X-Men: The Dark Phoenix

*Sighs*

Guys.  This one...this one's going to be painful.  I've found a movie that's going on my Worst Of for the year.  And this is coming from my first ever fandom.  AND it's one of my favorite story lines but once again, they manage to screw it all up.  This is the second time we've gotten this specific plot but at least this one was closer to the source material.  Even then, that's not saying much.  There was so much wrong with this...before I get into it, let me tell you about something that happened to me.  Maybe then you'll understand why I'm so disappointed.

As many of you know, I'm part of a trivia team.  I go almost every Wednesday.  Once or twice a month, the place has a theme.  So far, I've competed in Game of Thrones and Marvel, both times I failed miserably.  When I heard there was going to be a X-Men themed trivia night, I got excited.  By the way, guess what I'm reviewing?  Anyway, I love the X-Men.  I have comics, graphic novels, visual guides, seen all the movies...I'm borderline obsessed.  Seriously, I know more than the common person should know.  My point is, this was my first fandom and I dove deep into it. 

So, I won trivia last week.  Not my team, literally me.  I beat out all the other teams to win $50 and some various prizes.  Like I said, X-Men is my thing.  That's how much I love this stuff.  So I was excited when I knew Dark Phoenix would be adapted into a movie.  I mean, yes, we got the Phoenix story before, but we all like to pretend that X-Men: The Last Stand didn't happen.  I could go on and on about how much I disliked that movie, but that's another story for another day.

Let's talk about the latest Dark Phoenix offering.

I don't even know where to begin with this one.  It was plagued with rewrites, reshoots and lots of problems.  And believe me, it shows.  The story was choppy, the characters were one dimensional and a lot of it felt strange.  The villain, if you can call it that, is barely even present and if you took it out, the movie might have improved.  A lot of elements are introduced, then left unfinished and the movie feels incomplete.  They don't really have a sense of finalty and as far as I know, this is the last movie in this current franchise.

Well...I did some research and they're going to do more movies.  They want to focus on the younger mutants so...this *might* be good.  I am worried about their next endeavor, "The New Mutants" because it was scheduled for release this year and was pushed back to next year.  I really hope they don't mess this one up as bad as they have films in the past.  Don't get me wrong, the first iteration of the X-Men movies were good.  X-Men and X2 were actually good.  The Last Stand was trash.  The Logan films were both good and disappointing as the completely messed up Wolverine's backstory.  Plus, there was some terrible CGI.  Don't even get me started on the "introduction" of Deadpool.  We don't talk about that.  So when I heard they were doing an origin series, yeah, I was excited.

Needless to say, I'm disappointed.

I mean, come on.  They hinted at a huge story line in the end credits scene in "Apocalypse".  They teased Mr. Sinister.  For those of you who don't know, Nathaniel Essex (the briefcase they showed had the name Esssex on it) is better known as Mr. Sinister.  And if you don't know who this baddie is, well, sit down kiddies, I'll tell you.  Essex is a villain who was so bad that even his wife knew it.  She's the one who called him Sinister and the name stuck.  Not only that, he had a massive role in another very popular mutant's life.  Did you know that Remy LeBeau AKA Gambit was adopted?  Mr. Sinister hired Remy do to some dirty work and trust me, this led to more shenanigans.  But my point is, they had so many things they could have touched on but nope, they left all that ignored.

So what we got instead was a 114 minute snooze fest that couldn't live up to expectations.  And no, I'm not being harsh because I'm an X-Men uber fangirl.  I'm saying this as your average movie goer.  To make matters worse, they give away huge details in the trailers.  For instance, before I saw the film, I already knew Mystique would die because they basically already showed it to me.  So when the scene rolled around, it wasn't shocking or heartbreaking because I was already aware of it.  What could have been a beautiful send off for a beloved character was ruined.  Yet, it then raises some questions.  Mystique shows up in later films, the ones that are set in a more current time so...plot hole.  And don't use the Days of Future Past logic.  I mean, it could explain every plot hole but that would be such lazy writing.

Dark Phoenix had almost no enjoyable moments.  In fact, it was quite forgettable.  Nothing really jumped out at me or made me excited.  It was mostly me being confused by the characters and not being sure what the actual story was.  Was it an attempt to show Jean dealing with past trauma?  Was it the Phoenix saga?  Were we going to get a history of Genosha?  Who were the other mutants on Genosha?  Who were the mutants who went with Erik to New York?  Is this why Kurt Wagner decided to become a priest? 

While I'm discussing certain characters, I want to address something mildly spoilery.  Nicolas Hoult plays a decent Hank McCoy, I'll give him that.  However, in Apocalypse, he mentions he's created a drug that suppresses the mutant gene, allowing Charles to walk again or something.  I don't remember, I haven't seen the film in a while.  He uses it on himself to appear human, but that wears off.  In Dark Phoenix, he's able to shift between his human and blue form, which is something that's never been addressed before?  So is he a shapeshifter?  Because he's always been big, blue, furry, Beast.  I wish these things got clarified.

Now, let me touch on Vuk, the villain of the story.  She's barely visible.  We get a weak backstory about her people dying because of the Phoenix force and that's it.  That's all we know about her.  She has no other qualities to her, other than being bland.  If Vuk had been removed, I wouldn't have minded.  Seeing Jean struggle with her powers and inability to control them was enough story, but nope, we had to add an additional, somewhat pointless layer to it.  Vuk and the D'Bari are maybe in 20 minutes of the movie.  But we have no backstory so I can't view her as sympathetic.  Vuk comes off as vengeful so I really couldn't find a reason to like her as a character.


I wanted to like this movie, I really did.  But once again, the story was butchered.  And now that Disney has acquired Fox, who knows what will happen next with this franchise.  I mean, they've done a decent job with Marvel but Fox tends to be a bit more edgy with their choices.  I don't know if this means we're going to have all future X-Men films watered down to make them more family friendly but I sincerely hope that is not the case.  X-Men makes it a point to touch on issues that people don't want to discuss, like discrimination, racism and even homosexuality.  It's always been this way.  Don't believe me, have a look at my autographed copy of X-Men that has the first ever gay wedding on it's cover and yes, Stan Lee (God rest his soul) signed it.

So, New Mutants has the potential to be good, as all films do.  The constant push backs have me worried because some times, many of the times, all the add ons can really destroy a film.  For example, in Thor: THe Dark World, Loki was supposed to die.  But, people reacted so negatively that they brought him back.  And you all know I love Loki and Tom Hiddleston, but I though having him die in the noble way he did was perfect.  Bringing him back felt like a mistake and honestly, he really didn't have anything to do in Ragnarok, then just got killed off again in Infinity War.  Movies can't decide between being good and pandering to the audience.  Not everyone is going to like your finished product, that goes for everyone.  At least create something you're proud of.

Trust me, this is a lesson I've had to learn in a very hard way.  It's the reason I lost all confidence in my skills as a blogger and film critic.  I was trying to write things I thought people would want from me, not write what I wanted to.  I made posts I wasn't proud of because I felt I had to churn stuff out.  The truth is, I have to do things in my own time so I can be proud of what I'm posting online for you, my lovely reader, to read.  Otherwise...why do what I do?

Dark Phoenix isn't the worst X-Men film out there.  The Last Stand is.  However, it still doesn't know what it wants to be and that was its downfall.  Instead of creating something that was potentially amazing, we got a generic, confusing mess that didn't have a satisfactory ending.  Hell, they left it wide open for a sequel.

Dear cinematic gods...don't let there be a sequel.

I know this review seems like it's been a little...off and maybe cut abruptly short, but I am rather ill at the moment.  I've been working on this review for a week and I really wanted to finish it because I also plan to review Shaft, which I saw.  My friend Sin surprised me and took me to see it, so I'd like to talk about that too.

Plus, I was talking to some other friends, Shadow and Pink, about Disney and princess and things like that and they gave me some very interesting ideas I want to talk about in a future blog.  So, there's something for everyone to look forward to.

I'm Cora Valentine, better known as TheCinemaChick and if I had a mutant power, I'd be an empath.

Love you guys and I'll see you in the next blog.

GODZILLA!!!!!

Hello everyone who reads blogs on the internets!  My name is Cora Valentine, most of you know me better as TheCinemaChick because I'm a girl who reviews movies a lot!  I meant to write this review last week but you know, sometimes things just slip away from me and I don't get around to doing them until the next week.  I'm such a procrastinator, really.  I admit to it.

But you don't want to hear about that, do you?

...do you?

