5 Best Games of 2013

Honorable Mentions: The Stanley Parable, Papers Please, Dota 2, The Swapper, The Wolf Among Us, The Walking Dead: Season 2

Runner Up: Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

Technically this is a DLC, buy in reality it works as a standalone game. "Far Cry 3" was my favorite game from 2012, it was a giant open world of fun where I could kill a bear with a flamethrower; is there anything more a person could want? It turns out there is, and it’s killing a dinosaur with a minigun. "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon" is a standalone expansion where you play in an 80's inspired neon wonderland and like "Far Cry 3," you kill everything that moves in very fun ways. FC3's enjoyment came mostly from its over the top nature, and Blood Dragon cranked the craziness up to eleven without over doing it. With the bow hunting from FC 3 and RoboCop's gun, this is one of the most enjoyable experiences of 2013. And like I mentioned earlier, you kill dinosaurs and it is awesome.

5. Gone Home

Before its release, I hadn't heard anything about "Gone Home;" but after it came out everyone was raving about it, and I can now see why. The game was actually recommended to me by a friend, I asked what it was about and he said he couldn't answer that. He said it wasn't really a game in the traditional sense but related it to TellTale Games “The Walking Dead.” He said "while it's not a game you’re going to want to play through every year, but it's a game you'll be glad you played though  at least once;" and boy am I glad I did. "Gone Home" is a fascinating game that seamlessly blends gameplay with storytelling. While the game is kind of expensive as compared to it's length, I would say it's certainly worth the play through.

4. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

And the award for the most adorable video game of the year goes to "Ni No Kuni." "Ni No Kuni" is a Japanese role playing game where you are put into the role of a young boy whose mother is killed by her heart condition while she saves his life while he's drowning; not the most cheerful start but it does show this game is more than just adorable. You’re character then enters a type of fantasy world where you are pure of heart, and the only hope for stopping an evil witch. The problem with most JRPG's is that they are such a grind and get old real quick. "Ni No Kuni" doesn't suffer from that, there's so much stuff to do it never feels like a choir to level up. "Ni No Kuni" is a fantastic, one of a kind game that will appeal to anyone who plays it.

3. Bioshock Infinite
Upon its release "Bioshock Infinite" was released to near universal critical acclaim, but over the next couple months more and more people started criticizing the game for this reason or another. I really had never seen anything like it, people who were praising the game quickly turned to hating it. Honestly, I can't see where they're coming from. "Bioshock Infinite" is easily one of the best games of the year and one of the best of the generation. The art style, the combat, the story, and everything else just comes together and works perfectly. Infinite is the third installment in the franchise, and it does the series justice. Already winning multiple game of the year awards despite the haters, "Bioshock Infinite" is an amazing experience that's worth the play if you call yourself a true video game fan.

2. Grand Theft Auto 5
GTA 5 is going to be the game everyone remembers from 2013, and for good reason; this game is f*cking awesome. Easily the most anticipated game of 2013, GTA 5 had a whole lot to live up to and did so in almost every category. There were a lot of super enjoyable games released this year but GTA 5 is the most fun I had playing a game in 2013. Whether it was the Paleto Bay job or chasing after a jet that you just shot down on a motor bike, this game was a blast from start to finish and has turned into one of my favorite games of the console generation. If you're one of the five people left on the planet who haven't played this game, you need to go out and fix that; but be prepared to sink 40- 70 hours into it.

1. The Last of Us

No game this year will be remembered as fondly as "The Last of Us;" this game is regarded so highly, whenever another game wins a game of the year award there's a swarm of thousands of people who complain TLOU didn't win. As far as emotion goes, this is one of the most powerful games I've ever played. Within 15 minutes, it'll have you shed tears. The main characters are Joel and Ellie and I don't think I've ever had such an emotionally strong connection to video game characters. But this game isn't just story; the gameplay perfectly fits the game and is some of the most brutal combat I’ve seen in a game in recent years. This is the must play game of the year, it's that simple. Years from now when people look back on 2013, the one game that everyone will remember will be "The Last of Us."

American Hustle Review

I can't tell you why criminals do what they do; it's not so black and white. If I had to guess I'd say they do it because they have actual reasons, I don't think it's like in the movies where they do it just because they can. They do it to survive and sometimes even to thrive. Now of those who do thrive, con artists seem to be the ones that make out the best. They are smarter than the average person and can take you for an untold amount of money. Look at Bernie Madoff, he stole 60 billion dollars like it was nothing and would have gotten away with it if he wasn't so greedy. It's not an easy line of work, but that's the life. "American Hustle" is a new con film directed by David O. Russell taking place in the 1970's. The film follows Irving and Sydney, a couple of white collar con artists. One afternoon their operation gets busted by an FBI agent named Richard, but for a reduced sentence he makes them a deal. He wants them to team up in order to take out corrupt politicians. Through a mutual friend, Irving and Sydney bait the mayor of Camden, New Jersey, Carmine Polito. Carmine is a good guy and everyone loves him, all he wants to do is help the people. He's campaigning to revitalize gambling in Atlantic City to help the economy but is having trouble gathering the necessary funds to do so. So he decides to do business with the con artists, believing they are business acquaintances with a Sheik from the Middle East who is looking for an investment. Through this scam Irving actually becomes good friends with Carmine, so now he is looking for a way to get him and Sydney off while doing his best to protect Carmine. Unfortunately the FBI agent only cares about furthering his career and threatens to bury them; but the con artists refuse to go down without a fight. David O. Russell is one of my favorite directors, he's unique and his style just appeals to me. His last film "Silver Linings Playbook" was one of the best and one of my favorite films of 2012; so I had some fairly high expectations for this film, fortunately this movie actually surpassed what I was hoping for. First off, the acting is fantastic; "American Hustle" has one of the best ensemble casts of the year and everyone does an amazing job. Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Irving's crazy wife, might even be up for a best supporting actress nomination. The screenplay is one of the best written of the year as well, the dialog is smooth and feels natural. I've heard a lot of the dialog is improved but I can't say so for certain. The movie is also very funny and had me laughing at multiple times. Every director has their own style, some more apparent than other; Russell is a one of a kind and you can always recognize their style, "American Hustle" is no different. He does a great job in this movie, it's obvious that he knew exactly what he wanted to do in this movie and he does it perfectly. Probably my biggest problem with the movie that they use a voice over narrative to further along the plot seems kind of lazy. While we've seen this before and we know it can work, it just didn't for this movie. Also I'd say this movie is about 15-20 minutes to long, it's not an overly long movie but by the end I was ready to leave. There's no doubt, "American Hustle" is one of the best films of the year. Everything worked so well together and I'm so glad I finally got to see it. It's probably not for everyone, but I'd certainly recommend it. And I'll go ahead and predict we'll see a lot of this movie at the Oscars.

Pros: Fantastic acting from the entire cast, dialog is smooth and feels natural, well written screenplay, very funny, authentic looking costume and set design, great directing.

Cons: 15-20 minutes too long, voice over narrative to move plot along is lazy.

