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!

 

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.

To Infinity & Beyond: Thor

Last week Coulson traveled to New Mexico for an urgent assignment. This week we dig deeper into what Coulson found and enter into the world of gods and frost giants! Part four of the ever growing Marvel Cinematic Universe gives us Thor!

Plot

Thor, the god of thunder, son of Odin, and brother of Loki is next in line to be king of the realm of Asgard. However, after an invasion from creatures known as the frost giants, Thor foolishly nearly causes a war between realms. Furious, Odin strips Thor of all his power, banishes him to Midgard (that’s Earth for all you not nerds) and his ability to wield the legendary hammer Mjolnir. Now stranded on Earth, Thor must acclimate to a new world, and learn what it truly means to be a hero. Meanwhile, a sinister plot unfolds in Asgard once Odin falls into a deep slumber called the Odin Sleep…

Villain

Oh baby it’s time for the big one! The OG in Marvel villainy! The ultimate standard! When people complain that Marvel has a “villain problem,” the #1 counterargument that always must be addressed is Loki. What separates him from the pack is the amount of depth his character gets. First, he has quite the reason to be villainous. It’s revealed that Loki is not actually an Asgardian, but rather a frost giant that Odin found and raised. At the time though, Odin thought of Loki as a way to bring peace among Asgard and the frost giants. Finding out you’re basically your dad’s tool would piss just about anyone off. When Loki found out about his past though, he didn’t want to bring an end to Asgard. Instead he concocted an ingenious plot to eliminate the frost giants, appear to be a hero to Odin, be named king of Asgard…………………… and kill Thor. OK so he’s not someone you can COMPLETELY feel bad for, he’s got some darkness in him. Sibling rivalries are the worst. Extremely cunning, incredibly powerful, with a great backstory, there’s no better villain in the MCU.

The frost giants play a minor role in the plot of Thor. Led by King Laufey, the frost giants want nothing more than to see Odin die and regain their relic known as “the Power Casket.” Besides that, they’re not much more than big blue monsters for Thor and his pals to smack around.

I also have to give a brief mention to The Destroyer which is a machine created to protect Asgard. Loki though during his rule as king sends the Destroyer to kill Thor. Coulson jokingly comments that it looks like “Stark tech,” and he’s not far from the mark. The Destroyer is essentially a strong suit of armor that shoots laser beams. Lots of pew pews to be had in the finale.

Best Scene

Thor has beaten the Destroyer and has returned to Asgard to stop Loki. At this point, Loki has killed the frost giant king Laufey and appears to be a hero to his mother. Thor shows up to prove that Loki is actually straight garbage and the two fight it out. The fight itself is nothing special, but the reason this scene stands out among the rest for me is (once again) Loki. Upon revealing his grand scheme to Thor, Loki appears more sympathetic than ever. Thor doesn’t fight Loki with the intent to kill. More than anything he’s heartbroken to see his brother in such a saddened state. The “fight” concludes on the Rainbow Bridge with Thor destroying the Bifrost Portal which is his only way back to Earth (and his new lady friend Jane Foster). Thor and Loki nearly fall off the Rainbow Bridge, but Odin awakens from the Odin Sleep and saves them. Loki tells Odin that he would’ve been a great king given the chance, Odin disagrees. With a tear in his eye, Loki lets go and falls to whereabouts unknown.

Stan Lee Cameo

Definitely the funniest Stan Lee cameo up to this point, it happens towards the beginning of the film. Once Thor is banished to Earth, Odin sends the hammer Mjolnir as well. Though literally unmovable, the nearby townsfolk all take turns trying to pull the hammer from the stone. With nobody succeeding, someone has the brilliant plan of wrapping chain around the hammer and pulling it from their truck. The entire bed of the truck though rips off though and the driver obliviously leans out his window and says, “Did it work?” The driver of course, is Stan Lee.

Post Credits Scene

Dr. Erik Selvig (who Thor meets when he arrives at Earth) is found stumbling around a SHIELD facility. Eventually he runs into Director Nick Fury. Selvig mentions how unprecedented the idea of other realms and gateways is, and Fury tells Selvig that history and legend sometimes intertwine. At this point Fury shows Selvig SHIELD’s newest discovery: a cube shaped power source that could bring “unlimited power.” But then GASP! It’s revealed that Loki himself has been listening in on this entire conversation and that this new power source is “worth a look.” Loki’s not done yet folks! Not even close.

