben Neves would be a terrific addition to strengthen the United squad. He would cost around 35 million and I think 100 million is much better spent on Tchouameni, Neves and Timber than on Declan Rice. We still get a proven in Europe, unbelievable holding midfielder, along with two other great signings to undoubtedly strengthen the United squad and allow is to rotate the team and bring in competition, which the squad is lacking, and 1 of the most exciting prospects and one of the lost proven, top-quality midfielders in England.
While Antony would play a similar role to Sancho, and there would be a lot of healthy competition in the front line, with Ronaldo, Antony, Dybala, Sancho, Elanga, Rashford and the young Amad Diallo all vying for a place, this will allow Ten Hag to play different systems. If we compare it to his 2 Ajax teams, I think Antony would more fit a system like Ten Hag deploys now with Ajax, with Ronaldo sliding into the role Sebastian Haller fills now for the Ajax team as a traditional number 9, with Sancho, Antony and of course the wonderful Bruno Fernandes providing service to the man who is still one of the best target men in the world. While this system works, I think we would find the most success under a system like the one Ten Hag played with Ajax with Dybala filling in the false 9 role, like what Dusan Tadic would have played under Ten Hag in that 2019 side that found so much success. Dybala dropping back would free up space for players to run into. I think Bruno would thrive in this system, again likening it to that brilliant Ajax team, Bruno would fill in the role De Jong played in 2019, running into the space created by Dybala dropping back and be able to dart forward and show his wonderful goalscoring capability, and I think we would see Ten Hag deploy Donny Van De Beek in the exact same role he played in that amazing 2019 Ajax team, covering the middle of the pitch and being the man servicing the team from the middle, and protecting the holding midfielder and back 4. I think reuniting Ten Hag and Van De Beek, when he comes back from Everton, will finally show everyone the potential he has and bring the best out in both him and the team.
These transfers would add up to 140 million coming into the club and spending 190 million. I do not think this is unrealistic, and a big overhaul is needed. Realistically, if the last few years are anything to go off, United will just blow all their budget on Declan Rice, possibly get Antony if we are lucky and Ten Hag badgers the board into reuniting himself and the young Brazilian. Though, if we make the transfers I have outlined, and put our trust in Ten Hag, letting him play the football he wants to play, United will be well on their way back to where they belong in no time. If we play a similar system to the one of the 2019 Ajax team, we will have a starting line-up of De Gea in goal, Dalot in right back, Varane and Koundé as the two centre backs, Shaw left back, Tchouameni playing number 6 with Van De Beek creating from the middle, and Bruno starting as an Attacking midfielder but darting much farther forward into space created by Dybala as the false 9, and having Sancho off the left and Antony, or maybe even Rashford as a more natural goal scorer, off the right making runs in behind. If we play with this starting eleven, we will still have the likes of Timber, Rashford/Antony, Fred, Neves, Elanga, Telles and of course, the man I think should be played in most big games, but let the other signings lighten his workload, the still world-class at his big age, Cristiano Ronaldo. Having a squad this big allows for healthy competition for these the starting line-up and will of course let Ten Hag rotate his team.
The Batman Review
By Nate Rivers
The Batman is the latest entry in a long running history of Batman movies, with the legacy of movies like The Dark Knight and Tim Burton’s Batman from 1989, this most recent adaptation was tasked with having to once again, reinvent the character and offer something new which all earlier movies had not given to audiences. To name the positives of this film, I would say they do this successfully with the new interpretation of Batman being akin to his graphic novels with elements reminiscent of the comic books but also keeping the tone grounded. It should also be said that this movie is shot spectacularly and is the best cinematography I have seen in a comic book film. The story assumes you are already familiar with the character by not divulging much of his origin, you do not see staples of Batman’s identity like the death of his parents. I would go as far as to say it is a perfect Batman movie, but it is not a perfect movie. What I mean by this is the characterization of Batman and people around him is flawlessly executed, however, the movie itself has its issues such as one specific scene which added nothing to the story as a whole and only dragged down the pacing. Another issue I have is the final act and conclusion of the movie being weaker than the rest of the story, but I do not think this is as problematic as some reviewers claim. Overall, I would say this film is brilliant and maybe the best portrayal of Batman yet, making me give it a 9/10 rating.
