Movie Review - Spider-man: Homecoming

Spider-man: Homecoming

Starring: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Jacob Batalon, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Bokeem Woodbine, and more.

Directed by: Jon Watts Screenplay by: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Jon Watts, Christopher Ford, Chris McKenna, and Erik Sommers Based on the Comic Book by: Stan Lee and Steve Ditko Cinematography by: Salvatore Totino Music by: Michael Giacchino

Premise: After getting a new suit and helping out during the Civil War, Peter is dying to help again. Unfortunately, he's not getting any callbacks. But he makes do by going out every night and helping people where he can. But after tangling with a group of robbers using alien technology, he's told to stay out of it. But Peter can't let it go. (Rated  PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Tom Holland does a nice job as Peter Parker. Michael Keaton did a fresh and cold spin on Adrian Toomes to great effect.  (His talk on the way to the prom and his picking up on things was almost creepy!) Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau brought some lovely additional dimensions to the story. Nice work by all parties.
Additional kudos to Jacob Batalon. He was adorable as Peter's friend. He brought a lot to the film as well.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects department was kept very busy in the movie. They came up with some neat human and alien technology hybrids - vulture's gear is a prime example. Toomes looked creepy in the mask and glowing green eyes. Brrr.

Tony's Spider-man suit was fab! More gadgets and gizmos than James Bond. Wait till you see all the awesome ways Tony has given him to use his web thrower. The suit is just too cool!

The cutter machine at the bank, the shock puncher, and the phase gadgets were excellent. If Toomes had been a little less messed up in the head, he could have helped bring some super amazing advances to the world.

The ferry scene and the Washington Monument scenes were great. The destruction at the bank and the deli were well done, and we even get bus wars! The group looked to have had a lot of fun with the Stark plane as well. There were some terrific bits in that sequence. Tons of neat stuff for out viewing pleasure.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: They started the movie right - with a mutated version of the cartoon theme song! Booyah! It got me right in the mood. :) Then the beginning sequence (shaky cam, but not for long - yay!) where we see Peter picked up and taken to join Tony and the others in Civil War.  Priceless!

With six people credited for the screenplay, I was amazed it came out so good. Toomes motivation wasn't well grounded but wasn't bad enough to be jarring. No way he didn't make a ton of cash from his illegal sales. You'd think he would have saved some. :P

Tons and tons and tons of adorable moments. (Guy in a chair!) The introduction of the Captain America tapes was a genius idea! This is especially so because they take the gag all the way to the end of the credits! (So stay until he shows! :P) I laughed myself silly at the last one. :P The comments from teachers and others in different parts of the movie were also rather humorous and came up when you least expected them.

I was a little puzzled that they decided to make Peter fifteen years old. That seemed a little young. Plus he didn't look fifteen. Seventeen would have been much more believable, and he would have still had all the same problems. :P Spidey is super tough, so his getting knocked out by a small tap at one point seemed a little convenient, but it was a minor nitpick.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: CGI mixed with real stunt work gave the audience all sorts of fun to enjoy.

5) Music - Total Thumbs Up: Like I mentioned before - Michael Giacchino had me at the groovy version of the original 1967 Spiderman cartoon's theme music. Some snazzy tracks and great action tracks. It added to the enjoyment of the film.

Conclusion: This Spider-man reboot is well worth seeing. All the small and fun moments truly make it a delicious film. Great effects and cool gadgets are 'frosting on the cake'. :)

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)

Movie Review - Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War

Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Emily VanCamp, Tom Holland, Daniel Brühl, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, Martin Freeman, and more.

Directed by: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo Screenplay by: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely Comic Book by: Mark Millar Based on Characters Created by: Joe Simon and Jack Kirby Cinematography by: Trent Opaloch Music by: Henry Jackman 

Premise: The United Nations has introduced a measure to make the Avengers missions fall under an oversight committee. Split on whether this would be a good thing or not, the team suffers a further rift when a bomb explodes during the UN meeting to ratify the measure and a grainy picture of someone resembling Bucky is caught on camera. The UN puts out a find and kill order, but Cap wants to try to bring him in alive. But there's more going on than any of them realize. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of our favorite people are back and we meet some new ones as well. Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. are great together as their characters' strong wills clash even as they desperately try to cling to their friendship. Scarlett Johansson can speak volumes with a raised eyebrow! Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa was a great choice. And loved to see Martin Freeman thrown into the mix as well. (Especially since his partner Sherlock will be the next Dr. Strange!)

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Lots to love from the special effects department! The sequence with Tony Stark as an eighteen year old looked just like him! Amazing work.

All the mix of tech and super powers in mass battle looked awesome. Especially with Antman's couple of surprises at the airport. Talk about a battle! Ant-man playing inside Tony's armor? Priceless.

