To Infinity & Beyond: Captain Marvel

This is it! The final chapter before the big finale that is Avengers Endgame! Right before Nick Fury got dusted he reached for a mysterious pager us viewers have never seen before and called someone. Who’d he call?  Oh… nobody important. Only backup for when even the Avengers can’t get the job done! This is the origin of Captain Marvel.

Plot

The year is 1995. Vers (Captain Marvel) is a soldier for the Kree Starforce. After a mission goes wrong she is kidnapped by the Kree’s mortal enemy: a shape shifting race of aliens known as the Skrull. The Skrull try to extract a memory from her mind, a memory that she herself doesn’t even remember. She manages to escape though, becoming stranded on Earth. It’s here she meets SHIELD agent Nick Fury. Together they try to contact Vers’ team, defeat the Skrull, and recover Vers’ memory. Little does Carol know though that there is far more to this Kree-Skrull war than she knows.

Villain

In a not so shocking turn of events, the Kree end up being the true villains of Captain Marvel. Why’s it not so shocking? Well if you saw Guardians of the Galaxy and Agents of SHIELD, you’ve known for years that the Kree are not nice! The primary Kree villains in Captain Marvel though are her old Starforce friends led by the tool pictured above: Yon-Rogg. Yon-Rogg taught Captain Marvel everything she knows and everything about her powers. Yon-Rogg is not only an intelligent leader though, he’s also extremely dedicated to the Kree cause like most Kree meaning he’ll do anything to ensure Kree victory. Even if it means driving a race like the Skrull to extinction. This all being said, Yon-Rogg isn’t exactly a top tier MCU villain. Yes, he killed the original Mar-vell but besides that he doesn’t really do anything that impressive in the film. He never really proves to be a threat to Captain Marvel. She kicks his ass in the opening moments of the film and he never really  gets the upper hand after that.

Best Scene 

This is a no brainer. At the end of the film Captain Marvel helps the Skrull leader Talos find his Skrull family and friends that were hiding in a ship just outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Yon-Rogg and the rest of Starforce aren’t far behind though and capture Captain Marvel, her friend Maria, Talos, Fury, and Goose the “cat.” Captain Marvel has a one on one conversation with the Kree leader, an AI known as The Supreme Intelligence. As the Supreme Intelligence attempts to incapacitate Captain Marvel she realizes that the Kree have been holding her back and she hasn’t even tapped the surface of what she can do. Captain Marvel then unleashes her true power and takes out all of Starforce. It’s definitely one of the more exciting action sequences in the MCU and truly showcases just how insanely power she is (and how screwed Thanos will be). Elsewhere, Fury and the others escape with the help of Goose the “cat” who reveals her true form when she devours Kree in a single bite. The Skrull are terrified of Goose the entire film and refer to her as a Flerken. Though everyone believed Flerken was just Skrull’s name for cats, they realize that Flerken are extremely dangerous aliens that can eat almost anything. It’s a hilarious reveal in the midst of all the Captain Marvel action.

Stan Lee Cameo

This cameo is super meta. Early in the film while Captain Marvel is on a train looking for a Skrull in hiding. She comes across someone rehearsing their lines for a film Mallrats. The person is repeating the line “Trust me True Believer!” Captain Marvel pushes the book down revealing the man to be none other than Stan Lee. They then share a smile and Captain Marvel goes back on her search. Stan Lee cameos in Captain Marvel… by practicing his cameo for a film he did in the 90s!

BONUS CAMEO

As anyone reading this knows, Stan Lee passed away before this film was released. Captain Marvel has a truly heatfelt tribute at the beginning of the film. Typically whenever the Marvel logo is on the screen it shows clips of past MCU films. This time those clips were replaced with Stan Lee’s cameos in the MCU followed by “Thank You Stan.” Cue the waterworks.

Post Credits Scenes

We’re back in present time, post Thanos snap. The Avengers have somehow found Fury’s pager that Captain Marvel gave him “in case of emergencies.” The Avengers are clueless about the symbol on the pager and who it’s calling out to. Suddenly though the signal stops. Captain America insists on sending out the signal again, Black Widow agrees because if it was important to Fury then it was obviously calling someone important. Black Widow turns around and immediately behind them is Captain Marvel with only one question: “Where’s Fury?” Thanos is in for it now!!!!!!

The second scene is hilarious! At the end of Captain Marvel it’s revealed that the Kree have been searching for the Tesseract so they can travel to other galaxies to eradicate the Skrull once and for all. Talos’ family had been hiding outside of Earth with it for ages and when the Kree show up to take it Goose swallows it whole for safe keeping. After the Kree are stopped, Fury takes Goose with him back to Earth waiting for Goose to digest the Tesseract. The final scene shows Goose jumping on Fury’s desk and coughing up the Tesseract like a hairball.

Final Thoughts

I’m going to be honest. I think this movie is a TAD over hyped. Don’t get me wrong it’s thoroughly enjoyable, but I don’t think it’s the masterpiece many are making it out to be. Brie Larson is excellent as Captain Marvel but if I’m being honest she wasn’t my favorite part of the film. Nick Fury and Goose the Cat are the most memorable parts of the film and constantly steal the show. The villain is pretty lackluster and there are times I think the movie is trying way too hard to be nostalgic. I often found myself thinking “We get it, this takes place in the 90s.” That all being said, the film’s main purpose I think is to get fans hyped for Captain Marvel’s appearance in Endgame which the film accomplishes with flying colors. I can’t wait to see her match up with Thanos.

This is it. We’re in the Endgame now. Eleven years and 21 films later we are reaching the ultimate climax of the MCU. Though Marvel has recently confirmed that Spider-Man Far From Home will technically close out Phase Three, Avengers: Endgame is the going to be the true conclusion that fans have been waiting for ever since Thanos appeared in the original Avengers. How will the Avengers defeat Thanos and bring everyone back? WILL they bring everyone back? There are so many questions, so many theories, it’s the only thing that has been on my mind for the last year I simply cannot wait to see what the MCU has in store for us.  I know it’ll be nothing short of phenomenal.

 

Thanos Meme!

I’ve recently become obsessed with Brooklyn Nine Nine so I thought this was fitting.

WWE Super Show-Down Recap

This PPV is 4 hours long and on a Saturday! Oof. Nevertheless, I’m a diehard wrestling fan and I intend to watch and recap every single second of it! The Super Show-Down has some great matches on the card so let’s see how it turns out! I’ll be recapping these as I watch, and as always remember the scores I give are just my personal opinion. I’m no wrestling guru just a guy that loves to watch!

The New Day (Champs) vs. The Bar – Smackdown Tag Team Championships

It’s so great to have The Bar back, I love watching Sheamus and Cesaro. New Day went with Kofi and Xavier Woods and these two put on the type of match they always do. Fast and high flying. Cesaro got to be the King of Swing again, and the Bar almost won when Cesaro used the rope to help his pin. Luckily Kofi and Woods managed to come out on top with the win. Although a little short for these two teams, it was a pretty solid start to the show. The New Day retains via pinfall 8.25/10.

Becky Lynch (Champ) vs. Charlotte Flair – Smackdown Women’s Championships

One of my favorite feuds in WWE. I think I said that last time… BUT I MEAN IT. Charlotte and Becky threw their entire movesets at each other and there were so many near falls. The back and forth was so great just when you thought one of them was going to win, the other would counter with something insane. These two seemed like they truly hated each other during this fight. Charlotte got Becky Lynch in the Figure Eight lock and just before Charlotte had the submission complete, Becky in an ingenious last ditch effort grabbed her title and beat Charlotte with it. The match ended in DQ but there was still carnage afterwards as Charlotte (bitter that Becky ended the match that way) attacked her on the ramp. Becky got the upper hand though and walked out with her title. Charlotte wins via DQ, Becky retains 8.75/10.

John Cena & Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens & Elias

Four great wrestlers in a match that has absolutely no significance. Nevertheless, I loved it when Elias came out playing Thunderstruck on his guitar. He and Kevin Owens are top notch heels and I love watching them get a crowd riled up. They’re actually a really great tag team, I’d love to see them work together more and maybe get some tag opportunities. They don’t really have any significant storylines right now. For a match that hyped the return of John Cena though, he didn’t really get to do much. Elias and Owens kept Lashley in the ring and tore him apart. Cena of course did eventually go in and made short work of Elias and Owens. His new finisher move though where he crosses his arms and just punches his opponent is just silly I’m sorry. The match had no consequences but it was still fun to watch. John Cena & Bobby Lashley win via pinfall 7.5/10.

