Thor: The Dark World (2013)

So it's pretty crazy that four years ago this was one of the first movies I ever reviewed. Nice to come back to it, so here we go with the new PoC format for reviews! Please note, I'm writing these as if I had just seen the movies.

T   H   O   R

THE DARK WORLD

                  Thor: The Dark World brings Chris Hemsworth back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with an even bigger boom than its predecessor. Picking up off of where The Avengers left off, we get to see what Thor has been up to since New York. He's been cleaning up the Nine Realms and establishing himself as a good king after his father Odin passes.
                  Meanwhile, darkness is a-brewing. Malekith is a Dark Elf who wants to return to a time

where there was absolutely no light, and to do so, he needs the Aether (aka the Reality Stone). And coincidentally, it inhabits Jane Foster's body. So Thor needs to get the Aether out of Jane's body and beat Malekith, all while making sure the Nine Realms don't fall into complete darkness.
                  One of the most interesting aspects of this movie is the role of the supporting characters. They're not there simply to smile and wave and cower in fear until the hero does his job. They each have something they can do to contribute to saving the Nine Realms, and they join Team Thor. Their roster: Dr. Erik Selvig (who has continued down a scientific path making him seem like an absolute lunatic), Darcy (who is still Jane's intern, but now has her own intern), Loki (who's been locked up for the past year thanks to his actions in The Avengers), Sif and the Asgard crew, and Heimdall.
                  Jane, after foolishly touching the Aether thanks to a dimensional rift caused by "The Convergence" of the Nine Realms, is brought back to Asgard by Thor in order to figure out why Heimdall couldn't see her, because Thor wanted to do his daily stalker check up on his girlfriend. The

Asgardians can do nothing about the Aether, and before much more can be said about that, Malekith attacks and Odin's wife protects Jane until the death. Jane is taken away, and Thor decides to go after Malekith with the help of Loki.
                  While they're getting out of Asgard, Loki thinks it's a good idea to shape-shift into some of Thor's friends, including Captain America!
                  It's a nice touch of humor before the big brawling action goes down. With Loki's help and sacrifice, Thor gets Jane back, but the Aether is set free and in the hands of Malekith. So Thor and Jane go back to Earth and find Selvig and Darcy, and devise a strategy that can use the power of the Convergence to their advantage.
                  They figure out that the epicenter for the entire thing is in Washington, D.C., and go there to prepare for Malekith's arrival. Thor confronts the Dark Elf, and after a rather eventful brawl, the Convergence passes with Avenger-esque destruction, and Malekith is defeated.
                  Thor returns to Asgard to notify his father that Loki died in their battle against Malekith, and to also say that he does not want the throne, saying "I'd rather be a good man than a great king." Understanding that Thor will not take the throne no matter what, Odin says he cannot give his son a

blessing, but if he were proud of the man his son had become, "even that I could not say. Go."
                  Thor thanks Odin and leaves, and before the screen cuts out, Odin turns into Loki (or rather Loki turns back to himself) and says "No, thank you."



                  Leaving us on a thread only to be picked up by Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: The Dark World is a successful, witty, and entertaining continuation of the story Marvel Studios seeks to tell as they enter Phase Two of a plan we as viewers could only dream of.

Ratings:
Family Friendliness - 7.5/9 Realms (8/10) Marvel continues to deliver a fun and action-packed movie with minimal, if any, blood. There is a scene with Dr. Erik Selvig running around naked in a field, but it is pixelated out. Nonetheless, you can tell he is not properly clothed.
Storyline - 8.5/10 Dark Elves The story seems to feed a little off of The Avengers with the idea of an alien race seeking universal domination, although the characters involved are inspired by Norse mythology and of course Marvel comics. Not overly complicated, but not a mindless movie, The Dark World delivers an interesting story unique to its titular protagonist.
Story-Action Balance - 9/10 Thrones Despite all of the fighting and violence that breaks out due to Malekith's evil plan, there is a fair amount of story-driven screen time. The action that ensues is intense and gripping, but it isn't overkill to the point where you become desensitized to it. Any punch thrown is a meaningful one, and the duration of back-and-forth blows is appropriate.
Overall - 8.5/10 Hammers


Bibliography:
"Thor: The Dark World Thor and Jane" <http://wiproo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Thor-2-The-Dark-World-Official-Photo-Thor-and-Jane-Kiss-Asgard.jpg>
"Thor: The Dark World Captain America cameo" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oieI1UOEe4>
"Thor: The Dark World Malekith" <https://www.popoptiq.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Thor-The-Dark-World-Malekith.jpg>
"Thor: The Dark World Loki in Odin's Throne" <http://24.media.tumblr.com/e7f70b6d9475512b86fc9b320fe5a807/tumblr_mvyoygYo5q1shrn3uo2_500.gif>

REVAMP

                  Hey there folks, it's been a long while since I posted stuffs. And I want you to know it's all been for a good reason. I've been thinking of how I can better the blog, and I realized that most of you don't want to read an entire summary of a movie, that's what the movie's for.

