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.

Zootopia

                Hello everyone out there!  You know me best as TheCinemaChick and I talk about movies a lot.  And I mean A LOT!  I know, I know, I haven’t been active much as of late but you know, things happen and I need to lay low for a bit.  Since that sounds shady, let me explain.  I’ve just been busy and when I wasn’t busy, I was dealing with my bipolar disorder, which has been al out of whack lately.  And, some really great things have happened but I’m not ready to announce that to the general public yet.  No hints either.  It’s something myself and only about…3 other people know and for the time being, that’s the way I’d like to keep it.

So, I have seen some films this year.  I saw “The Fifth Wave” for my birthday, which was absolutely atrocious.  I laughed inappropriately the whole time because well…I guess I’ll just have to write about it to explain it.  Seriously, one of the worst of 2016.

I did see Deadpool and I’m on the fence about whether I should review it or not.  I mean, it was such a popular movie that I don’t feel I need to touch on it.  If you want me to talk about it, let me know!  You know where the comment section is!

So, let’s move on to the movie of this blog.  I’m talking about the newly released Disney animated film called “Zootopia”.  I’m not sure how I feel about this film as of yet.  The thing is, I loved the voice acting.  They had a really good cast, including Ginnifer Goodwin as the main character, Judy Hopp.  As per usual, the animation was astounding, but I’ve come to expect high quality animation from them so it’s really hard for them to screw up the visuals.

Let me step back here for a moment.  I did in fact see “The Good Dinosaur”, which I DO NOT recommend.  It’s aimed at children but it should not be.  There are some topics in there that children just aren’t ready to deal with.  I mean, you see the main character lose a parent in the beginning and there is a scene later where he has to explain death to a little human boy.  I found that part extremely sad and I don’t think a little kid would want to hear about it.  Also, yes, there is a drug trip.  The dinosaur and his human pet eat some berries that have either gone bad or fermented and they hallucinate.  I was uncomfortable watching it as an adult.  Again, not for children!

See, I brought that up because I see this trend continuing.  While “Zootopia” on the surface is a cute movie about a bunny joining the police force and becoming friends with a fox, I don’t think it’s for the little ones.  I admit, it’s full of bright colors and snappy dialogue but honestly, today’s children are smarter than that.  I think they are going to catch little bits of what’s meant to be a moral lesson.  Plus, Disney is really relying on this whole “girl power, women can do anything” trend.  The last few major movies that have come out, especially the animated ones have all dealt with independent young girls who can overcome anything.

I’m all for female empowerment, but we get it Disney.  We learned this from Mulan, Frozen, Brave, Inside Out…the list goes on and on.

And the thing is, Judy is kind of bland and one dimensional.  She only has one mode, eternal optimist.  She doesn’t really grow or change over the course of the story.  All throughout, she’s just the first bunny cop, something they repeatedly nail into your head.  We get it!  She made history!  We don’t need to be reminded of it every fifteen minutes!  And like I said, she’s just always cheerful and upbeat and optimistic, which in itself isn’t bad.  But she doesn’t learn anything.  The lesson I got from the movie is that I should learn how to “hustle” and bend the laws a little bit.  And trust me, she bends the law to her advantage several times, then gets on the fox’s case for the slightest infraction of it!

To me, the most interesting character was the secondary lead, Nick Fox, voiced by Jason Bateman.  He actually had growth and change as a character and he was much better than Judy.  Yeah, ok, she starts off all shady but by the end of the film, I was rooting for him.  His backstory was far more interesting than hers so he became more sympathetic.  I could relate to Nick more than I could a determined bunny.  Sorry guys, I’m just saying, the anti-hero (if that’s what we’re calling him) is far more interesting than the hero.

While the overall tone of the film is light for the most part, they cover some incredibly heavy topics.  To start, Judy’s parents aren’t encouraging and supportive.  She wants to be a cop, they tell her no, stay home and be a carrot farmer.  Then there’s a joke about how many brothers and sisters she has, so yeah they had to include a joke about rabbit reproduction.  They actually show some violence, which is new to me.  Most of the time it’s implied or shown off screen.  In this case, no if someone gets hurt, you see it.  And oh my goodness, they really hammer home a message about racism.  Judy is called “cute” at one point and she says it’s offensive because only bunnies can call other bunnies cute.

