tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6771623109240642112024-03-12T20:11:54.572-07:00GuardiandcUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-25842995730986292142016-09-25T01:26:00.000-07:002016-09-25T01:26:57.311-07:00The Magnificent Seven Review - Well that was fun (Spoilers)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAoZIpvsUZ8a36NoDFueDlRrgzoAyOWVq6CCJjn0jZR_2yO_fqPPiojCMdCoOvce9foPYzyCOnMtgIJIGdjWdG3NrBJuCdiszv1hcJrInbRW478478R0KnrInJZw98LnAhXII3xFS8/s1600/Magnificent+Seven+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="2016" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAoZIpvsUZ8a36NoDFueDlRrgzoAyOWVq6CCJjn0jZR_2yO_fqPPiojCMdCoOvce9foPYzyCOnMtgIJIGdjWdG3NrBJuCdiszv1hcJrInbRW478478R0KnrInJZw98LnAhXII3xFS8/s640/Magnificent+Seven+1.jpg" title="Magnificent Seven" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Yes, it's a black cowboy</span></i></td></tr>
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My thoughts on the 2016 Magnificent Seven<br />
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Other than copying the classic Kurosawa theme of seven gunslingers riding to the defense of a town full of innocent and defenseless pioneers, this movie doesn't really doesn't copy much from the original 1960 movie of the same title. The classic Magnificent Seven maintains a very impressive 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the new 2016 version holds a respectable 64% - not really a pass, but close enough and definitely higher than 27% held by <b><a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2016/03/batman-versus-superman-review-worlds.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Batman v Superman</span></a></b>.<br />
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The 2016 Magnificent Seven stars:<br />
<ul>
<li>Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Replacement Killers)</li>
<li>Screenplay by Richard Wenk (The Equalizer, Expendables 2) and Nic Pizzolato (True Detective): based upon the works of Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni </li>
<li>Denzel Washington (Training Day, The Equalizer) as Chilsom</li>
<li>Chris Pratt (Jurassic World, Guardians of the Galaxy) as Josh Faraday</li>
<li>Ethan Hawke (Assault on Precinct 13, Dead Poet's Society) as Goodnight Robicheaux</li>
<li>Vincent D'Onofrio (<b><a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2016/04/daredevil-season-2-review.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Daredevil</span></a></b>, Full Metal Jacket) as Jack Horne</li>
<li>Byung-hun Lee (GI Joe Retaliation, Red 2) as Billy Rocks</li>
<li>Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (Bless Me, Ultima) as Vasquez</li>
<li>Marin Sensmeier (Debut role) as Red Harvest </li>
<li>Haley Bennett (The Equalizer, Music and Lyrics) as Emma Cullen</li>
<li>Peter Sarsgaad (Green Lantern, Orphan) as Bartholomew Bogue</li>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">SPOILERS AFTER THE JUMP</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>WHAT WORKED?</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">FIRST</span>: </b>The Story. To say that the Magnificent Seven story is simple and straight forward would be belaboring the obvious: Thems the bad-guys; thems the helpless townsfolk; thems the good guys; Now A-Team the frack out of this town and Bang! Bang! Swish! Thud! Fight! Everybody dies! (Spoiler: No white man survives the final battle, Storm Shadow didn't make it either).</div>
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Doesn't get any straighter than that. In fact the writers don't even bother explaining the motivations of most of the characters. The lead character played by Denzel Washington's motivation is only explained a few minutes before the end of the movie. This is actually something that we will return to talk about later on. </div>
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Fight highlights include:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgou41a9VRc4xrEt-zlRLGwCzfUoLvmD2U0ECFfMxGInoPXg809xbGKT0IQ-VmpvcNKhTJFNGvhK2xIeTBNBuUFG4BfDZnqzA3ElMRCNGyqnVau6jFY9JUuIe7Ub0pyNwmg-tsgg6T7/s1600/The+Magnificent+Seven+Vincent+D%2527Onofrio.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgou41a9VRc4xrEt-zlRLGwCzfUoLvmD2U0ECFfMxGInoPXg809xbGKT0IQ-VmpvcNKhTJFNGvhK2xIeTBNBuUFG4BfDZnqzA3ElMRCNGyqnVau6jFY9JUuIe7Ub0pyNwmg-tsgg6T7/s640/The+Magnificent+Seven+Vincent+D%2527Onofrio.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">I'll say a prayer for you.... hm-mm... a little prayer</span></i></td></tr>
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<ul>
<li>Vincent D'Onofrio taking vengeance on 2 men who robbed him. Vincent D'Onofrio really is a bear of a man and watching him beat two men to death is... well fun to watch. He did so in the presence of the gunslingers who had come to enlist his aid and Emma Cullen (Technically their employer). </li>
<li>The arrival of the Magnificent Seven in the town of Rose Creek. Classic cowboy movie setting. Hero rides through mainstreet; the bad guys step out and there's a stare-down; heroes allies pop up in support around the bad guys; gunfight ensues and the Magnificent Seven stand victorious 22 to nothing. </li>
<li>The final battle of course: 7 gunslingers, a townfull of men who hunt but can't hit the side of a barn, one woman whose daddy taught her how to shoot against an army of 400 (?) and a gattling gun. As with the original 1960s Magnificent Seven, they stand victorious, but the score is now 300 to 4 with only 3 of Seven left alive. So as with the original Magnificent Seven and the Seven Samurai from which both these movies are based upon, the seven won a victory but it is a Pyrrhic one.</li>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>SECOND</b></span>: I actually appreciate the fact that Wenk and Pizzolato didn't bother to just simply copy the original film. Personally it would not have done the movie any favor to go with the stereotype and portray either the Mexicans or Indians as the bad guys. Clearly though there was an attempt to make a statement about corporate America by letting the main bad guy Bartholomew Bogue give an introductory speech on what America really worships. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ela_eoi_cOKtkgopUahV9dtPDqzXzhKdsBHFom9DyPRab3RirEYG8pUpdnmwufOOHIjiVyBCVWbkQ0SKx5GmcY6VMJZJZNfEcLSAJm-3XVZ8NYEhmSWdOc6KwkwdZ7IrSJMhaQ92/s1600/haley+bennett+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ela_eoi_cOKtkgopUahV9dtPDqzXzhKdsBHFom9DyPRab3RirEYG8pUpdnmwufOOHIjiVyBCVWbkQ0SKx5GmcY6VMJZJZNfEcLSAJm-3XVZ8NYEhmSWdOc6KwkwdZ7IrSJMhaQ92/s640/haley+bennett+1.jpeg" width="440" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">I'll show you the roof! It's upstairs</span></i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifGibcNjfQyIpSiZKpjWfH-9IJiJ-Itm6twNna3m-MbHp8FnbjdD_7gHW3FQBzgYHkqhWb74Na5pDAvR8IWxJQQBicf8Xj3j4EIecgq1uLv-XYeCNBYJa-33WyDzEnPno4KbVdbM_/s1600/Haley+Bennett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifGibcNjfQyIpSiZKpjWfH-9IJiJ-Itm6twNna3m-MbHp8FnbjdD_7gHW3FQBzgYHkqhWb74Na5pDAvR8IWxJQQBicf8Xj3j4EIecgq1uLv-XYeCNBYJa-33WyDzEnPno4KbVdbM_/s320/Haley+Bennett.jpg" /></a><span style="color: blue;"><b>THIRD</b></span>: Cora Corman is all grown up! Haley Bennett is best known as the Britney Spears-esque singer in the highly successful Hugh Grant/Drew Barrymore romcom-musical, Music and Lyrics where she shook her hips to Buddhist inspired love songs music and introducing the world to the Sanskrit phrase "<i>Shanti, Shanti!</i>" (Which actually should be said three times instead of two), she's been going around pretty much sticking to the jail bait role, so it's nice to finally see her out playing a full adult - albeit still showing off a gratuitous amount of cleavage (Not that we're complaining).<br />
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Haley plays Emma Cullen, the widow of a farmer killed by Bogue - in public no less, and left to rot in the street - because he was inspiring the farmers to fight back. Emma then sets off to recruit gunslingers to save the town. Turns out Emma Cullen was trained by her ffather to shoot so it's refreshing to see a damsel in distress in a testosterone filled cowboy movie, who could actually fight back - and she does.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYVfRSzHjW6H1qpFuWXV5iTTj8VE1LLixyqReCVX7HshgtrCwyLoMsOPzt7TapSemPyKna2CxeKMxgFq_W9NDjw3jaBseLb-_hYNMUJe4Ye_LcQG8YoMmoGjccTyiG3gxChv2_xE-/s1600/Magnificent+Seven+Jack+Horne+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Magnificent Seven" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYVfRSzHjW6H1qpFuWXV5iTTj8VE1LLixyqReCVX7HshgtrCwyLoMsOPzt7TapSemPyKna2CxeKMxgFq_W9NDjw3jaBseLb-_hYNMUJe4Ye_LcQG8YoMmoGjccTyiG3gxChv2_xE-/s400/Magnificent+Seven+Jack+Horne+1.jpg" title="Jack Horne" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Jack Horne - Magnificent Seven</span></i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">FOURTH</span></b>: Not bothering to study-up on the film before I went to see it, when Jack Horne first appeared, I found myself saying "<i>That looks incredibly like Vincent D'Onofrio</i>" except he didn't sound like Vincent D'Onofrio. The voice change was perfect - a high pitched squeaky hoarse voice instead of his regular speaking voice - and it really helped establish the character who was someone who went out into the wilds and now probably hears voices in his head due to personal loss or the number of people he's eaten... probably alive.<br />
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It was in direct contrast to his bear-ish appearance and helped establish his "<i>I am a big kind, god-fearing man, and I will kill you if you frack with me - but I will pray for you before I do so</i>" personality (True enough, Jack Horne does pray before he starts a massacre).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cG38aJidRpgMd_HWAqe9QNDP4nc2mqjj_EgpiTFKrzv_nAG01uHCk4QWFtgb6K7XEwc1Zdwbkf02ZVDTcxrh_swe6aHO9LV_wsWXHdzj7xBTXke0b_lc8qaiSwCka0uik6TSLQrO/s1600/Ethan+Hawk+Assault+on+Precint+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cG38aJidRpgMd_HWAqe9QNDP4nc2mqjj_EgpiTFKrzv_nAG01uHCk4QWFtgb6K7XEwc1Zdwbkf02ZVDTcxrh_swe6aHO9LV_wsWXHdzj7xBTXke0b_lc8qaiSwCka0uik6TSLQrO/s400/Ethan+Hawk+Assault+on+Precint+13.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Ethan Hawke, Assault on Precinct 13</i></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">FIVE</span></b>: Familiar characters. Director Fuqua seems to have gathered and assigned characters his actors have played before.<br />
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Let's start with Ethan Hawke. Aside from having a name as good as "<i>Goodnight Robicheaux</i>" Hawke seemingly reprises his role as Sgt Jake Roenick, a law-enforcer who was involved in a bad shoot-out and as a result is suffering from PTSD which keeps him from performing his duties.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudbIwntAZx0GtrEn5bywR7IaLwItBl4nTngbGzCzqQZOIj8wGRaHVV8dZOXdp9NICntzzIlGNFRQlnnLL9YSgROOc54rM0hniHYMev9tUTITijKXaH_sqhM3JHpiIprhyrOTByWOM/s1600/Billy+Rocks+and+Goodnight+Robicheaux.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudbIwntAZx0GtrEn5bywR7IaLwItBl4nTngbGzCzqQZOIj8wGRaHVV8dZOXdp9NICntzzIlGNFRQlnnLL9YSgROOc54rM0hniHYMev9tUTITijKXaH_sqhM3JHpiIprhyrOTByWOM/s320/Billy+Rocks+and+Goodnight+Robicheaux.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Storm Shadow and Goodnight</i></span></td></tr>
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Goodnight has a similar problem. Apparently he was a sniper in the American Civil War and the dead are still haunting him, leaving him gun-shy (And that's no pun). Somewhere on his semi-sucidal drunken spree he encounters Billy Rocks, a knife-wielding China-man who keeps him grounded and helps keep the demons at bay.<br />