4.5/5 Stars

The Wolf of Wall Street Review

If you were to make a list of the most hated professions in the United States, the top of that list would be anything that has to do with Wall Street. Brokers, investment bankers, corporate layers, ect.; the average person looks at these guys and see money grubbing bastards who steal from everyone and give to themselves. Now I know stereotyping isn't a good thing to do, but some of these people do fit that stereotype. I think it all comes down to the American dream, be as successful as you can be and make as much money as you can. Capitalism is a somewhat broken system, for some to thrive others have to fail. All these Wall Street guys just figured why should they have to be the ones to fail. The Wolf of Wall Street takes place between the late 80's and mid 90's and follows the true story of Jordan Belfort. Jordan moved to New York in his early 20's in order to become a stock broker, he grew up poor and had dreams of making the big time; but after a financial crash the firm he was working at shuts down. While looking for a new job he finds out about a system of stocks nicknamed "penny stocks." These are the stocks that are sold for almost nothing and aren't important enough to really make it on Wall Street. He learns that penny stocks have a 50% commission for the broker as compared to normal stock which is only 1%. Jordan is very good at what he does and starts making more money than he knows what to do with. Not long after he opens his own stock firm, and soon after that he starts finding holes in the system that allows him to make even more money. Over the years he also develops a serious drug problem that constantly impacts his everyday life. One day Jordan gets a tip that the FBI is looking into him for a number of crimes, and while they don't have anything they are making ground. Now Jordan is a stubborn and greedy man and refuses to go down without a fight; and what ensues is one hell of a crazy adventure. The Wolf of Wall Street is directed by Martin Scorsese who is easily one of the greatest directors of all time; he has made some of the best movies ever over the past thirty years. One thing I've always admired about Scorsese is that he's not afraid of mixing things up and trying new things. The Wolf of Wall Street is certainly different than any movie he's ever done, it's a comedy. I've always felt he was good at interjecting comedy into his movies and have always wanted to see him do a full-fledged comedy. This movie was one of my most anticipated films of the year; and to be honest, I was a little disappointed. Probably the best aspect of the film would be the acting; stars Leonardo Dicaprio and Jonah Hill do a great job in their roles. I think it's some of the best performance they've given in the past few years. Matthew McConoaghey also appears in the movie and steals each scene he's in, but he's way underutilized. In the trailer they make him look like a co-star, but in reality he's in three scenes. The movie is also well written and pretty damn funny; it had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. The thing I think that most people will find so compelling is that The Wolf of Wall Street is sheer entertainment. Each scene is more outrageous than the last and even if you don't like it you won't be able to take your eyes off the screen. While some people will really like that aspect, it's exactly what turned me off to this movie. I just found it so eccentric and self-indulgent; it felt like it was trying too hard at times. What I found most surprising about the movie is that it somehow was not rated NC-17. I have never seen so many naked people, heard so much swearing, or seen so many drugs done in a movie; the problem is none of it felt necessary. It all has to do with making sure the audience understands Jordan is a party boy, but I didn't need to see him do lines of coke for three hours straight. The movie is much longer than it need to be, they could have cut out a solid 45 minutes of partying. The movie also gets super ridiculous at times and it can sometimes take you out of the movie and disrupts the viewing experience. This was a movie I was so looking forward to, but my hopes and dreams were shot down. I don't think the Wolf of Wall Street is a bad movie, just not particularly good, others seem to really like it so I must be on the outside for the this one. You can always tell if a movie is great when after you see it for the first time, you want to go see it again. For the Wolf of Wall Street, I don't feel that need. 

Pros: DiCaprio and Hill do a great job, well written and funny, scene after scene of entertainment.
Cons: Too eccentric and self-indulgent, much longer than necessary, gets ridiculous at times, McConaughey is underutilized.

3/5 Stars

10 Best Shows of 2013

Honorable Mention: Arrested Development, Community, Avatar: The Legend of Korra, Doctor Who, Parks and Recreations, Luther, Homeland,  Happy Endings, Elementary

Runner Up: Masters of Sex
Lately, Showtime has been going through a rough patch. This year one of their biggest shows Dexter finally ended, and one of their most successful new shows Homeland has lost a bit of speed; but this year Showtime debuted the dramatization of Dr. Williams Masters and Virginia Johnson controversial research on sex, and fortunately it's a winner. The show's a period piece taking place in the 50's where a gynecologist named William Masters and his assistant Virginia starts to research the act of sex using live test subjects. Bored with his regular work Masters noticed that there was very little information regarding sex itself, so hoping to expand on the field and possibly win a noble prize he studies what no scientist before him has studied. Masters of Sex is one of the best new shows of the year; it's like a combination on Mad Men, House, and Cinemax. While the material might not sit right with everyone, it's certainly worth the watch.
10. Archer
The first time I saw Archer I really didn't like it, it had a strange sense of humor and I hated the animation style. I told my friend, who suggested the series to me, what I thought and he just said watch two more episodes. So I watched the second episode, still hated it; after the third I started thinking it was alright. By the end of the first season I was in love. It's an acquired taste, the more you watch the better you get; the show relies greatly on running jokes which just get funnier and funnier. The show follows the life Sterling Archer, an idiotic super spy with mommy issues working for an agency called ISIS. The show's pretty dumb and has a very raunchy sense of humor, but it's legitimately the funniest show on TV right now. After a very shaky start to the series with some pretty subpar ratings, Archer has developed a very strong following and will be heading into its fifth season in 2014.

9. The Walking Dead
There isn't a show on TV right now that's gained a following like The Walking Dead has. Based off the insanely popular comic of the same name, the walking dead follows a group of survivors through the first few years of a zombie apocalypse that has wiped out most of the population. A former police officer named Rick Grimes is charged with lead this beaten and battered group, which includes his teenage son and infant daughter, and keep them alive as long as possible. Everyone loves zombies and as far as TV shows go The Walking Dead does zombies better than anyone else. Bloody, violent, and intense; for the past three years The Walking Dead has continued to impress. And after season four's record breaking ratings, this show will be around quite a while longer.

8. Mad Men
For the last six years, Mad Men has been the king of the Emmy's; winning a total of 15 since the shows launch back in 2007. The show has received almost universal praise for the top notch acting, superb writing, use of themes and motifs revolving around the idealistic American 60's, and fantastic and authentic production design. The show revolves around a group of white collar employees working for an advertisement agency and their families. The main character, Don Draper, is one of the best in the business but has many personal demons. Whether it be his alcoholism, smoking addiction, or the almost compulsory need to have an affair, he is his own worst enemy; and watching him destroy his own life and the lives of those around him has made damn good television for six years straight.

7. Boardwalk Empire

Since its premiere back in 2010, Boardwalk Empire has impressed me every single season. Taking place in the early 1920's the story follows Nucky Thompson, the former treasurer of Atlantic city who used the recently put into place prohibition law to his advantage; with the help of his numerous connections to import and sell alcohol in the north east United States. With most of the cities law enforcement on his payroll with the help of his brother the sherif; and all his competition under his thumb, Nucky ruled the liquor trade. Great acting, an interesting premise, and some of the best production value of any show on TV has made Boardwalk Empire one of HBO's most intriguing and critically acclaimed shows. With season four just finishing up and a fifth on its way, it seems that Boardwalk Empire will have a long and successful run.

6. Justified

I've always thought that Justified was the most underrated show on television. Despite near universal acclaim from critics and dozens of awards and nominations over the years, the show has never pulled the numbers I thought it deserved. The show follows US marshal Raylan Givens; after an indecent on the job Raylan gets stationed outside Harlan County in Kentucky, a crime ridden and backwater place where he happened to grow up. His father as well as pretty much everyone he grew up around was or is a criminal, so being a marshal he isn't exactly the most like guy in town. He is tasked with keeping the county safe murderers, thieves, and drug traffickers by whatever means necessary, and Raylan is one of those shoot first and ask questions later. Justified is a breath of fresh air as far as I'm concerned every season has been top notch and I can always rely on the show to be of the highest quality. And with season five airing next year I'm sure it will continue to impress.

