Working hard all semester, the ISU ChakRaas dance club is preparing for a traditional Indian Raas and modern Garba dances for the upcoming performances.

ChakRaas president and senior in chemical engineering, German Parada, originally from Bogota, Colombia, is working hard to help prepare the club to perform for the Global Gala in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union.

“We have been practicing for quite sometime, since the beginning of the semester,” Parada said. “We actually practice twice a week.”

Parada said he is very excited to actually be incorporating garba, a very high-energy and modern style and rhythm compared to their usual style, which is very traditional.

Club member Divya Navi said she enjoys all of the practices, friends and exciting choreography and is looking forward to the upcoming shows as well.

“This is only my second semester at [Iowa State], and since being in ChakRaas it’s like you’re part of a bigger family,” Navi said. “It’s a whole new experience every time we perform. I know what it feels like to be onstage with the group, but it’s always different with each performance I feel like.”

To keep track of these dances, Ishani Panda, senior in architecture, is the choreographer for ChakRaas. He creates a mix of several famous songs. The mix is five to six minutes long.

“The last time we performed was last semester at Diwali,” Parada said. “We have a whole new routine this semester and we are very excited to perform.”

Navi explained that the choreography changes with every song they perform to.

“Practices are there to help shape our dancing skills, and the choreography is different with every song. Ishani and Yesha are the choreographers. I don’t know how they do it, but they think of some great choreography,” Navi said.

With 10 members, the ChakRaas club works very hard each semester to have a new and exciting routine to perform with colorful and native attire to showcase.

“ The clothes we use to perform in are usually natice gujrati clothing,” said Kumar Ayushman, club member and senior in industrial engineering.

Navi explained the typical dress attire for a woman.

“The women wear a typical Gagra Choli; it’s like a three-piece dress. We have the blouse, which is embroidered and colorful, teamed with a flared, skirt-like bottom, and a dupatta. The whole outfit is decorated with beads, shells, mirrors and stars. All in all the dresses are beautiful,” Navi said.

Ending the semester in style with their native attire and new choreography the ChakRaas club will also be performing Saturday, April 20, 2013, for Veishea.

And looking ahead to next semester current club members are already excited for the fall season and recruiting new members who love to dance.

“Honestly speaking, I wasn’t willing to join at first until Jai Yi and Vivek came to me and asked me. So until you actually experience ChakRaas, you won’t know what it’s like to be part of this dance team. So if you like dancing, then join ChakRaas you won’t regret it,” Navi said.

It has come to the point that if I see a preview for a movie that features a predominantly large African American cast, I assume it was made (or produced/presented) by Tyler Perry. I had that thought when I first saw the trailer for “Temptation: Confessions Of A Marriage Counselor,” and again when I saw “Peeples,” which looks like a “Meet The Parents” remake.

And it pisses me off.

Why? I am mad that Tyler Perry is apparently the ONLY person doing this. There is a lot of (justified) dislike for Tyler Perry movies in general, but if anything we can say he is doing a lot for his community in the entertainment industry and he should be rewarded for it. But please, please, someone else join in. Maybe take the reins from him. Then I won’t have to see movies like this one.

The movie begins at a government office with a marriage counselor, and a couple coming in to possibly divorce. Why? Well, secretly, the wife has found another love and is making her man miserable. Well, you need to hear the story about the marriage counselor’s “sister”, Judith (Jurnee Smollett-Bell). She grew up with Brice (Lance Gross), fell in love with him, and they have been married for years! He’s a pharmacist, and she has a masters in something or another.

With that degree, all she did was land herself in some high-class matchmaking firm, helping come up with the matching algorithms, through psychology and stuff. Harley (Robbie Jones) is a programmer who created the third biggest social network website (oh man!) and wants to invest in the company. But maybe, just maybe, he wants to invest himself in Judith.

Judith’s mother taught her how to be a good wife. Cook meals for her man, always be there for him, not to be swayed by fast cars and money. Fast cars and money are the devil! Well, the devil is so tempting!