Dude, it’s the Oscars all over again!  I watched the Academy Awards to see if Leonardo DiCaprio finally won the gold statue and I left feeling so horrible about myself!  Seriously, almost everyone had some sort of social injustice to preach about.  I had to hear about sexual assault and bullying and climate change…ugh!  Celebrities…you can preach how we should change all these things all you want, I don’t see you making any real efforts to stop them.  Just addressing the issue and raising awareness isn’t going to do anything if that’s all you do!

*sighs*

I’m okay.

Overall, “Zootopia” was pretty good.  I liked most of the characters and the plot was good.  There was a twist I didn’t see coming, but in retrospect, I should have.  The ending was bland and predictable, which is true of a lot of films these days.  I just went into it really wanting to like it but afterwards…I just couldn’t.  I wasn’t as impressed as I had hoped.  Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see a movie that explores this world deeper and focuses on other animals, but I don’t want to see anymore of Judy Hopps.

Would I recommend this movie?  Yeah, if you can swing a matinee for it.  Take the kids as well, they’ll love the witty script and action scenes.  There might be a few things you have to explain to him after the film because I honestly think a lot of more adult themes were slipped in.

Also. I know that Shakira was cast in the movie as Gazelle.  Don’t get your hopes up.  She’s not in the movie until the final ten minutes.  She’s mentioned a lot and you get to hear her speak I think three times in the entire run time.  Why promote her casting if you’re not going to use her?  She was just shoved into the background.

One tiny spoiler.  There is a huge Breaking Bad easter egg that had me laughing.  You’ll know what it is when you get there.  I was laughing pretty hard at that.  I can’t spoil why it was so funny but trust me, it’s a good one!

Also, Alan Tudyk voices a minor character named Duke Weaslton…sound familiar?  Since he played the Duke of Wesselton (always mispronounced as Weaselton) in “Frozen”?  I see what you did there, Disney.  Two thumbs up to that!

Again, overall, I don’t care for “Zootopia”.  It lays on the social issues too much and relies on a bland, uninteresting character to tell the story.  I’m also a little uncomfortable that they have a naturalist club in the film.  Kids, if you don’t know what that is…ask your parents.  I ain’t touching this one.  It’s in the movie…where Tommy Chong is.  Don’t know Tommy Chong?  Again, ask your parents.

I’m TheCinemaChick and if I were in Zootopia, I’d like to think I’d be a ferret.

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.

Pitch Perfect 2

                Hello everyone in Internet Land, I’m the girl who throws popcorn at people on their phones during a movie, better known as TheCinemaChick!  I’ve been so irritated by theater goers lately.  I saw Mad Max and one person kept taking out their phone to text someone.  News flash for you buddy, I can see you every time you do it!  It’s a massive distraction and why aren’t you watching the freaking movie?  You paid good money to see it in 3D, why waste it?  Seriously, pocket the phone and watch!  I should not have to be the one who must start throwing popcorn at you to make a point!  You’re older than me!  Have you never been to a movie before?

                I know I’m ranting but how many times have I had to talk about this?  Even children (for the most part) know better!

                What have I been up to the past month, you probably aren’t wondering?  Well, I’m glad I brought it up.  I have been doing some teaching but the school year is now over, so I won’t be doing that again until August.  Then, on top of that, I had several American Heritage Girl events to attend and help with.  For those of you who don’t know what AHG is, it’s like Girl Scouts but it’s centered on the church.  The easy way to put it is that it’s basically Christian Girl Scouts.  I don’t remember if I’ve brought that up before or not, but now you know.  I just finished up a week of vacation Bible school, which I have done for I think five years now.  I started off with the two year olds, then went up to do arts and crafts and never looked back. 

                However…small children and crafts are a tricky thing.  They get bored easily and it’s almost impossible to keep their attention for the forty five minutes we have them.  We also have multiple rotations so we have may have a minute or two to clean up from one class and set up for the next.  Fortunately, the other ladies I work with and I have a system.  We got this down.