5. Vice on HBO

Vice started off as a controversial magazine publication back in 1994 that covered everything from pop culture to international war stories. This year HBO decided to take a chance and gave Vice their own show, each episode is half an hour long and would feature two 15 minutes documentary shorts. Some stories that were featured this season included political assassinations in the Philippians, Al Qaeda's use of child suicide bombers, and Nigerien oil pirates. They even sent a basketball team with some of the Harlem Globetrotters to compete against North Korean national basketball team, they even became the first Americans to meet supreme leader Kim Jong-Un. Vice is my favorite news publication and I am so happy to see them do well and make such a high quality TV show, and I can't wait for season two.

4. Orange is the new Black

This was undoubtedly the biggest surprise of 2013. A new series from Netflix, the show’s based off the real life story of Piper Kerman a young woman who was coerced into smuggling money by her former girlfriend and is convicted and sent to prison almost ten years later. While I didn't think much of OITNB when I first heard about it, after watching the first season I can say that it was my favorite series of the year. A wide array of funny and interesting characters accompanied by the shows unique sense of humor works perfectly. OITNB is a brilliant show, and has already done very well for himself. Apparently the show pulled more viewers in its first week than House of Cards or the re-launch of Arrested Development. With its success Netflix has confirmed a second season will air in 2014, and I can't wait.

3. House Of Cards

Believe it or not Netflix hasn't always been the powerhouse it is; at one point people weren't even sure if it could survive in the market. Back in the day Blockbuster was the big kid on the block; several years ago there was even an offer on the table for Netflix to be sold to them. Blockbuster turned it down because they didn't think Netflix was worth it and that they could make it in the online market themselves and do better. But over the past few years Netflix has grown to have almost 30 million subscribers and has even gotten into original programming. One of their first major shows was House of Cards, a political drama that shows the dirty side of Washington and even stars Oscar winning actor Kevin Spacey. The show was met with much critical acclaim and even became the first web based show to be nominated for a major Emmy. House of Cards is a superbly acted and intriguing show about deceit and betrayal that always seems to keep you guessing.

2. Game of Thrones

I remember when Game of Thrones first came out everyone was going crazy, and I told myself I would watch it eventually; two seasons later I hadn't seen a single episode. Right before the third season started my friend asked me if I had been watching, I told him all I knew was that it was a fantasy show. He told me it was like Lord of the Rings with more characters and boobs, so I decided to give it a try. I watched the first episode and thought it was very good, two days later I had watched every episode and found one of my new favorite shows. The show has some of the best production value of any program on TV. Filled with twists and turns you never see coming, this complex and action packed series makes its viewers always come back for more and count the days until season four.

1. Breaking Bad

I'll say it right now; Breaking Bad is the greatest drama to ever air on cable television. I can count on one hand the number of shows that are even on the same playing field as this show. And amazingly the fifth and final season was the best the show has ever put out. For five years Breaking Bad has captivated us like no show has in the last decade. The writing, directing, and acting have been on a whole different level from almost every other show on TV. Sadly the show recently ended, and like every other person who loved the show I was nervous about the last episode. After watching it I can say it was one of the most satisfying endings to a show in recent memory. Breaking Bad has left a whole in my heart, and I'm not sure it can ever be filled; it will be missed but I'm glad it ended on its own terms. Breaking Bad was the best show of 2013 and very well might be the greatest show of all time.

5 Worst Movies of 2013

Honorable Mentions: Spring Breakers, The Fifth Estate, 2 Guns

Runner Up: Only God Forgives
This movie was so disappointing I actually got sad after watching it. After the trailer dropped earlier this year, it quickly became one of my most anticipated of 2013. Only God Forgives was Nicholas Winding Refn's to Drive, which also starred Ryan Gosling. Drive was one of the best movies of 2011, so I immediately interested when this movie announced; but after watching it, I was left with a hole in my stomach. What this movie did right was the cinematography, it's an absolutely beautiful movie; but what it did wrong, was just about everything else. The movie was just lacking in most fields, I just expected so much more and was severely let down. It was by no means the worst movie of the year, but it was easily the biggest let down.

5. A Good Day to Die Hard
Some movie franchises just don't know when to quit, unfortunately Die Hard is no different. The first movie in the franchise was released in 1988, and is often called the greatest action movie of all time. If you ask me they should have left it at that; not all the Die Hard movies are, Die Hard with a Vengence and Live Free or Die Hard were a lot of fun. But neither of them could capture the magic of the original. When I first heard they were making a new Die Hard, I was actually kind of excited; but the problem with this one is that it's feels like one of the most generic action movies ever. There is nothing outstanding about it, it's just so below average. It feels like this the script was just a random action movie that they rewrote for Die Hard. While I wouldn't go so far as to call it terrible, I remember leaving the theater rather unimpressed.

4. The Counselor
I don't just think this is a bad movie; I actually left the theater really upset because it was such a bad movie. The Counselor had all the potential in the world: an all star cast, a screenplay by one of America's greatest living authors, and an Oscar nominated Director. I'm not sure how this movie could have gone wrong, but somehow it did. There aren't many things I can actually complement this movie on, the cinematography was all right and at least some of the actors did the best they could. What this movie really messed up on was the writing; in a movie where they entire plot is moved along by the dialog, you need to make sure it's really good. What we got was one of the most poorly written movies released in 2013. This was a movie I had such high hopes, and I ended up disappointed.

3. The Starving Games
Like clockwork, you can expect at least one pathetic spoof movie year; and this year we got the Starving Games. As you can probably tell, this movie is based around the Hunger Games. On top of that it parodies the Expendables, the Avengers, angry birds, Avatar, Taylor Swift, and a few other things here and there. The movie is written and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Aeltzer, who you might know as the creators of Date Movie, Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, Meet the Spartans, and Vampires Suck. In case you haven't seen any of these movies, let's just say these guys are no Steven Spielberg. What I don't understand about this movie is why it was made; while terrible their other movies were given a lot of attention and made lots of money. This movie was only given a limited release and barely made in any money; but to be honest, I'm actually kind of glad it failed.

2. InAPPropriate Commedy
And the award for the single most shameless movie of the year goes to InAPPropriate Comedy. While you might not know what the movie is, you might know who it's by. The movie is written and directed by Vince Offer, better known as the shamwow guy (you also might know him as the guy who beat up a hooker because she bit his tongue and wouldn't let go). InAPPropriate Comedy would best be described as a spoof movie, and possibly the worst spoof movie ever made. I heard several people call this one of the worst movies of all time; I was curious so I decided to check it out, unfortunately they were right. This movie tries to go for the shock and awe value, but in reality it's just stupid. There's no positive aspect of this movie, it is garbage; but amazingly, it's not even the worst movie of the year.

1. Movie 43
I hate this movie with a passion, plain and simple; I don't just think it's bad, I remember walking out of the theater and being physically angry I spent $6.50 to see it. Movie 43 is an embarrassment to movies, I'm not sure who sold their soul to have this movie made but they are an awful person. Here's the gist of it, a guy is trying to sell his script to a producer and we see segments from that script. Imagine the worst episode of Saturday Night Live times ten. Here's how bad it is, at one point the producer calls the script this centuries Howard the Duck which is one of the worst movies ever made. So the movie itself acknowledges the script is bad and then makes us watch scenes from it. Movie 43 is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. There is nothing good about it; the funniest scene is still sub par. If I were given a choice between a lobotomy or seeing this movie again, I'll go with the brain surgery.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Review

Note: I saw this film at a high frame rate in 3D, and while the 3D is well done I still do not like the high frame rate.