                  So I've decided to go back to the beginning of when I started to blog. That's right, WAYYY back in the day we're going. I'm going to restart, writing like an actual film critic. But don't worry, I'll try to not be pesky about it.

                  The idea is that for every post I re-write, I will delete the old one. And I also realize I've given a false sense that I will be able to review every single new movie that comes out... which you all know by now to not be true.

                  So starting from the beginning of the blog gives me a lot of content. And if I do review a more recent film, you'll know. I'll still review video games and trailers and whatnot, but now I'm going to get into a weekly rhythm of blogging. I want to blog 4 to 6 times a month, so you'll never be bored! And once I start feeling the groove, we'll make that number bigger.

                  That's about it, but stay tuned to my YouTube Channel too because I'm gonna be doing 2 videos a month as well. I'll be a busy bee pumping stuff out for y'all, so watch out!

And stay frosty.

New YouTube video! Also on Reddit!

Hey folks, I know I've been slacking with movies. I may have to take a break from those reviews, but in the meantime you can expect plenty of new and exciting YouTube videos coming out onto my channel! I've also launced a Reddit, so please go and help me out! And enjoy this new video!

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Wow, I am really late for this one. Don't gemme wrong, I saw this immediately, but I've just been so busy lately. And I'm sorry for lack of YouTube videos, they're coming along, too. Don't worry. I'll get into a rhythm soon enough.

S P I D E R - M A N

H O M E C O M I N G

                  Spider-Man: Homecoming takes place not too long after the events of Captain America: Civil War. It actually begins during the civil war, when Tony brought him along to help in their fight

against Steve. He videos everything that happens as like a video diary, and in every respect, he is an excited kid who's in some pretty intense stuff. After his fight at the airport, Tony tells Peter that he can keep the new Stark-enhanced suit.

                  Tony tells Peter that if he ever needs anything, he'll call Peter. Until then, Peter is told to do some friendly neighborhood deeds, like stopping a grand theft bicycle, helping old ladies across the street, and stopping bank robberies. And all of that is dubbed the "Stark Internship", which can sort of explain why Peter sometimes disappears from places and Spider-Man shows up in his place.

                  Alright let's introduce you to the Vulture. Michael Keaton does a fantastic job portraying Adrian Toomes. Rather than being a frail old dude who doesn't seem like he'd be a good enemy for Spider-Man, Keaton scares you out of your pants. And there's plenty of opportunities where Vulture could have killed Peter, yet he doesn't. And that makes him all the scarier, because there's something seriously evil about keeping someone alive even though you could totally kill them. He's just trying to make money, and Peter is interfering with that, so you can imagine that Toomes is pretty pissed about that.

                  I'm not gonna get into the story, not because it's complicated but because there's a lot. And you all already know how much into Spider-Man I am. I'll still give you ratings though, so let's go there. And there's also gonna be a trailer below for ya.

S P I D E R - M A N

H O M E C O M I N G

Ratings:

Family Friendliness - 8/10 Web Shooters This is a Marvel film, so you can believe that there'll be violence, but there won't be any serious blood. There's gonna be an intense story-line, but there won't be anything inappropriate like nudity. Definitely a movie that your kids will enjoy.

Story line - 8/10 Suits Okay, as a casual movie-goer, you'll be impressed. But as a Spidey geek like me, HOLY COW WHAT THE HECK???!!! Marvel literally combined around three or four different story lines into one, and it worked beautifully. I am continually shocked at how Marvel can weave such an amazing story by taking elements of different arcs and combining them to make an incredible experience for everyone to watch.
Story Action Balance - 9/10 Boats This was fantastic. I mean, Spider-Man is meant to be an action super hero with incredible agility and fighting abilities and unbelievable strength, but he's also supposed to be a kid who's trying to juggle being a hero with being a smart high schooler involved in smart people stuff.
Overall - 8/10 Stars


Bibliography:
"Spider-Man: Homecoming Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0D3AOldjMU>
"Spider-Man: Homecoming Vulture" <http://cdn.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/spider-man-homecoming-vulture2.jpg>
"Spider-Man: Homecoming Wallpaper" <http://www.hdwallpapers.in/walls/spiderman_homecoming_2017_4k_8k-wide.jpg>

The Mummy (2017)

Alrighty folks, sorry for the lack of activity, but here we go with the new review! I understand that I'm quite behind, but please understand that I'm busy making new videos for y'all, too! Hang in there!

T  H  E

M    U    M    M    Y

                  Tom Cruise stars as Nick Morton, a military operative who is a high-key treasure hunter. Where he's stationed, it's crowded with enemies. He and his buddy Sergeant Vail are on their own, and Nick wants to go into the enemy-infested area to look for some loot. Vail doesn't like it, but Nick assures him, "It'll be quick. In 'n out."

