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>

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>

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>

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>

Spider-Man: Homecoming Trailer

Alright folks, this is Trailer 2 for PoC to review! I am so stoked.

S P I D E R - M A N:

H  O  M  E  C  O  M  I  N  G

TRAILER

                  Alright, I'm not sure if y'all are aware, but I am a huge Spider-Man fanatic. Something for the ladies to know, if you just wanna see me blabbing and geeking out, ask me anything about Spider-Man and I will go on an hour rant. I promise you.

                  But we're not here to talk about me, we're here to talk about Tom! First off, I love the fact that Marvel has really shown him to be such a nerd, but one that hints at a struggle to balance being a kid and a hero. And this is kinda like "Spider-Man: Year One", which I really like. DO NOT

GET ME WRONG, I absolutely loved the original Spider-Man Trilogy, Tobey Maguire was my childhood. The Amazing Spider-Man series was phenomenal. Even though Andrew Garfield was kind of a stretch for me at first, he ended up being one of my favorite actors. And I think the same can go for Tom. I'm giving him a chance, and I can't wait to see what they're gonna do with him!

                  First thing we see is Peter running into a back alley and whipping out the suit. And oh my goodness, if you didn't like the whole loose-to-fitting suit feature, just stop reading because that was so freaking cool. I think everyone can agree (especially cosplayers) that that's something that Spidey has needed. It's such a tight suit! So he just keeps it under, but this is cool because it's strip, throw on,

fit button, BOOM, Spider-Man.

                  Next thing is a swinging sequence. I've always loved every single swing sequence we've ever been shown, and this is no different. Spider-Man's agility, seamless swinging, and even his funny character is shown in the next few seconds. I guess what I woulda liked more is the realism of the actual swinging.

                  Not sure if you are completely aware of this, but in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, the first time we see Spidey in his new suit, his swinging seems to be heavily rooted in physics. His angel dives give him his momentum to swing far and to swing high. There was even a camera that showed his perspective of the swinging, and every time he came to the bottom of the web, there was a slight lurch. WHICH IS TOTALLY ACCURATE. If you think about it, that lurch would dislocate any regular human shoulder because of the G-Force, but since Spider-Man is enhanced, there's still the lurch, but he can handle it.

                  In this trailer, I didn't see any realism in the swinging motions. Nonetheless, the sequences are cool.

                  Thirdly, we see Peter and Tony together, and Peter is wondering about how he's going to

play a role as an Avenger. Which is pretty cool, but he seems eager to join the team. In the comics, Peter has been eager to join teams before, but in the end, he's always ended up solo because he believes that's the best way he can operate. Even in the new comic series The Amazing Spider-Man (2017) he primarily works alone, even though he's got a giant corporation behind him. The company is simply there to back him.

                  Then Peter decides to be sneaky and climb on the ceiling of his room, which he obviously fails at, which is pretty funny. So he accidentally lets his buddy in on the secret that he's the Spider-Man. Cool!

                  "Can you summon an army of spiders?" Man, I'm telling you, I'm gonna love this kid. He's gonna be so funny. But also, he's going to be a good support for Spider-Man in his times of need. Which I think every hero needs. Think about Tony and Rhodes! They've got it good.

                  "I stole his shield" was probably one of the coolest scenes they showed. Cuz yeah, this movie doesn't take place too long after Civil War. So he's still proud of that.

                  Alright, I geeked out too much, but now we see Vulture. And oh my god, I didn't believe in Michael Keaton, but he is gonna be a hella good villain. And the Vulture suit just looks scary in general. It's dark green, he's got freaking talons, and he's got crazy tech that blows everything up.
                  All in all, I am very impressed with this new trailer and I can't wait for the film.

S P I D E R - M A N:

H  O  M  E  C  O  M  I  N  G

Arrives in Theaters July 7, 2017

Bibliography:

"Spider-Man: Homecoming Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGHGZjDguqw>

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" <https://i0.wp.com/media2.slashfilm.com/slashfilm/wp/wp-content/images/spider-man-homecoming-trailer-34.jpg>

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" <http://cdn2us.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeekus/files/2017/01/spider-man-homecoming.png>

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" <https://www.movie-list.com/img/posters/caps/spidermanhomecoming.jpg>

"Spider-Man: Homecoming Vulture" <https://m.elitestatic.com/m/54ad0d380f854d0e/spiderman-homecoming-trailer-16.jpg>

Logan

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

L    O    G    A    N

                  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.

L    O    G    A    N

                  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>

Doctor Strange

W A R N I N G ! ! ! SPOILERS AHEAD, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

With that out of the way, onto the review!