Nah, we're gonna skip over my personal problems (for now) and focus on the movie that is causing me a mixed reaction.  I was incredibly excited to see it but after seeing it, I honestly don't think it lives up to the hype.  It's not a disappointment by any means, I just don't think it knows what it wants to be yet.  There are so many messages and conflicts that are presented that it just got muddled.  Unfortunately, it also caused the plot to suffer.  While it was visually stunning and overall entertaining, it just didn't live up to the standards I had set in my mind for it.

Let's go back a bit before we dive into this new film, shall we?

I love the Godzilla movies.  I remember watching the old claymation ones as a kid and honestly, I still love them.  When I heard they were getting remade for a more modern audience, I was excited.  There were so many possible stories and it could have done almost anything, but I feel it is holding back for some reason.  The first Godzilla movie, which came out  in 2014, was enjoyable.  Fry, Butterfly and I all saw it together.  We came to the general conclusion that it needed more Bryan Cranston in it.  However, it had a cohesive plot that worked with the monster attacks.  The plot didn't suffer for the action.  I would say it was a solid film.  Let's...let's just not talk about the Matthew Broderick film from 1998, okay?  Can we all just agree to let it go and bury it in the sands of time?

Then, in 2017, we had another addition to this revamped monsters series.  Kong: Skull Island was also enjoyable, however, it was also problematic.  Bear with me on this one, it's going to get a little strange.  Again, overall, I liked the movie.  It was fun and set me up for future movies.  The cast worked perfectly, with one exception.  This is where I'm going to nitpick.  I love Tom Hiddleston, I really do.  He's one of my favorite actors but damnit, I got sick of seeing him in the Kong movie.  I get it, he's a main character, but they shoved him so far to the front that he overshadowed the giant ape the movie was about!  After seeing it with Fry, I told her that the movie was basically just Tom Hiddleston arm porn.  They really wanted us to look at his arms as he fought in slow motion and I freaking HATED it.  I loved the movie and it's post credit scene, but I could not stand Hiddleston in the film.  And it's not his fault.  He's the victim of poor writing and truthfully, I think they pushed him so far into the foreground as a cash grab.  Put his face on something and people will eat it up.

Tom Hiddleston, you deserve better.

Which brings me all the way back to 2019 and the new release Godzilla: King of the Monsters.  Again, I enjoyed it.  I had a lot of fun with the film, even though the run time wasn't the best.  I understand why it's well over 2 hours but there are times when it just drags and you feel the run time.  For the most part, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen because there was so much going on.  Now that I've time to think about it, I have some issues with the movie as a whole.  As always, I'll try to be as spoiler free as possible.  I won't talk about any major plot points, just stuff you've probably seen in the trailers.

Fry and I saw this last Tuesday and to my surprise, the theater was fairly empty.  I thought there would be more people there since the summer movie season is in full swing now.  It didn't bother me because no one was around us, so I admit, I cracked a few jokes during the film.  I KNOW, I KNOW, I'M A HYPOCRITE!  DON'T @ME!

Yes, I'm extremely, anti talking during movies.  I make no secret of it.  I am the person that will throw something at you tell you to STFU if you won't shut up.  But the theater was empty except for like 3 people way at the top, okay?  It's not something I do normally...except at Aladdin because I was singing along.  Not helping my case, am I?  Damn.

Anyway, this Godzilla picks up after the events of the last one.  I'll admit, I must have forgotten a few details because I didn't remember this family from the last movie.  But sure, they were there.  Let's go with that.  You've seen them in the trailer, Eleven is now the daughter of the woman from The Conjuring series.  The thing is, and this might be a bit spoiler-ish, the characters don't really matter.  There are maybe 2 you should pay attention to, everyone else is just there.  First, we have Emma Russell, who is the...protagonist?  Nah...she's more like an anti hero...I think...she's doing what she believes is right, but for the wrong person.  She's inciting chaos because she believes her actions will bring about peace.  What's that called?

Mrs. Whiteside, help me out here?  I'm drawing a blank!

The other person you should remember is Ishiro Serizawa, played by the always amazing Ken Watanabe.  Really, those two drive the plot.  I mean...if you can call it a plot.  I'll get to that in a moment.  Emma and Serizawa are sort of on the same side because they both want to protect Godzilla.  However, Emma choices end up screwing her over and basically, she's an idiot.  Never ally yourself with the guy who identifies as any kind of terrorist.  Even if it's Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance).  Another problem with this movie: Charles Dance is clearly billed as the antagonist but he's barely in the film!  I legit forgot he had a role until he popped up at the end.  If you're going to highlight someone and push them as the bad guy, don't shove them so far into the background he's forgettable.  That's what happened here.  I didn't even know his character's name until I looked it up on IMDB. 

Let's start off with what I enjoyed about Godzilla: King of the Monsters.  The visuals blew me away.  Props to the special effects team on this one.  I was awed by how good they made the creatures look.  Remember, I'm not a fan of CGI, but in this case, it worked out beautifully.  Even then, the non animated scenes were also brilliant.  They paid attention to small details and it worked.  I was sucked in because there are moments on screen that are truly breathtaking.  For instance, when they introduce one of the monsters, they way they did was so well done, I was speechless.  I would even go so far as to say this may be a contender for Best Special Effects. 

The cast was decent.  Millie Bobby Brown managed to separate herself from her role in Stranger Things.  I mean, I did look at her and think of Eleven, but that was only in passing.  She is branching out and kudos to her.  What is a kudos, by the way?  Anyone?  Help a girl out here?  Anyway, I thought she did a great job and I look forward to seeing her future endeavors in the acting world.  Charles Dance, though not very present, does give off the bad guy vibe. Granted, I don't know if it's because he's just born to play bad guys or if it's because I associate him with Game of Thrones.  Like Brown, Dance also managed to shed the persona of the role he will forever be known for.  Yet, he really didn't get a chance to shine as the villain, which is sad.  You guys know I love a good villain.  Maybe he'll have a bigger role in the sequel? (**MASSIVE SPOILER ALERT THERE**)

What didn't I like about this movie?  The plot.  They had a good solid plot in mind but they chose visuals and action scenes instead.  Like, yes, I get it, you have to do this thing for that thing to happen, but they stop bringing up the thing!  The catalyst for the war of the monsters disappears during the second act.  While I love how good the film looked, I cannot believe they sacrificed what could have been a damn good story too.  The second act is mostly just the (**SEMI SPOILERYISH**) introducing new monsters, having monster battles and the humans trying to kill said monsters.  And no, I haven't said monsters enough.

Like, I didn't even get the names of all the titans they introduced, so I had to make up names for them.  We get Godzilla, obviously.  We get a slew of monsters I won't name so I don't spoil anything else for you but again, they are barely shown.  Angry Fawkes (not the creature's real name but I don't know what it was so that's what I'm calling it) had one good fight scene before disappearing until the finale.  Mega Mamoswine (again, no idea what it's called) was nothing more than a cameo.  Same with the Muto from the last movie.  It showed up once.   Then we have Aragog's American Cousin, Gary.  Who are these Titans?  Why are the relevant?  How did they get released?  How were they captured or suspended or whatever?  It's never mentioned!  It's basically "Oh hey, there's Gary, let's release him".  They never stop to explain how important, if they are important, these creatures are.

I get it though.  You're on a time constraint, but it would take, what, like 4 minutes to give me some exposition?  Not only that, you spend so much time setting up this family, only to basically ignore it and occasionally show some teen angst.  Again, Brown did amazing but she can do better.  And they give a huge middle finger to the audience because they set up one ending, then just go "Nah, let's just change it all up last minute".  Again, it works, but why do it that way?  It felt like a last minute re-shoot.  And okay, I can buy that there might be an alternate ending, but it didn't feel organic to the character at all.  She spent the entire movie trying to do a thing, realized she lost another thing then just up and did something else?  I know it all sounds confusing but if you've seen the movie, you understand it.  Or, I'll explain it to you in private so I don't spoil it for someone else.

Overall, I would say yes, see Godzilla: King of Monsters.  It's a visual treat and it's just a lot of fun to sit through.  Despite the weak plot and the lackluster characters, it wasn't too bad.  I loved seeing all the monsters depicted on screen together.  The CGI is just perfect and oh yes, the ending was well worth the two hour wait.  Plus, they have really awesome call backs to their previous films.  So you do see bits from the previous Godzilla and from Kong, which help tie the series together as a whole.  Granted, my stupid self said, "so that means more Tom Hiddleston?"