                But I’m not here to talk about things that aren’t cinema related…even though I just did…Well, I’m here to talk about the movies I’ve seen recently.  I’ve only got three so far, but I’ve been busy and money’s a bit tight right now, so I have to scale back for a while.  Trust me, there are a dozen films I’d go see right now if I could, I just can’t.

                Then there’s the movies I saw and wished I hadn’t spent money on.  Like Pitch Perfect 2.  Don’t get me wrong, I loved the first one.  I still watch it from time to time.  Anna Kendrick cracks me up, Rebel Wilson is a great comedic actress and the musical numbers are amazing.  It made me want to be a part of an a Capella singing group.  I admit, my choir days are over, but this made me want to start over and do more things with it.  The group’s chemistry was really good.  I wish the second one had been half as good.

                I admit, the sequel does have some high points but for the most part, I just couldn’t enjoy it.  Many of the jokes are offensive.  There is a new girl named Florencia who I believe is supposed to be from Guatemala.  Instead of making her a positive character, they made her into a walking stereotype.  All of the jokes about her were racist.  She talks about being traded for chickens or how she’ll be deported after college and die trying to sneak back in to America.  SERIOUSLY.  As a woman who is Hispanic, I am incredibly offended by this.  I don’t appreciate jokes like that and I think they crossed a line with this one.  Why did you think it was a good idea to include multiple jokes about this?  It’s not funny, it’s just disgusting.

                And, if you’ve seen the previews, you know what happens to the Bellas.  They perform for the president and Fat Amy’s costume tears, revealing that she does not have underwear on.  Here’s the second thing I had a major issue with.  Why did it have to be the plus size girl?  I know a lot of people think it’s funny to make fun of the fat girls, but we don’t like it.  Not to mention, if there is a plus size woman in a movie, she’s either comedic relief or the ugly friend.  She doesn’t get the good roles or the handsome lead actor.  Larger women are reduced so that the skinny woman can take center stage.  Fat Amy is another stereotype that I can’t stand.  She has a few lines that I liked but for the most part, I hated her role this time.  I mean, they couldn’t even give her clothes that fit properly!  Why does every outfit she wear have to be so tight and short?  The other girls get clothes that fit great, but not her.  It’s like…everything you think about fat girls is Fat Amy.  I wish Rebel Wilson had been given better clothes and less disgusting lines.

                The plot itself is a mess.  I understand the main plot is that the Barden Bellas have fallen from grace and would like to redeem themselves at the world championship.  That story rarely ever comes out.  Every now and then, the movie is like “oh yeah, we’re a singing group!” and gets back on topic.  They have so many side stories going on that it detracted from the main one.  There’s still the whole Beca and Jesse thing going on, we get more on the Fat Amy and Bumper love story then the new girl (they call her Legacy) and Ben have a romance as well.  They wanted to do so much but they shouldn’t have.  I wish some of the filler material had been cut out because it just didn’t fit. 

                To make matters worse, they tried to recycle ideas from the last movie to try and remind us that the first one was great.  So now, instead of a riff off in the pool, we have a weird contest in some guy’s basement.  The highlight of this scene is that the Green Bay Packers are in it.  Okay, they’re terrible but it’s still funny.  But it’s no different from the last one.  And what really got me is that the Treblemakers are gone.  The only returning members are Jesse and Ben.  The rest of the group gets one musical number then you never see them again.  Even the main rivals have been reduced so much that they are nothing but romantic interests.  I can’t even really say this movie tries to promote female empowerment because it was just two hours of racism and vagina jokes.

                I laughed a grand total of three times.  I’m not joking.  The final medley of songs was great and I really enjoyed it, especially when they brought out the past members of the Bellas to sing with them.  It was a touching moment, one I think this movie needed more of. 

                My question now is, they establish that everyone but one girl graduates.  There will be a Pitch Perfect Three coming out in the future but what’s going to happen with it?  Are we going to look at the girls now that they’ve all left college?  Are we going to focus on Legacy and her life as a Bella and a college girl?  Will they explain why singing groups get houses on campus?  There are a lot of things that never get answered.  Continuity people!  Use it!

