Avengers: Endgame

To call Avengers: Endgame an epic and truly breathtaking piece of cinema history is not enough to describe the sheer brilliance, truly awe-inspiring, and the daring nature this movie goes through after over a decade of giving audiences over twenty movies that all told a grand epic story that this one concludes. After the two previous entries, this is the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to be set after the events of Infinity War as it deals with the surviving members of the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy figuring out how fix the universe due to Thanos wiping out half of the population with the Infinity Gauntlet. With the help of Captain Marvel and what Ant-Man went through in his second film, they travel the universe, time travel, and obtain the Infinity Stones. In the end they manage to not only defeat Thanos but also undo what he had done, though not without costs or sacrifices. For a movie that's a little over three hours long, there's so much in this that for any other film would feel cluttered, but Endgame manages to fit it all perfectly that you just want more by the end. The ideas they implement throughout the movie are so daring that they could have ended up going wrong in so many ways, but thanks to the Russo brothers' direction, the writing, and the performances by everyone involved it all works the way they expected. Even if it sounds crazy, this movie deserves to be nominated for Best Picture, while Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans should be rewarded for their powerful performances. Though the movie manages to finish storylines from the last ten or so years, there are aspects that will be crucial to the future of the MCU and events that foreshadow future stories and they are done in a way that was more subtle than how the series used to do at the start. There are jokes and comedic parts that work more than the ones that don't, the characters all go through very realistic traumas and struggles that make them relatable even if you don't agree with certain choices, and the effects of this film are the best that the franchise has had. Even the small things are well appreciated and are done as a love letter to the fans, like bringing back past actors or having a reference to one of the shows. By far the best thing that Endgame has to offer that is so iconic is the final epic battle that starts with Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America taking on Thanos, which then culminates with his army fighting not only the Avengers, but also Captain Marvel, Asgardians, the Guardians, Doctor Strange and other sorcerers, Wakandans, and Ravagers. If all that doesn't convince you to see this, keep in mind that it has a 96% percent score on Rotten Tomatoes and made a billion dollars on its opening weekend alone. Over all: 100%

2019 top list so far:
1. Avengers: Endgame

2. Shazam!

3. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

4. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

5. Us

6. Captain Marvel

7. Pet Sematary 2019

8. The Upside
9. Cold Pursuit
10. Glass

Pet Sematary 2019

Having previously been adapted thirty years ago with its own sequel, the 2019 Pet Sematary takes some different approaches to either the Stephen King novel or the 1989 version but still very faithful to its source material. Jason Clarke plays Louis Creed, a Boston doctor who moves his family to a small Maine town that harbors a dark secret. When his daughter is killed, Creed learns that there's an old cursed burial ground and uses it to bring her back to life, but using it has horrible consequences. There are many times where it feels certain scenes are way too slow and thus the pacing is very uneven. Even with weak pacing, there are certain moments that work really well at displaying very horrifying scenes that are hard to forget. Pet Sematary 2019 really knows how to set a dark tone, with a perfect atmosphere even if some of the story has issues that are never addressed to well, such as why the Creed family is constantly haunted by images even when they're far from their home. The best thing that makes it a very memorable horror movie is the strong performances from not only Clarke, but the rest of the cast as well such as John Lithgow and great emphasis on Jete Laurence as Louis's daughter not only when she's alive but when brought back to life. Over all: 92%

2019 top list so far:
1. Shazam!

2. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

3. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

4. Us

5. Captain Marvel

6. Pet Sematary 2019

7. The Upside
8. Cold Pursuit
9. Glass

Free Comic Book Day: The Legend of Korra & Nintendo ARMS 2018

With the first half telling a small story after the final season of The Legend of Korra and the other half  being a precursor to the Nintendo Arms video game, Free Comic Book Day: The Legend of Korra & Nintendo ARMS 2018 this is a small comic with very simple but well told stories. This comic is a mixture of many firsts, such as my first continuation from a different medium with the animated Korra to a comic book after it ended, first Avatar: The Last Airbender related comic, my first from Dark Horse, and the first time reading a comic related to a video game as well as a Nintendo property. The Korra story has her and Meelo find pets after the city was evacuated, while the ARMS story leads up to Spring Man's fight with 599 other contenders to become the best. As before, they're small but have enough going on to keep you invested, even if you haven't caught up or don't know much about them. The artwork for either stories are well done and capture the styles from which either of them originate. One makes you wish the show never ended, while the other makes you want to play the video game. Over all: 100%
Top list so far for 2nd set of comics:
1. The Tick: Free Comic Book Day 2018
2. Free Comic Book Day 2018: James Bond 007-VARGR
3. Free Comic Book Day 2018 Invader Zim: Floopsy Bloops Shmoopsy
4. The Legend of Wonder Woman (2015-2016) #1
5. Free Comic Book Day: The Legend of Korra & Nintendo ARMS 2018
6. Ant-Man (2015) Vol. 1 #1: Second-Chance Man Part 1
7. Batman/The Flash: The Button
8. The Adventures of Superman Vol. 1 #500
9. The Unworthy Thor (2016-2017) #1
10. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #5
11. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #6
12. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #4
13. Thor: God of Thunder Vol. 1 #1
14. Wonder Woman Free Comic Book Day 2017 Special Edition (2017-) issue #1
15. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #2
16. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #1
17. Incredible Hulk (1999-2007) #92: Planet Hulk Part One
18. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #3
19. Wonder Woman (2006-2011) #1
20. The Astonishing Ant-Man (2015-2016) #1
21. Star Wars: Rogue One Adaptation #1
22. Tate's Not At Comic Con Local Indy Anthology #8

