Kong: Skull Island (SPOILERS)

The Eight Wonder of the World...

The story of King Kong is a legendary tale. It has been done time and time again. In 2017, the great ape has returned to the big screen once again, though instead of having the same story repeated once again, we were offered something a little different. For the most part, it worked, though there were a few flaws here and there. With that, I will go over what made Kong: Skull Island a success, and what didn't. 

UPS

1. Kong. When it comes down to the most essential item of this film, I think the crew nailed this aspect, because the great ape is freaking awesome!!! Throughout this whole movie, Kong was quite the spectacle to behold (I can only imagine what it'd be like for this Kong to be in the big city,) all while kicking all sorts of ass along the way (he even eats a freaking octopus at one point.) Oh, and the best part is, unlike other versions, this Kong lives. That's right, he lives! I am looking forward to seeing this mighty beast again in future films. 
2. The other monsters were also very cool creatures to behold. To imagine that there is an island filled with so many magnificent beasts would be quite spectacular (though living on that island would probably be a freaking nightmare.) I enjoyed their presence as much as I did Kong's. 
3. John C. Reiley. As much as I enjoyed the rest of the cast (except one, which I'll get to in my downs,) Reiley easily stole the show (though not enough to overshadow Kong.) Throughout the movie, he portrayed a character with an arc that, while having been done a million times before, was done particularly well here. Not only did he provide some of the best comedy in the film, but he was also incredibly badass, and if there's one thing you can't go wrong with, it's a lovable badass, and I think Reiley really pulled that off spectacularly in this film. 
4. The fact that this film knew what it was and made the most of it. This was a very fun adventure that I had a lot of fun experiencing, and all in all I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride that went all out and would not stop. Any movie that could make you feel like that is worth the watch in my book. 
5. The post-credits teaser. That's right; the moment every fan has been waiting for has come at last: Kong and Godzilla will face off! Only this time, it's not just them. There's also Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah. All I'm going to say is, get ready for the Monster Mash!

DOWNS

1. The subplot with Toby Kebbell. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Kebbell as an actor, but he was wasted here. He was basically shambling around the jungle in what is basically a lone wolf situation, and while this introduces us to more of the cool creatures of Skull Island as well as showcase Kong's badassery (it is here where we see him dine on some raw calamari,) it adds nothing to the plot and is nothing more than filler, which is solidified when he dies. And one more thing: what was that accent???
2. The fact that it's hard to remember any of the characters' names. Seriously, the only way you're going to remember who's who in this movie is by knowing who their actor is or the fact that their characters are basically monster movie stereotypes. Other than that, be prepared to go "oh no, r.i.p...what was his name again?" half the damn time, cause that's what's going to happen.

OVERALL

Kong: Skull Island is a very fun movie. It's not as good as Logan was and it's not the best Kong movie either (that honor goes to Peter Jackson's 2005 version.) Nonetheless, I enjoyed it, and if you're looking for a movie to have an absolute blast watching, I'd suggest you go give it a shot.

Well that's it for this blog, guys. Next time, I'll review Beauty and the Beast.   

Logan (SPOILERS)

So this is what it feels like...

Best Comic Book Film? Close. Best Marvel Film? Closer. Best X-Men Film? Now we're talking. Best Wolverine Film? HELL YEAH!!! Almost everything about this film was damn near perfect, and in this review I'll go over what made this film work as well as what didn't work so well. With that here we go:

UPS

1. Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart both give their best performances as Wolverine and Charles Xavier respectively. This is reportedly the last time both actors are playing these characters in a feature film, and boy did they make the most of it. The amount of pain and loss that these characters have gone through is brought to a head in this movie, and Jackman and Stewart make damn sure that these emotions resonate with the audience. From the beginning of this movie to the end where both these characters are dead (That's right, DEAD!), it's quite the roller coaster and Jackman and Stewart pulled it off spectacularly, with some people going so far as to say they are worthy of Oscars and you know what, I can't help but agree. That said, they didn't have to work too hard because...
2. The entire cast did a wonderful job. From Stephen Merchant to Boyd Holbrook, every actor and actress made the most of what they had, though the real standout in this already excellent ensemble is Dafne Keen, who rivals both Stewart and Jackman as having the best performance of the movie. As Laura/X-23, Keen does a magnificent job just by using her facial expressions to convey her emotions, and when she goes full-on Little Miss Wolverine, all potential enemies beware. That said, when she does speak, we get to understand her more vulnerable and emotional side, with one particular line (you'll know it when you hear it) bringing tears to the eye. A new beginning is arriving, and with that beginning comes a new team, and I would not be surprised to see Ms. Keen lead the way.
3. The tone in this film is quite fitting. It's dark and bleak, but has a glimmer of hope within it. The time of the X-Men is over, and by the end, all remnants of that time are gone. Despite this, there is hope within this dark time, as the torch is passed on to a new team who will pave the way to a new beginning. The end of one era leads to the start of something new, so though things seem down, there's always something there to lift you up, a feeling that I feel Logan captured perfectly.
4. The R-Rating, not because I prefer R-Rated comic book movies, but because I feel it gave Hugh Jackman the chance to really cut loose and portray Wolverine full-on without any restraint. Because of this, we get to experience Wolverine in spectacularly bloody fashion. Though some of the excessive language felt a bit unnecessary, I do appreciate that they want to make Wolverine's last outing as faithful as possible. 
5. And finally, how could I make a list of what was great about this movie without mentioning the Deadpool teaser at the beginning, because no matter what, IT'S FUCKING DEADPOOL!!!

DOWNS

1. The Munson Family subplot. While the scenes the main trio shared with the Munsons themselves were quite touching and helped us breathe a little before the emotional hell that was to come, the subplot featuring them at odds with a group of asshole ranchers felt a little unnecessary and ultimately disrupted the pacing of the film. At least we were treated to a rather memorably gory scene afterwards that featured those guys as the guests of honor ;)
2. X-24. Not the character himself or the concept around him, but what him being used in this film does. As much as I find the idea of Wolverine fighting a younger version of himself to be cool, I couldn't help the fact that using a character such as Sabretooth would be better. Likewise, if X-24 were in a different film (like such as replacing Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine,) I'd be fine, but considering he's in a film where where he was just introduced about halfway through the film (and by the way, he comes right the fuck out of nowhere) and is responsible for the deaths of two of the most important characters of the franchise, I feel a bit of the impact that goes with their deaths is taken away a bit. This could be my personal bias talking, but that's just how I feel. 

OVERALL
Logan is an amazing film and a great way to start the month of March. James Mangold did a superb job directing it and I hope to see him do more projects for the franchise (an X-23 spinoff perhaps?). As for where it stands among other films in the Superhero genre, it is easily the best X-Men/Wolverine film and quite possibly one of the best superhero movies of all time. As for where it stands in the industry of Marvel, I think I shall make a list for that sometime in the future (probably even sometime this week.) This is a great film that I recommend for anyone...well, except maybe the little ones.

That's it for this blog, guys! Hope you enjoyed it. Next I will review Kong: Skull Island.  

UPDATED: Top Walking Dead Episodes and Moments (SPOILERS)

Well, today is the day, and whether you're ready or not, it's time to enter Negan. Now, before we endure this grueling hour tonight, I look back and present some new additions for my lists on what are the best moments and episodes of The Walking Dead. As for my list of the best characters, that list has not changed, so there is no update needed. Now, before I begin, here are the moments and episodes that were sadly bumped off the list:

Moments
 The Atlanta Camp Attack (Season 1 Episode 4 "Vatos") 
 Merle's Last Stand (Season 3 Episode 15 "This Sorrowful Life") 

Episodes
 "Vatos" (Season 1 Episode 4)

And here are some new honorable mentions:

Moments

• Glenn's "death" scene in Season 6, Episode 3 "Thank You"
• The raid on the Saviors Compound in Season 6 Episode 12 "Not Tomorrow Yet"