                  Next thing you know, they're being shot at, and Vail is freaking out. He gets so worked up that he calls in an airstrike, and the tangos leave almost immediately after getting bombarded. One of the shots from the airstrike opens an enormous hole in the ground, and it reveals a mummy-looking statue. You can guess where the mummy is.

                  Now, I didn't mention the beginning before this particular sequence because I want it to be a surprise for you folks. It's the new mummy's origin story, and it's actually quite interesting. It's unique to Ahmanet and who her character is developed to be.

                  Okay, anyway, Nick's superior comes onto the scene along with Jenny Halsey, an archaeologist. Apparently, Nick and Jenny have a history, one as soon as the evening before. The backstory explained here is awkwardly dropped in front of Nick's superior, and it feels out of place in the whole unraveling of things. But watching the rest of the film, there's really no other place they could have done it. I kind of wish the two didn't know each other before this encounter, but it's whatever.

                  They dig up the sarcophagus, and as they're doing so, Jenny is examining the grave. She makes a bunch of ominous realizations (out loud thank god) about how the set up of the chamber is not anything good. The statues looking like Anubis are facing inwards, not outwards, meaning that they are guarding the individual from leaving, not from anything coming in.

                  The other thing is that there's a pool of mercury covering the sarcophagus, which is being

suspended by four poles held down by enormous rocks that act as a sort of pulley device. Mercury is significant because that's what the Egyptians believed could restrict the powers of darkness. Kind of like Dracula and silver.

                  And finally, there's no treasures inside the tomb. This is symbolic of no preparation for the afterlife. So whatever this person of nobility (hence the personal tomb) did, it was nothing good. And that's also why it's so far from Egypt itself. It's actually located in Mesopotamia, present-day Iraq. In other words, the Egyptians wanted nothing to do with this force of evil. So it's gotta be pretty bad. Of course it is, otherwise there wouldn't be a movie, right?

                  From there, I think you can deduce what happens. The only riddle you'll really have to solve is how Tom Cruise is alive for the remainder of the movie since he dies in the plane crash. So go and see it!

T  H  E

M    U    M    M    Y

Ratings:

Family Friendliness - 8/10 Sarcophagi The film is suprisingly family-friendly. I mean, don't gemme wrong, the mummies themselves are pretty scary. They're almost zombie-like, which kind of irked me because it felt like a World War Z-esque film. Nonetheless, there's hardly, if any, swearing, no nudity, and only a few scenes of intense violence and scary images.

Story line - 8/10 Mummies Alright, the story was there, no doubt. And since it was acting as a springboard into Warner Brother's "Dark Universe", it was good in that respect. It was interesting and unique, and I believe the writers did a fantastic job.

Compared to "The Mummy (1999)" - 6/10 Monsters DO NOT GET ME WRONG, this was a good movie on its own. But literally everyone has seen the 1999 version of an ancient Egyptian god come to life and terrorize the planet, so it's hard to live up to the precedent that film set. Had I never seen Brendan Fraser's incarnation of the movie, I would have loved this one so much more. But here's the reason why this 2017 version didn't live up: character development.

                  As a standalone reboot of the franchise we all know and love starring Brendan Fraser, it was kind of a disappointment. Each character, no matter how minor in the original Mummy, had something that defined them and made you understand them. That way, when they died, you felt bad! Even if they were being jerks to Rick! In this version of The Mummy, you felt no pity for those who

died. You were only attached to Nick and Jenny, and they were overall stale characters.

                  Also, if you compare Imhotep and Ahmanet, I believe Imhotep is a better mummy. Not because he's more badass or anything. Here's why: background. Imhotep was driven by love to summon the dark arts. So his rage came from something that was pure, and that made his story tragic. I pitied Imhotep, even though I knew he had to go.

                  Ahmanet was driven by rage from the get-go. There's nothing behind that except greed. So I don't really pity her because she was just being a selfish and whiny baby because she couldn't get the throne. AND she was so pissed about the throne being taken from her that she KILLED A BABY!!! How messed up d'you have to be to kill a baby? You've gotta have a screw loose or something. I don't think even Imhotep would have done that.

Story Action Balance - 7/10 Buses There was a lotta lotta action, and I don't think there was enough build up to the mummy's grand reveal to make her scary as much as Imhotep was scary in the original Mummy. Then again, that's my nostalgic self looking for something to live up to Brendan Fraser. Unfortunately, you can't look at this movie that way.

Overall - 7/10 Stars Personally, I think this is a generous rating. But I try to be generous with films as much as I can. I hope you can forgive this film more than I have, and I haven't even completely expressed my distaste for this movie so as to give you folks a chance to watch it. So please lower your expectations and give it a chance guys.