Final Thoughts

Of all the origin movies in the MCU, Thor is most definitely the weakest of the bunch. First off, besides being in “the New Mexico desert,” it’s never actually said what the name of the town is which is where a majority of the film takes place! Also, Jane Foster is a TERRIBLE love interest. Here’s how her relationship arc with Thor goes: 1. Jane hits Thor with car 2. Jane hits Thor with car again 3. Thor takes his shirt off 4. Jane is in love with Thor. That may sound harsh but that’s entirely how it goes; Jane falls head over heels for Thor simply because he’s ripped. I know Betty doesn’t get a ton of development in Incredible Hulk either, but at least she and Bruce were colleagues at work! Thor is flawed, but it’s still a fun film. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston put on excellent performances that will follow them for the rest of their careers! It doesn’t take itself too seriously and has some great humor! Also, this film introduces Hawkeye! He unfortunately doesn’t fire a single arrow, but hey he was there! Anything that adds to the existing universe is OK in my book!

To Infinity & Beyond: Iron Man 2

Last week I spent a majority of my post defending why The Incredible Hulk was a great addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Well here I am again in the same situation, but instead of defending the Hulk, I’m going to defend a sequel many seem to hate. We’re on week 3 of the MCU Marathon which means it’s time to talk about Iron Man 2!

The Plot

Tony Stark has admitted to the world that he is Iron Man! With Iron Man watching over the world, peace seems to have finally come! However, Tony will quickly learn that revealing to the world that he’s a superhero will bring much more trouble than it will pleasure. Also, Tony learns that the very thing that’s keeping him alive, the arc reactor, is killing him. Not only that, but a new villain has rolled into town hellbent on showing to the world that there are cracks in Iron Man’s armor and that the world is not as safe as it seems.

Villain

The big bad in Iron Man 2 is a Russian by the name of Ivan Vanko aka Whiplash. Whiplash is a physicist who wants revenge on the Stark Family for stealing the thunder that his family should have. He is one of the few villains that strays from the “evil version of the hero club.” He doesn’t get particularly deep backstory but his battle suit brings the best action sequences of the story and Mickey Rourke’s performance is great. He delivers a truly great line: ” If you could make God bleed, people would cease to believe in him. All I have to do is sit back, and watch as the world consumes you. There will be blood in the water, and the sharks will come.” He gets a really lame final fight, but until that Whiplash is a great villain!

Another minor villain in Iron Man 2 is Justin Hammer (played by Sam Rockwell). Hammer owns a rival tech company that’s desperate to do just about anything to put itself ahead of Stark Enterprises… even if it means performing less than legal actions. Iron Man 2 makes Hammer look like a dumbed down version of Tony Stark, but his character serves an important role in the overall plot of Iron Man 2. Plus, Rockwell is a great actor and does a great job portraying Justin Hammer.

Best Scene(s)

The final fight in Iron Man 2 may be disappointing, but the action sequence right before it is anything but! Right before Whiplash arrives, Iron Man and his new sidekick War Machine are surrounded by drones and are forced to open up a can of whoop ass on their enemies. It’s a solid few minutes of  hero/side kick action that’s a great introduction for War Machine. It’s the beginning of a beautiful tag team that’ll be with us for the rest of the MCU.

However, there’s another scene in the movie that deserves recognition. As fans of the MCU know, Iron Man 2 is the movie that introduced fans to Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, and boy does she get an intro! Towards the end of the movie, Black Widow and Tony’s assistant Happy go to Justin Hammer’s HQ to help Tony, and when they get there, Black Widow takes down a myriad of Hammer’s men in a way that fans of hers have wanted to see for ages! Johansson was the absolute perfect choice for the role, and Black Widow couldn’t have had a better introduction!

Stan Lee Cameo

This one is short, sweet, and right at the beginning of the movie. After the Stark Expo, Tony is leaving with Happy and we the audience are seeing everything through Tony’s eyes. While making his way through the crowd, Tony runs into the one and only Larry King, except it’s not Larry King it’s none other than Stan Lee! It’s amusing to see, but a bit short compared to his other cameos in the MCU.

Post Credits Scene

Yay universe building! We find Coulsen on assignment in New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment, and he’s finally found “it.” But what’s “it” you say? Why, it’s none other than Mjolnir!!!! Back in the day, fans were ecstatic to finally get a look at Marvel’s Thor on the big screen! The audience only gets a quick glimpse at Thor’s hammer, but it was enough to get fans excited for the introduction of a new superhero to the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

Final Thoughts 

Like The Incredible Hulk, I don’t understand why this movie got so much negativity upon its release. It has an above average villain, two great new superhero introduction, and it has more of the delightful Tony Stark banter that fans have come to love! It’s by no means groundbreaking, but it’s a film that Marvel fans can enjoy and watch for a good dose of action. The best in the MCU? Not by any means, but it’s also not the worst.

To Infinity and Beyond: The Incredible Hulk

We’re now onto film #2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe! As Nick Fury said in the end of Iron Man, Tony wasn’t the only superhero in the world, and this week we take a look at The Incredible Hulk!

