Spider-Man: Homecoming Review

   Anyone that knows me can tell you that I'm a huge fan of Spider-Man. I loved the original movies and I loved Spidey's appearance in Captain America: Civil War. (I wasn't a fan of the Amazing Spider-Man movies, but that's neither here nor there.) So needless to say, I was super excited when Spider-Man: Homecoming was released. I managed to convince my dad to take me to go see it not long after it came out, but due to Camp NaNo and other stuff, I haven't gotten around to doing such things as writing reviews for a while. So, without further ado, here is my (rather fangirly) review of the latest Spider-Man movie.

   First of all, this movie starts out hilariously. I loved how the original Spider-Man theme was incorporated into the intro music. The rest of the music was beautiful as well. Michael Giacchinno, while he couldn't measure up to John Williams with his Rogue One soundtrack, still did an amazing job with this movie.

   The technical aspects of this movie were very well done. Filming, lighting, acting, CGI, even the costumes were spectacularly done. Something so subtle and easily overlooked as costume design can really complement a story's plot and characters well, and this time they did so. Just something as simple as Peter's clothing choices says volumes about his character. 

   I mean, this t-shirt screams nerd:

Via Pinterest

   Also, Peter's two different Spidey suits designed by Stark were beautiful. Just sayin'.
   The plot was amazing. It wasn't ridiculously predictable, way too complex, shallow and meaningless, or centered around a girl. It wasn't even in the vein of a typical superhero movie. It was very well-written. The plot points were all spot-on and powerful. The plot twist near the end was very unexpected, and the climax was masterful.

    The characters. Wow, the characters. They are some of the best parts of the movie. My favorite, naturally, was Peter Parker himself. He was a nerd, a dork, and a hero. And what's more, Marvel didn't feel the need to tell this to their audience. They just let it show. As a fellow super-dorky nerd, I really appreciated it. Peter was by no means perfect, but he had a good heart, and it showed. His character arc was amazing, and the center of the whole movie. His flaws were shown as clearly as his virtues, which takes bravery. He changed so beautifully. Alright, I'm done fangirling.
   The other characters were marvelous and deep. Tony has very obviously adopted Peter as his son, and is trying to do a better job fathering him than Howard Stark did with Tony. He states several times that he wants Peter to be a better person than he is. He makes some tough decisions and says some hard things to Peter that really help him overcome his flaws and struggles. Ned was a wonderful, loyal friend to Peter, and a great "guy in the chair." :) Peter's crush, Liz, was sweet, kind, and very understanding. And MJ was a star. She was hysterical, and I can't wait for more interaction between her and Peter in the future.
   The theme. Hardly separable from the character arc. It was so powerful and wonderful. Unfortunately, I'll have to see it more times before I'll be able to articulate further. Guess I'll just have to buy the DVD or something.
   All in all, this was a wonderful movie. I wouldn't recommend it to younger children, especially not without their parents viewing it first, mainly because of the language. You can read a good overview of the content concerns here. Despite all that, I would recommend it to teens and up, and for any Marvel fans or Spider-Man fans.
   Now, I just hope I get this movie for Christmas so I can rewatch it a ton.

Movie Review: Big Hero 6

Big Hero 6

Rating: PG (violence)

Recommended for: Ages 7 and up

A boy and his robot join with a band of nerds to save the world.

I had been wanting to see this movie, especially since I had drawn one of the characters at Disney World, and when it was shown in the park, we got to go see it.

Technical: 4/5

As an animated movie, the characters weren't completely realistic looking, but it was better than some of the animation that Disney has done. The plot was easy to follow and didn't drag, it was also sad and funny and entertaining.

Setting: 3.5/5

This movie takes place in the city of San Fran-Tokyo, which ended up being a mixture of the two cities. I mostly noticed the San Francisco elements, mostly from watching a lot of Monk. Since at the beginning of the movie I got the impression that they were in San Francisco, and I got a little confused about it. While no such city actually exists, it was an interesting blend of the two cities.