Bibliography:

"The Mummy 2017 Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjHgzkQM2Sg>

"The Mummy 2017 Ahmanet" <http://static1.squarespace.com/static/51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de/51ce6099e4b0d911b4489b79/5844d42e2e69cf1ae470f990/1481003478427/full-trailer-for-tom-cruises-the-mummy-welcomes-you-to-the-world-of-gods-and-monsters-social.jpg?format=1000w>

"The Mummy 2017 Nick Morton" <https://3w46os2x1jd34c87yk1vvkvh-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Mummy-images-2-600x395.jpg>

"The Mummy 1999 Wallpaper" <http://cdn.wallpapersafari.com/63/52/nAg6UW.jpg>

Wonder Woman

So far, the movies that DC has made haven't been able to deliver a really satisfying experience. The only ones worth noting are Man of Steel (until the neck snap) and this (until final boss battle). But luckily for you, DCEU fans, Wonder Woman has saved your cinematic universe. Let's just hope they can keep the trend going.

W O N D E R   W O M A N

                  I will admit, this was a very cool movie. There were lots of laughs and plenty of action sequences that are sure to make you raise your eyebrows. It was an overall great film.

                  It starts out with Diana's narration of her story: "I used to want to save the world". But that

all changed because, y'know, war. But anyway, we see her being raised from childhood to adulthood. She has this yearning to become a warrior of Themyscira, but her mother won't allow her to learn to fight because "she will never need it." Psych, cause not long after, Themyscira is discovered, and many warriors die.
                  As you can imagine, that pisses the queen off and she wants to kill the first dude that stepped foot onto her hidden island: Steve Trevor (Chris Pine). Isn't it interesting that Captain America and this dude are both named Steve and both played by dudes named Chris? Betcha didn't catch that one before. You're welcome.
                  Using the Lasso of Truth, the queen finds out that Steve is an American spy assigned to British intelligence (not that she knows what that is). His job was simply to report back to HQ on the Germans' progress behind their mask of wanting an armistice. Turns out that Germany is really trying to create a new type of gas that will render gas masks ineffective, under the direction of a scientist simply known as "Doctor Poison."

                   Doctor Poison is very close to cracking the code to her new super weapon, but she keeps falling short. And when Diana hears about this doctor, who works for General Ludendorff, she believes that Ludendorff is Ares, the God of War. Because who else would initiate a World War, said to be "the War to end all wars?" That's Ares' ultimate goal: for mankind to destroy themselves.
                   So Diana sets out with Steve to find Ares and kill him. Along the way, unnecessary characters are met, beautiful scenery is shown off, and Diana learns about snow. For a DCEU film, this was by far the best, and honestly saved the dying DCEU. I'd recommend seeing it, but don't expect an Avengers level type film, and you will surely be impressed.

W O N D E R   W O M A N

Ratings:

Family Friendliness - 8/10 Bracelets I was very surprised. Aside from the trench warfare and disturbing gas sequences, Wonder Woman was not as dark as its Man of Steel stand-alone counterpart. It was very much lighthearted, with Diana being oblivious to a great many things, and the characters having to help her along as she sort of stumbles through London. But once she hits the battlefield, that's where she really shines.

Story Action Balance - 8/10 Swords The movie is very story driven, much unlike Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was just trying to justify its pitting together two titans of the DC Universe and having them basically sissy fight. That was not the case for this film. Story and characters drove this home. The only thing I'd change is the final battle sequence, where Diana faces Ares. That kind of got out of hand, but other than that, Wonder Woman was a very enjoyable movie experience.
Acting - 7/10 Shields Gal Gadot delivers a stellar performance, and so does Chris Pine! I mean, with an all-star cast, what else can you expect? Characters, although they drove the story like I said in the previous rating, were kind of dry. It seems like not a lot of effort was put into them. Diana and Steve were the centerpieces of the film, which is understandable, but I would have liked some more interaction and development of supporting characters. Because let's be honest, we all love a funny comedic relief, right? And it seems like everyone was that besides Ares.
Story line - 7/10 Tiaras Basic, but dependable, Wonder Woman's story was an origin, and one following very closely to the comics. I was real happy about that aspect. What brought this rating down was Diana's consistent urge to be in a battle and just kill Ares, which kind of got annoying.
Overall - 7.5/10 Stars  I stuck to the math on this one because I wholeheartedly agree with it. DC definitely stepped up their game, but they need to keep doing this type of work, and better, if they want to have a successful cinematic universe.


Bibliography:
"Wonder Woman Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8fG0TtVAY>
"Wonder Woman Steve Trevor" <http://media.comicbook.com/2017/06/wonder-woman-steve-trevor-1001688-1280x0.png>
"Wonder Woman Fight Scene" <http://www.anenglishmaninsandiego.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/WWfight.png>

Video 2 Up!!!

Heya folks, I've been real busy lately and this is one of the things that I've been working on. There's a new YouTube video up, if you'll click on the YouTube Channel link up above, you'll find "FOOD OFF: SEASON 01 EPISODE 01". Or you can click below if you're that lazy.