Plot

After a lab accident involving gamma radiation, Bruce Banner (played by Edward Norton) has a monster living inside of him; a being of limitless power known as the Hulk. After the accident, Bruce flees the country and goes into hiding from the military that wants nothing more than to turn the Hulk into a weapon. While in hiding, Bruce collaborates with a scientist dubbed Mr. Blue in search of a way to rid himself of the Hulk for good.

Villain

There are two main villains in The Incredible Hulk. The primary villain that Hulk faces off against is a military soldier by the name of Emil Blonsky (played by Tim Roth). Blonsky isn’t getting any younger but still has that fighting instinct in him. Refusing to rank up and “leave the trenches,” Blonsky takes part in an old “super soldier” experiment (more on that in Captain America). That with a mix of the radiation that turned Banner into Hulk, Blonsky becomes Abomination. This makes the “villain is just an evil version of the hero” count to two! Abomination is a somewhat bland villain at first glance but if you dig deeper he’s actually a pretty relatable character. He’s someone that’s scared of his own mortality. He wasn’t really evil until he poisoned his mind with radiation.

The secondary antagonist is General “Thunder” Ross (played by William Hurt) who is partially responsible for the Hulk’s creation. He’s also the one leading the charge in the military’s attempts to bring Bruce in and turn the Hulk into a weapon against their enemies. He doesn’t have any big flashy fight scenes like Abomination does, but he is integral to Hulk’s origin.

Best Scene

The best scene in The Incredible Hulk is undoubtedly the final fight between Hulk and Abomination in New York. Hulk gets to do what he does best: smash, and it is glorious. The fight just gets progressively more intense and its considerably more violent than any of the action in Iron Man. It’s also the best showcase of Hulk’s abilities. He falls thousands of feet smashing into cement and brushes it off like it’s nothing. He manages to extinguish a massive explosion by CLAPPING. Then finally, he yells his iconic line “HULK SMASH!!!” and causes a massive tremor that ultimately leads to Abomination’s defeat. You expect the final showdown in a movie to be its best and The Incredible Hulk definitely doesn’t disappoint in that regard.

Stan Lee Cameo

This cameo happens very early in the film. While hiding in Brazil, Bruce works at a soda factory. Bruce cuts his finger and unknowingly spills a drop of his gamma radiated blood into one of the bottles that’s about to be shipped. A few scenes later we hear from one of General Ross’s soldiers that someone died from gamma poisoning via a soda he had consumed. The victim? None other than poor Stan Lee of course!

BONUS CAMEO

It would be wrong of me to write about cameos and not mention Lou Ferrigno’s cameo! Bruce disguises himself as a pizza man and tries to sneak into his old lab and obtain his gamma experiment data, but he’s stopped by the hulking security guard played by Lou Ferrigno. Ferrigno stops Bruce, but Bruce is able to win Ferrigno over with free pizza. It’s an amusing scene for anyone that knows of or was a fan of the old Hulk TV show.

Post Credits Scene

This is actually the first MCU post credits scene I saw and that’s mostly because this played almost immediately after the actual movie was over. General Ross is at a bar drinking his sorrows away after Bruce managed to escape yet again. After downing his drinks like they’re water, none other than Tony Stark himself walks in basically saying “I told you so” about using the super soldier serum in the military. Tony says he’s able to help Ross with his Hulk problem because he’s “putting a team together.” Step by step we are getting closer to the Avengers assembling!

Final Thoughts

For whatever reason when people rank the MCU movies, The Incredible Hulk almost always ends up being considered one of the worst. I just don’t understand the reasoning why. It’s definitely not the best MCU movie but in no way is it one of the worst. I appreciate how The Incredible Hulk essentially skips the part in all origin movies where the hero gets their powers. The Incredible Hulk shows the origination of Bruce’s powers throughout the intro credits. Short and sweet, and it gives the film more freedom to differentiate itself from every other origin movie. The film has great action sequences and gives good fan service to those that grew up loving the Hulk. If anything, I think we can all agree that The Incredible Hulk was infinitely better than that abomination of a film that was Ang Lee’s “Hulk.”

To Infinity and Beyond: Iron Man

The Last Jedi has come and gone meaning the next massive blockbuster for nerds everywhere to look forward to is none other than Avengers: Infinity War! Ten years and eighteen movies later, the MCU is finally coming to the end of its tale. Marvel has created an incredible universe for its fans and in honor of Infinity War finally coming this May, I’ve decided to look back on every film of the MCU. Each week I’ll be looking at a film and recounting its plot, villain(s), the film’s best action scene, the stan lee cameo, and the post credits scene. This week we’re going with the movie that started it all: Iron Man!