The russian lab and the underwater supermax prison were very cool. Both look super tough. And all of Falcon's awesome toys - I want them! Drool.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: I'd worried a bit about the plot from what I'd seen in the previews. But overall it wasn't as bad as I'd feared it might be and they did have several surprises. As usual, though, the devil is in the details - and the details tend to be the first thing ignored when it gets in the way of causing trouble. One grainy photo and no one bothers to do actual research and police work? Please. Later it happens, but not where it should have. Most won't notice the oversight as the non-stop action goes at super speed.

Another minor issue is lack of communication - even amongst willful guys. It was yet another convenient item left out until too late - no one even tried saying Bucky didn't do it even after he told Cap as much. They were busy, but not that busy. And no one even tried to prove it one way or the other.

A lot of the driving force on the plot is the first initial rift with regards to the UN and the perceived lack of caring by the Avengers. While all these items kept getting brought up about how people were killed and things were destroyed, not once did anyone even try to point out how many more would have died had Wanda done nothing, or how many thousands would have been hurt or killed if they'd let the bad guys run off with the infectious disease they stole. Ultron or the aliens - hundreds of thousands to millions of dead if gone unchecked. While I grieve, and so do the heroes, for the deaths of the innocents, how many more would there have been if the Avengers did nothing? Reality bites, but the facts should not be ignored either.

Aside from that, the driving emotions and personalities seemed pretty spot on. Though the fact they wait to the very end for someone to finally mention Bucky is a VICTIM was yet another omission for convenience. So while I understood Tony's rage, I couldn't quite see that he'd go as far as he did because he knew about Bucky's brainwashing. But for whatever reason friends against friends seem to be the thing in all the plots lately.

Ton of fun moments! Ton of awesome one liners! Great introduction for the Black Panther! Lots of fun interaction between the characters. And I loved Cap's note to Tony at the end and Tony's indirect, yet totally meaningful response.

Oh, and Spidey's suggestion from that "old movie" and them doing it? Awesome!

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Between the hand-to-hand combat, car chases, stairwell chases, air chases, and more - there is a ton to love from the stunt department. Real and imagined. :)

5) Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Lovely job on the cinematography. Cool angles and some lovely sweeping scenes so we could enjoy the action from any number of vantage points. Nice!

Conclusion: "Captain America: Civil War" is filled with awesome CGI work and magnificent battles and chases. A few bits were a little contrived, but they were in the minority and there were definitely unexpected surprises. This was a fun ride! (Two extra scenes so stay all the way through the credits!)

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price to See Again!)

Movie Review - Fantastic 4

Fantastic 4

Starring: Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, Toby Kebbell, Reg E. Cathey, Tim Blake Nelson, Owen Judge, Evan Hannemann, Dan Castellaneta, and more.

Directed by: Josh Trank Screenplay by: Simon Kinberg, Jeremy Slater, and Josh Trank Based on Characters Created by: Jack Kirby and Stan Lee Cinematography by: Matthew Jensen Music by: Marco Beltrami and Philip Glass

Premise: Despite the opinions of his teacher and his peers, Reed Richards continues to work at making his dream of inventing a form of teleporation a reality. With Ben Grimm at his side, he makes enough headway to get himself noticed by an unexpected source. Dr. Franklin Storm believes Reed has stumbled upon the answer which has been holding back his own dimensional travel program. He gives Reed a full scholarship to come learn and work at the Baxter building. Bringing back a disgruntled Victor Von Doom, and his own authority bucking son, Johnny, into the mix, he uses his adopted daughter, Sue, to hold them together long enough to create wonders. But when the opportunity to be the first people to go to the other world is suddenly denied them, the young scientists decide to go for a ride despite them. And things go wrong. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Thumbs Up: The young actors Owen Judge and Evan Hannemann did a fantastic job setting up the audience and getting us to connect with Reed Richards and Ben Grimm. Miles Teller and Jamie Bell pick up from there as the story rolls forward seven years. Kate Mara does a different take on Sue Storm, making her more of a loner than previous incarnations. It was great fun watching Reed trying to connect with her despite her own reservations. Michael B. Jordan also did very well as the authority clashing Johnny Storm. Toby Kebbell was grim and distrustful as Victor, but he too could be surprised.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: There were a lot of cool CGI effects in the film.  The dimensional globe was quite impressive, especially when we see the first version of it in Reed's garage. The setup of his science project version made it look very impressive, even if his teacher didn't think so.

Johnny's flame and Ben's rock skin looked great. And they did a fabulous job of actually letting Mr. Fantastic use his stretch skills effectively. Sue's fields and bubbles also got a spiffy look.

The green goo on planet Zero was super cool. Loved the cracks. The swirling gas and bioelectric micro-lightning looked great. And what happens after that? Very nice.