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So this is definitely a role Ethan is familiar with and when he eventually abandons the team, you just know he'll be back .<br />
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The only downside to his character is that he looks incredibly like Dennis Quaid's Doc Holiday from Wyatt Earp (1994). They even look physically alike.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqiRd-iQaZxHpjOv6lPk95GV8q6o8ZwUsE0uZEsA8mUVakOeb7nzVXsgVQ5iWKJvdDPLlo9pBqmuDJ1OUlGQt6ckTLx5tDTIhHFy3gIuZ0dQeJTqtDODHhOegOcrifEIu9cuz17Apo/s1600/gijoe-retaliation-poster-storm-shadow-byung-hun-lee-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqiRd-iQaZxHpjOv6lPk95GV8q6o8ZwUsE0uZEsA8mUVakOeb7nzVXsgVQ5iWKJvdDPLlo9pBqmuDJ1OUlGQt6ckTLx5tDTIhHFy3gIuZ0dQeJTqtDODHhOegOcrifEIu9cuz17Apo/s320/gijoe-retaliation-poster-storm-shadow-byung-hun-lee-01.jpg" /></a>Byung-hun Lee (Billy Rocks) is basically back in his role as Storm Shadow if he were a cowboy - again a role familiar to actor Byung-hun Lee but with significantly less dialogue and more bad-assery. This guy literally brings knives to a gun-fight (But he will fight with a gun if he has to). Billy Rocks is the Asian version of Britt (James Coburn), the knife specialist of the original Magnificent Seven. Fuqua recreated the showdown of knife versus gun from the original movie for his version of the Magnificent Seven.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJDVskTtejZVuqHngMgjCYzg7328IDC-DKzuFki8WH4Xuf5_XfEPPwtObzIRMkXwgYpcYfoxV8vn2G872urNr_j3OdrTruqRrNvNxjIYRHpi9OkCAMQyhmlDObNDnlBUqLZ5aQrnA/s1600/Peter+Quill+Star+Lord.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJDVskTtejZVuqHngMgjCYzg7328IDC-DKzuFki8WH4Xuf5_XfEPPwtObzIRMkXwgYpcYfoxV8vn2G872urNr_j3OdrTruqRrNvNxjIYRHpi9OkCAMQyhmlDObNDnlBUqLZ5aQrnA/s400/Peter+Quill+Star+Lord.png" width="348" /></a><br />
Chris Pratt plays Josh Faraday: A gambler, all around scoundrel who likes the ladies, the drinks and the fights that come with them. He's a quick thinker with a quicker draw hand who likes to use distractions, any distractions to his advantage.<br />
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He has his own demons, but drowns them in frivolity and holds a noble heart buried under all that.<br />
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In other words, he's reprising his role as Peter Quill, Star Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy.<br />
So if you ever want to find out how Star Lord would probably end up dying, watch this movie.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ764jF_X-e9yo4rkPMWBPtLhObPRHA9Ljnd8T1RtE7SnBjyScsfM6s7ESrER4-eYWINeDCit542q0zqpM7rezGHsxjYaXE-pP31Uor0VEq60-WqmCOCrt_LqC0eUz2EduTk-QFH_3/s1600/Magnificent+Seven+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ764jF_X-e9yo4rkPMWBPtLhObPRHA9Ljnd8T1RtE7SnBjyScsfM6s7ESrER4-eYWINeDCit542q0zqpM7rezGHsxjYaXE-pP31Uor0VEq60-WqmCOCrt_LqC0eUz2EduTk-QFH_3/s400/Magnificent+Seven+3.jpg" width="397" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: blue;">SIX</span>:</b> The Black Cowboy. Contrary to popular opinion, the Black Cowboy is not a myth. They were real. So as unpopular as it may seem to cast an African American into the lead role of a cowboy movie, it was possible. Denzel Washington plays Sam Chisolm - a duly sworn warrant officer from Wichita, Kansas and blah-blah-blah (He actually has a long title that mentions the extent of his authority). Now before you think "Hogwash!" and that a black-man could never possibly rise to that position especially following the American Civil War: google Bass Reeves.<br />
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Bass Reeves was an African American born in 1838 who was one of the first black Deputy U.S. Marshals west of the Mississippi River, working mostly in Arkansas and Oklahoma. It is said that Deputy Reeves arrested over 3,000 outlaws and drew his gun against at least 14 more bad-guys in self-defense.<br />
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So someone like Sam Chisolm may certainly not been popular during the time, but he was certainly probable.<br />
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I wasn't too happy though with Denzel's appearance and acting. Personally I felt that he may have been trying to channel Yul Brenner, who played the Cowboy in black Chris Adams, leader of the Magnificent 7. This may have also been why they changed the name of the lead character - both to avoid a direct comparison between the two movies and to allow Denzel to play someone else. I think they failed in the latter objective. Denzel even walked like Yul Brenner with his feet walking in a straight line. .<br />
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A trenchcoat would have given him better form.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LW1_7uXmGYqdgJemCcJKlyzbhEem4ffYvX4-vaipGkXiyXg-Y50eumzuoiYch19_cful961yKBM8frphbXoJOQKxbpOqRrNHCEJT_3nZ_32sMIyuqMC-o7DzM4kywzrNyyY9KwYN/s640/Magnificent+Seven+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">One of them walks like a cool cat</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>WHAT DIDN'T WORK?</b></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: blue;">FIRST</span>: </b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Alright, this is a cowboy movie. It's an action movie. A Bang! Bang! Bang! movie. So really we can't fault it for much because you're not supposed to think that much going into it. Yes the characters are under-developed and cardboard cut-outs of heroes and villains, but that's because the violence is supposed to be simple. Sit back, enjoy the violence! Frankly I enjoyed it. I had fun. </span></div>
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On the side though, I can't help but wonder if Director Fuqua was trying to deliver two political messages while he was at it - or we're just paranoid. If he was, then we'd need a more in-depth discussion and I believe he failed if he did:</div>
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<ol style="color: black; font-weight: normal;">
<li>The greed of corporate America. Bartholomew Bogue's motivation s greed, plain and simple, and his army follows him for money despite the obvious evil. This could actually be a shout out to corporate America and a need for America (And the rest of the world) to return to an existence based upon values, and the catharsis that we all might need to find these values.If Fuqua wasn't bothering to make a message then Boque shouldn't have spent so much time talking about it.</li>
<li>No white member of the Magnificent 7 survived. All of them died. In fact we feel that Billy Rocks would have survived the final battle if only three members of the Magnificent 7 died in the original movie. There clearly must be a message in the fact that the racial minorities: African American, Mexican and American Indian, were the last people standing in a Cowboy movie.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<b><span style="color: blue;">SECOND</span>:</b> Seriously how are there still villagers standing after the battle? No way were there that many survivors. Half way through the final battle I was thinking that this battle was turning out as a loss for the village because they killed all the men already so the widows and children might as well move on. </div>
<br />
<div style="color: black; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">
Though seriously Denzel would have killed it in a trenchcoat</div>
<div style="color: black; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-12686113759403305832016-08-05T07:40:00.004-07:002016-09-24T01:22:29.718-07:00Suicide Squad - someone left the anti-heroes in the rain (Spoilers) <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiECtA7gV2-t5k64B7qAb-OCsHxHxyqN8NJlhR5LEMzSP6VVXqofn2njHXxDcxCDdIwbY3cUDv6iGbtl4OzpAjOiQPSsjhg71cZZwlE1oAbcptiZayEkpsTFvcXtuMlBtyPGzrENcb/s1600/margot-robbie-is-harley-quinn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Suicide Squad" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiECtA7gV2-t5k64B7qAb-OCsHxHxyqN8NJlhR5LEMzSP6VVXqofn2njHXxDcxCDdIwbY3cUDv6iGbtl4OzpAjOiQPSsjhg71cZZwlE1oAbcptiZayEkpsTFvcXtuMlBtyPGzrENcb/s640/margot-robbie-is-harley-quinn.jpg" title="Margot Robbie Harley Quinn" width="436" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Margot Robbie as Suicide Squad's Harley Quinn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My thoughts on Suicide Squad.<br />
<br />
Right of the bat, let me just say that it is not as bad as the critics make it out to be - it certainly does not deserve a 37% on Rotten Tomatoes, it's also not fair to say that it is worse than Green Lantern or the latest <a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2015/08/fantastic-four-2015.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Sony F4 debacle</span></b></a> - but you do have to leave your brain at the door.<br />
<br />
Suicide Squad was written and directed by David Ayer (Fury, Training Day), and stars:<br />
<ul>
<li>Margot Robbie (The Legend of Tarzan, The Wolf on Wall Street) as Harley Quinn</li>
<li>Jared Leto (Fight Club, Requiem for a Dream) as the Joker</li>
<li>Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happiness, Independence Day) as the racially bent Deadshot</li>
<li>Cara Delveningne (Pan, Paper Towns) as the Enchantress</li>
<li>Jai Courtney (Terminator Genisys, Divergent) as Captain Boomerang</li>
<li>Joel Kinnaman (Robocop, Run all Night) as Colonel Rick Flagg</li>
<li>Viola Davis (Enders Game, How to get away with Murder) as Amanda Waller</li>
<li>Karen Fukuhara as Katana</li>
<li>Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Oz, Thor: The Dark World) as Killer Croc</li>
<li>Ben Affleck as Batman (<b><a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2016/03/batman-versus-superman-review-worlds.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Batman versus Superman</span></a></b>, Daredevil)</li>
<li>Jay Hernandez as Diablo (Crazy Beautiful, Hostel)</li>
<li>Adam Beach (Windtalkers, Flags of our Fathers) as Slipknot </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">SPOILERS AFTER THE JUMP </span></b></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>WHAT WORKED?</b></span></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">The Story:</span></b> Holding it in comparison to DC's latest Superhero movie - <b><a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2016/03/batman-versus-superman-review-worlds.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice</span></a></b> - Suicide Squad's plot is thankfully simple: Bad guys want the world to bow, task force of bad guys formed to take out bigger bad-guys, task force of bad-guys kick ass. It's straight forward and simple. There's no wondering why Superman is so obsessed with killing Batman; there's no wondering what exactly Lex Luthor's motivation is; there's no wondering what the hell Batman must be smoking to have such weird dreams. The faults in the movie came in the writing and execution which we will talk about later and can be summed up as: "<i>Everybody wants to be an asshole</i>".<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">The characters:</span></b> For most part, also unlike Suicide Squad's main characters acted true to what we know of them from the comic books. Of particular note were:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLpIdAVVEww7vWHibYQAFGQ5GVPXy-nmyg-wzqYcs2LjclWyMvT4DL6cbnHUG8AMSMOZOM7zZaeS9wnQMCL2lNxoHsqCXaG0XPS4v3JiWiSMG2rvYWB7PXC6aYwYrCAz4OdN8qpc_/s1600/45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLpIdAVVEww7vWHibYQAFGQ5GVPXy-nmyg-wzqYcs2LjclWyMvT4DL6cbnHUG8AMSMOZOM7zZaeS9wnQMCL2lNxoHsqCXaG0XPS4v3JiWiSMG2rvYWB7PXC6aYwYrCAz4OdN8qpc_/s400/45.jpg" width="400" /></a><b><span style="color: blue;">Enchantress</span>:</b> A lot of critics mentioned that she was a wasted character and felt that she was underdeveloped. Personally I don't feel that she was underdeveloped, but I would argue that she was.... underutilized. The Enchantress is the primary villain in Suicide Squad. In the beginning she was actually Amanda Waller's first recruit: an extra-dimensional entity that has possessed the body of Archaeologist June Moone, that used to be worshiped as a goddess. Amanda Waller has her heart trapped in a briefcase and uses it to control the Enchantress - basically do what I say or I'll stab you in the heart (Very Dracula). Colonel Rick Flagg falls in love with June Moone so Amanda Waller assumes, incorrectly, that she has the Enchantress under her thumb because Flagg holds Moone's heart, while she, Waller, holds the Enchantress'<br />