Few worlds have encapsulated the human imagination as J.R.R Tolkien's Middle Earth has, and few ever will. In 1999, director Peter Jackson took on the daunting task of translating Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy into film. The result would turn out to be one of the greatest film trilogies of all time; but after the series ended it left many fans wanting more, so Jackson ultimately decided on turning "The Hobbit" (a prequel book to TLOTR) into a trilogy itself. The first installment entitled "An Unexpected Journey" was released, and while it was a major box office success it was met with negative reviews from many critics and fans of the Middle Earth universe; many questioned Jackson's decision on turning the book into a trilogy as compared to a single installment, a trilogy made sense for TLOTR because it already was a trilogy but the Hobbit was only a single volume. Many weren't sure if there was even enough content to turn into three movies. So with the second installment in the new trilogy, Jackson obviously looked to silence many of the critics by addressing the almost many of the problems people had with the first one. And fortunately, he manages to improve upon the last movie in almost every way. "The Desolation of Smaug" starts off what seems to be a few months after the events of the previous movie. Our marry band of misfits consisting of Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the Grey, Thorin Oakenshield and a dozen other dwarves are still trying to reach the Lonely Mountain in order to retrieve the Arkenstone so Thorin can be named the king under the mountain. At this same time they are all being hunted by a group of orcs, and they barely escape with their lives on more than one occasion. The group needs to be at the mountain within a few days, and they are running out of time fast. They are required to go through a now sick forest inhabited by giant spiders, but once their almost out they get captured by a group of elves. While in their custody, Thorin is summoned by the clan’s leader who is the same man who refused to help the dwarves when their homeland was originally attacked; the king offers to make a deal but Thorin refuses. After being imprisoned for a short time they manage to escape and make it to a nearby trading town; but with the orcs right on their tail and time almost up the group is on the brink of defeat, but they refuse to give up. While I had problems with the previous film, I still really enjoyed it; but I did feel a little let down. The Lord of the Rings trilogy are some of my all time favorite movies, but An Unexpected Journey didn't have the same magic as the previous films; The Desolation of Smaug manages to recapture that magic, and has turned into one of my favorite films of the year. One of the biggest problems with the previous movie was that a lot of people just thought it was kind of boring, but TDOS is much more exciting and also has the more serious tone of TLOTR films while maintaining several humorous moments. One of the standout features of TLOTR films was that they were gorgeous and Peter Jackson continues that tradition with this film, while it doesn't have the huge landscapes like the other films the cinematography is still top notch. Also like all the other films, Jackson employs some really amazing special effects people. While most of the CGI looks great overall, there are a few times where the CGI isn't on par with the rest of the film. Ever actor in the film was cast perfectly and does a great job in their parts. Although one of my biggest problems with the film is that there are too many characters doing too many things at once. In the previous film, the entire movie revolved around Bilbo, Gandalf, and Thorin, everyone else were just supporting characters. In this one, you have like ten important characters all doing their own thing; it takes away from the continuity of the main story line. There are also a few characters that were put into the movie that weren't in the book, most notably Legolas and Tauriel. It was really awesome to see Legolas again and Tauriel is a really cool and badass character, but I'm not entirely sure if they were really necessary. But now that we have all that out of the way, let's get to the important stuff; we all have the same question about this film, "how's Smaug." The answer? He's as awesome as we all hoped. Smaug is voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, and he was the absolute the perfect choice. His voice fit Smaug perfectly, and they add the right amount of distortion to his voice. The design of Smaug is fantastic; he is massive and looks just how I imagined him. Smaug is some of the best CGI you'll see in a movie all year and is worth the price of admission alone. The Desolation of Smaug acts as a huge improvement over An Unexpected Journey in almost every aspect, his movie reminded me what I loved about the Lord of the Rings trilogy. If you've loved any of the Middle Earth movies you'll love this one, but it certainly won't bring any new fans of the series. If you're planning on going to the theater any time soon, you can't go wrong with The Desolation of Smaug. 

Pros: Every actor plays their character perfectly, more exciting and serious than previous film, beautiful cinematography and CGI, funny but not forced comedic moments, Smaug is f*cking awesome.

Cons: Too many characters doing too many things, some CGI not up to snuff, some characters shoehorned in, still don't like high frame rate.

4.5/5 Stars

Oldboy Review

Remaking a movie has always been a questionable act in the film industry, especially when it's a remake of a really great movie; so when it was announced that Spike Lee would be remaking one of the best and most beloved movies of the past twenty years, people were rather upset. In 2003 South Korean director Park Chan-wook released a film entitled Oldboy, based off the manga series of the same name. The movie obtained instant success, garnering several awards as well as being a box office smash. And over the years Oldboy became a cult classic, especially in the United States, with many considering it one of the greatest movies ever made. Noted for its action scenes, creativity, sense of humor, and mind blowing twist, the movie has since become a classic. So I'm not sure what possessed Spike Lee to direct the remake, but the deed is done; and unfortunately, it can never be undone. Spike Lee's Oldboy follows the story of Joe Doucett, an alcoholic advertising executive and all around mess. After messing up a meeting with a potential client, Joe goes on a bender and wakes up in a motel room. Almost immediately Joe realizes there is something wrong, he's been kidnapped. While channel surfing the TV in his room, he comes upon a news show explaining how his ex wife has been killed and he is the number one suspect. One day his room is gassed and he passes out, he wakes up inside a chest in the middle of a field. He's been released after twenty years of imprisonment. Joe wants two things, to reconnect with his now grown up daughter and get revenge on his captors. Remaking a great movie is not an easy task, they rarely match the original; and unfortunately Spike Lee's Oldboy is no different. While the movie is filled with impressive actors, Only Josh Brolin as Joe stands out. The original Oldboy has one of the coolest fight scenes you'll ever see in a movie, it's a four minute long single shot from of the protagonist facing off against about thirty opponents with 2x4's in a hallway wielding only a hammer. In the remake it has a similar scene but changes it up enough to be distinct, it's a cool fight scene but feels kind of cartoonish compared to the original. It does that thing where even though the hero is surrounded, the bad guys attack one at a time while the others are in the background swinging their weapons around for some reason. One thing to note is that the remake is much more gruesome than the original. When I went to go see the movie, a couple people actually walked out during a particularly brutal torture scene. One of the problems with remaking a movie is that the remake usually lacks any sort of originality, and Oldboy is no different. Lee's version just feels like a less interesting and poorly made version of the original. He tries to change some parts up, but ultimately they're still to similar to the original. If you ask anyone who's seen the original what they remember most, everyone will say the twist ending; it's a brilliant part of the movie that changes everything. The biggest problem with the remake is also why anyone who's seen the original can go ahead and avoid it; Spike Lee uses the same twist from the original. He tries to change it up and add some elements that weren't in the original, but it's still the same ending. If you haven't seen the original you might find the remake interesting, but if you have you'll just end up leaving the theater mad. Part of me wants to commend Spike Lee for having the confidence to remake this movie; the other part of me wants to slap him for taking an amazing movie and making a subpar remake. I really can't recommend this movie, even if you haven't seen the original; there are a lot better movies in theaters right now. If you haven't seen the original, go watch it on Netflix because it is a really great movie. While it has its moments, the remake is just a dull, uninspired copy; I remember sitting in the theater and thinking to myself, "I wish I had seen "Frozen" again instead."

Pros: Some cool fight scenes, Josh Brolin gives a good performance, will probably be enjoyable for anyone who hasn't seen the original.
Cons: Lacks originality, some scenes are based too closely off the original, uses same twist as the original, brings nothing new to the table.