Plot: 4/5

The plot was a little bit cliche and somehow I didn't guess the plot twist because I thought something else was going on. It had a sad beginning and because it is a Disney movie, it had a happy ending. It is a super hero movie but instead of having super powers, the characters are nerds and create all of their equipment. It was a little complex for a kid's movie, but still easy to follow.

Characters: 4/5

The main character was pretty well developed but there wasn't a lot of time to spend developing the secondary characters, and I can only remember one of their names. Baymax is funny and and even though he doesn't have many emotions as a robot, he is still an interesting character. The main character is not perfect and he grows throughout the story.

While not the best movie in the world, it is a good movie and worth watching, especially if you like Disney movies.

Book Review: Michael Vey: Storm of Lightning

Michael Vey: Storm of Lightning by Richard Paul Evans

Recommended For: Ages 10 to Adult

Rating: PG 

The resistance movement has been compromised.

The Voice is in hiding.

Their families are missing.

Can the Electroclan pull together to defeat the Elgen once and for all?

My sisters and I have gone to the store to buy the Michael Vey books right when they came out after we read the first one from the library. And if you know our family and how we rarely buy any of our books new, you would realize how much we like this series. The Hunt for Jade Dragon, while still being a great book, felt like filler. I was expecting this book to pick up the pace some more. Instead, I got a big let-down and a set-up for the last two books. I'm hoping Richard Paul Evans will step up his game in the next book and make it better than even the first three.

Writing: 4/5

Richard Paul Evans isn't the greatest at deep point-of-view. He tries to make it deep POV in his books, but it isn't. However, the sentences flow well, and he has mildly good descriptions, though he's not so good at making the reader feel the character's pain. In short, his writing isn't the best you'll find out there, but it's certainly nothing to be sneezed at.

Setting: 4.75/5

This particular book is set mainly in modern United States and Mexico, with some in a very small country called Tuvalu out in the Philippines, which I'm honestly not sure exists outside of Michael Vey's world. (I could look it up, but I just had a bad experience Google-searching something and am not anxious to repeat it.) The setting seems pretty accurate, except for one character's comment about how it would be pretty hard going from Mexico to the US. It actually wasn't, but the characters' surety about the ease in which they got through being a trap by their enemy seemed pretty idiotic to me, especially since they had a really smart guy with them who would've known how hard it would be to travel from Mexico to the US. Other than that, though, the setting seemed pretty accurate.

Plot: 3.5/5

There...really wasn't one. There was enough of one not to make me throw the book out the window from boredom, but it really wasn't worth speaking of, and there wasn't even any climax! I'm serious, there was absolutely no climax, just a set-up for the next book. The plot certainly wasn't one of Richard Paul Evans' best works.

Characters: 5/5

While there weren't as many character moments as in the other books, I still found the characters to be the same ones I've known since Book One, which was a relief. I'm happy to be able to give at least one category all five stars.

In short, if you've read the first four Michael Vey books, you're in for a disappointment on this one, but you should still read it. Plus, I think Book Six is going to be really good. *fingers crossed!* Richard Paul Evans has promised a lot of action in the next one.

Movie Review: Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America: The First Avenger

Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action)

Recommended for: Ages 13 and up

 Captain America leads the fight for freedom in the action-packed blockbuster starring Chris Evans as the ultimate weapon against evil! When a terrifying force threatens everyone across the globe, the world's greatest soldier wages war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving, The Matrix). Critics and audiences alike salute Captain America: The First Avenger as "pure excitement, pure action, and pure fun!"

This is probably the best super hero movie that I have seen. There are many things I like about this movie: the characters, the setting, and seeing Hugo Weaving as a villain (I don't like Elrond very much).

Technical: 4/5

The movie starts out with a modern scene, which makes more sense the second time, and then goes to the story. I do like the structure of it, though it is confusing the first time. Most of the special effects were well done. I think there was a part where things didn't look real but I can't remember where it was. One thing that was really well done was putting one man's head on someone else's body. It was put together very well. There were a couple of German accents that sounded fake but that could be because I've heard the actors speak with different accents.

