Logan

Alright folks, this is my first post under the name "Piece of Cake"! The revolution is happening...

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                  The movie begins with Logan in the back of a limousine sleeping. There's a banging on the vehicle and he stumbles out, apparently drunk. This is actually the first time we ever see James Logan Howlett drunk. There's three young men that are trying to take off the chrome plating from his tires. He tells them that they're not going to be able to get the chrome plating, so they shoot him. He

gets back up and then they start beating him up, but he just gets to slicing and dicing.

                  This is also the first time (of many) that we see blood flying and skin being ripped open. It's a pretty graphic scene, and afterwards, Logan drives to the hospital and picks up some medication. It's not for him, though. Oh, BTW, there's a dude with a robotic hand just creepily watch Logan pick up the medication. We see that he drives somewhere near the El Paso/Mexico border, where Charles Xavier and Caliban are camping out.

                  Logan walks into the rusted shack that Caliban and he stay in, and Caliban says "It's your turn", handing Logan the medication for Charles. So Logan goes over to a fallen and rusted water tower and gives Charles his medication. There's a slight complication, though. Charles has a seizure that emits powerful brain waves that can paralyze and eventually kill anyone not of a strong mind. Therefore, mutants not like Logan and humans can die pretty easily.

                  These seizures happen because Charles suffers from Alzheimer's Disease. However, that doesn't mean that his powers are completely taken away. He can still reach out with his mind, but it's just more under control so that he doesn't kill everyone. Later on in the film, we learn that the first seizure Charles had killed seven of his students at the X-Mansion. It's known as the Westchester Incident. From then on, Charles's mind has been deemed a Weapon of Mass Destruction by the President of the United States.
                  Still however, Charles is talking about the Statue of Liberty and saying that people are waiting for him. But the Statue of Liberty fight against Magneto was close to thirty years prior to this film. But wait, what I didn't tell you is that as Logan goes around getting money as a Limo driver, he meets a woman at a cemetery who is begging him for help. "Only you can help me," she says.
                  So this comes up later because the man who had the robot arm (Donald Pierce is his name) is looking for that same woman. But he says that she has something that belongs to him. This turns out to be X-23, also called Laura. She is a clone of Wolverine made by a company called Transigen. Laura's only 11 years old, but she's an absolute animal.
                  The gist is that Laura, Logan, and Charles embark on a journey to North Dakota towards a place called "Eden" that is rumored about in X-Men comics. It's supposed to be a safe haven for the remaining mutants in the world, which, as far as we know, is down to four: Logan, Laura, Charles, and Caliban. But that number suddenly increases when we find out that Transigen has not only been working on a Wolverine clone, but they've been working on cloning the other X-Men, and even Magneto, in order to create an army. Isn't that always the case nowadays?
                  And we also find out that all of the other mutants are dead because of, you guessed it, Transigen. The head scientist who oversaw the creation of X-23 was also the one who isolated the X-Gene in mutants. By isolating it, he was able to create a formula that could kill that gene. He implemented it into things like corn syrup, therefore distributing it all over the world and stripping

mutants of their powers. As a result, there hasn't been a mutant birth in over five or six years.
                  I'm not going to tell you what exactly happens, but just know that this is the wildest ride we've ever been on with Hugh Jackman as the Wolverine. It's the most human we've ever seen him, and the most we've ever seen him invested into someone. And he's willing to lay down his life for Laura in the end. It's definitely a tear jerking, funny, brutal, and heartwarming story that you will never forget. Thanks Hugh, it's been one helluva ride.

Bibliography:

"Logan Tribute to Hugh Jackman" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlWUn9I_KQA>

"Logan Movie" <https://c.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Screen-Shot-2016-10-20-at-9.36.11-AM.png>

"Logan Movie" <https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HhFP0V6n7aY/maxresdefault.jpg>

"Logan Movie Wallpaper" <http://rcysl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Logan-2017-Wallpapers-Great-Collection.jpg>

"Logan Movie X-23" <http://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/scale_crop_768_433/2017/03/logan_2017_22-h_2017.jpg>

Logan

(NON-SPOILER REVIEW) Y'know, walking out of the theater, I realized that Hugh Jackman has been portraying the character of Wolverine for as long as I've been alive. A character that I grew up with has passed on to a place that  I cannot go. That really hit home for me. And I'm sure it will hit you, too.