Naomi & Asuka vs. The IIconics 

Another match with no real meaning! The IIconics have homefield advantage but there was no question who was going to win this one. At least you think. This was a weird match though because both teams danced as much as they fought. At one point the IIconics posed like superheroes, Asuka basically told Billy Kae to kiss her ass it was… something. In a surprising turn of events the IIconics actually got the win! Usually WWE doesn’t care when someone’s in their hometown so I was pretty surprised to see the IIconics win. It was  a nice moment that both me and the people of Australia really liked! The IIconics win via pinfall 8/10.

AJ Styles (Champ) vs. Samoa Joe – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (No Disqualifications, No Count Outs)

Come on AJ, just let Samoa Joe have sex with your wife and have your championship! It’s the only way he’ll leave you alone! I love how messed up this storyline has gotten. Joe is such an entertaining bad guy. I was underwhelmed by their last fight especially with the ending, but I was excited for today thanks to the no DQ/Count Outs stipulation. This was a lot more quick paced than their last PPV encounter, Samoa Joe turned into a wrecking ball and Styles basically kicked the shit out of him for his counter strategy. It took awhile for the stipulation to come into play but when the chair and table arrived, things really started to pick up. Styles was literally coughing up blood at this point. The best part though came when Styles sacrificed himself to throw Samoa Joe into a table and then moved the referee away from checking on Joe. Styles yelled “He’s mine now” and put Joe through the ringer. It was by far the longest match of the night at this point, and while the fight was amazing, the ending wasn’t QUITE as epic as I had hoped Best match so far though! AJ Styles retains via tap out 9/10. 

Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins vs. The Riott Squad

Was there anyone in that arena or watching at home that thought the Riott Squad would actually win this match? Nikki and Brie fought the majority of the match and honestly the highlight of their time in the ring was when Liv Morgan got the opportunity to kick Brie in the face almost as revenge for the genuinely painful kicks Brie gave to her a few weeks ago (which knocked her out). When Ronda came in she was great as always. It amazes me how fast she has been learning and mastering the craft. She’s already one of the best wrestlers in the Women’s Division. The double arm bar at the end was pretty cool. Rousey & The Bella Twins win via tap out 6.75/10. 

Cedric Alexander (Champ) vs. Buddy Murphy – Cruiserweight Championship

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy are wrestlers like these two on a show that nobody watches!? This match was INCREDIBLE! Fast, hard hitting, and filled with unbelievable moves from both wrestlers. The crowd went absolutely bonkers for their hometown guy Buddy Murphy and it’s easy to see why. He’s absolutely incredible! There were so many “that has to be the end” moments but it just kept going! Cedric Alexander is an absolutely amazing talent, but I’m glad to see a new Cruiserweight Champion! Buddy Murphy wins the Cruiserweight Championship via pinfall 9.5/10.

The SHIELD vs. Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, & Drew McIntyre

This match was fine. There wasn’t any too memorable about it though to e honest. These guys have definitely had better fights against each other. Drew McIntyre was the star in my opinion. He’s really come into his own as a heel I’ve really grown to like him as a bad guy as time has gone on. The big story here though was “will Dean turn on his SHIELD brothers?” After Roman punched him in the face on accident I thought there was a chance. I think it’s inevitable, but who knows when it’ll happen. There was some awesome camera work at the end though. Dean looked like he was going to get taken out by Braun but then off camera out of nowhere Roman speared him through the barricade. Then Drew McIntyre looked like he was going to finish off Dean instead, but the Rollins again off camera super kicked him out of commission. This all gave Ambrose the opportunity to pin Ziggler and get the win. Average fight with a great ending! The SHIELD wins via pinfall 7.75/10. 

Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz – #1 Contender Match

 Miz came out guns blazing and hit Daniel Bryan with all of his own moves. They went back and forth and it looked like it was going to be a great match. But then it just kind of ended out of nowhere. There isn’t much to say about it. Daniel Bryan and Miz got wrapped up on the ring, the ref counted to three and Daniel Bryan stole a win out of nowhere. This match took a page out of the AJ Styles/Samoa Joe story line. Miz is claiming he was robbed, Daniel Bryan walked away with the win, and more than likely these two are going to fight again. I wouldn’t be surprised if Miz sabotaged Daniel Bryan’s match against AJ Styles at Crown Jewel. Daniel Bryan hasn’t had a genuinely good PPV match this year… and that streak continued today. Daniel Bryan wins via pinfall 6.5/10. 

Undertaker vs. Triple H

I’m going to get hate for this but this match was BORING. Everyone involved in this match (Kane and Shawn Michaels were at ringside) is just too old to be wrestling. Yes they are living legends, but their time is over. Triple H can still fight, but the rest just aren’t and that’s OK that’s life! If you’re going to have older superstars wrestle, make the match shorter! That’s what made Undertaker vs. Cena enjoyable at Wrestlemania. Undertaker went in, kicked his ass, then left in about 15 minutes. It was short, fast paced, and Undertaker did all the moves you wanted to see him do. This though just dragged because referees kept getting KO’d throughout the match. The ending wasn’t even that great. Shawn Michaels hit Undertaker with Sweet Chin Music and Triple H used the pedigree. Then it was over. Definitely the lowpoint of the PPV for me. Then after the match Undertaker attacked Triple H… meaning we haven’t seen the end of this unfortunately. Triple H wins via pinfall 5/10. 

This was a pretty uneven PPV that didn’t really feel like a PPV. Felt more like a somehow even longer episode of Monday Night RAW with some great matches sprinkled in there! The next PPV is only two weeks away but I’m super excited for Evolution! Final Score: 7.75/10

 

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – Hell Fest

October is finally here! There are tons of reasons why October is my favorite month, but the most obvious is Halloween!!! Because Halloween is the best holiday of the year, I’m dedicating my posts each week to spooky movies! This week I’m writing about the new slasher film that just came out: Hell Fest? How was it? Eh let’s just say there’s some good, there’s some bad, and then there’s some downright ugly.

*****OBVIOUS SPOILERS FOR HELL FEST AHEAD*****

The Good

Hell Fest Itself

The absolute highlight of the film is the actual festival itself. Hell Fest looks like it would be a total blast of a park to go to… minus the fact that people get murdered whenever they get there. The setting allows for some really cool scare set ups. The scares may not really land (more on that later) but the different haunted houses were a lot of fun.

The Film’s Premise

Hell Fest is about a group of teens that go out to the festival for a night of frightful fun. After making it through their first haunted house, the main character Natalie notices that one of the “actors” has been stalking them all night. All of her friends insist that it’s part of the show, but soon they start disappearing one by one as the night goes on. Natalie and her friend Brooke try to tell security but they say they can’t arrest someone that’s “doing their job.” The one big plot point I thought of going into the movie was “If they start dying one by one, why don’t they just leave?” The film’s script actually answers that question in a way that’s both logical and believable. The premise of the film is what pulled me in to see it. How is the execution though? Well…

The Bad

It’s Just Not Scary

There isn’t a single part of the movie where I was on edge. There are some jump scares, but you can see them coming from a mile away. A majority of the scares in Hell Fest come from the characters walking through haunted houses which, as fun as they are, rely entirely on cheap jump scares. You won’t get scared but watching them go through the festival will make you want to go to a haunted house yourself. It was reminiscent of this year’s disasterpiece “The 15:17 to Paris” where half the film was literally just watching the characters on vacation. Except haunted houses are more fun to watch than watching three guys eat ice cream in Europe.

Forgettable Characters

The characters in Hell Fest are extremely one note. They fit all the cliches of the slasher film genre: The main girl is a “goody two shoes,” her best friend and the third girl are the “sluts,” two of the guys are “the jocks” and then there’s “the nerd that likes the goody two shoes” Some movies such as Cabin In The Woods and Scream purposefully have these stereotypes, but they serve a deeper purpose. This one just has these stereotypical horror characters and gives them no background so it’s hard to care when they start dying.