There is a side story of a new girl (Brandy Norwood) at Brice’s pharmacy, who is super secretive, and maybe on the run from an abusive ex-boyfriend. Also “featuring” Kim Kardashian as the “Bitch from Judith’s work,” Vanessa Williams as their boss, and Renee Taylor as the bigoted old white lady.

Well, everything that happens in this movie is predictable. Nothing will come as a shock. It does, however, escalate so much out of control that there is a chance multiple people could die! Who knew that being an adulterer could lead to death. What is this, “Mean Girls?”

The end is a complete mess. Not the actual end where the climax occurs, but the slower part afterwards, when you remember that this entire thing was a story from a government-issued marriage counselor. The girl who was fooling around is literally left crying from the story and agrees to never give in to the temptation of another man and love her husband forever. Wait, what?!

I guess that was an easy enough solution to everyone’s problems.

But back to the movie. The acting wasn’t that great, but you knew that when you saw that Kardashian was billed third overall. It moves far too slowly at the beginning, and it is a predictable drab overall. I was actually excited to watch this film because, as I have said before, Tyler Perry is good at dramas! But that was only using “For Colored Girls” as my only TP Drama reference, and it wasn’t an original work of his. My bad, maybe action is his best role?

1/5.

I’ve got to say one thing before I write anything else: Lil Wayne is irrelevant, to me at least. I’m probably harsher than I should be on a guy who’s dealt with prison by getting chopped and screwed by any means necessary since his release. Codeine, sizzurp, lean, whatever you want to call it, has been the death of Weezy.

The least conceptual album Wayne has ever put out, “I Am Not a Human Being II“ plays as another “beat that p***y up” compilation set to the tune of a life no human could possibly believe exists.

“Love Me,” one of the album’s singles, wouldn’t be anything without Future and Drake. Future’s typically indiscernible hooks are easy to mumble along to and can be found a stones throw away on many of the bigger mixtapes that have come out this year. The chorus is simple, but kind of effective because of how little he cares, I think: “I’m on that good kush and alcohol/ I got some down bitches I can call/ I don’t know what I would do without ya’ll/ I’mma ball til the day I fall.”

Also, “Hot Relover” rises from the dead (it was released years ago)  and shows up near the end of the LP. It got reworked a little, but for the love of God, make it stop!

Rikers had a bigger impact on his music career than anyone could ever have predicted. I think what I’m trying to say is that I am fully past the point of expecting to be impressed by any of Wayne’s new material. I used to sit in my room and skip meals in anticipation of one of his mixtapes dropping with a countdown. Now, I’m all “spaghetti and meatballs you say? OK, I’ll be right down. I could eat.”

With this release came a different Lil Wayne. A high schooler trying way to hard to get caught up on all of his homework in a single day. Do I think he would be riding this current trend if he had never gone to prison? 100 percent no. The fact that this is the reality right now sickens me.

The music world changed too suddenly, too unpredictably. Artists can now ride waves bigger than themselves into territories unbeknownst to past artists with the same skillset and approach to music. Thanks to the internet, anything is possible. Lil Wayne’s life had been undisguised and well-documented, but people no longer need to emulate him to reach the top.

After listening, the first thought I had was, “How long did it take him to put this goddamn project together? A month? A few weeks? Is there a shred of originality? If I’m a producer sitting in the studio with Weezy, and I’m listening to each of these tracks being churned out (especially “Hello”), how could I actually find it within myself to be all like “YEAH THAT SOUNDS TIGHT WAYNE. OH YOU WANT TO THROW A SKATERBOARDER ON THE TRACK TOO? OK THAT SOUNDS TIGHT.” I honestly need help trying to think of a good time to listen to this track.

“I Am Not a Human Being II” barely breaks ground on anything worth giving a second thought in my very humbled opinion. For something else fresh, check out Tyler, The Creator’s new album “Wolf,” guaranteed to be better and more creative in about every way a music nerd could possibly imagine.