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                  Hugh Jackman wields the claws for the last time in the most touching and intense journey that we have seen yet. He is caring for a sick and dying Charles Xavier with Caliban as he himself is slowly dying. The fact that he's constantly getting shot at doesn't help at all. Logan drives a limousine in El Paso, Texas. The year is 2029 and, as stated in the Logan trailers, mutants are gone. And we never really know what happened to them.

                  Through the limo business, he's hoping to leave the US and go to Canada, where it's safe for them. As it is, many people believe that all the mutants are dead. They've most likely heard stories, but since they're not as often seen, they're almost like an urban legend.

                  Donald Pierce comes to Logan asking about a woman by the name of Gabriella. He wants her daughter and will stop at nothing to get Laura (aka X-23). This launches Logan, Laura, and Charles onto a cross country journey on the way to North Dakota. Their challenges never stop however, and Logan and Charles are pushed beyond their limits in Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart's last times in their iconic characters' shoes.

Ratings:

Family Friendliness: 1/10 NOT, I repeat NOT, for anyone below the age of 13. It has extreme blood, gore, and plenty of cursing. I mean, all of it works nicely to bring a more human element to Hugh Jackman's character, but you'll definitely want to fasten your seatbelts for all of the intense sequences of violence.

Story-line: 9.5/10 You will be on the edge of your seat, biting your nails, bawling your eyes out, and laughing along as we see Logan come the closest he's ever been to having a family since X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Story-Action Balance: 8/10 I was very impressed with how there was actually a story to carry Logan from the borderland of El Paso to the edge of North Dakota and even into Canada. At almost every moment where there was blood shed, there was a good reason for it. The gore wasn't thrown in simply to give us a "HELL YEAH" moment when Logan got slicing and dicing, although there were plenty of moments like that. The blood was show how Logan's life has been full of killing, and he's had to live with that for almost 200 years. And really, it's sad when you think about it.

Acting: 8/10 As always, Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart put on stellar performances. I can't think of a better way for them to end their almost two decade long careers as X-Men.

Intensity: 9/10 UNREAL. I almost peed my pants quite honestly.

Re-watch Probability: 9/10 I don't care if I will cry every single time I watch this movie. I'm going to watch it over and over again until I'm sick of it (which is most likely impossible) and I will KEEP WATCHING IT.

Overall: 9/10 The actual ratings would come out to 7, but who cares about math, right? Hugh Jackman gave us all the Wolverine we deserved and I am happy that he played the part so well. You had a good run Hugh. I enjoyed every second of your films and I'm sad to see you lay the claws down. But you laid them down in the best way Logan knew how: with a brutal but victorious fight. I can't wait to see you in future films, and I'll be with ya till the end of the line.

Bibliography:

"Logan Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Div0iP65aZo>

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE

You thought X-MEN III was awful, and you were right. But that's because Bryan Singer wasn't behind the wheel. Get ready for the next chapter in the X-Men Cinematic Universe that will blow your mind and give a few much needed answers that have been raised ever since X-MEN: First Class came out. So buckle up and settle in for a helluva ride.

WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD! 
READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!


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                  The film begins in Egypt at around 6000 BC with a ritual taking place. The ritual is for Apocalypse because he's gotten old, and he wants to transfer his conscience to

Apocalypse

another body so that he can basically be immortal. 

                   The ritual begins and his Four Horsemen, basically his four disciples, are present to protect him. However, the soldiers of the Egyptian guard have a plan up their sleeves. "Death to the false god!" they yell as they collapse the giant pyramid where the ritual is taking place. This is Apocalypse's weakest moment, so he can be killed. However, the Four Horsemen protect him, and he's buried. 

                    The transfer wasn't completed, therefore Apocalypse is in a kind of suspension. He's not dead, and he's not alive. He stays there for most of history until the film fast forwards to the year 1983. Here, the film follows multiple story lines, and the way I explain them may not be in the order of the movie. So, sorry in advance. 

                     Eric Lehnsherr (Magneto) has tried living a normal life after the events of X-

The Four Horsemen

Men: Days of Future Past, and has so far been successful. He's married and has a 10 year old mutant daughter who can influence animals. They're living in peace until there's an accident at the metal plant he's working at and he saves a guy from being crushed. 

