Avengers: Infinity War (50TH POST/SPOILERS)

We're in the Endgame now...

It has all lead to this. The moment we've all been waiting for. The culmination of ten years worth of moviemaking. The MCU has come along way since it began with Iron Man way back in 2008, and now we have reached the point where everything will change. After years of planning, years of build-up, the Mad Titan Thanos has finally arrived, and with him comes the greatest challenge Earth's Mightiest Heroes have ever faced. With all this hype that's lead to this moment, the question remains: did it live up to the hype? The short answer is one big YES!!! This movie not only met expectations, but it exceeded them. Now let's find out what makes Infinity War stand the test of time:

UPS

1. You'd think that when you have a movie with as many characters as Infinity War, it would almost be expected for at least some of them to be pushed to the side in favor of others. Surprisingly, that is not the case here. Every character gets a chance to shine, even if it's for a couple of minutes. There's not a moment where everyone feels wasted, and it really does help that we got to know these characters since this all started. Overall, I was immensely pleased and impressed with how each character's role was handled, and it gives me hope that movies like this one can indeed work.
2. The tone is, to quote Thanos, perfectly balanced. It still retains the trademark humor that the MCU is so well known for (and this movie could possibly hold some of the funniest jokes in the entire franchise,) but unlike other movies, this one manages to go to dark places; the darkest the MCU has ever gone as a matter of fact. For one, characters actually die, and the fight the heroes endure is one where you're not too sure they could win. In the end, they don't, and there is no clear way to be sure where they could go from here. 
3. The surprise cameos. While we had all the other characters to focus on, the movie manages to throw in a few surprise faces to leave a mark. The one who takes the cake though is obviously the FREAKING RED SKULL! It was speculated, but who honestly would've outright expected him of all people to show up? Not me, certainly. Overall, this was one of the many pleasant surprises to populate this enormous film.
4. Before I get to the big moment, I think I should address the best element (or character rather) of this whole movie: THANOS HIMSELF! Despite all the time we spend with the heroes, this is the Mad Titan's story first and foremost, and he truly went above and beyond in delivering on the long build-up to his ultimate moment. What can I say about him; he's menacing, intimidating, has a great CGI design, a powerful performance by Josh Brolin, and he manages to be a full, engaging, three-dimensional character with a goal and motivation that makes him seem like he could be the hero...minus the mass genocide, of course. Oh, and he wins. HE WINS! That alone sets him above all the other villains the MCU has had to offer, and he could become one of the best villains in Marvel movie history. 
5. Snap! If there is one thing that I never thought they would do, it was that. It just seemed like such a hard decision to make that the fact that they did it and killed off half the cast is something that is totally worth applauding. It remains to be seen how much of Avengers 4 will undo this, but what remains for now is that the MCU is changed...forever. 

DOWNS

Other than the fact that I am not to eager to see Avengers 4 (mainly because of the reason stated above,) I have no doubts to discuss. I enjoyed practically everything, and that's all I could say. 

OVERALL

Avengers: Infinity War is, quite honestly, almost a perfect movie. This is everything I could've asked for when going into this, and I think it may rival Spider-Man as my favorite Marvel movie ever (it definitely runs far and away with the title of best MCU movie, that's for sure). I hope Avengers 4 doesn't reverse everything and basically make it out like it didn't happen. Fingers crossed...

And that is it for my 50TH POST! Can't believe I have made it this far. To everyone who has taken the time to check out my posts, I just want to say THANK YOU! I wouldn't have gotten this far without your viewership, which I greatly appreciate. With that being said, take care and let's reach 100 :)

A Quiet Place (SPOILERS)

Shhh...