                In recent months, Fry has pointed out that I tend to be a little too critical when I discuss films, which I admit, can be true.  However, when it comes to Pitch Perfect, I can’t help it.  The movie had the potential to be just as good, if not better than its predecessor.  Instead, they went back to the same plot, added some fluff and offensive jokes and called it a film.  I also understand that movies are not catered to my specific tastes.  I just also have the hopes that it will not rely on racist jokes or vulgarity to be good.  And that’s what the problem is with this one.  It relied on a tired formula without really adding anything fresh to it.  And if you have to resort to race jokes, then you should have edited the script better.

                Maybe I expected too much from Pitch Perfect Two.  I admit, I did have high hopes for this one but it just never came together for me.  In the end, I felt bad that I’d paid to see this.  It wasn’t too terribly memorable and I just didn’t enjoy myself.  I know it did quite well and I’m just one person, but I have no desire to see another film in this franchise.  They should quit while they’re ahead or it’s just going to end up as another stale, formulaic two hour bore.  That’s just my opinion and if you disagree, that’s fine by me.  I’m just telling you what I think.

                I’m TheCinemaChick and I’ve got two more reviews to go to be caught up.

Theater Reviews: Harkins Southlake

                Hey everyone out there behind a computer screen!  Happy Monday from me, you’re (probably not) favorite reviewer, TheCinemaChick!  I've had a rough weekend, so I’m setting aside a few things for now.  Don’t worry, I’m still going to do my look at the summer movie season.  You see, yesterday was Mother’s Day and for me, it’s not an easy day because I lost MovieMomma in 2012.  I did go through grief counseling this year but if anyone else has ever lost a parent, you know how hard it is to have holidays like this.  Yes, I have OtherMother and TenMom (KitKat’s mother has accepted me as her daughter and they live in Tennessee) but it will never be MovieMomma.  Don’t get me wrong, I love all of the maternal figures in my life.  There’s just no one else like your mother.

                Enough about my sadness.  I've been mulling this over in my head a while and I've decided that I want to take a look at the theaters I frequent.  That’s right, I’m reviewing the theaters themselves.  I've thought about what I would base my criteria on and I think I've got it.  I’m going to base my opinions on the following five factors: Lobby/Hallway, Theater, Management/Staff, Snacks and Cleanliness.  I've been to a lot of cinemas in the area and everyone’s got an opinion on which one they prefer.  I can honestly say, I've been to some amazing places but there is one theater that I will never go to again.  You’ll understand when I write about that one.

                What’s my rating system?  Let’s make one up…I suppose a five star system would work.

                Also, keep in mind I am not affiliated with any of these businesses.  I’m not employed at any of them.  At most, I’m a patron.  If they like what they read, fantastic.  If they don’t, I’m sorry but I’m entitled to my opinions.

                The first theater I want to visit, metaphorically, is Harkins Theater.  It is in Southlake, Texas which isn’t too terribly far from me.  It’s a bit of a drive, whether I take a highway or the back roads.  But that’s not their fault.  I’m more than willing to make the drive out there to see a movie.  So, let’s look at each of my criteria, one at a time.

1.       Lobby/Hallway

The building itself is fairly small.  There’s just one long hallway and a medium sized lobby.  Even when it’s full of people, it never feels like it’s small because there’s plenty of room to maneuver through the crowds.  Granted, there are always those people who stop in the middle of the area to chat but that’s not anyone’s fault but their own.  And remember, it’s hard for me to get around because I do require a cane to walk.  I've never felt like I was going to be shoved aside or knocked over.  And they are well lit, so navigation isn't an issue.  Overall, I give it my highest rating, five stars.

2.       Theater

The theater itself is bright both before and after the show.  A lot of people leave as soon as the credits start, which is ok but if you’re like me, or it’s a Marvel movie, you wait.  However, I've been to some theaters where you can’t see anything until well after the credits end.  It’s like the want you to be in the dark, pun intended.  A lot of the time, I am terrified to move around in a theater because it’s dark and having a cane, I need to see where I am stepping.  I’m also visually impaired, so I can’t see outlines in dark places.  I love that Harkins actually makes sure people can see where they are going.  I personally feel safer going up and down the steps, knowing I can clearly see what I am doing.