Setting: 3.5/5

This movie is set in the early 1940s during WWII. It starts out in America but some time is spent in Europe. While they're in Europe, they are in the wilderness. Nothing seemed off about the setting other then I don't know how accurate it is to have a British woman involved in the American army. There were things that weren't accurate to the 40s. The villains had some very advanced technology that was beyond what was around then. The protaganist's technology was more accurate.

Plot: 4/5

The first part of the movie is an introduction to Steve Rogers and how he becomes Captain America. After being used for publicity, he then fights against HYDRA, which wants to take over the world. The story flows well and you can get to know the characters. The ending is really sad, though it was worse the first time.

Characters: 5/5

The main character is Steve Rogers who doesn't like a bully and keeps trying to join the army. He is chosen for an experiment because of his good character. There is then his good friend Bucky.  There isn't much to say about him other than that they were good friends. Then there is Peggy who gets to know Captain America during the movie. The characters' lives are then ruined at the end of this movie, partly for the Avengers.

I like this movie and enjoyed it again. If you like superheroes, then you will definitely like this movie. If you don't really care much about superheroes, it is still an interesting and sad story.

Book Reviews: Superhero of the Day and The Dragon of London

 Superhero of the Day and The Dragon of London (Supervillain of the Day) by Katie Lynn Daniels

Recommended For: Ages 10 to Adult

Rating: PG (mild action violence, supervillains, and frightening images)

Despite adopting the title of “Defender” and giving his life on an almost daily basis to save complete strangers, Floyd still doesn't believe in heroes. And after breaking up with the woman who saved his life twice, he's not even sure he believes in love anymore. Into the midst of this uncertainty steps a man who defies Floyd's way of life—Brandon Reece, also known as the superhero Blue Shadow. Brandon has everything Floyd does not—courage, honor, graciousness, and a heavy dose of stupidity. He is a thorough and competent fighter, although his idealism prevents him from being very effective. Despite constantly ridiculing him, Floyd eventually admits to a grudging respect for the vigilante, but his warnings against heroism come true–and Brandon must choose between his honor and the life of his beloved.

The world has changed. It's been seven months since London was taken over by supervillains. It's been six months since their rule was broken and a shaky government reinstated. The ruins of Tower Bridge stand as a testament to that last battle, one in which the fate of the world was decided. We are all haunted by our ghosts, some more than others. Jeffry Floyd has scarcely slept since that night, but even waking he can't escape his memories. He thinks no one notices how slippery his grasp of reality is, but Joseph Adams has nightmares of his own, and isn't willing to lose his friend a second time. When the lines between good and evil becomes blurred... A new insidious presence is creeping over London, and the rumors of a dragon somewhere under the city can no longer be ignored. But Floyd's first meeting with the creature doesn't go as planned, for the monster proposes a deal as impossible as it is unthinkable—join forces with him, and he will heal Floyd's mind. ...What lengths will you go to save your soul?

A couple days ago I read the sample of the Supervillain of the Day Omnibus on Amazon and once I got to the end, asked my sister to borrow her kindle and read all the Supervillain of the Day books she had on her kindle. Unfortunately, she informed me that since she had done a review of the Omnibus, I couldn't, so I'm doing a review of what's out of Season Two. Several times while I was reading it, I felt like I was watching a BBC TV show.

Writing: 5/5

The writing has certainly improved from Supervillain of the Day Book One. While there wasn't the best character voice at the beginning, there's a lot more in the two latest ones. Or maybe I just know Floyd well enough now that it seems that way. He certainly has the best character voice. Other than that, it seemed quite superb all round.

Setting: 5/5

It all mostly happens in London. A quite nice break from most superhero fiction, which happens flawlessly in New York City, with few exceptions. However, I've been watching quite a bit of London in TV shows lately, so it's not like it was anything new. But the books felt very British. Since I've never been to London, I'm probably not the best judge, but I'd say the setting is very well done. It certainly seemed like the same London that was in Doctor Who.

Plot: 5/5

These were short stories, so it's not like the plots can be all-fired epic and complicated. But the plots were superb for the time they were told in. They were interesting and well-done.