Don't ask okay?  Just let me have my moment.

There's also an end credit scene you need to stick around for!  Fry and I were the only ones who wait because I said, "Kong had a post credits scene, this one's going to pull a Marvel and have one too, I just know it."  And BAM, I WAS RIGHT!  The employees at the theater confirmed it as they cleaned.  And it's kind of important because it sets up the next film and if they are going off what they showed in that scene, then the next one is going to be so freaking good!  The monster battle scenes were so good in this one, I can't wait to see what's in store for the next one.

Guys.
Guys!
GUYS!
So, I did a little research on the internet and apparently, the next movie is going to be a prequel, "Godzilla vs. Kong" which is slated for a March 2020 release!  I just found all this out and got really excited.  Wait, a prequel.  That really does mean there's a chance for more Tom Hiddleston!!  I just really love Tom Hiddleston, okay? 

You know what, I'm satisfied with my review.  I'm getting back into my own personal groove and it feels good.  I feel like me again.  And since, I've written a lot, I'm going to end things here.  If you're curious, it took me an hour and 45 minutes to write this, this includes checking IMDb and the internet for various sources, proofreading and editing. 

But I'm happy with how this has turned out.  I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

I'm Cora Valentine, AKA TheCinemaChick and in my next blog...I have some big news to share with everyone.

I love you all, thank you for sticking with me all these years, through my highs and lows, my many hiatuses and all my self doubt.  Whenever I have someone asking what movie I'm doing next or when my next post will be, it makes me feel like I'm finally doing something right.  Film is my passion.  Thank you for sharing this with me.

In the immortal words of Eicca Toppinen of Apocalyptica: Take care of each other.  Love each other.  Love yourself.

See you guys next time.

We're going to back to my childhood...I mean Agrabah!

Hey, so, I haven't been active since 2017, but you know, I need that break.  I got to a point where I was really burned out.  I couldn't go to a movie without being hypercritical.  Movies weren't enjoyable anymore.  I tried making vlogs but honestly, I don't enjoy them as much.  I wanted to step away so I could get back to a place where I could see a movie and enjoy them. 
Fortunately, I am back to that place.  I am able to sit through a movie and actually have fun again.  Part of that is because I took time away from my blog, part of that is because I have been fortunate enough to make new friends who enjoy film as much as I do.
With that said, allow me to have a proper introduction.
Hello all you lovely people out there in Internetworldland!  My name is TheCinemaChick and as you can tell by my moniker, I'm a girl who loves movies.  I've been doing this little blog since 2012 and have no plans to stop again any time soon,  Have I seen a lot of movies this year, absolutely.  Will I see a lot more?  Yes I will.  I'm already making plans to see the new Godzilla when it comes out next week and at some point, I will see John Wick 3. 
So, you're probably wondering what movie managed to revive me.  What film was so good that it made me want to write again?  Truth be told, it's a movie we've all seen before.  I grew up in the 90s, like many of you did.  So, like many people, I've watched all of the animated Disney films.  Wouldn't you know, they remade a bunch of those classics.  I have seen all of the live action remakes up to date.  I liked Beauty and the Beast to an extent.  The first Alice in Wonderland was good, didn't care for the sequel.  Well, The Lion King is coming out later this year but Aladdin is back in theaters.  Let me tell you, it was worth the wait.
Like a lot of people, I was apprehensive about seeing this one.  I had the same prejudices.  Robin Williams wasn't the Genie and I really wasn't sure Will Smith could measure up. 
I was extremely wrong,
Will Smith absolutely shines as Genie in the live action flick.  He brings some of that old school Fresh Prince attitude to the character.  So yes, he is not Robin Williams, but instead brings a wonderful and exciting new take to this familiar character.  He has a charm and sincerity about him that I really liked.  While most of his scenes are done with CGI, I still enjoyed it because I could see elements of the animated movie in there,  If the whole "But he's not Robin Williams" thing is what's stopping you from seeing this, do yourself a favor and get over it.  You won't regret it.
The casting in general is also perfect.  Normally, production companies tend to whitewash a movie.  Let's never forget the live action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell.  In this case, they didn't.  They chose highly skilled actors who managed to truly embody their animated counterparts.  Mena Massoud was brilliant as Aladdin.  Naomi Scott shined as Jasmine.  Not only that, but they really turned Jasmine into a badass.  Instead of just being compliant, she has a voice and takes a stand for what she believes in.  Hell, they even wrote new songs just for her. 
The story is the same as it was back in the day.  Jafar wants the lamp so he can have absolute power.  Aladdin happens to be the diamond in the rough.  You know, I feel it's okay to talk about the plot since the first version of this film came out so long ago.  If you haven't seen it, where have you been all this time?  Like, it's been shown on television thousands of times.  Anyone who's ever had to babysit has had to watch this.  It's a classic Disney animation now.  Everyone should have seen it be now.
One thing I really liked is how this iteration of the story managed to combine Bollywod and hip hop.  While the movie stays true to the Middle Eastern feel it's always had, there are some new, more modern elements added in.  I don't want to give away too many of those details because they really were amazing to see.  There are a few dance sequences in the film that honestly, were the best parts.  The duet between Genie and Aladdin was worth the wait.  I mean, I planned to see this movie so I could ooh and ahh over the costuming, but overall, I loved it.  Yes, the costumes are breathtaking.  I really want the chance to see them up close so I can admire the intricate details more. 
If this is what we can expect from the Disney live action remakes, then sign me up.  From the beginning, I was having fun.  I sat with Fry and we were singing all of the songs because for us, this is nostalgic.  Neither of us were fully on board going into the movie but after seeing it, we agree that it doesn't deserve all the negative press it's been getting.  If you enjoy bright, colorful scenes, well fleshed out characters and a touch of nostalgia, Aladdin is definitely worth checking out.  I'm glad I did because maybe if I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't be inspired to return to my passion.  And yes, I consider film blogging to be one of the biggest passions in my life. 
I know this review is going to seem a little short and maybe a little choppy but I'm getting back into the swing of things here.  I'm ready to return to this blog, maybe look at getting my own domain again and who knows, maybe there will be a film so good, I can't even put it into words.  I mean, it happened with Avengers: Endgame.  I cried 4 times during that movie, no lie.  But for now, I think I'm going to sign off and let you all enjoy the magic of the newly released Aladdin.
      As always, I'm TheCinemaChick, I'm back in my natural element and for all you know, I have a magic lamp in my backpack.  What three wishes should I make?

The Killing Joke

It’s almost 1:30 in the morning and what am I doing?  I’m writing my second review of the night!  I’m the one you know as TheCinemaChick and I’m here to talk about movies!  I’ve written my review of “Suicide Squad” so I figured, why not go on to another DC movie that has actually received more praise?  I will have to put up a content warning because this one is much more controversial as well.  It was in theaters for only one night, but it was also available to be watched digitally.  It’s based on a one shot in the DC universe.  If you haven’t guessed it by now, I’m talking about one of the most disturbing and violent graphic novels that has ever been written.

So without further ado, let’s get into “The Killing Joke”.

***WARNING!  Spoilers ahead!***

**Trigger warning!  This blog will mention violence, murder and rape.**

Now, this is one of those cases where I have read the source material before seeing the movie.  I’m happy to say that they stay faithful to the graphic novel.  While the first half hour is dedicated to something that has nothing to do with the original story, the last part blew my mind. 

Parents, even though this is an animated movie, this one ain’t for the kiddies.  Don’t let them watch this until they are much older.  This seventy-seven-minute cartoon deals with murder, sex, torture and something that I will get to in a bit.  I’m an adult and this left me feeling really uncomfortable.  And I watched “12 Years a Slave”, which had some extremely disturbing content.

Like I mentioned, the first part of this was written for the movie’s sake.  I guess to flesh out the running time a bit since the graphic novel isn’t that long.  I want to say it’s probably only about forty pages, but don’t quote me on that.  We get a nice little story about Barbara Gordon, the daughter of commissioner Jim Gordon.  You might also know her as Batgirl, Batman’s partner in crime fighting.  She fails to stop a robbery then gets too involved.  A mafia man named Paris Franz (one of the worst possible names for a villain) becomes obsessed with her.  Franz later tricks her into finding a dead body, who happens to the Franz’s uncle.  In case it isn’t obvious, Paris killed his own uncle.  Batman becomes concerned and tells Batgirl he doesn’t want her on the case anymore. 