<br />
Unfortunately the Enchantress' bio is not complete and it turns out that she has a brother, one that was lying dormant in Waller's custody. The Enchantress frees him and his power is enough to ensure her survival even without her heart - at least until they recover it - while they go off on a rampage to remake the world in their image and make mankind worship them again.<br />
<br />
Her highlights include:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Being really scary and sexy at the same time. The Enchantress's bio describes her as a succubus and Cara Delveningne delivers one worth dying for.The only drawback is that Cara looks incredibly like Christina Ricci and you can't help but think of Wednesday Adams all grown up.</li>
<li>Her transformation sequences are incredible, it's like watching someone be twisted around.</li>
<li>She is incredibly powerful and is in fact able to disarm the entire squad with an arm gesture. Why she bothered fighting them hand-to-hand, is beyond me.</li>
<li>She was underutilized. Clearly she could have done more and was capable of shredding the squad to pieces. Instead we got someone reminiscent of Zuul from the first (And only) Ghostbusters movie.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jSl9ra4wX9gCY-dTUI6ZitFAuvmGNzkSPixIme19cSCxvkwnrCa4-0-x4dWSWVsgivHJjZJtiats8iLczosMr_vXRE7CmuSBBFBO9GNEEiaLmWZV_iQEvYJU1RPzT5dzhMZ9K9ZJ/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Suicide Squad" border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jSl9ra4wX9gCY-dTUI6ZitFAuvmGNzkSPixIme19cSCxvkwnrCa4-0-x4dWSWVsgivHJjZJtiats8iLczosMr_vXRE7CmuSBBFBO9GNEEiaLmWZV_iQEvYJU1RPzT5dzhMZ9K9ZJ/s400/3.jpg" title="Will Smith Deadshot" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Deadshot: I am the Light, the Way</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: blue;">Deadshot</span></b>: After seeing the movie I can understand why DC decided to enlist Will Smith for the role instead of going with a fairer skinned actor - It would have resulted in three white people in the leading roles. By changing the color of Floyd Lawton's skin, DC gave Suicide Squad a better dash of cultural diversity - with Katana bringing in that final dash of Asian flavor.<br />
<br />
Deadshot and Harley Quinn received the most character development in the film and it was interesting to watch Deadshot go from manipulative master assassin to reluctant government stooge, to the hero that held the line, to leader of the Suicide Squad.<br />
<br />
It was a really cool highlight off Suicide Squad to witness Deadshot single-handedly hold the line against the Enchantress' possessed soldiers with nothing more than a rifle, his wrist pistols and his super-ability to never miss. It was almost reminiscent of the Fury Tank crew's last stand.<br />
<br />
Of course by the end of the movie he's out of ammunition. The SEAL team accompanying the Suicide Squad bothered to bring SCUBA gear, but nobody bothered to bring spare ammunition for a prolonged fire-fight.<br />
<br />
Other Deadshot highlights include:<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg852tpaYuIbY5oc6IE9lBjzaOETPK7DeHtA2e5NXqpDG2UqRT3WOwmAV93SEFFhZoCEYutOL2o9m0nDLk4lNwNyaI3TtgWJQe2IphlEC6AWFsi9ARCl7yf1YqMVh5mSUVsOVNHmYYP/s1600/61.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Suicide Squad" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg852tpaYuIbY5oc6IE9lBjzaOETPK7DeHtA2e5NXqpDG2UqRT3WOwmAV93SEFFhZoCEYutOL2o9m0nDLk4lNwNyaI3TtgWJQe2IphlEC6AWFsi9ARCl7yf1YqMVh5mSUVsOVNHmYYP/s400/61.jpg" title="Deadshot and Harley Quinn" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Did not become a thing</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>His battle with the Bat which ended when his daughter stood between the two and asked him to give up. Why Deadshot kept bothering with gutshots against an obviously bulletproof Bat we will never know - especially since he could always go for shooting the Bat in the mouth. </li>
<li>Will Smith's modern "Pimp Daddy" outfit which is a nod to the fact that the original 1950s Deadshot wore formal clothing and a top hat..</li>
<li>"<i>I am the light, the way</i>" tagged on both Deadshot's rifle and neck. The movie did not bother explaining why he had those on his gear, but one can assume through his unwillingness to shoot a defenseless Harey Quinn in exchange for his freedom, that this particular Deadshot has a moral code.</li>
<li>His motivation. His was the clearest He's doing this for his daughter (Shailyn Pierre-Dixon) and it was amusing watching him teach his daughter the complexities of sniping. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjOQZ32M_LUNn20QsfN2PMhG3-os08trkw0o-c5odrRPJHGij2tmyHv3dmRgnJrs8Btrj8jf0i7OokUjNFdZo4eWY2lVgoDFBjAAqwcgkJZnDn90jRghcaGTPZrHuXEW-LlE0EhL8/s1600/35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Suicide Squad" border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjOQZ32M_LUNn20QsfN2PMhG3-os08trkw0o-c5odrRPJHGij2tmyHv3dmRgnJrs8Btrj8jf0i7OokUjNFdZo4eWY2lVgoDFBjAAqwcgkJZnDn90jRghcaGTPZrHuXEW-LlE0EhL8/s400/35.jpg" title="Harley Quinn" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Pew Pew</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: blue;">Harley Quinn:</span> </b>Damn. Every time the movie would start to slow down, I swear they would find a way to highlight Harley Quinn's butt. To the credit of Margot Robbie, it worked.<br />
<br />
I'm personally glad that she wasn't just eye candy - though if you thought she was hot dressed like that, wait til you see her all wet. DC tries to remove the sexual aspect of the character - like you could actually do that - by reminding people via several flashbacks, that she is what she is because she was sexually abused by the Joker (and later by her captors in Belle Reve) - who she is madly in love with.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnS9KDe0fKRimT6bJbMR0xJwz-EDyWQnBKnVQjL6c-EpYym2Z1N7JgmAFhJVmQSoCaaoXsnAHFQhthKj_0O1bA43fALAgkiRODjS7j7Xa3K6zYTk_L_0dfIgSUa2APjk_AZL4fp5j/s1600/39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnS9KDe0fKRimT6bJbMR0xJwz-EDyWQnBKnVQjL6c-EpYym2Z1N7JgmAFhJVmQSoCaaoXsnAHFQhthKj_0O1bA43fALAgkiRODjS7j7Xa3K6zYTk_L_0dfIgSUa2APjk_AZL4fp5j/s320/39.jpg" /></a>And yes, she is bat-shit crazy. There's a meme going around showing her and the Joker saying "<i>Find someone who shares your level of crazy.</i>" and they really have. In one scene, a simple compliment that she's a "fine lady" leads to the Joker "gifting" her to a crime lord - and she happily goes along with her new "<i>master</i>". When he refuses saying that's not what he meant the Joker kills him. Harley Quinn's highlights include:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>She's Eye Candy, she doesn't need highlights. Anything she does is wonderful.</li>
<li>Feeding her in Belle Reve is a battle between her and the guards and most of the time she's shown lashed to a chair being fed by a tube through her nose.</li>
<li>She can swallow a shiv the length of a toothbrush and cough it up when she needs it.</li>
<li>She can fight and when she does, it's brutal and all-out. She'd rather drown then let Batman rescue her and when he finally does she pretends to not breath so he has to give her mouth-to-mouth. Which is funny because in <b><a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2016/03/batman-versus-superman-review-worlds.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Batman v Superman</span></a></b>, Batman could not give a crap what happens to criminals so it's out of his character to even help her. He also didn't brand her. Neither did he brand Deadshot. </li>
<li>It's her crazy that saves the day when she convinces the Enchantress that she's switching sides.</li>
</ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2-Ka8vi-RV-iG2IDF13pEj8p1peoWR4c8iEbOovwjIf6XacgQZy9tPouLLxR5Egw3ecK4DxSZ1mXCgoiKMvyTMxXZkm09F_GixqAsGFqCp1C7Y6gtQuq3hZnAlig_Zv2kuhjeT9P/s1600/31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Suicide Squad" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2-Ka8vi-RV-iG2IDF13pEj8p1peoWR4c8iEbOovwjIf6XacgQZy9tPouLLxR5Egw3ecK4DxSZ1mXCgoiKMvyTMxXZkm09F_GixqAsGFqCp1C7Y6gtQuq3hZnAlig_Zv2kuhjeT9P/s400/31.jpg" title="El DIablo" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Do not play with fire</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: blue;"><b>El Diablo</b>:</span> Amanda Waller considers Chato Santana a metahuman, but the truth about the the former arsonist turned pacifist is far more complicated. He refuses to use his pyrokineses because he feels that the more he uses it, the stronger it gets and he starts to lose control of his powers - which resulted in the death of his wife and 2 kids. What I did not expect and loved was that he would give himself totally to his power and become the flaming incarnation of an Aztec Fire God (Very Pheonix from <b><a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2016/05/x-men-apocalypse-review-spoilers.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">X-Men, Apocalypse</span></a></b>, but far cooler). So the Suicide Squad got somebody capable of standing toe-to-toe with the Enchantress' brother. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
El Diablo's struggle between wanting to keep his powers under control because of what happened to his family is heartfelt and in the end he actually does it because of his family.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