The Ugly 

Unoriginal Kills

For a movie with such a cool setting, I was expecting some great kills, but the movie plays it REALLY safe. With the exception to one, every other kill is just the person getting stabbed. Yes, that’s why it’s called a slasher I know, but there could’ve been so much more creativity! Jason stabbed someone through a bunk bed, Freddy Krueger eviscerated Johnny Depp, the killer in this film could’ve done SOMETHING creative to finish off at least ONE victim! The guillotine scene advertised doesn’t go the way you’d think, but that would’ve been something cool to remember the film for. The characters were surrounded by nightmarish things, there were so many possibilities to make the kills unique.

The Ending Is A Weird Mess

At the end of the film, Natalie and Brooke try to tell security about the killer but of course their pleas are ignored. The ladies then try to warn their remaining friends, but one of them volunteered to be a part of a “sacrifice show” (the guillotine scene in the previews). Their friend Taylor survives the guillotine because it’s not a real murder weapon (why the killer thought it was I don’t know). The killer though then chases after Taylor and murders her and her boyfriend in public FOR WHATEVER REASON. The killer is  stealthy and smart about his kills for the whole film but suddenly he drops that and decides to blow his cover. He then chases Natalie and Brooke who head for what they THINK is the exit. Turns out it’s not an exit, instead it’s the scariest most advertised haunted house in the whole festival! HOW DO YOU THINK THAT IS THE EXIT? DID THE GIANT SIGN THAT SAID “HELL” NOT GIVE IT AWAY!? The killer enters the house after them and finds the one prop that is an ACTUAL WEAPON. Seriously why would a haunted house have a real axe for a prop? Is that even legal!? Anyways, Brooke is nearly gutted until Natalie arrives and stabs the killer in the gut with the knife he had been using the whole film. The police finally make it into the house but similar to the original Halloween, the killer is nowhere to be found (gasp!). In the final scene though we see the killer return home, completely healed from the knife wound he just got. He goes into a room and we see the other masks and trophies he has from his past kills. He then walks into the living room and we see a little girl sleeping on the couch. His next victim? Nope! The girl wakes up and excitedly yells “Daddy!” and runs to hug him! The killer was just an ordinary with a normal life with no visible motivation for why he kills. Then the credits roll. I get what they were going for: anyone could have a dark side. Your neighbor could be a psycho killer, you never truly know people blah blah blah. The whole ending was just weirdly executed with a lot of inexplicable things happening. I don’t know why it’s so hard for a horror movie to have a good ending, but it’s something I’ve rarely seen over the years. Maybe this month I’ll do a list of my favorite horror movie endings!

It may sound like I hated this movie, but I didn’t. It has a lot of flaws and isn’t scary, but it definitely wasn’t the worst time I had at the movies this year. If you can see it on a discount day, I’d say it’s worth the $5 to check out. Then you’ll want to plan your own haunted house trip!

 

WWE Hell In A Cell Recap

Last year’s Hell In A Cell was… kind of a mess not going to lie. The card this year has some potentially awesome matches, and the cell tends to bring some great matches. I’ll be writing this as the matches happen so let’s see how Hell In A Cell turns out!

The New Day (Champs) vs. Rusev Day – Smackdown Tag Team Championships

I’m so grateful that WWE didn’t go through with splitting up Rusev Day (for now) because it gave us this great tag match! It’s an absolute crime that these two teams were put on the pre-show. They’re some of the most popular wrestlers on the roster! Unsurprisingly these two teams put on a great match. The highlight for me was whenever Aiden English tried to put Kofi in the Accolade (Rusev’s signature) and Rusev matchka kicked Big E. New Day ended up winning but honestly both teams were great so I can’t complain too much. When’s Rusev gonna win gold though?!? The New Day retains via pinfall 8.5/10.

Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton – Hell In A Cell Match

How has Jeff Hardy not fought in a Hell In A Cell Match before!? It’s right up his alley! This was an excellent choice for the starting match Randy was dastardly attacking Jeff with chairs, ladders (the inverted one was delightful) and even a screwdriver!!! I haven’t been able to watch any of the times Randy messed with Jeff’s gauges in his ears so the screwdriver tonight was unbearable. From the beginning of the match I was on edge, Jeff kept staring at the top of the cell acting(?) nervous for what was to come. You knew he was going to do SOMETHING insane, and man did he! He (of course) managed to climb to the top of the cell, swung like a gymnast and then fell face first into what was supposed to be Randy Orton. Instead he got a face full of table. This match was bloody, crazy, and dare I say… HELLacious? Great start to the show. Randy Orton wins via pinfall 9/10.

Charlotte (Champ) vs. Becky Lynch – Smackdown Women’s Championship

This feud has been great since Summerslam, the “friends told enemies” storyline never grows old they’ve always been great. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn, Tomasso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano, and now Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch! Becky put in some excellent moves in this match and Charlotte Flair was her usual phenomenal self. Even though Becky was the “heel” of the match it’s clear that she’s the one everybody wanted to see come on top. There were plenty of great moments, but the ending was the highlight. Becky focused on Charlotte’s left arm, but she quickly retaliated. Just when you thought Charlotte was going to win Becky ended up flipping Charlotte and pinning her for the win! To make it even better, Becky refused to shake Charlotte’s hand at the end. Becky Lynch wins the Smackdown Women’s Championship via pinfall 8.75/10.

Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre (Champs) – RAW Tag Team Championships

I love all four of these guys so I was excited for this match. Dean Ambrose has looked great since returning from injury and I’m so glad that Dolph Ziggler has gotten some big matches it’s felt like forever since he has. Rollins and Ziggler have such a versatile move set it has been so fun to watch them feud all summer long. Ambrose and McIntyre were both great as the “lunatic/psycho” of their respective teams I wouldn’t mind seeing them feud someday. There were so many near falls and spots this was another great match it’s not often we get three great fights in a row. The ending of this one was wild, Rollins was about to finish Ziggler off when McIntyre showed up out of nowhere and hit Rollins with a Claymore kick. Ziggler flopped to the ground and somehow ended up on top of Rollins essentially pinning him. If there was one complaint I had about this match it’s that it was pretty obvious Ziggler and McIntyre would win. They wouldn’t give both the tag and intercontinental titles to Rollins. Ziggler and McIntyre retain via pinfall 9/10.

AJ Styles (Champ) vs. Samoa Joe – WWE World Heavyweight Championship

I feel like this match was placed incorrectly. Number one, it’s the WWE World Heavyweight Championship it deserves to be one of the last fights. Second, we just had a crazy fight and it clearly wore the crowd out they were practically crickets here. AJ is undeniably phenomenal as he says and while Samoa Joe is an excellent heel, his style is a little too slow sometimes. There are parts of this match that dragged on which took away from the truly great parts! The end of the match was dumb though. Samoa Joe grabbed onto AJ Styles with the coquina clutch submission then Styles rolled him over and won via pinfall. Joe though got up thinking he won when in reality the ref ruled AJ the victor. Then OF COURSE, the replay showed that AJ Styles tapped before the ref counted to three. I’m A-OK with the feud continuing but I think it’s stupid that this match ended that way. AJ Styles wins via pinfall 7.25/10.

Brie Bella & Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz & Maryse

This was pretty boring. Maryse kept avoiding fights with Brie so it was mostly just Miz vs. Daniel Bryan. There wasn’t anything overly flashy or fancy about the fight either it was just all completely average. There was a moment where Brie and Daniel did simultaneous Yes Kicks to Miz and Maryse which was a nice moment but the biggest surprise came at the end. It seemed almost guaranteed that Daniel Bryan and Brie were going to win, but in a turn of events MARYSE ends up pinning Brie Bella for the win! I guess making Miz and Maryse lose to Cena and Nikki at Wrestlemania meant they got to win this time. The Miz and Maryse win via pinfall 6.5/10.

Ronda Rousey (Champ) vs. Alexa Bliss – RAW Women’s Championship

Next to Tomasso Ciampa, Alexa Bliss is probably my favorite heel in WWE she is absolutely diabolical. The entire match she went after Ronda’s ribs and talked smack the entire time. Both are just incredible athletes and while I’m ecstatic to see Ronda Rousey on WWE, I’m starting to worry that she’s getting a little stale. She is a hell of a fighter, but I feel like all her matches go the same exact way. She just ends up destroying everyone else it’s almost boring to see her matches. You just know that she’s going to end up winning in the end. I’m not sure what the future holds for Rousey, but I hope her matches stop being so one sided soon. Rousey retains via submission 7.25/10. 

Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman – Hell In A Cell Match for the Universal Championship

Braun and Roman had a pretty decent match inside Hell In A Cell. Both hit each other with multiple weapons, Braun turned stairs into a weapon and there were plenty of tables getting smashed. The best parts of this match though happened outside the cell! Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre came out to help Braun, but Roman’s SHIELD brothers Rollins and Ambrose quickly intervened. The four ended up on top of the cell with kendo sticks unleashing hell on each other. Ziggler and Dolph ended up climbing down and throwing each other onto announce tables. Then, I thought the match was going to continue between Roman and Braun but then the last thing I thought would ever happen… happened.

Brock Lesnar’s music hit.

BROCK LESNAR!? WHAT? He and Paul Heyman came in, maced Mick Foley who was the guest referee and literally kicked in the Hell In A Cell gate. He then smashed broken tables on both Strowman and Roman. He eventually left, but man was it insane! I thought he was going to UFC and was done with WWE stuff (for now). Who knows what’s happening next! The only blemish on this was the fact that the referee just called the match a draw at the end and didn’t let anyone finish. I understand storywise, but the last fight of the PPV should never end without a winner of some kind! The match ended in a draw 8.75/10.

Final Thoughts

This was way better than I thought it would be. The lineup of matches wasn’t the most impressive but damn were the fights good for the most part! The first three matches were the absolute best of the night, but there were some great moments for the rest of the night. For the first time in ages I’m excited to see what happens with the Universal Title so that’s definitely a win! Final Score: 8.25/10

Yet Another Late WWE Recap: NXT Takeover Brooklyn & Summerslam

THIS IS SO LATE I’M SORRY. Nevertheless I vowed to document my opinions of every NXT and WWE PPV no matter how short the recap is! I’m writing this minutes before Hell In A Cell begins so this’ll be super short. I’m talking like a couple sentences apiece.

The Undisputed Era (Champs) vs. Moustache Mountain – NXT Tag Team Championship

This was a great start to the PPV, their first match together was awesome, and this was no different. Tyler Bate was the notable star of the match and I loved the reversed bit where Trent Seven ALMOST threw in the towel for Tyler Bate (similar to how Bate did to Seven a few months ago). Side note: I LOVED that the War Raiders came out at the end, I can’t wait to see them go against the Undisputed Era! The Undisputed Era retains via pinfall 8.75/10.

EC3 vs. Velveteen Dream

The NXT Roster is so stacked, it’s almost impossible to have a bad card. EC3 and Velveteen Dream really brought it tonight. EC3 is great but you can’t top Velveteen Dream he’s one of the most exciting wrestlers WWE has. The “Call Me Up Vince” pants were absolutely incredible. I feel like it’s been ages since we’ve seen The Dream win so it was nice to see him come out on top. Velveteen Dream wins via pinfall 9/10.

Adam Cole vs. Ricochet – North American Championship

This was the best match of the night. I know I’m just as shocked as you are. Anything either of these two touches turns to gold. This match had so many nearly falls and incredible moments of athleticism, I was on the edge of my seat the entire match. The highlight of the match for me though was that we have a new North American Champion in Ricochet! Ricochet wins the North American Championship via pinfall 9.5/10.

Shayna Baszler (Champ) vs. Kairi Sane – NXT Women’s Championship

This was the best women’s championship match in NXT in a long time. Shayna Baszler has been slowly growing on my as time has gone by but I’m SO glad that she lost the belt. The women’s division has been so boring as of late because it didn’t seem like anyone could beat Baszler and I was pleasantly surprised to see Sane managed to sneak the win! Kairi Sane wins the NXT Women’s Championship via pinfall 8/10.

Tomasso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano – Last Man Standing Match

These two have had two masterpiece matches, but this one didn’t QUITE live up to the same potential as them. It wasn’t bad by any means don’t get me wrong, but something was slightly off about it. It wasn’t as insane as their second encounter, but then again I didn’t think it was possible to get any more extreme. I thought the end of the match was a little silly. Johnny Gargano looked like an idiot, but I guess that’s kind of what the story has been. Gargano has given into the darkness! How much longer can these two possibly feud!? I hope it isn’t losing gas. Ciampa is the last man standing 8.5/10.

Final Score: Awesome PPV! I wish the Ciampa & Gargano match was better but it was still pretty solid! 8.75/10

Summerslam

Rusev & Lana vs. Andrade Cien Almas & Zelina Vega 

This was a weird mixed tag match. It wasn’t all that mixed! Rusev and Almas fought the first half of the match, then there was a single tag and Lana and Zelina fought the rest of it. Rusev and Almas were pretty decent, and I’m glad to see Lana get a little better with each match. Zelina didn’t really get to do much of anything but she still got the win for her and Almas. Pretty forgettable match, but not “bad.” Rusev and Almas are better than the preshow. Zelina Vega & Almas win via pinfall 7/10.

Cedric Alexander (Champ) vs. Drew Gulak – Cruiserweight Championship

I’m so happy to see Gulak get a title opportunity! It’s a shame he didn’t have a PowerPoint presentation with him and that he didn’t win but man Gulak got a title shot! Cedric Alexander though is absolutely incredible and he proved that once again tonight. I’m not sure who is going to end up taking that title from Alexander. Also, will any of these guys get to go on the main roster or even NXT? Basically can they go on a show where people will watch them? Cedric Alexander retains via pinfall 8.5/10.

The B Team (Champs) vs. The Revival – RAW Tag Team Championship

When oh when will The Revival get to be taken seriously!? Honestly I’ve seen a lot of superstars come up to the main roster and get cast aside but I haven’t seen anyone get robbed this badly since the Ascension. It would be nice to see The Revival win the tag team championship someday but honestly I don’t think it’ll happen anytime soon. This was a pretty solid match though. The B Team retains via pinfall 7.75/10.

Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler (Champ) – Intercontinental Championship

This match was a big step up for these two from their Extreme Rules match. That match wasn’t bad, this one was just way better. These two have a fighting style that go together so incredibly well. This had lots of great spots, Dean Ambrose and Drew McIntyre on the outside added a great element to the whole event. Best part of it though? Rollins wins! Rollins wins the Intercontinental Championship via pinfall 9/10.

The New Day vs. The Bludgeon Brothers (Champs) – Smackdown Tag Team Championship

Although I’m not usually a fan of PPV matches ending in a disqualification, this one wasn’t bad. The New Day are simply an excellent tag team and the Bludgeon Brothers got to beat the hell out of them pretty good. It’s a shame that after this, Rowan got injured causing them to give up the title early. The New Day win via DQ 7.5/10.

Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens 

The stipulation was if Strowman lost in any way he lost the Money In The Bank contract. This was hardly even a match though as Strowman totally destroyed him. What’s the point of this “feud?” Is it even a feud? A feud usually has two sides fighting but it has basically only been Strowman destroying Owens so far. Poor Owens just gets getting wrecked for the sake of a lousy storyline. These two still deserve better. Strowman wins via pinfall 6.5/10.

Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch vs. Carmella (Champ) – Smackdown Women’s Championship

The ladies pulled through tonight, yes even Carmella! I think we can all say we saw the ending coming from a mile away. As much as we wanted to see Becky Lynch win tonight, we all knew that Charlotte’s sudden appearance wouldn’t be for nothing. Charlotte swooped in at the end and stole the win from Becky… but then we got a Becky Lynch heel turn!  These two could have an excellent feud together! Charlotte Flair wins the Smackdown Women’s Championship via pinfall 8.5/10.

Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles (Champ) – WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Like I said earlier, I don’t usually like matches that end in disqualifications but this was actually amazing. The storyline was a little goofy up until this fight. Samoa Joe told AJ that he never wanted a family it was such a soap opera. Then the fight happened and Samoa Joe told AJ’s wife Wendy that he’d be her daddy. Then AJ lost it and beat the hell out of Samoa Joe, covering himself in blood and getting himself disqualified. Then he went to hug his wife and daughter and his daughter was visibly scared and crying. What a moment! The story went 0 to 100mph real fast! Samoa Joe wins via DQ 9/10.