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                  Stephen Strange is a world-renowned surgeon who jams out to classic 70s and 80s music while performing extremely difficult procedures with ease. He's got the biggest ego you could possibly imagine, but he's brilliant. Right in the beginning of the movie, he performs an almost impossible surgical procedure in order to save the life of a man that was shot in the head. Yes, with a

bullet.

                  All of that changes however, when he gets into a devastating car accident. He's rushed to the ER and operated on, and when he wakes up, his hands are absolutely destroyed. They look terrible, and the doctor tells him that his hands' nerves are too badly severed. Therefore, he can never operate again. His hands are constantly shaking, and there's nothing he can do about it.

                  Naturally, he wants to fix himself. So he starts doing research. He finds out about theoretical procedures that could cure the nerve damage in his hands. He squanders his wealth on seven of those different experimental procedures; and they all fail. Then, he finds one man that tells him about someone called "The Ancient One." This person can fix him, Strange is told. So, using the last amount of money he has, he takes a plane to Nepal and finds the Ancient One.

                  When he finds the Ancient One, she tells him that she can teach his soul how to find harmony and balance, therefore healing his body. Strange is outraged by this fairy-tale and demands that she operate on him, when she casts his astral form out of his body. He still doesn't believe, and then the Ancient One sends him on a wild and brilliant journey of cinematic effects. They are definitely worth the 3D Ticket price.

                 He is launched out from those different dimensions and lands on the floor at the Ancient One's feet and says, "Teach me."

                 So his training begins, and his incantations are perfect, he is a brilliant book worm and will read books for hours, poring over their information. He learns the spells word perfect, gets the hand motions down, but nothing ever happens. To fix that, the Ancient One takes him to Mount Everest

and tells him to build himself a portal back to the Sanctum (Temple in Nepal where the Ancient One resides). Within two minutes, he does it. Otherwise, his body would have gone into shock, and he would have died within an additional five minutes from hypothermia.

                 One day, as he's in the library, he looks at a specific book that you will be able to quickly identify because of the beginning minutes of the movie. It's a good ride, so I won't spoil that for you. But basically he's looking at it, and then uses the Eye of Agamotto to manipulate time. He tests that power on the apple he's eating.

                For those that don't know, the Eye of Agamotto is a magical relic, created by Agamotto, the First Sorcerer Supreme of Earth, if my knowledge is correct. And yes, the theories are true, it is indeed the Time Stone. Whether or not it is the Time Stone itself is still a mystery, though.
               Strange goes on reading the book, and then he comes across the name "Dormammu." Wong, the Librarian, and Mordo, the Sorcerer Supreme's best student, bust into the library and freak out.

They tell him to never utter that name again and that Dormammu is no power to trifle with.
From there, the action picks up as Kaecilius, a former student of The Ancient One that stole some pages from a book at the beginning of the movie, starts attacking the different sanctums of the world.
                The Sanctums, as Wong and Mordo explain, are the three magical places that place a barrier over the Earth to keep Dormammu and other evil entities out. So while the Avengers fight aliens, the Sorcerers fight battles within the mystical realm.
                Eventually, Kaecilius storms all three (New York, Hong Kong, and London) and Dormammu begins his descent in Hong Kong. Strange, bearing the Eye of Agamotto and the Cloak of Levitation, reverses time so that the collateral damage can be minimized. But before he can complete the spell, Kaecilius and his goons break from it and start causing trouble. So what Strange

does is he goes up into the Dark Dimension and finds Dormammu.
              If you haven't already seen the memes, this is where Strange says multiple times: "Dormammu, I've come to bargain." After Strange dies about 80 or so times, Dormammu gets pissed and finally agrees to leave Earth alone if he can get out of the time loop.
So yeah, that's basically the film. Make sure you stay for the after credits, though. They set up "Thor: Ragnarok" and the second "Doctor Strange" films.

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Ratings:

Family Friendliness: 9/10 Sanctums There wasn't much in this movie to really point out that would be really worthy of noting. I mean, there's violence obviously, and then there's a lot of graphic injuries especially in the beginning when Strange is all screwed up because of the car crash. There's minimal swearing, and overall, it's a pretty fun movie.
Story-line: 7/10 Magic Books Overall, it's the typical story. This guy has got an issue and a big ego, wants to fix the problem, then ends up becoming a great hero that saves all of humanity. But the fact that it's magic makes it amazing. 
Story-Action Balance: 8/10 Spells There was a nice balance between the actual plot and then the action that ensues as a result of the story is nicely played out. The visuals are stunning, and I'll even give those visuals a rating below.
Visuals: 9/10 Sorcerers Nuff said, just watch it.
Comic Accuracy: 8/10 The origin story is spot on, except for the fact that the Ancient One was not a woman, Mordo was originally a bad guy already when Strange came along, and that Strange did not face Dormammu until he was about 10 years into his training. But then again, Marvel can't cover ten years of training in about two and a half hours. Other than that, swell movie!
Overall: 8/10 SEE IT