Plot

Billionaire playboy philanthropist Tony Stark has inherited his father, Howard Stark’s, company Stark Industries. With the help of Obadiah Stane, Tony has helped continue Stark Industries’s legacy in the arms business. However, after Tony is captured by terrorists using his own weapons, he vows to make sure his company never helps evil again. With the help of a fellow captive, Tony is not only revived from a near death experience, but also is able to escape in a suit of armor he himself designed. With a second chance at life, Tony decides to become a symbol of peace by becoming the superhero Iron Man.

Villain

Gasp! The villain was Obadiah Stane, Tony’s partner! Obadiah builds his own version of the Iron Man suit and becomes Warmonger! Although it was pretty obvious that Stane was going to end up being the villain for the film, he was a great villain. He was smart and ruthless. He hired terrorists to hide the fact that Tony’s death was his own doing, and at one point of the film he rips out Tony’s arc reactor which is what keeps him alive! He also has a great final fight with Tony, even though it has a pretty lame ending. For starters, once his targeting computer dies, he has the absolute worst aim and then he dies via electrocution. Obadiah is also the one that started the Marvel trend of villains being the “evil version of the hero.” More on that with later films in the MCU though.

Best Scene

The best action scene in my humble opinion has to be when Iron Man returns to Gulmira (where he was held hostage by terrorists) and saves the villagers. It’s the first real look at the Iron Man suit in action and it’s incredible! The two highlights are when Iron Man locks on and kills terrorists holding villagers hostage and also when he fires a tiny missile to destroy an entire tank! It showed just how great the Iron Man suit was. A close runner up has to be the ending of the film when Tony admits that he is in fact Iron Man. So much for secret identities.

Stan Lee Cameo

Ah the Stan Lee cameo, a Marvel tradition! There have been Marvel films before this with Stan Lee cameos, but this one is particularly great. Stan Lee can be found attending a company party surrounded by a group of gorgeous women. Tony approaches him from behind and says, “You look great Heff!” Stan’s still got game!

Post Credits Scene

This is the post credits scene that made the world obsessed with post credits scenes. It’s arguably still the best post credits scene Marvel has ever done. Tony returns home after defeating Warmonger to find a man waiting for him. He introduces himself as Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson) and says this line that left Marvel fans everywhere shook:

“I am Iron Man. You think you’re the only superhero in the world? Mr. Stark you’ve become part of a bigger universe, you just don’t know it yet.”

Tony: “Who the hell are you?”

Nick Fury: “Nick Fury, the Director of SHIELD. I’m here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative.”

It was the beginning of something that hadn’t really been done before. Multiple franchises were going to come together and be in the same world. We all hoped it was going to be as amazing as it sounded back then. Needless to say, I think Marvel succeeded.

Final Thoughts

Yes, this movie was pretty predictable, but it was the beginning of something that would change Hollywood forever. If this movie flopped, the entire idea would’ve likely been tossed to the wayside. Thankfully, Robert Downey Jr. put on a career defining performance as the titular hero, and Jon Favreau created an exciting origin story that helped make Iron Man the iconic superhero that he is today. Marvel has introduced many new heroes into the MCU, but Iron Man still stands tall as one of the best.

Ten Favorite Star Wars Moments

May 4th is one of my absolute favorite days of the year. Not because it’s Cinco de Mayo Eve, but rather because it’s the one day of the year that everyone expresses their love for one of (if not the) biggest franchises in pop culture. I of course am talking about Star Wars.

Whether you’ve seen it or not, you’ve heard of Star Wars. It’s literally inescapable, it’s a sci-fi epic that has taken over the world since 1977. Star Wars has literally always been a large part of my life, and I’ll never forget whenever the love all started for me.

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope was re-released with better special effects in 1997. I was only 5 years old at the time, but I remember my family going to the very crowded theater. The bright emerald “Lucasfilms” logo caught my eye and then there it was…

Now, at the time, 5 year old me was barely able to read so I was riding the struggle bus trying to understand what the moving yellow words were saying but eventually the movie began and little me got the gist of it: There was this badass guy in black armor with magical powers with an army of troops that kidnapped a princess and was going to basically destroy everything. From that point onward I fell in love with everything. After that day, characters like Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Han Solo became icons to me. my older brother and I would play with our toy lightsabers all the time (we had all the colors), we had the Star Wars videogames, bed sheets, the Star Wars everything. I immediately wanted more Star Wars after seeing “A New Hope,” and luckily my dad had Episode V and Episode VI on VHS. Moments from those films became childhood memories. Darth Vader being Luke’s father blew my mind, I cheered when the Death Star exploded (both times), and I just fell in love with every aspect of everything. George Lucas just created a beautiful, fascinating world that appealed to children and adults alike.

