We're now well into 2018, so it's time for my annual look at my 10 favorite movie characters from the previous year, as both a fanboy and a Christian.
All the same rules as in previous years apply: The characters are in no real order of preference. It can be any character from any movie from last year, be it a hero, a villain, or a supporting character. It can be an original character or a character adapted from some other media (Comics, tv shows, etc). It can be from any genre of movie. All of them, either in a "Be like them" way or as a "DON'T be like them" cautionary tale, help convey to me a valuable lesson on how to live for Christ, and hopefully I can do the same for all of you readers by telling you about them. However, there is one new element I'm adding this year: A couple characters on this year's list had appeared in previous films, but we learn more about them in the portrayals I talk about here.
Also, two other notifications I must put in:
1) DISCLAIMER! A couple of the movies I'll be mentioning are not fit for children, so do your homework before letting kids see them.
2) SPOILERS! I try not to give away too much to ruin the movies, but in some cases, I sadly needed to reveal key plot points to better show why I like these characters.
So, let's get started!
1. Billy Cranston, aka the Blue Ranger, 'Power Rangers.'
(Credit for this image goes to "Jamestheawesomefool13" on the Heroes Wiki)
I honestly did not particularly like the original 'Power Rangers' show as a kid. The Rangers as depicted in that were so annoying and one- dimensional, I remember as a kid I found myself rooting for the show's villains to find a way to kill them! Fortunately, in 2017's 'Power Rangers' movie, they avoided that. All of the Rangers in that were much more developed and easy to cheer on, and Billy most of all. Rather than just the stereotypical nerd he was in the original show, here he has a lot going for him; Yeah, he's still a tech genius and socially awkward, but he's also struggling with a lot, such as mourning the tragic death of his father, having an obsessive interest in the abandoned mine that his father died at, as well as the fact that he has Asperger's Syndrome with all the hardships that can come from that. As someone with Asperger's myself, I found including that detail about him in the movie was a wonderful touch. Plus, Billy ends up being the first of them to successfully "Morph" (Transform from his regular human form into his Power Ranger armor), owing to the compassion he feels for his new friends. He sees a couple of them have begun fighting among themselves for petty reasons, thrusts himself between them in order to break it up, and thus brings out his heroic nature and Morphs in the process. This can definitely communicate a theological message. Billy was the first one to Morph, not because of his courage or his brains (Though he did have both of those qualities in abundance), but because of his love and kindness within him shown by that act truly giving him the heart of a hero. Many verses in Scripture deal with this kind of love. Ephesians 4:2-3 says "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Proverbs 3:3-4 says "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man." So, there we have Billy, one character who'd make it easy for you to sing along with the theme song, "Go, go, Power Rangers!"
2. Diana/ Wonder Woman, 'Wonder Woman.'
(Credit for this image goes to "Catherinesebayang" on the Heroes Wiki)
Right from when I first saw her brief yet memorable appearance in 'Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice' (In fact, it was one of the only memorable things about that movie), I knew the current DC movie universe's version of Wonder Woman was going to be an amazing character, and in her own movie, she more than lived up to that. She was powerful, compassionate, and carried such a strong air through how she was written and especially Gal Gadot's performance. What I'd say is most prominent and unique about her is that she is a champion for peace. Her very existence and all her heroic acts were geared around spreading peace, bringing those who seek war and destruction to justice, and protecting mankind, especially the innocent and helpless. A really defining scene with her is when she and her allies find themselves on the German front in World War 1, on the edge of "No Man's Land." Her allies want to bypass the area because the German forces are so heavy, well- armed, and well- fortified there, but when Wonder Woman speaks to a woman whose village has been seized by those same German forces, she knows she must break right through it for the sake of helping all those people. In one of the most memorable film moments of last year, she pretty much single- handedly breaks through "No Man's Land," capturing the German trench there even as the enemy troops tried to concentrate all of their fire on her. Her courage, compassion, and devotion to serving humanity saw her through and ensured she wouldn't even let an entire army slow her down, and even inspired her allies and others to grow braver simply through watching her in action. This is pretty much a key example of putting into practice the lesson of Micah 6:8, in which we see that what God most desires from us as believers is to "Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God." Such should be how we strive to live, valuing justice, kindness, and humility in all that we do. An excellent lesson and example from an equally excellent heroine.