To bad he dies.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On a side-note: It actually looked like the Enchantress's brother recognized his Aztec Fire God mode. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwQFlRWyiReeB_0Eb-WN7iesB2XnWXeQGzrHtoc_DYVm1EfqaqSZVQvMjXp-ABz9LUbotfaQKN-Iq9jPro_ZfXzTZZt_tHVXILmIHwpfs2GRBrzslq24DMm_hq8hqbd7X-8ysJklf/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Suicide Squad" border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwQFlRWyiReeB_0Eb-WN7iesB2XnWXeQGzrHtoc_DYVm1EfqaqSZVQvMjXp-ABz9LUbotfaQKN-Iq9jPro_ZfXzTZZt_tHVXILmIHwpfs2GRBrzslq24DMm_hq8hqbd7X-8ysJklf/s400/4.jpg" title="Killer Croc" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">I'm beautiful. Don't you forget it!</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Killer Croc</b>:</span> There's not much to go with Killer Croc other than he believes that he's actually beautiful. He's the muscle. Straight and simple. He's not a beast and doesn't want to be treated like one, but he is. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So in the end he actually earns the most out of participating in the fight because he gets a flat screen TV and his food is turned from dead cattle to actual hamburgers. I have a feeling DC didn't want to go CGI on him, but maybe they should have because he should be bigger. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Speaking of which, I'm not quite sure what happened in the sewer. Why did Croc suddenly start fighting with the SEALs and why did he not receive any consequence for doing so?</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's about it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">WHAT DIDN'T WORK?</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>"Everybody wants to be an asshole" </i>LITERALLY!!! Everyone in this movie wants to be a badass, so they treat everyone like shit or do really stupid things to look bad-ass:</div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVEjs0M9vmOg4ynY4qa6NsDqV89wEIYNfF1y9RsRzXMb-ql3IWsqgR6AuGLNtu8q93jWR-qbFtTHI0lY6cj5q_1YSOle67nfJeHhey2xbtwFIjC6GQuo7kJ7lanprXOecHKAcDfKE/s1600/Suicide+Squad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVEjs0M9vmOg4ynY4qa6NsDqV89wEIYNfF1y9RsRzXMb-ql3IWsqgR6AuGLNtu8q93jWR-qbFtTHI0lY6cj5q_1YSOle67nfJeHhey2xbtwFIjC6GQuo7kJ7lanprXOecHKAcDfKE/s400/Suicide+Squad.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Wheeee!!!! Look at the pretty lights!</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>Let's start with the Blackhawk pilot who picks up Amanda Waller. He executes a really cool dive off a building to go low under radar. But as he does so, he fires off all his heat-seeking missile chaff so it looks like he's diving through a wave of lit phosphorus. </li>
<ul>
<li>Nobody shoots at him with heat seeking missiles as he goes down. There aren't even any warning sirens blaring in the cockpit before he makes the dive.</li>
<li>But hey! Look at the pretty lights that tell everyone on the ground where the Blackhawk is. </li>
<li>The Blackhawk is then shot down by ground-fire, but it did look bad-ass.</li>
</ul>
<li>Batman. In Batman vs Superman, we're first introduced to Bruce Wayne via his origin story: His parents were killed in front of him in an alley. So what does Batman do? Following a tip from Amanda Waller, he ambushes Deadshot while he walks home with his daughter in an alley. </li>
<ul>
<li>Batman had all night and could have waited for Deadshot to drop off his daughter</li>
<li>Instead he chooses to put an innocent child in a situation where a ricochet could end up killing her - not to mention the trauma of watching her dad fight off the Bat. </li>
<li>He then lets the child act a human shield for him as Deadshot's daughter talks him into surrendering. The great Batman, THE BATMAN, hiding behind a little girl. It was embarrassing. </li>
<li>But his entrance was bad-ass.</li>
</ul>
<li>Back to Batman: in the mid-credits, Batman threatens Waller to shut down her program or his friends will do it. Waller apparently knows that Wayne is Batman and promises to protect her from bad guys if she coughs up government information on the Justice League - which includes bios on the Flash and Aquaman. </li>
<ul>
<li>But after BvS he already knows who they are and where they are, so why does he need Waller?</li>
<li>And seriously? Threats? You can almost here DC hoping for a JL v SQ in the future. </li>
<li>But it was bad ass. </li>
</ul>
<li>The Suicide Squad's mission is to apparently extract Amanda Waller from her office/bunker in Midway city - but they make no real plans to extract their boss. A lone Helicopter? Really? No escort? And if she was going to be extracted by air, what was the point of sending in the Squad when she could just step outside when the helo came? It's not like the Suicide Squad secured the exit corridor for the extraction helicopters. True enough, she gets shot down.</li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsLez3N5Kutm7tIWaNk9stWMKAYZG2fSg1XonILnovMEiFaJrSQvAcMPmWspy04sEJtcIY222qTp665hLgCxHdGFUjYFuhRho9V_WvVW3S2FzQVypARp7QkProODItjS4IbPl2AF0/s1600/40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Suicide Squad" border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsLez3N5Kutm7tIWaNk9stWMKAYZG2fSg1XonILnovMEiFaJrSQvAcMPmWspy04sEJtcIY222qTp665hLgCxHdGFUjYFuhRho9V_WvVW3S2FzQVypARp7QkProODItjS4IbPl2AF0/s400/40.jpg" title="Amanda Waller " width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">The Wall</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li><b>But before that she kills off her staff - ALL of them</b>. <b>By herself. With a pistol.</b></li>
<li>What was the point of that if they were going to be extracted? Presumably these people were trustworthy because they presumably all go home at the end of the day and have most likely seen things that she already should not have. There was presumably no risk of capture as they were all about to be rescued. </li>
<li>Deadshot is tested and given a gun. He points it at the Captain of the Belle Reve guards - a real jerk but doesn't pull the trigger because he doesn't believe he was given real bullets. Still the Wall tempts him to shoot. Apparently yes, Deadshot had a loaded gun. What would have happened if he had pulled the trigger? </li>
<li>I was perfectly fine with the Wall and thought that Viola Davis was able to deliver as Amanda Waller - til she shot her staff. That was totally unnecessary and made her as evil as the people she judges to be criminals. The Wall has always been cold and manipulative, but she did not waste lives unnecessarily so I felt that both scenes were unbecoming and out of character. In the end I was with Deadshot "<i>How the fuck are you still alive?</i>"</li>
<li>But it was bad-ass.</li>
</ul>
<li>Rick Flagg doesn't want anybody in the Suicide Squad nor the SEAL teams to know that his girlfriend is involved, so:</li>
<ul>
<li>No briefing. We're going in. Period. He doesn't even discuss who they're going to have to fight through. Had he bothered:</li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1llGdjzn4O3rWDYMCv10EAT2_nbxHeNLXDiLa2jTVYPkoCLBYuoRnyKJt7fS8JLtZMy_xciar7KKzlVAtPrC1SxZr9Hi8eyPxr8IoIhhyj8uMrmDHaNzrUZqgjYF5nhH_u2tOJIw/s1600/Rick+Flagg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Suicide Squad" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1llGdjzn4O3rWDYMCv10EAT2_nbxHeNLXDiLa2jTVYPkoCLBYuoRnyKJt7fS8JLtZMy_xciar7KKzlVAtPrC1SxZr9Hi8eyPxr8IoIhhyj8uMrmDHaNzrUZqgjYF5nhH_u2tOJIw/s320/Rick+Flagg.jpg" title="Rick Flagg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Rick Flagg</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>His SEAL team could have brought weapons that have more stopping power. The Enchantress' "Soldiers" can be stopped but it takes a lot of firepower, blunt trauma or more accurate shots to the head to do so. </li>
<li>Deadshot and Harley could probably have brought more ammunition. Captain Boomerang could have probably brought boomerangs that could do actual damage. </li>
<li>So you can visibly see the "WTF Man!" from both his men and the Suicide Squad when they find out. Who knew Robocop could be such a jerk.</li>
</ul>
<li>In the end both villains are taken down by explosives, so seriously this could all have ended earlier with a few laser-guided missiles. </li>
<li>Rick Flagg was mean to everyone and while I can understand his animosity, it's still in his best interest to make this work, which he didn't seem to want.He seemed to constantly go out of his way to rile his prisoners and seemed to take a certain amount of glee when he got to blow one of their heads off.</li>
<li>But it was bad-ass.</li>
<li>He loses bad-ass points for out of the blue hugging Deadshot when the Enchantress is taken down. That was soooo wrong. </li>
</ul>
<li>Harley Quinn commits suicide for the Joker by diving into a vat of the same chemicals that made the Joker (If you follow the Michael Keaton Batman Joker origin). Joker walks away but then decides to jump in after her rather than let her drown. He then stands in the center of the vat cradling Harley. </li>
<ul>
<li>What's he standing on?</li>
<li>But it looks bad-ass.</li>
</ul>
<li>Harley Quinn uses the elevator, but all the soldiers and the entire Suicide Squad make it to the top of the building before the elevator arrives. But it looks bad-ass when the door opens.</li>
<li>The Belle Reve Guard staff. Remember that these are the guards hired by the government to hod the worst-of-the-worst metahumans. </li>
<ul>
<li>With the probably exception of El Diablo who had turned pacifist, the Suicide Squad makes everything harder for the Belle Reve security team and they seem to delight in the escalating violence that follows. </li>
<li>Deadshot is givern a gun and he threathens their Captain who publicly orders his men to kill Deadshot if he is killed and erase his browser history. How did you become Captain? Government Budget cuts?</li>
<li>But it looks bad-ass</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
<b><span style="color: blue;">The characters:</span></b> We've already voiced our dislike for Rick Flagg and the Wall, here are the other WTF characters from Suicide Squad:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMS2D5GHxm2GpN0Gk2taJ3LTwTHS5jVeO6j-X0yXrol3XKwOxPQma3aOWXWfoGhQHHIa6lZbzVlZaXGQqfij-NUHbX8PUUxMDbyTlieauwOGAMc7BjQJLUk44P-b6isiFdGPlRO9Q/s1600/26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Suicide Squad" border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMS2D5GHxm2GpN0Gk2taJ3LTwTHS5jVeO6j-X0yXrol3XKwOxPQma3aOWXWfoGhQHHIa6lZbzVlZaXGQqfij-NUHbX8PUUxMDbyTlieauwOGAMc7BjQJLUk44P-b6isiFdGPlRO9Q/s400/26.jpg" title="Katana" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Meet my husband</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Katana</b>: </span>She comes in late and is introduced to the Squad as Rick Flagg's bodyguard - as if the platoon of SEALs were not enough. He introduces her as a woman who's sword takes the souls of its victims and is expected to be taken seriously. She seems willing to kill everyone at the drop of a hat and has to restrained verbally from doing so at least twice. She understands English but keeps speaking Japanese as if everyone else understands her. And she talks to her sword. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In other words: She's the Japanese Harley Quinn. She's just as psychotic. She needed to be fleshed out more and that cry of emotion to the "soul of her husband" was not it. She needed something to make her a member of the team - even if Katana is not a member of the Suicide Squad.I thought it was there when she walked out and joined the Squad at the bar after Flagg's revelation, but she didn't say anything once she was there. Tatsu Yamashiro, Katana who was played by Rila Fukushima (The Wolverine) was a more fleshed out character who was closer to the comic book Katana. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But she does bring a nice set of abs to the movie. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVK5GN-qcDIaOUNS1sE0b4wzISPa1rHrK_ZZ3oA_ROfssClnS2Qx7C-rTG_FKFQ-GoUflURIRJIJUA7TSY4eCO-Fh5Lxoq_F8j8IHYnMW_9WcvjcKguOqicLNg-dxoZAE2CZZBe_vM/s1600/32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Suicide Squad" border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVK5GN-qcDIaOUNS1sE0b4wzISPa1rHrK_ZZ3oA_ROfssClnS2Qx7C-rTG_FKFQ-GoUflURIRJIJUA7TSY4eCO-Fh5Lxoq_F8j8IHYnMW_9WcvjcKguOqicLNg-dxoZAE2CZZBe_vM/s400/32.jpg" title="Captain Boomerang" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Captain Useless</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Captain Boomerang</b>:</span> Oh Varro, how far have you fallen? Has working with the Khaleesi ruined your career? You used to be such an action star and here you are: A barely recognizable shadow of your former self acting as a petty thief and a stooge. How are you even a threat to the Flash much less a member of his Rogue's gallery. Putting the Flash (Ezra Miller - The Perks of being a Wallflower) into the movie just to take him down seemed like such a waste of time. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Most of the time George "Digger" Harkness was reduced to stabbing the Enchantress's soldiers with boomerangs that he held like knives. How he survived is still beyond me and is one of the samples of writing for this movie that asks you to leave your brain at the door. DC seemed fine just leaving him to be a minor character and a comic relief who skulks around to catch a drink. He comes armed with a stuffed pink unicorn - that he loses. At the very least he should be the equivalent of Deadshot, but with thrown weapons. Then he would be respectable. He doesn't even seem to be armed and we don't remember him hitting anything with a thrown boomerang - except for his bank robbing partner who he hit from behind.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And why do his Boomerangs have handles in the center? Boomerangs are thrown by holding their edges.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Total waste.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="color: blue;"><b>This guy</b>:</span> Should we even bother talking about Sipknot? He dies in an escape attempt. Captain Boomerang convinces him to join him in an escape attempt (But doesn't really run). Flagg blows his head off.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It seems like Slipknot only existed so that Ayer could use the line "<i>Killer App</i>" in the movie. His climbing gear wasn't even that impressive. Batman's are faster.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Suicide Squad" border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-apMgx1OQ1lkm0J-3cKi5DMg0q321w1pHnGvzk28PYxAn01taXVqpyI_BkMUaYRntNo1aG5L-bQ9dnS1DLtTlhwUpY3EhbQhyphenhyphen8gKvtvF3qbITo11-tGAH1veRH4gZ_2R1HSUBrV1/s640/11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Slipknot" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Let give Slipknot the recognition he deserves</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxicqF_kYRZuvXlDfF9jKYR2pTY_fg3NVAshXd0hAaP628ln3pwWh_363I0RzrNU3r8mVkKwpbqTg6ox5d7dJh5BaBFGUMS2RRV2JrKBV_W4UQ1nHc_Ob79FJ_2izw1NQuLiYE8fE/s1600/44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Suicide Squad" border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxicqF_kYRZuvXlDfF9jKYR2pTY_fg3NVAshXd0hAaP628ln3pwWh_363I0RzrNU3r8mVkKwpbqTg6ox5d7dJh5BaBFGUMS2RRV2JrKBV_W4UQ1nHc_Ob79FJ_2izw1NQuLiYE8fE/s400/44.jpg" title="The Joker" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Clown nuisance</i> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<b><span style="color: blue;">The Joker:</span></b> Wow. I did not enjoy him at all. Not because Jared Leto didn't do him justice, but because he kept popping up randomly without really advancing the plot. The Joker in my opinion was only necessary at the beginning to help establish Harley's backstory, and at the end to set her free. Everything else in between could be written out because it derailed the flow of the movie and made it longer than it was necessary. It honestly felt that DC was giving in to a demand for the Joker because of how well Jared Leto's Joker was received when they released the trailer, that they had to write him in some-more. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As for his performance, I didn't really like it. I've see this kind of psychotic performance before but I just can't quite place where at the moment. It's the behavior of someone whose ingested too much cocaine, not insanity. Ethan Hawke gave a similar performance as Sgt Jake Roenick disguised as drug dealer in the buy-bust scene at the opening of Assault on Precinct 13. Magnify that a bit and you have the Joker. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If we were to compare Jokers: Jack Nickolson was the Clown Crimelord; Heath Ledger was the Anarchist; Jared Leto is the drug addict. Not quite as memorable. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And seriously, the Belle Reve captain of the guard is able to hand Harley Quinn a celphone in front of her guards and nobody notices? She strips down in public to change clothes, everybody stares at her, and nobody saw the celphone? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="color: blue;">The Soundtrack</span>: </b>The soundtrack is WONDERFUL! A friend described the movie like one long music video - which is not necessarily bad. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
However, I really don't understand why DC chose to include a song that is part of the soundtrack of a Marvel movie involving anti-heroes joining together to save the day. DC actually made me think of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy while watching Suicide Squad! There are thousands of great songs out there that could have taken the place of "Spirit in the Sky". Marvel even used it in the trailer assembling a thief, two thugs, an assassin and a maniac</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/crIaEzXgqto/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/crIaEzXgqto?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The inclusion of Spirit in the Sky in Suicide Squad's soundtrack is either pure hubris, or pure stupidity because it made me compare the two and that's where the faults in Suicide Squad's writing starts to come into the fore. Suicide Squad is chock full of Flashbacks! Tons of Flashbacks! DC says that this is to help establish the characters. Guardians of the Galaxy did the same thing with only - if I'm right - two flashbacks (The opening scene shouldn't even count as a flashback), yet we can relate more with Peter Quill's crew (Including the character with only two lines: "I am Groot" and "We are Groot") than with most of the the members of the Suicide Squad. We can also see the Guardians gel as a team versus the members of the Suicide Squad which wasn't really a team at the end - where they couldn't wait to go their separate ways - even if they were headed in the same direction as in the case of Harley and Deadshot. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVxt_2PjqMuE599szhaIMD4HHzwjRG3o4d8iA_jWcX4QQi19c5Uvxy1Ox6v9rnxX6I2lOTOI4gAUAa366TBcatN8EKnU4h82dhKzqIRkawwWYKd8LXZy8c1_srx-Q3LPTHWtvOohC/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVxt_2PjqMuE599szhaIMD4HHzwjRG3o4d8iA_jWcX4QQi19c5Uvxy1Ox6v9rnxX6I2lOTOI4gAUAa366TBcatN8EKnU4h82dhKzqIRkawwWYKd8LXZy8c1_srx-Q3LPTHWtvOohC/s400/13.jpg" width="400" /></a><b><span style="color: blue;">The Story:</span></b> Here are our problems with the story:</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>What exactly was the mission of the Suicide Squad? The Wall said in her "Voice of God" message, was that it was to retrieve her. She was not in danger - even Colonel Flagg said that her bunker was safe - and Task Force X was formed to deal with Metahuman problems. The Pentagon seemed to know that Task Force X was being deployed to deal with the Enchantress. By diverting to deal with the useless rescue attempt of the Wall, Waller put herself at risk, expended personnel, and exhausted the resources of the Suicide Squad so that when they went up against the Enchantress, they were down to their last rounds. It would have been simpler to go deal with the Enchantress first.</li>
<li>The Wall's solution to the Enchantress' disobedience was to stab the heart repeatedly with a ballpen, not to destroy it like Flagg did in the end. Had she destroyed the heart, she might not have had enough power to complete her "<i>Weapon"</i></li>
<li>In the end both "<i>gods</i>" were stopped by portable explosives. It was bad enough that a "<i>god</i>" that plowed through a subway train, shrugged off bullets, regenerates limbs in seconds, and stood toe-to-toe with an Aztec fire god, could be stopped by explosives. So in reality the Squad was not needed because a few well placed missiles would have ended the problem. Personally it felt like DC realized too late that the Suicide Squad was underpowered to deal with the bad guys that they had created and sought to weaken them last minute reducing the million dollar movie to the logic of a cartoon where Batman can stagger Darkseid with tiny explosives from his utility belt.</li>
<li>Speaking of Batman: With the world in danger for several hours, and at least three Justice League members already practicing vigilantism on their own (Batman, Wonder Woman and the Flash), none of them show up? Superman's dead, at least he has an excuse, what's theirs?</li>
<li>Flagg really jeopardized the mission by trying to keep his personal life private - even when there was no need to. Plus he really seemed hell bent on making the team fail despite the fact that he knows that the world is at stake. </li>
<li>The Joker derailing the story.</li>
<li>Harley Quinn. DC seemed really bent on making her a sex symbol but at the same time they would slut shame anyone who thinks that by constantly bringing up her back story and making her bite back at anyone who she tempts. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
That's about it. It's not the best super-hero movie we've seen, and with DC bringing up Guardians of the Galaxy for us, we have to say that it does not hold a candle to Guardians. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It also does not feel like the work of David Ayer. I wholeheartedly agree with the rumor that DC panicked when BvS was ripped to shreds.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div>
But it is definitely better than Batman versus Superman: Dawn of Justice and was entertaining enough that I did not feel like sleeping - like I did in BvS. If you treat it as is, and just go with the flow, it's a fun movie. If you try to treat it with any level of seriousness, then you have a problem. </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At least DC is headed in the right direction and look forward to the rumored stand-alone Harley Quinn and Deadshot movies. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Finally. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoEv1m4g7EdPrp-SFWwdIt2PQKWCDIpygDe_Bzh64ZV9F4XRW1ZwHgkoW5uQuuIDGNoLfWlSYCqvQir2bu-tcGx4hhqairAtt6IFLAQnbz5SdegqGKm8tjLUk3NNrP-yOfGWAMXOl/s640/49.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Suicide Squad" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Anti-heroes left in the rain</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-89328865213038221352016-06-27T15:59:00.003-07:002016-06-27T15:59:55.538-07:00Game of Thrones Season 6 Finale: Jon Snow is not a bastard anymore.(SPOILERS)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-5ZOQNTOGBG6VG9CJ4twpnARYtdwtSL9vf8oBL0nDsi4wJ2Hnqte1my2sZyjPYWEd051yovR5W8_Y0-M3Obwq528AOfU5TYDIPgKs886RLyIPMBP1WXabHuvTS2oMHVlH9jCIIvz/s1600/Eddard+Stark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-5ZOQNTOGBG6VG9CJ4twpnARYtdwtSL9vf8oBL0nDsi4wJ2Hnqte1my2sZyjPYWEd051yovR5W8_Y0-M3Obwq528AOfU5TYDIPgKs886RLyIPMBP1WXabHuvTS2oMHVlH9jCIIvz/s640/Eddard+Stark.jpg" width="392" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">There's a new "Hand" in town</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Game of Thrones Season 6's Finale The Winds of Winter has finally aired and the biggest reveal that we watched is that Jon Snow (Kit Harrington, Pompeii) is not a bastard! At least he's not Ned Stark's bastard.<br />
<br />
Seriously people should not go around - especially in public gatherings - calling someone a bastard, especially while addressing them.<br />
<br />