Characters: 5/5

I got totally the wrong impression of Jeffry Floyd before I read Supervillain of the Day. I was expecting a more Spock-like character from what I had seen, and got thrown a character with craziness to rival the Doctor and the BBC Sherlock. Needless to say, I enjoyed this a lot better than I would have my expectation. And after that Season 1 climax...poor Floyd is more emotionally damaged than ever. He needs a hug. Or Kate. Or something. Speaking of Kate...she wasn't much in these two, but what she was, she was just as good as ever. Floyd needs her after that Season One climax. I also really like Kate's brother Sergeant Joseph Adams. Floyd needs him to keep him in check. And get him out of jail.

I really liked these two new additions to Supervillain of the Day. The Dragon of London is more emotional than Superhero of the Day, but I thoroughly enjoyed them both. Definitely a recommended read.

Movie Reviews: Spiderman 3

Spider-Man 3

Recommended For: Ages 10 to Adult

Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of intense action violence)

Peter Parker has finally managed to piece together the once-broken parts of his life, maintaining a balance between his relationship with Mary-Jane and his responsibility as Spider-Man. But more challenges arise for Spider-Man. Peter's old friend Harry Obsourne has set out for revenge against Peter, taking up the mantle of his late father's persona as The New Goblin. Peter is also faced with Uncle Ben's real killer, Flint Marko, who has been transformed into his toughest foe yet, the Sandman. All hope seems lost until Peter's suit turns jet-black and greatly amplifies his powers. But it also begins to greatly amplify the much darker qualities of Peter's personality that he begins to lose himself to. Peter has to reach deep inside himself to free the compassionate hero he used to be if he is to ever conquer the darkness within and face not only his greatest enemies, but also...himself.

Okay, I'm going to have a hard time not geeking out about this. Not especially because Spider-Man 3 was completely awesome, but put together, the three Spider-Man movies are completely awesome. Watching Spider-Man 3 reminded me how much I really loved Peter Parker. I haven't ever seen The Amazing Spiderman or The Amazing Spiderman 2, and I honestly don't intend to. Especially since I just found out there will be no The Amazing Spiderman 3 because Marvel is rebooting the whole Spiderman franchise for Spiderman's appearance in Captain America: Civil War and will presumably give Peter Parker the third backstory in fifteen years. I probably defend the Tobey Maguire Spiderman so fiercely because I first saw part of the first Spider-Man movie in 2006, even before Spider-Man 3 came out. And anyways, on to my review.

Technical: 5/5

Tobey Maguire is a very good and a very unique actor. He did an exceptional job as Peter Parker/Spiderman. MJ and all the other characters were well-acted as well. The special effects: completely up to par. I must admit, the way Sandman's body disintegrates into sand time after time is creepy. Well-done, but creepy. I love how both Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 have overviews of what previously happened in the beginning credits. Best use of beginning credits I've ever seen. And the overview was nice since it had been a while since we saw the first two movies.

Setting: 5/5

It seems almost every superhero movie is set in New York City. This one is no exception. Honestly, it would be kind of weird if this movie wasn't in NYC since the first two were. And it seems to fit. I'm assuming the movie was actually filmed in New York City. In any case, NYC seems pretty realistic to me.

Plot: 4.5/5

It's a sequel. You can pretty much guarantee it won't get all five stars. But despite the sequel aspect, the plot was very intriguing and didn't seem contrived or just a little lame like most sequels of really popular movies are. In fact, this movie was the least predictable of the Spider-Man trilogy. I must admit, however, Peter's relationship problems with MJ made me more nervous than the action parts! Like most sequels with the continuance of a romance subplot, there were misunderstandings between Peter and MJ that cause conflict. Even so, the misunderstanding conflict was the best I've ever seen it done. And the climax...I'm still reeling over the awesome climax. Still probably not as good as the first and second ones, although I'm not quite sure on this. I am relieved they didn't follow through with their Spider-Man 4 plan, though. Spider-Man 3 tied it up perfectly.