The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan

The match I have wanted since the moment I heard Daniel Bryan was cleared to fight was finally here! It may not have been the masterpiece I wanted it to be, but it was still immensely entertaining because this feud has felt real and personal since that fated interview oh so long ago. This fight ended exactly how I thought it would; Miz cheated with Maryse’s help and ended up pinning Daniel Bryan. Can’t wait to see what happens in this feud next! The Miz wins via pinfall 8.5/10.

Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin

Why did we get another one of these? Why are these two still feuding? It just feels so random! That all being said, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this match and you know why? Because we got THE DEMON KING BACK!!! It has been far too long since we saw him and I think he’s Finn’s best incarnation. The matches just always seem to be better. This match was totally one sided, but you can’t complain about that when it’s The Demon King Finn Balor. I hope we get to see him again soon because he always makes the show better! Balor wins via pinfall 8.75/10.

Shinsuke Nakamura (Champ) vs. Jeff Hardy – United States Championship Match

Ah yes, the match we should’ve gotten at Extreme Rules! Definitely still not bitter about that… OK maybe I am. Anyways this match was kind of a snore. These two are so talented, but the match just never became anything special. It felt like a match you’d see on Smackdown. Then of course Randy Orton came out and………………….. did nothing? Not sure what’s going on with this. Nakamura retains via pinfall 6.5/10.

Ronda Rousey vs. Alexa Bliss (Champ) – RAW Women’s Championship

Everyone watching knew what was going to happen. Ronda was going to obliterate poor Alexa Bliss and boy did she. It was barely even a fight because Ronda just absolutely decimated Alexa and ended the whole thing pretty fast. That arm bar does not look fun in the slightest. Ronda Rousey wins the RAW Women’s Championship via submission 6.75/10.

Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar (Champ) – WWE Universal Championship

IT IS FINALLY OVER!!! FINALLY BROCK LOST THE BELT! I DON’T EVEN CARE THAT ROMAN HAS IT THE BELT WILL FINALLY CONSISTENTLY BE ON RAW!!! MOST GLORIOUS INDEED!!! This match was fine. Roman Reigns wins the Universal Championship via pinfall 7.5/10

Final Thoughts: Overall a pretty mixed bag for Summerslam but I definitely enjoyed more of it than I disliked. Roman winning the title is all I ever really needed from this PPV. Final Score: 8/10

I foolishly decided to take an extra class this semester so I haven’t been able to keep up with my weekly posts, and I apologize. Once I get through this semester I’ll be more consistent with my posts!

Super Smash BrObituaries

A few months ago Nintendo unveiled its next massive project: Super Smash Bros Ultimate! The company boasted that EVERYONE would be back including the likes of Young Link, Pichu, and the Ice Climbers. Even better though, the game would introduce brand new characters as well! Sounds amazing right!? WRONG. What Mr. Sakurai failed to mention that these new characters would come at a cost. You can’t get something for nothing after all. No, we would get these brand new characters at the cost of watching our old Nintendo favorites DIE BEFORE OUR VERY EYES!!!! This post is to remember those that have been brutally murdered for the sake of improving the Smash roster.

Mario (1981 – 2018)

Everyone’s favorite plumber Mario was cut down in his prime June 12, 2018 while on a space mission with bounty hunter Samus Aran and Mega Man. Mario is remembered for countless accolades in sports such as tennis, kart racing, and baseball. When Mario wasn’t excelling in sports he was saving the Mushroom Kingdom and rescuing Princess Peach. Although he was also known for throwing unusually cruel and spiteful parties with friends, Mario will always be remembered as an icon and hero in the gaming community. The culprit, infamous space pirate Ridley, is still at large. If you have any information regarding his whereabouts please contact the Federation Police or your local space bounty hunter.

Mega Man (1987 – 2018)

Mega Man was sadly impaled to death by the vicious space pirate Ridley on the same space mission Mario was taken from us. Mega Man has saved the world from the likes of Dr. Wiley, Sigma, and countless over evil robots for years. Mega Man has even traveled to other realities defeating the likes of Akuma from Street Fighter and even Marvel villains such as Venom and Magneto. Mega Man made his first Smash appearance in Super Smash Bros Wii U after much fan demand so seeing him gone so soon after is a tragedy that’ll stick with many for years to come. Mega Man is survived by his creator Dr. Light, his brother Proto Man, sister Roll, and his robot dog Rush. The family asks that all gifts be in the form of donations to Dr. Light’s kickstarter: Mega Man X.

Luigi (1983 – 2018)

As if losing Mario wasn’t bad enough, the gaming world also lost his brother Luigi August 8th, 2018 after a ghost hunting trip went horribly wrong. Luigi was found with his literal soul ripped out by vampire hunter Simon Belmont. Belmont had this to say at the scene: “To be honest I thought that was Mario… but I guess this is sad too.” Though never as successful as Mario, Luigi had plenty of his own accolades as well such as owning his own mansion, becoming a doctor like his brother, and being a doubles tennis champion! Anywhere Mario went, Luigi wasn’t too far behind to be his backup and he will always be remembered for his loyalty. Luigi’s mansion and other belongings have been left to his girlfriend Princess Daisy… who is also in Smash so God only knows how much longer she’s got too. We would also like to take this moment remind people that exploring Dracula’s Castle is not only incredibly stupid, but dangerous for those that aren’t Vampire Hunters.

King Dedede (1992 – 2018)

After a failed attempt at pranking an ape and a chimp, King Dedede was punched into orbit by fellow ruler King K Rool. Whether the attack was over turf, food, or purely out of spite is unknown, but the people of Dream Land are happy to know that Dedede won’t be stealing their food ever again. Though not inherently evil, Dedede was known for stealing the food of others and in general causing mischief. A local Waddle Dee commented saying he was glad to “Not have to carry his ass around anymore” even though he was technically now out of a job. King Dedede employed hundreds of Waddle Dees for labor work, and to be used as throwing objects for target practice. All of the food Dedede has stolen will be donated to the Waddle Dees and their families that are currently unemployed.

 

Jokes aside, what is up with these character reveal trailers!? Don’t get me wrong they’re amazing, but do we really have to see so many characters get murdered!? Luigi’s was definitely the most brutal so far, but I am almost scared to see who’s getting the murder treatment next!

To Infinity & Beyond: Ant-Man & The Wasp

OK it’s been long enough, I can write this with spoilers and feel no remorse about it! After Thanos snapped his fingers and destroyed all of our happiness, Marvel thought they’d be nice and give us some lighthearted fun with someone who was noticeably absent from Infinity War! It’s finally time to talk about Ant-Man and the Wasp!

Plot

Life’s been tough for Scott Lang. After helping Captain America and protesting the Sokovia Accords, Scott was arrested and placed on house arrest. Unable to leave his home, he’s used the time he’s had to rebuild a relationship with his family, primarily Cassie. Hank Pym and his daughter Hope Van Dyne have been on the run due to Scott’s actions, but have also been researching how to reenter the Quantum Realm and find Hank’s wife Janet. Scott begins having strange dreams of Hank’s wife and suddenly finds himself teaming up once again with Hank and Hope for what seems to be an impossible rescue mission. The mission itself is impossible enough but to add fire to the flame, a mysterious being simply known as Ghost is out to ruin their plans for some mysterious reason.

Villain

It seems wrong to categorize Ghost as a villain. She doesn’t hold any specific grudge against Scott, Hank, and Hope. They just happen to be in the way of her achieving a normal life. Ghost got her powers after an experiment to enter the Quantum Realm went horribly wrong. She was then used as a weapon for SHIELD due to her ability to phase through matter. Eventually with the help of Bill Foster, she learns that absorbing quantum energy is the only way to get a normal life back. She plans to use Hank’s quantum tunnel to find Janet and steal her quantum energy even if it kills Janet. Yeah, killing someone’s wife is definitely evil, but her reason for the risk is understandable. She just wants a normal life back before she phases away forever. While not as amazing of a villain as Loki, Thanos, and Kilmonger, Ghost is definitely better than the typical Marvel villain fare.

