Movie Review - Thor Ragnarok

Star Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Storyline

Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok--the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization--at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger--the Incredible Hulk! - Rotten Tomatoes

Review

Glorious Redemption!

Ragnarok has pulled Thor out of the pile of ashes caused by the flaming wreckage that was Thor: The Dark World, and reinvigorated the character in the most unexpected ways. Reborn like the Phoenix!

I found that there was a strong focus on the comedic aspects of the characters, rather than the overly serious and rather dry view that we have seen in Dark World, which left a rather stale feel to the franchise. Whilst there were some very serious moments, like the battle of the Valkyries, which was paired with some amazing cinematography, didn't cause any of that bitterness to return.

 Honestly I got chills in the middle of this scene. I still get them now, that's just how amazing this scene was.

Whilst plot wise, there is not a lot going on, you don't actually notice. You're so immersed in the colours and fighting that you don't have time to think about anything else. It did bother me some, that there was so little  focus on Hela's efforts in her claiming Asgard, or that how she had the power to completely destroy Mjolnir within the first 30 seconds of being released on Earth. As I understand it, her power comes from Asgard, so being cut of from it for so long should have left her in a weaken state, right?

And as the Goddess of Death, I feel the introduction to Hela didn't instill the level of malevolence it should have. I guess that could have stemmed from my trepidation of Cate Blanchett being used for quite a dark roll. Toward the end of the film, I did buy into the character, but it shouldn't have taken an hour and a half to establish the vibe of a death goddess.

There are also a lot of questions remaining about what happened to The Hulk between Age of Ultron and Ragnarok. Like how he flew an aircraft not designed for space travel to another planet? Thor does ask Bruce, but conveniently, amnesia.

The scenes that take place on Xandark (?) have a distinctly Guardians of the Galaxy feel, and have very similar retro space vibe. Leaving me to wonder if there was input or influence from the Guardian Crew...

Information:
 
Release Date: 25th October, 2017
Run Time: 2hrs 10mins
Rating: PG-13
Cast:

• Chris Hemsworth as Thor
• Tom Hiddleston as Loki
• Cate Blanchett as Hela
• Idris Elba as Heimdall
• Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster
• Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie
• Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk/ Bruce Banner
• Anthony Hopkins as Odin
• Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange

Batman Arkham Knight - Game Review

Star Rating:⭐⭐⭐✩✩
Release Date: 23 June 2015

Over the course of this year I have been playing through the Batman Arkham series. My initial experience with this game was actually really terrible, as tried to play on my PC with a copy I bought off Steam. I downloaded a bunch of patches, etc, did everything I could but the game was virtually unplayable, so I got it refunded and thought that was the end of it. However, which the recent purchase of a PS4 I was able to play/watch, after several really time consuming updates. My partner has a tendency to hijack my games.
The story was good,if you can ignore the fact that they butchered several really famous Batman story lines and  don't expect any solid conclusion about the Arkham Knight. It was a little annoying to have to complete most of the side missions to reach the actual ending of the game, literally spent 12 hours just doing side quest at the end.
There were also significantly more jump scares in this game than the others; which did add to the thrill of play, but if you're like me it makes you super edgy for the rest of the day. Especially the Manbat one. The Joker is there to add some messed up comic relief afterward, but jokes from a psychotic serial killer gives little relief. 
The graphics still glitched out toward the end, making me think this was a half-baked game to begin with, and makes me feel sorry for those who paid full price for it. 
Can't say much about game play as, like I mentioned previously, my game got hijacked. But it seemed relevantly challenging, but there were a few times it wasn't clear which character you were playing, like that one part where Robin has to defuse 5 bombs without being spotted. I wish we could have played the other characters outside of their missions. It would have been interesting to see how Nightwing and Robin move about the city.
Another thing that annoyed was how much Alfred did in this game, which kind of took away some of the detective work that could have been quite interesting. 
Add then they go on about the Scarecrow's face being messed up, but you never actually see it. He's also less creepy and more ominous in this game, I preferred the Arkham Asylum one.
Mixed feelings about this one. Comics were better...

