X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-Men: Days of Future Past was excellent. After First Class, I was really excited about how they were going to move forward with this great, new, and young cast, and they did not let me down. OHHHH THE NOSTALGIA this movie brings is just wonderful. Seeing the characters from the first three X-Men movies was simply fun. Even though some of these characters only have maybe 20 seconds of screen time, it is all we need for the smile to appear on our faces. The story line is great, bringing in actual events in history to tie in with it all.

The only problem I have with this movie can be summed up in three words: NOT. ENOUGH. QUICKSILVER. Evan Peters as the fun mutant is perfect. The way Peters carries himself, the attitude, and really the immaturity he gives the mutant is great. There is humor between the characters that are punny, and also reminiscent, but Peters as Quicksilver turns the humor up to 11. He was great and I can’t wait to see more of him. As always, Jennifer Lawrence and Michael Fassbender are incredible as Mystique and Magneto, but I thought the one to watch in this film is James McAvoy as Charles Xavier. The emotion McAvoy gives to the struggling Xavier is very emotional to watch as the viewer. You really understand his reasoning for giving up, and the way he says some things with the appearances he shows, allows you to not only understand it but to connect with it. Peter Dinklage as Trask is a little boring, considering he is the actual villain in the movie, but there are movies to watch for the villains and there are those to watch for the heroes. I hate comparing movie villains to Heath Ledger’s Joker performance, but I’m still waiting for that villain to even come close to him. But like I said, X-Men: Days of Future Past is definitely worth the watch just for the performances of each X-Men, whether they are the main characters or the fun 20 second cameos by past characters.

Brian Singer did a fantastic job with this chapter of the X-Men films and I really cannot wait to see what X-Men: Apocalypse will bring in 2016.

Please share this and let me know what you think of the movie!!

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is the Spider-Man we’ve been waiting to see since Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man 2 back in 2004. It really shows the inner struggle of Peter Parker between his own life and the life of Spider-Man. The chemistry between Andrew Garfield as Parker and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy is not a surprise that it is one of the factors that fixes some faults in the movie. The real life couple of Garfield and Stone really helped show the struggle of Peter Parker and what love really means to him. Peter obviously wants to be with Gwen, but if letting her go means that she will be safe, then he wants exactly that.

The film was very long lasting at just under 2 and a half hours; but it without a doubt needed it, with the range of villains it consists of. I don’t believe that you can say that Jamie Foxx was great as villain Electro, since he is barely shown without needing A LOT of CGI, but I did absolutely love the way they made the action scenes between him and Spider-Man. The way they were able to show the movements of Electro through the air and how he uses different pathways of getting there was perfect, not to mention the voice they were able to give Foxx, sounding like your heart is about to burst through your chest after everything he says. The action scenes and shots of Spidey through the city is great on the big screen as they change the angles of the camera, making it like an exciting rollercoaster ride. The humor of Spider-Man is greatly placed even if some of it is meant to be for 12 year olds, and lets face it, these movies are more for the young adult population. I don’t know what or why it happened, but superhero movies just aren’t attracting the younger population as I think they should. Same thing with the Harry Potter films, there just aren’t very many younger kids that really get into it. Anyway, the action and tone of the film really saves it from the sub-par plot.

SPOILER ALERT!!—-SPOILER ALERT!!—-SPOILER ALERT!!

The best part of this film, despite how sad it is, is the death of Gwen Stacy. There isn’t a more perfect way they could’ve have killed her in the film. I don’t know what happens in the comics, but this is what was the #1 save for the faults in the film. The fact that the entire movie relationship of Peter and Gwen was that he just didn’t know if he could keep her safe meshed with the perfect ending to their relationship. The fact that Spider-Man just physically couldn’t save her and that it was just SO CLOSE and out of his reach that really made it perfect. Now I know that in the comics Gwen does die, and that is where MJ comes in, but if you have ever watched a hero film, you know that the hero usually gets the girl at the END of the movie. When Parker and Gwen are on top of the bridge and they finally get back together, and there’s STILL a good half hour left, you know something bad is going to happen. The death was more of the fact that Spider-Man just couldn’t save Gwen, than the fact that the Green Goblin killed her.