Rating: Five Stars

3.       Management/Staff

You know how some places have employees that just look like they’d rather be doing anything else at that moment?  Or how it reflects in their attitude?  I never see that with the workers at Harkins.  I’ll admit, sometimes they do seem tired but they work hard and I cannot fault them for showing signs of exhaustion.  They are genuinely friendly, gladly help out if you have a question and are incredibly helpful.  I've had issues with an employee…never actually.  And the management?  Bravo Harkins management!  You guys are the best.  I went to a midnight showing and asked a manager about possibly going in like, 2 minutes earlier so I could get a seat.  When he asked why, I explained how most people rush in at once, run past me, etc and that I had been knocked over before during a marathon.  I was just asking because of my personal safety.  Since that night, I've noticed there has been a “no running, no pushing” rule enacted.  They’ve even said if you get caught doing that, it’s the end of the line for you. 

I am incredibly impressed that they took a concern from a customer (I’m sure it wasn't me, other people have probably said things in a similar manner before) and made it a rule so everyone can be safe.  And yes, I do feel safer at Harkins.  I feel I am less likely to trip, be knocked over, fall…I just think they raised the bar here.

Rating: Six Stars (Because they are that good.  I’m not kidding, they are amazing.)

4.       Snacks

Honestly, just about every theater I go to has a subpar snack bar.  I’m normally unimpressed but everything.  However, they have a great selection.  I've never had stale popcorn either and believe me, some places I've been have no shame in serving leftover stuff.  Don’t like the amount of butter you got?  They have small stations to the side where you can add more.  They also have the plastic jars with seasoning in them if you want a different flavor.  Did you know other theaters charge for it?  I've seen it sold for about a dollar other places but here, they give it away.  And if you haven’t tried ranch popcorn, you’re missing out.  They have a huge variety of candy as well, if that’s what you want.  They even offer pizza and small burgers if you’re really hungry.  I’m not a fan but that’s because I've never understood getting a full meal at a movie.  If you’re at a movie tavern, I understand but a normal movie?  Don’t get me wrong, I've eaten probably everything they offer because I've attended marathons there and if you’re there all day, you don’t just want popcorn.  Personally, I go for the pizza but to each their own.

Rating: Four Stars (sometimes the lines get really backed up and you end up waiting a long time to get to the counter, and I don’t mean during marathon events.  Even then, it’s worth the wait)

5.       Cleanliness

Not going to lie, I've never seen this theater dirty.  Yes, after a movie, people leave their trash all over but that’s it.  The bathrooms are always spotless, even during marathon events when they are in high use.  How is it possible that they keep it so clean?  The lobby and halls may have the occasional piece of popcorn or ticket stub but that’s it.  It’s just…clean.  Once again, it’s good for me because I feel safe, knowing I can’t slip on someone’s spilled popcorn.  They take care of things in a very timely manner.  Oh and during marathons, if you’re too tired or too stiff to make it to the trashcans in the hallway, they come around with a bag so you can dispose of your garbage.  Is there anything they won’t do?  Well, I mean, yeah they can’t do everything for you but still, they’re pretty impressive by my standards.

Rating: Four and a Half Stars.  They’re not perfect and there are some people who just leave the trash all over and it’s possible that sometimes, something might be overlooked.  However, by far, Harkins is the cleanest theater I go to.

                There you have it, folks!  My first theater review!  What do you guys think?  Do you want me to write about more places I go?  Would you want to know what I think about some of the local theaters?  And by local, I mean the places in the Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Grapevine, Southlake, Colleyville, Arlington area.  I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth suburbs so I tend to stick with what’s closest to me.  Sorry, I don’t see the need to drive to downtown Dallas for 3 hours.

                Also, as I've said before, I am not affiliated with any of these places.  They are simply theaters I go to and like going to.  If they like what I say, great, if they don’t, I’m sorry.

                Until next time, I’m TheCinemaChick and I think I’ll make a sandwich for dinner.

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.