In this case it came from a little ten year old girl - Lady Lyanna Mormont (Actress Bella Ramsey - Everyone's favorite character now.... next to the Cane Corso that ate Ramsay Bolton) - who addressed the Northern council by saying "<i>I don't care if he's a bastard! He's my King!</i>" In one step she basically slaps him in the face then raises him up high.<br />
<br />
It's just rude.<br />
<br />
<b><i><a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2016/06/thoughts-on-battle-of-bastards-spoilers.html#more" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Check out our thoughts about the Battle of the Bastards here.</span></a></i></b><br />
<br />
All in all those I have to say that this is so far the best season of Game of Thrones given the fact that major moves have been made; the board is being cleared, and; some really deserving evil characters have finally had their comeuppance.<br />
<br />
It definitely has me watering at the mouth for Season 7.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">THE REST OF THE SPOILERS AFTER THE JUMP</span></b></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrzcyV4JVrDEJX-KV41hSKOPVXnmLit8AtmU73KSMbVocFptVTf9L4_NTG1-xnbohWt5aBepUp1ObJfHoH4xHhnsE_on5-kH4NiOiz0Zx_gqn36tILaMREBh8Aw22LmHHtqDDSMUl/s1600/Game-Of-Thrones-Margaery-Tyrell-natalie-dormer+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrzcyV4JVrDEJX-KV41hSKOPVXnmLit8AtmU73KSMbVocFptVTf9L4_NTG1-xnbohWt5aBepUp1ObJfHoH4xHhnsE_on5-kH4NiOiz0Zx_gqn36tILaMREBh8Aw22LmHHtqDDSMUl/s640/Game-Of-Thrones-Margaery-Tyrell-natalie-dormer+%25281%2529.jpg" title="Queen Margaery Tyrell " width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><i>No more liberal queens :(</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">WHAT DIDN'T WORK?</span></b></div>
<br />
There was only one thing that didn't work in the Winds of Winter GOT Finale - it even brought us to tears once we knew it was too late - despite the fact that she had figured out Cersei's plans, the beautiful cleavage baring Queen Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer, the Tudors) was unable to escape from the Grand Sept of Baelor because the Sparrows would not let her leave, resulting in her being burned to ashes by wildfire.<br />
<br />
Natalie Dormer recenly spoke out about her nude scenes and she said she had no regrets about doing them because back then she was unemployed and needed work.<br />
<br />
Probably why we haven't seen her naked recently.<br />
<br />
But now she's gone. Her body, her guile, her manipulative-ness will be missed.<br />
<br />
But then she really should not have gone up against someone who was better at the game than she was. Clearly Margaery underestimated the new Queen Cersei.<br />
<br />
Speaking of exits: Another really hot clothing-is-optional babe to make an exit is Melisandre.(Carice van Houten, Valkyrie, Black Book) Confronted by Sir Davos Seaworthy in front of Jon Snow, the Red Witch admitted to having burned the child Shireen (Kerry Ingram, Les Miserables, Robin Hood). In her defense she claimed that Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane, The Hours) approved of the execution and that they had no choice given their dwindling supplied and the coming snow-storm. She also claimed that Jon would need her in the coming battle against the White Walkers.<br />
<br />
In an interesting turn of events, Melisandre is instead exiled from the North - though Sir Davos vows to kill her if he should ever see her again.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6uMSLOQqBJIwTuoZ4b2mN1xC5vUkkJM7OKJfXeZ25grloV-wlfluGVbJnAonO4cWJV05yd6ExzoYBPOkWK2040czG0YWztzY9Nn_8RGsazci1lrXfZPBgQvszRiWUbYcTit2fwtDl/s1600/Melisandre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Game of Thrones" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6uMSLOQqBJIwTuoZ4b2mN1xC5vUkkJM7OKJfXeZ25grloV-wlfluGVbJnAonO4cWJV05yd6ExzoYBPOkWK2040czG0YWztzY9Nn_8RGsazci1lrXfZPBgQvszRiWUbYcTit2fwtDl/s400/Melisandre.jpg" title="Melisandre " width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">It's a real child, not a Shadow demon</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So no, she never scored with Jon Snow - but she did see him naked so maybe, as with Tormund Giantsbane, she wasn't impressed with his pecker. Later Jon would watch her ride away from the battlements, perhaps kicking himself in the behind for not bedding her first.<br />
<br />
Her departure from Winterfell is also probably due to the fact that Carice Van Houten is currently pregnant (With a real child, thanks to boyfriend Guy Pearce (Iron Man 3), not a Shadow demon). We wish her well.<br />
<br />
We wonder if she'll return in Season 7 and if she does, where will she end up with? The Brothers with no Banners perhaps? Or Kings Landing to forge a deal with Queen Cersei?<br />
<br />
So there will probably be less nudity in Season 7.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">WHAT WORKED?</span></b></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbHowWOqCN8NkVLcBOhbpCJvbiEaMs47iq20FkpK8sNnTXmNLEvn88KDw8dBPkpteh7TEjdTspx8IjxqHqGuw5mZcrMRNFZmFYBm9VDEfQ72dA1V_-xskWGJxrHczar56QmOyUxXD/s1600/Winterfell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbHowWOqCN8NkVLcBOhbpCJvbiEaMs47iq20FkpK8sNnTXmNLEvn88KDw8dBPkpteh7TEjdTspx8IjxqHqGuw5mZcrMRNFZmFYBm9VDEfQ72dA1V_-xskWGJxrHczar56QmOyUxXD/s320/Winterfell.jpg" title="Winterfell Direwolf" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Winterfell as it should be</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: blue;"><b>The Opening Credits</b></span>: Though tiny, it was great to see that - in the scene involving the construction of Winterfell - the Stark Direwolf head has returned to the disc that the Bolton flayed man has been occupying for quite some time now.<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;"></span></b><br /><b><span style="color: blue;"></span></b>
<b><span style="color: blue;">The Little Hand</span></b>: There's a certain happiness that's gained whenever the underdog is able to climb up to the top of the heap, and Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage, Pixels) has been doing that for six seasons.<br />
<br />
Every season we expect someone to finally chop the imp into smaller pieces.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpxxOmgIgK_UmZQvRwPoFxNRCsViuzEiw16jsPeBzhJlVuWw5Fmd2rKxFG9Ha3sEEVgjBBWKvmVW7j9PtDCaJokNiVyjXw-0x-V-DqapaRwADojvcOFibwVQDFva8Ply5GjdS7MY7/s320/The+Hand+of+the+Queen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Tyrion Lannister, Hand of the Queen" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"><i><span style="color: blue;">The new Hand in town</span></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
From a drunken fool he became the King's Hand, and unsung hero of the Battle of King's Landing. Despite loosing his position, he becamse the defender of Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner, <b><a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2016/05/x-men-apocalypse-review-spoilers.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><i>X-Men Apocalypse</i></span></a></b>) till he was put in jail for killing the king - which he may or may not have done. He became a slave, then worked his way into the trust and service of Daenerys Targaryen, acting as the Head of Mereen in her absence.<br />
<br />
And now, he's Hand of the Queen.<br />
<br />
Good for you Tyrion!<br />
<br />
As a special bonus, Daenerys was keeping the pin marking Tyrion as her hand next to her bosom. Literally :)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Sansa Stark apologizes for not mentioning the Knights of the Vale to Jon</span></b>. This actually only fans the flames of the rumor that Sansa wants Jon dead so that she will rule in the North. Jon could have been killed in the fighting before the Knights arrived. Her act of omitting the Knights practically ensured this.<br />
<br />
So should Jon trust Sansa?<br />
<br />
If Sansa betrays Jon, Jon won't see it coming. He knows nothing afterall.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrlrUYaVvFrjH6cx-QFpVa73D2fioi0joSUI8GB-dJDiH3TZbQEvlXo1EAjrk4g9ATSBEkWn4r2wxPZGIfslQHmhnwC9ZwkTW5gB8nestA3ZTO36F18BAKuybFAajuZSkA5flvFbL/s1600/Lady+Mormont+Meme+2.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Meme" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrlrUYaVvFrjH6cx-QFpVa73D2fioi0joSUI8GB-dJDiH3TZbQEvlXo1EAjrk4g9ATSBEkWn4r2wxPZGIfslQHmhnwC9ZwkTW5gB8nestA3ZTO36F18BAKuybFAajuZSkA5flvFbL/s320/Lady+Mormont+Meme+2.jpg" title="Lady Mormont " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Lady Mormont memes are spreading.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: blue;">Little Lady Lyanna Mormont.</span></b> This ten-year old girl has some balls. Before the bickering of the Northern Lords and Wildlings can tear the Northern alliance apart and send all the individual Lords packing into their castles where they believe they could wait out the coming Winter, this little girl - this Bear cub - stands up and has the balls to accuse three Lords of... well... cowardice.<br />
<br />
Here's her soliloquy, that was delivered with her now famous dagger stares, a thick scottish accent, plus a lot of pointing this time: "<i>Your son was butchered at the Red Wedding, Lord Manderly: But you refuse the call. You swore allegiance to House Stark, Lord Glover: But in their hour of greatest need, you refuse the call. And you, Lord Kerwin: your father was skinned alive by Ramsay Bolton, still, you refuse the call. But House Mormont remembers! The North remembers! We know no king but the King in the North whose name is Stark! I don’t care if he’s a bastard. Ned Stark’s blood runs through his veins. He’s my king, from this day until his last day!</i>”<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcyRQiZ4RpI1rkH42en07O4B_6CdvAUv8aldfP6rkRKzJ7uQPvdQbQHMaXNSWsI3Mfia7gFHcjVY9wZimn2XJ2CMyxwf_nOzFYuuMPleVNbm9pmVOAuo-8OT4c1KjLyKaiUJ-fjhr/s1600/Lady+Mormont+Meme+3.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Meme" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcyRQiZ4RpI1rkH42en07O4B_6CdvAUv8aldfP6rkRKzJ7uQPvdQbQHMaXNSWsI3Mfia7gFHcjVY9wZimn2XJ2CMyxwf_nOzFYuuMPleVNbm9pmVOAuo-8OT4c1KjLyKaiUJ-fjhr/s320/Lady+Mormont+Meme+3.png" title="Lady Mormont" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">And they are huge</span></i>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This girl has some pair. We kept waiting for someone to go slap her. This is also what we meant by the fact that it's really rude to call someone in a public gathering a bastard. In one move, Lyanna both slapped Jon Snow, and elevated him to the rank of King.<br />
<br />
But it worked! The three Lords followed her example and declared for Jon Snow as their King!<br />
<br />
The White Wolf, the King in the North, rises!<br />
<br />
Beause of a Bear cub.<br />
<br />
Her bad-assery is fast approaching the Legend of Chuck Norris level.<br />
<br />