3. Rose Tico, 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi.'
(Credit for this image goes to "King Phelous" at the Heroes Wiki)
'The Last Jedi' was a great movie with a lot of incredible scenes and characters. One, however, who particularly stuck out for me was Rose Tico, a simple mechanic who becomes a pretty impressive hero in her own right (And considering that we've got the likes of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia in this, that's saying something). She helped bring both humor and heart to the movie in a great way. While instructed to guard the main ship's escape pod and prevent deserters from escaping, she encounters the hero Finn from the previous 'Star Wars' film. Upon recognizing him, she hilariously geeks out over meeting him, as she had heard about his great deeds from the first film and was a big fan. However, when she realizes he was planning to flee the ship (Albeit for a good reason), she is disillusioned with him and even renders him unconscious to stop him from leaving! From then on, she is put into positions in which she herself experiences what it's like to be a hero, repeatedly risking her own life to aid others (Including Finn, who she comes to see, instead of as an idol, as a friend and possible lover) and keep the new Rebel Alliance alive. Her disillusionment with Finn ties into Psalm 146:3. This verse states "Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation." It makes a good point; While we can of course have people we admire and look up to, from movie stars to politicians to athletes to ministers and priests, we must not put them on too high a pedestal, as they are flawed humans just like we are, and they often have their own skeletons in their closets. In the wake of the recent "Hollywood sexual harassment" movement that started last fall, a number of prominent figures in entertainment and politics (Including some whose work I greatly admire) were exposed as being capable of having major moral failings. We must know that salvation and deliverance can only truly come from God, and trusting in anything else is pointless. While Rose's fate in 'The Last Jedi' was left ambiguous so far, here's hoping she survives and appears in the next 'Star Wars' film to teach us more.
4. Yondu, 'Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2.'
(Credit for this image goes to "Darthranner83" on the Heroes Wiki)
Yondu may have appeared before, in the first 'Guardians of the Galaxy' movie, but I was so impressed with what they did with him in this sequel that I had to include him on the list. He on the one hand is much the same grumpy, short- fused space pirate that he was in the first film, but at the same time, he gains so much more depth in this one. We see more of the inner struggles he had. We learn that his fellow Ravagers (Basically, the kind of space pirate syndicate he was part of) view him as a disgrace, his own crew turn against him because they feel he's gone soft, he reveals his sad backstory, we discover that he sees a lot of himself in Rocket Raccoon and the two of them connect along those lines over the course of the film, and we see his heroic nature coming through and that he truly cared for Peter/ Star Lord all the time. We also gain a great scene of Yondu using his whistling- arrow weapon to wipe out his mutinous crew to the tune of the classic song 'Come a Little Bit Closer.' I've always said that song could make for a great, funny music video, and the way it's used in this awesome scene (Complete with a breathtaking full- chorus cover of its final refrain) is probably the closest I'll get to it. Plus, he gets to utter the now- famous line of "I'm Mary Poppins, y'all!" In the climax, Yondu ends up dying a hero's death to save the life of Peter, the young man he had come to view as a son. When word of his death spreads, the other branches of the Ravagers, including their highest commanders, come from all over the galaxy to honor Yondu's memory and give him a proper send- off. What follows is easily one of the best funeral scenes I can ever recall seeing in any movie. Between the gorgeous visuals, the emotional reactions from the characters (Peter's eulogy for him is simple and funny yet incredibly moving), and the brilliant use of Cat Stevens' song 'Father and Son,' it's a moment that would definitely necessitate having some tissues handy. Yondu's noble end and beautiful funeral evoke a couple important verses in Scripture. His brave self- sacrifice for Peter calls to mind my favorite Bible verse, John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." His funeral scene can also call to mind a little of the funeral given to King Saul and his sons in 1 Samuel 3:11- 13; After Saul and his sons were killed in battle by the Philistines, all the bravest men from Jabesh- gilead snuck into Philistine territory, retrieved their bodies that the Philistines had put on display, and brought them back to Jabesh to give them an honorable burial, culminating in a seven- day fast. They could have stayed comfortable where they were and let the bodies of Saul and his sons stay in the Philistine camp to rot, but they knew those brave men and noble leaders deserved better than that, so the warriors ensured they got the proper funeral that such great men deserved, just as the Ravagers in the film all dropped whatever they were doing and came from all over to honor Yondu for his courage and selflessness. So, RIP, Yondu Udonta. My only regret is that it would have been cool to see him joining the Guardians and the other Marvel heroes in their fight against Thanos in the upcoming 'Avengers: Infinity Wars' films.