2/5 Stars

Frozen Review

Back in the day, Disney was the king of animation. For years they stood unchallenged atop their throne, but over the past twenty years challengers have risen up. Pixar and DreamWorks have made a real name for themselves, especially with the introduction of best animated feature at the Oscars. But since they have risen, Disney has fallen. For the past couple years the quality of Disney's animated films have fallen; we'd get a good one here and there like Tangled and Wreck-It-Ralph, but none that we'll remember fondly years from now. Earlier this year Disney released a teaser trailer for their new movie Frozen and it was pretty funny. So I decided to keep my eye on it. Well it's finally been released, so is this the instant Disney classic we were all hoping for? It very well might be. Frozen takes place in the mythical kingdom of Arendelle and follows the story of two princesses, Elsa and Anna. The older sister Elsa was born with the power to conjure ice and snow. This is something the public can never know about, so her parents keep her concealed within the castle in the hopes of containing her powers. After a terrible accident, the king and queen pass away which means Elsa is next in line. When she comes finally comes of age to take the crown, the castle doors are opened for the first time in years. But while at her coronation, her powers are revealed and she runs away in fear. She heads into the mountains, and accidentally covers the land in an eternal winter. Ana decides to go after her in the hopes she can put everything back to normal, but all on her own she isn't well suited. Along the way she meets Kristoff, an ice salesman whose business is in jeopardy. So the two set off save both the kingdom, and Elsa. I'll go ahead and make a prediction, Frozen will win best animated feature at the Oscars this year; this is easily the best Disney movie in years. I must say this is a beautiful movie, the animation is great throughout. It's especially cool to see Elsa wield her ice powers. The animation style is similar to Tangled, which makes sense cause it's by the same team. Disney has always been known for its great characters, and Frozen is no different. All the characters are likable and well written, and are complemented by fantastic voice acting. Olaf the snowman who is introduced about a quarter of the way through the film is one of the funniest characters you'll see in a movie all year. Almost every line out of his mouth is hilarious, and those that aren't are sincere and heartfelt. But out of everyone, Idina Menzel steals the show as Elsa. Idina is a Tony award winning actress most known for her part in the Broadway play Wicked, and goddamn can that woman sing. She performs the movie's stand out song "Let it Go" and she kills it. I would not be surprised if she won an Oscar for best original song. While she is amazing, she is totally underutilized. She sings two duets and her one solo and that's it. One thing you need to know is that this movie has a whole lot of singing; it's really like classic Disney movies where people will just break out into song. While I do feel that some songs were forced to fit a certain scene, there isn't a bad song in the movie. Composer Christopher Beck did a great job and should get an Oscar nomination for his work. Like the older Disney movie, Frozen is funny when it wants to be and sincere when it needs to be. There are some very touching and sad moments in this movie, you really feel for these characters. But it's not all tears and sadness; there are more than a few scenes where I was laughing my ass off. I will say the movie is aimed more for kids, but is certainly enjoyable for the whole family. Frozen is the best animated film of the year by far, and probably the best in the past couple years. The movie works on every level an animation should. And what it does best is bring back what we loved most about the old school Disney movies. Frozen is easily my favorite movie of the year as well as one of the best. If you loved movies like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King or essentially any Disney movie with singing from the 80's or 90's, Frozen is not a movie to be missed. 

Pros: Lovable characters, very funny and emotional, great animation, fantastic voice acting, award worthy soundtrack, feels like classic Disney. 

Cons: Some songs feel forced, aimed more at kids, Idina Menzel is underutilized.

4.5/5 Stars

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Review

Every few years we get a new series that takes the film industry by storm. Harry Potter became a worldwide sensation and the highest grossing movie franchise in history. Twilight, as bad as it is, made billions and broke box office records. And now the Hunger Games is in the spotlight and people are going crazy for it, because nothing says fun like a bunch of teenagers killing each other. Based off the acclaimed book series by the same name, the story of Katness Everdeen is certainly one I can get behind. An underdog willing to sacrifice herself for her family and fight for her people, and unlike Twilight Katness is a likable and empowered lead character that doesn't whine all the time and want to date a sparkly vampire. Catching Fire is the second installment in the series and takes place what seems to be a few months after the last movie. Katness is back home before having to go on a winners tour due to her new found fame, but all she wants to do is stay with her family and put all this behind. Before leaving she is visited by the president who wasn't too happy that both her and Peeta survived the games, she has even become a beacon of hope for the rebellion against the government. So by threatening her family he plans to keep her on a short leash hoping she won't say anything that will start a revolution. So her and Peeta set off on the tour and put on their best happy face, but in reality there's still a bit of tension between the two from the previous games; but the world thinks they're in love so they have to go with the public image for their family’s sake. After an incident at one of their stops, sh*t hits the fan. The rebellion is right on the verge of happening and Katness is the face of it. So the president starts to scheme, and with some advice from the new head game maker he formulates the perfect plot to get rid of Katness. For the 75th Hunger Games, the tributes will be picked from previous winners; and being the only woman from district 12 to win, she's entered by default. Put up against trained killers, Katness is in for the fight of her life; you don't win the Hunger Games, you just survive. I was not a big fan of the last Hunger Games movie, I thought it was pretty good but not a movie that I was compelled to watch again soon after. Catching Fire is a vast improvement over the last movie and I really liked it. The writing in this movie was quite a bit better than the last one, I was told Catching Fire was the best book in the series and you can certainly see the improvements from the first movie. Catching Fire is a bit more CGI heavy than the last movie but fortunately pulls it off, nothing looks cheap and lack luster like the dogs from the first movie. The actual tournament is also a lot more entertaining than the first one. In the last movie I actually thought some of the action scenes were boring but in Catching Fire they are pretty badass. Jennifer Lawrence does a great job as Katness, and while everyone in the film does a good job she stands head and shoulders over them. Another improved aspect would be the love triangle between Katness, Peeta, and Gale. It's a lot less annoying in this movie, but still suffers from some sappy moments. A surprising part that I liked was the political aspect; we get a real good look into the capital and the presidents thoughts. In the last movie we were just told that the capital was evil, but in this one we actually see it. But what I loved most about this movie is actually something they decided to take out since the first one, no more shaky cam. The cinematography in the first movie wasn't great, and the shaky cam was out of control. In this one the overall cinematography was much better and they took out the shaky cam all together, which made me happy. While a big improvement the movie still manages to have its flaws. While less annoying the love story has more than a few sappy moments. The movie also suffers from the occasional cheesy line that sounds forced and out of place. Catching Fire also feels a little too long, it's not a super long movie but by hour two you're ready for the director to wrap it up. It also takes a too long to get to the games; while it was interesting to see more parts of this world it takes over an hour for them to make it into the arena. Perfect it is not but Catching Fire is a huge improvement over the last movie and one of my favorite films of the year. Its themes on hope and survival are very compelling, and are complemented by some very intense action sequences. It's very easy to see why this series is so loved and has become a worldwide sensation. And as for myself I'm certainly looking forward to the next installment in the series, Mockingjay Part 1. 

Pros: The games are much more entertaining than the last movie, good writing, interesting political aspects; Jennifer Lawrence is great as Katness, no more shaky cam.

Cons: A little too long, some cheesy lines, while less annoying the love story certainly gets sappy, takes too long to get to the games.