Best Scene

There’s a great car chase/fight scene towards the end of the movie where Scott, Hope, Ghost, and mobster Sonny Burch are all fighting over a shrunk down version of Hank’s lab. This is where we get the best display of Ghost’s powers phasing in and out of cars. Hope as the Wasp has some of her best action sequences here as well showing just how powerful Scott could be with the same training and discipline. At the end of the chase when everyone ends up near the ocean we get to see just how huge Scott can be with the suit. He becomes absolutely MASSIVE! Also there’s plenty of the typical Ant-Man humor spread throughout that we’ve all come to love.

Stan Lee Cameo

This happens during the same chase scene mentioned above. While everyone is barreling down the street, things are being shrunk left and right and at one moment we find Stan Lee about to get into his car. Out of nowhere it shrinks down so small Stan can’t even see it which is when he says this hysterical line, “Well the 60’s were fun but I’m paying for it now!” Absolutely hilarious!

Post Credits Scenes

Remember how I said Marvel gave us a nice lighthearted movie with lots of laughs? Yeah they only did that for the actual film. I guess they didn’t TECHNICALLY promise anything for the post credits scenes. In the first post credits scene we find Hank, Hope, and Janet sending Scott into the quantum realm to gather more quantum energy. Hank says they’ll pull him back to the regular world after a few moments of gathering quantum energy. Scott is shrunk down, gathers some quantum energy then tells Hank he’s ready to go back to normal size.

…there’s no response.

Scott calls out again.

…nothing.

HOPE, HANK, AND JANET ALL WERE TURNED TO ASk DUE TO THANOS’ SNAP!!! SCOTT IS TRAPPED IN THE QUANTUM REALM WITH NOBODY KNOWING WHERE HE IS! WHAT THE HELL IS GONNA HAPPEN!?!?!?!?!??!?!?! (This scene was excellent, definitely one of the best Marvel has ever done).

The other scene was short and sweet, we find the ant that was covering for Scott playing drums. However, if you watch the scene closer you’ll notice that there are news reports and screams being heard in the background due to Thanos’ evil snap of death! Just when we thought we were done with Thanos for the summer, Marvel pulled us back into his genocide. AGH. I love it though.

Final Thoughts 

This sequel was better than the original in almost every way. The comedy and heart were still there thanks to Luis and Scott’s bond with Cassie. The action was better with the addition of Wasp and Ghost, and I liked how this movie stayed on a smaller scale like the original while feeling more connected to the rest of the MCU. I don’t know what’s going to happen to Ant-Man in Avengers 4 though! Maybe he’ll end up going back in time? Janet DID warn him about that just before he got shrunk down…………….. we’ll just have to wait til next year to find out. That sounds way easier said than done.

A Very Late WWE Extreme Rules Recap

I haven’t posted anything in weeks… blame grad school! Extreme Rules was almost a month ago and the reason I didn’t immediately write my recap like I usually do is because I was at the actual event! I lived it man! I was one of those thousands of people that made the annoying buzzing noise every thirty seconds! Anyways, I’m going to do a much briefer recap of this event since I’m so far behind, and I’ll be getting back into my weekly posting starting now! Let’s take a look at the roller coaster that was Extreme Rules.

Sin Cara vs. Andrade Cien Almas

What has Sin Cara been up to all this time!? I feel like it’s been forever since he’s wrestled. This match was all about (I think) giving Almas a push to get him into hopefully some future title fights. Sin Cara actually had some opportunities to shine, but in the end it was all about Almas who laid the smack down (ha) on Sin Cara. I’m really hoping Almas gets a good push because he was nothing short of incredible on NXT. Almas wins via pinfall 7/10. 

Sanity vs. The New Day 

Two great tag teams equals a pretty great match! All three members of each team got to fight leading to some chaos both in and outside the ring. Killian Dayne continues to be the best part of Sanity and I’m glad he was highlighted so much in the match. The best part though had to be when Kofi stomped both Eric Young and Alexander Wolf from the top rope. The match ended a little sooner than I would’ve liked though. I feel like it could’ve gone on longer. Either way, this was a great match that shouldn’t have been on the preshow. Sanity puts New Day through a table to win 8/10. 

Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt (Champs) vs. The B Team – RAW Tag Team Championships

This was one of those matches where I really like both teams so I didn’t really care who won. It’s been nice to see Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel actually be a part of something substantial. That all being said, I can’t believe these two are actually tag team champs! Overall a decent match. The B Team wins the RAW Tag Team Championships via pinfall 7.5.

Finn Balor vs. Constable Corbin

Honestly didn’t even know this match was booked for the event… the fight was passable but the story between these two just isn’t that great. They’re basically feuding just to give the two something better to do. I don’t mind the constable gimmick for Corbin but these two should definitely be used better. Finn Balor wins via pinfall 7/10.

Asuka vs. Carmella (Champ) – Smackdown Women’s Championship

Has there ever been a match where someone that was locked in a steel cage and actually stayed there for the entire thing? Ellsworth was locked in the steel cage but *shocker* he escaped! He then cost Asuka the match when Asuka was thrown into the steel cage. Carmella won again, and WWE seems content with burying Asuka currently. This match was, as expected, a total dud. Carmella wins via pinfall 6/10

Jeff Hardy (Champ) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – United States Championship

Oh boy was this infuriating. I was so excited to see these two duke it out in a match and what happens? Nakamura hits Jeff with a low blow then a kinshasa and 3, 2, 1 Nakamura is the United States Champion. Such a hyped match over in a minute Then Randy Orton comes out and beats the hell out of Hardy for some reason!? Who knows what’s coming next for these two (three?). All I know for sure was that this “match” was total garbage. It wasn’t even a match so I’m giving it a 1. Nakamura wins the United States Title via pinfall 1/10. 

Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens – Steel Cage Match

This match wasn’t long enough! Owens and Braun are both great but there was a major plot hole with this match. At one point Owens had Braun handcuffed to the ring, why didn’t he just escape the steel cage and win the match? Logic aside, this match had a hell of an ending! Braun and Owens were at the top of the steel cage and Braun tossed Kevin about 30 feet into an announce table. Owens could’ve literally died if that was botched! Braun may not have won but that wasn’t his goal. He just wanted to hurt Kevin Owens and damn did he! Definitely one of the highlights of the night if only for the ending. Kevin Owens “escapes” the cage and wins 8/10. 

The Bludgeon Brothers (Champs) vs. Team Hell No – Smackdown Tag Team Championships

This one felt like we got a little shorted as well. We were promised Team Hell No, but the match was mostly Daniel Bryan alone vs. The Bludgeon Brothers due to Team Hell No being jumped before the match. If I read correctly, Kane was injured before the PPV so this is the match they were forced to run with so I can’t give them too much grief for it. That being said, this was another bummer for the night. The Bludgeon Brothers win via pinfall 6.25/10.

Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley

Yeah yeah, Roman sucks blah blah I get it. This was actually a solid match! Their fighting styles mash together well and it was high energy the entire match. The icing on the cake though is that we actually witnessed a rare Roman Reigns loss! The two had been feuding for awhile and I’m surprised to say that Bobby Lashley actually came out on top! Sure they would then fight again shortly after and Roman would win, but Roman losing at a PPV? I’ll take that. Bobby Lashley wins via pinfall 8.25/10.

Alexa Bliss (Champ) vs. Nia Jaxx – Extreme Rules Match for the RAW Women’s Championship

Their match at Wrestlemania was decent. There match at Extreme Rules? Eh about the same. This was the ONE extreme rules stipulation match the entire night and while there was definitely some good moments, all in all I would say that the match wasn’t as extreme as it needed to be. Especially after the wild Money In The Bank ladder match they had last PPV, I know the ladies can do a crazier match than the one we got tonight. Ronda Rousey was watching at ringside and believe it or not she got involved in the match! *Gasps* I know, totally crazy. It’s obvious this match was just a stepping stone for an upcoming Rousey vs. Bliss match. Bliss wins via pinfall 7/10. 

AJ Styles (Champ) vs. Rusev – WWE World Heavyweight Championship

This was the match of the night hands down! These two threw everything at each other and it went back and forth looking like each of them had plenty of chances to win. There were so many near falls that just about everyone in the audience was out of there seats. Half the crowd wanted AJ to win and the other endlessly chanted Rusev Day. Styles may have won the match, but the crowd won by getting to witness the best fight of the night! AJ Styles wins via pinfall 9/10. 

Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins – Iron Man Match for the Intercontinental Championship

I’m genuinely shocked this was the main event of the night. When was the last time the IC Title match closed out the night!? I figure they wanted a match with an extreme(ish) stipulation to be the finisher of the show. Everything Rollins touches turns to gold and this was a pretty entertaining match! Ziggler took the initial lead earning the first fall, but then Rollins was on a winning spree pinning Ziggler and earning an extra fall thanks to Drew McIntyre intervening in the match. Ziggler of course caught up and it seemed like Rollins was going to get a last minute win. But he didn’t… the match ended in a draw and everyone thought they got cheated out of the match. Then Pittsburgh’s own Kurt Angle came out and restarted the match. Yay! We all thought, until McIntyre showed up and the match ended like 30 seconds later. I just don’t understand this ending. I’m OK with Ziggler winning, but why have that tie ending just to have the match end for real less than a minute later? Great match with a lame ending. Dolph Ziggler retains via 4-3 pinfalls 8.5/10. 

Final Thoughts

This PPV was all over the place. There were some really entertaining matches then there were some that sucked something awful. There weren’t nearly enough “extreme” stipulations, and the ones we got for the most part just weren’t as great as they should’ve been. That all being said, I enjoyed being at the show even though I think the rest of the WWE Universe hates Pittsburgh now after the Iron Man Match countdown debacle. Oh well… I know the recaps were short but I just wanted to include SOMETHING about this PPV so I have something to look back on when I rank the best PPV matches of the year in December! 7/10. 

Favorite Albums of 2018 (So Far)

This is one of my favorite lists to write! I am CONSTANTLY looking for new bands and albums to listen to. Each year the bounty varies but this year has been a particularly good haul! In the past at the end of June I write about my five favorite albums of the year so far, but this year has given us so much good music so far that I’m actually going to write about my ten favorites (so far). As always, this is simply my opinion, and it’s all rock or some rock subgenre, but if you’re reading this I assume you know me decently well enough to know my music preferences. This week’s post goes out to my fellow rockers and metal heads! Here’s my pick for my 10 favorite albums of 2018 (so far). Side note: This order could totally change whenever I do a list for my top ten favorites of the entire year!

10. “Here Come the Runts” – Awolnation

This album was without a doubt the biggest surprise for me! I was in a bit of a drought music wise and was looking for basically anything to listen to. New Music Friday came around and I saw this album was one of the new releases. He was really the only artist with new material that I recognized that week so I played it on Spotify… then I listened to it again later that day… then by the end of the week I was in the double digits. It’s surprisingly catchy and sounds nothing like their older stuff. Anyone who hears Awolnation immediately thinks of the song “Sail,” but this isn’t anything you’d expect. It’s just solid alternative rock with some REALLY catchy choruses! After I listened to this album I checked out their older stuff… still hated it but hey he’s got one album I like. That’s more than I can say about a lot of other artists/bands. Favorite Songs: Handyman, Table For One, Seven Sticks of Dynamite.

9. “All I See is War” – Sevendust

I feel like Sevendust releases an album every single year, do they ever sleep!? Do they have families!? Sevendust may release music at an absurd rate, but they aren’t always winners. This album though is definitely solid metal effort by them! The opening song Dirty is one of the best metal songs of the year so far and should see a lot of radio time in the future. Lajon Witherspoon has one of the most distinct and recognizable voices in metal and he puts himself to work on this album. It’s heavy but not overbearingly so, and the album definitely switches to its softer side occasionally. It’s a consistent album that has a nice variety to it that can please a widespread of metal fans. If that doesn’t make a good album then I don’t know what does! Favorites: Dirty, Risen, God Bites His Tongue.

8. “Gravity” – Bullet For My Valentine

This album literally came out today, but I’ve already listened to it twice! People that are diehard fans of the old metalcore Bullet are going to HATE this album. With this album Bullet seems to completely transitioning into being a hard rock band instead of being metalheads. I personally don’t mind this. The songs on this album are similar material the band has always been singing about, the guitar work is impressive in its own way and it’s nice to hear Matt Tuck actually sing for a majority of their songs. This album reminds me a lot of Trivium’s album “Silence in the Snow:” change in vocals but still the same feel the band has always had. True Bullet fans should get over themselves and give this new album a try because there’s a lot more to enjoy than they think! Favorites: Over It, Piece of Me, Breathe Underwater. 

7. “Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life” – The Wombats

This album has one of the ugliest album covers I’ve seen in a VERY long time, but this list isn’t about album covers, it’s about the music and The Wombats are just as infectious as ever! The Wombats honestly haven’t released a single bad album yet since their creation, and that tradition holds up with “Beautiful People.” The band has always had a good sense of humor (I mean the cover looks like it has a turd on it), and the humor definitely shows in their clever wordplay for the song titles. Not only are the titles themselves memorable though, the choruses will be stuck in your head for days. This album is the perfect choice if you’re just looking for something relaxing and catchy that’ll bring a smile to your face. It blows my mind that this band isn’t bigger than they are. More people deserve to know about them! Favorites: Black Flamingo, Cheetah Tongue, Turn

6. “Ember” – Breaking Benjamin

Breaking Benjamin are one of the most consistent bands in rock. After returning from their hiatus they released one of their best albums to date in 2015 with “Dark Before Dawn,” and the band continues their successful return with “Ember.” Though the band is still as sad about life as ever, they definitely up’d their heaviness. There are some classic sounding Breaking Benjamin songs like “Red Cold River” and “Feed the Wolf,” and a lot of memorable choruses. Breaking Benjamin has always had a track record of making their songs sound similar to each other but each having one distinct factor about it making it unique. Though this album isn’t the absolute knockout that “Dark Before Dawn” was, “Ember” is an excellent album! Breaking Benjamin still hasn’t made a bad album yet! Favorites: “Red Cold River,” “Blood,” “Feed the Wolf.”

5. “When Legends Rise” – Godsmack

What a return to form for Godsmack! Their last album “1000hp” had its moments of greatness, but ultimately it was just an average effort for the band. Four years later and the band has returned with one of the best albums of the year! Although diehard Godsmack fans will turn their nose to this album for being too different from their other records, I commend the band for trying something new! “Bulletproof” and “When Legends Rise” are two of the best rock songs to come out this year and I’ll fight anyone that says otherwise. The rest of the album spans from good to great too with songs like “Take it to the Edge” and “Under Your Scars” being major standouts. Sully Erna could sing the phone book and I’d still enjoy it. Godsmack may have changed their new sound, but this new sound is something I think a broader range of people can enjoy which is good for rock music in general. Favorites: “Bulletproof,” “When Legends Rise,” “Under Your Scars.”

4. “ATTENTION ATTENTION” – Shinedown

The story goes that when the band was meeting fans, one asked them if they could make their next album “heavier” because their last album “Threat to Survival” definitely wasn’t. When I first saw the album cover for “Attention Attention” I was definitely skeptical; it looks like it was drawn up in 5 minutes. Then I heard the first single “Devil” and was immediately hyped for the new album. That song alone was better than anything on their last album. Not that “Threat to Survival” was bad, but “Devil” sounded like it was straight out of the album “Sound of Madness.”  The rest of the album though sounds completely unlike anything the band has written before, it almost sounds like a punk album tackling the issues the world faces these days. Shinedown definitely kept their promise of delivering a heavier album, just not in the way that fans probably expected! Also “Brilliant” is one of the best closing songs on any of the albums here. Favorites: “Devil,” “Brilliant,” “Kill Your Conscience.” 

3. “Pray For The Wicked” – Panic! At the Disco

Panic’s last album “Death of a Bachelor” was my favorite album of 2016 and one of my absolute all time favorites, so there were high expectations when Panic announced “Pray for the Wicked.” Did the follow up manage to surpass “Death of a Bachelor?” In a word, no but it’s still one of my favorite albums of the year so far. Almost every song is a bop so catchy you’ll want to dance while you listen. The band’s emo days are long gone and I’m entirely OK with that. These days the band is all about partying and having a good time, and that shines through on this album. You can’t help but smile when the chorus hits for these songs. While not the masterpiece that “Death of a Bachelor” was, “Pray for the Wicked” is an epic blend of pop and rock people will be listening to for a long time. Favorites: “Pray for the Wicked,” “Roarin’ 20’s,” “High Hopes.”