                     Now if you remember back to 10 years prior, Eric turned the world's cameras on himself, and he was known as a mutant to be feared. Naturally, all of the workers saw that on tv and report Eric to the authorities. They capture his daughter and want Eric to turn himself in.

                    However, as Eric is being taken away, his daughter becomes angry and animals begin reacting, starting to encircle the officers. One of them has a bow and arrow poised and ready to fire, and he gets distracted by the birds and lets fly. The arrow pierces

The 1983 X-Men

Eric's daughter through into his wife. Pissed off as you can imagine, he kills all of the officers. He then proceeds to kill the men at the metal plant where he works. 
                    Moira McTaggart has continued as an undercover CIA Agent for the past 21 years, and this time we find her in Egypt. She followed two men that have the mark of Apocalypse. They're in a kind of cult. She follows them into the tomb that we know contains the suspended body of Apocalypse, and she walks in on a ritual to revive him.
                    He's revived and teleports out of his tomb to find four new Horsemen. His teleportation literally shakes the entire earth, and the X-Men feel it. Jean reacts to it and sees the end of the world in a dream. Turns out that that's not too far off from the truth.
                     Apocalypse comes across a young girl who can control weather and recruits her as a Horseman. This female figure we know as the famous Storm. Fun act, Storm is actually Stan Lee's favorite female Marvel character. Anyway, Apocalypse enhances Storm's powers so she can unlock her full potential. 
                     At the same time, Mystique has continued to help mutants outta trouble, one of them being Kurt Wagner, otherwise known as Nightcrawler. He's fighting Angel and she saves him. They then go to Xavier because Raven hears that Eric is in trouble in

The Ritual Pyramid for Apocalypse in Egypt, 6000 BC

Germany because he killed a bunch of people. 
                    Back to Eric. Just as he's about to kill the men in the metal plant, Apocalypse teleports to him with Angel and Psylocke. He brings him to Auschwitz, where Eric first used his powers. There, Eric discovers he can summon metal that is buried deep beneath the surface of the Earth. Magneto's true potential is shown here, and it is just an awesome display of his true power, and I was happy I got to witness it.
                     So hearing about the giant earthquake that Jean reacted to, Charles goes to Cerebro and finds Moira in Egypt, coming out of the newly collapsed tomb. They then go visit her in Langley. She tells them about Apocalypse and know that he's bad news. From here, it picks up. I don't wanna spoil anything more than I already have, but you should go see it. It's awesome.

Ratings: 
Family Friendliness- 7/10 X-Men Definitely not for the little ones. Then again, how many family friendly movies are out there right? Kids ages 12 and up is a good range for the film. There's a lot of violence, and a swear word or two; maybe three. There is some blood, and it's quite realistic, but other than that it should be good. No sexual content of any kind whatsoever.
Story Line- 9/10 Horsemen The story was phenomenal. Now, I don't keep up with X-Men as much, but I sure appreciated the movie. It was totally awesome, and a lot of things came into play, like the classic X-Men suits. You've just gotta remember that there's been a lot of time jumps in between the newest X-Men movies so that you don't get confused. 
Story-Action Balance- 9/10 Cerebros It was very nicely balanced between all of the action fight scenes, the comedic relief, and the overall plot. Nothing felt too overwhelming, and it was always fun to get a good laugh from almost every character. Even Xavier had a few moments!
Overall- 8/10 Jets You can do the math if you'd like, but I think that the movie was very good. It was definitely a step up from X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: First Class. Each film keeps getting better and better, kinda like the Avengers films, and I'm glad that the X-Men Cinematic Universe has taken a turn for the best. I can't wait to see what Bryan Singer's gonna do next!

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Bibliography: "X-Men: Apocalypse Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jer8XjMrUB4>

"X-Men: Apocalypse Apocalypse" <http://cdn1-www.comingsoon.net/assets/uploads/gallery/bts-x-men-apocalypse/xmen0007.jpg>

"X-Men: Apocalypse The Four Horsemen" <https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1HAs4XLhSZw/maxresdefault.jpg>

"X-Men: Apocalyspe Poster Defend" <http://cdn.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/x-men-apocalypse-poster-defend.jpg>

"X-Men: Apocalypse Pyramid" <https://cdn3.whatculture.com/images/2016/04/cf7941ae4cc1-600x400.jpg>

Eddie the Eagle

                  This was truly a heartwarming story, and I had the amazing opportunity to see it on Easter and, coincidentally, my birthday! It was an incredible true story that had me in tears at the end. Don't worry, they were happy tears.