The planet, however, was not cool. If I see one more alien planet with 45 degree angled rocks jutting from the ground everywhere, I'm going to SCREAM! It's an alien planet, for pete's sake, use your imagination! With CGI you can make the planet look like anything! So why is it that everyone is using the same setup? 45 degree angled rocks are becoming a visual cliche in science fiction movies. I don't understand why they're overusing them like this? Why? (As I saw it for the first time through the camera screen, I kept expecting Riddick to step out from behind one of the angled rocks and take a pot shot at them...:P)

3) Plot/Story - Neutral: I knew from the commercials the film was not going to be cannon. Dimensional travel instead of space travel, super young people instead of late twenties to mid thirties, got it. I went to see it totally prepared for all that and more. And to give them credit, the first half was fabulous! Totally loved how they started the story and swept us up in the tale. Which made the second half, once things actually go bad plotwise, a complete and total copout! *cry*

**(SPOILERS!) WARNING WARNING WARNING (SPOILERS!)**

Sue keeps the guys focused, Sue makes the suits to keep everyone safe, Sue gets promised, like the rest, that she will get to go on the first voyage...And she's bummed like the rest when they take the opportunity away...But the guys go off to get drunk, decide they're going anyway, and NEVER called her! They bring in Ben (who I did think should go) but left her out! They never even thought of her. If I was her, I would have been FURIOUS! Horrible turnout be dammed. Heck, she might have kept them all safe! Yet she spent all this time all this work and they forget her? Then, since she gets her powers as part of an energy discharge when the group comes back, they're just actually subliminally implying she won't be as powerful as the rest. Well Grrrrrr. (Though at least she did get pattern recognition and intelligence, so it could have been worse...) (And really, it was a cheap plot shot to just make four travel canisters instead of five.)

Victor...you are a genius. yet you stupidly put you hand into reactive energy on an alien planet without taking scans, precautions, or anything else. Really? Worse, you decide to suck the Earth into a blackhole for no real good reason. Worse, if you can make a syphoning interdimensional conduit from pure power and rocks, why didn't you use that to open a portal to come back yourself? The character of Dr. Doom in the comics is scary because he defeats people with who have superhuman powers with his intelligence! But no, let's just make him smart but then give him a ton of super natural power which he will waste stupidly blowing people's heads off for no real reason. UGH!

Reed...You ran away. At first I thought, good, so you can collect your thoughts, make a plan, and come back to save the others. But no. For a full year, you just run around. You've controlled your power, you can make yourself look like anyone. You know Sue looks for patterns, yet you never tried to contact your friends EVER! You only end up talking to them again because you got captured (great fight!), really, Reed? Really? You can create a dimensional rift with speakers and wire but not figure out a way to help the people you feel GUILTY about messing up? REALLY?

And talk about skipping reality fallout. An entire secret base is a giant hole in the ground with only four survivors - four survivors who are super powered. Yet they're instantly embraced as heroes rather than scapegoats for the loss of life and millions of dollars? Not like there was anyone there to back up their story. But our government just took them at their word? Let them quit and gave them everything they ever wanted? Yeah, right...

And finally, they get all sorts of goodies they ask for, but they don't end up owning the Baxter building and no 4 with a circle for the helicopter pad. Boo!

Ben Grimm keeping track of kills in the field? Double Boo! And not a single one of them moved to save a single human at the base or on the other dimension. They only cared about Franklin and didn't really even try to save him with an invisible shield or elastic push. Argh!

And last, but not least, what about the fact that though "being turned back to normal" is the giant motivation placard for which Ben is out there killing people, but by the end, it's not even a consideration anymore. Yet nothing had really changed to make him not want to go back. Come on!

**(END OF SPOILERS)**

No real surprises, no real twists, not even a Stan Lee cameo... Boo! Nothing at the end of the credit either. (Though Fantastic 4 #2 is already in the works.)

There are years and years and years of great Fantastic Four plots out in the comic verse, yet this is what they went with... Sigh...

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Nice work for the stunt people and interlaced CGI. Watching Ben Grimm (The Thing) kick some booty with bad guy military peeps? Awesome! (Killing count - not so awesome.) The facility personnel and their bad travails toward the end were nicely done.

Conclusion: Fantastic 4 had a great first half, then threw all that work away by shoving in an unimaginative and not well thought out problem, assuming audiences would be satisfied with just bright lights and action. So they threw the whole thing away. Boo!

Rating: 3 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

Movie Review - Big Hero 6

Big Hero 6

Starring: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Daniel Henney, T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., Genesis Rodriguez, James Cromwell, Alan Tudyk, Maya Rudolph, and more.

Directed by: Don Hall and Chris Williams Story by: Don Hall and Jordan Roberts Screenplay by: Robert L. Baird, Daniel Gerson, and Jordan Roberts Head of Story: Paul Briggs and Joseph Mateo Based on the Comic by: Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle Music by: Henry Jackman

Premise: A thirteen year old mechanical prodigy, Hiro withdraws from the world after the untimely death of his brother. Yet it is his brother's final project that makes Hiro realize that what he'd thought was an accident, might have been something else entirely. And he's going to find a way to get to the bottom of it. (Rated PG)

Review:

1) Voice Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Ryan Potter was adorable as the thirteen year old prodigy, Hiro. Scott Adsit was perfect for the calm, soothing voice of Baymax. T.J. Miller was a hoot as Fred. Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., and Genesis Rodriguez rounded out the fun group.