Episodes

• Season 6 Episode 2 "JSS"
• Season 6 Episode 12 "Not Tomorrow Yet"

And now, here are the revised lists:

Moments

 10. Carol, Morgan, and co. vs. The Wolves (Season 6 Episode 2 "JSS")
9. Rick kills the Bicycle Girl (Season 1 Episode 1 "Days Gone Bye")
 8. Rick and co. kill The Hunters (Season 5 Episode 3 "Four Walls and a Roof")
 7. The Barn Massacre (Season 2 Episode 7 "Pretty Much Dead Already")
 6. Escaping Terminus (Season 5 Episode 1 "No Sanctuary")
 5. Carol kills Lizzie (Season 4 Episode 14 "The Grove")
 4. The Death of Shane (Season 2 Episode 12 "Better Angels")
 3. Lori's Death (Season 3 Episode 4 "Killer Within")
 2. The Prison War (Season 4 Episode 8 "Too Far Gone")

 1. All of "No Way Out" (Season 6 Episode 9 "No Way Out")

Episodes

 10. "Four Walls and a Roof" (Season 5 Episode 3)

 9. "Clear" (Season 3 Episode 12)

 8. "Days Gone Bye" (Season 1 Episode 1)

 7. "Pretty Much Dead Already" (Season 2 Episode 7)

 6. "The Grove" (Season 4 Episode 14)

 5. "Better Angels" (Season 2 Episode 12)

 4. "Killer Within" (Season 3 Episode 4)

 3. "No Sanctuary" (Season 5 Episode 1)

 2. "Too Far Gone" (Season 4 Episode 8)

 1. "No Way Out" (Season 6 Episode 9)

The Walking Dead & Game of Thrones: Season 6 Review (SPOILERS)

Yeah, I know this is long overdue, especially in the case of The Walking Dead, but now that both seasons are over I decided to give my thoughts on both seasons in one post. I will go over my ups in the season as well as my downs. Now, let's start with Season 6 of The Walking Dead:

"The Walking Dead" Season 6 UPS

1. The Second Half of the season. Never has The Walking Dead experienced such awesome pacing. Add to that the fact that each episode brought something great to the table and you had the finest half season in the history of the show. 
2. The Villains. While Season 5 brought us Gareth and the Hunters, the showrunners made the mistake of killing them off way too soon and thus a lot of time was wasted on the Grady Memorial Hospital Arc. After that, the only villains that were left were Father Gabriel, Pete, and Nicholas, and while they were fine villains, their arcs could have been wrapped up rather quickly. All in all, Season 5 was rather lacking in the villain department. Season 6, however, made up for that; Enter the Wolves, who proved to be quite the menacing group of psychos despite suffering from being wiped out early on like the Hunters. However, unlike the Hunters, their leader, the Alpha Wolf (or Owen,) was kept around to serve as a major threat to the story and he delivered. Plus, even though his "redemption" felt a little hazy, he also served as a major catalyst in the arcs of both Carol and Morgan, so he did leave quite an impact. Aside from him, this season also had the mega herd that attacked Alexandria as well as Ron Anderson, who while a total pain in the ass, served as a good counterbalance to Carl. Then, in the Second Half, we were introduced to the Saviors, who had us prepared for the arrival of their leader, the man himself: NEGAN!!! Although there a few issues with his introduction (which I'll get to later,) I thought Jeffrey Dean Morgan did a wonderful job portraying him and I look forward to seeing how he does in Season 7. The villains this season certainly did not disappoint.
3. The new characters introduced this season. They were all fine additions to the show, with Heath, Denise, Dwight, Jesus, and, of course, Negan being standouts. I look forward to seeing many of them again in Season 7.
4. Carol and Morgan's arcs. On one hand, you have Carol learning that you don't have to kill all the time to protect the ones you love, and Morgan vice versa. It seems that one has rubbed off on the other and I look forward to see how this plays out for them in Season 7.
5. "No Way Out"...just..."No Way Out." This episode was hands down the best episode of the entire series. That's right, it beat "Too Far Gone," which is quite a feat. There were just so many great moments in this episode that I can't even imagine how any episode after can top this one.

