2024 Recap

Well, we’re now on the last day of 2024, and we have certainly experienced plenty of highs and lows throughout the year, have we not?

Ever since I commented on the outcome of each year since 2020, the paranoia and uncertainties of the COVID pandemic may officially be behind us. There’s barely any big talk about vaccinations outside of what could be potentially snuck in such vaccinations – and not just for COVID – and the amount of people walking around with a mask went from being a requirement to a necessity and, finally, to a rarity. Deep down, I knew we would have gone through this since the whole world managed to survive the Spanish Flu of 1918-1920, but where we’re at right now, outside of some setbacks here and there, it truly does feel like we’re slowly returning to normal.

That’s not to say that some discouraging events occurred throughout this year, however. And for neutrality’s sake, I will not dwell on anything concerning this year’s Presidential Election.

First, it’s a given, but we lost some remarkable actors who made a big difference in film and television.

To start, Rachel Lillis, who we may know as having done the English voices of Misty and Jessie from Pokémon, passed away from breast cancer, and even more discouragingly, she was young-ish at 55 years old. Whenever I reflect on the characters I spoke of from Pokémon, I always think back to how expertly Lillis portrayed each character and how she conveyed enough tonal subtleties to hone each of their personalities to a tee. Of course, this was during Pokémon’s 4Kids era, but still, it is a profound loss.

Another remarkable actress who sadly left this world was Dame Maggie Smith. I know she was exceptional with her acting throughout most of her life – in fact, her career spanned as far back as the 1960s – but I remember her calmness and sophistication every time she played her roles. While I’m not familiar with her work in Downton Abbey yet, I remember her for her work in Sister Act and, most importantly, Harry Potter, where she played Professor McGonagall. What she brought to each role felt like a class in and of itself, so at least she left behind a prosperous background of acting at its most refined.

But in my opinion, the biggest gut punch was the death of James Earl Jones. I wasn’t sure how long he would have upheld his acting talents in his early 90s, but whether I cared about his age at that point or not, I was still amazed by what he had established throughout his long and illustrious career. I remember him quite well as Mr. Mertle from The Sandlot, and he was also famous in films like Field of Dreams and plays like August Wilson’s Fences. However, the two roles that propelled him into superstardom are Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise and Mufasa in The Lion King franchise. What he brought forth to each role carried a distinction and prowess that lent each character their recognizable status and thus contributed generously to the immortalizing legacy each franchise left behind, and rightfully so. James Earl Jones was such a distinguished actor, and to lose him so soon still stings. He and the others I mentioned will be missed.

What I’m about to highlight next may sound insignificant, considering this was more of a case of doing a bullet, but I still have to address it.

Earlier this year, the news sprouted forth about a rogue climate activist group – what is their name? No one cares because of this – who attempted to spread awareness of climate change, only they did so through public vandalism. Their latest target, however, was Stonehenge, which they somewhat desecrated with another one of their damn visual preachings via vandalism, thus making this a case of spraying things where they should never belong. Whenever I see someone vandalizing something so priceless and so beautiful out of spite or to send some designated message across, I see that as crossing the line. Once that crime is committed, I see those responsible for it as worth targeting sooner rather than later, and whatever shred of dignity they may have had dissipated once they committed it under the delusion that it would have scared people into submission to their cause.

Fortunately, however, detectives assured that the spray paint applied onto the monument was orange cornflour, which isn’t expected to last long before it’s washed away by incoming rain and shall leave nothing behind on the stone surface. In addition, the police caught up to them in the nick of time and arrested two of the activists for their vandalism of the historic landmark. Thank God there are still people out there who would have immediately sprung into action whenever such atrocities as this were to occur! Personally, it wasn’t enough arrests, but it’s a start.

I just pray that this was not Stonehenge’s first vandalization and that this 4500-year-old monument withstood many further vandalisms before as each one wore off from its stony surface.

But as unforgivable as that was, it’s not as unimaginable as what I will highlight next. This is the only shred of the 2024 Presidential Election I feel comfortable addressing because it demonstrates how the actions committed extend beyond the basic political warmongering.

I, of course, am referring to the assassination attempt on Donald Trump on July 13. I understood that Donald Trump is a controversial figure, but to see such tensions across America coming to a boil and reaching the point where people looked at life attempts on Donald Trump as the logical choice is as disheartening as it is frightening.

What happened was, in the middle of Trump’s campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, a sniper named Matthew Crooks aimed at Donald Trump from the roof of a nearby building, and it was said that had Trump not turned his head, the bullet that was fired would’ve burrowed its way into his head and killed him by now. Instead, once Trump turned his head around, all that the bullet pierced was his right ear. Thankfully, his bodyguards quickly responded, tracked down the sniper, and shot him instantaneously while Trump was being carried off into safety. Sadly, however, it did result in one casualty, specifically of ex-fireman Corey Comperatore. His family and friends will forever be in our prayers for this chaotic turn of events.