2)  Artwork/Animation - Total Thumbs Up: The world of Big Hero 6 was fascinating - giving us lots of interesting things to look at. The whole concept of San Fransokyo was brilliant. It made for a truly fascinating place for our heroes to have their adventure. The clash of cultures and how they mingled together made me want to see more. Making the San Francisco Bridge out of Torii gates? Super awesome.

They had fun with the cinematography, too. Some lovely overhead shots down into the crowds. Lots of definitely spectacular city scape views. The sunset during one particular scene was breathtakingly beautiful. Krei's corporate headquarters was really cool looking. And the lab building at the college? Any nerd's dream.

Disney did a marvelous job on their textures. Between Baymax, the little filings, the portal, and Honey Lemon's balls, they covered a nice range. The zone (you'll know it when you see it) was incredibly impressive - such awesome colors.

3) Story/Plot - Total Thumbs Up: Unlike a lot of movies, where from the previews you learn almost too much about what to expect, Big Hero 6 played it sneaky. All the major elements are in the trailers, but  there's also a lot they didn't even hint at. The plot also works at getting the audience invested, so when strategy strikes, we have a highly empathic reaction. Nice job!

Several themes run through the film - family, loss, staying true to yourself, living up to your potential, friendship, and a few more. All were quite understated, (aside from looking at things from a different perspective) but are definitely there.

There's a very cute and totally true spot in the film writers and other creative types will totally relate to - coming up with an idea. What I liked even more was the quick time lapse sequence showing all the work that was done to bring the idea (once he got one) to a reality. As the old saying goes "2% inspiration, 98% perspiration. Heh heh

Lots of lovely little surprises pop up along the way. And Heathcliff? Priceless! Love the man! (Make sure to watch for his tiny expressions. Heh heh) Also, you must absolutely sit through the credits for the last surprise - totally cracked me up.

"Feast" - the cartoon before the film - beyond precious!

Conclusion: "Big Hero 6" will be a big hit for both comic book and anime lovers alike. San Fransokyo alone makes the film worth watching - add in Baymax, Hiro, and the others, and adventure abounds. Make sure to sit through the credits! The bit at the end was way, way too much fun.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again)

Movie Review - Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy

Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio Del Toro, Laura Haddock, and more.

Directed by: James Gunn Written by: James Gunn and Nicole Perlman Based on the Comics by: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning Cinematography by: Ben Davis Music by: Tyler Bates

Premise: Kidnapped from Earth as a boy, a grown Peter Quill decides to scoop a big score and leave the Ravagers behind. But the price on his head and the object he's stolen brings him in contact with a cast of outcasts that will now have to cooperate with one another to escape prison. As the group find themselves in the middle of a game for an object that can destroy worlds, they must decide whether to run or stay and try to make a difference. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Though you'd not normally expect this from a SF movie, this is one of those films where there truly are no small parts - because every line or look is delivered so naturally, even when it's an awkward moment, that they make the scenes pull that much harder at the audience. Kudos.

Chris Pratt played the charming scoundrel expertly. Zoe Saldana was too fun as Gamora and kicked all sorts of booty. Dave Bautista had several lovely one liners, which he delivered beautifully. Bradley Cooper did a great job as Rocket, but he got outdone by Vin Diesel as the second half of this comedy pair. "I am Groot" was served to us in a myriad of ways - the meanings and inflections changing as the movie went on and served nicely by to us by Vin Diesel. Nice job!

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: A fabulous job on all the special effects. I am so in love with Quill's ship! The Ravagers might not be a nice bunch of guys, but they have good taste in small fighters - that sucker hovers and turns like a dream. The main Kree ship was fabulous inside and out - loved the bizarre control system. The mining colony inside the floating giant head was very cool. (Though the concept of them mining flesh and fluids from it was disturbing!) Nova had a lovely capital city. Their one man fighters were also cool, especially when you see how they're used for planetary defense.

Besides ships and cities, the special effects team did wonders with Rocket, and even more so with Groot. Groot was constantly changing, which must have given the special effects peeps fits, but he looked so utterly amazing. Thanos also looked fabulous, especially lording it over Ronan from his throne. The communications screen on the Kree ship was super unusual.

The special effects teams also did a lot of stuff with prosthetics and enhancements which came across very well. The effects of exposure to space looked really amazing, and were a different take from the norm. Oh and Yondu's flying knife? Awesome!

The ruins sequence close to the beginning was awesome on several levels - not only because of the special effects, but also from general creativity, and more besides.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: First they get you with an emotional scene, then a surprising one. Jump to years later and this was one of the most unusual yet fabulous introductions into a story ever! It did wonders to set the mood for the rest of the film and made something expected totally new by adding a little twist.

Corny as some of the lines were, in the right environment and said just right, they'll bring tears. I had to wiped at my eyes in several spots, so they got me 'hook, line, and sinker'.  It's some of the real, life like, clunky relationships and edges between the group that somehow only served to endear them all the more.