Character Development: 5/5

This is probably the main reason why I'm so adamant against seeing The Amazing Spiderman and The Amazing Spiderman 2, and honestly, the whole idea of those two movies ever existing (please don't kill me over here). I mean really, the character development in the original (I refuse to call them "old" when the first movie is a year younger than me) Spider-Man movies is awesome. The characters are stellar. Peter Parker/Spiderman is still just as flawed as ever, which makes him my second-favorite superhero, tied with the Incredible Hulk/David Banner from the eighties and second to only Captain America. I love MJ, and Peter's best friend Harry...I'm really not sure what to say about him. Aunt May is wonderful (I wish I had an Aunt May) and the villains...um...it's kind of hard to develop the character of a mysterious space substance. Frank Marko, while still a villain, just loves his daughter. He wanted to make her healthy again the whole time. And Eddie and Gwen...well. They're...interesting.

For anyone who has seen Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 and hasn't watched Spider-Man 3, watch it. You won't regret it. For anyone who has seen The Amazing Spiderman and hasn't seen this Spiderman trilogy, go watch these movies now. And if you haven't seen any Spiderman movies, you should watch these movies. They're really really good. And kudos to anyone who has seen all three movies. We should really talk sometime.

TV Show Review: Lab Rats

Lab Rats

Recommended For: 10 to Adult

Rating: TV-Y7

When 14-year-old Leo's mom Tasha Dooley marries billionaire inventor Donald Davenport, Leo moves up in the world, but neither he nor his mom in their wildest dreams imagine that Leo will find three bionic super-powered teenagers - Adam, Bree and Chase - living within a secret lab beneath the Davenport's expansive home. Now Leo has three older "siblings" to watch out for him while he introduces them to the outside world.

We didn't watch a movie this week because we found out the first two seasons of Lab Rats were going off Netflix on March 4, and they were getting season 3. Being as we were only half-way through Season One, we had a Lab Rats marathon in order to finish the first two seasons before they went off today.

Technical: 4/5

The special effects and acting and stuff all seem to be done pretty well, with the exception of a couple not-so-good actors, hence the point deduction. But all in all, the technical stuff seems to be done pretty well.

Setting: 5/5

The show is set mainly in Davenport's home in (I think) California and the school they go to. The setting seems well done to me, although I've never been to public school, and the school they go to is basically ruled by a psycho principal, and excepting the fact that their house is full of Davenport inventions and resides over the lab. I guess you could say the settings are very unique.

Plot: 4/5

The individual plots don't have much substance in the first season, and many of them don't have much substance in Season Two either, but they are very enjoyable, and the lack of substance matches the lack of substance in most TV shows of this kind.

Character Development: 5/5

The characters in this show are stellar. They are very well-developed. From scrawny Leo Dooley to Adam, Bree, and Chase to crazy Principal Perry to selfish money-lover Donald Davenport, all the characters are fleshed out and human. I love all the characters in this show. I must say, though, Chase is probably my favorite, of the Lab Rats at least.

This show is interesting and worth watching, though I wouldn't recommend watching 31 episodes in a week or so if you can help it.

Friday Favorites: The Incredible Hulk

The Incredible Hulk

 

 Recommended for: All ages

Rating: PG (violence)

This is the TV show from the 1970s and the early 1980s. It follows the life of Doctor David Banner as he searches for a way to cure himself after an accidental dose of gamma radiation.

I loved this show, even though every episode follows the same pattern. He would usually meet someone in trouble, help them and in the process get beaten up and turn into the hulk (usually twice). At the end of each episode he would be walking away along a road. The show got canceled before he ever found a cure. He was also followed by a reporter named Jack McGee, who was obsessed with catching the Hulk. Even though I didn't like Jack, I still wanted him to know the truth about the Hulk and to realize his mistake about David Banner.