DOWNS

1. The First Half. Like Season 5, it started out with a bang before it suffered from severe arc fatigue. Also, "Start to Finish" was easily the show's weakest mid-season finale, so ultimately this was one of the show's low points. Thank God for the second half, though.
2. The lack of major character deaths. Seriously, aside from Deanna, Nicholas, and the Andersons, who else died? Just a bunch of red shirts that they throwed in just to kill off. Even worse, they made the decision to kill off Denise, a fairly major comic character that they just introduced into the show. All in all, the lack of major deaths kinda tainted the view that no one is safe on this show. This couldn't be more clearer than...
3. The Glenn moment, or as some people call it "Dumpstergate." Oh boy, where to begin with this? Well, I'll just say that it was complete bullshit that he managed to escape unscathed because one way or another, he would have been scratched or mauled by one of the zombies. This was made worse by the fact that it took three episodes until we had proper resolution. All in all, this was a dumb move on the showrunners' part, and sadly, it wasn't their last...
4. The amount of fake outs and cliffhangers. How many times were they going to mess with us? Almost every episode had something where it looked like a major character was in trouble, whether it be "Dumpstergate," Rick getting trapped in the RV, Carol and Maggie getting captured by the Saviors, or Daryl getting shot by Dwight. After a while, it became annoying. The biggest offender of this was none other than...
5. "Last Day on Earth." Remember how I considered "No Way Out" the best episode of the series? Well sadly, I feel this season also produced the worst episode of the series, which is a darn shame because it had everything in the making of being a fantastic episode, possibly even better than "No Way Out." Seriously, a 90-minute season finale introducing us to Negan should NOT have been a terrible episode, but sadly it was, and much of it was because of that horrible cliffhanger ending, which is only made worse by the fact that it was used in order to boost ratings. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You literally have to ruin what could have been a horrifying and shocking hour and a half of television just to boost RATINGS! Ugh.

The Verdict: All in all, The Walking Dead Season 6 was a definite improvement over Season 5. However, it still had similar problems that Season 5 suffered from. That said, I am looking forward to Season 7 as I am excited to see more of Negan, more of the Hilltop, and being introduced to the Kingdom.

And Now Time For...

Game of Thrones Season 6 UPS

1. The amount of triumph. This was definitely a season where the heroes of this show (or at least the characters we enjoy) would win, and during this season, many of their victories were spectacular. Such a grand shift in the tone of this series.
2. The Karmic Justice all the villains this season received. Roose being killed by his son in a manner similar to how he killed Robb, Walder Frey being killed by Arya in a manner similar to how he had her mother killed, Ramsay being killed by his hounds in a manner similar to how he had so many people killed, all these deaths and more made the catharsis factor go off the charts.
3. The grand return of many characters. Bran came back and learned what his true destiny was. Yara Greyjoy came back and is beginning to become a major player in the game. Hodor came back and showed just how much of a hero he was (at the cost of his own life, sadly.) The Brotherhood Without Banners came back and are apparently going to wage war against the White Walkers. Even Benjen Stark came back after being gone for four whole seasons. The biggest one is definitely the return of Sandor Clegane, and although him joining the Brotherhood in their crusade means that a popular theory may have been put to rest (two if you think about it,) I don't think they would bring back the two Clegane brothers for no reason other than to be lackeys to others, so fingers crossed.
4. The amount of progression that is going on as well as the amount of reveals. In terms of reveals, we have the origin of the White Walkers, how Hodor became Hodor, and, most importantly, that R+L=J. In terms of plot progression, well, let's see: Cersei is now the Queen of Westeros, Jon is the King in the North, Arya is heading back to Winterfell, and Dany is finally sailing for Westeros. Basically, the stage is set for the final chapter, and by the looks of it, it's going to be grand. 
5. The last two episodes. These two were definitely among the best in the series, with "The Winds of Winter" possibly being the best episode ever. From the death of Ramsay Bolton to the confirmation of R+L=J, there were so many great moments in these two episodes so expect them to be very high on the list of best episodes. 