Moon Knight Review
By Cian Kelly
The first two episodes of Disney's newest limited series have been released, and they are by far the best opening episodes we have seen from a Marvel show so far. The storytelling is told in such a way that it gives you just enough information to keep you intrigued but to keep an element of mystery present throughout both episodes. Oscar Isaac portrays the protagonist who suffers from DID (Dissociate identity disorders). Isaac does an incredible job differentiating between both characters and displaying the contrast between the two alternate personalities. Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawk) is a chilling antagonist, and really suits the scary/mysterious vibe of the show. One of the first scenes he is in, we see him judging this woman's morality and then taking her life force as punishment for her sins. This scene really showcases what this character is going to be like throughout the whole series. The music used throughout these two episodes is just perfect, some of the music used is popular Egyptian music to showcase the characters ties to Egypt and their mythology. All of the songs played in these episodes are just great to listen to. In conclusion, the opening episodes were amazing and I'm excited to see where they take this story, making me give it a 9/10 rating.
Oscars Disaster
By Nate Rivers
The Oscars had a few takeaways this year, Dune won 6 awards and CODA won 3, one of which being best picture. However, none of those marks in history have left an impact on the media like something completely unrelated to the point of the event. I am of course referring to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock on stage and I will be exploring what effects this might have. After some time, differing statements have been given about what exactly happened after the incident took place. It has been stated by the academy that they requested Will Smith to leave after he struck Chris, but he refused. There is also an alternative story of him being asked to leave by the academy but the producers asked him to stay. As a discipline for his actions, Will resigned from the academy, meaning the actor will no longer be eligible to earn an Oscar. Though there is another potential consequence of Will Smith’s actions on a far wider scale, this consequence being certain people becoming more inclined to physically assault comedians or others who make jokes they consider inappropriate. Only time will tell what might result of this infamous moment from the newest Academy Awards as the story progresses.
Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Review
By Ríon O'Neill
Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is a prequel to the popular and well received show, Jujutsu Kaisen. In this film, we follow a new protagonist, Yuta Okkotsu, tormented by a supernatural ‘’cursed spirit’’ which has plagued him since he was a child and is brought to a school of sorcerers to break his curse. MAPPA is once again animating the movie and looks just as good as the original show for its achievements in animation. The movie is fantastic, from layered characters to stunning visuals, Jujutsu Kaisen has something for everyone with the story also being friendly to newcomers. The plot does follow some of the same beats as the original, but the movie compensates for it with quality. To name more prominent flaws, the antagonist is not completely developed as his own character and is abruptly introduced late in the movie so the film can have its final battle in the third act. Another complaint I had was the themes being too overbearing, this could be considered more of a preference than a criticism but if you are bothered by this then you can keep it in mind. Jujutsu Kaisen is a flawed movie but still very incredibly enjoyable, the animation is brilliant, and the characters are intriguing, but the story and pacing can struggle to match that quality at times, making me give the movie a 7/10 rating.
Uncharted Movie Review
By Conor McCarthy
Video games adaptations to film have a terrible reputation and not very many are good or even watchable. Some bad video game movies out there consist of Doom (2005), Mortal Kombat (2021), Silent Hill (2006) or Assassin's Creed (2016). These are all awful adaptations of their respective game franchises. Uncharted is a mediocre movie with a decent plot and good action scenes with good CGI and acting but being someone who has had prior experience with its source material, I have problems with some aspects of the movie. One of my main problems is the casting. The character Hector Sullivan or ‘Sully’ is played by Mark Wahlberg but looks too young in comparison to the game, even in the original game when Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) was youngest, Sully was still depicted as old with clear grey hair. Some of the action scenes in the games were put directly in the movie, one of these is the stunt where Tom Holland got caught on cargo that was meant to be released out of the back of the plane, this came from Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, and in my opinion, it was depicted well with good CGI and cinematography. Coming from the games, Nathan Drake's personality fell off and although he isn’t a bad character, it also is not as faithful to the games as I would like. Additionally, Sully was depicted completely different to the games because they were trying to create a Victor Sullivan, someone who hasn’t been depicted in any other pieces of media before and in the end, we see character development that makes him more faithful to the games which I appreciate. Overall, I would give this move a 6/10. It has good CGI and acting but it isn't as faithful to the games as I and some other Uncharted fans would prefer but regardless, it still takes the cake for being one of the better video game adaptations in recent years.