Dane DeHaan as Harry Osborn, I thought, was one of the better performances in the film, but then again, I thought that him as the Green Goblin was one the worst. The film needed a little more of the great Sally Field as Aunt May, but that can be forgiven. Overall I thought the movie was good and worth seeing in theatres strictly because of the action and Spidery scenes through the city. The next film will need to be extra long due to the introduction of many villains that are to come against Spider-Man, but I think it will be very good again with the action scenes.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is the best movie I have seen this year. When this movie was coming out in theatres, I was very skeptical about it after reading some reviews. Apparently many critics didn’t find this movie to be as good as it really is. So, trusting these critics, I waited to watch it until later and not spend the money and time on going to the theatres. This was not the right decision. If I had gone to watch Walter Mitty in theatres, I would have watched it 20 times so far, because I would have gone and bought it at the store the second it came out. Ben Stiller directing and starring in the movie is just absolutely incredible. He makes the movie and his character seem so real, when it is a movie based on imagination. Walter Mitty is what everyone wants to be life, not for what he actually does in the movie, but for what he represents. There are so many people in life that are optimistic, but never go through with their thinking. You will always be able to see the opportunities in life, but it is pointless unless you actually act on it; and that is what Walter Mitty is about. The movie gives meaning to life, it has a sense of humor, and it is just an all around fun movie.

When I saw the “Quintessence of Life” picture was missing, I thought I had the movie figured out in the first 20 minutes. When I saw that Ben Stiller was going to set out on this voyage to track down Sean O’Connell for the photograph, I thought I knew what was going to happen right there, and I thought the movie was too predictable. When I saw the missing spot in the negatives, I thought that “The Quintessence of Life” was whatever you saw through that empty space. I thought that the negative would look differently to everyone, because it was whatever you saw through that spot, and that was your own unique “Quintessence of Life.” That was the significance of that negative, and that was why it was Sean’s best work yet. Ben Stiller’s “Quintessence of Life” was taking his dreams and making it a reality. He needed that little missing spot to actually get him out of his dreams and into the great and amazing world he was living in, and missing out on. This, however, was not the “Quintessence of Life” and I was a little upset about it, because I thought I had figured it out. But the true missing negative was an incredible ending to the movie and it really warms your heart when you think about it. It really is the little things in life that make the world keep spinning. The hard workers, that you really don’t see when you look at the face of something, are what is the most important.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was just an all around incredible movie, and I can’t wait to go out and buy it so I can catch up on my 20 count of watching it. I recommend everyone watch this movie, because it really does apply to everyone. Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Sean Penn, and Patton Oswalt, make an incredible team in this incredible movie. It is one that you can watch over and over again and not get the slightest bit bored with it.

Gone Baby Gone

Most outstanding movies out there will have multiple themes or lessons that you can take from it. The purpose of most movies are to tell a story, but also give a meaning that can relate to the viewer, which is what makes viewers connect to movies so well. Gone Baby Gone’s theme can be described in one sentence: There’s a fine line between what is right and what is wrong. I think we can all agree that movies are a little unrealistic when it comes to what happens in life; which is perfectly fine, because we wouldn’t have the urge to watch movies if all of these things in movies actually happened to us in real life. Movies exaggerate aspects of life to make them more exciting. Gone Baby Gone is not one of these movies. The story begins when a little girl goes missing in Boston and two private detectives are hired by a family member to try to find her. The story then starts to unwind into the “underground” of Boston and the detectives start to find things that make everything complicated with secrets being revealed and what really happened to the young girl. At this point, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “This is just another detective movie where they solve the case at the end.” Just like all superhero movies, you know the superhero wins in the end because that’s just the way it goes. But for Gone Baby Gone, this is not the case.