4/5 Stars

The Starving Games Review

Have you ever seen a movie and then afterwards you're actually angry? Unfortunately for me that happens a lot, especially with spoof movies. Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer are two directors and screen writers you may not have heard of, but you probably know some of their movies. They are the guys behind Date Movie, Epic Movie; Meet the Spartans, Disaster Movie, and Vampires Suck. If you don't know any of these movies let me sum them up for you, they're f*cking awful. I'm fairly sure these guys actually hold the record for most Razzie nominations. The last movies these guys put out was Vampires Suck which came out in 2010. Since then we haven't heard anything from them which is fine by me. But out of nowhere they release a new movie, and like their other movies it's still awful. The Starving Game is a spoof movie parodying The Hunger Games, the Avengers, the Expendables, Avatar, Sherlock Holmes, The Great and Powerful Oz, Harry Potter, Angry Birds, and Taylor Swift. Now I'm not going to go into the plot, it is just a stupid version of the Hunger Games. All you need to know is a girl named Kantmiss Evershot (I'm serious, that's the best they could do) who volunteers to represent her district in the starving games, a tournament where teens and children fight to the death. The only decent aspect of this movie is that you might get an occasional chick every once in a while (mostly at its own stupidity), every other aspect of this movie is as bad as you'd think. The writing, directing, acting, and production value are some of the worst you'll see this year. The movie is also short, there's only about 65 minutes of actual content. The last ten minutes are just a blooper role, it's obvious that the directors have no self respect but who actually ends their movie with a blooper real? To be honest there isn't a single reason to see this movie, there are a lot better ways you can spend your time. I just watched to give it a really bad review, mission accomplished. 

Pros: An occasional chuckle.

Cons: Terrible writing, directing, acting, and production value. It actually ends with a blooper real.

1/5 Stars

Dallas Buyer's Club Review

There are two certainties in life, death and taxes; but you can avoid paying taxes, you can't exactly avoid death. During the 1980's, HIV and AIDS were running rampant and they were death sentences. At the time we knew very little about the disease, and we had pretty much no idea how to treat it. During the late 80's we started to make some breakthroughs on how to "stall" the disease. We didn't have the cure but we found ways to prolong a patient’s life. But for some reason the Food and Drug Administration was not approving these drugs for one reason or another, even though they had been proven to help. But they just kept pushing their own medicine that would actually do more harm than good. Fortunately, there were a few brave souls out there that were doing what the FDA wouldn't. Dallas Buyers Club takes place in Dallas, Texas and starts off in 1985; Ron Woodrof is a homophobic, drug addicted party boy working for an oil company. After an incident on the job he is rushed to the hospital where the Doctor discover he has full blown AIDS and an estimated 30 something days to live. At first Ron doesn't believe it, thinking that only gay people can get the disease. But after learning how HIV and AIDS actually works he recalls having sex with a hooker who had track marks running down her arm, implying that she had the disease from extended drug use. Ron goes to his doctor pleading for AZT, the only licensed dug believed to treat the disease. After taking the drug for a couple weeks, he isn't feeling any better and is referred to a doctor down in Mexico. He explains to Ron AZT doesn't help and starts giving him drugs that aren't legally available in the US. Over the next few months he feels much better and gets the idea to start selling these drugs to, targeting members of the LGTB community. He decides to partner up with Rayon, a transgender woman with more ties to the community. Together they set up the Dallas Buyers Club, an organization selling memberships to anyone who needs drugs that have been proven to fight AIDS but aren't legal in the US. But with the FDA breathing down there necks, Ron and the club members are always on their toes; fortunately Ron refuses to go down without a fight and save hundreds of lives in the process. This is an all around good movie, but if there's one thing that people are going to remember it's the acting. The writing and humor were good for the most part and there are some pretty emotional scenes, but if you're going to watch this movie you're going to watch it for its acting. Matthew McConaughey as Ron and Jared Leto as Rayon give the best performances of the year. Both transform into the characters and really show their dedication. Both lost so much weight for these role it's kind of scary. McConaughey lost like 40 pounds to get into character, he's almost unrecognizable; the same thing with Leto. It's pretty safe to assume that both are going to be nominated for Oscars, and in my opinion they should win. Jennifer Garner also co-stars in the movie and she does great, one of the best performances of her career. I wouldn't be surprised if she was nominated for best supporting actress. Unfortunately like most the movie has its problems; the movie feels a little too long by the end of it, but at the same time the ending feels somewhat rushed. One thing that bothered me throughout is that there are some strange editing choices. There are several cuts that happen suddenly and seem out of place, as well as too many "fade to black" transitions that just seem lazy. Probably the biggest complaint you'll hear from most is that at time the screenplay doesn't live up to the rest of the movie. While there are some emotional moments, the movie lacks that certain touch that really makes you feel. Dallas Buyer's club is a great movie, and we will be seeing it at the Oscar's. It tells the story of a man who fought the system and saved an untold number of lives. If we had more people like that this world would be a better place. As of writing this review it's only in limited release but if it is playing near you it's certainly worth the watch. 

Pros: Oscar worthy performances from Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto, often quite funny, some very emotional moments.

Cons: Strange editing, a little long, feels rushed at the end, screenplay doesn't always match the rest of the film.

4/5 Stars

10 Best Games of the Seventh Console Generation

Honorable Mentions: Far Cry 3, Journey, Skyrim, Fallout 3, Bayonetta, The Orange Box, God of War 3, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Left 4 Dead, The Walking Dead, Little Big Planet (1 and 2), Braid, Borderlands 2, Bastion, Grand Theft Auto 4, Demon Souls, Dark Souls, Killzone 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Runner Up- Batman: Arkham City
Up until Batman: Arkham Asylum, I honestly can't think of a good licensed superhero game. But Asylum broke the streak and gave us one of the best games of 2009, but the sequel perfected the series. Arkham City is an open world action/stealth game taking place in the Batman universe. You play as the Dark Knight who is dropped into a section of Gotham City that has been turned into a giant prison. And their you meet about every bad guy in the Batman series (that weren't in Arkham Asylum anyway). The city is massive and detailed in an astonishing way. The combat system was improved from the original and the story is everything I could have wanted. And recently a third game has been announced and I'm sure it will live up to its name sake.
10. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Uncharted has become the staple series for the PlayStation, and for good reason. Drake's Deception is the latest game in the series released back in 2011 and while it didn't quite reach the level of acclaim its predecessor did, it still won of a dozen game of the year awards from major publications. In this newest game you once again step in as Nathan Drake, and after encountering an old enemy; and you learn that they are looking for the lost city Iram of the Pillars. Iram is commonly called the Atlantis of the sands (coined by T.E. Lawrence), it was a trading city in the Arabian peninsula which became well known for their unimaginable riches. But God saw their arrogance and greed and destroyed the city, and it hasn't been seen in hundreds of years. So you set out to stop whatever evil may come of this.

9. Portal 2
How do follow up one of the most original IP's in recent years? You improve upon it in every single way. The Portal series is developed by Valve, the creators of the acclaimed Half-Life series upon many others ground breaking video game series. Portal had you play as a mysterious young women who is used as a guinea pig in a series of cruel and unusual experiments involving a portal gun, a device that can fire two portals that are connected to each other. Portal 2 may be the most ingenious puzzle game ever made, its whit, humor, and creativity are almost unmatched by any other game. Its devout fallowing and strong sales also point to a possible sequel, which I would welcome with open arms.
8. Bioshock Infinite
Heading into 2013 Bioshock Infinite was at the top of my must play list, and for good reason. Infinite took the Bioshock series in a new direction, not just by moving to a new location but by giving a voice to its characters. Infinite and the original are both incredible games and are just as good as their counterpart, but what make Infinite stand out in my mind is that is just more fun to play. It has a more upbeat setting (for most of the game) and gives a face to the characters which gives you an attachment that you didn't have with the previous two games. My only complaint would be that you can only carry two weapons at a time unlike the rest of the series. But that's more of a personal preference, all I know is beginning to end this is an experience that I have had with few other games.