Next up in the near future: Wonder Woman Review, The Mummy Review, and two new YouTube videos! Stay tuned folks! It's gonna be a helluva summer.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Guy Ritchie delivers yet another fantastic movie, featuring stunning visual effects and phenomenal acting. And for movie buffs out there like me, you probably can't get enough of Ritchie's camera angles and intense fight sequences. This'll leave you only wanting more, I can promise that much.

K I N G   A R T H U R

L E G E N D   O F   T H E   S W O R D

                  The film begins with a background of the relationship between humans and mages. At first, they lived in harmony. In fact, the king of England (King Uther) had extremely good relations with the mages. But a dark mage by the name of Mordred wanted to assert mages' dominance over

normal men, so he launched a war against men. And England was his target.

                  The king defeats Mordred single-handed, thanks to his sword called Excalibur, given him by Merlin. After that, there's a celebration and the kingdom rejoices. But the Uther's brother, Vortigern (played by Jude Law), is not as happy as the rest of the kingdom. He takes his wife to a secret cave, and there, he kills her as a sacrifice of sorts.
                  Uther awakes his wife and tells her that they have to leave the castle immediately. They pick up their son and run down to the harbor to flee in a rowboat. But along comes a demonic looking thing that kills Uther's wife and Uther himself. But his sacrifice allows his son to escape.
                  And yeah, you guessed it, Uther's son is Arthur. WOW! So Arthur grows up, learning to fight and survive in a brothel outside of the kingdom. And he does fairly well. He's a strong fighter and he knows how to save cash. By the time he's an adult, he's got coffers stored up full of cash.
                  He also knows how to get into trouble. He gets into a quarrel with a few vikings which actually sparks a royal raid of the bar and club that he lives in. So because of that, he gets shipped off

to the kingdom hub. At this time, the infamous "sword in the stone" that everybody knows of appears and is actually a threat to Vortigern. And he wants to know why it's shown up.
                  But anyway, Arthur goes to the stone and pulls it out. He grips it with two hands and it actually burns him, then he passes out. He's then taken before Vortigern and is about to be executed, but there's a mage that helps him out. He and a band of rebels escape to a secret hideout, where they decide that Vortigern has to be overthrown. They plan an assassination and they proceed to carry it out. One of the people that's in on it is actually working for Vortigern. She's the spokesperson for the people of the kingdom.
                  When the assassination is supposed to take place, Vortigern suspects that there's a threat to his life, so he sends out a decoy. The assassination fails and the band of rebels and Arthur have to book it. They almost get overrun, but Arthur takes out Excalibur and wreaks havoc on the oncoming soldiers. It looks pretty sweet, but the only thing is that Arthur can't control the sword's power yet. There's something holding him back, and it has to do with the night that his parents were murdered in front of him.
                  Not gonna go any farther, because he finds out something that's actually pretty wild that has to do with the night that Arthur's parents were murdered.

K I N G   A R T H U R

L E G E N D   O F   T H E   S W O R D

Ratings:

Family Friendliness - 7/10 Coffers  I guess it's safe to assume that most medieval times movies aren't too family friendly, what with all the violence in it. There's some scenes where you see people get impaled or you see their throats slit. The blood content is low, so you don't see much gore. I think it's a PG-13 movie, so honestly parents, it's up to you. If you have younger kids, please see the movie before showing the little ones.

Story Action Balance - 8/10 Stones  The film is definitely story driven, and the action that comes along with it is very much justified. Only a few scenes where there's violence is it like "yeah they threw that in for filler". For the most part, the fighting drives the story forward and adds danger for the characters to escape from. I think it was very well done.

Acting - 9/10 Swords  The movie has an all-star cast, so you can expect excellent acting from everyone. Can't really complain, except for the mage. I didn't fancy her too much, so she was the only one I had a problem with.

Story-line - 9/10 Soldiers  I actually knew nothing of Arthurian legend prior to seeing the film, so to me, it was a classic story formula that stayed true, but definitely set up a whole trilogy (at least) of films. I really hope it goes on, and I can't wait to see what Guy Ritchie has in store for us!
Overall - 8.5/10 Stars  I stuck with the math on this one and added .2 cuz it was a good one.


Bibliography:
"King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rbPTQIdjmY>
"King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Demonic Creature" <http://www.thelandofshadow.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/King-Arthur-Legend-of-the-Sword-Demon.jpg>
"King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Vortigern" <https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/46/7c/3d/467c3d43de286cade5f07ecd78d9829e.jpg>

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Official PoC Review

WARNING!

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!

READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

G U A R D I A N S   O F   T H E   G A L A X Y

V O L.  2

                  The movie starts with the Guardians fighting a giant octopus-looking monster that's trying to take some batteries. It's pretty nasty, and it's got some pretty tough skin. The only thing that's vulnerable about it is it's underside. So you can imagine that the Guardians are having a tough time. And Baby Groot is just running around and jamming out to some music.