It is a sad show about a lonely man. There are some episodes that many TV shows have, for example, an amnesia episode, which was a two parter. I especially liked the episodes where he visited his family, which was also very sad. It was funny though when you could see the green paint coming off of the Hulk. I have seen everything Incredible Hulk with Bill Bixby in it, although the TV movies weren't very good. The only disappointing thing about it was that he never got a cure and that he had to keep wandering. We were sad when we came to the end of the four with a partial fifth season. It was hard to find a show to replace it and it took several years to find one.

I would definitely recommend this show, even if you are not that into superheroes.

Book Review: Supervillain of the Day Season One

Supervillain of the Day Season One by Katie Lynn Daniels (Omnibus Edition)

Recommended for: Ages 10 to Adult

Rating: PG (mild action violence, supervillains, and one instance of brief mild language)

All six novellas and two short stories now combined in a beautiful collector's volume with never-before-seen illustrations! Supervillain of the Day: Supervillains are wreaking havoc all over the world except in England, and Floyd must figure out why before he loses his job as a reporter. Fire and Ashes: While a human torch devastates London Floyd deals with sideshow villains and struggles to accept that he's become the city's superhero. Inspector Floyd: When a string of murders goes unsolved Floyd accuses the police of not doing their job, only to discover a master of hypnosis is behind the crimes. Supervillain Hunters, International: All the villains are leaving London for an unknown reason. Fearing a dangerous coalition Floyd and Adams pursue them all the way to the Middle-of-Nowhere, which happens to be located in Kansas, USA. Mister and the Kid: Floyd meets his match in a sixteen-year-old kid who has been assigned to keep him out of trouble. Dreams and Shadows: Floyd wakes up in the dark, alone and a prisoner, with no memory of the events leading to his capture. Supervillains of London: In the aftermath of London's most devastating supervillain attack, Adams tries to keep order while searching for Floyd. Silent Night: It's been two months since Tower Bridge, and Floyd is still having nightmares. Even Kate's return to London, just in time for Christmas, is not enough.

I'd seen stuff about Supervillain of the Day about the homeschool author community for awhile, and been interested by the popularity of it, and how much people loved Jeffry Lewis Floyd. Supervillain is written sort of as if it is a TV show, with short stories as episodes making up a season. I got the omnibus edition on kindle, so I had them all at once. It's superhero fiction that makes fun of superhero fiction without any actual superheros but plenty of supervillains and specially trained alien Jeffry Lewis Floyd to stop them. And we loves it. (Sorry, I've been in a Gollum-speech thinking mood lately.) Because of the series nature of Supervillain of the Day, I've opted to ditch our regular review structure in favor of writing a bit about each story.

Supervillain of the Day

This one sort of introduces what the series is about. It explains the supervillain outbreak on Earth, the failure to create superheroes, and then the lack of supervillains in London. Floyd, who is working as a reporter, is sent to find out the reason for the lack of supervillains. It thus introduces Sergeant Joseph Adams of Scotland Yard. Floyd's investigations reveal that there are indeed still supervillains, they're just under the control of a mastermind. Most of this one can actually be read in the Amazon preview of the omnibus edition. It's not the best of the stories, but absolutely necessary because, well, it introduces Floyd, Adams, masterminds, supervillains, and henchmen, and what you should expect from Supervillain of the Day.

Fire and Ashes

The beginning of this is what got me to really like Floyd...because it made me feel sorry for him. It explains a bit of Floyd's backstory, how he became a supervillain hunter in the first place, and how he ended up on Earth. Floyd is by this point friends with Adams, and Adams is the only one on Earth who knows who he really is, and that he is an alien, and about his regenerative nanobots, and such. The character development is deepened. Floyd is revealed to read superhero comics, though he scoffs at the unrealistic portrayal of superpowers. I especially enjoyed his comments about the Incredible Hulk. Floyd is told to write a story about superheroes when they don't exist, and strange fires keep happening about London. Floyd has a lot to do to foil Ashes, and Adams has a lot to do to deal with Floyd's odd personality.

