Captain Marvel (SPOILERS)

Higher, Further, Faster...

To prep for the arrival of Endgame, Marvel brings us its first female-led feature. In the months before its release, there has been major buzz surrounding this film...and most of it, unfortunately, was not very good. For starters, the trailers were pretty underwhelming and did nothing to garner much excitement, while elsewhere, trolls took to the internet to bash the movie as much as they could. With all this being said, what did I think of it? Well to start, as anyone can already tell you, don't believe the trolls. Secondly, I, like many, was underwhelmed by the trailers, but early reviews promised a solid experience, so I went in holding my head high and found myself mostly rewarded for doing so. This movie is a very enjoyable installment to the MCU, though not without some major flaws. In this post, I will go over what made Captain Marvel work and what didn't:

UPS

1. Brie Larson is great. A big reason the trailers were so frustrating is that they never really managed to showcase their star. How could you do that, trailers?! Well thankfully, Larson does knock it out of the park by providing effortless charm to the role. She's tough, she's funny, and while the writers don't fully flesh Carol Danvers out to the fullest extent that they could have, Larson more than makes up for that. 
2. Besides being great all on her own, Larson has great chemistry with the rest of her cast, in particular, of course, with Samuel L. Jackson. It's no secret to say that the movie really picks up once Nick Fury arrives on the scene, providing a highly entertaining dynamic that provides some of the best moments in the film. Alongside Jackson, Lashana Lynch provides a lot of heart as Maria Rambeau. Though we don't see enough of her and Carol's friendship, the moments they are together really allow it to shine. All in all, the more these three are together, the better the movie is. 
3. Talos and the Skrulls in general. While I do have my problems with the twist (which I will get to later,) I do appreciate the different direction Marvel takes with these characters. Turning them from straight villains into characters with more moral ambiguity provided some neat potential for a truly interesting conflict which we never really see come into fruition. Talos himself is a great character and Ben Mendelsohn owns the role. 
4. Goose the Cat. Just Goose the Cat. Anytime a movie offers us an animal sidekick to tag along, you know you will be in for a treat. While I try not to say she stole the show, it's pretty hard to do so. She's just such a lovable addition to the movie.
5. This. Need I say more?

DOWNS

1. Again, while making the Skrulls morally ambiguous was a smart move, the direction taken afterwards was less than satisfactory. Turning the Skrulls into anti-heroes does not mean that the Kree needed to turn into full-on villains, yet that's exactly what happened. As a result, the conflict became less interesting when there was potential for something more. 
2. The first act takes a while to get going, and during that time there isn't much fleshing out of any of the Kree (they really get the short end of the stick, do they?), their way of life and how that pertains to Carol, or the conflict with the Skrulls. Meanwhile, the last act, well, the twist pretty much explains the issues regarding it, but being more specific, the final battle is a pretty big letdown, with Carol pretty much annihilating the Kree fleet in a flash while Ronan shows up, does nothing, and leaves. Yeah, that's it? It's such a frustratingly minuscule role that I wonder why they even bothered adding him in. He doesn't even look that intimidating this time around. 
3. As I have said before, as great as Brie Larson is, the character of Carol Danvers was pretty one-note in terms of actual character. The movie never really takes the time to flesh out her role in the story nor really explain who she is, having flashbacks to her story pop up every now and then in very minimal doses. I left with the feeling that because I knew so little of who she was, she never feels like she goes on a journey or change of some sort. She's not a bad character by any means and I'm sure she'll get a better showing in Endgame, but considering this is her first solo outing, I was hoping the writers would do more. 

OVERALL

Captain Marvel is definitely worth seeing. The trailers did not do it justice and the trolls will not be swaying anyone anytime soon. While I do have some issues with how some things were handled, I hope to see more of her as time goes on and can't wait to see her tagalong with the OG Avengers team as they work to reverse the damage done in Infinity War...whatever it takes.

And that's it for this post, guys! Tune in for more on the way :)

In The Mind Of: Hiccup and Toothless (SPOILERS)

It's you and me, Bud...

The best kinds of friendships last a lifetime and persevere against all obstacles. In the realm of fiction, there are many friendships that encapsulate this idea and no different from them is the bond shared between a boy and his dragon. In the world of Berk, vikings and dragons were constantly at odds with each other, fighting an endless war that would only end with one or the other dead. That all changed when Hiccup met Toothless, and together the two formed a friendship that brought the two worlds closer together instead of further apart. 