I could interject the whole “music is heard different by everyone” argument, but I honestly think this project isn’t worth purchasing. Throw me a comment below if you disagree and we’ll discuss.

1 measly star/5

The official announcement of a new and anticipated video game is always something we gamers look forward too. Personally, I was ecstatic a few days ago leading up to the reveal of “Battlefield 4’s” first gameplay. Let’s see what I thought of the presentation and what we’ve seen so far.

The big star of Battlefield.com is obviously the 17-minute “Fishing in Baku” mission. The gameplay says it is recorded from a PC, which can be confirmed by the stellar graphics and the “E” and “F” commands that pop up. Who knows how great the graphics will be on the next generation of consoles, but I expect them to be downright disappointing and maybe even awful on the current gen. Yes, this game is releasing for 360 and PS3 as well as PC. But no, I will not be purchasing it for any of those. Before it was even announced, I knew I would be purchasing “Battlefield 4″ for the next Xbox, and I’ll stick to that, whenever that may be.

Back to the mission and what we can see. First of all, yes, the graphics are stunning. They don’t nearly make as big of a leap as “Frostbite 2″ did, but the new “Frostbite 3″ engine still looks incredible, with some significant changes leaping out immediately. There are more particles, more things on screen to render, and even better lighting than “Battlefield 3.” Gone are the insane amounts of blue tint and sun flare, at least for the mission shown. One of the many complaints about “Battlefield 3″ (and I stand behind this) was that everything was too saturated with blue tint and that nothing had real color. Of course, war is seldom colorful, but the monotone of “Battlefield 3″ was boring for so many people.

Destruction looks just average in the gameplay. I didn’t see anything done that we couldn’t do in “Battlefield 3,” which is extremely disappointing given how lackluster the destruction became when switching from “Bad Company 2″ to “Battlefield 3.” Yes, some things collapsed, but it was all part of the set pieces of the mission. I want to see some true destruction that is not meant to happen at a certain point. I’m sure we’ll (hopefully) get that thirst quenched when they show some multiplayer, but I was sad when all I saw was cinematic destruction in the gameplay. Other than that, small walls, wood and concrete can all be blasted away with explosives or peppered with bullets till they crumble.

Enemies look exactly the same as in “Battlefield 3.” I mean exactly. Also, the knife killing animation is exactly the same. I know this is probably Alpha footage, but wow, that felt lazy. At least the enemies looked very impressive in the way they moved and tripped and repositioned themselves when the player entered the house; that was pretty cool and realistic.

I watched this gameplay to see some basic aspects of the game, not to care about the single player. “Battlefield” is a multiplayer game, and that’s what I really care about. Seeing what I have so far, though… All I have to say is that I really hope some things change or some things are at least added. I want this to be a revolutionary “Battlefield” that fixes all problems of “Battlefield 3.” It’s up to Dice to listen to their fans on this one, so only time will tell.

I actually was going to save this to review for next week, but I couldn’t help myself. I’ve always been a pretty big fan of the “Monster Hunter” series but it’s been a while since I’ve been able to play one. Since it’s an extended version of “Monster Hunter Tri” (for the Wii) I didn’t have any doubts about how good it would be, but I was interested in seeing how they would make the game work with the console shift. So far my experience only speaks for the 3DS version, and “Monster Hunter 3: Ultimate” did not disappoint at all.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with how the game works, it’s an action strategy game that makes the player rely on their skill and knowledge to win. You don’t get experience or level up, instead you collect materials and/or money and get new gear that will help you be more proficient in, well, hunting “monsters”. These “monsters” aren’t some kind of source of evil though, they’re abnormal wild animals that you hunt to help keep the village you belong to thriving (as well as make a profit for yourself). So really, it’s not so much hunting monsters as it is hunting and gathering, only you get cool stuff to do it.

