Reviews

REVIEWdeadpooltwo578/600

Deadpool Two

By Reese Aronin

Ryan Reynolds has done it again, but better! Deadpool two is action packed, and filled with profanity to ensure the audience stayed engaged. The unusual structure of the movie keeps the audience both interested and on edge. With a whopping 125 million dollars grossed domestically in the box office on opening weekend, Deadpool Two surpassed Avengers: Infinity War by more than ten million dollars showing people’s desire to be wowed once again by the creators of the movie. Rotten Tomatoes locked in the success of the sequel with an 83 percent freshness rating making Deadpool Two a must see.

Deadpool AKA Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a superhero who got his powers from the experiments of evil scientist Ajax. The experiments left Deadpool with a grotesque face and “accelerated healing powers”. Deadpool One concludes with the killing of Ajax, and the reunitment of Wade Wilson and his former lover Vanessa. The sequel continues with Wade and Vanessa continuing their life together… that is until evil strikes once again.

Deadpool Two follows Wade Wilson as he attempts to save the fate of a young Mutant in order to get his “heart” in the right place… whatever that means. Along the way, he ends up in the company of some members of the X-men. Director David Leitch even added a nice touch by including the actual cast of X-men for a split second. The occasional crack at Hugh Jackman was also welcome and entertaining. The majority of the movie is comedic however heartstrings are pulled during certain scenes so there’s something for the romantics who were dragged to the movie as well. At the end of the day, the events that take place are all done for Vanessa. Although the plot follows Marvel’s complex three “multiverses”, it is not necessary to be familiar with superhero history in order to enjoy Deadpool Two. There is something in it for everyone.

The length of the film seeed appropriate, and didn’t feel as if it was dragged too long. The movie progressed as it should have while keeping the audience hooked. Some argue that the constant jokes wore them down, but I would have to disagree. The movie is a success because of the filthy humor, and absurd characters. It wouldn’t be Deadpool without these aspects. Honestly, I approached the movie expecting it to be similar to the first movie, and it surpassed the first movie in my opinion, it hit all the marks. I applaud the writers for not creating a super serious action packed movie about killing hundreds of people, it isn’t as entertaining to watch. The jokes add a barrier so that the film doesn’t get boring and repetitive like so many superhero movies tend to do.

The infamous closing credits do not disappoint either. Audience members were waiting in their seats for more even after two extra scenes. Judging by the “oohs” and “ahhs” in the crowd, the audience was entertained by the triple finale. Ryan Reynolds’ wisecracks never seemed to disappoint.

At the end of the day, Deadpool Two was an entertaining movie. I would not bring a young child to see it, because some of the jokes maybe a little inappropriate, but it’s fair game to anybody a little older with a sense of humor. If you happen to find yourself with a free two hours, and need a good laugh, head to the movie theater and buy a ticket to Deadpool Two!






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REVIEWaniramen745/600-800
By: Olivia Marcus
The Ramen Craze: Ani Ramen House

Scrolling through Instagram and seeing pictures of delicious food is very common these days. Many different restaurants are starting to get business and press through social media. For one, ramen has become a big trend and can be seen through Instagram on many occasions. One big restaurant that has been getting credit for this food craze is Ani Ramen. This chain restaurant has locations in Montclair and Jersey City and is known for their hip and “eye-friendly” dishes.

Ramen can be described as Japanese noodles, typically served in a broth with meat and vegetables. It can be dressed in a variety of ways, based on the liking of the consumer. Ani Ramen in Montclair serves six varieties of ramen, including a vegetarian bowl. Each of them can be served with a different broth: chicken, vegetable, pork bone broth, or even brothless. Each of the six come with different meats and vegetables.

Ramen is not the only delicious dish sold at Ani Ramen though. They are also known for their pork buns. These buns are commonly seen through social media and are absolutely scrumptious. An article from the New York Times by Fran Schumer says, “Like many of the newer, more innovative pork buns, this one, too, includes interesting ingredients like cabbage, mayonnaise, scallions and pickled cucumber. But what distinguishes it is the care taken in its preparation. The bun, for example, is the perfect mix of soft and hard (you wish you had a pillow exactly like it), and instead of using Hellman’s to make its spicy miso mayonnaise, the kitchen favors the Japanese Kewpie brand, beloved by many ramen chefs (perhaps because of the flavor the monosodium glutamate in it imparts).” The flavor is very unique and not like your everyday Japanese dish. These buns also come with shrimp and tofu. All of the appetizers on the menu are delicious, but the crispy pork gyoza is to die for! The dipping sauce is superb and serves as a great starter before the meal.

The environment of the restaurant is very hip. It is a dark and crowded restaurant, but it is very groovy and good for an outing with a group of friends. There is usually a wait to get seated in Ani Ramen because of how popular it is. Some parties wait up to 40 minutes to be seated. Since the location of the restaurant is right in the heart of Montclair, many people walk around and shop while waiting for their table. Some people dispute over whether or not the wait was worth the meal. In my opinion, I would say it was because of the quality and variety of the food. One down side about the restaurant is that they will not wrap up your meal to go if you do not finish. Since the bowls of ramen are on the bigger side, it can be frustrating that you cannot bring your leftovers home with you. 

The prices at Ani Ramen are reasonable, although some of the entrees are on the higher side. The appetizers range from about $3-$6 and the entrees range from about $10-$20. The service at the restaurant is good, but not great. The waiters and waitresses come to take your order shortly after getting seated, but after that, the service is average.

There are many places that are similar to Ani Ramen and serve the same dishes. For one, Inspiration Roll in Westfield, New Jersey is a similar restaurant. They also serve a variety of different ramen dishes and get publicity due to this trending dish on social media. After trying both, I would say Ani Ramen was the better restaurant because there was more variety on their menu. Along with the delicious ramen, they serve amazing appetizers and side dishes, like the pork buns. At Inspiration Roll, there wasn’t much variety and the ramen was not as tasty as Ani Ramen. The flavor of the ramen was not as strong and delightful and the environment was not as cool and happening. The ingredients at Ani Ramen are all very fresh and put together perfectly. I did not see this at Inspiration Roll, although their ramen was yummy as well. Ani Ramen is seen as one of the best in the field of ramen. “I have tried ramen from different Japanese places and Ani Ramen was by far the best,” said Annie Pasternak, ‘20.

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