I have to admit, this part was almost perfect.  Batman admits that he is worried about her mental health.  She too is becoming obsessed with the case and it has caused her to make some dangerous and stupid decisions.  If Batgirl keeps going down the path she is on, she will turn herself into a murderer, something he doesn’t want for her.  This upsets her and they get into a very heated argument on a roof top.  Then they have sex.  And for the next roughly five minutes, this becomes the focus of the movie.

Normally, five minutes isn’t that long, but remember, this movie is barely over an hour long.  Barbara and Batman stop talking and she regrets the sex.  She actually apologizes for what happened.  Even then, she gets right back into crime fighting.  Barbara pretty much ignores everything Batman told her and goes after Franz alone.  This time, he pushes her too far and she beats him to a bloody pulp.  Only when she realizes what she’s done does she stop.  Batgirl retires when she accepts that she’s going down the wrong path and walks away from being a vigilante.

Now, this is where the graphic novel comes into play.

Batman is called to Arkham because something seems off.  There’s been a murder and people seem to think that The Joker is behind it.  The problem?  Joker has been locked away for a long time.  During a little heart to heart, Batman learns that the person imprisoned is not the real man.  Joker has escaped and left a decoy in his place.

The real Joker shows up at Commissioner Gordon’s apartment and shoots Barbara in the stomach.  Because of the severity of the attack, she is left paralyzed.  Gordon is then kidnapped while Joker strips his daughter naked and photographs her.

I’m going to paus here for just a moment.  Remember that one thing I was going to save for later?  Well, here it is.  I was looking at some reviews and theories about “The Killing Joke”.  Yes, it is sickening for a man to shoot a woman then take photos of her while she’s still bleeding and nude.  I did read one possible idea that made me think.  There are some people who believe that it’s not as innocent (and I use that term extremely loosely here) as it looks.  The movie shows that Barbara is conscious while being undressed.  There is a theory that Joker also raped her.  I don’t know if this is true, but judging by what happens later, I think it might have happened.  You’ll see what I mean.

Gordon is taken to an old amusement park and also stripped naked.  He is forced to go on a carnival ride where he is shown the photographs of his injured, naked daughter.  This is why I think Joker did indeed rape Barbara.  Gordon already knew that his daughter was shot.  He witnessed it.  And being her father, he’s probably seen her naked before, though she was probably a child at the time.  You know, he probably changed some diapers and bathed her.  What could be more shocking that that?  Seeing your child sexually assaulted at her most vulnerable moment.  That’s what drove him over the edge.  After the ride, he’s left in such a state of shock, he can’t even function.  But, this is what Joker wanted: to drive Commissioner Gordon into insanity.

Then we go into a flashback.  We get to see Joker’s origin story.  He was an ordinary man trying to support his pregnant wife.  Instead of being an engineer, he wanted to try and be a stand-up comedian.  He fails miserably, unable to pay the rent.  In a last ditch effort to get some money, he agrees to help some men break into the chemical plant where he used to work in exchange for money.  While discussing this with the two henchman, he is informed that Jeannie, his wife, and unborn child have died in a freak household accident.  Greif stricken, he is forced to continue with the heist.

At the plant, he is forced to wear a red mask and red cape so people think that he is Red Cape, a notorious villain in Gotham.  Things don’t go as planned and the men are shot.  Batman shows up to deal with the criminals.  In the heat of the moment, the man in the red mask trips and falls into a vat of chemicals.  He washes up outside, only to be completely disfigured.  He is now the Joker we all know.  The disfigurement and the loss of his wife send him into madness.

Back in the present day, Batman finds Gordon, shocked but still sane.  Gordon then tells Batman that he has to bring Joker down, but to do it “by the books”.  We go into the final confrontation between Gotham’s masked vigilante and the Clown Prince of Crime.  It culminates in Batman offering to help Joker be rehabilitated but the latter refuses, believing it to be too late.  Joker tells him a joke and they both laugh.  If you pay attention, you’ll notice that after about a minute or so, you only hear Batman chuckling.  It is not stated if he has killed Joker but rather, left open to interpretation.

The voice acting in this is superb.  Mark Hamill is one the best Jokers to have ever appeared, or in this case voiced, on screen.  He has this almost hoarse, breathy voice that sounds like he is teetering on the edge of madness.  He even has the laugh down perfectly.  I’ve seen a lot of the animated Batman shows and heard the different voice actors, but to me, Hamill is tops.  Kevin Conroy is equally talented and amazing.  I can find nothing bad to say about the people who lent their voices to this project.

Content wise, I can find some negatives.  As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, this is not for the faint of heart.  I read the graphic novel before watching this and it is one hundred percent faithful to the source material.  It was well written, both in the book and on the screen.  However, there is a lot of torture and violence.  It is unsettling to see it and I was left highly uncomfortable after viewing the film.  While it is tastefully done and you don’t see the worst parts of it, it is strongly hinted at so you know it happened.  And while it isn’t clear what exactly happened to Barbara after her father was taken, I’ve presented one theory. 

I have to admit, I liked “The Killing Joke” more than I liked “Suicide Squad”.  The flashbacks added to the story and helped to make the Joker a sympathetic character.  It also shows what caused him to go insane.  In this case, it makes sense to me.  Yes, it is hard to watch at times and they didn’t exactly do a great job with Barbara Gordon because she is stuck in the inferior role.  Batgirl is treated more like a rookie who doesn’t know what she’s doing when compared to Batman.  He even scolds her like a child. 

But I would watch it again.  It makes you think, it has a solid plot and there is room for interpretation.  It’s also the most faithful adaptation I have ever seen.  This is coming from the woman who took a class dedicated to adaptations in college.  If you’re strong of heart, give this one a watch.  If not, best stick to a summary of it so you don’t have to see the graphic scenes.

I’m TheCinemaChick and I just have one question. “Why aren’t you laughing?”

Suicide Squad

                Hello everyone!  I’m TheCinemaChick and I’m actually motivated for once!  That’s right, I’m in a great mood and I want to write, so let’s do this.  If you’re wondering what I’m doing right now, I’m listening to a song called “Let Me Fall”, recorded by Josh Groban.  I have to admit, I’m a huge fan of this man.  I went to his concert a few years back and sat in the second row.  His voice is like magic, that I can assure you.  Plus, he’s really hilarious.  He’s coming back into town this year, or early next year, I can’t remember when.  I wish I could meet him, I really do.  I used to sing a lot, you know since I was a total choir nerd, but these days, the most I do is singing along with radio.  I’m not that good anymore because I am really out of practice but hey, that could change, you never know.

                Ah, you’re not here to read about my never ending love of Josh Groban’s music are you?  No, you’re probably thinking, “What movies have you seen recently?  What’s good?  What’s not?  TELL ME!”  I admit, that’s probably an exaggeration, but someone out there might actually be dying to know what I’ve seen.

                If you’re that person, you and I are now best friends.

                The truth is, I haven’t seen many movies lately.  I unfortunately fractured my ankle, so I’ve been staying off it.  I can go out and I’m able to walk, but it’s painful and sometimes just uncomfortable.  So in the past few months, I’ve only seen four films.  Two of them I loved, one I was left a little disappointed in and then there’s “Suicide Squad”.  Hold your thoughts until the end, boys and girls.  We’re going to talk about the latest DC movie.

                I saw “Suicide Squad” with a group of friends that I’ve known for about half my life now.  Like everyone else out there, the trailers had me pretty pumped.  I was excited to see a movie about villains being put out there.  I love Harley Quinn and the Joker.  Those two are some of my favorite bad guys in out of all comic books.  However, they are horribly dysfunctional, let’s admit that straight off the bat.  That is not love, that is psychological abuse which caused Stockholm Syndrome.  If you know anything about the history of these two, you will see just how horrible things are.  Joker repeatedly abuses Harley Quinn, emotionally, mentally and physically. 

                That aside, I also had to keep the last DC movie in mind.  I was also psyched to see “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and I ended up not liking that one.  Don’t get me wrong, there are elements of that film that I absolutely adored.  Ben Affleck as Batman?  He was actually good!  The introduction of the meta humans?  Brilliant!  Gal Gadot as Diana Prince, better known as Wonder Woman?  Yes, please!  My problem with that movie is that it was so long.  Most of the movie was spent building up to the final battle, which ended up being a bit of a letdown.  The humor wasn’t that great and fell flat in most places.  Also, what was up with the random dream sequences?  DC fans, explain the thing to me!

                Note to everyone involved in future Batman movies: PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE…stop retelling the story of his parent’s death!  It has come up in every single Batman film and I don’t think it needs retelling.  Even people who aren’t familiar with this franchise know that he’s an orphan due to tragic circumstances.