                  After they beat the giant octopus thing, they go to the people that hired them, the Sovereign. They're like golden people. It's pretty cool. In exchange for defending their batteries, the Sovereign give the Guardians Nebula. So Nebula tags along with the Guardians as their prisoner. As they're leaving, Rocket steals some of the batteries to sell on the market.

                  Obviously, the Sovereign figure that out and, as you can imagine, are pretty mad. So they send their fleet after the Guardians. And it's pretty cool how the fleet is operated. They have pilots, but they pilot the fleet from a room that looks like Mission Control at NASA, and they're controlling the fleet from there. It's almost like they're playing a video game.

                  So, naturally, the Guardians get outnumbered and they have to crash land. Now, there's these things called "jump points", where a portal of sorts allows interstellar travelers to jump from one galaxy or planet to another with ease. Rocket and Quill get into a fight over who should be piloting the ship, and that's eventually what gets them crashed.

                  Not long after they land, a ship follows them onto the planet, and an older looking man called Ego emerges from the ship. He claims to be Peter's father, and takes him to his planet. Spoiler,

Ego is a living planet, as you can see to the right. This leaves Rocket, Nebula, and Baby Groot to watch the ship.

                  At the same time, Yondu is on a different planet, and is at a bar with his Ravagers. He's been disowned as a Ravager, meaning that he won't have an honorary Ravager funeral once he dies. He's reminded of this by Stakar (played by Sylvester Stallone). Fun fact: Stakar is actually one of the original Guardians of the Galaxy in the old Marvel comics.
                  But anyway, Yondu finds out about a bounty on the Guardians from the Sovereign, and that's how he gets entangled in this whole affair.
                  That's as far as I go, but just know that the film is great fun. There's a lot that's revealed about Peter's origin and his potential as a very important contender in the final battle with Thanos. The movie is also a lot about family, and that's quite apparent as it goes on, especially between Peter and Yondu. By the end of the movie, you've been tear-jerked, shocked, angry, and on the edge of your seat, and then the credits roll and you're left to watch the five after credit scenes. Don't worry, you'll have time to digest everything. Cuz there is a lot!
                  Still, go see it. You won't regret it.

G U A R D I A N S   O F   T H E   G A L A X Y

V O L.  2

Looking for the ratings? Look at the previous post! It's also on the featured post tool bar to your right. Enjoy the Guardians 2 soundtrack above!


Bibiliography:
"Guardians 2 Soundtrack" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-yjQ7zJTjo&index=1&list=PLDXurPErd9cMilZUmtM1rnQX2hPDjzop2>
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Wallpaper" <https://picfiles.alphacoders.com/356/thumb-35660.jpg>
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Ego the Living Planet" <https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CsWi5dlVUAAFB_x.jpg:large>

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (Non-Spoiler)

Okay so this is just a quick run-down with the ratings I'd give the film. Nothing too fancy, and a more full review will be coming within the coming days. So just be patient please.

G U A R D I A N S   O F   T H E   G A L A X Y

V O L.  2

                  Overall, Guardians 2 was a great movie. It reveals a lot about Star Lord and his past, including who his dad is. Okay, if you haven't read the comics, then this may seem like a spoiler, but it's not. Quill's dad is a living planet called Ego, and he's actually a pretty bad dude. I thought that Marvel's introduction of a sentient being like that was very well done, and it did a good job of setting up how important the Guardians of the Galaxy will be in the final battle with Thanos.
                  There were at least seven or eight cameos or small references to the even larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, and they were awesome. All five post-credit scenes were entertaining, and I'm really curious as to how two of them fit into Marvel's overall plan for its heroes and films.
                  Drax actually played a much larger role in this one, as opposed to the first movie. He was a lot louder and more vocal. Still pretty literal, but not all dark and brooding. He was pretty funny to be honest. And we can't forget Baby Groot. He was literally the cutest thing in the entire movie. There are no words to describe how cute he was. You'll just have to see it for yourself.
                  All in all, a very well-made movie that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun Friday night film to go to.

Ratings:

Family Friendliness - 7/10 Planets There are only a few suggestive things that may be disturbing to anyone younger than 12 or 13. There's one scene where Ego is walking towards Quill, regenerating his body layer by layer. So you see a walking skeleton that is gradually being covered over with organs, blood vessels, muscle, tissue, and skin. Also, there's a brief sequence with a large pile of bones of aliens that have been killed and discarded. Other than that, the movie should be a-okay to watch for the average movie-going family.

Story Line - 8/10 Space Ships The story for the movie was basically Guardians one, just with a different alien race trying to kill them, and a different world-destroying villain who wants a bigger and better purpose than just floating around in space. Typical, but what made the film worthwhile were the moments of humor, sadness, and background that revealed a lot about Peter. It was a tried and true story formula that Marvel cannot go wrong with. Nice job, Marvel.

Story Action Balance - 8/10 Lights There was a really nice balance between what was going on in terms of moving the plot forward, and the action that ensued because of the story. And it also felt like that the action wasn't just dropped in to look cool. If there was a fight sequence, there was a good reason for it.

