The Best of 2018

Well, a new year is upon us. Hard to believe it's come by so fast. 2018 has been a roller coaster ride in so many ways. It has also been a big year for movies, so to celebrate, I will rank what I consider to be the ten best movies of the year. If you would like to know my more in-depth thoughts for some of these movies, my reviews will be linked in the list. Also, if you would like to know my picks from last year, you could check that out right here. Now let's get started:

 10. Black Panther

 9. A Quiet Place
 8. Blackkklansman

 7. Halloween

 6. A Star is Born

 5. Incredibles 2

 4. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

 3. Bohemian Rhapsody

 2. Avengers: Infinity War

 1. Alpha

And that's it for the year 2018, guys. Tune in for more posts in 2019 and...

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (SPOILERS)

What's up Danger...

Spider-Man is my favorite superhero. I believe that has been firmly established by now. However, I am mainly pertaining to Peter Parker and realize that there are so many more Spider-People out there, among them being Miles Morales. Overall, my knowledge of the character isn't as extensive as that of Peter, but I have always found him to be a cool character and a worthy successor to the former. When I learned that this movie was going to be based on him, I was excited. However, the movie has gradually changed since it was first announced, with it being revealed that it was not only about Miles but about the entire multiverse of Spider-People. This includes Spider-Gwen, Spider-Noir, and so many more. Now, given that this was thought to be a Miles movie, was the addition of all these other Spider-Folk necessary? Probably not. Is that a bad thing? In this case, absolutely not! This movie is fun, inventive, and unique, bringing a real breath of fresh air to those who felt the Spider-Man franchise needed to shake things up. Let's see what made Into The Spider-Verse work and what (if anything) didn't:

UPS

1. Miles is great. Despite the plethora of Spider-People in this film, Miles still retains his place as the main character of the story, which is just splendid given that he is cool, likable, and has a great character arc all brought home by a great design, solid dynamics with the other characters (especially Peter, Gwen, and his father and uncle,) and Shameik Moore's excellent vocal performance. Overall, I really enjoyed the way he was depicted and found his story to be just as triumphant and fulfilling as Peter's. Speaking of which...
2. The original Wall-Crawling Web Slinger is spectacular. At first glance, I didn't think that I was on board with the way he was depicted since I wasn't sure Jake Johnson's voice quite fit. By the time the movie came along, Johnson and this version of Spidey really won me over due to how different he is from what we are used to. His life is a mess, he's a deadbeat cynic, and he ultimately has really lost his way. This movie is all about building up Peter just as it does with Miles, and we watch his arc unfold without having Miles fall to the sidelines, which is genuinely appreciated by me.
3. The other Spiders were fun additions to the cast, and thankfully didn't eat up too much screentime than what was necessary. What's even better is that there isn't one clear standout; all of them are so different and unique that there really isn't a way to choose between them.
4. The villains. For me, these guys were the most surprising thing about the whole movie. While I was firmly on board with Kingpin being the main antagonist, I didn't think he could ever reach the heights set by Vincent D'Onofrio in Daredevil, which makes it even crazier to see that he not only matches that, but can prove to be even darker by killing the Peter Parker in Miles' universe and having a tragic backstory that shapes his goals in the movie. In addition to him, we have the Prowler, who provides a hefty amount of emotional drama for Miles while also having a kickass design and Mahershala Ali's voice. Alongside them are a female version of Doctor Octopus, Tombstone (who is Kingpin's hitman, which I think is a nice touch,) and a bunch of other classic baddies that serve their purpose well. They may not be the standouts, but they more than fulfill their roles. 
5. I think this article speaks for itself...

DOWNS

There really isn't anything to mention. I would have preferred a Miles solo movie but what we got more than made up for that. 

OVERALL

I loved Into The Spider-Verse. It's definitely one of my favorite Spider-Man movies by far, maybe even up there with some of the best live-action ones.

And that's it for this post, guys. Tune in for my Best of 2018 list to close out the year and then it's onto 2019.

Retro-Reviews Christmas Special: Die Hard (SPOILERS)

Yippee Ki-Yay, Mother Fucker...

Around the good times of Christmas, there's always one Christmas special people hold near and dear to their heart. From It's A Wonderful Life to How The Grinch Stole Christmas, there's a variety of classics to choose from. However, some people have picked a rather unique choice to view during the holidays, and that is none other than Die Hard, one of the greatest, if not the all-time best, action movies ever made. There's a lot to love about this film, and given that it's set during the big day and littered with references galore, it does make sense why people would see this as their go-to pastime for Christmas, even if many, including Bruce Willis himself, say otherwise. Overall, in this very merry post, I will go over what makes Die Hard great and, if necessary, what doesn't:

UPS

1. Bruce Willis as John McClane. It's easy to say that Willis stands alongside heavy hitters like Arnold Schwarzenegger as the definitive live-action star, and it is this role that solidifies it. What makes McClane such a perfect protagonist is that he isn't some swash-buckling hero who swoops into danger to rescue the girl, defeat the villain, and save the day; he's just a normal guy, much like anyone else, with his own set of strengths and weaknesses who finds himself unexpectedly thrown into danger. This idea of him being the unwitting hero makes for some of the funniest and most intense scenes in the movie, as you really root for him to succeed, even when the stakes get higher and higher and his chance for survival gets slimmer and slimmer. Overall, McClane is a great hero, and Willis captures that perfectly. Of course, every great hero must always have their perfect villain, and fortunately we have that in the form of...
2. Hans Gruber. Played by the late great Alan Rickman, Hans really is the best villain for this film and the perfect counterpart for McClane. In sharp contrast to Willis' rugged, foul-mouthed, hot-headed protagonist, Rickman plays Gruber with such calm, cool, sophisticated suave and is such a devious and calculating mastermind that he really makes him just as enjoyable to watch. His back-and-forth banter with Willis is excellent, and he also has stand out moments of his own. Overall, Hans is a great bad guy, and he really gives McClane a run for his money.
3. Honestly, this movie has all the makings of a perfect action movie, Aside from having the best hero and villain, the script is filled with such amazing, sharp, and witty dialogue that is so immensely quotable, and along with that we have pulse-pounding action and a great place of setting with the Nakatomi Plaza, which really feels like its own little world thanks to the filmmakers exploring every little corner of the building. This film just really makes the most of every single detail. 

DOWNS

1. While it isn't enough to detract from the movie as a whole, I do wish the cops were portrayed as being a little more competent. Sure, there wasn't much they could do, and Hans playing them all only made things worse, but the fact that they had no idea what was going on yet still went out of their way to not trust John and be a thorn in his side became very infuriating, as if the poor guy wasn't going through enough already. John even lampshades this in a very hilarious way. Overall, I can't help but wonder if everyone was like Powell, the movie would be a lot shorter.

OVERALL

Die Hard is a perfect action movie...and yes, I consider it a Christmas movie. You can't go wrong with this one.

And that's it for this special, guys. Tune in for more on the way and above all...