As soon as I started the game, I started to collect materials to make the next best set of armor and dual swords (my preferred weapon of choice while soloing). The game does a great job at making me feel as though I’m growing as a player even though I don’t have an experience bar, and it keeps me entertained with plenty of side things to do. Along with the quests you do, there are also co-op quests, free roaming, farming/fishing, and even the ability to play in a challenge course against monsters with whatever gear the game gives you. Normally I’m never too compelled to play a challenge game like that, but your highest scores are saved and put on a leader board with your friends, and I think it’s fun to compete like that in games.

I mention playing with friends, and this game does have coop play, however I haven’t had the luxury of trying it out on the 3DS yet. I’m not sure why, but only the WiiU version of this game has online compatibility. The 3DS only has local multiplayer, which makes sense since it’s a portable console (and I imagine that they’re trying to support people hanging out in person rather than being online all the time). For me, this meant that I couldn’t try it out. I’ve played this game’s multiplayer before and know enough about it to say that it definitely makes the game a lot more fun. But if you’re like me and don’t always have the ability to hang out with other people interested in this game, then the WiiU title may be a better choice (plus 1080p so why not?).

The game delivered exactly what I thought it would, and I love it. Although I wish the 3DS also had online multiplayer, I don’t mind finding the time to hang out with my friends (or street-passing people on campus to find more guild cards). If you like action role-playing gameplay but hate level grinding, this game is for you. It’s all about the equipment, strategy, and the player’s skill. Although your arsenal of equipment may take time to build up, as long as you let your strategy evolve and skill grow, you’ll be a great hunter in no time.

5/5

The voices of Emma Stone, Nicholas Cage and Ryan Reynolds come together with heart-warming animation in “The Croods.”

“The Croods” is a film about a dysfunctional Stone Age family forced to leave their home and travel to a new land filled with beautiful new creatures and a waiting journey.

The father, played by Nicholas Cage, helps the modern-day audience relate to where he is coming from as he leads his family away from their destroyed home into an unknown land. The daughter, played by Emma Stone, is an adventurous and vivacious girl who longs to make a place in the world for herself.

Is this beginning to sound familiar? It should, because it is almost the same story line as many of the classic Disney princess movies.

As the family embarks on their journey, they encounter a young man who is very imaginative and creative. This young man, Ryan Reynolds, helps the family reach their destination, whisking them away from danger and change that is soon going to impact the entire world.

Throughout the movie, the dysfunctional family fades away and becomes one solid unit that the daughter fully embraces. With the simple, innocent love between Reynolds’ and Stone’s characters, this movie is simply adorable.

Although cute, this is not necessarily a date movie, or one you would want to grab your bros and head to. This movie is definitely one I would suggest waiting to purchase when it comes out on DVD. Not worth the extra expense of seeing it in the theater unless you are seeing it in 3D. In that case, because of the cool effects, I would suggest checking it out.

This movie is not for the college-student audience. It is definitely one I would take my nephew to go and see. Although it was cute and had some “A-list” celebrity voices, if I had a choice between this film and another one, it definitely wouldn’t be this one.

2/5 stars

I expected “Dishonored” to blow me away with gameplay, graphics and functionality in the city of Dunwall. After a week with the game, let’s see how well it lived up to my expectations.

“Dishonored” is a framed-guy-gone-rogue game, and the story is semi-engaging at best. I honestly just saw it as an excuse to get the player to as many different locations as possible, and in that sense the game really succeeded. I loved the variety of places I was allowed to go. I say “allowed” because the game is not open world as I expected. Instead, each part of Dunwall is revealed to you in the form of a mission, which is, simply put, like a miniature open world. However, there are so many way to accomplish your goals and maneuvers in each mission that it still felt somewhat like a sandbox.

Speaking of maneuverability, leaping around rooftops and alleyways is so much fun. By far, the Blink ability granted to you is the one you’ll use most, as it lets you effortlessly outpace and outsmart your enemies and obstacles. I loved blinking 30 yards right behind an enemy, assassinating him and then appearing on the rooftops before his body even hit the ground. This is where the game really shows its potential — when you feel like you are in complete control. Every so often I would feel as awesome as the guy running around in the trailer.

