My The Amazing Spiderman 2 Review

With the release of The Amazing Spiderman 2 coming out on Blue Ray, I thought it was time to give my honest review about the film. The film takes place pretty much right after the previous film, with Peter Parker ignoring Cpt. Stacy and continuing to see Gwen, his love interest in both films. He handles day to day crime and meets quirky Max Dillon along the way, who in turn becomes infatuated with Spiderman. Dillon is treated like he doesn't exist, even though he does important work. He's not respected. This leads to his accident that turns him into the menacing Electro. After a scene where he asks for help only to be shot at, he gets taken down by spidey. The film then shares focus on Peters personal life, which involves meeting his old friend (Harry Osborn), his rocky relationship with Gwen, his aunt, and finding out about his parents. Eventually things go sour for Harry which leads to him becoming the Green Goblin (although not called that in the film). Gwen Stacy meets her end, and Electro is defeated.

I must say, there was A LOT of hate for the previous movie, and people had low expectations of this one. Those people were wrong. This was a well crafted, well written, and amazingly directed sequel. It was a serious story that lead Andrew Garfield brought his witty charm too. Emma Stone was great as Gwen Stacy again and portrayed her as a strong, level headed female and not a damsel in distress. The entire film felt like a comic book. It had scenes I could see myself reading in a Spiderman comic. Unlike its Disney/Marvel counterparts, the villains in this movie are a THREAT.

Electro was done beautifully. As described before, he was never appreciated even though his work contributed to his company in a big way. A lot of working individuals will know exactly what that's like. His first meeting with Spiderman was great. You could really understand Electro's view as he talks to Spiderman, surprised that he was chosen to be saved. After his transformation, I felt for him when he confided in Spiderman that he didn't know what happened to him and needed help. He seemed genuinely frightened at his situation even though he had all that power.

The Peter/Harry moments were also done very well. At first the viewers saw Harry like the people at his table saw him. He seemed cold and very adult. Not like the teenager he was portraying. Once he meets Peter his attitude shifts as he finally has someone who sees him as "Harry" and not "Mr. Osborn" or the CEO of the massive corporation. Harry wasn't in the first film, so I was worried how he'd just "appear" in the second, but it was done well and didn't seem forced. His battle with his illness was also done well, with him seeing what it did to his father and trying to prevent it. His ways of going about it also showed his immaturity that's common for someone his age which made him much more human. He was pissed off at Spiderman for not giving him a blood sample, but he didn't grow this enormous anti-Spiderman hate like he did when he was portrayed in the first Spiderman trilogy. It wasn't until he lost his mind that he took on those characteristics from his warped perspective on reality. His situation truly did suck for him.

Then there's Peter and Gwen. I HATE romance in superhero movies. It's just not my cup of tea. However in this one, it felt so genuine that it was a big positive for the film as a whole. They had a relationship that viewers could understand given their circumstances. It reminded me of Iron Man 3, when Tony Stark was supposedly haunted by his  experiences in the avengers, except in this movie it was Peter haunted by Cpt. Stacy. Unlike Iron man, it wasn't just thrown into the movie to tie something together and wasn't rushed. It was genuine. Every time it effected Peter the audience could understand why and understand both his and Gwens perspective on it. That really came into play when Gwen died at the end and you think "maybe Peter should have listened to her father, she'd still be alive". But then you remember her perspective as well, shes a grown woman and she makes her own decisions. The consequences are hers and hers alone, because she's a strong woman that created her own path. It was a heartbreaking moment watching her fall, and Spiderman shoots his web that unfolds like a reaching hand to save her. The imagery was beautiful. Their story as a couple was one of the best I've ever seen, if not the BEST, of any other comic book film.

The story of Peters parents were also present in this. Done in a way to fit into the overall narrative of the film. The film answered the question of why Richard Parker's work was so important, and how it tied to Spidermans current situation. Spiderman couldn't have been anybody else besides peter. And it's as though his fathers story is what lead Peter to become the person he became to even be in the situation to become Spiderman in the first place. I feel as though their story can come to a close now. Peters loved ones got a lot more attention in these films. Aunt May isn't a walking corpse like in the Raimi films. The love interest isn't a bimbo who's there just for show. This movie gave them unique personalities that made them characters we would care for.

I had a few gripes about the film. The Green Goblins defeat being one of them. It just made it seem like the battle was over. Maybe if he had escaped so it seemed like he would be used more in a sequel would have worked out better. I liked how he came to be and he was portrayed very well, but he suffered from the "Venom" issues that Spiderman 3 did. He came out at the end of the movie, and ended at the end of the movie.