Us

Jordan Peele's followup to to his 2017 debut, Get Out, Us is a horror film centering on a family staying on their beach house as they are soon overtaken by violent figures who look exactly like them and soon learn that it's happening all over the country. Lupita Nyong'o and Winston Duke play a married couple with two kids, and all four actors not only provide great performances, but the chemistry works so well. Most of the film is set in one night, and the cinematography by Mike Gioulakis does such a great job at being able to see enough in scenes that are in the dark or able to hide just enough to set the mood. A lot of the music and score fits well at creating the tone and atmosphere perfect for a horror movie. The story is well told and very original in the way it tells it, but the explanation for what the copies are and what they are doing isn't explained as well as it thinks. While the performances and the way the copies look is creepy, some of their mannerisms can feel silly. The plot twist involving Nyong'o's characters is a great idea, the problem with it is that it doesn't really go anywhere. However, the last shot of the movie that references the Hand Across America benefit event from 1986 is very haunting and awesome. Over all: 98%

2019 top list so far:
1. Shazam!

2. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

3. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

4. Us

5. Captain Marvel
6. The Upside
7. Cold Pursuit
8. Glass

Fathom Events-TCM Big Screen Classics: To Kill a Mockingbird

Turner Classic Movies and Fathom Events partner up to show a classic movie three separate days each month, and for March I went to see their rerelease of the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird. Based on the best selling novel by Harper Lee, I read it back in school and never got around to be able to see it until now. The book and the film both deal with a young girl, Scout, in the Deep South during the Great Depression as she learns to grow up all the while her father, Atticus, a lawyer is tasked with defending a black man accused of rape. Even if it was made nearly sixty years ago, Mockingbird is just as thought provoking and memorable as any other modern film. The performances and chemistry between the actors portraying the Finch family are all great and makes you believe that they have always been together. All of the movie is great to watch, but the one standout that really makes you remember is the speech delivered by Gregory Peck as Atticus at the end of the trial to defend Tom Robinson. The cinematography, production design, and costuming all perfectly evoke the 1930s era in which the film is set.

Shazam!

Technically the first superhero named Captain Marvel but kept from naming him that due to a legal issue with Marvel, Shazam! is the seventh installment in the DC Extended Universe. It tells the origin story of abandoned teenager Billy Batson who is given god like powers by an ancient wizard to fight the personifications of the Seven Deadly Sins and their chosen champion, Dr. Sivana. This is by far the best film in the DCEU, even beating out Wonder Woman, and definitely one of the most fun superhero ever made. Asher Angel as Billy and Zachary Levi as the adult superhero persona are perfect in their roles, along with the rest of the cast all having great performances. A lot of the comedy is on point, and helps make it such a fresh spin on the genre whenever they focus on Shazam doing odd things to impress people before committing to fully helping people. The action scenes and effects are done really well, even if the design of the Deadly Sins are a little generic. Unlike the first few Extended Universe films, Shazam! isn't afraid to be lighthearted, fun, comedic, and self aware of what kind of film it is. What really works is just how accurate the film is to the comics, such as the costume and even sillier aspects like the appearance of of the Rock of Eternity. There are some negatives in Shazam!, the most obvious being that whenever the ancient wizard finds someone to test whether they're worthy, he never erases their memory of the event. Over all: 100%

2019 top list so far:
1. Shazam!

2. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

3. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

4. Captain Marvel
5. The Upside
6. Cold Pursuit
7. Glass

Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel is the first female led film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Brie Larson in the title role. Set during the 1990s, Larson's character, calling herself Vers, is a Kree soldier whose past is unknown to her until she is kidnapped by the shape shifting Skrulls and escapes to Earth where she starts to regain her lost memories. Allying herself with a younger and less experienced Nick Fury, Vers comes upon what led to her memory loss and energy powers, a conspiracy by the Kree, and what the Skrulls want. With the directing duo of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck in the helm, their past work in small independent films is known as the film's strongest aspect is the acting and the chemistry between Larson and Samuel L. Jackson that makes it a really great buddy film. While it has some great action scenes, Marvel has a few moments that don't feel as well done especially for an MCU film. Much of the first quarter of the movie is very slow and takes a while before it really starts to get good. Since it is set in 1995, there are numerous references to the time period such as a Blockbuster and slower computers, though not too many things that distract except for a few song choices. The story is well done, even if a lot of it tends to be too similar to past MCU films during its first phase. As always, the comedy can either work really well or can be grating and forced, including the reveal of a stray cat being an alien. The biggest weakness that hurts Captain Marvel is that there are many things and ideas that could have been utilized but are wasted, such as having a younger Phil Coulson and Ronan but barely appearing throughout it, seeing more of Kree society, and no mention of how Skrulls could disguise themselves as huge figures like Tony Stark knowing his genius could be useful. While silly, the way Fury loses his eye I don't see as a huge deal since he always lies to make something more epic and thus fits a bit with the character. Over all: 95%

2019 top list so far:
1. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

2. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

3. Captain Marvel
4. The Upside
5. Cold Pursuit
6. Glass