I wasn't sure about including this next character, because it'll involve me making a potentially embarrassing admission, but this is such a neat character that I'll have to bite the bullet. Here goes, please don't judge me too harshly:
5. Capper, 'My Little Pony: The Movie.'
(Credit for this image goes to "Kyurem147" on the Heroes Wiki
Yes, you read that right: I am something of a "Brony" (A male fan of the animated series 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'). Don't worry, though, I'm not the sort that buys the merchandise, cosplays as characters, or writes disturbing fanfics about it online. I just think it is a really good, funny, well- written show. It has well- developed and quite likable characters, great morals and messages including many that tie quite well into Scripture, incredibly humorous moments, surprising amounts of action at times, and loads of subtle in- jokes aimed directly at adults (i.e. How many kids' shows can you name that would include nods to the movies 'The Big Lebowski,' '300,' and 'The Shining'?). Plus, Weird Al Yankovic did a guest voice in one of the best episodes of it so far, and if you can't trust Weird Al, who CAN you trust? It's the ultimate epitome of the principle that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, or in this case a show by its title. Anyway, the theatrical film made of it, 'My Little Pony: The Movie,' lived up to the great quality of the show, and while all the new characters introduced in it were wonderful, Capper was definitely my favorite, and one of my favorite parts of the movie in general. This charming anthropomorphic feline (described by my girlfriend as "Han Solo as a cat") starts out just pretending to be a helpful friend and guide for the six main ponies on a journey/ mission to gain help to save their kingdom, while secretly planning to sell them out in order to settle a debt he had. However, the kindness and generosity that one of the ponies, Rarity, shows to Capper causes him to have a change of heart. Capper makes up for his initial deception tenfold by repeatedly aiding our heroines over the course of their journey, from misleading the villains as to their location in order to buy the Mane Six some time, to giving the Mane Six a subtle but VERY effective pep talk when they're about to give up, to helping concoct a plan to sneak them into a city undetected, to doing a great job helping to fight off the evil Storm King's army in the climactic battle scene. He even at one point uses the little dragon Spike as a living flamethrower to drive back a whole crowd of enemy soldiers, that HAS to be worth some extra cool- points! Broadway and film star Taye Diggs does a wonderful job both with Capper's suave voice and with his toe- tapping song "I'm the Friend You Need." As for a Biblical message that can be taken from Capper, I'd say I could quite easily compare him to a well- known figure from the Old Testament; Jacob in the book of Genesis was similarly a shifty, dishonest type at first. He conned his own brother Esau out of his birthright and later out of getting their father's blessing. However, Esau's eventual forgiveness of him causes Jacob to turn his life around (Much like how Rarity's generous act led Capper to change his ways), as he would go on to father the twelve tribes of Israel, and Jesus Himself came from the lineage of this former schemer and con man. Whether in helping ponies to save their home, or helping to drive home the great Biblical point on how a scoundrel can become a hero, Capper is indeed "The friend you need."
By the way, I'd have to give honorable mention to another character in this movie, Captain Calaeno. This daring sky pirate was also a lot of fun to watch, and the song associated with her, "Time to be Awesome," is probably my favorite song in the movie.