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy on PS4 - Game Review

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Release Date: 30 June 2017

One of my fondest memories as a kid was playing these games with my mum, passing the controller back and forth because some level were just too hard for an 8 y.o. So when I heard that they were releasing a remastered trilogy, you bet I started saving to buy myself a PS4 just to play these games.

Crash Bandicoot-
OH GOD! The nostalgia! Literally the same game, but better! Expect for the added difficulty of some levels, like 'The High Road'. I like to think I was pretty competent at playing this one, as I have a ridiculous amount of experience with playing Crash, unlike my partner who play this for the first time at the age of 27. Every time he died, he just grumbled "Damn Hit Boxes." Which have been greatly refined since it's original from 1996, making game play smoother and easier to control. However, even with the edition of being able to use to joystick as the primary controller, I often found myself reverting to the D-Pad for a lot of the harder levels like 'The Slippery Climb', 'The Native Fortress' and 'Sunset Vista', as often found that using the joystick would often cause me to fall of the front to the platforms, which of of course caused me to die. As this game was designed specifically for the D-Pad, adding in use of the joystick, whilst a novelty, was somewhat useless.
The most noticeable improvement are the added textures and refinement of the graphics, which made the whole trilogy less torturous to the eye.

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back-
Unfortunately, the added texture in some of these levels made the path unclear, as rarely I found myself confused as which way to go. Attempting to walk over a hill and finding myself walking into an invisible wall.
I was also annoyed with how the N. Gin boss battle was setup, as the target area was often off screen/ out of range. I know that was true the the original, but guys, that took way too long for me to do. 
But I am not gonna lie, I didn't even bother finishing this game, because of all jet-pack levels with whacked out controls, my partner also gave a solid pass after being asked to do the underwater scuba levels, which I hated as a kid.

Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped-
Hands down, my favorite of all the Crash Bandicoot games. Last few levels were super easy, as once I got the Wumpa Bazooka I just shoot everything in sight. I fell that couple of the levels in this game could have been made more challenging, as we finished the entire game over 4 hours or so, where the other two were at least 8 each.

Overview- 
All in all, definitely worth the $60 I spent, work out to be $20 per game. I enjoyed that they kept a lot of the Easter Eggs in the games, I really enjoyed sharing this with my partner, and watching him get N.Sanely frustrated with being challenged in way that most games today don't challenge the player.

I wonder if they'll be releasing the Fourth Games as DLC?

Book Review - Wrath by John Gwynne

Star Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Storyline - 

"Events are coming to a climax in the Banished Lands, as the war reaches new heights. King Nathair has taken control of the fortress at Drassil and three of the Seven Treasures are in his possession. And together with Calidus and his ally Queen Rhin, Nathair will do anything to obtain the remaining Treasures. With all seven under his command, he can open a portal to the Otherworld. Then Asroth and his demon-horde will finally break into the Banished Lands and become flesh.

Meanwhile Corban has been taken prisoner by the Jotun, warrior giants who ride their enormous bears into battle. His warband scattered, Corban must make new allies if he hopes to survive. But can he bond with competing factions of warlike giants? Somehow he must, if he's to counter the threat Nathair represents.

His life hangs in the balance - and with it, the fate of the Banished Lands." - Goodreads

Review- 

This was probably the best way to end a 2707 page series. It's wrapped up nicely with an epic battle that evolved all, even those from the Otherworld. The scenes were borderline artistic in their descriptions and almost made you feel as though you were standing in the middle of raging battle. While it is sad to see the end of Corban ben Thannon and his band of followers, The Faithful and the Fallen leaves you with a lust for more.
Luckily enough, A Time Of Dread will kick off a spin off trilogy which is set to be released later this year.

💜 MetalandTeacups 

Information -

Format: Paperback
Dimensions: 130 x 197 x 44mm | 511g
Published: 04 May 2017 by Pan MacMillan

Pages: 685

Movie Review: John Wick: Chapter 2

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Storyline - 

'In this next chapter following the 2014 hit, legendary hitman John Wick is forced back out of retirement by a former associate plotting to seize control of a shadowy international assassins' guild. Bound by a blood oath to help him, John travels to Rome where he squares off against some of the world's deadliest killers.' - Rotten Tomatoes

Review- 

I'm not going to lie, I only watched the first movie less than a month ago. And that was only because the second one was coming out, but I'm glad I did.