The story progresses in the general direction you'd expect, but with some some swipes sideways, which will keep you wondering what the heck they'll get into next.

There are several themes running through the film - some more subtle than others, yet all are part of the fabric that allowed the universe to use such an unusual bunch of heroes to save the day.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of hand to hand combat, gun fights, and knife fights. Even some 'Limb Fu'. CGI stunts here and there, but they were integrated nicely together with the real physical action. Great work overall.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Space is wide and vast and the cinematographer and the special effects teams took full advantage. There were several spots were large things took up the upfront view, and these were layered on even more awesome backdrops. The film makers made full use of the IMAX capabilities for some great jaw dropping scenery.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: The makeup teams really deserve some applause. It's hard to compete against CGI, but they definitely held their own. From the various skin tones (pink, green, blue) to the gorgeous, beveled tattoo overlay on Drax and his bright eyes, they didn't stint on quality. Ronan's off colored skin and dried goo was as captivating as his CGI enhanced purple eyes.

7) Music - Total Thumbs Up: From all the 80's music to the orchestral additions by Tyler Bates, the music and its integration to the plot shows how much attention was paid in what to play, how, and when. Every piece of music served a purpose and added a definite extra level to whatever was going on. It was even weirdly nostalgic.

Conclusion: Guardians of the Galaxy is a fun, action filled SF romp across the universe. Seeing little Groot dance in the credits? Priceless. And make sure to sit through to the end for a special appearance you will never expect. Heh heh.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price to See Again)

Movie Review - X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Starring: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Peter Dinklage, Nicolas Hoult, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Ellen Page, Shawn Ashmore, Evan Peters, Omar Sy, Booboo Stewart, Daniel Cudmore, Halle Berry, and more.

Directed by: Bryan Singer Screenplay by: Simon Kinberg Story by: Jane Goldman, Simon Kinberg, and Matthew Vaughn Based on: The "X-Men" Series from Marvel Comics Cinematography by: Newton Thomas Sigel Music by: John Ottman

Premise: In a dark future for both mutants and humans, Professor X and the rest of the X-Men decide to gamble their lives on a slim chance to change everything - they will send Logan's consciousness back into a younger version of himself. Once there, he's to try and stop Mystique from the revenge motivated action which gave birth to the Sentinels. First, however, he'll have to get a young Xavier and Magneto to reconcile and work together again or the future is doomed. (Rated  PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: There are a lot of cast members in this film, several playing younger/older versions of each other. Everyone does a great job. Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, and Michael Fassbender and their characters' totally different dynamics were a ton of fun to watch. Peter Dinklage's portrayal of Trask and his fervor in achieving his ends without the boundaries of rules, country, or even emotion was scarier than any mutant.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects for the film were 'top-notch'. Future Sentinels were downright scary as they adapted, absorbed, and replicated mutant attacks. All of Mystique's change sequences were flawless. I very much enjoyed the implied flipping of scales or mirrors whenever she changed. Blink's portals and the interaction of the fighters using them seemed like moving art.

All the Magneto scenes were he used his power just got more and more amazing, proving once more why he's such a force to be reckoned with. But his son (in the comics, not the films) Quicksilver 'stole the show' early in the film when we see things from his perspective as he uses his power. The addition of the song "Time in a Bottle" to that particular section made the whole sequence priceless.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: The "X-men" comics debuted back in the 60's, so it seemed apt that the film took us almost that far back for this pseudo time travel adventure. For us older viewers, it was a nostalgia filled trip. For us older "X-Men" comic book fans, it was doubly so, as bits and pieces of the plot reflected back to story lines from the comics themselves.

My biggest beef with the "X-Men" movie franchise has always been the willy-nilly way in which they assign characters multiple powers or change them. The victim this time around was Kitty Pride. She can now seemingly send a person's consciousness back in time. Normally restricted to a few days (and something it seems Xavier didn't even know she could do) this is the main point on which the whole movie hinges. So they get some definite minus points for that piece of contrivance. It would have been easier to believe if they'd just added a new, young mutant with this power rather than mutate Shadowcat. But, it is what it is. Thankfully, this issue is also easily ignored, and won't mar the enjoyment of the rest of the film.

Because, aside from that one bit, the story was a lot of fun. Seeing an older Logan meeting Xavier, Eric, and Hank, knowing the things he knows about them was a blast. Also, seeing the characters being true to their youthful, idealistic, stubborn selves (especially Magneto) despite what Logan has told them, made for great plot complications and tied nicely back to the personal issues held by these same people for years.

The logic as outlined for the mental time travel seems to hit a wall at the end, but it doesn't. The film people just make the assumption the audience will be able to piece it together. I'm not sure everyone will. It has to do with what we're shown at one point, which is not the actual truth because of his power, but this is not realized till later. (You'll know what I am talking about when you get there.)