To celebrate May 4th, I thought I would compose my Top Ten favorite moments from the film series. These are moments that have always stuck most with me throughout life and are always what I go back to whenever I think about why I love the series so much. And yes, there are going to be moments from Episodes I through III in this list. Not all of it was bad! But first, an honorable mention.

Honorable Mention: “Chewie, we’re home.” – The Force Awakens 

The moment that made older Star Wars fans everywhere cry. After “Revenge of the Sith” everyone thought the film series was finished. Then, Episode VII was announced and fans everywhere were skeptical. Then, JJ Abrams did what he does best; he released an INCREDIBLE trailer. The moment that made everyone lose their minds was when Han Solo and Chewie steps aboard the Millennium Falcon and Han in disbelief says, “Chewie, we’re home.” They weren’t the only ones home. Fans were coming back home to their beloved film series 10 years after they thought the story was over. It wasn’t over though, the story was awakening once again. I admittedly got choked up whenever I saw this for the first time. http://youtu.be/Aa2SEz-4bQA

10. Yoda’s First Lightsaber Duel – Attack of the Clones

There is no denying that “Attack of the Clones” is the weakest film in the series (anyone that wants to argue that can send me a message). That being said, there was one saving grace that saved the movie from being an absolute flop for me, and anyone that has seen the film could guess what it was. The Original Trilogy established that Yoda was one badass old man er I mean, “a badass old man, he was.” We saw him use the Force (more on that later) but we never got to see him in combat. That is, until “Attack of the Clones” was released. I’ll never forget the simultaneous gasps that came from everyone in the theater whenever Count Dooku said, “It is obvious that this contest cannot be decided by our knowledge of the Force… but by our skills with a lightsaber.” Yoda was literally all over the place and although he didn’t kill Dooku, it was clear that he kicked his padawan’s ass, and it was glorious. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLV-Vpy1gqQ

9. Anakin vs. Obi-Wan Kenobi – Revenge of the Sith

Alright I’ve gotten Attack of the Clones out of the way, now we can move on to the better material. Well, somewhat better material. Revenge of the Sith was full of amazing action, but the dialogue seemed to be written by a 3rd grader. That being said, Revenge of the Sith still has one of the best lightsaber battles in the entire series. The Original Trilogy hinted at this encounter, but the entire prequel trilogy was leading up to the battle between Obi-Wan Kenobi and his former padawan turned sith lord Anakin Skywalker. The setting couldn’t be more epic; the lava planet Mustafar just screamed “epic final battle” and the choreography of the fight is simply superb. What really drives this battle scene is the acting from Ewan McGregor, and what prevents the scene from being higher on my list is the poop acting from Hayden Christiensen. Obi-Wan’s speech at the end when he calls Anakin his brother is heartbreaking though, and I will admit I chuckled when Anakin burst into flames. Part 1:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOhZ5wD6u7A Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOhZ5wD6u7A Part Where Obi-Wan Breaks Your Heart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_YozYt8l-g

8. Yoda Lifts the X-Wing – The Empire Strikes Back

At this point in the film, Yoda told Luke that he was the master of the Force Obi-Wan sent him to, and training had begun. Luke, and the audience, isn’t completely sold on Yoda’s abilities until this moment. I remember this being the moment I was osessed with Yoda. I just wanted to know everything about him. The Force hadn’t been used in such an extreme way yet in the series. It had been used for mind manipulation, speaking to the deceased, and pushing smaller things, but never had something like an entire X-Wing been lifted. It firmly established to the entire fanbase that Yoda was the real deal and that you should never judge someone by their size. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3jI3RrMsVI

7. Rey uses the Force – The Force Awakens

I. Loved. This. Movie. Honestly I could splooge about it forever, but I’m controlling myself. This was my absolute favorite moment in the most recent chapter in the Star Wars story. The previews and opening of the movie did a good job of making you think Finn was going to be the one learning the Force, but the more the story developed you knew that Rey was the true chosen one to use the Force against the First Order. At this point of the film, everyone was livid about Kylo Ren killing Han Solo, and we wanted nothing more than to see that punk get put in his place. Finn tries his damnedest, but sadly is overwhelmed. Then, just when you think all is lost, Rey finally overcomes her fear and accepts her destiny to use the Force and fight the Dark Side. I freaked out in the best way when Rey stole the lightsaber from Kylo Ren. The film made you fall in love with all the characters, but Rey stole my heart, so seeing her kick Kylo Ren’s ass was so fulfilling. The entire cast performs so well throughout it really makes the film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV6sjwqCQ2M