Though I didn’t enjoy the save system at first (it’s like “Skyrim” and “Fallout’s,” where it’d pretty much up to you to save and if you don’t, you’re gonna have a bad time), I got used to it just like I did in Bethesda’s other games. Later on, you’ll really appreciate being able to save at any time, despite the potential cost of forgetting and having to redo lots of work.

Upgrading is pretty simplistic, and I was surprised with the lack of gear customization and variety in the game. This definitely feels like the first of a series, which only made me happier when Arkane and Bethesda announced that it would get a sequel. I can’t wait to see what they do with the next one, but this was a valiant start. It’s engaging and deep enough to warrant searching for cash and upgrade items (called runes), but this is no “Skyrim” crafting system. I’m not saying it has to be that elaborate, but the fact that I can’t even change my sword, which is always equipped, is a bit disappointing.

I am enjoying my time with “Dishonored” and would surely recommend it as a rent, but not as a buy. If it were more open world, that may change, but replayability is limited to just going through the missions again, with the same buildings and enemies as the first time. This is another thing that would be a welcome addition for the sequel.

All in all, “Dishonored” is a great game and has made sure I keep an eye out for more news on it.

“Dishonored” gets a 4/5

After taking gold in the 100 meter in London last year, Usain Bolt predictably caped his country’s flag over his back and galloped around the track for the world to see. This demonstration followed a remarkably gutsy performance that ultimately revealed what happens when an athlete steps up right when the doubters figured it much less than a guarantee.

In the same way, I picture Kendrick Lamar humbly, yet ferociously, standing atop the podium accepting roars from the crowd as tokens of thanks for what he has just audibly bestowed upon our ears. Yes, you read the title correct. Kendrick has linked with Hov for a lively remix to his original track off of “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.”

The newly released remix is indisputably Kendrick’s victory lap around the track, cementing his place among the elite, and among greats like Jay-Z. Kendrick throws in a few new verses that are remarkably refreshing. He even declares his goal to be the “God MC.” Jay, while riding shotgun on the track, yields the majority of the spotlight to Kendrick as he notably boasts “No, I don’t ‘member you/ I don’t intend to…” The rest of his verse is simply pure magic.

The track first popped up at the Austin, Texas-hosted South by Southwest festival. Amid rumors of the track’s existence, word spread like wildfire across Twitter and most of the major music blogs. It was a low-quality version that had people, myself included, scouring the web for a download link. Without luck, I hastily retreated back to my copy of “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City,” fearing a long wait ahead of me. But I am happy to say now that an official remix has since been released and is available for mass consumption.

K-Dot was recently named MTV News’ “Hottest MC in the Game.” During an interview at Hot 97 in NY, Lamar, while still excited about the recognition, reminded fans, “I love the stamp of being the hottest. It’s a cool thing. It’s a great thing for the time being. But my whole focus is on longevity in the game.”

5/5 stars

If you had to say anything about “Dead Man Down,” you would say that it had guts. It came out the same weekend as “Oz the Great and Powerful,” meaning it must not actually care about the money. It must be an artsy film! Just watch the trailer; I actually want you to for once. Yeah, little bit artsy, doesn’t really give anything major away. I think the trailer is fantastic: beautiful music and no annoying narrator.

But the last time I saw a kick ass, artsy, action movie trailer, “Killing Them Softly“ happened.

From the trailer you would hear a few lines about deception, the loss of a family and a traitor. This film definitely involves some of these keywords, but I just don’t want to fully describe it. Really, I went in knowing nothing and felt like I probably enjoyed it more for that reason.