I like to think that this is the best ending to a movie to stir up a debate. And don’t even talk about Inception, because there is no debate there. If you paid attention to the movie you would know what the truth is. Gone Baby Gone leaves you to decide whether the main character (Casey Affleck, who is incredible) actually wins or loses in the end. I don’t want to give away any information about it to spoil it for you, because this movie really is incredible and deserves to be seen, so you can decide for yourself. Ben Affleck directs this movie close to perfection and his brother Casey, along with Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Titus Welliver, and Ed Harris are just an incredible cast that each brings something to stir up the story. after watching this movie several times, I’m still not sure what side I belong with, because your morals are in conflict with what you feel should be deserved. There is a scene where Affleck storms a house and finds a man that just recently molested and killed a young boy. The man pleads to Affleck that he was sorry, but Affleck just turns on the spot and puts a bullet in the back of the man’s head. After the police come and clean the scene up, Affleck has a conversation with a fellow detective (Harris) and wishes he wouldn’t have killed the man saying “Murder’s a sin and Harris gives the quote, “Depends on who you do it to.” Right there, those seven words, define the entire movie. It’s a little scary thinking about all of it and putting things like this into perspective, because these are the very same discussions that are going on today.

Gone Baby Gone will have your feelings racing at the beginning, your mind racing at the end, and your heart racing throughout some very serious scenes in between. This is a movie you need to actually sit there and watch it and pay attention to what it is telling you. The scene with Affleck in the house with the child molester is one for the ages. The way Affleck(director) shares the fear of the character is very shocking, and you’ll find yourself hiding behind a pillow the first time you watch it. This movie won’t fall in the category of one of your favorite movies, but should be on your list of best movies you have seen. Just as you pick a side towards the end of the movie, the very last lines will either have you thinking twice about where you stand or cement it in place. All I have left to say is watch the movie. You will not regret it.

If you have seen it, I would love to get some feedback on where you stand. As always, if you liked this post, please share it, and feel free to follow my blog at the bottom of the page.

The Social Network

The Social Network is in my top 10 favorite movies of all time, and the main reason behind this is because of Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg. Now, I don’t know Mark Zuckerberg or what he was actually like in the process of creating Facebook, but I really hope they got it right with the personality he has that is showed within the movie. I, with every inch of myself, hope that Mark Zuckerberg is the asshole that he is portrayed to be. What he did to the “Winklevii” (love that quote!) is one of my favorite parts of the movie; and no, I’m not talking about potentially stealing the idea of the social network. I believe the quote is, “…They’re suing me because for the first time in their lives, things didn’t go exactly the way they were supposed to for them.” Our society today is based on the fact that “everybody wins” and it severely pisses me off. People need to realize that just because you are “supposed” to get treated better than others, because of who you are or who you know, doesn’t mean that that’s what is going to happen. The Winklevoss’ didn’t get their way because they didn’t earn it.

My belief in society is that you should get exactly what you deserve. If you want something, you need to actually earn it. But of course, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. We all know that if I was interviewing for a job against one of the Clintons, it would be a no brainer who would be picking out what to wear for the first day on the job. But, because of Mark Zuckerberg, I have some hope in the world. I myself am being a hypocrite right now, because I am proud of the fact that Zuckerberg is an “asshole.” But honestly, is he really an asshole? We call him one because he put people in their place when they “didn’t deserve it.” He is a person that isn’t afraid to say exactly what is on his mind, and that is what more people, including myself, need to be like. Everybody wants to kiss ass these days because that will get them farther in life. I hope one day I get a little “Zuckerbergy” and speak my mind on a matter, instead of just saying what the person wants to hear. Zuckerberg is the inventor of Facebook because he went out and invented Facebook. He didn’t let anyone or anything get the way of it, and deserves a round of applause from the world. People, like the Winklevoss’, expect things to be handed to them because of who they are and who they know, and it shouldn’t be like that. The Social Network is more of just the story of the findings of Facebook. It gives the viewer a kind of kick in the ass that people need to do something in life. That a small thing like a breakup from Erica Albright can lead to being the youngest billionaire in history. Now I’m not saying that Mark never would have done anything with his life, but if him and Erica never broke up, I don’t think we would be spending countless hours on a website creeping on that girl/guy you thought was cute that you saw that one time. People need motivation in life whether it be positive or negative and The Social Network is a prime example of just that. Mark Zuckerberg is one of my idols, not only for his personality, but because he wanted to make the next big thing and he went out and did exactly that.