2. “Prequelle” – Ghost

Ghost has taken the rock and metal world by storm. They’ve risen in popularity at an alarming rate due to their  songwriting and their memorable live shows. Having only recently started listening to Ghost, “Prequelle” is definitely my favorite album of theirs. As their name suggests, their songs are haunting and cover some dreadful material like death and everyone’s pal Satan. That being said, the band has always been surprisingly catchy and groovy and this album definitely has the catchiest tracks yet. “Dance Macabre” is (in my opinion) the best song the band has ever written. It’s impossible to dislike. My friend who is a life long pop fan even admits this song is great. This album is full of surprises; people have described some of the songs having a disco feel, and then just when you think you’ve heard it all “Miasma” has a killer saxophone solo in its finale! The album is catchy, full of surprises, and incredibly memorable but it’s not my favorite album of the year so far… there’s one more I like just a LITTLE more. Favorites: “Dance Macabre,” “Pro Memoria,” “See the Light.”

1. “Black Labyrinth” – Jonathan Davis

All the top five albums (for the most part) don’t have a bad song on them. This album doesn’t have a single bad song on it, but what sets it apart from the rest is the fact that this album is LONG. Thirteen songs without a single dud is hard to come by these days. Shinedown has the same number of songs on “Attention Attention” but the song quality just isn’t the same. Jonathan Davis’s solo debut hosts a myriad of different sounds and shows off his masterful vocals. There may not be any beat boxing like he does in Korn, but it still shows just how talented of a singer he really is. There are fast songs, slow songs, songs with cool tribal sections, it has the catchiness of all the other albums, the surprises of Ghost’s album, and some truly solid vocal work (I won’t say he’s better than Brendon Urie but he’s good). For all of these reasons, “Black Labyrinth” is my favorite album of the year… so far. Favorites: “What It Is,” “Underneath My Skin,” “The Secret.”

I’m sure there are albums I’ve completely missed, but what are some of your favorites? I’m always looking for new material and would love to know!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

This weekend I saw the highly anticipated Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and while I thought it was going to be a great summer flick, I was not prepared for just how much of a summer blockbuster it was going to be. By that I mean it had tons of action, little focus on plot consistency, and humor. If you mindlessly watch Fallen Kingdom, you’ll think it’s a great film, but if you dig a little deeper this movie is a bit of a mess. This film gave me the inspiration for my new series: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Instead of being a full on review, it’s going to focus on what went right and wrong, and what was just head shakingly bad. It won’t always be for movies, and I can’t say how frequently I’ll write one of these, but just remember these are only my opinions! Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

***************OBVIOUS SPOILERS FOR FALLEN KINGDOM AHEAD***************

 

The Good

The Opening Scene

Honestly this was the best part of the whole film in my opinion.  It was flat out scary! Men are underwater searching for the remains of the Indominus Rex that the Mosasaurus munched on in the first film. The one man is worried for his safety and the other reassures him “Anything that’s in here is dead,” and that’s when we see the shadow of the Mosasaurus right behind them. On land, the rest of the crew is trying to close the gate in the ocean but they are attacked by the infamous T-Rex! One man hanging from a helicopter ladder barely escapes the T-Rex but is then eaten by the Mosasaurus. It was intense, scary, and a hell of a lot of fun! Honestly one of the best openings I’ve seen in recent memory.

Blue

Everyone’s favorite character in the first Jurassic World was Blue, and if you tell me differently then you’re wrong. Blue once again is the show stealer this time around. It’s amazing how much personality these films can give to dinosaurs. This time around we learn more about her upbringing and relationship with Owen and once again she ends up being the real hero saving the people that will apparently never learn their lesson. Blue is the perfect example of why people love the Jurassic Park films in the first place.

The Action 

Like I said in the introduction, the film has some great action sequences. The opening sequence, the stampede during the volcano eruption, and the chaos in the mansion at the end. All are fun and memorable action sequences that’ll entertain anyone looking for some pure dino action this summer. There’s a lot of action, but it’s definitely not overbearing like the Transformers films or other similar big summer blockbusters. If there’s one setback about the action it’s that basically all the big scenes were in the trailer so if you saw that, it takes away from seeing the whole film.

The Bad

Plot holes

There are quite a few of them, friends have pointed out more than I caught myself so I’m just going to go down the list

1. Why would a company that loves dinosaurs so much, make their home be where an active volcano is? The film says the volcano became since the events of the first film but I’m pretty sure that’s not how volcanoes work! They had to have known that the volcano would be a HUGE threat to the park over time… right!?
2. When the “dinosaur traffickers” go to Isla Nublar to capture dinosaurs, their #1 priority was Blue. When Owen and the traffickers attempt to kidnap her, Blue gets shot and is dying. The traffickers then take Claire’s paleovet Zia hostage and force her to save Blue. Owen and Claire sneak upon the trafficker’s boat and find Zia trying to heal Blue. She says she needs to do a blood transfusion and the only dinosaur with the right blood is the T-Rex so Owen and Claire sneak around the boat to get it. If Blue’s survival is that important, why not just ask the traffickers for help!? The only reason Owen and Claire HAD to get it was so we could get that intense scene with the sleeping T-Rex. There was literally no other point.
3. At the end of the film, the “dinosaur traffickers” capture Owen and Claire and throw them in a prison cell next to the dinosaurs. The one soldier asks the main villain, Eli “What should we do with these two?” Eli replies saying, “As far as the world knows, they died when the volcano erupted.” THEN THEY LEAVE OWEN AND CLAIRE IN THE CELL. WHY!? You just said yourselves that everyone assumes they’re dead, why not just kill them!? You have a T-REX that’ll eat them in two seconds!

The Villain’s Motivation

The villain motivation in Jurassic World: “Let’s turn the dinosaurs into weapons!” The villain motivation in Fallen Kingdom: “Let’s sell the dinosaurs to criminals that’ll turn them into weapons!” It’s hidden underneath the “save the dinosaurs” plot but in the end the villain’s motivations are the same as last time. To the point that the genetically modified dinosaur almost has the same exact name (more on that later).

The Ending

They were sooooooooooooooooooo close to having a great, powerful ending! At the end of the film, the Indo-Raptor is dead, most of the criminals have been mauled by dinosaurs, and our heroes are alive! But the dinosaurs are trapped in their cages and poisonous gas is filling in. Claire and the others are in the control room and have the ability to free the dinosaurs. Owen though says that freeing the dinosaurs would endanger humanity and Claire with tears in her eyes decides to let the dinosaurs die. The End. At least, that’s how it should’ve ended BUT NO. Maisie decides to free them all because they’re alive “just like her” because we found out earlier she was created in a lab by Lockwood who missed her daughter. So now the dinosaurs are running free and are going to go on a killing spree… which doesn’t fit the feel of Jurassic Park at all. Ugh, they were so close to ending it right.

The Ugly

The Indo-Raptor

As if the plot of this film wasn’t already close enough to the plot of the first, they couldn’t even bother changing the name of the new genetically modified dinosaur! It went from the Indominus Rex to the Indo-Raptor. That’s just flat out lazy! Also this is the second time a genetically advance dinosaur has been beaten, when are these people going to learn!? There better not be an Indo-anything in the inevitable third film. Also side note, I thought the auction where the Indo-Raptor was revealed was hilarious. The auctioneer was miraculously somehow able to see people bidding behind the massive dinosaur cage blocking his view. Maybe he has genetically modified to have X-Ray vision.

Poor Claire

Bryce Dallas Howard never heard the end of it after outrunning the T-Rex while wearing heels in the first film, and this film didn’t do much better to improve her character. There are A LOT of shameless shots that have Claire’s butt or chest at the perfect angle. She’s already pretty she doesn’t have to be exploited. Then, when the film isn’t trying to emphasize how pretty she is by having her lose layers of clothes as the movie continues, she spends the rest of her time screaming like a damsel in distress. She also says the hilariously bad line of “these dinosaurs are dying and nobody cares.” She isn’t awful throughout the entire movie, but they really need to figure out what to do with her in the future because right now it’s just not working.

 

So there you have it! Fallen Kingdom is kind of an absolute mess, but if you go into it just looking for some dinosaur action then you’ll leave the film satisfied. If you’re looking for an actual plot though you will be severely disappointed. But that’s just my take on it. I’ll probably end up seeing the third one anyways because I’m just that big of a dinosaur nerd.