                “Suicide Squad” is just a bunch of villains rounded up to defeat another bad guy who isn’t really all that threatening.  I couldn’t really find another plot beyond that.  And that’s being generous.  Most of this movie is spent giving backstory on Harley Quinn and Deadshot.  That’s what it focuses on all throughout.  I can’t deny that Margot Robbie and Will Smith have really good chemistry on screen.  If the other characters had that much screen time, I bet they’d be pretty awesome too.  Seriously, everyone else becomes a background character.  In the trailers, they make Slipknot out to be some really important person in reality (MASSIVE SPOILER ALERT) he barely gets three minutes of screen time.  Why even have him if he’s just going to be wasted?

                That is one thing that really, really bothers me.  Why make a big deal about these people if you’re not going to use them properly?  I’m not as familiar with DC comics as I am with Marvel, so I wanted to know all about these characters.  Captain Boomerang looks like a madman and I wanted to know all about him.  Katana has a sword that traps people’s souls in it.  We get a brief glance into her history but even then, she’s relegated to a role that barely has her speaking.  Excuse me, she was more badass that most of the people in this movie.  Making her so insignificant is an insult to her.

                Ok, I’m going to go on a little rant here.  This movie has a whopping four women that share the screen.  We have Harley Quinn, Katana, Amanda Waller and Enchantress.  As I already stated, Harley is shoved into the forefront.  Katana is stuck in the back, speaking only Japanese and letting team leader, Rick Flag, speak for her and Enchantress…I’ll get to her in a moment.  Let me start off with Amanda Waller.  She is played by Viola Davis, an actress I absolutely adore.  In the film, Waller is straight laced, no nonsense, doesn’t beat around the bush.  She gets to the point without making any excuses.  I honestly thought she was one of the best characters in the whole movie.  Davis brings this quiet intensity to the role that makes you want to hate Waller for using people the way she does, but at the same time, you have to admire that kind of tenacity.

                Harley Quinn is portrayed as some kind of tragic romance story.  I do like the nod to her origins as a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum.  She did fall in love with the Joker and it turned into a tumultuous relationship.  And in the games, comics and cartoon series, she is insane.  However, she is not overtly sexualized.  In some instances, she does have a somewhat sexy appearance, like in some of the video games, but come on.  Why didn’t she get her Arkham Asylum outfit?  And yes, they did briefly translate her original red and black costume into live action.  I have to admit, it looked hideous.  But, did we need to stick her in shorts so tiny they should be considered underwear?  And did we have to see her getting dressed?  She was pretty much only there to be a sex symbol.  For the most part, Harley Quinn came off as stupid, love sick and useless.

                And this is coming from someone who loves Harley Quinn.  I hated this incarnation of her.  I didn’t particularly care for Margot Robbie either.  Half the time, she spoke as a normal person and then sometimes, a little of that Harley voice would come out.  If you’ve seen the animated shows, you know what I’m talking about.  I can’t stand it when actors can’t keep an accent.  Either commit to the role or don’t.  Then she spends the whole movie trying to be reunited with the Joker.  She doesn’t care about anyone but him and at one point, abandons everyone to be with him.

                Speaking of the Joker, why was he advertised so much?  He’s barely in the movie!  The movie is two hours long and he has maybe fifteen minutes on screen?  I love Jared Leto, I really do.  His music is awesome and if you haven’t seen “Dallas Buyers Club”, I highly recommend it.  However, if you’re not into political movies about drugs and HIV and cross dressers, you should skip it.  I wasn’t sure if I was even going to like him as The Joker because let’s be honest, he had some huge shoes to fill.  People are still talking about the late Heather Ledger’s portrayal. 

                Heath Ledger was gone too soon.  He was an amazing actor.

                I liked Jared Leto’s portrayal of the Joker in this movie.  To me, in reminded of the older versions, a la Cesar Romero and a little Jack Nicholson.  This is not the dark, brooding Joker that Ledger brought us.  This is the Joker that loves to have fun and really play with the people he intends to later kill.  To me, he did a great job.  Leto has gone completely unappreciated because he will always be compared to Heath Ledger.  Both men did this character justice, just in different ways. 

                You know what we see more of than The Joker?  Harley Quinn’s ass.

                Now, let me talk about Enchantress.  I know a few things about this character and I know that her story was messed up.  She did not translate well to the big screen.  This was my first time seeing Cara Delevingne in any movie.  In my opinion, she was a horrible choice for main villain.  First off, she’s barely wearing anything, so way to overly sexualize another character.  Second, I don’t really know what her intent was.  Ok, she wanted to change the world but how?  I mean, she had the swirling cloud of doom for the majority of the film, but other than that, she didn’t do much.  Third, what was up with that weird dancing?  Seriously, it’s the climax of the film, she’s standing by her magic cloud and it looks like she’s just dancing to the music there.  And she barely even puts up a fight.  The climax was such a letdown.

                The Joker and Enchantress were more like romantic interests than threats.

                The final scene sets things up for a possible sequel.  They are already planning on making a Harley Quinn standalone film, which…I don’t know how I feel about that.  If “Suicide Squad” was any indicator, it’s just going to be another two hours of Margot Robbie being unable to pick an accent and showing off her butt in sparkly booty shorts.  In the comics, Harley does leave The Joker and hooks up with Poison Ivy.  They work well together.  I would love to see the interactions between those two women.  The thing is, Harley isn’t just a complete psychopath.  She’s incredibly intelligent!  I mean, she had a doctorate in psychology before all this mess got started!  Show off her smart side!

                Overall, I didn’t care for it.  Just like “Batman vs Superman”, it takes too long to get to the point and I was left wanting something more.  The plot is paper thin and rarely ever comes into play because they focus too much on Deadshot and Harley Quinn.  There are a lot of flashbacks, which do detract from the action a lot.  The Joker is completely wasted due to being under used.  Enchantress comes across bland and boring.

                Again…why did we need to see Harley Quinn’s butt so much?

                I know this is all setting up for the future Justice League movie for the DCEU (DC Extended Universe).  There is a cameo by Ezra Miller, which also made no sense.  It didn’t add anything to the film or tell me more about his character, Barry Allen.  Why was it there?  To say “Look we promise better things are coming!  Just hang in there and trust us!” 

                And this is coming from someone who also loves Ezra Miller!

                I have seen the trailer for the “Justice League” but even then, I’m not terribly interested.  I like the dialogue between Bruce Wayne and Barry Allen.  I like the interaction between Arthur Curry and Bruce Wayne as well.  It has the potential to be good.  However…I’m so sorry DC, but your track record isn’t looking good.

                Look at “Green Lantern”.

                I really wanted to love “Suicide Squad” but with the messy editing, muddled plot and poorly written characters…I couldn’t.  It has good moments but overall, I wasn’t excited about it.  I also saw it in 3D, which was a waste of money.

                You know how children have short attention spans so shows use bright colors and loud noises to keep their interest?  That’s what this felt like.  The movie knew it wasn’t good but look!  Bright colors!  Music!  Action!  Harley Quinn’s sparkly butt!

                Overall, I’m mixed.  I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it.  I just wish it had tried harder.

                I’m TheCinemaChick and I’m a Marvel.

Southpaw

                Hello everyone, you know me as the one, the only, the mysterious reviewer behind the keyboard, known globally as TheCinemaChick.  Am I known around the world?  Like, do people in Russia know who I am?  I’m curious now.  I know I’ve made a small name for myself in this area but like, are people in other countries interested in my blog?  I know I can check my stats to see where the blog is viewed and all but I want to know about the people who are reading it.

                So, if you’re living in a land that’s not America, let me know!  I’d love to hear where you’re from!

                I know, I have about a half dozen movies to review and that I once again and as always, really behind on things.  Last week, I saw Marvel’s “Ant Man” which was much better than it looks.  Seriously, I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did.  Let’s be honest, Ant Man isn’t exactly the first person you think of when you think of Marvel.  No, you think about Iron Man or Thor or Hulk.  Or, if you’re like me, you think about Loki, but I will not go into my reasons as to why I like Loki the best again.  I feel I have gone into that more times than I need to.

                Also, remember that promise I made in the last blog to have gummy bears in my purse?  And how I threatened to use them if I saw someone on their phone?  Well…I lied.