6. Battle of Hoth – The Empire Strikes Back

One of my favorite openings in any film ever. It was just the perfect statement for the sequel. It let you know this movie was going to be bigger and better than A New Hope. Episode V introduced the Imperial Walkers aka AT-AT’s to the series and they never made an appearance after that in the films (until Rogue One comes out). Seeing Luke back in the pilot seat but this time as the team leader was so cool too, our little Luke had grown up! It also set a darker tone for the film, mostly because a good part of the fight is just the rebels getting decimated. That being said, you knew you were in for an epic sequel once this battle finished, and The Empire Strikes Back ended up being one of the most epic sequels of all time, and is my absolute favorite in the series. Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BkOVSFb2Zw Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FQNIoVLSdw Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0eP4YqTpdE

5. Qui-Gonn Jinn & Obi-Wan vs. Darth Maul – The Phantom Menace

Now before you all Force Choke me or slice off all my limbs, hear me out. I think we can all agree that Darth Maul was an insanely cool villain. He basically said 10 words the entire movie, but he was terrifying. Not only in appearance, but also in power. When he first faced off against Qui-Gon, he left a message that he was not to be taken lightly. Then, in the end, it seemed like Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were going to have an easy go of things. That is until Darth Maul unveiled his dual bladed lightsaber. Remember how badass that was!? We never saw anything like that before, and of course we all wanted one after we saw his. The fight is well choreographed, John Williams’ “Duel of the Fates” brings it over the top, and I always remembered this fight mostly for Qui-Gon’s death. He was the first Jedi you saw just flat out die. He didn’t disappear like Yoda and Obi-Wan did. Nope he just keeled over with a new hole in his chest. RIP Qui-Gon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHqdESArkqU

4. Luke Destroys the Death Star – A New Hope

At this point of the list, we’re getting to the obvious stuff so I apologize for not being so original. Nevertheless, this is the moment that people that haven’t even seen the films seem to know. This is the moment where Luke became a real hero and took his first big step to become a Jedi. He was the true underdog amongst veteran pilots and he managed to come out on top! The entire scene in the trench was intense. Watching Luke’s fellow pilots get gunned down, only then to have Han come back and save his friend was an incredible feeling. It was the first encounter that Darth Vader had with Luke Skywalker too and was the start of their overly complicated relationship. Also, WHY DID CHEWIE NOT GET A DAMN MEDAL AT THE END!? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQFrl5rpXMg

3. “I love you.” “I know.” – The Empire Strikes Back

What makes this scene particularly incredible for me is the fact that Harrison Ford totally improv’d “I know.” Little did Ford know that he was improv-ing one of the most quoted lines in the entire franchise. Relationship goals: find a girl that’ll relive this moment with me… minus me being frozen in carbonite. This was a sad moment though, I remember being really surprised that something like this happened. I was around 7 when I watched this film and at the time, usually nothing bad ever happened to the good guys so little kid me was like, “Whoa whoa whoa they can’t take Han WTF.” Mostly though I loved this moment for Harrison Ford’s line. That, the nice touch of the C3PO humor, and the combination of John Williams’s score made it a perfect moment in a perfect movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-AmHZ17gWM

2. “I am a Jedi, like my father before me.” – The Return of the Jedi

You didn’t think I’d leave out Episode VI did you!? I’d never leave out such an incredible conclusion to the trilogy. Obviously the highlight of the film is whenever Luke has his final confrontation with Palpatine. “Wait, don’t you mean Darth Vader?” you say. Nope, the moment that always stuck with me in the end was whenever Luke defied Darth Sidious at the end. After Luke beat his father, Darth Sidious was so confident that his plan had come to fruition. He thought Luke had finally given in to his anger and joined the Empire. Luke though, stands tall, throws his lightsaber away and says “You failed your highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me. That moment always hits hard. Luke had temptation dangling right in front of him and he throws it right back in the Emperor’s face. The look on the Emperor’s face is absolutely priceless. Sure, Luke got the shit zapped out of him afterwards, but I think he got his message across. The line: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSGgODCqpFQ The Fight (which skips the line for some dumb reason): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ_j3s5xj8I

1. Father vs. Son – The Empire Strikes Back

“The Force is with you young Skywalker, but you are not a Jedi yet.” OK, I know I wrote earlier that people that haven’t seen the films all know Luke blows up the Death Star, but THIS is the moment that EVERYONE even if they live under a rock know about. It’s the plot twist that shook the movie world to its core. People lost their minds over this. My little child brain couldn’t process it! Besides the massive plot twist, the fight between the two is the best in the series simply because of the meaning behind it. It’s a David vs. Goliath battle. Young Luke, who just learned this new power, thinks he suddenly has what it takes to face one of the most feared people in the galaxy. The look of fear on Luke’s face is one that fans will remember always. The realization that he made a very poor decision when he left Dagobah. The moment when Luke first activates his lightsaber and Darth Vader unleashes his is my favorite shot in the whole series. It’s beautifully ominous. Darth Vader simply plays with him the first half of the fight and you know it’s only going to go downhill for poor Luke. Also, it was the first time a movie for me had a bad ending. The good guys don’t win in the end, things never look more grim than whenever Luke barely gets away with his life in the end. The Empire struck back, and they struck back hard. The Empire Strikes Back is one of my all time favorite movies and it’s chiefly because of this scene. It’s one of my all time favorites and I think it defines what makes Star Wars the cultural phenomenon that it is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-DeI3ohVbY