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                    Michael "Eddie" Edwards is a young English boy at the age of six that dreams of becoming an olympian. This is clear right from the start because we see from an underwater perspective, a watch. Eddie is timing himself. 

                    When he comes out of the water, he sees that he held his breath for "nearly 58 seconds!"

Michael "Eddie the Eagle" Edwards

He packs his things and heads to the downstairs front door. Bag over his shoulder and jacket on his back, he's ready for the journey and tells his mom, "To the Olympics," when his mother questions where he's off to. 

                    "Well, you're going to need this," says his mother, " to put your medals in." She hands him a tin box. 

                     "Thanks mum." 

                      The year is 1973. Eddie, with a leg brace, walks out of the door towards the bus stop. As he's walking, his mother turns away from the door and tells her husband, "Terry, he's off to the Olympics again." 

                      Eddie arrives at the bus stop and looks at the bus schedule, seeing when the next ride will be. His father drives up behind him and says, "And where do you think you're going, Eddie?"

                      "I'm going to the Olympics."

                      His father convinces him to come home, and next we see Eddie at the doctor's office.

Bronson Peary played by Hugh Jackman

The doc bends his knee back and forth, showing good progress. Five years later, Eddie is at the doctor's and is able to have the brace removed altogether. 

                      He suggests that Eddie doesn't take up sports, and that instead he should take up reading. Eddie doesn't listen though, and starts his Olympic training. Since he was told to take up reading, the first book he buys is an Olympic book. He reads up on all the records, events, and title holders.

                      His father tries to dissuade him from Olympic training and brings him to work to learn how to plaster. When Eddie and his dad exit the car, Eddie sees skiers racing down the hills. His dad had told him, "Eddie! You are NOT an athlete!" Later, he said, "You won't make it to the Olympics." 

                     Eddie, eyeing the skiers, says, "Dad! You're a genius! I'm not going to the Olympics. I'm going to the Winter Olympics." 

                     So begins his training and the pursuing of his dream to be an Olympic Skier. However, he is told that he will never be Olympic material by a rather annoying and stubborn Englishman. Eddie is only temporarily down in the mud until he finds out about Ski Jumping, and begins pursuing that.

                     Along the way, he has many setbacks, and he can't quite advance in his training until Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman) shows up and eventually agrees to train him. They train for a year with many difficulties, but Eddie manages to make it to the 1988 Winter Olympics, and capture the hearts of all the viewers. 

                     In his celebration of setting an English record in the 70 meter Ski Jump, Eddie mocks an eagle's flying, earning him the name of the title of the film, "Eddie the Eagle."

Ratings:

Family Friendliness: 8.5/10 Hills- The film is very funny and light-hearted, but also heartwarming. There are some inappropriate references, and partial nudity, but all-in-all, a good family film.You journey with Eddie through his trials, setbacks, and victories that lead up to his Olympic qualification, participation, and rise to fame because of his never-ending and undying spirit. He never gave up, and he got to where he wanted to go. This is a film about true dedication.

Story-line: 10/10 Eagles- Now, I don't know the full true story of Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, but I'm sure that the movie did a fantastic job of telling his story. And let's be honest, any true story is a good story worth sharing and seeing.

Rewatch Probability: Very High (9/10 Olympians)- You'll either be on the verge of tears or in tears by the end of the movie and will want to walk right back in for the next showing. Eddie the Eagle is a film that is definitely worth the price of admission and worth view on the big screen. So get to it!

Overall: 9/10 Ski Jumps

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Bibliography: "Eddie the Eagle Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlrTEUFOzAo>

"Eddie the Eagle Eddie" <http://images-cdn.moviepilot.com/images/c_fill,h_675,w_1200/t_mp_quality/qdamb5u0qkor4tng1yri/touching-the-sky-the-true-story-of-eddie-the-eagle-831929.jpg> 

"Eddie the Eagle Bronson Peary" <http://www.filmandtvnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Screen-Shot-2016-01-27-at-20.28.08.png>