'Into the Unknown' captures the essence of adventure

"Into the Unknown" is arguably the equivalent of "Let It Go" for "Frozen II" in terms of its strong vocals and catchy lyrics setting the stage for Elsa (Idina Menzel) to go on her newest adventure.

A mysterious voice calls to Elsa to entice her into an adventure and Elsa spends most of the song trying to fight the call before eventually giving in. Aurora provides the mysterious voice calling to Elsa, which is perhaps even more of an earworm than the chorus and ever-evolving pre-chorus.

"Into the Unknown" really captures the feeling of wanting to explore the unknown. The song makes me want to drop everything and go on an adventure. Then I remember that I'm broke, out of shape, and perpetually anxious. But still, it inspires adventurous feelings.

Likewise, I'm a sucker for anything featuring the voice of Idina Menzel ever since my choir teacher had us sing songs from "Wicked" in sixth grade, and "Into the Unknown" is no exception. I keep trying to think of a part of the song to highlight, but I can't decide because I like the song from start to finish.

Listen to the song and tell me you don't feel at least a small twinge of desire to go on an adventure.

The 'Serpent Tide' trilogy by K.L. Fogg

The covers of K.L. Fogg's "Serpent Tide," "Widow's Revenge," and "Diamondback Cave" (Amazon).

The "Serpent Tide" trilogy by K.L. Fogg is a fun realistic fiction adventure about a boy from South Carolina named Wesley Vandergrift discovering that he was separated from his real parents in a shipwreck and taken in by a desperate widow who's been posing as his biological mother his whole life.

And that's just one of many twists and turns discovered within the trilogy, hence why the first book is published with the subtitle "an extraordinary adventure of discovery." There's plenty of deception, kidnapping, and interactions with a celebrity wildlife adventure enthusiast not unlike Steve Irwin.

Wesley goes on several adventures that in some way revolve around Jack Mackey, the star of the in-story TV program "The Snake Stalker." And he goes on these adventures with his newfound biological family and his lifelong best friend Amanda.

Likewise, Wesley goes through plenty of coming-of-age experiences including dealing with bullies, dating, learning how to swim, learning how to drive, and choosing which religion he wants to follow, among other things.

I read the series after my sixth grade English teacher had us read along with an audiobook for the first book. The trilogy is perfect for kids and families of any age to read together.

In fact, I'd argue that the "Serpent Tide" trilogy would be the perfect book series to adapt into movies or a TV show rather than adding to the oversaturated market for reboots, remakes, and superhero content.

While "Serpent Tide" is relatively popular, there's not much of a fandom to speak of, so there's plenty of room for creativity and it would be something fresh and light with low audience expectations.

Either way, I highly recommend the series if you're looking for something easy to read that can entertain family members of all ages.

'The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie' is a fun coming of age adventure

"The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" debuted 19 years ago and sent SpongeBob and Patrick (Tom Kenny and Bill Fagerbakke) on an epic adventure to save Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) and the Krabby Patty secret formula from Plankton (Mr. Lawrence).

After being passed over for a manager promotion, SpongeBob and Patrick are forced to journey through unfamiliar landscapes and interact with dangerous characters to retrieve King Neptune's (Jeffrey Tambor) crown from Shell City.

And much like the three seasons of "SpongeBob SquarePants" that preceded it, "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" is highly quotable to this day.

I still find myself randomly quoting "You don't need a license to drive a sandwich," "We're on a baby hunt, and don't think we don't know how to weed 'em out," and the monologue leading up to the "Goofy Goober Rock," as shown in the video above.

The movie also doubles as a coming-of-age story as SpongeBob and Patrick try their best to become men and shake everyone else's perception of them as immature kids who can't handle responsibility.

As a kid, I mostly enjoyed the adventure and numerous funny quotes in the movie, but as an adult, I can relate to the idea of feeling like I'm still being perceived as a kid and wanting to shake that perception by proving how adult I am.

"The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" really is something for people of all ages to enjoy.

'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' feels like the game come to life

"Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" is a fun fantasy movie based on the D&D tabletop roleplaying game.

The movie features bard Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine), barbarian Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez), half-elf sorcerer Simon Aumar (Justice Smith), and tiefling druid Doric (Sophia Lillis) going on an adventure to save Edgin's daughter (Chloe Coleman) from a former ally (Hugh Grant) who's working with a Red Wizard (Daisy Head).

"Honor Among Thieves" includes a lot of exposition through flashbacks and dialogue, but rather than making the movie drag, it actually feels like a nod to the game since detailed backstory exposition is common in D&D.

Likewise, the movie takes place in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, so nothing is lacking in the world-building department and a variety of interesting creatures and characters are seamlessly woven into the narrative.

There's also a lot of punchy comedy involved, particularly from Pine, Rodriguez, and Grant. And there's a lot of interesting character development, though it is sometimes pushed through exposition, which makes it feel a bit rushed for some characters more so than others.

Either way, I had fun while watching "Honor Among Thieves," and that's the main thing a movie should strive for.