Fear is everywhere. You can have fear of heights, fear of clowns, fear of spiders, fear of the ocean, maybe even fear of yourself. Now imagine being afraid to utter even a single word; where committing this simple action could lead to your inevitable demise. This concept is exactly what John Krasinski's A Quiet Place encapsulates, and why it's one of the most inventive and unique horror movies to come out in a while. In this review, I will go over what makes A Quiet Place stand out, and what doesn't:

UPS

1. The acting is great. Krasinski shows how much range he truly has in this movie, proving that he can expand his horizons outside of a corporate office building in Scranton, Pennsylvania. His wife, Emily Blunt, likewise, is just as good, and really sells the harrowing ordeal of being a mother having to deal with protecting her children and giving birth to another in a world where that seems impossible. Finally, the child actors round out the family well, especially Millicent Simmonds, who is the real star of the show. They are all incredible and really carry this movie well. 
2. The whole concept is, as mentioned before, incredibly unique and interesting, and I feel Krasinki makes the most of that concept and nails every aspect of it. It builds tension, makes you feel incredibly uneasy, and those monsters are freaky as all Hell. I distinctively remember feeling incredibly uncomfortable putting my drink in the theater seat's cup holder just because I didn't want to make a sound!
3. In addition to being incredibly scary and intense, this movie is incredibly emotional. The theme of family is heavily alluded to throughout the movie, and it helps make scenes like the deaths of the family's youngest son and Krasinki's character hit all the more harder. It's truly special when a horror movie can not only make you scared, but also move you in more ways than one.

DOWNS

1. This is more personal feelings than any real flaws, but I feel that Krasinki's character should have survived, only because of how upsetting it is. It's a powerful scene, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't mind if they kept him around to stick it through. 
2. The ending felt like complete sequel bait, which becomes more blatant when it turns out there is a sequel in the works. As incredible as this movie is, I feel it works best as a one-off story.

OVERALL

A Quiet Place is excellent, right up there with IT as the best horror movie to come out recently. I really hope the sequel is worth it. 

And that's it for this blog, guys. Tune in for my 50th post which will be my review for Infinity War! Till then, take care :)

Ready Player One (SPOILERS)

Welcome to the Oasis...

When asked the question of who is the most well-known movie director of all time, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if people were to say Steven Spielberg. The man has quite the record in Hollywood, and it's hard to imagine the industry without him. This year, he produced a movie that showed his passion for the industry and his attempt at a love letter to the ones who feel the same. In this review, I will go over what Ready Player One hits the mark on, and what it doesn't:

UPS

1. The movie is incredibly well-paced. Not a minute seems wasted and the story takes off and never stops going. While that hinders a few elements (which I'll get to later,) it makes the movie an incredibly fun ride that never spins its wheels. 
2. The Oasis is INCREDIBLE! It's such a vast and open world stacked to the brim with pop culture references that will ooze out every bit of nostalgic joy from people who grew up with these films and icons. Speaking of those references, the standouts have to be Chucky, the Iron Giant, and that crazy scene featuring The Shining.
3. The message the movie conveys is truly excellent, touching, and most of all important. Life can be challenging, and sometimes we just want to escape to a world where everything goes right and you can live the time of your life. While that's great and all, taking a step into reality allows one to see the true beauty life offers amid the hardships, and from there one becomes truly content with what they earn. It's uplifting, relatable, and something everyone can appreciate. 

DOWNS

1. Sorrento needed more fleshing out. Ben Mendelsohn does a great job portraying him, but the character never evolves from being a standard evil businessman and never gets more depth beyond that. I never really got a good sense of what his exact motivations were for taking over the Oasis, and I feel he could have benefited from scenes like the one where he reveals to Wade that he put a hit on his aunt. He's not bad, but I wanted a little more.
2. As much as I enjoy it, I feel the Oasis itself could have used more fleshing out as well. I feel Spielberg and the producers merely scratched the surface of the potential that could have come from expanding and building this world, and I must say it kinda disappoints me that they didn't do more with it. 

OVERALL

Ready Player One is a fun little flick. Definitely not Spielberg's best (I honestly feel it may be one of his weaker ones,) but an enjoyable experience nonetheless. 

And that's it for this blog, guys. More will be on the way :)