Overall, I loved this movie. It had a charm missing from most movies Marvel has been putting out. It really portrayed Spiderman as a hero and a symbol to the city. The actors created characters viewers could really care about and understand too. The score was phenomenal and unique. It really helped set the tone to the different characters and events taking place. Spiderman was as witty as ever and makes you wonder how you could stand watching someone else playing the part. This movie took a lot of chances and it paid off dearly. I couldn't recommend it more!
8.5/10

My Guardians of the Galaxy Review

Yesterday I saw the highly praised Superhero team-up film by Marvel/Disney. It currently holds a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with tons of praise and thumbs ups.

The movie is centered around a child who watched his mother die before being abducted by aliens. He is none other than Star Lord. A character with a knack for getting into trouble. He steals an orb which is wanted by different characters in the film which leads to him being a wanted man. That's where Rocket, Groot, and Gamora come in. Now it's all about collecting a large sum of money for the relic which turns out to be an infinity stone, part of the infinity gautlet worn by Thanos, the big man behind the scenes. In the end the team realizes that the stone is too dangerous even to sell and use it to destroy the evil Ronan.

My anticipation was high for this film given all the positive reviews, however i came out disappointing. It's like people only see what they like and ignore the blatant negative aspects of the film. Character development was nowhere to be found in this epic. They tried a romantic approach to Starlord and Gamora which played out about as cliche as it gets in film, however it still managed to feel forced. Starlord never came off as a bad guy in the first place. He pretty much ended the movie as the same exact person he was in the beginning. The same goes with the other 2 stars of the movie. I say two because Thrax seemed more like an appendage than a member of the team. He was just sort of...there. No real function or need. The team would have probably been better off if he had just stayed in the prison. The design for the alien creatures was a let down. It just seemed like everyone was just pained a different color. It didn't have that creative magic that made movies like Star Wars as great as it is. One of the WORST things about the movie, besides the simplistic plot, was Ronan, the main antagonist. I couldn't have cared less about him. His motives were never really explained and all he really did was sit around. He had a useless fight scene with Thrax at one point that just seemed thrown in. He was a waste of a character and in the final "battle" he was barely even a threat. He never even came off the slightest bit intimidating. The whole film seemed like a long trailer for Thanos to be honest. The characters, I couldn't care less about. Even as Starlord seemed to be dying from the infinity stone I was alright with it. When Gamora seemed like she was going to die i just didn't care. The characters were so one dimensional that they wouldn't be missed and could easily be replaced. Especially Thrax. He was just a waste. I don't even know why he was around. The comedy banter was a bit much too. At one point they refrain saying "asshole" but follow it up by saying "dick". They had jokes to make 13 year old boys giggle but it came across forced and actually got pretty annoying.

This movie was far from the amazing spectacle that it was made out to be. Throughout the entire film I always got that "something's missing" vibe from it. It had the opportunity to be a really great film, but became nothing more than a popcorn flick that you'd see when nothing else is on.

6/10

The Beard!

My beard is something I take very seriously. I usually switch up my beard style from what you see in the photo, to the "Pencil Line" beard look outlining my face. However, recently I've decided to keep this look...FOREVER. Inside I was cautious of the stigmas that come from having a beard. As many bearded men know, the sharp cut look doesn't last forever. I've heard the term "mountain man" often. But now it's time to do my own thing and let my beard shine.

A lot of the stigmas bearded men face can be viewed everyday on the television. There's a commercial with a non-bearded man showing his "inner beast" who eats string cheese and whipped cream simultaneously, eating a barrel of cheesy poofs with most of the barrel sloppily falling on himself and the floor. Of course this man has a beard, much like mine. That's how us beard men are portrayed but can't be further from the truth. Hipsters are also portrayed as men with beards. Clearly, I'm not a damn hipster.

Not all men with beards wear skinny pants, lumberjack shirts, overalls or bow ties. Having a beard is an attribute of a grown man who's about his business. It's a sign of maturity and that you have the strength to take care of the issues presented to you in your life. I don't grow a beard for attention, like a hipster does. I grow my beard because it's a look that expresses my inner man, and the responsibility and maturity that comes with it. I walk with my head up high with my beard, not trying to please anyone else but myself.

How do I take care of my beard? I probably do the minimum now as I continue the journey to keep my beard strong and healthy. But there are a few things that I always make sure to do.

• Was thoroughly every day.
• Condition the beard every day.
• Make sure it's combed 4 to 5 times a day MINIMUM.
• I make sure to shape it up every few days.
• The beard receives a soft trim every few days to keep it healthy.

Take care of your beard. Don't worry, just because you have a beard doesn't make you a god forsaken hipster who thinks their unique by following a trend, or a fat, nasty, detestable slob that no one wants to be around. Having a beard tells the world you're a MAN. You're ready to take on responsibility and look good doing it. Treat your beard good and enjoy all it has to offer. I learned to respect my beard, and not worry about stigmas, because if you aren't what a bearded man has been portrayed to be you don't have to worry about it. GREAT MEN HAVE GREAT BEARDS.