6. Adrian Toomes, aka the Vulture, 'Spider- Man: Homecoming.'
(Credit for this pic goes to "LOLFOURZERO" on the Villains Wiki)
Spider- Man has always had quite an interesting collection of villains. In fact, I'd say the only superhero with a more memorable rogue's gallery than him would be Batman. Still, among Spidey's main foes, the Vulture has long been seen as a bit of a joke, little more than a crusty old man who happens to be able to fly. That said, the way Vulture was portrayed in 'Spider- Man: Homecoming' blew me away! I'd call him my favorite movie villain of 2017 (A few other memorable 2017 baddies in my book include Pennywise from 'It,' Gaston from 'Beauty and the Beast,' Rita Repulsa from 'Power Rangers,' Poppy Adams from 'Kingsmen: The Golden Circle,' and Ego from 'Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2'). His fight scenes with Spidey are quite intense, and Michael Keaton gives a typically awesome performance as him. He is a very sympathetic villain all the way through. He started as a friendly, working- class type who became a black- market arms dealer just in order to feed his family and help his crew similarly bring home paychecks after his legitimate salvaging business is forcibly shut down by one of Tony Stark's companies. Toomes/ Vulture has a surprisingly strong sense of honor, too; When he first discovers that Peter Parker is his hated foe Spider- Man, he could have put a bullet in Peter's head right then and there, but instead lets him off with a warning on the grounds that Spidey saved his daughter's life earlier in the film. He also has a very funny scene earlier in the movie, a bit of a twist on the whole "1. Incompetent henchman threatens to rat out villain, 2. Villain kills incompetent henchman to silence him" trope that's often seen in films. Nevertheless, in spite of the fact that the Vulture had good motives and sympathetic qualities deep down, that doesn't change the fact that his actions were evil and destructive, and that he needed to be stopped. We see him midway in the film attempting to sell futuristic weaponry to a gang leader, and if his main plan in the film's climax (Basically, hijacking a giant shipment of top- end Avengers tech in order to then make a massive fortune selling it all on the black market) were successful, a lot of very bad people would have acquired powerful weapons and tools that they would undoubtedly use to hurt a lot of innocent people. The Bible is clear that good intentions aren't worth a whole lot if our actions don't back them up, whether through failing to act on those intentions or through sinning to achieve those goals. Proverbs 6:30 says that "Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving." Proverbs 14:12 says that "There is a pathway that seems right to a man, but in the end it's a road to death." For one more example, Jesus said in Matthew 7:21 that "Not everyone that saith unto Me 'Lord, Lord' shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in Heaven." So, there we have the Vulture: A great villain who helps show that evil means can drive even the best of intentions astray.
7. LeFou, 'Beauty and the Beast.'
(Credit for this pic goes to "Sergio208" on the Villans Wiki)
2017's 'Beauty and the Beast' was probably the best of the live- action Disney remakes I've seen so far. The performances were all great, the special effects were solid, it was a faithful adaptation of the original, and yet it still threw in enough of its own surprises and touches to keep it from getting too predictable (i.e. Beast's new song in it, 'Evermore,' was truly beautiful and deserves to be nominated for a 2018 Oscar for Best Song), including the great new treatment they gave to the villain Gaston's dopey companion LeFou. First up, I should probably address the "Elephant in the room" regarding the way LeFou's portrayed in it; Yes, it's somewhat implied in the new movie that LeFou is gay, and yes, I'm of course aware of the Bible's position on homosexuality. However, portraying LeFou in that way didn't bother me much because a) It was given a rather subtle treatment and the nods alluding to it were extremely brief, and b) Considering the way LeFou acted in the original film and how slavishly devoted to Gaston he was, imagining him as gay really isn't that much of a stretch. Now that that's out of the way, I definitely liked all of what they did with LeFou in this movie. He has a lot more depth than he had in the animated version, and Josh Gad was truly the perfect choice for playing him. He looks like a real- life version of LeFou, his voice sounds similar to the voice Jesse Corti used for him in the animated version, his skills as a Broadway veteran let him give a wonderful performance of the notoriously catchy song 'Gaston,' and he was simply hilarious all the way through! His delivery was perfect from start to finish. The Scriptural lesson that LeFou helps to teach is on the importance of steering clear of corrupting influences that can lead you into sin. All through the movie, as Gaston coerces and at times flat- out forces LeFou to assist him in increasingly despicable actions, we see how genuinely torn LeFou is between his loyalty to his friend and the pulling of his conscience. We see his guilt weighing more and more on him as he begins slowly seeing Gaston for the selfish, conniving, corrupting false friend that he is. The Bible is filled with warnings on avoiding false friends and bad influences. In 1 Corinthians 15:33, it warns believers "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good morals.'" In addition, Proverbs 13:20 says "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." That verse is especially relevant considering all the harm LeFou suffers over the course of the movie because of Gaston, especially in the big battle scene with Gaston at one point actually using him as a human shield. Quite an important and insightful message to teach, from a character whose name is a phonetic pun on the phrase "The Fool."