But here is some character information to not leave you completely in the dark. Beatrice (Noomi Rapace) used to be a beautician, but got into a car accident that severely messed up her face. It hurts to smile now, and it’s hard to make others feel pretty at that point, so her life is basically over. It sounds superficial, but you will get it. The man who hit her drunk driving got only three weeks in jail. She now lives with her going-deaf mother (Isabelle Huppert) and is pretty mad.

Across the street lives Victor (Colin Farrell), a secretive man. Secretive men have secretive pasts. He works for a local gang leader, Alphonse (Terrence Howard), who has been receiving death threats for more than three months and pictures of himself with his eyes crossed out. Kind of creepy. Victor joined about six months before this started, along with a fellow new recruit, Darcy (Dominic Cooper).

That sounds like a fine enough plot description for me, at least.

Holy character development, Batman!

Seriously, wow. It is almost like every character in the movie was treated like a real individual and not a complete stereotype. Okay, sure, there were some stereotypical henchmen or bad guys, but even a few of them had their moments as well. Color me surprised.

Despite not being an action-packed movie on its own, I would say it has enough to keep me interested. The acting for everyone involved was also great. Colin Farrell is getting a rep as a box office bomb, but that’s just because the “Total Recall” remake was bad, and for this movie, they went out against a juggernaut.

I fully recommend “Dead Man Down,” as I feel it is a complete movie experience. It is able to tell a realistic enough story, is not special effects driven and has a great performance by everyone in the cast. There is a little bit of “supermanning” at the end of the film, but by then it is pretty worth it.

5/5

Something in me was so excited to see a prequel for “The Wizard of Oz.” I watched that movie over and over as a child and even as I grew older. Though as a little kid I would hide from the scenes with the monkey bats and those frightened me; now I think they are awesome.

But anyway, I assumed “Oz the Great and Powerful” would be somewhere close to as good as at least the adapted for stage version of “Wicked.” The actual book is way better than any theater production, but the book being better tends to be the standard when it comes to film and theater.

Well, you know what happens when you assume…

“Oz the Great and Powerful” is good. It was fantastically beautiful to look at. I actually enjoyed the movie in 3-D, more so than any other 3-D film of late.

But the plot was more predictable than necessary and a bit ho-hum overall. It is targeted at families with little kids. Maybe had it been a musical, it would have been something. But as it stands, I wanted a bit more of an adult theme a la the plot of “Wicked.”

James Franco was OK as Oz. Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz were fine as well Glinda and Evanora, respectively. Mila Kunis was probably the best part as Theodora, and she was still nothing to write home about. Actually, I thought Kunis was a bit too sexy when transformed into the green meany.

And because I am a “Family Guy” fan, as with what occurs whenever I see Kunis, my mind kept seeing her character Meg and hearing Peter saying, “Shut up Meg,” whenever Kunis uttered a line. This doesn’t really take away from films, but it does make me giggle at some odd times when she is on screen. Hopefully Seth MacFarlane will make some references in future episodes.

I think Franco was just not enough of the Great and Powerful Oz I remember from childhood. Rumor has it Robert Downey Jr. was offered the role but turned it down. Had he taken it, maybe the movie would have resonated better.

Sam Raimi really does capture that old feel of film that the first trip to Oz with Dorothy Gale had, even with all the CGI. The movie will make kids happy and could, for better or worse, even make a remake of “The Wizard of Oz” an idea not absolutely terrible.

The whole movie is a worthwhile family film that might spawn further films to create the whole world of Oz and more information into the back-stories of the witches, and should be applauded for being a well-done prequel. But if you wanted something “Wicked”-esque, then look somewhere else.

The new trip to Oz was just too child-like for me. As I keep mentioning, I am a “Wicked” fan and want my kid-style movies to have a bit more of the adult humor and themes that appear in the various “Muppet” movies.

Luckily, a “Wicked” movie adaptation is still floating around the Hollywood studios, so maybe my opinion of “Oz the Great and Powerful” will go up if the “Wicked” screenplay receives a green light. Provided the adaptation is as adult-themed as the novel.