Inspector Floyd

People keep getting murdered and there are dampening fields, which create a psychic projection that presents you with a pointless and impossible task, appearing all over. Naturally Floyd assumes supervillains. Reluctantly, Scotland Yard works with him. He's the only one who really knows what he's doing when it comes to supervillains, but even he is not immune to their powers. Inspector Floyd introduces Adams's sister Kate. I really like Kate. And she likes Floyd. Which I like. Kate adds another dimension to the blend of action and satire, and furthers the development of Floyd and Adams.

Supervillain Hunters, International

This one doesn't have as exciting a plot as the previous few, but it was still good. Sergeant Adams is on suspension because he lost important papers. It shows more of Floyd's friendship with him, what he will do to help his one friend. They have to go to the Middle-of-Nowhere, it's an actual place. And, in the process, they investigate why the supervillains are mysteriously leaving London. It wasn't what I was expecting, and was an...interesting...explanation. Did I mention it's a superhero satire? And they're in America for a significant portion of the story. I love the London setting, but I did like seeing them in America.

Mister and the Kid

An extra short story, Mister and the Kid sees Adams getting Floyd a babysitter because he thinks he's suffering a nervous breakdown. And, of course, Floyd drags his teenage babysitter into supervillain hunting. This one was interesting because it questioned the morality of Floyd thoughtlessly killing supervillains. And it sees Floyd becoming the official Supervillain Consultant of Scotland Yard. I very much enjoyed it.

Dreams and Shadows

This is where the two part finale begins. It goes back and forth between Floyd apparently captured and tortured and the events that led there. The timeline was slightly confusing, but it was a great finale, bigger than the other stories. Floyd believes Adams to be dead. Adams believes Floyd to be dead. The Telepath has Floyd, and is intent on convincing him death is his only escape and he can only have death by serving her. It felt more emotional and less satirical than past installments. It builds towards a cliffhanger, with Floyd determined to defeat an extreme supervillain himself.

Supervillains of London

I would probably say this is the best of the season. Floyd is found, but he's not the same. Kate comes back in, and is an important part of the story. It's so hard to see Floyd as he is. It is Kate who uses the brief, mild language (as I say, the word that's perfectly ordinary minus a silent letter and used in connection with beavers), but despite being very sensitive to such things, it didn't really bother me that much because of the circumstances. The ending was epic and awful and wonderful and I won't spoil it, but it was the perfect finale for the season.

Silent Night

The Supervillain Christmas special. Floyd is still dealing with the aftermath of the finale. The story is slightly disjointed, but it is written for fans of the series and who cares what the story is if we get more Floyd? As Floyd knows nothing of Christmas, it actually explains the true meaning of Christmas with a Gospel message. And with more Floyd/Kate stuff, I loved it. It left me very badly wanting more Floyd, but there is a second season...

So I've become a fan of Supervillain of the Day. I really enjoyed season one, and highly recommend it.

Movie Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Recommended For: Ages 13 to Adult

Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence, gunplay and action throughout)

For Steve Rogers, awakening after decades of suspended animation involves more than catching up on pop culture; it also means that this old school idealist must face a world of subtler threats and difficult moral complexities. That comes clear when Director Nick Fury is killed by the mysterious assassin, the Winter Soldier, but not before warning Rogers that SHIELD has been subverted by its enemies. When Rogers acts on Fury's warning to trust no one there, he is branded as a traitor by the organization. Now a fugitive, Captain America must get to the bottom of this deadly mystery with the help of the Black Widow and his new friend, The Falcon. However, the battle will be costly for the Sentinel of Liberty, with Rogers finding enemies where he least expects them while learning that the Winter Soldier looks disturbingly familiar.

I think this was the best Marvel movie yet. After seeing this, I can't wait for Avengers: Age of Ultron to come out. And it was awesome. Captain America (Steve Rogers) hasn't changed in the least, which was a huge relief. He still has the beliefs and standards of the 1940s. And he's still all about freedom. Which is cool. Because freedom is cool.

Technical: 5/5
I think it's safe to say all the Marvel movies are incredibly cool when it comes to the technical stuff. I mean, wow. Some of the special effects are astounding (especially the explosions). And the acting was great as well. Everything was very well done.