I really enjoyed the world building in these movies, it was unbelievably in-depth for such a small franchise. There were plenty of well choreographed cringe worthy fight sequences,  some that made my balls crawl up inside me and I don't even have any! The entire movie I was on the edge on my seat, completely riveted to the screen.

I feel there's not a lot I can say without giving away a lot of movie, expect that the ending has made me completely paranoid and that if I ever go to New York city my skin will be crawling the entire time I'm there.

For me, this is a must see film.

💜MetalandTeacups 

Information -

Release Date: 10 Feb 2017
Time: 2hr 2min
Cast:

	Keanu Reeves	...	John Wick
	Riccardo Scamarcio	...	Santino D'Antonio
	Ian McShane	...	Winston
	Ruby Rose	...	Ares
	Common	...	Cassian
	Claudia Gerini	...	Gianna D'Antonio

Movie Review - Wonder Woman

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰

Storyline - 

'Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when a pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers and her true destiny.' - imdb

Review- 

As an origin film I feel that Wonder Woman actually missed the most interesting aspects of Diana's and the Amazonian's history, certain things like the backstory of why the Amazonians wear the gauntlets, or why Diana wears the outfit/colours she does were overlooked. This seemingly minor details are actually fundamental knowledge to who Wonder Woman is. Most of this is covered in the animated movie 'Wonder Woman' from 2009, which I recommend watching beforehand.

For example, the relationship between Diana and her mother, Hippolyta, also strayed from what I expected. Whilst their relationship can be strained when it comes to diplomatic matters, there has never been any helicopter parenting, as the film leads you to believe, as Diana is trained as a warrior as soon as she could hold a sword.

I found there also needed to be more relationship building between Diana and Steve Trevor, it felt their time together was too brief to inspire anything outside of lust, which really bothered me.

And whilst I did enjoy the artful slow-mo fighting sequences, there were a few moment where you could see the cast pulling punches, which often ruined the intense action scenes. The lasso also had this issue, as the way it lit up was borderline cartoon-ish. In fact, I don't understand why it lit up whilst she was using it to fight. As it only light ups when it is used to interrogate someone, and she was definitely not talking to the Germans she was whipping  about.

The casting  for Ares was also bothersome, as the actors voice is not strong nor menacing enough for Ares and his role in this film. There was one subtle hint that I did appreciate, that I doubt many of you noticed. At the gala, after Diana has finished dancing Ludendorff, there is a set of bull horns hanging on the wall and Ludendorff's head a lines perfectly with them before storming off.

All in all, this movie is great for the fighting scenes but not much else. It skimps over a lot of the symbolism in Wonder Woman herself, and misses several opportunities to build on the character and her powers.

💜MetalandTeacups 

Information - 

Release Date: 2 Jun 2017

Time: 2hr 21mins

Cast:

	Gal Gadot	...	Diana
	Chris Pine	...	Steve Trevor
	Connie Nielsen	...	Hippolyta

Comic Review - Batman: Knightfall, Volume Three: KnightsEnd

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Storyline - 

"In the final chapter of this series, Bruce Wayne completes his improbable recovery from his broken back and is ready to resume his role as Gotham's protector. But Jean Paul Valley, the man who now patrols the night as a vicious and violent Batman, is not willing to give up his new identity. Driven to the brink of madness by inner demons, the new Batman seeks to destroy Bruce as they meet in mortal combat. But in the end, Bruce defeats Jean Paul both mentally and physically and reclaims his legendary cape and cowl.

This new edition includes many chapters of KNIGHTFALL never before collected.