7. Grand Theft Auto 5
I expected a lot from this game, more than most. Rockstar has proven track record with the GTA series so I was sure that this was going to be a great games, somehow GTA 5 actually surpassed my expectations. While just about every aspect about the game is incredible, the thing that really sets it apart from almost every other game like it would be the setting. Rockstar didn't just make a map, they truly made their own world. The fact that they could make a game of this size and magnitude run on eight year old hardware and still have it look so good is nothing short of incredible. Years from now this will be looked at as a land mark piece in video game design as well as one of the greatest games ever.

6. Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar is one of the most successful and well respected development companies out there, known for the GTA series they decide to try something new with great success. Red Dead Redemption is the companies first game in the western genre and instantly became the definitive western game. Rockstar's previous games like GTA are known for their action, the companies follow up game L.A. Noir was know for its story and writing, RDR is the perfect combination of the two. The game doesn't just have incredible action sequences but also an immersive story and some of the most unique characters I've seen  in games. Plus several DLC packs, challenges, and more side quests than you can shake a stick at, and you got a hell of a value.
5. Bioshock
The FPS genre has always been stale to me, with only a few number of games that stand out and really worth a players time. Most of the genre are generic modern military shooters that get old pretty quick. Bioshock did what few of FPS games did before it, it had a story (and a damn good one at that). Up to that point the only FPS games that had a good story were Half Life and Halo, but everything changed when Bioshock was released. With its incredible deep and engaging story in one of the most impressive worlds I have ever seen in a game, Bioshock got praise from just about everyone. Minus a sub par final boss, this is a truly amazing game that lead to an amazing sequel.

4. The Last of Us
Over the past couple of years we have seen more zombie games than we can handle; it takes something real special to make stand out from the crowd, and The Last of Us did the gaming equivalent of shooting off fireworks. What many are calling the best game of this generation, the Last of Us is the story of what makes us human. Zombies aren't the only enemy in the game, you constantly have to fight regular people. While playing you wonder "what is wrong with these people," well the truth is that they're just like you; they are trying to survive. This is a deep emotional story that made my jaw drop multiple times, it's almost like watching a movie. This is the most humanistic game ever made and even now the ending still makes questions the morality of the greater good.

3. Mass Effect 2
Easily my favorite game of the generation, Mass Effect 2 is the best installment in one of the greatest trilogies gaming has ever seen. Mass Effect 2 is a third person shooter space RPG, with the whole game revolving around choice. The series was not the first to have choice be a factor, but it was a game changer. In Mass Effect 2, the choices you make in the game can end in your whole team making it home or every one (including yourself) can die. You play as Commander Shepard, a human who is the only thing standing in the way of complete annihilation of the universe. In the first game you learn of a sentient race of machines known as the reapers who every 50 thousand years wipe out all intelligent life and it's up to you to stop them. And what ensues is one of the greatest adventures you can ever take part in.

2. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Uncharted 2 did something special, it breached the gap between video games and action movies. From the opening scene to the final stand, i felt like I was in Raiders of the Lost Ark. You play as Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter who gets caught up in the biggest find of his life. After following the evidence left behind from Marco Polo's lost ships, you learn the location of the lost Buddhist city Shambhala. Unfortunately for you there is a very angry Russian after the same prize. Uncharted 2 has one of the greatest and most exhilarating single player experiences ever put in a game, and on top of that you have several great multiplayer modes. Uncharted 2 is Naughty Dog's (the developer) crowning achievement and a once in a generation game.

1. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
How do you end one of the greatest game series of all time? With one of the greatest games of all time. MGS4 is the concluding chapter in the acclaimed Metal Gear Solid series. MGS was the game that changed everything in the stealth genre, after it hit the shelves every stealth game had to match it (very few did). And in my opinion Guns of the Patriots is the best in the series. Released in 2008 to universal acclaim, the game would go on to win many game of the year awards as well as selling nearly 5 million copies worldwide. The game is perfect, the combat, graphics, story, dialog, and technical prowess are unmatched by many games today. While some criticized the incredibly long cut scenes, they were necessary to answer all the questions that were never answered in the other games. MGS4 is the greatest modern game, it is outstanding in every way and a game any true fan of games need to play.

Thor: The Dark World Review

The Avenger's franchise has made so much money it's ridiculous. Starting with Iron Man back in 2008, the series has racked up almost seven billion dollars. But when it was originally announced that a several movies were to be released more the legendary comic books, more than a few people were nervous. Up to that point only a small handful of superhero movies actually worked. Fortunately the first movie in the series, Iron Man, was met with extremely positive reviews. Over the next three years we received a few more Marvel movies other than Iron Man, but they were never quite as good. The Incredible Hulk and Captain America were both very enjoyable movies and can stand on their own, but unlike Iron Man they seemed more as time filler until the Avengers; and then there was Thor. Watching the trailer back in 2011, it looked ridiculous and just another way for Marvel to make money. To my surprise it turned out to be the best Marvel movie since the original Iron Man. Contributed mostly to likable characters and over the top action, Thor impressed and has become a franchise favorite by a lot of people. After two years we finally get a sequel; and while many thought it would be good, it still has a lot to live up to in the wake of 2012's The Avenger's. Fortunately, Thor: The Dark World picks up where its predecessor left off and continues to impress. Taking place a year or so after the events of the Avenger's movie, Thor has fully accepted his role as the protector of Asgard and the nine realms. He doesn't take this role because he wants to, but because it serves as a distraction from his true love Jane Foster back on earth. At this same time, Jane has traveled to England to observe some unexplainable anomalies. While investigating, she is transported to an unknown location off planet where some sort of substance attacks her and she passes out. A few hours later she wakes up back on Earth to be greeted by Thor. Jane seems to be exerting some sort of magical force, so Thor takes her back to Asgard to be examined. It's discovered that the substance is known as the Aether, an ancient weapon controlled by a race known as the Dark Elves who were thought to have been extinct but in reality were hiding away; and when the Aether attacked Jane, the Dark Elves were alerted to its position and attack Asgard. After a devastating battle Thor believes that the only viable action is to take Jane and the Aether far away from Asgard, lour the Dark Eves out of hiding, and destroy both them and the Aether. Unfortunately Asgard was placed under lock down after the attack and there's no way out. So Thor has to team up with an unlikely ally, his brother Loki, to get them out of Asgard. While not ideal, Thor knows it’s their only option to defeat this ancient enemy. Right off the bat I want to say I loved this movie and I think it's one of the best installments in the Avenger's franchise; and I think The Dark World is even better than the first Thor. The movie stars Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Natalie Portman (Jane), and Tom Hiddleston (Loki). By this point Hemsworth has proved his worth as this character, what Robert Downey Jr. is to Iron Man Hemsworth is to Thor. Portman does an adequate job as Jane Foster; I've just always felt Jane isn't a very good character so I don't put a lot of blame on Portman. Just like in the Avenger's, Tom Hiddleston steals the show. He plays Loki perfectly and by this point you can't imagine anyone else playing him. I'd also like to mention Kat Dennings is in the movie, for some reason. Her character just never made sense, she acts as pointless comic relieve. It's not Denning's fault, it's just a bad character. From the beginning of the movie you instantly notice that its visual effect have had a big jump forward since the previous movies (which often had some lackluster effects). There are also a lot more fight scenes in this movie and are a lot cooler than in the first. One problem that constantly bothered me throughout the movie was the number of jokes in it. While most of the jokes are funny, there are too many and are put at some pretty odd moments. Multiple times they'll throw a joke in the middle of a fight scene. I had a similar problem with Iron Man 3; the writers need to remember these are action movies and not comedies. Unquestionably the biggest problem with the movie would be the main antagonist, he's uninteresting. There is nothing special or significant about him that makes him stand out, and after a movie like the Avenger's where Loki was so awesome I thought they would have put more effort into making a good villain. While it's by no means a perfect superhero movie, Thor: The Dark World manages to be one of the best and most enjoyable movies in the Avenger's franchise. If you didn't like the first movie, there's a pretty good chance you won't like this one either. But if you did or you're just looking for a fun action movie, Thor: The Dark World fits the bill. 