DOWNS

1. Some pacing problems. The season started great despite a lackluster premiere and kept getting better, then by the sixth episode things started to slow down a bit until it got back up towards the end. All in all, it just felt a bit awkward. 
2. Some rather pointless character deaths. There have been several characters this season who were brought for a single scene or episode only to be killed off immediately after (and in the case of the Blackfish killed offscreen.) It just showed that they simply wanted to tie up loose ends and/or just didn't know what to do with the characters, which is a shame because I would've like to see some of them stick around for at least a little longer than they did.
3. Some weak storylines, in particular Arya's, Sam's, Tyrion's, and the one in the Riverlands (I'm not going to acknowledge Dorne since we barely saw it this season.) There were some truly great storylines this season, but these ones were definitely the weak links. If they were cut a little short (or in the case of Sam and the Riverlands made longer or not shown at all,) they probably could have been better.

The Verdict: Game of Thrones Season 6, like The Walking Dead Season 6, was an improvement over Season 5, though it still had some problems. However, unlike The Walking Dead, those problems were not enough to detract from what it accomplished.

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

Top 10 Characters from Game of Thrones (SPOILERS)

Today is the day, and like The Walking Dead, I will do a list of my Top 10 Favorite Characters from the show. Like the list for The Walking Dead, there will be deceased characters on this list. Now, onto the honorable mentions:

• Jorah
• Sam 
• Davos
• Margarey
• Brienne
• Tywin
• The Hound
• Oberyn
• Robb
• Robert

And here is the big runner up, because deep down, we all loved him.

Now for the actual list:

 10. Theon Greyjoy - Kicking off the list is someone that may surprise you. Although Theon is not the most well-liked of individuals, I can't help but admire his character. All he ever wanted was the love and approval of someone he could never get it from, and he realized too late that he already had the desired love he wanted. What followed after that certainly made everyone, even his haters, sympathize with him, but now that he's free from that Hell, I am certainly hoping that he'll be able to regain his lost glory and gain some much needed revenge.

 9. Sansa Stark - If anyone could rival Theon for having the most fucked up life in Westeros, it's this girl right here. Poor Sansa really just can't catch a break. She's lost half of her family, thinks the other half is dead, and has been betrothed to two of the most vile men in Westeros. However, like Theon, I think she'll regain her lost glory and gain some well deserved revenge.

 8. Eddard "Ned" Stark - Poor Ned. He always wanted to do what was right, which made him a very noble man and a great character to look up to. Sadly, however, he was just too in over his head (if you know what I mean.)

 7. Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish - Joffrey and Ramsay may lay claim to being the most vile villain, but this guy lays claim to being the most magnificent. EVERYTHING that's happened in this series can be laid back to him, and he does it with such suave and charm that you can't help but love him for it. I wouldn't be surprised if he managed to weed his way out to the very end.

 6. Jaime Lannister - Jaime is a fantastic character in that he first started out as a full-on bad guy, but as the series goes on, we get to know so much about him as he goes through so much shit that we learn to love him. In the end, Jaime proves to be a noble man, and hopefully he will become a true hero in the end.

 5. Cersei Lannister - Beating her brother out of the Top 5 is the Queen Bitch herself. As much as we love to hate her, we can't deny that Cersei is a marvelous character. Lena Headey does a great job invoking both hatred and sympathy in viewers, and all in all, she's just awesome.

 4. Daenerys Targaryen - Dany has come a long way. It is quite interesting see her rise to power over the course of the first four seasons, and while her subplot in Season 5 was one of the weakest parts, I still think she's a great character.

 3. Arya Stark - This girl is just AWESOME. I mean really, just watch this scene. Maise Williams is a fantastic actress who does a great job portraying her, and while her subplot in Season 5 was one of the weaker parts (like Dany's,) she's still freaking awesome, as exemplified by this.