Bibliography: "Doctor Strange Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNdM7b1Lm04>
"Doctor Strange" <http://www.twincities.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/doctorstrangereview.jpg>
"Doctor Strange: The Ancient One" <http://cdn.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/doctor-strange-tilda-swinton.jpg>
"Doctor Strange: Mordo" <http://screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Doctor-Strange-Movie-Mordo-and-Strange-Banner.jpg>
"Doctor Strange: Kaecilius" <https://typeset-beta.imgix.net/rehost/2016/9/22/b9a22007-da46-4913-89c7-eff981e66f85.jpg>
"Doctor Strange: Dormammu" <https://images.moviepilot.com/images/c_limit,q_auto,w_710/deiyyyc5akea97zypabu/doctor-strange-challenges-dormammu-credit-disney.jpg>

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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A   P   O   C   A   L   Y   P   S   E

                  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>

Captain America: Civil War

No words are needed. But there are definitely spoilers ahead, so read at your own risk. I'll put the warning in bold too, just in case you didn't catch it.

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

C A P T A I N   A M E R I C A:

C I V I L   W A R

                  The film begins with the Avengers on another mission in Sokovia, looking for the villain who calls himself Crossbones. He's been evading the Avengers for awhile, but they've got him

now. Cap and Crossbones fight, and then Cap has him kneeling in front of him. He interrogates him and Crossbones pulls a grenade pin. 
                          But Scarlet Witch contains the blast and throws him into a building where he blows up, killing hundreds of people. This sends a bad message to the rest of the world about the Avengers, and for good reason. Therefore, a world conference is called, and the Sokovia Accords are adopted by over 150 countries to regulate the Avengers. 
                          Captain America sees this as bad because if the Accords are adopted (and they are), that means that where the governments of the world may want the Avengers doesn't necessarily mean that that's where they need to be. In other words, their right to choose is taken away so as to hopefully

protect the world. 
                          Present at the conference is Black Widow, T'Challa (prince of Wakanda), and many other world leaders. Cap has officially gone rogue, A-Wall, whatever you wanna call it. But him and his team are wanted and are officially considered vigilantes. 
                          Now this isn't all there is too the whole movie. Baron Zemo is actually the mastermind behind the entire operation, because his family died in Sokovia. Therefore, he's angry at the Avengers. However, he knows that he himself cannot destroy them, so he makes it so that they destroy themselves by staging murders that are supposedly done by the Winter Soldier. 
                          Later on you find out that Bucky is innocent, but at one point he does get triggered and turns all bad. But it's okay because he turns back into regular Bucky as soon as he's knocked out. Along for the ride is everyone's favorite comedic hero, Spider-Man! Then we get to see Giant Man and Black Panther kick some serious butt. 
                          If you haven't seen the film already, get up off of your butt and go see it. It's totally worth the price of admission and popcorn and pop. Just do it, you won't regret it.


Ratings:
Family Friendliness: 7/10 Shields- Now, I get it, it's a Marvel movie, and there's nothing sexual or anything along those lines. But you gotta think of the parents that don't like language, and there's a little bit of that. Plus there's a helluva lotta fighting, and there's some scenes with minimal blood. It's still a great film though.
Story-line: 8/10 Accords- Now if you're anything like me, you'd be disappointed that it wasn't the X-Men that caused this whole thing like in the comics. But if you are anything like me, you'll be happy that they made do with what they had. Also, they did a good job of bringing back any and all of the major happenings from the best movies that were devastating to the world. It really ties the MCU together, and I'm happy with everything that they did. Especially with Spider-Man and Black Panther.
Story-Action Balance: 9/10 Webs- Alright this is a new feature. For this film, it did an excellent job of balancing the story and action. While the action was happening, you knew why it was happening. It wasn't a Fast and Furious, "wait, they're crashing in cars cuz why???" You could actually follow.
Comic Accuracy: 7/10 Claws- I'm sorry, I'm just a real stickler about this, but to be honest, what with Marvel had, they did a phenomenal job. Pick up the comics and read. They're totally worth the hours of following.
Overall: 9/10- Technically, the score should be 7. But that's okay, I gave it a curve. If you see it, you'll know why. And it was a pretty generous curve at that too.

C A P T A I N   A M E R I C A:

C I V I L   W A R

Bibliography: "Captain America: Civil War Both Sides" <http://www.technobuffalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/captain-america-civil-war-1280x641.jpg>

"Captain America: Civil War Spider-Man" <http://static1.techinsider.io/image/56e1d83e9105844e018b598e-2158-1136/captain-america-spider-man.jpg>
"Captain America: Civil War Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKrVegVI0Us>