                I used Reese’s Pieces instead.  But I still got someone!  This guy, who was probably two rows ahead of me took his phone out.  And to make matters worse, it was right after there was a sign on the screen saying not to take pictures or record anything because this was a special screening.  Are you really that stupid?  The screen JUST SAID to put it away, why you are checking it now?  You’ve been sitting there for at least ten minutes, you had plenty of time!

                Oh!  And another one of my lovely little pet peeves came into play.  People, when the movie is playing, shut your mouths!  I understand it’s a crowded theater, but some people are trying to hear what’s going on.  I’m pretty sure I missed some dialogue that was vital to the plot because the guys next to me wouldn’t shut up.  Dude, I don’t care that you have nachos nor do I care how good they are!  I was perfectly happy with my tea and Reese’s Pieces.  I mean, you are grown adults, learn the rules of the theater or stay home!

                I should not have to say this in almost every single review I write lately.

                The last thing I’m going to say before I get into the actual review is that you should not be taking your presumably ten or under child to this movie.  I don’t care what your excuse is, this movie was rated R and would not have been good for a girl that age.  It had a lot of swearing and violence and there are things no child should have to know about at that age.  Hell, even the girl in the film didn’t need to see that and I know this was all fiction!

                Enough about my anger and people at the theaters.  Let’s get into the real reason you’re taking time out of your day to read this.  Or night.  I don’t care, as long as you read until the end.  I don’t know, for all I know some of you are actually nocturnal.  If you are nocturnal, are you an owl or a wolf or…some other creature that’s awake at night?  Ah, an insomniac.  I have insomnia sometimes but that’s not the topic of discussion here.  Nope, we keep getting off topic.

                Guys, you’re in for a treat tonight.  I got to attend a special early screening of the move starring Jake Gyllenhaal.  I haven’t seen much advertising done for this film which is a surprise to me.  I actually didn’t have an interest in seeing it based on the whopping one trailer I’d seen but then I got this opportunity and I jumped on it.  So me and Butterfly had free tickets to go see the movie “Southpaw” which doesn’t come out until this Friday.  As with every movie that comes out now, there are some showing Thursday night.  Why do they do this again?  When I was a kid, which was an undetermined number of years ago, we had to wait until Friday to see a movie that was coming out.  There were not midnight showings or this weird 7 PM Thursday thing.

                And no, I won’t tell you my age.  I’m old enough to purchase alcohol.  Let’s leave it at that.

                To my surprise, “Southpaw” was much better than I had thought it would be.  I was expecting a sports movie with not a lot of substance but I was wrong.  There is an actual plot, there are really amazing characters and they grow and change as the film progresses.  To me, there is one character that stands out from the others and there is one glaring problem with the film but I will get to that in a moment so bear with me.

                Our movie is about a professional boxer named Billy Hope.  I’m not kidding.  His name is seriously Billy Hope.  It’s one of the worst names I’ve ever heard.  I’m fairly certain that there is some not so subtle symbolism thrown in there with his name.  One of those things like “When you have nothing else, you always have hope” sort of things.  I imagine I’d see this little saying on a motivational poster.  Well, Billy and his wife, Maureen, are happily in love and they have a daughter named Leila.  Maureen wants her husband to speak at a charity thing, something bad happens and she dies tragically. 

                And no, I am not spoiling this.  All the information I just gave you was in the trailer.  I will even leave the trailer at the end to prove to you that I am not lying.

                So of course, he can’t cope with his loss, more bad things happen and he finds himself falling from grace.  Billy must now work his way back to the top with the help of an older and wiser mentor.  While overall it’s a good film, the premise is completely predictable.  It’s like every movie involving sports I’ve ever seen.  The star falls from grace and must work his way back up to the top in order to redeem themselves.  Boring.  Overdone.  Typical.  Yawn.

                And yes, I was rooting for Billy the whole time.  I wanted him to get it all back, including his daughter.  But as I watched, I realized there is a secondary theme going on throughout this film.  While it is mainly focused on boxing, there is a subplot of grief.  Billy and Leila must go through all the stages in their own way in order to cope with their loss.  And for those who don’t know, the stage of grief are: Anger, Denial, Depression, Bargaining and Acceptance.  I don’t think those are in the right order but you get my point.  Billy goes through with all of them in his way while Leila deals with hers. 

                I have to warn you, the scenes with Leila are heartbreaking.  She starts off so innocent but quickly has to grow up when she loses her mother.  This kid sees things that no one, no matter what age you are, should have to see.  The young actress who played her is named Oona Laurence and she was phenomenal.  If I had a say in who should be nominated for an Oscar, this kid deserves a nod.  I’m fairly certain she’s new to the acting world since I have never seen her name before but I really hope she continues on in the acting game.  There were parts where I felt so bad for her.  This is the one character I wanted to mention first because in my eyes, she was the best.  I mean, yes the others were good but none of them managed to evoke the level of emotions she did.

                I didn’t go into “Southpaw” thinking I’d enjoy it this much.  I thought, “Well, the tickets were free so why not?”  Then I sat through it and I was impressed.  I think it’s striving for some Oscar recognition, which I can definitely see the possibilities.  Though, I would guess it could get a nod for Best Supporting Actress for Oona Laurence, possibly Best Original Score (or is that a Grammy) because it was done by the late James Horner.  I can also see Jake Gyllenhaal scoring a Best Actor nod, but not winning for his role. 

                This one will more than likely fall into my “Best of 2015” list because even though it’s not my type of film, it was incredibly well done.  I felt emotional during it and I was never bored.  The cast definitely put their hearts into and it shows. 

                “Southpaw” isn’t for everyone.  I will admit that.  But if you want something that starts off gritty, then just keeps your emotions in check until the end, I recommend it.  I would say pay full price for it.  Make it a date night movie.  Just do yourself a favor and check it out.

                I’m TheCinemaChick and I like to howl at the moon.

                All opinions are mine.  I have no ties to any theater and I am not affiliated with this movie.  I just enjoyed it.

Also, I wasn't kidding about the murder being in the trailer.  

Better Late Than Never: Mad Max

                What’s going on everyone, I’m that girl known as TheCinemaChick!  I have a ton of laundry to do because I’m in the process of cleaning out my closet!  I have a lot of clothes I forgot I even had so this should be tons of fun.  And by tons of fun, I’m fairly certain I have a ton of clothes in there.  They’re everywhere!  I’m on a bit of a cleaning kick in general, in case you’re curious.  I have my reasons, so let’s not get into that since no one cares about me sorting clothes!

                Can we please, please, PLEASE talk about Mad Max and why it’s the most badass movie out there right now?  I mean come on…Charlize Theron is the most awesome female around right now.  And for all of you who think the film was a cop out because it wasn’t centered around Max…I don’t care!  Can you not appreciate it as a great action/adventure movie?  Visually, it was stunning.  The plot wasn’t the best but it worked with everything going on.  And hello, let’s also look at the costuming and how prefect it was to the setting?  Not to mention how the music just worked with every single scene.

                But first, let’s take a gander at everyone’s newest and most favorite character from this film, Guitar Guy!  You’ve all seen him.  He’s strapped to some speakers, playing a guitar that is also a flamethrower!

                You see, in the nerd world AKA my home planet, we would refer to him as a bard.  Bards play music in an attempt to rally his friends together and get them pumped for battle.  Tell me that isn’t what Guitar Guy does!  And I have no shame in admitting that I am a level 5 Cleric in Dungeons and Dragons.  If you think that’s lame…I don’t care!  You weren’t there when we went up against a half dozen trolls and guess what?  I, the sweet little cleric, killed 4 of them with my now favorite spell, Inflict Wounds.  Oh yeah, I’m awesome!

                Ah, but enough about my nerd habits, let’s talk about the movie!  Not going to lie, I absolutely loved it.  I didn’t think I would since I didn’t really care for the cheesy older ones with Mel Gibson, but there was a lot of thought put into this one.

                Let’s get one thing straight though.  This movie isn’t about Max.  This one is all about Furiosa.  And you know what, I’m perfectly fine with this.  Seriously, it’s not often that we get a chance to see an action movie with a female lead.  For the most part, when I see a movie like this, women are either the damsels in distress of they are a sidekick.  I admit, we did have this issue in the movie at first, but it turns out, most of the women in “Mad Max” are badass.  Other than out main heroine, we have four minor girls who do some really awesome things.

                Since the movie has been out a while, I feel I can go into the plot a bit.  It centers around Furiosa who steals the four young brides of Immortan Joe, who is super creepy.  I don’t know what he looks like or how he came to power but his costume made me uncomfortable.  She wants to get them to a safer place but he won’t allow it.  Enter Max, a living blood bag for a man named Nux.  These people are insane.  They follow Immortan Joe blindly, accepting him basically as a god.  So when the girls are taken, the boys go after them.