Lots of fun moments are interspersed throughout the film, both visually and through dialogue.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: If mutants, giant Sentinels, and the military are involved, of course there will be stunts. And the stunts for this film do not disappoint, whether they were done through CGI, live action, or a combination of the two. Quicksilver's awesome scene is my reigning favorite.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The future the film begins with is very dark and with some quick sweeping camera shots the audience understands the stakes very quickly. But where the locations and cinematography truly make an impact is when we're sent back to the early 70's. We truly feel like we've traveled back in time.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: From Mystique's body makeup, to the time accurate 1970's clothes and styles, the costuming and makeup departments did a phenomenal job making it that much easier for the audience to believe.

Conclusion: "X-Men: Days of Future Past" is a fun, action filled film. Fans of the movies will be very pleased with the ton of cameos towards the end. Fans of the comics will be even more pleased at the old story line elements - making the film a double nostalgic experience.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price To See Again)

Movie Review - Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Starring: Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Redford, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Maximiliano Hernández, Emily VanCamp, Hayley Atwell, Toby Jones, Stan Lee and more.

Directed by: Anthony and Joe Russo Screenplay by: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely Concept and Story by: Ed Brubaker Based on the Comics by: Joe Simon and Jack Kirby Cinematography by: Trent Opaloch Music by: Henry Jackman

Premise: Still trying to acclimatize himself to the 21st century, Steve Rogers struggles to find his place and purpose in the world as SHIELD's methods don't quite fit with his own ideals on freedom and how to protect it. But when Director Fury shows up at his home wounded and with killers on his trail, Steve finds out that some things in the modern world aren't all that different from the one during World War II. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: New and familiar faces grace the cast. Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, and Scarlett Johansson reprise their roles as Captain America, Nick Fury, and Black Widow. Some nice dynamics develop between these three characters which made them a lot of fun to watch, especially as these dynamics are sorely tested. Robert Redford was in top form as Alexander Pierce - great to have him back acting in films. Sebastian Stan could not have been more cool.

2)  Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of explosions, gadgets, virtual HUDs, and other lovely special effects. Falcon's wings totally rocked. They even got creative with the uses of Cap's shield. The look and feel of the Winter Soldier's metallic arm was excellent.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: I was quite happy when I saw the same script writers for "Captain America: The First Avenger" worked on this film as well. Out of the whole franchise of Marvel heroes, that film is still my overall favorite. But though it may not have topped itself, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is definitely up there on my list.

If you haven't yet watched the "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." episode that aired on 4/8/14 called "Turn, Turn, Turn" - you should wait and not watch it until AFTER you've seen "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." There are spoilers in there which will give the big plot complication away.

Lots of surprises are hidden in the film, and they range from small to world changing. The film is filled with many cute moments as well - Black Widow playing matchmaker, Sam Wilson's and Steve Rogers's literal 'running' joke, and more.

Several themes are explored and from a number of levels - trust, loyalty, family, right and wrong. Paying your dues. What was fun about these was the fact they didn't always have something to do with the good guys.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: There are stunts, stunts, and more fun stunts in this film. All the combat sequences are excellently executed with and without CGI. The hand-to-hand combat was awesome to behold. Combined with the special effects and explosions, the 'gags' are totally riveting and keep you 'on the edge of your seat'.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Filming in Washington DC as well as different parts of Cleveland, OH and elsewhere, all the locations added the right look and feel for the film. Then they took these real locations, added some creative CGI backgrounds, buildings, and giant, floating ships, and you're served a sumptuous visual feast.

Conclusion: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is a lot of fun to watch. Darker than the first film, it is also in its own way a commentary on simpler times that really weren't so simple. Great combat scenes and special effects. Make sure to sit through the credits ALL the way to the end - there are two extra bits tucked in there.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price To See Again.)

Movie Review - Thor: The Dark World

Thor: The Dark World

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tim Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Eccleston, Idris Elba, Jaimie Alexander, Zachary Levi, Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Rene Russo, Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgård, and more.

Directed by: Alan Taylor Screenplay by: Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus, and Stephen McFeely Story by: Don Payne and Robert Rodat Based on the Comics by: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby Cinematography by: Kramer Morgenthau Original Music by: Brian Tyler

Premise: Over five thousand years ago, though the time of darkness drew to a close, the dark elves discovered a way to return the universe to how it had been before. Stopped after a bloody war by Odin's father, the dark elves and the aether weapon they'd hoped to use were long thought destroyed. As a new convergence of the nine worlds nears, Jane Foster stumbles upon the fact neither is actually gone. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Chris Hemsworth reprises his role as the hammer weilding Thor. He's matured in the two years since his first arrival on earth and that maturity comes across easily thanks to Chris' skills. Natalie Portman also returns as Jane Foster. I loved all the weird quirkiness of the character, and it was a lot of fun watching her child like fascination as she gazed upon the people and wonders of Asgard, and 'geeking out' over the science. Tim Hiddleston gives great range to all that is Loki, a character as mercurial as the aether they seek to keep from the dark elves' grasp. Chris Eccleston brought a grave air to his portrayal of Malekith, even as Anthony Hopkins mirrored him in his fury to keep his way of life, even if it took every last living soul to do so.