Elden Ring Interview
By Ríon O'Neill and Senan Quinn
Elden Ring is FromSoftware’s most recent video game release, and it is already in contention for game of the year. In this interview with Rion, I inquired about his experience playing the game and his recommendations for new players who have bought it or are considering doing so.
Q1: How were you introduced to Elden Ring and were you familiar with this genre prior to playing it?
A1: I knew the game was being developed years prior to its release. I have played two games from the development team’s earlier work; I wasn’t an avid fan, but I appreciated the care they put into their games and enjoyed them
Q2: What were your first impressions of the game? Do you think the reputation of the developers creating difficult games influenced those first thoughts?
A2: I was anticipating something like the developer’s earlier work, Dark Souls, and it appeared to be those games on a larger scale. I think the reputation of FromSoftware impacted how I originally felt about Dark Souls, the first game of the developers which I played but I don't think it has any influence anymore
Q3: Have your thoughts on the game changed or expanded since then? If so, how do you feel about it now?
A3: I no longer think it is quite the same as Dark Souls, but the inspiration is apparent in the gameplay. I was hoping a few issues I had with their previous work would be changed for the better too and I wouldn’t say the game addresses a lot of those key issues, but it can compensate with additional features which are great and polishing some already good mechanics their games had. I’d say some of the key issues I’ve had are problems with the camera and the performance of the game
Q4: How do you think Elden Ring compares to other games in the current industry?
A4: I think other game studios should take notes from Elden Ring’s overwhelmingly positive critical reception and success. I’d say this game differs from most other mainstream games in some way, they have released the game in a good state without many glitches or bugs, it trusts the player to learn by themselves and does not hold their hand through the experience and they don’t ask any more money of you than the original price you paid. It’s apparent the people who made this game do it just for that, to make games and aren’t just interested in making a profit by making a half-finished product built to be as accessible as possible at the expense of quality to take as much money possible from its fans. I think that way of making games won’t be sustainable long term
Q5: Many journalists have voiced their concerns about the accessibility of the game due to its difficulty, what do you think of this debate of creating alternatives for players who may struggle?
A5: I think the difficulty is part of the experience, it’s not a purposeless decision the developers made, a large part of this genre’s identity is the struggle and triumph after each obstacle you face. I don’t think the difficulty is a problem because while the game is hard, it is also fair. Any negative consequences you face are only caused by a fault of your own and I don’t think you could take away one of the game’s defining traits and appeals
Q6: Would you recommend Elden Ring to new players, and what would you recommend it out of ten?
A6: If this were any other game made by FromSoftware, I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone, those aren’t as accessible to all players and are made for a specific demographic, but I think Elden Ring has made a meaningful change in that regard, it offers a lot more variation in how you can approach each challenge presented to you and if you get stuck at a certain point, you can leave and do another challenge the world of Elden Ring has to offer, this was never an option in prior titles so I would recommend Elden Ring to the average person if they’re familiar with games. Elden Ring is close to perfect to me in almost all regards so while I do have minor complaints, they are miniscule considering how much they are outweighed so I’d give it a 10/10 rating.
From what I gathered in my interview with Rion, Elden ring is made with former fans of the souls' games looking for a new challenge in mind, but if new players are willing to put in the hours, they will be able to reach a level where they will be able to progress in the game regardless of their skill. This game truly does live up to the hype and it wouldn’t surprise me or many others if it won game of the year.
Here is the soundtrack for Elden Ring, we hope you enjoy!
Editing team: Rion O'Neill, Robert Wallace, Cian Kelly. Photography: Robert Wallace. Videos sourced om YouTube. Images found through Google.
Credits:
Created with images by jarmoluk - "soccer ball stadium" • David Fuentes - "rugby kids match"