 

I will always love Star Wars. I can’t wait to have kids some day and watch them experience it all for the first time. It’s something I’ll never forget and something I can’t wait to share to the future generations. I truly don’t think Star Wars will ever die. It’s too much a part of our everyday lives. Star Wars is just too important to too many people. I hope everyone had an excellent Star Wars Day and May the Force be with you all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Ten Favorite Movies of 2015

There’s no denying that 2015 was a really solid year for movies. I mean yes, it was sequels galore during the summer for films like Hunger Games, Avengers, and Ted, but this was also the year where Hollywood brought nostalgia with films like Jurassic World, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Terminator Genisys… or however you spell it.

This year undoubtedly had some amazing films, and while I may have spent waaaaaay too much money on tickets and popcorn, I regret nothing. Now that I’ve seen all the films that piqued my interest last year, I can safely say that these ten films were my absolute favorite of the year! I expect nobody will completely agree with my list so I’d love to see what some others have to say!

10. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

If you saw this movie and then saw Spectre later that year, I’m so sorry. You, just like me, spent money to see the same exact movie twice but with different actors. Both movies have very similar plot structures: agent looks for secret evil organization, government thinks agent is crazy, agent discovers evil organization is real, agent defeats evil organization, happy ending for all. The one main difference though, is that Rogue Nation is WAY better. Tom Cruise is an incredible action hero and the action sequences in the film are spectacular. The opening sequence has Tom Cruise holding on the outside of a plane thousands of feet in the air all while randomly wearing a suit! Rogue Nation was undoubtedly one of the best action films of the year. The best scene from the film without question though, is the dive scene where Tom Cruise has to deactivate a security sequence for his comrades. It was so intense I had to remind myself that although Tom Cruise was drowning, I in fact could still breathe.

 

9. Creed

There are so many boxing films, however there hasn’t been a boxing film as good as Creed in a really long time. While the movie is technically about Adonis trying to make a name for himself  and outgrowing the legacy his father, boxing legend Apollo Creed, left for him. While Michael B. Jordan gives an understated performance as the young determined boxer, the real star of the show is, of course, Sylvester Stallone as the iconic Rocky Balboa. There are plenty tear jerking, scene stealing moments by the old Italian Stallion that proves Stallone’s still got it. Also, Adonis’ first fight where the entire thing is done in one shot was one of the standout scenes of the year. I’m hoping Stallone wins his well deserved Oscar this year and I hope we get sequels in the near future!

 

8. The Martian

“But Dids! How could The Martian not be higher on your list!? Matt Damon eats potatoes on Mars for literally several days!” Yes, you are correct and I thought the film was both fascinating and hilarious! Deserving of the Golden Globe for Best Comedy? Of course not, but I’m glad it got recognized somehow. What I love the most about this film though besides the witty moments, lightheartedness, and Damon’s excellent performance is how simple everything is in the film. Although the film repeatedly explains rocket science, and how to build extremely complicated technology, everything is so easy to comprehend. You know a movie about rocket science is well written when my peanut sized brain is able to comprehend it!

 

7. Inside Out

Pixar decided to give feelings to feelings and the result was a hilarious, smart, and heart ripping film that one comes to expect whenever they see Pixar films. The cast couldn’t be better with Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, Lewis Black, and Phyllis Smith, and of course there is the secret weapon Bing Bong that Pixar failed to mention before the film’s release. We don’t need to touch on what happens concerning Bing Bong, but let’s just say it is an emotional highlight of the film. The film is also one of the most gorgeous films Pixar has made to date. Inside Out is as gorgeous as it is clever using comedy, bright colors, and Amy Poehler to tell the tale of growing up and dealing with emotions. Best Pixar film since Toy Story 3 in my humble opinion.

 

6. Ant-Man

I didn’t have high expectations for this film. I was worried about the final product due to multiple script changes and the fact that Paul Rudd isn’t exactly an action hero. But then I saw Ant-Man and my mind was at ease. Ant-Man ran circles around Avengers: Age Of Ultron THERE I SAID IT. What made Ant-Man so successful was that it wasn’t really an action film as much as it was a heist film. Paul Rudd’s comedic timing worked great mostly because it’s hard to take a man dressed up as an ant seriously. The film is well aware of that though and uses it to its full advantage. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments throughout the film and Michael Pena’s character Luis is a highlight of this wonderful addition to the Marvel universe. I can’t help but think that the success of Guardians of the Galaxy had something to do with the stylistic choices of Ant-Man, but hey that’s totally fine. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.