Collects Batman #509-510, #512-514, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #29-30, 32-34, Detective Comics #676-677, #679-681, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #62-63, Robin #8-9, #11-13 and Catwoman #12-13." - Goodreads

Review- 

Bruce returns to reclaim the mantle of the Bat. There is a drawn out battle between Bruce and Jean Paul, that has one of the most anticlimactic resolution I have ever seen. After his loss, Jean Paul becomes homeless and wonders the streets. I found this "ending" to be somewhat inconclusive, as things seemed to happen simply because of convenience.

The mantle is then passed over temporarily to Dick, whilst Bruce travels to do some soul searching. Dick and Tim work together, making Batman and Robin a team again. There a several clips in the comic that display an Tim in wonder at the fact the Dick is capable of doing basis day to day chores, like cooking dinner and doing washing. This is quite shocking, as I thought this view on domestic life is quite outdated, even for the 90's. I did enjoy the dynamic between Dick and Tim, as they have a boyish enthusiasm towards all things Batman.

Overall, I feel Volume Two didn't need to be as long as it was, as it brought down then overall feel of the series, dragging it out when it wasn't necessary. I recommend reading Volume One and Three, but maybe just read the synopsis on Wikipedia for Volume Two.

💜MetalandTeacups 

Information - 

Format: Paperback
Dimensions:  167 x 256 x 38mm | 879g
Published: 09 Nov 2012 by DC Comics
Pages: 652

Comic Review- Batman: Knightfall, Volume Two: KnightQuest

Star Rating: ⭐⭐✰✰✰

Storyline - 

"Mentally defeated and physically broken, Bruce Wayne suffered a crippling blow while battling the brutal Bane. Now, the mantle of the Bat must be passed on to another, and Jean Paul Valley answers the call!

But as the new Caped Crusader slowly loses his grip on sanity, his idea of justice takes a violent and deadly turn. Witnessing this dangerous behavior firsthand, Nightwing and Robin try to come to grips with Bruce's highly controversial decision while the new Batman sets his sights on taking revenge against Bane!

This volume collects Detective Comics #667-675, Shadow of the Bat #19-20, #24-28, Batman #501-508, Catwoman #6-7 and Robin #7" - Goodreads

Review- 

Knight Quest follows Jean Paul Valley as he makes the mantle of The Bat his own. Plague by the ghosts of his father and his patron saint, he struggles to define himself against the system.

Tim Drake, as Robin, realizes that Jean Paul's sanity isn't fully intact after Bruce has left the country, and Jean Paul decides he no longer needs a partner.

In the very last issue Bruce returns and can magically walk now, after rescuing Tim's father who was abducted in Knightfall. 

💜MetalandTeacups 

Information - 

Format: Paperback
Dimensions:  162 x 256 x 38mm | 907g
Published: 29 May 2012 by DC Comics
Pages: 656 pages

Comic Review - Knightfall: Volume One

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Storyline - 

"The villainous Bane breaks the Bat in one of the most popular and well-known Batman tales!

The inmates of Arkham Asylum have broken free and Batman must push himself to the limits to re-apprehend the Joker, Poison Ivy, the Riddler, Killer Croc and more. Pushed to the limits, he comes face-to-face against the monstrosity known as Bane, who delivers a crippling blow destined to change the Caped Crusader forever!

This volume collects Batman: Vengeance of Bane Special #1, Batman #491-500, Detective Comics #659-666, Showcase '93 #7-8 and Batman: Shadow of the Bat #16-18." - goodreads

Review- 

The epic event that broke the bat.

Before reading this I always thought Bane was a brute who had a shallow vendetta against all things Batman, hating him because that's what he does. Turns out that is not the case.

Bane's tragic youth, imprisoned for the crimes of his father, shapes him into a man willing to confront his fears, often taking form of a giant bat. He then seeks a path of higher learning, eventually leading him to discover the existence of the Batman in Gotham city. He fakes his death to escape Pena Duro, and travels to Gotham to seek out the bat.

Knightfall adds depth to Bane in a way I never expected. It's a very layered story, taking multiple characters views to make the over all story.