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWhlkTHdZZnAae5IikYvvjC_tsIUGQSAFqFqgmtLTuYwnke_QofQs1ZlvFSIFNIVadHnMK2jiidUApsLMNOgrGGqev-Xv1-i_Z8rdHOmxHPXtunD8VN6NsGY_KGOjhNXtIbYToAtg/s1600/Lady+Mormont+Meme+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Meme" border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWhlkTHdZZnAae5IikYvvjC_tsIUGQSAFqFqgmtLTuYwnke_QofQs1ZlvFSIFNIVadHnMK2jiidUApsLMNOgrGGqev-Xv1-i_Z8rdHOmxHPXtunD8VN6NsGY_KGOjhNXtIbYToAtg/s640/Lady+Mormont+Meme+1.jpg" title="Lady Mormont" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Probably true.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="color: blue;">Arya is on a killing spree</span></b> - and it's a fucked up killing spree! The Red Wedding has finally been avenged! And Arya Stark (Maisie Williams, The Devil and the Deeep Blue) can wipe a name off her list. Three names to be exact! She slits the throat of Walder Frey (David Bradley, Harry Potter), but not before serving him meat pies. Meat pies filled with meat carved from the corpses of his two sons Black - the one who killed Lady Catelyn Stark by slitting her throat - and Lothar - who killed Lady Talisa and her unborn child by stabbing her from behind!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Yummy.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxtI8rblKQcd7iJF9rJfqzXg8_tI5frtCaWkLJtR3yJlMKXp0u2x_O9F-B4SuiDlOK4gaiEtsFxTiKinIpoPnHAGVCu2UbxpTcfsH0-wvL9KT5pi8AyO73MPKqRLlK0iLaZCXQI6f/s1600/Arya+kills+Frey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxtI8rblKQcd7iJF9rJfqzXg8_tI5frtCaWkLJtR3yJlMKXp0u2x_O9F-B4SuiDlOK4gaiEtsFxTiKinIpoPnHAGVCu2UbxpTcfsH0-wvL9KT5pi8AyO73MPKqRLlK0iLaZCXQI6f/s320/Arya+kills+Frey.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Arya slits Lord Frey's throat</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
She is able to do this by using the abilities she learned while being trained to become a face-changing assassin. She of course lets him know who she is as the light fades from his eyes.<br />
<br />
This leaves: Cersei, Thoros of Myr, The Mountain, and Beric Dondarrion on her list.<br />
<br />
Arya also had the opportunity to end Jamie Lannister - she even flirted with him - but we suppose he's not on her list.<br />
<br />
She's going to have a problem with the Mountain.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Jon Snow is not a bastard! </span></b>Well he is, it's just been revealed though that he's not Ned Stark's bastard. Here we are calling someone a bastard over-and-over again. Apparently Jon Snow is the son of Ned's sister Lyanna Stark by.... well Episode VI Winds of Winter does not bother to reveal the name of Jon Snow's father, but the clues confirming that it's Rhaegar Targaryen (Specifically the warning that Robert Baratheon - who was on a Targaryen killing spree - would kill him if he knew), son of the mad king, brother of a certain Daenerys.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">So if this is true, cringe all of you who were pining for a Jon/Daenerys love-team, she's his aunt. Not that incest means anything in Game of Thrones. </span></b></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6gOUon820gybu0_oWZTbeue-7CWlZ-XGIvaSJIlhIvVzMSpQRWx1O3ebGY-QozUDj5ERbhV-lDrQr0e1clyNBhhNd7m-JDIODzhMOm2Sv44fWiu31cydO6PjUN92JdV2OJs23R4o/s1600/game-of-thrones-ned-catelyn-stark-620x360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6gOUon820gybu0_oWZTbeue-7CWlZ-XGIvaSJIlhIvVzMSpQRWx1O3ebGY-QozUDj5ERbhV-lDrQr0e1clyNBhhNd7m-JDIODzhMOm2Sv44fWiu31cydO6PjUN92JdV2OJs23R4o/s320/game-of-thrones-ned-catelyn-stark-620x360.jpg" width="320" /></a>So Jon technically is not a Stark bastard. He's a Targaryen Bastard and the nephew of Ned Stark. I feel sorry though for Catelyn and Ned Stark now that this has been revealed. Catelyn always resented Jon who to her was evidence of her husband's infidelity, and Ned was made by Lyanna to promise on her death bed never to tell anyone about Jon's lineage. All this time, Catelyn's resentment was misplaced. Her husband was loyal. And all this time it must have eaten him from the inside to be unable to tell her the truth.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Ben Jen Stark cannot cross the wall</span></b>. This tell us two things: He's dead and he's a reanimated corpse, and; The White Walkers will have to destroy the wall to get past it.<br />
<br />
Now THAT would be a glorious battle.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Cersei Lannister (Lena Heady, 300).</span></b> Oh Cersei! Oh Cersei! We love you! You've proven to be one of the most devious and evil villains ever to be created. We personally thought that you were trapped and were going to die fighting in the Red Keep or successfully defend yourself with words during your trial.<br />
<br />
Never, did we think that you would destroy the Sept with stores of Wildfire, several major characters<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEAL-2tmXXE-xZdaSre41B3PlwDILOmF3ATkGzbn3wEQOTKnIHqubfJiDqoLR4Cm53ufdG064F6c-mB_HcrPhx0w-WIcGBEgoynhBm4C1gArS4a1zr2nMmTPlhNanLs25hT2d5OAo/s1600/The+High+Sparrow+Burns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEAL-2tmXXE-xZdaSre41B3PlwDILOmF3ATkGzbn3wEQOTKnIHqubfJiDqoLR4Cm53ufdG064F6c-mB_HcrPhx0w-WIcGBEgoynhBm4C1gArS4a1zr2nMmTPlhNanLs25hT2d5OAo/s320/The+High+Sparrow+Burns.jpg" title="The High Sparrow gets lit up" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Strangely, this is Cercei being merciful</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>The High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce, Ms. Saigon)</li>
<li>Queen Margaery Tyrell, </li>
<li>The Knight of the Flowers Loras Tyrell (Finn Jones, Sleeping Beauty)</li>
<li>The Lord of Hightower and the Kingdom's Master of Ship and Coin Mace Tyrell (Roger Ashton-Griffiths, The Brothers Grimm)</li>
<li>The Hand of the King - who doesn't like Cersei - Kevan Lannister (Ian Gelder)</li>
<li>Lancel Lannister (Eugene Simon, Eden) - Cersei's cousin and ex-boy-toy. </li>
<li>Grand Maester Pycelle (Julian Glover, Star Wars the Empire Strikes Back), that old pervert.</li>
<li>The entire Faith of the Seven goon squad</li>
<li>Thousands of innocents, including one guy who was just casually walking when the Sept Bell fell on top of him. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreTrG1t85b8L8bN9KyyeGQ59zj7jK8Zsg0LrAJDWiDAP6pddeFCMcug2Co3_4_3hmLO99bjY7Q2-bNZe7CbkDV-dzoOciCVwK5p0YBjnapiZ8yBIYYEF_tT3pGTxwYdTZ1ctueHtq/s1600/Cersei+Happy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreTrG1t85b8L8bN9KyyeGQ59zj7jK8Zsg0LrAJDWiDAP6pddeFCMcug2Co3_4_3hmLO99bjY7Q2-bNZe7CbkDV-dzoOciCVwK5p0YBjnapiZ8yBIYYEF_tT3pGTxwYdTZ1ctueHtq/s320/Cersei+Happy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Cersei, happy</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While this mass murder is happening, where is Cersei? Smiling happily to herself while she finishes a glass of wine.<br />
<br />
To be fair, all this murder would not have been possible without the suggestion of Maester Qyburn (Anton Lesser, the Pirates of the Caribbean), the Master of Whispers and the guy responsible for the zombification of the Mountain. His agency of chocolate powered spies were the ones who:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Tricked Lancel into the catacombs underneath the Sept where he is stabbed so badly he's reduced to crawling. He is actually given (yeah right) the opportunity to stop the Wildfire trap - all he has to do is kill a couple of melting candles, but he fails </li>
<li>Killed Grand Maester Pycelle via an ambush by a mob of murdering children. Creepy.</li>
</ul>
<div>
There is one more casualty of Cersei's wildfire plot - though personally we feel if he didn't die, Cersei would have killed him anyway for defying her - King Tommen Bartheon, first of his name (Dean-Thomas Chaman, Man Up), Cersei's youngest son, removes his crown and jumps out the window. Tommen probably could no longer handle all the manipulating happening around him, and seeing the wrath of his mother first hand, was the last straw.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMwKYyq0WWuhWkmdZrub2y8TqaTgpX-Wp1anzyVunm4oAuHY9rYPKBNi1gD9qkz862OCJ3y5Y5h09Gnnmh7OVRIvHIKbVCLLZpwLeo8ftnHDJKK3LeEHXgWXGZZzWAXl5CzuRyKf7/s1600/Cersei+chooses+violence.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMwKYyq0WWuhWkmdZrub2y8TqaTgpX-Wp1anzyVunm4oAuHY9rYPKBNi1gD9qkz862OCJ3y5Y5h09Gnnmh7OVRIvHIKbVCLLZpwLeo8ftnHDJKK3LeEHXgWXGZZzWAXl5CzuRyKf7/s1600/Cersei+chooses+violence.gif" /></a>Some might try to excuse Cersei's action as the result of having been thrown into a corner, maybe this is a psychotic break. It would certainly explain the pleasure she was getting out of the massacre. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But then she goes to have dessert: In the Dungeon of the Red Keep lies Septa Unella (Hannah Waddingham) tied to a table. Cersei wakes her by pouring wine over her face and asks the Septa to confess that it felt good to beat, starve, frighten and humiliate Cersei, and that she really didn't care about Cersei's atonement, and did it because "<i>It felt good.</i>" </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Cersei then goes to confess that she, too, does things because it "<i>Feels good": "I drink because it feels good. I killed my husband because it felt good to be rid of him. I fuck my brother, because it feels good to feel him inside of me. I lie about fucking my brother, because it feels good to keep our son safe from hateful hypocrites.<span style="color: blue;"> I killed your High Sparrow, and all his little sparrows, all his septons and all his septas, all his filthy soldiers because it felt good to watch them burn. It felt good to imagine their shock and their pain. No thought has ever given me greater joy. Even confessing feels good under the right circumstances</span></i>."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Septa Unella then makes the mistake of thinking that Cersei is going to kill her and she feels vindicated knowing she kept true to her faith. But Cersei doesn't kill her, she leaves her to become the Zombie-Mountain's plaything, answering the Septa's screams of terror with :"<i>Shame! Shame! Shame!</i>" as she calmly walks out the door. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Shiver. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdl98p6CWQu29KY8ap6DbIlecpD7Yp696Luv0JGovQGmm1MnKOjvqWT6nxFWIKzNgSM6O-_VJQqj2gkCXoqioJTflk1uHq9vqsCbrDYqkDUBsSzqd2dwLkHqMN1YDNSLlPz2GCmtly/s1600/Cersei+and+Ned.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdl98p6CWQu29KY8ap6DbIlecpD7Yp696Luv0JGovQGmm1MnKOjvqWT6nxFWIKzNgSM6O-_VJQqj2gkCXoqioJTflk1uHq9vqsCbrDYqkDUBsSzqd2dwLkHqMN1YDNSLlPz2GCmtly/s320/Cersei+and+Ned.jpg" /></a>Cersei is doing this because she wants to. We also have her words from waaaay back in Season 1: "<span style="color: blue;"><i>When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.</i></span>" The Wildfire destruction of her enemies is simply Cersei committing everything to the field. This is her trump card, and yes, she's been backed to the wall, so she's played it. This is revenge. This is the throne. To hell with the cost. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Even the death of her son doesn't seem to sully her mood. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Because now she's Queen. The Iron Throne is hers by the end of the day - she doesn't even change her clothes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8wo7RbitVaBFMydxG6Jeq4cGBuGnC1S2afNJzkSwt4XgBHgeGUke6VPZHR-3fNC17RCCA8B0WW9HVDzE5ZNoZhX-k9jI9BOLEoQvOfKd75fuCMhpoo-m-GBDICzGSmNOxFXo4D0L/s640/Queen+Cersei.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Queen Cersei" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cersei, Queen. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Everyone versus Queen Cersei - So as we said, the field has been cleared and the world is gearing for war:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Daenerys Targaryen has finally - after 6 seasons - set sail to claim her throne. Along with her dragons, her Unsullied, her Dothraki Horde and her Iron borne/Master's armada. </li>
<li>Daenerys Targaryen has new allies. House Tyrell has met the Dornish women of House Martell, putting aside old differences. Apparently this was the secret meeting that Tyrion Lannister sent Lord Varys (Conleth Hill, Whatever works) out to accomplish. So now you can add the assassins and armies of Dorne, to the 2nd largest army in Westeros, to the armies of Daenerys Targaryen. Varys returns in time to join the Unburned Queen's armada, increasing the number of castrated people in Daenerys army - 8,000 Unsullied, plus their untrained replacements, plus Theon and now Varys.</li>