Acting - 9/10 Galaxies Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Kurt Russel, David Hasselhoff, Sylvester Stallone, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel all put on a stellar performance. It was an all-star cast that really brought the film together, and I honestly would not have changed the casting for the world.

Overall - 8/10 Stars

G U A R D I A N S   O F   T H E   G A L A X Y

V O L.  2

Bibliography:

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cv2ueYnKjg>

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Poster" <https://media0dk-a.akamaihd.net/56/44/9309ee7890499a5b4d7d825f02dbe80e.jpg>

YouTube Video is up!!!

                  Hey hey hey folks, my YouTube Channel has kicked off and I have published my first video! If you wouldn't mind, please go check it out! It'd mean a lot to me. The link to the channel is up above, or here's the link right here: https://youtu.be/2SBz8vmvEXI


                  If you're still too lazy to click anywhere else but this page, here's the video for ya:

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War Trailer

I'm so proud of myself, I'm pounding these reviews out like they're nothing. Here's the next one y'all.

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S  H  A  D  O  W   O  F   W  A  R

                  How bout this trailer? I am pretty sure that this game is going to be twice as good as the last, which I can't even comprehend right now.
                  So basically, it picks up right where it left off in the previous game. I would know because I just replayed Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. Talion, at the end of that game, says "It is time for a new ring to be made." Then the screen goes black and that epic music starts playing.
                  It looks like maybe a few days have gone by and Talion and Celebrimbor are just finishing

up their ring. There's a flash of energy that signifies that it is complete and it blows Talion back, also knocking Celebrimbor, his conduit for life, out of his body. But the new ring bonds to Talion and revives him. So my first question is, where's Celebrimbor?
                  Does this mean wraith abilities will be temporarily disabled? Or are we simply left to the devices of a man for the rest of the game? Now, I'd think that the first question would be the most likely answer. Why you ask? Well, I've seen the first 16 minute gameplay walkthrough of Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, and you can still zip on over to animals. In that walkthrough, Talion mounts a dragon, and that looked so cool.
                  I know that this trailer for Shadow of War is not really revealing too much of a story, but it seems to me that Talion is actually going to go toe-to-toe with the Dark Lord himself. And Sauron is pissed that a Ranger from the North is all that stands in his way of taking over the free world. Now keep in mind that this storyline takes place before The Fellowship of the Ring, and maybe ten to twenty years following the events of The Hobbit. If you played the first game, you met Gollum, who is searching for his "precious". That means it was only recently stolen, and he hasn't been captured by Mordor yet. So he's just kinda floating about.
                  Now what should we be psyched for? First of all, the Nemesis System. Oh my god, if you played Shadow of Mordor you know what I'm talking about. Apparently, it's supposed to be so much better than the previous one. And this time, Orcs whom you've helped will remember your aide and will actually follow you into battle. Watch the 16 minute gameplay walkthrough and you'll see what I mean. The video will be down below and the link will be in my bibliography.
                  Next, armies. This is Star Wars: Battlefront II (Playstation 2 and XBOX original version, not 2017 version) but for the Lord of the Rings mythology/universe. You are in an open world where there are outposts both inside and outside of Mordor that you can conquer with an orc army that you lead. This is another reason why I believe Celebrimbor isn't fully gone. In Shadow of Mordor, the only way you could command orcs was through Celebrimbor's influence. Who knows? Maybe it's the ring and it acts as a sort of Wraith-like entity.
                  And finally, the Balrog. Don't say its name out loud or Gandalf will scold you quick like, but tell me that it does not look sick and you are a straight liar. I really hope you can command one, or at least fight one. Hey, why not both? If you could have a Balrog as a part of your army, you would literally be unstoppable. Just bring in that sucker on your front lines and you have got yourself a conquered outpost of Sauron.
                  All-in-all, I think this is going to be one of the best games of the year. Best believe I'm pre-ordering this.

Bibliography:
"Middle-Earth: Shadow of War Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__N7mt5Clwg>
"Middle-Earth: Shadow of War 16 Minute Gameplay Walkthrough" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl4bkIGgiyc>
"Middle-Earth: Shadow of War Balrog" <https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjtlVrRsrk0lH2ReYqPHVMEPAP_ATS8t6YLz779_Bd4vLcmm5wdHNIc2PGEe2gVr3ElmP0CRtFSUhG4lmz5XdfaX1p9BUjSgfakSDHE4xtsXC2tfCPKp9_CTEt9cBR6h5C_Lpy-1aKAjaBC1eKm9zZpuI0Emf6DoR8sqVgtrAGPt7EI7RfpBA=>
"Middle-Earth: Shadow of War Ring of Power" <https://www.keengamer.com/Image/Image/49185?size=FULL>

Star Wars: Battlefront II Trailer

Yoo, there's so many good video games coming out this year. I really wanna pre-order this one, "Middle-Earth: Shadow of War", and "Call of Duty: World War II". Just shut up and take my money.