This movie is a part reason of why I’m studying Web Programming in college right now. The internet is a huge part of today’s society and it is growing larger and larger every day. People want to be the next big thing and the web is the place to put it. Everybody wants to be known, even if that means ranking girls from your school on a website you created that will, without a doubt, piss off several people in the process. Everybody really does want to have that business card that says “I’m CEO, bitch” even if they will never admit it. The web is where creativity is key, and that is why I am spending thousands of dollars on my education to study the potential of it. Nothing makes you more proud than being able to say, “Yea, I did that.”

I’m not saying that being an asshole will get you where you want to be, but it is better than sitting back and letting people tell you what you should do. I just want to thank Mark Zuckerberg for being that guy and showing what you can really do with an idea and an attitude. If you have no interest in the web or don’t even know what Facebook is (yea, right) watch this film for the messages it sends to the viewer. You never know, the small factor of watching a movie like this, could inspire you to create the next big thing. Just don’t get sued for hundreds of millions of dollars for it.

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Argo

Ben Affleck is one of the most underrated superstars in the film industry, and he’s only getting better. Now that he is directing, along with still staring in movies, I just can’t get enough of him. The Town, Gone Baby Gone, and Argo are not only some of my favorite movies to watch, but some of the best movies out there. I also might be one of the only people that are actually excited about Ben being the next Bruce Wayne/Batman. People just need to realize that, of course, him playing Batman “is just not going to be the same.” If people never attempted a new version of a movie, we would still be stuck with Batman and Robin “climbing” up the side of the building with a rope. Everything in today’s age is growing more rapidly every day. It’s only been 2 years since The Dark Knight Rises was released. There was a longer gap between The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises than it will between that and the new Batman/Superman film. People are already giving it hell for starting out fresh again, that they aren’t even willing to give it a chance. They are going to enter the movie theatres already carrying the axe to chop the film down when they exit the theatre. Everyone is judging the new Batman as if Affleck didn’t learn anything from Daredevil and he’s going to be the same person. IT WAS 11 YEARS AGO!!!! People need to learn to forgive and forget. The new Ben Affleck is excellent in both his acting and his directing and there isn’t a better example of that than Argo.

Argo is based during the true story of the American Embassy in Iran being taken over and everybody inside taken hostage for 444 days in 1980. The story actually follows the 6 Americans that flee the embassy in time and are hiding out in the Canadian Embassy wondering how they are going to get out alive. Ben Affleck portrays the CIA member that leads an escape plan out of Iran while the entire Iranian military is searching for the missing 6 Americans. With Ben both starring and directing the film, he doesn’t just tell the story, he makes you the main character. The way he brings out the actual fear that these Americans were going through will have you holding your breath from the first minute until the last. At about 2 hours long, the movie generates the greatest exhale of relief in the history of movie endings. I’ve never watched a movie before that had almost zero physical action scenes and still had you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Bringing in multiple awards in the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Argo is well worth the watch.

The movie is fun at times with John Goodman and Alan Arkin in supporting roles, and very, very daring also. The way Affleck sets the mood during the final stages of the escape plan is incredible. There are times when the music will build up the scene, and the way Affleck times the silence will test how long you can hold your breath. [SPOILER] If anyone knows the story behind it, you know that the job was successful and along with the actors, you feel the mass amount of joy as the plane takes off and they are finally free. And you can’t help but smile at the sight of John Goodman and Alan Arkin hugging and jumping around with joy at the good news. Ben Affleck is the real deal in the director’s chair and Argo is complete proof of that.

Oculus

Oculus is a new horror movie that is being released in theatres on Friday, April 11. If you have yet to see the trailer for it, you will want to be sure to get a good look at it. Now, I have seen my share of scary movies throughout my life and I can say there has only been one that has gotten to me. And if you think I’m going to put anything other than The Conjuring, you’re either crazy or just have not seen it yet, and the answer is most likely the latter. The Conjuring is, out of all of the movies I have seen, the only one that has made me want to run home to my mom and never leave. I watched 80% of that movie in the theatres with my hand pressed against my mouth so I wouldn’t be able to scream like a 4 year girl every 10 minutes.