 2. Tyrion Lannister - Here is someone that everyone loves. Tyrion is a great character in that he is someone anyone can look up to. He's been through Hell his entire life, yet he still manages to keep his wit and charm the entire way. Props to Peter Dinklage for his amazing acting in the part. So why is he at the #2 spot then? Simple, because he's not my all-time favorite. That honor goes to...

 1. Jon Snow - Jon is a great character because he is the one character that I consider to be the true hero of the story. He's brave, he's a leader, and he's made so many tough decisions that have shaped him into the man he is. I, like many, hope he returns, because we need him in the wars to come. Well, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

Top 10 Episodes from Game of Thrones (SPOILERS)

After doing a list of my Top 10 Favorite Moments, I feel a list of my Top 10 Favorite Episodes is in order in preparation for Game of Thrones' return. Let's go through our honorable mentions first:

• Season 1 Episode 6 "The Golden Crown"
• Season 1 Episode 10 "Fire and Blood"
• Season 2 Episode 5 "The Ghost of Harrenhal"
• Season 2 Episode 6 "The Old Gods and the New"
• Season 3 Episode 5 "Kissed By Fire"
• Season 3 Episode 8 "Second Sons"
• Season 4 Episode 2 "The Lion and The Rose"
• Season 4 Episode 6 "The Laws of Gods and Men"
• Season 5 Episode 7 "The Gift"
• Season 5 Episode 9 "The Dance of Dragons"

Now for the actual list:

 10. "Valar Morghulis" (Season 2 Episode 10) - Kicking off the list is the Season 2 finale, which was a worthy successor to its epic penultimate episode. From Dany's visit to the House of the Undying, to Jon joining the Wildings (not really, though,) to the White Walkers marching towards the wall, this was a great season finale and the first of three on this list. Say it with me, "Valar Morghulis."

 9. "And Now His Watch Has Ended" (Season 3 Episode 4) - One Word: DRACARYS!

 8. "Winter is Coming" (Season 1 Episode 1) - The one that started it all. This was a great series premiere that did a good job introducing the setting and characters and also had a great beginning and end.

 7. "Mother's Mercy" (Season 5 Episode 10) - The second season finale on this list, this episode does have things that people detract from, but overall, this was a great episode that had so many standout moments, particularly Cersei's walk of shame and the death of Jon Snow, that got me extremely hyped up for Season 6.

 6. "The Watchers on The Wall" (Season 4 Episode 9) - The first of four penultimate episodes on this list, this was one of the episodes to be mostly based around a single battle, in this case the Night's Watch vs. the Wildings, and it was spectacular, containing action, drama, some occasionally funny moments, and GIANTS RIDING MAMMOTHS!!!

 5. "Blackwater" (Season 2 Episode 9) - The second penultimate episode on this list, this was Season 2's best episode, and for good reason; It has a ton of action, drama, and gives many characters their chance to shine. It would have been higher if not for, you guessed it...

 4. "Hardhome" (Season 5 Episode 8) - Wow, just, WOW. This episode just came completely out of nowhere and was really nothing short of epic, blowing the previous two episodes right out of the water. A lot of people consider this to be the best episode of the entire series, and for good reason.

 3. "The Rains of Castamere" (Season 3 Episode 9) - The third penultimate episode on this list, and the one that nailed the fact in that NO ONE IS SAFE on this show. The Red Wedding will always go down as one of the most shocking moments in not just the show and the books, but in all of media. However, it wasn't the first episode to prove this fact. That title goes to...

 2. "Baelor" (Season 1 Episode 9) - This episode changed everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. It was just shocking to watch Ned get beheaded at the behest of Joffrey, and this episode showed that Game of Thrones is far from the ordinary fantasy tale that many people are used to. All in all, a fantastic penultimate episode to the fantastic first season.

And now my favorite episode from Game of Thrones is...

 1. The Children (Season 4 Episode 10) - The best finale of the best season of the show, this was just an absolutely amazing episode. Yes, there are things that people detract from it, but like The Walking Dead's "Too Far Gone," they are microscopically small to what it accomplished. With that, "The Children" is the best episode of Game of Thrones.