                Anyone remember watching “Wacky Races”?  That’s what this movie reminds me of.  Only for adults.

                The visuals in this movie are fantastic, but that also causes its downfall.  I saw the movie in 3D and the effects were amazing.  However, they won’t really translate into normal television so some of it will be lost.  On the big screen, when you see that steering wheel coming towards you, it’s breathtaking.  This is what 3D films are meant to be.  I loved that it did that instead of just making everything seem like it was in high definition.

                You know, why are so many movies being converted into 3D these days?  Is that just the trend?  Honestly, for the most part, the special effects don’t change when it’s in a different format.  I don’t see anything different between 2D and 3D.  If I’m paying extra money for special effects, I want to see them, Damnit!  I know it might just be me complaining about this but that’s just how I see it.

                OH!  Speaking of seeing a movie in the theater, can we once again talk about theater etiquette?  People, if you are planning to see a movie, for the love of Red Vines, put your phone away!  I am so sick and tired of trying to enjoy what’s going on when someone whips out a phone and starts texting.  This person was older than me as well!  You should know better by now!  There are some teenagers who are smarter than you!  I should not have to have this cell phone rant this many times.  I am going to start carrying gummy bears in my purse and start pelting people with them if they don’t knock it off.

                You think I’m kidding?

                Watch me.

                I know a lot of people are arguing that this can’t be seen as a Mad Max film because it’s not about Max.  Some people are complaining that it’s a movie for feminists.  Who says that’s a bad thing?  We need more positive, strong female role models out there!  I’m not saying you should take your ten year old daughter to this but come on…most of the movies out there have the women doing almost nothing.  We need more of this.

                I honestly have almost nothing bad to say about “Mad Max: Fury Road”.  It definitely worth seeing.  If you’re not going for the plot (which there isn’t much of one), go for the acting.  See it for the gorgeous visuals and scenery.  See it because there are some badass chicks who are smart and kick some major ass.

                What are you waiting for?

                Go out and see it!

                …Well, after you read this.

                I’m TheCinemaChick and I’m “Out of Control”

Get it?  "Out of Control"?  It's a song...here's the original video to enjoy as well...

Videos are from YouTube, no copyright infringement intended.  If you like the band, they are called "Man With a Mission".  This song features Zebrahead but go check out more of their music.  You won't be disappointed.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

                Hello everyone, I’m the nerd you might love and enjoy hearing from, TheCinemaChick!  I’ve been busy as usual but I come bearing good news for a change.  Today is the first of May which means “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is now out in theaters.  Fortunately, I got to see it last night in a double feature so I can review it for you now.  I will try to remain as spoiler free as possible because I know everyone wants to see it this weekend.  And I don’t blame you.  Right now, Marvel is a hot company.  They’ve got a dozen movies lined up so this is all leading up to the highly anticipated “Infinity War”.

                I will say this, if you haven’t seen ALL of the Marvel movies to date, don’t see this yet.  Go catch up and make sure you’ve seen them then go see this one.  There are a lot of references that come up that you might miss. I’d start with the first Avengers, then all of Phase 2 up until this point.  Technically you don’t need to see “Guardians of the Galaxy” because it isn’t really mentioned except for a brief reference during a tiny montage.  However, you should see it anyway because it’s a good movie.  Plus, it’s Marvel and we all know they rarely ever have a misstep.  Let’s not go into my intense dislike of “Iron Man 3” or why I can’t stand to sit through “Captain America: The First Avenger”.  They’re both good in their own right but they are my least favorites.

                There is a lot going on in this film, not going to lie.  There are a lot of new characters, some huge plot twists added in and this is the movie that will lead us into Phase 3.  What’s going to happen in Phase 3 you may ask?  To which I will respond, “Where have you been?”  Everyone know what’s coming in the next wave of films!  To be fair, we will probably never see another Hulk film.  I’m not sure why to be honest but I would love to see another.  If you’ve see “Age of Ultron” already, then you might agree with me when I say that I would love to have a film showing what happens next for him.  That ending…I won’t spoil it for you.  You just have to see it and if you haven’t seen it yet, why not?  I mean, come on this movie just set a record!  It is now the second best opening ever at roughly $187.7 million. 

                Wondering what the biggest opening ever is?  “The Avengers” with $207.4 million.

                I will admit, all of the new characters can make the movie a bit hard to follow.  We have Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch added into the fold.  I have to admit, I loved their portrayal.  However, I didn’t care for Elizabeth Olsen’s portrayal.  Overall, I really liked her but she sounded terrible with her accent.  Aaron Taylor-Johnson was spot on and as much as I love Evan Peters…I’m sorry, Taylor-Johnson wins this one.  He was exactly what you want.  Peters brought more of a comedic edge to the character but traditionally, Pietro Maximoff isn’t humorous.  He’s hot headed, impatient and extremely volatile.  Yes, he does have some wonderful moments that made me laugh but I’m used to a more angry Quicksilver.  As for Olsen and Wanda Maximoff, again, for the most part, I enjoyed her.  She brought this mysterious yet slightly kooky vibe to her, which I liked.  I just wish she’d done a little more work on that accent.

                One really great thing about this movie is how things from all the previous films are starting to come together.  Little elements from “Thor” and “The Winter Soldier” are starting to come into play here.  There are things you notice from those films in this one.  The obvious thing is the yellow stone that showed up in one of the previews.  Comic fans will know what this is: The Mind Stone.  Ladies and gentlemen, the Infinity Stones are coming.  Remember in the first “Thor” movie, when they’re down in the vault and you see all those relics?  While the movie focused on the Casket of Winter, there is something else I hope you noticed.  Remember that glove you saw for a brief moment?  That is the Power Glove, the thing that houses the Infinity Stones.  Once someone has all the Stones in that Glove, they become damn near invincible.

                Thanos is coming.

                I have to admit, despite my dislike of Elizabeth Olsen’s lack of accent, the way she interacted with the other actors, in character was brilliant.  She was essentially what I had hoped for.  The Scarlet Witch comes off as slightly out of her mind, which she is.  I liked how her powers effected the Avengers so much that they had to leave and sort themselves out before going back to it.  It’s like the film is trying to get the point across that super heroes are vulnerable too.  Even they can lose their nerve.  But the best part of Wanda’s powers were the little dreams she brought out.  The audience gets to see little glimpses into the minds of each character.  Finally, we get to see some of Black Widow’s background, which made her more of a sympathetic person to me.  I’m not a huge fan of her but after seeing her story, I like her more.  Thor’s dream, however, is more relevant to the future of the Marvel movie universe, so I’d rather not spoil that.

                I would like to point this out though.  Earlier in the year, I had read an interview with Idris Elba where he confirmed that both he and Tom Hiddleston would appear in “Age of Ultron”.  Heimdall does show up, I won’t say where or how.  However, Loki is noticeably absent in the movie.  I’ve since read another interview, this one with Joss Whedon and he says that yes, Hiddleston did shoot some scenes but they were ultimately cut.  I understand his reasoning since there is so much going on that maybe having Loki in it as well would have made the movie feel cluttered.  As is, the film felt stuffed full of things I’ll need to remember into Phase 3.  I agree with the decision to keep Loki out of this movie but that has just made me curious.  What would his role have been?  Remember, they think he’s dead because in “The Dark World”, Thor believes he sees Loki killed but at the very end, we see the trickster sitting on the throne of Asgard with a cocky grin on his face.

                Anyone else wondering where Odin is?

                I’ll admit, I had hoped that Ultron, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch would play a larger part but I felt like they were underutilized.  I know, I know, this movie is about the Avengers and how they save the world.  In my eyes, the twins are some of the most interesting and possibly tragic characters in this movie but they aren’t in it as much as I’d like.  There could have been more added so we got to know them more but they were just pushed aside.  I wasn’t even a huge fan of Ultron.  Maybe it’s because I’m not familiar with him in the comic book universe, but to me, he was the least threatening villain ever.  Maybe it was because he was always so calm and philosophical but I never once found him to be a threat.  A nuisance maybe but never truly menacing.  I wanted him to be a little more sinister and they almost turned him into a comic relief.  I get that he’s new to the world and he intends to save it in his own way but having him apologize for hurting someone?