The thing with The Conjuring, is that there was more than one thing that caused fear to explode within you. A good amount of scary movies really only have one character or monster…(yawn) that hands out all of the scares. The Conjuring has of course the main character being possessed, which will make you run out of the theatre several times, but there is also the guy in the toy mirror and who can forget the very first image of the film, that damn doll. There’s just so many aspects of the film that you are terrified of that it doesn’t allow you to get used to what is coming next. The Paranormal Activity movies only consists of one thing that is dishing out the scares, and after the sixth time in the third movie that an entity “scares” you, you have already fallen asleep. It takes a special story to bring out the type of fear that The Conjuring did, and I think Oculus will have just that.

Now I am a big fan of scary movies….when they’re actually scary, and I think I will be a big fan of Oculus. These assumptions I will be making here are based solely on the trailer, so don’t blame me if, when the movie comes out, everything I say is completely wrong. But the fact that the storyline will consist of flashbacks to the main characters childhood and then back again, will hopefully have everyone’s heartbeats racing. The movie is based around a certain mirror that has some sort of evil entity within it. The main characters are brother and sister that suffered mass trauma from this mirror after their parents were killed from the evil entity, yet the brother was convicted of the murders and locked away. Several years later, the brother is finally released and the two get together again and find the mirror. They are set to finally bring down this entity within the mirror, but the mirror obviously fights back. Bringing to life both their childhood and real life causes them to not realize what is real and what is just in their minds.

If you have yet to see the trailer… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grVqGQWEOpQ
Let me know what you think.

Is Batman a Superhero?

I know this doesn’t pertain to a specific movie, but I think we can all agree that The Dark Knight Trilogy have been the best “Superhero” movies yet. Whether it is Christian Bale as the Dark Knight, the late Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker, that will be talked about for years, or simply Director Christopher Nolan and his team’s genius abilities to bring the comic book character alive in such a badass way, while giving an unforgettable storyline at the same time.

My family and I have a debate on Batman and his credibility as a “Superhero” that has gone on that seems like forever, and I try to bring it up every time I get a chance. Yes, Batman was considered a Superhero since the day he was drawn up, but should he really be called one? My thoughts on the term Superhero consists on the main theme “Super.” Batman does not have any Super powers. Yes, he was trained to kick some serious ass, and yes, he has so many awesome gadgets that amaze you every time he uses them. But, where does the term “Super” fit in? Unlike Spiderman, The Hulk, or Batman’s fellow Justice League partner, Superman, Batman doesn’t contain any special powers. Don’t get me wrong, Batman is my favorite comic book character, and yes I have seen most of the recent comic book character movies to make that decision, but he lacks those certain abilities to be classified as a Superhero. If anything, him not having any Super powers should give him even more credibility to be the best comic book character ever. Being able to have the same amount of success as the other characters without really have the “Super” advantages they have is incredible.

I think we can all agree though, that Batman needed something “Super” about him to not have a Nuclear Bomb kill him at the end of The Dark Knight Rises. But who wants to see the greatest comic book character not go out on top? I am little disappointed that we probably will never see Christian Bale under the cowl again, especially with Joseph Gordon-Levitt introduced as Robin at the end, but isn’t that what Comic Books and their movies are all about? They bring out the best imagination in you and if you haven’t thought of the endless possibilities of them together in another Batman movie then why have you even continued to read this? If you saw my title at the top and still read this post, you obviously have a take on this matter and therefore probably enjoy these movies as much as I do. Like I said, the debate is still ongoing and I would love to see some different takes from more people.

Welcome

Welcome to Theatre4Thought!! I will try to write a post at least once a week whether it be a new movie I have seen, a movie I have seen a thousand times, or my thoughts on a movie that is coming soon. Please check out my About page and feel free to suggest movies for me to write about to see my opinions on them.