Now that I've mentioned someone who teaches the importance of avoiding false friends, the next character on my list is someone who, in contrast, demonstrates what it means to be a good friend:
8. Richie Tozier, 'It.'
(Credit for this pic goes to "King Phelous" on the Heroes Wiki)
I already talked a little bit about this character in my review of the original Stephen King novel last summer, and the movie features a wonderful portrayal of him. Although I stated in that review that my favorite member of the heroic "Loser's Club" in that story was the hefty yet warm- hearted Ben Hanscom, I thought Richie was the one who really stole the show in this version. "Stranger Things" star Finn Wolfhard gives an amazing performance of him that nails all of Richie's traits from the book; His great sense of humor (He has so many funny moments in this movie that nicely break up the tension), his snarky and at times foul- mouthed nature, his love of doing different voices and impressions, and ultimately, what a loyal friend he is to the others. One thing that the movie actually does better than the book is show how inwardly conflicted Richie is over everything. A scene that epitomizes him at his best is in the movie's climax (Which was noticeably different from that part of the book, which in this case was a good thing, as it kept me guessing how things would play out); The Loser's Club have been fighting It/ Pennywise in Its sewer lair, and It suddenly grabs the group's leader Bill, offering to let the rest of them get out alive if they let It take and consume Bill. Richie, who at that time was somewhat at odds with Bill, goes into an angry monologue seeming to indicate that maybe they should go along with this offer. He lists all the trouble and even mortal danger that Bill had gotten them into over this summer, growing angrier with each peril he brings up. Then, out of nowhere, in the midst of this ranting monologue, Richie grabs a baseball bat from a pile of rubble and says,"... and now, now we're gonna have to kill this ****ing clown. (To Pennywise) WELCOME TO THE LOSERS' CLUB, *******!" He then tears into Pennywise with the bat, the other Losers follow his lead, and the battle resumes, leading to It's defeat (Temporarily, at least). I have to say, I was flat- out cheering at that part in the theaters! If a creature as terrifying as Pennywise is offering you an out, even with such a horrible price, the temptation to take it would have to be pretty high, but Richie learned to care more about loyalty to his friends and stopping It from hurting anyone else than about his own safety. It calls to mind Proverbs 17:17, which points out that "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for times of adversity." It's one thing to stay true to your friends in good times, but the real test is staying true to them even in bad times or when you're at odds with them. Even when Richie is angry at Bill AND scared out of his mind, his loyalty gives him the courage to do what's right. That's the mark of a true friend. Way to go, Richie!