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B  A  T  T  L  E  F  R  O  N  T     I  I

                  I really enjoyed the first game, I'm not sure about you guys. The only thing I didn't really like was the overheating system with all of the weapons, and how I couldn't go prone. Maybe that's just the Battlefield player in me.
                  But seeing this new trailer just had me like "whoa." I didn't even freak or anything, I just sat on my bed in absolute awe because... it was like a remastered version of the Playstation 2 or Xbox 360 Battlefront II, and man. The only thing I could think was, "I need this." You best believe I'm about to be pre-ordering this game as soon as I pre-order Middle-Earth: Shadow of War.
                  Alright, first thing's first. The engine footage was phenomenal. And gee, it really hit me that you can literally play across all eras with the most iconic characters of the entire freaking Star Wars universe!
                  And I also like that they're taking the perspective of the Empire's soldiers after the Death Star is destroyed. It doesn't exactly follow the original Battlefront II story, which was also cool, but it's still the view from those who are loyal to the bad guys and just want to follow their orders.
                  I think you're really going to be able to feel the impact of the Death Star's destruction and the devastation that everyone under the Empire felt. It'll be a really interesting take, and I'm sure gonna be routing for the bad guys this time around. I mean, who won't be?
                  Then... THE MILLENNIUM FALCON!!! Then space! Then Luke! Don't tell me you're not hyped because if you say so you are lying. Just stop lying to yourself, because this is going to be one sick game. But please developers, let us have actual rounds and let us go prone!
                  I'm so excited to play across all the eras. I really want to play in The Force Awakens era as like Rey or Finn or something. It's gonna be sick.



Bibliography:
"Star Wars: Battlefront II Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDzmjP6-1Zo>
"Star Wars: Battlefront II Millennium Falcon" <http://assets1.ignimgs.com/2017/04/15/swbfii-reveal-screenshot-2-1492279586547_1280w.png>
"Star Wars: Battlefront II Wallpaper" <https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/23/SWBF2_box.jpeg/250px-SWBF2_box.jpeg>

Thor: Ragnarok Trailer

Alright, I'm so sorry guys, I'm behind on the bandwagon. Next after this is going to be the "Star Wars: Battlefront II" videogame trailer. HERE WE GO!!!

T  H  O  R

R  A  G  N  A  R  O  K

                  I honestly think that this is going to be the best Thor we've ever gotten. Come November, we're going to be so hyped about all of the other movies that are coming out that Thor: Ragnarok is going to be like the icing on the, wait for it... cake. (I'm sorry, I had to. It's my blog)

                  First off, what the hell Thor? You got yourself captured and you're dangling from a chain

in a giant pit of doom. You really messed up somewhere along the way, no doubt. Hela probably put him there, but nonetheless, let's talk about Hela!

                  Cate Blanchett is going to absolutely kill the character. Oh my goodness, I'm so psyched. I've also heard that Hela is going to be the MCU's version of Death that Thanos is trying to impress. I wouldn't blame him, Hela is looking like a dime. And let's take a second and remember all the times that Mjolnir has actually been handled by others than Thor: Hulk, Captain America, Vision, and now Hela! SHE FREAKING BROKE MJOLNIR. But y'know what? I think a certain strange doctor is going to use a neat little gadget to fix that sucker. (Oh yeah, where's Doc Strange in this preview? I wanna see ol' Bubblegum Bumblebatch!)

                  Next, let's talk about the Hunger Games style of clothing that the judges are wearing. I dunno, it really reminded me of the Capitol and all them. I dunno, maybe they'll surprise me. But the whole gladiator thing near the very end was really neat. I like that they're intertwining multiple different story arcs into the film.

                  It's also nice because Hulk couldn't hold his own movie. Besides Edward Norton's The Incredible Hulk, that was awesome. But aside from that, I really like Hulk's new look! He's got a Roman looking helmet with a crest. And oh man oh man oh man, that fight is going to be SICK!

                  I also like Loki's new look. It's a lot crisper than previous films, and his headgear just looks sooo good. If you haven't seen a picture, please take a gander to the right. His suit is much much nicer, and I think it'll be a nice farewell after this movie since Tom Hiddleston's contract is up after Ragnarok.

                  Overall, I'm so looking forward to this.

Bibliography:

"Thor: Ragnarok Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7MGUNV8MxU>

"Thor: Ragnarok Loki" <https://images.moviepilot.com/image/upload/c_fill,h_470,q_auto:good,w_620/reqg4fdxpc9ywhsfo4ry.jpg>

"Thor: Ragnarok Hela" <https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xGCVX2QJ5c5N18tT_HQ-1LwWSks=/0x0:845x350/1200x800/filters:focal(605x68:739x202)/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/54176563/Screen_Shot_2017_04_10_at_11.22.46_AM.0.png>