Remember what I said about the more animalistic instincts of Americans and politicians coming to a boil in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington? This should explain what happens when you decide to wage war on someone or something out of petty vendettas.

But to add to the irony in my case, guess which movie I went to see in theaters the day after this attempted assassination occurred? Coincidentally enough, it would be Princess Mononoke.

I already purchased the ticket to see Princess Mononoke in advance, anyway, so I was looking forward to this since this is one of my favorite movies. But when I saw the news about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, it made me look at my forthcoming viewing of Princess Mononoke on the big screen with another level of anticipation, this time on a thematic level, that I didn’t expect.

I already talked about how this film is a masterpiece for its sensibly handled message of seeing past hatred and cruelty and assessing people and things with as much clearheadedness as possible. So, when I sat in the theater surrounded by everyone who flocked to see it for the same reason, I wondered how many of these people had come because of their familiarity with the film. And more intriguingly, how many of them came to see it because of its message and how crucial that was to remember in the wake of what happened the day before?

In addition, such assassination attempts weren’t restricted to just Donald Trump.

There was another killer, Luigi Mangione, who targeted and murdered Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, in New York, reportedly out of outrage against his supposed mishandling of healthcare services. To me, though it’s not as much earth-shattering news as the assassination attempts on Donald Trump, it still highlights the follies of acting out on your innermost rage and executing actions based purely on instinct and emotional rage-harboring rather than any logical proof of the victim’s alleged wrongdoings.

Of course, not everything that occurred in 2024 is as crazy as it sounded. Before I hop on over to some of the other significant events this year, let me hop back into movies for a minute and elaborate on what I consider a good kind of crazy. And this is news I’ve been meaning to get off my chest for quite some time now.

Inside Out 2, Disney and Pixar’s latest smash hit, officially broke the record for becoming the highest-grossing animated film ever. Inside Out 2 was already a phenomenal sequel due to its clever world-building, stunning animation, and relatable themes. But it fills me with joy, in a manner of speaking, to see this movie be given credit where credit is due and have it claim the crown from a so-called animated film. And I call it ‘so-called’ because it’s only an animated film by technicality.

But Inside Out 2? With its positive word-of-mouth and influential outreach, not to mention remaining 100% animated, this movie earned its place in such a prestigious pantheon. Disney and Pixar, where would you guys be without Inside Out 2?

Congratulations to the entire cast and crew for stunning the world with this enlightening film. And with no hesitation do I proudly say…

SUCK ON THAT, LIVE-ACTION LION KING!

Anyway, as for the real-world events, some enjoyable outings throughout 2024 brought everyone together. And what better way was there to achieve that than with the 2024 Summer Olympics held in Paris, France?

Admittedly, I’ve not followed enough of the Olympics to have had a full-on evaluation of the events at hand. But the sports, international fellowship, and extraordinary results amounted to an undeniably exciting competition as we watched all the proud Olympians from around the globe come together to display their talents, showing us what it took to cement their legacies with the medals they sought.

And despite what I’m about to highlight next being announced to have come through alongside this event only to be delayed until December, here’s where 2024 felt like it went out with a strong finish. If what Stonehenge went through earlier this year was a case of dodging a bullet, then what happened here was a borderline case of bringing something back from the dead.

On December 7, the iconic Notre Dame cathedral in Paris successfully reopened, resuming its long-standing glory with a new facade to match what had been lost when the cathedral caught fire on April 15, 2019. Atop the spire re-erected where the old one stood, it was adorned with a fitting symbol. On the tiptop of the spire is a golden statue of a phoenix, signifying the cathedral’s recession after it had gone in flames only to return to its former glory after some time. And all of this was brought forth thanks to the millions of dollars donated, including by Disney, to secure the cathedral from permanent destruction. Long live the Notre Dame cathedral!

Like every year, 2024 has had its ups and downs, but what this year left me thankful for is that we came dangerously close to having experienced something life-shattering and unimaginably catastrophic, only for certain people - not to mention body movements - to avert them and foil the intended plan of destruction. It is a good reminder of what we must do to ensure that nothing in this world falls into imminent chaos borne out of whatever petty desires someone else could harbor. It also taught us how to preserve what we cherish and hold so dear to us before they succumb to whatever harm may have fallen upon them.

So, as we prepare for 2025’s arrival, let’s keep these circumstances in mind as we welcome the new year with open arms and play our cards and advantages right with whatever we have and whoever we deal it out with.

Adieu, 2024, and let’s see what you’ve got, 2025!

Happy New Year!

Works Cited

Almendral, A. (2024, June 19). Stonehenge Sprayed Orange by Climate Protesters. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/stonehenge-climate-protesters-arrested-painting-monument-rcna157911

Nikkei Asia. (2024, July 17). Trump Assassination Attempt is Threat to Democracy. Nikkei Asia. https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/The-Nikkei-View/Trump-assassination-attempt-is-threat-to-democracy