9. Bethany Walker/ Professor Shelly Oberon, 'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.'
(Credit for these images goes to "Witnessme" and "MakeShift" on the Jumanji wiki)
This is kind of a "Two- in- one" character. In this great, entertaining entry in the 'Jumanji' series, the titular magic game morphs from a board game into a video game, and a group of high- schoolers in detention are sucked into it, assume the identities of the playable characters in the game, and must rely on each other as they make their way through the game to try and get home before they run out of extra lives. While each of the teenage protagonists change and grow a lot through their time in Jumanji, none change more than Bethany. This cell- phone- addicted Valley Girl, when brought to the game's character selection screen, selects the character Professor Shelly Oberon, described by the screen as a "Curvy genius." However, once pulled into the game, she finds that this character is in fact a pudgy middle- aged man played in the movie by Jack Black. She is, of course, horrified at this. This was such a fun character to watch. I consider it one of the best Jack Black roles I've ever seen, you'd truly believe he is indeed a flaky teenage girl trapped in the body of a middle- aged man. Many hilarious scenes are built around Bethany getting around in this new form, including a highlight of the film in which she, again still in the guise of the Professor, gives another more socially awkward girl, who had taken on the form of a comely heroine in the game, flirting advice to help get past some guards. To see Jack Black strutting around, giving demonstrations on how to walk, talk, flip hair, etc., had me practically rolling in the aisles! As I said, Bethany ends up being the character who changes and grows the most through the game. From a girl who initially only cared about herself, she finds herself sacrificing one of her own lives in order to save a fellow character from the ultimate "Game Over." From a girl who initially refused to ever step out of her own comfort zone or tear her eyes away from her phone, she develops a love of adventure and the outdoors and near the end is seen trying to convince one of her vapid friends to go with her on a wilderness camping trip. She truly reflects the advice given in Romans 12:2 (One of my favorite verses in Scripture) to "Conform not to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- His good, pleasing and perfect will." Bethany starts the movie as one who is most definitely conformed to the pattern of this world, through both vanity and addiction to technology, but her experiences in Jumanji do indeed renew her mind and transform her entirely.
10. Hector, 'Coco.'
(Credit for this pic goes to "Silver Flight" on the Disney Wiki)
When I first saw the trailer for Pixar's newest film 'Coco,' I assumed it was just a ripoff of the film 'The Book of Life' from a few years ago, but was pleasantly surprised to learn that it wasn't, and was in fact a little better than that movie. Speaking of pleasant surprises, the character Hector in it is an example of a character that I didn't expect I would be all that fond of going into it, but who grew on me more and more with each moment of screen- time he had in this beautiful, heart- warming film. The film's main character, a young Mexican boy named Miguel, through a strange set of circumstances during the famous celebration of Dia de los Muertos, finds himself in the Land of the Dead. He has encounters with the spirits of his various deceased relatives, and sets out on a journey through there both to find a way home before it's too late and also to learn more about some of his ancestors. Along the way, he is aided by both the mysterious dog Dante (Fitting name for a character in a movie about a journey through the afterlife), and by the down- and- out spirit Hector. Hector offers to help Miguel find a way home in exchange for Miguel bringing a photo of Hector back with him so he can be remembered (In the movie's mythology, spirits can only enter the Land of the Living on Dia de los Muertos if there is a photo of them put on their family's ofrenda to ensure they are remembered, and if completely forgotten by everyone, they fade away forever). Hector was a funny, fascinating character to watch right from when you first meet him about halfway through the film. His shifty yet harmless schemes are fun to watch (i.e. He at one point sneaks into a Land of the Dead celebrity party by disguising himself as Frida Kahlo), he has quite an impressive singing voice thanks to his voice actor Gael Garcia Bernal, and it's really funny to see the ways that he takes advantage of his skeletal form such as launching his arm at a window to knock on it to gain someone's attention and letting his skull and torso bones leap all over the place to help a musical number become more entertaining for an audience. It's not all laughs and smiles, though; You come to find that in life, Hector was a man who, while often apart from his family, cared very deeply about them. An act of heartless cruelty by another robbed Hector of the chance to be there for them as much as he should have, and unjustly soured their memory of him. The importance of being there for your family and other loved ones cannot be overstated, including in the Bible. 1 Timothy 5:8 says that "Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." Indeed, the first and foremost way of showing love and Christ- likeness is in how you treat your family and other loved ones, which can at times mean sacrificing your own plans and desires in order to be there for them. This was a lesson I had to be reminded of by someone much wiser than myself last December (If you're reading this, Kim, I thank you for helping to set me straight on the matter). Who would have guessed that an animated skeleton could teach so much about being alive?
A few Honorable Mentions include the aforementioned Captain Calaeno from 'My Little Pony: The Movie,' Andrew Campbell from 'Fist Fight,' Mel the Minion from 'Despicable Me 3,' and Theresa "Tree" Gelbman from 'Happy Death Day.'
That's all for this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. Hope you liked it! Keep your eyes peeled, as I have some ideas for future entries that I'm eager to get started on. Until then, God bless you all!