 

5. Pitch Perfect 2

The original Pitch Perfect is one of my absolute favorite films, but my Top Ten Favorite Films of All Time is a list for another day. The sequel was everything I wanted it to be. While not as funny as the original, the jokes were great ESPECIALLY with the two announcers Gail and John. Everything that comes out of Rebel Wilson’s mouth is a riot. Also, if Anna Kendrick is in a movie, it’s already amazing because she’s so dorky, hilarious, and adorable. The first film had an excellent soundtrack, but Pitch Perfect 2’s is ultimately better. They cover a much wider spread of genres and use songs from multiple decades. I’ve always had this emotional connection with the first film because most of the times I watched it, it was with my two closest friends from college. Anytime I watch the original or now the sequel, I tend to get emotional because it makes me think of and miss my friends from school.

 

4. The Revenant

This is it folks. It may not be my favorite film of the year, but THIS is the movie where Leondardo DiCaprio is FINALLY going to get his long awaited Oscar! It has to be. Tom Hardy was great in the film too don’t get me wrong, but Leo stole the show!!! No performance this year can even compare to his portrayal of Hugh Glass. This film is mentally exhausting, stressful, and so tense it has you on the edge of your seat the entire duration of the film. The Revenant is not for the faint of heart though, the film is a gore fest from start to finish. People get scalped, horses get chopped open, Leo gets mauled by a bear, it’s insane. It exceeded my gore expectations and I went into it knowing there would be blood. This is undoubtedly the artsiest movie on my list, but this is also one of those rare cinematic occurrences where the artsy movie is also a crazy action film.

 

3. The Hateful Eight

 

A lot of people HATED this movie (see what I did there), saying that nobody in the film was worth rooting for, the woman getting beaten was “wrong,” and they used the N-word too many times. My question for those that didn’t like The Hateful Eight is this: have you ever seen a Tarantino movie!? Quentin Tarantino doesn’t give a s**t about what you want in a movie, that man will do whatever he wants and that’s exactly what he did. The film is called The HATEFUL Eight… BECAUSE IT’S ABOUT UNLIKABLE CHARACTERS! You aren’t supposed to root for any of them, you’re supposed to see what happens when you put a bunch of monstrous people in a room together. What you get is an insane “who did it” mystery with eight individuals who are constantly on the verge of killing everyone else in the room. Is it the best Tarantino film? By no means. Is it entertaining? Yes, it is immensely entertaining!

 

2. Mad Max: Fury Road

This movie was an obsession for me. It’s such a simple plot: Furiosa steals Imperator Joe’s wives and in the midst of an epic two hour car chase, poor Max gets dragged into the middle of the chaos and must choose a side. Although called Mad Max, Max himself hardly has any lines, heck, Furiosa is the main hero here and she hardly says anything! There’s hardly anything that needs to be said, the story is told from the very beginning and the beautiful visuals and cinematography help tell the tale. Fury Road is also undoubtedly one of the best action films of all time. I mean, the stunts are absurd, the world is fascinating and wildly original, and there are some impressive explosions. It’s one of those movies that sticks with you after you see it and makes you want to see it again and again and again.

 

1. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens

If you know me at all, you saw this coming from a mile away. What can I say, I was raised a Star Wars fan ever since my dad took me to see A New Hope when they re-released in theaters in the 90s. The franchise is a huge part of my life and I have and always will love Star Wars. This movie was simply phenomenal. Fans everywhere were extremely cautious when the original announcement was made. Then, we all saw the first trailer and literal tears were shed by some fans (I did not I promise), but from that point on the hype was real. Is the movie almost a carbon copy of A New Hope? Sort of, but it’s also Abrams’s love letter to a series that he clearly loves as much as any other fan. The film had the perfect balance of old and new. We all cheered when we saw the old characters like Han and Leia, but we also all fell in love with the new characters Abrams’s created. Finn, Poe, Kylo Ren, and Rey are all so instantly likable and relatable. Even Kylo. Yes he’s an evil Darth Vader wannabe, but you know why he’s doing what he’s doing and what motivates him. That’s all you need to have interesting characters. This film set up what’s looking to be another wonderful trilogy and addition to the Star Wars universe!

 

There you have it, what’re your favorite films to come out in 2015? I’ll probably be doing an article about the Best Picture Nominees for The Oscars so if you enjoyed this then you’ve got that to look forward to!