                I admit, that bothered me.  In the original “Avengers” movie, I had the sense of danger and urgency while they were looking for the tesseract and Loki.  In “Age of Ultron”, I never really got that feeling.  There were a few brief moments of “I wonder what will happen next” and a few times, I did say “Well, didn’t see that coming” but overall, it played out just as I had thought.  There weren’t any major huge twists or surprises.  I mean, we see the Hulk Buster armor in the trailer, so that wasn’t a surprise.  Hell, they even teased the reveal of The Vision.  Had they left that a secret, I would have been even more excited.  Trailers these days just give away too much. 

                I will say this, the trailer, while it did give away too much for me, also did a good job of teasing me to the point where I had to find answers.  Like, you see Captain America’s shield broken and you need to know why it’s broken.  Or, you’ll see Thor in that pool of water and question what that has to do with the film overall.  I can honestly say that even though it’s brief, it’s extremely important.  Thor’s dream is something you should pay attention to and listen to everything he says.  Again, this is all leading into Phase 3, The Infinity War.

                Spoiler alert!!  Kevin Feige has gone on record stating that the Gauntlet we see in “Thor” might not be the only one.  I can’t say more because I don’t know more but I need to know.

                I thoroughly enjoyed “Avengers: Age of Ultron” but it did have its faults.  There was too much going on and far too many characters were involved.  While the film does center on the main group, there are nearly a dozen additional minor characters as well.  I won’t say who because that would spoil the ending, which was brilliant as well.  The problem being, in my opinion, is that it took away from the overall feel.  Yes, I understand that they’re important and they serve a purpose in later films but did we need them?  Okay, they were needed at the end but all throughout?  The plot is straightforward but then there are so many side stories that I got bored several times.  I understand why its needed but maybe, just maybe, we could cut some of it out?  I am glad to see that Jeremy Renner gets far more screen time.  He also gets some of the best lines in the movie too.

                There is some dialogue that was absolutely perfect, both in the comedic sense and in terms of foreshadowing.  Joss Whedon is really careful with his words and I think that shows in the final product.  Quicksilver is always snarky while Scarlet Witch is always a little vague.  I would like to see it again because I know there will be things that I missed in the first showing.  Plus, we finally get to meet The Vision, who was amazing.  I like Paul Bettany and seeing him “come to life” so to speak in the movie…the way they did it was great.  I hope to see more of him in later films because he does possess an Infinity Stone.

                And before you jump on my case, no that’s not a spoiler.  It’s in the trailer!

                I would say “Age of Ultron” is another Marvel masterpiece, but like all of its other films, it is flawed.  It suffers from what my creative writing professor in college called “population control”.  There are too many characters, too many side stories and some of it just didn’t even feel necessary.  I think they over emphasized the idea that the Avengers needed to come together because they spend so much time on it. 

                I do recommend it, not just because I’m obsessed with the Marvel world.  It’s genuinely entertaining, it does make you think about things like artificial intelligence and it did get me excited for the next round of films.  I do hope there’s another Hulk movie in the future but we’ll have to wait and see.  We’ve got “Captain America: Civil War” to look forward to, along with “Ant Man”, “Doctor Strange” and the one I’m most excited about “Thor: Ragnarok”. 

                What can I say, I love mythology.

                Guys, once again, I just want to say thank you for sticking with me.  I know I’m not posting as often as I used to and I’ve been combining reviews but to know you’re still reading, it means a lot to me.  Cinema is a huge passion of mine, on a technical and artistic level.  I love writing this blog and I love being able to share my opinions with you guys.

                So, from the bottom of my nerdy heart, thank you.

                I would also like to say that the summer movie season is upon us, so be looking for my list of movies I’m geeking out about soon.  I can tell you that I will see “Mad Max”.  Who knows what else I’ll see?  Time will tell.

                I’m TheCinemaChick and what a lovely day.

American Sniper

            What’s up everyone, I’m the one and only movie blogger known as TheCinemaChick and I’m finally reviewing something in the New Year.  I will admit I did see one other movie so far, but I was also battling a nasty case of bronchitis.  It was horrible.  My throat was swollen and sore, I couldn’t talk, couldn’t eat…ugh.  So glad that’s over.

            But, good news everyone!  I am healthy and healed and have gotten back into the real world.  I have seen two movies this year so far but let’s start off on a good note.  And I have to warn you, I am going to get a little political during this review.  I know everyone has their own thoughts.  Please respect my opinions as I try to respect all of yours.

            Keeping that in mind, let’s look at “American Sniper”.

            First off, let’s get the controversial part over.  I do not support war.  I am a pacifist, I am strongly anti-gun (purely because the of a semi traumatic experience), and I do not condone sanctioned murdering.  I know it isn’t intentional murder but when so many civilians are caught in the crossfire and killed…I just feel like its murder.  They had nothing to do with the war, they were just innocent bystanders.  Think about it, women and children are being killed.  I do not and will never support any type of war.

            However, I do support the troops.  I applaud their bravery and courage for going out there and protecting our country.  They deserve to be lauded for what they do.  People in the military are some of the strongest people ever but they are also some of the most fragile.  When they come back from war, they might be injured or left disabled or suffer from PTSD.  I have had family members that served and I have friends who are in the army.

            So no, I am not pro war.  I am pro armed services.

            “American Sniper” is a film based on a novel of the same name.  I have not read the book but after watching the film, I want to.  It is a biographical movie, based on the life of a man named Chris Kyle.  He served in the military as a sniper.  This movie has two main focuses: Kyle’s life overseas and his life at home.  Overall, the movie was very tasteful and to my surprise, did not contain copious amounts of violence.  I don’t like war films for that reason.  Violence, gore, blood…things like that cause me to get nauseated.  There were two scenes that made me slightly sick but other than that, it’s good.

            By the way, you know how everyone’s saying Bradley Cooper deserves an Oscar for his performance?  Oh yes, he earned it.  He became Chris Kyle.  I went into this knowing who the actor was and it still took me a minute to realize, “Oh yeah, that’s Bradley Cooper!”  He just wraps himself into this role and never once did I find it unbelievable.  Sometimes, when I’m aware of the actor, I can’t see him as the character but in this case, I did not see him.  Sienna Miller was also incredible as well.  She threw herself into that role and stuck with it. 

            What I loved the most about the movie was that it kept me on edge the whole time.  I knew the ending, I knew Chris Kyle’s fate but the moments leading up to it had me hooked.  The tone began fairly light, showing his childhood and how it shaped him, then slowly became darker and darker.  I got a good look into his mind as the PTSD started taking over.  Certain sights or sounds cause little triggers in him and for the audience, it creates tension.  It makes me wonder what’s going to happen.  Bless his wife for being so patient and loving with him.

            I could never sit through this movie again, despite it being so amazing.  It was emotionally draining and I cried at the end.  The ending…oh man, the ending…I won’t spoil it because I think this film is worth seeing.  However, I will say this: the ending is footage of an actual event that while cause you to tear up.  I didn’t know it had taken place in Arlington, Texas because I did not know about Chris Kyle until I heard of “American Sniper”.  This event literally happened fifteen minutes from me in 2013.

            Bravo to everyone who worked on this film.  It was far better than I’d thought it would be and the audience applauded at the end.  It is a wonderful movie that I honestly believe should be seen.  Some people will be able to handle it better than me.

            Chris Kyle was a hero.  His family should be very proud of him and what he did for our country.  I felt a sense of pride after watching the movie.

            To everyone who serves in the military, whether it be in combat or tactical or whatever, I appreciate everything you have done for this country.

            I’m TheCinemaChick and coming soon, this year’s Oscar nominations and predictions.

            I am also pleased to announce that I am in the process of creating my very own website!  It will have my podcasts on there, along with my reviews.  I also have people who will be contributing to my site.  Kit Kat will be joining, along with my podcast partner, Draco Ro’tor.  It will be a while since I have no skills on building websites, so bear with me on this.  But soon…I will be moving on to bigger things.

            Thank you guys for your continued support, even during my extended leave due to illness.  You are awesome.

            On a personal note, I have seen the comments made by Michael Moore and Seth Rogen about the film.  As I’ve said, everyone is entitled to their opinion.  And with that said, I would like to say that I believe Michael Moore is wrong about snipers.  They are not cowards.  Snipers must make very tough decisions on the fly and are often haunted by those choices.  Sometimes, you have to decide if you must kill a woman to save your company.  Cowards are men who hide behind Twitter and say such terrible things using inexcusably bad grammar

            Just saying.

            ***No copyright infringement is intended.  All opinions expressed in my blog belong to me and this is purely for entertainment purposes.***