Pros: Awesome fight scenes, Chris Hemsworth does a great job as Thor, Tom Hiddleston steals the show as Loki, big jump in visual effects quality.

Cons: Use of too many unnecessary and oddly placed jokes, uninteresting and unimpressive villain, Kat Dennings Character isn't needed.

3.5/5 Stars

Ender's Game Review

Orson Scott Card might be one of the most controversial novelists of all time; while he's a talented writer, he's also a son of a bitch that really hates gay people. That aside, I remember Ender's Game being a really good book. I read it back in the tenth grade and thoroughly enjoying it, I thought it was very interesting. So when I heard that a film adaptation was in the works I was immediately interested. Plus the movie had an all star cast ranging from Academy Award winners to promising up and comers. But how did it turn out you say? Meh. Ender's Game take place several years from where a mysterious alien race attacks earth and nearly wipes us out; but do to the bravery of one of our best generals, we survived. Since then the governments around the world have green lit a program involving the training of young children in the hopes of finding great military minds. Fifty years after the first attack, a young genius named Ender has gained the attention of some high ranking military officials. So they pull him out of an intermediate training facility and send him to battle school where he will learn to fight and then lead. While smarter than everyone else in the room, Ender is somewhat shy and desires the acceptance of his peers. After single-handedly winning a war game for his assigned team, he is given control of his own squadron. And after further success with his new team the people in charge of the facility agree that he is mankind's best hope. And it's decided that he is to begin command training to prepare him for a real military battle. Even though he just wants to go home, he realizes that he must survive the grueling training because he knows the reality of the situation; he is humanities last chance. My biggest problem with Ender's Game is that it is remarkably uninspired. People loved the book back in 1985 because it was original and unique, but the film just turns into a really unoriginal sci-fi action movie. From the plot to design, it's stuff we've seen before and seen done better. The visual effects are good for the most part but pretty generic. Lots of neon lights, human ships are silver and shiny, aliens look like bugs with brown almost organic looking ships, ect. It doesn't bring anything new to the table. But while the movie overall isn't anything special, it's certainly a bit of fun. Almost everyone gives a good performance, especially the kid who plays Ender. But Harrison Ford's (who co-stars) performance does feel a little phoned in. The battle scenes are pretty awesome, you got thousands of ships on screen at once fighting and it's pretty cool. The writing is alright, typical sci-fi stuff; but there are some pretty good one liners. One of the larger problems affecting the movie is that at times it feels rushed. It's always hard translating the words of a book to the silver screen, but there are a lot of movies that have done a better job of pacing than this one. At times five chapters of the book will translate to five minutes in the movie, but sometimes they'll focus way to long on a certain scene. Ender's Game is a certainly enjoyable movie, but it's not perfect. What was a unique and interesting book almost 30 years ago has been turned into a run of the mill sci-fi action movie. If you really liked the book I would suggest the movie because it does a good job following the source material; but if you haven't read the book or aren't sure if you really want to see it, there are still a lot better movies out right now.

Pros: Pretty good acting from cast, cool space battles, very enjoyable.

Cons: Uninspired, very generic at times, feels rushed, Ford's performance feels phoned in.

3.5/5 Stars

12 Years a Slave Review

Looking back at my middle school and high school education I realize that we glossed over a certain subject, slavery. While a despicable act, slavery was an pivotal part of the American history. Looking back we know it was incredibly wrong but slavery did help us build this country. The debate of whether it should have been legal or not even caused a war. But it seems during the last twenty years or so people have been afraid to talk about slavery. Everyone fears that the topic will ruffle someone's feathers, but how can we truly move past it if we can't even talk about it. Then in comes director Steve McQueen's new movie 12 Years a Slave, which shines a light on one of the darkest times in American history. The movie is based off the book of the same name and follows the story of Solomon Northup, a free black man living in New York (pre-civil war). Solomon has a wife and two children and is known as an expert violin player. While his family is away he is introduced to two men who operate a circus and are looking for musical acts. After their temporary partnership Solomon and the men decided to go out for a dinner, unbeknownst to Solomon the men drugged his drink; he's then sold to smugglers who specialize in this sort of operation. Along with several other captured free men and slaves that have been sold by their masters, they are shipped down south to an auctioneer where he is sold once again to a slave owner named Mr. Ford. Ford is a good man (for a slave owner anyway) and takes favor towards Solomon knowing that he isn't a runaway like he was told. After an incident with the house's overseer, Solomon is sold to a cotton farm owner named Edwin Epps, a cruel and unstable man who takes joy in abusing his slaves. Finding him insolent, Epps takes a special hatred towards Solomon and on one occasion came after him with a knife. While he shows a strong face, Solomon is constant despair. Losing his family and having his freedom stolen from him, Solomon is right on the edge but manages to stay strong; and promises himself to once again become a free man or die trying. I'll start off by giving you my overall opinion, 12 Years a Slave is a near perfect movie and one of the year’s best. Start to finish this is one of the most emotional and heartbreaking movies I've ever seen, director Steve McQueen hit the nail on the head. This movie is Oscar bait at its finest; it will be nominated in probably every single category and might win a few. The acting is great across the board, but the actor who really steals the show is co-star Michael Fassbender; I'd say he has a serious chance at best supporting actor. With a period piece type movie like this they really have to sell the time period, fortunately the costume and set designers did a really good job. Everything looks and feels authentic to the time; and with the help of the location scouts finding the perfect places to shoot, they managed to really capture the south's essence. The writing is top notch as well, I didn't read the book it's based off of but this is probably a leading contender for best adapted screenplay. This is seriously one of the most emotional movies I've ever seen; the ending almost made me shed a tear. But this does lead me to my first problem with the movie; it tries to hard at times. While the entire movie is heartbreaking, they'll throw stuff in there that wasn't necessary just to elicit a response from the audience. While that may be the point of a dramatic movie, these scenes can sometimes stand out. Another aspect of the movie I didn't love was that scenes can become a little long winded at times, they mostly do this for dramatic effect but there are a couple moments that they just spend too much time on. These two insignificant complaints aside, this is an incredible film. There might only be one or two movies to come out this year that I was as emotionally invested in as this one. Beautiful and heartbreaking, this movie succeeds in almost every way. This is a great film and an important one; while it's hard to watch at times, this is a movie that everyone needs to see.

Pros: Great performances from the entire cast, Fassbender will be nominated for an Oscar, very emotional, beautifully shot, authentic costume and set design, great directing, Oscar worthy screenplay. 

Cons: Some scenes are long winded, tries a little too hard to pull at your heart strings at times.

5/5 Stars