Hiccup and Toothless share a bond that is one of the purest and most genuine friendships I have seen in the realm of fiction. Their bond has not only affected each other, but those around them. As such, people like Stoick and Astrid are able to grow into better people because of them. Together, even if the odds are stacked against them, they still push through because nothing can stand in the way of their bond and their pursuit of everlasting peace between humans and dragons.

Retro-Reviews: How To Train Your Dragon (Complete Trilogy/SPOILERS)

We Go Where No One Goes...

I always love a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end, and that is the beauty of a trilogy. There are many movie trilogies that I love, but which one is my absolute favorite? Honestly, I try to use that term as loosely as possible because I really can't pick a favorite out of any of them. However, if there was one that moved me the most, that holds the most impact for me personally, and tells its story as fully and completely as possible, then I think I have to go with the How To Train Your Dragon trilogy. Words cannot begin to describe the love I have for these movies. Without further adieu, let's get into why I feel this way, and whatever major or minor caveats they hold:

UPS

1. For starters, Hiccup and Toothless. The bond these two share is one of the most touching, pure, and genuine friendships I have ever seen put into any work of fiction. What makes their bond better is how it develops Hiccup as a character and how he becomes a better person because of it. The two go to Hell and back together, and nothing that stands in their way drives them apart, which really speaks volumes about how powerful their friendship is. 
2. Going into each movie, each one has something to love about it. The first one is an excellent starting point, with all the characters being introduced in satisfying ways and developed to points that will shape them for the future. Most affecting of all is the arc of Stoick, who goes from this hard-hearted brute of a Viking with high standards set for his son to a more vulnerable individual who allows himself to open up in more personal ways and admit his shortcomings, which culminates in this profoundly affecting moment. That's just one of the many moments in this film that is genuinely awe-inspiring and it would be easy to think after such a strong start that we wouldn't reach the same heights again. Well...
3. The second one proves to be just as stellar as the first and even takes things to higher heights by providing darker and more emotional scenes, in particular the death of Stoick, which really just needs to be seen to be believed. The introduction of Valka also brings in more drama and seeing Hiccup really come into his own despite everything that happens really helps to round him out as a character. Finally...
4. The Hidden World, while admittedly slightly weaker than the first two, is a beautiful and satisfying conclusion to the story. Everything comes full circle in ways that feel earned, and it provides a perfect bittersweet conclusion that moves you and helps you feel hopeful that things will get better in the future. Also, the romance between Toothless and the Light Fury is simply adorable and that final scene may just be my favorite moment in the entire trilogy. It couldn't have ended on a more perfect note than that.
5. The music! Good Lord, THE MUSIC!!! If there one thing that I could definitively say, it's that these movies hold, for me, the best soundtrack to a movie ever! EVER! It is so moving, so powerful, so...AGH! Let's just leave it there, shall we?

DOWNS

1. Remember how I said The Hidden World was slightly weaker than the first two. Well, everything about it was mostly stellar...except one thing: this one subplot featuring Snotlout having a crush on Valka and getting jealous of Eret, with the latter two getting very little to do in this film, which is kinda surprising given the rather major roles they played in the second one. It's really odd and what makes it more distracting is that it's given a heavy amount of screentime, even when it adds nothing to the film. I may be overreacting a bit, but I think if there was one thing from these movies that I could do without, it was definitely this.

OVERALL

The How To Train Your Dragon trilogy is pretty much my favorite movie trilogy of all time. If you haven't seen any of them yet, please give them a watch. I promise you won't regret it.  

And that's it for this post guys. Tune in for more on the way :)

The Walking Dead: 10 Characters likely to end up on The Pikes (SPOILERS)

With The Walking Dead Season 9 just about wrapping up, it seems that we are going to see a major moment from the comics play out in the upcoming penultimate episode, "The Calm Before." Like Negan before her, Alpha and the Whisperers as a whole establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with by committing an act of violence that sees the deaths of a huge cast of characters, including heavy hitters like Ezekiel and Rosita. A harrowing scene that took everyone by storm, this moment will no doubt hold the same impact on the show as it did in the comic. The question is: who will end up on the pikes? Since so much has changed over the course of this season, it will be quite hard to say if they will remain faithful or take major deviations. Regardless, with this moment being set up as the series' Red Wedding, expect A LOT of people to die, and in this post, I have chosen ten characters who I feel will most likely end up on a pike, starting with:
 10. DJ and/or Marco
 9. Kal
 8. Nabila
 7. Any given member of the Highwaymen
 6. Tammy
 5. Luke
 4. Enid
 3. Rosita
 2. Tara
 1. Ezekiel

And that's it for this post, guys. Tune in for more on the way :)