2)  Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Tons of special effects work their magic through the film. From the super cool dark elf ships to the awesome grandeur of the convergence, the special effects team didn't disappoint.

I was very happy they took time to show us more of Asgard. The Asgardians' ceremony for dead was impressive. Even better, they didn't forget, as so many movies and TV shows do, that the headliner wasn't the only one to lose their life. The gorgeous ceremony looked like an amalgamation of viking/Norse, and Japanese traditions. Gorgeous.

The workings of Asgard's defenses were totally fun to watch, but even more so were the cool fighters of the dark elves. The technologies of the two races as well as the 'look and feel' were different from each other, reinforcing their separation, and the dark vs. light aspect of the story. The dark elf grenades were super nasty! They also made for some very cool visuals.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: The story was always moving. Even in parts where you'd expect the action to slow down, they managed to do things in such a way that it kept moving forwards instead. The story also had tons of cute moments - quirky and/or funny bits that added layers of fun. One of them was an unexpected Captain America cameo - funny and unexpected yet totally fit the moment. Jane's dinner date was another.

The themes of family and responsibility are woven throughout, as well as that of stubbornness and resistance to change. They gave Heimdall some great scenes to play in!

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: The stunt guys were kept very busy in the film. There is a ton of hand-to-hand combat, getting thrown, falling, rolling. The whole department was very busy indeed.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Whether real or CGI, the cinematography was fantastic. The view during the ceremony for the dead, the close and intimate shots of Asgard, watching the dark elf ship cut furrows in Greenwich, the convergence of the nine worlds, and more - gorgeous! The film is worth watching just for the locations and beautiful shots alone. Wait until you see Thor's view from his bedroom or Heimdall's at his post - food for the eyes.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Each race and world had their own unique styles of clothing, armor, and even hair styles. Half the fun of watching Jane in Asgard was seeing her go native.

Conclusion: "Thor: The Dark World" easily outdoes the first"Thor" film. The movie is constantly moving and with the fun, quirky bits they throw in, totally entertaining. IMAX, if not IMAX 3D, would be well worth it for the great visuals. Make sure to sit through the ENTIRE set of credits. We get two extra bits, and one is at the very end.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price to See Again)

Movie Review - The Amazing Spider-man

The Amazing Spider-man

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Irrfan Khan, Chris Sylka, and more.

Directed by: Marc Webb Screenplay by: James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, and Steve Kloves Story by: James Vanderbilt Based on the Comic Book by: Stan Lee and Steve Ditko Cinematography by: John Schwartzman Original Music by: James Horner

Premise: When Peter Parker stumbles across and old leather briefcase that once belonged to his father, he finds an old newspaper picture of a colleague and decides to go to Oscorp and see what more he can find. While there, he illegally enters a lab and accidentally picks up a hitchhiker - a modified spider which later bites him in the back of the neck. As Peter tries to deal with his new found powers, high school problems, and budding affections for Gwen, he also inadvertently gives away a secret his father may have died to protect and opens the door for huge problems for New York City. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Andrew Garfield, with his great acting skills and thin, almost gawky build, was a great choice for Peter Parker. Emma Stone was vibrant as Gwen Stacy. Rhys Ifans gave us a multi layered Curt Connors. Denis Leary oozed protective parent and added a bit of fun and seriousness to his role as Captain Stacy.

2) Special Effects - Thumbs Up: While all the effects and CGI were well done, there was nothing spectacular presented. Following behind the awesome special effects in movies like "Prometheus", "John Carter", and others, "The Amazing Spider-man" appeared almost blase in comparison. Sadly, it made the higher expense of seeing it in IMAX 3D not worthwhile. Sadder still, there were several instances where they had an opportunity of doing so much more but didn't and it showed. (And most of the good ones were given away in the previews!)

But like I said, what was there was very well done - the room with the spiders and fibers was very cool. There just should have been more. And for the fans, they did incorporate several "classic moves" for the costumed vigilante that could have been pulled straight from the comic book pages. Those were a lot of fun. (They even sneaked in the traditional look of Dr. Connors' lizard form with the torn lab coat in there. Though the look of the lizard's face itself was not.)

3) Plot/Story - Neutral: To be honest, story wise, while replacing Mary Jane with Gwen, the Green Goblin with Dr. Connors, and adding a touch of mystery to what happened to Peter's parents and why, there was little that was different or all that new with regards to the story when compared to the 2002 "Spider-man" film. Not only that, but the way the story was set up added its own set of issues to trip it up without any new twists or real surprises.

Gwen is a high school student, yet she is not only working at Oscorp but has tremendous amounts of both training on very high tech equipment and security clearances. Also the means by which Peter picked up the spider didn't match the intelligence and cunning he showed in just getting to that section of the building. So it made it very difficult to believe it. More so was the fact no alarm was raised by his interference in the smooth running of the particular room. The major 'about face' by Flash with regards to Peter, just had me shaking my head.