Setting: 5/5
This movie is set in modern-day, as far as I can tell, and mainly takes part in Washington, D.C. For all I could tell, it seemed accurate, although I doubt you could really find the Captain America display in the Smithsonian. But it would be cool if you did.

Plot: 5/5
Ah, the plot. This was the best part (besides Captain America himself). I loved how you never could be sure who was on the good side and who was on the bad side (or who was really dead). And I loved how the writers didn't shy away from making Steve human with feelings and how they didn't shy away from wounding him. And the Winter Soldier...How dare they? How dare they be so mean? Those who have seen the movie will know what I mean. There was a good mix of action and character time. And the ever-standing values of truth, honor, justice, friendship, and sacrifice that are always present when Steve is on-screen (and should be present all the other times as well).

Character Development: 5/5
The characters are the best part of this movie: mainly, Steve. Seriously, I would have watched the movie just for more about Captain America if it had had no plot at all. And the other characters were good as well, namely the Black Widow, the Falcon, Peggy, the Winter Soldier, and Nick Fury. I can never figure Nick Fury out. I don't especially like him, but he is well-developed.

All in all, this movie is awesome and totally worth your time. Even though a ton of cars get destroyed in this movie, there wasn't as much full-scale destruction as in most superhero movies (except to the bad guy's stuff) which was a relief. Parents with younger children should probably watch it first before showing in to younger or sensitive children, but that is my only caution. This movie was great.

Movie Review: Thor: The Dark World

Thor: The Dark World by Marvel Studios

Recommended For: Ages 13 to Adult

Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some suggestive content (and a bad word) For a more thorough discussion of any content concerns, see the Plugged In review.

From the Studio that brought you the #1 Super Hero movie of all time, Marvel's The Avengers, comes another must-own, epic blockbuster starring Chris Hemsworth as The Mighty Thor. Worlds collide when a powerful ancient enemy threatens to plunge the cosmos into eternal darkness. Now, reunited with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and forced to forge an alliance with his treacherous brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor embarks on a perilous personal quest to save both Earth and Asgard from destruction. Experience this action-packed adventure featuring bonus content, including a deleted scene and a new exclusive look at the feature film Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier!

This movie was better than I thought it would be due to a review I read condemning its lack of sequel scenes. True, it did suffer from a lack of sequel scenes, but nothing so major as to detract from the enjoyment of the movie.

Technical: 4/5
As I mentioned above, this movie suffered from a lack of sequel scenes, mainly manifested in the way Thor and his friends and family almost never have a discussion about the events taking place and how they feel about them. Thor and Jane talk alone together maybe twice, and when Thor, Jane, and Odin talk, it's mostly Odin explaining to Jane about the bad guys and their evil intentions. The addition of sequel scenes would have made it a little less confusing and slowed down the pace a little. Also, it was a little too fast-paced for my taste. Other than that, it was good. The acting was good, the special effects were good, and the filming was good.

Setting: 5/5
The movie was set in London and on Asgard, with a few scenes on the Dark World. The setting was well-done and consistent. Asgard particularly was impressive, and was developed even more as the watcher got to see what an Asgardian funeral is like. Very impressive.

Plot: 5/5
The plot was very good, if a little confusing. It kept me hooked all the way through the movie. This movie was more serious than the first one, with less humorous moments. The movie was very action-y. It wasn't quite as good as the first one, but are sequels ever really?

Character Development: 4/5
I loved the characters! Honestly, there weren't a lot of new ones (just Darcy's intern, some random guy Jane went out to lunch with, and the bad guys), but I didn't really care. The old characters were fun to revisit, and Thor didn't have a character-arc reset, as is common in sequels. He continued to grow in character, and the other characters, were good as well (Although Jane's scientist friend's character confused me. It's constantly changing! But there's probably a good reason for this, I just missed it.) All in all, the characters were mostly very well-developed, with the exception of some more minor characters like Odin. The characters weren't as good as they could have been, which is why I gave it 4 instead of 5.

I recommend this movie to anyone who liked the previous Marvel movies. This movie is a good continuation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, despite its flaws. This is a movie you don't want to miss!