Though I feel that I have missed something, as Bruce is sick with an unnamed illness after a confrontation with the Riddler, there is also a very developed relationship with Dr. Kinsolving. I also spent at least the first half of the book trying to figure out which Robin was active in this comic, it's Tim Drake, as you find out after a monologue by the Joker. 

💜MetalandTeacups 

Information -

Format: Paperback
Dimensions: 170.18 x 261.62 x 45.72mm | 861g
Published: 01 May 2012 by DC Comics

Pages: 640

Netflix Review - 13 Reasons Why

Star Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

Storyline - 

"After a teenage girl's perplexing suicide, a classmate receives a series of tapes that unravel the mystery of her tragic choice.

Hannah Baker's suicide shocked her family and friends. Now the dark secrets that killed her are coming to light.

Selena Gomez served as executive producer for this series based on the best-selling novel by Jay Asher." - Netflix

Review- 

I sincerely suggest that if you do chose to watch this series, that you watch with someone. Your boyfriend, best friend, sister or brother, just watch it with someone you trust, because this show brings every demeaning experience you ever had in high school. I also recommend tissues and comfort food for episode 11.

13 Reasons Why is creatively morbid, with various graphic scenes in regards to rape and suicide. These scenes add a confronting intensity that is almost uncomfortable to watch. But this could be what needs to be done to reach people these days and get them to approach a variety of topics that are generally neglected, until recently.

This show feels like it's designed to give people, especially high school kids, a look into how your own actions affect others, in a butterfly effect, an actions and consequences moral tale.

The ending irritated the shit out of me, because there was no defined conclusion and has just left me with a bunch of question that I feel I am going to dwell on for the rest of my life. Argh, the angst. There is actually so much teenage angst in this show that it physically rubs off on you.


Unfortunately, as I haven't read the book so unfortunately, I won't be able to do a book to show comparison, or recommend that you read the book before the show. Sorry.

💜MetalandTeacups 

Information - 

Release Date: 31 Mar 2017
Season: 1
No. of Episodes: 13
Time Per Episode: Average 55 mins
Cast: 

	Dylan Minnette	...	Clay Jensen
	Katherine Langford	...	Hannah Baker
	Christian Navarro	...	Tony Padilla

*The rest of the cast can be found here.

Movie Review - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Star Rating: ✮✮✮✰✰

Storyline - 

"Set to the backdrop of 'Awesome Mixtape #2,' Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team's adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill's true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes' aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand." - imdb.com

Review- 

With Guardians, I went in expecting certain cinematographic techniques to be used, techniques that gave the first movie that comic to screen feel that gave Guardians its comic charm. Unfortunately, this very specific quality was overshadowed by the fast moving action scenes. I feel Marvel has started to put less care into the stories of their films,by mostly focusing on the whole franchise rather than the quailty of the single film and how its fits in overall. 

Similarly to the 'Doctor Strange' film, Vol. 2 felt like an exaggerated set up for a single character that Marvel requires for the 'Infinity Wars'. By introducing the Sovereign race and providing motivation  to create a more powerful being, "Adam", which I assume refers to Adam Warlock (who is, hands down, the most vital character to the 'Infinity Wars' comics), is revealed in one of the three post credit scenes.

Even though the origin of the MCU Adam isn't even remotely accurate compared to comics, it was a tidy way to add him to the MCU. Hey, we don't watch these film for accuracy, do we?

But this is still exciting stuff, as the introduction of Adam means that we are so much closer to the end, which begs the question "What are Marvel going to do once the largest movie franchise to ever exist ends?". I'm also curious about how they plan to introduce the Guardians to the Avengers. Now, that is going to be interesting.

💜MetalandTeacups 

Information -

Release Date: 26 Apr 2017
Time: 2hr 16min

Cast: 

	Chris Pratt	...	Peter Quill / Star-Lord
	Zoe Saldana	...	Gamora
	Dave Bautista	...	Drax
	Vin Diesel	...	Baby Groot (voice)
	Bradley Cooper	...	Rocket (voice)
	Michael Rooker	...	Yondu
	Karen Gillan	...	Nebula
	Pom Klementieff	...	Mantis

Kurt Russell

...

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