Another big issue was Spider-man's web. He got the idea from a commercial of an Oscorp product and when we saw him build the wrist mechanisms, he used the containers we'd seen at the lab (which implied he was using their product in his machine). Logic dictates that not only would he not be able to afford to buy the stuff, the government would have seen the commercials and figured out what he was using and used that knowledge to try to track him down. (In the comics he'd come up with the formulas for the webbing and the mechanism on his own.)

But I must definitely give kudos for the writers' attempts to show Peter could not save New York alone, that everyone could do their part to help.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Whether real, CGI, or a mix of the two, the stunts for the film were great. The fight scenes were smooth and believable. Stan Lee's cameo during the high school combat was particularly fun.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Cool shifting points of view, a couple even done through Peter's eyes to try to give the audience an idea of what it would feel like to swing around from building to building in downtown New York. There were several great span shots and even overhead shots of the city. Several cool views of the bridge during combat were taken as well.

Conclusion: The movie is worth seeing for the great acting and watching Peter cope with his new found powers. Aside from trying to sow seeds for mysteries to explore in further films, the basic story of the web slinger remains much the same as previously shown. There were not enough cool things to make it worth the higher price of IMAX 3D, which was a pity.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Matinee Price)

Movie Review - The Avengers

The Avengers

Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smolders, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Samuel L Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow, and more.

Directed by: Josh Whedon Screenplay by: Josh Whedon Story by: Zac Penn and Josh Whedon Based on the comic books created by: Jack Kirby and Stan Lee Cinematography by: Seamus McGarvey Original Music by: Alan Silvestri

Premise: Loki has made a deal with an unknown alien force and so he's returned to Earth to recover the Tesseract, a recently uncovered energy source. He wants to use it to open a gate to Earth to let in his borrowed army, and then subjugate humanity so they may worship him. Nick Fury and SHIELD gather together a set of unusual but powerful allies in the hopes of recovering the Tesseract before it is too late.

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Half the fun of the movie was watching all these great actors interact. I was ecstatic when I spotted Gwyneth Paltrow as her interplay with Robert Downey Jr. is always such fun to watch. Clark Gregg broadened his role as Agent Phil Coulson and proved that even agents can have a little bit of a geek inside them. Scarlett Johansson and her character were so much more than just the 'token female' of the film. She not only outfought most men, but she showed a devious, cold interior that will always get the job done. Cobie Smolders also showed the strength and competency of women as Nick Fury's second right hand. Mark Ruffalo conveyed tremendous amounts of feelings with just a look. Tom Hiddleston also gave a great performance as the aggrieved god Loki.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Where superheroes are involved, you need super special effects - and the team that worked on them for the Avengers film were more than superb. From energy gates, to imploding secret bases, to alien invasion, explosions, and destruction, everything was very detailed, flawless, and best of all, believable.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: I've been following the works of Joss Whedon for a while now and he has yet to disappoint. He always knows how to play the audience and give it what it wants. Unlike other works where a combination of superheroes come together but get overshadowed by one or two key figures, Mr. Whedon and Mr. Penn managed to give equal weight to all those concerned, even Bruce Banner's alter ego, the Hulk.

The pace was brisk; all the details furthering the story. The only time it felt bogged down was during some bickering and then not for very long. Some viewers will not realize the staff has a lot to do with the escalation of frayed tempers, so the fact this wasn't mentioned by any of them later might hurt the story in their opinions but the later part of the film more than makes up for it.

Using the Hulk as comic relief during the combat sequences was genius! It gave depth to a character who normally has little to say and showed that he is more than the monster he appears to be. Captain America's instructions to the Hulk during the battle a master stroke of leadership.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: While some of the action is CGI, not all of it is. The actors and stunts people worked hard for their wages and it shows. In turn, this gave the audience an awesome and unforgettable set of action scenes. Good job everyone!

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: With a wide range of filming spots from New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, to California as well as those created through virtual reality, they were strung together to create a viable world of great locations for our heroes to protect. The Stark building was amazing. The cinematography of the streets of New York swamped by invaders and the collapse of the research base will play in your mind for some time.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: The heroes' costumes closely resembled the look of their comic book originals. Hawkeye was the only one who's uniform did not match in any way, totally missing his telltale mask, but I have to say that the detail paid to his bow and how he could program it to send signals to his quiver so arm his special arrows was fantastic. Thor's hair looked stringy and dirty for the full film, which seemed odd, but could have been a stylist choice. The wounds and bruises received and later maintained on all the characters were very well done. And when our heroes were finished, they looked tired and worn as they should have. Great job.

Conclusion: A fantastic, fun filled film. Definitely worth seeing in IMAX 3D and more than once if you can get away with it. (Sit through ALL the credits! There are TWO extra scenes!)

Rating: 4.75 pout of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price To See It Again!)