<li>Jamie "Kingslayer" Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Gods of Egypt) has returned to King's Landing and he does NOT look happy. He and Cersei exchange looks at her coronation and you could visibly see the unsaid "<i>What have you done!</i>" answered with "<i>What I had to. Do you have a probem with it!</i>" Is Cersei now thinking about the prophecy that her younger brother will kill her (She came out first, so she's older than Jamie)? Will their love prevail? Or will Jamie become the Queenslayer.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
Given what Cersei is capable of, will this alliance be enough to place Daenerys on the Iron Throne?<br />
<br />
Season 7 will tell us.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Bronn has a threesome. </span></b>Yay!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-87571204748536263282016-06-20T04:40:00.000-07:002016-06-26T22:41:56.916-07:00Thoughts on the Battle of the Bastards (SPOILERS)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqQ3Jzo7Lqd1yxG_VdNI85Y7vLroncvOaSNGBMohfMY_vg8YYYYPKqVYBWx5iFd2Rge__doxDK7Cf5LopMv6-yhijIIl48q5pxbmi6GKvVvf6TZYO1cH8h4p_l6zaCr525_kEI-72/s1600/Ramsay_Bolton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqQ3Jzo7Lqd1yxG_VdNI85Y7vLroncvOaSNGBMohfMY_vg8YYYYPKqVYBWx5iFd2Rge__doxDK7Cf5LopMv6-yhijIIl48q5pxbmi6GKvVvf6TZYO1cH8h4p_l6zaCr525_kEI-72/s640/Ramsay_Bolton.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Ramsay Bolton, Warden of the North, Lord of Winterfell</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Game of Thrones Battle of the Bastards is over and a few characters lie dead, a few characters lie wounded and nobody took their clothes off - hopefully there will be revelries in the next episode.<br />
<br />
HBO threw a lot of marketing behind this issue, specifically telling viewers that this was an issue that could not be missed and that the battle would be the most epic army battle ever to be shown on television.<br />
<br />
Viewers, readers and fans of Game of Thrones saw this episode as the potential redemption for a series that seemed to take delight in coming up with deliciously devious ways of killing protagonists and having evil rule triumphant.<br />
<br />
So maybe this time, we thought.<br />
<br />
Episode 9 of Season 6 of Game of Thrones actually showcases two battles. Aside from the Battle of the Bastards in Winterfell, there was still the matter of the Assault on the seemingly Khaleesi-less slave city of Meereeen. Just when Meereen starts to recover culturally, economically and psychologically from the ravages of the slave trade, the Masters return, reneging on the agreement that was eked out with Tyrion Lanister, and start to bombard the city into submission.<br />
<br />
This episode was directed by Miguel Sapochnik (<i>Repo Men, House M.D</i>.) and was written by David Benioff (<i>Troy, X-Men Origins Wolverine, and husband to the beautiful Amanda Peet</i>) and D.B. Weiss (<i>It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Halo</i>)<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">SPOILERS START HERE.</span></b></h2>
<a name='more'></a><h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">WHAT WORKED?</span></b></h2>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglD0dFF-GyRY2gCZJl9uMJtmC9-COnDZu1XbCLU4qxNjpPwlo4JUIE1DwZpH9vwXPc8Axs6ZPQD5k7-rIUpY69v2rzOOiNlnFD_g9zt3UEsru7hxiJnJQU9_xDc94pYv_BUwEOAQS/s1600/Daenarys+and+Tyrion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglD0dFF-GyRY2gCZJl9uMJtmC9-COnDZu1XbCLU4qxNjpPwlo4JUIE1DwZpH9vwXPc8Axs6ZPQD5k7-rIUpY69v2rzOOiNlnFD_g9zt3UEsru7hxiJnJQU9_xDc94pYv_BUwEOAQS/s400/Daenarys+and+Tyrion.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Fun Fact: Emlia Clarke stands a towering 5'1"</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<b><span style="color: blue;">The second Battle of Meereen</span></b>: The second battle of Meereen begins with Tyrion Lanister hesitantly trying to explain his actions to a brow raised Khaleesi who looks like she's about to order that he be served to her dragons as a snack. But it's an authority play as Daenarys reaches the truth behind Tyrions actions: "<i>The rebirth of Meereen is the cause of this violence: The Masters cannot let Meereen succeed! Because if Meereen succeeds - a city without slavery - a city without masters - it proves that no one needs a Master.</i>" His motivation receives the approval of Daenarys and secures Tyrion's position as her adviser. He's able to stop her first plan - which is to crucify all the Masters and bury their cities. By comparing her desire for vengeance with the actions of her father, the mad king, he is able to convince her to set an example instead.</div>
<br />
Daenarys meets with the Masters who arrogantly assume that she is there to surrender. It turns out they are there to take the Masters' surrender. When they scoff at the idea, Daenarys plays her cards:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhc61jRaM0-RVz3rLSLfvkur7oqKadJfBzwstwTjs4pSypgE8EumX002sbtmi1OIjAZuoKrAIbivnLITq3S_Rgr-61nqiwVOkuBEK0sP5AMkd8yjWeZ7Sv7Azticbp1DkQekgYcbE/s1600/dRAKARIS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhc61jRaM0-RVz3rLSLfvkur7oqKadJfBzwstwTjs4pSypgE8EumX002sbtmi1OIjAZuoKrAIbivnLITq3S_Rgr-61nqiwVOkuBEK0sP5AMkd8yjWeZ7Sv7Azticbp1DkQekgYcbE/s400/dRAKARIS.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Three fire breathing dragons stare down at your ship. <br />What do you do?</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>Drogon appears, she mounts him and flies him off into the bay. Rhaegal and Viserion break free of their basement cages and join their larger brother. Daenarys dispels and notion that she does not control the dragons and commands the three to burn down the Masters fleet. </li>
<li>The Dothraki horde arrives and lays waste to the Sons of the Harpy members who are killing slaves within Meereen.</li>
</ul>
After such a show of power, Tyrion tells the three Masters that they broke a pack and that one of them has to die while the other two can go home with a warning. Two of the Masters betray the third - a lowborn. Grey Worm approaches the trio and kills the two traitorous Masters with one knife stroke.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnwyfs927gSp2RJS60M-xeq0j6YZuwAZO_mpEJqIx1xUExx3xgsiVJNX4thRkF_mxifS4vyPf6pyIh1cB6jI1CDatUM377Ji-Yi9xpnYgjcA7oYFBgcfaqzZwLjpg8JfoRfCUtUzp/s1600/Daenarys+and+Tyrion+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnwyfs927gSp2RJS60M-xeq0j6YZuwAZO_mpEJqIx1xUExx3xgsiVJNX4thRkF_mxifS4vyPf6pyIh1cB6jI1CDatUM377Ji-Yi9xpnYgjcA7oYFBgcfaqzZwLjpg8JfoRfCUtUzp/s400/Daenarys+and+Tyrion+2.jpg" width="400" /></a>Despite being mostly CGI, the battle was a brilliant display of Daenarys's personal power - as she was not only riding a dragon, she was commanding two others, mixed with Tyrion's political machinations (It's nice to see his leadership finally appreciated). The message to the Masters could not be any more clearer: This was Daenarys being "merciful". All it cost Daenarys was.... nothing. A scorched city, a few dead civilians in exchange for fear and the Masters' strike armada - armed with fire-ball throwing ballistas. It bodes well for Season 7. This is the team that can surely decimate the two largest armies (And religious fanatics) currently guarding Kings Landing. Personally though I still believe (Now that Hodor is out of the picture) that Bronn will rule the Iron Throne. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
HBO obviously had only one real ship, and it was very nicely made. Too bad they had to have it destroyed by dragon-fire.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Speaking of ships, with a little flirting (Yes flirting, between Daenerys Targaryen and Yara Greyjoy - sorry, still haven't recovered from the incestuous fondling between the two Greyjoys a lifetime ago), the Greyjoy siblings have added their 100 ships to Daenarys' growing armada.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Best moment: Daenarys asks if the Greyjoys expect her to support their claim to the Iron Islands. Theon Greyjoy goes "<i>Not my claim, hers</i>" nodding to his sister. Daenarys gives him an amused look and asks "<i>Hmmm what's wrong with you?</i>" </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ouch I felt that one :)</div>
<div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyO4RzHrVtW9h0_-2hzvnQGaCKX_oxQjNwpUpWhdX7FHZlLMkLPYY396R_sHE3tfWxc3j9FJdiMYAJHPqGsJwEpQb4G63csXLTv5N4bk50EJ7C7hZ9m8XQgDpuU6e1YKxz8JOUDNzB/s1600/Ramsey+Bolton+death.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyO4RzHrVtW9h0_-2hzvnQGaCKX_oxQjNwpUpWhdX7FHZlLMkLPYY396R_sHE3tfWxc3j9FJdiMYAJHPqGsJwEpQb4G63csXLTv5N4bk50EJ7C7hZ9m8XQgDpuU6e1YKxz8JOUDNzB/s320/Ramsey+Bolton+death.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"><i><span style="color: blue;">That's a big dog.</span></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: blue;">Ramsey Bolton gets his comeuppance</span></b>: Yep. Despite outnumbering Jon Snow 2 to 1 and being able to outsmart him, Ramsey is eventually defeated - which makes everyone happy! The Starks are again rulers of Winterfell and justice has been served.... literally served as Ramsey Bolton is fed to his own dogs (He's first licked in the face then that huge Mastiff starts to rip his face apart but not much is shown). Ironic considering that he boasted before the battle that he would feed Snow's men to his dogs and that he hasn't fed his dogs for 7 days so they should really be hungry.<br />
<br />
Personally I was hoping that he would be fed to a Direwolf. Jon Snow's Direwolf does not make an appearance in this episode. Where it it?<br />
<br />
Speaking of wolves, I love how Sansa Stark's clothing is now similar in appearance to Jon Snow's. Yes it's practical, but it also helps strengthen the image that they are kin.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">WHAT DIDN'T WORK?</span></b></h2>
</div>
<div>
<b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSj3mu6J41V34G8DIdFka3POy9x6voIg8btPfslfHUvO9rgLqudkQmvdblu6V-tSGNdJRGDQHt2inArI1_RDo3t8z8Z113r98SobTRTO9aeiJsqNeaTVILFqdE0zkmLH5MDVfiT_9x/s1600/GOT+Shields+are+shitty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSj3mu6J41V34G8DIdFka3POy9x6voIg8btPfslfHUvO9rgLqudkQmvdblu6V-tSGNdJRGDQHt2inArI1_RDo3t8z8Z113r98SobTRTO9aeiJsqNeaTVILFqdE0zkmLH5MDVfiT_9x/s320/GOT+Shields+are+shitty.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: blue;"><b>GOT Shields are shitty:</b> </span>Well let's take into account that Ramsey's arrows were fired at close range this time, and maybe Ramsey Bolton was using arrows meant to penetrate armor, but that shield was really, really bad. It would probably have been better if Jon Snow had picked up a barrel lid or something. (Edited 6/21/16) We should probably note that the shield bore the crest of House Mormont, so at least one of the 62 elite commandos sent by the creepy little girl Lyanna Mormont made it into Winterfell.... where he died.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">The Battle of the Bastards</span></b>: Sorry but I feel that the writing behind the Battle of the Bastards was poor and lives were wastefully spend because of sheer bad writing. Why?<br />
<ul>
<li>From the air, that is clearly not an army of 3,000 facing an army of 6,000. We're only talking about a few hundred on each side.</li>
<li>The sibling squabbling between the two Starks. Sansa opens her salvo after Jon's confab with his senior officers: "<i>Why is no one asking for her opinion? She knows Ramsey Stark better than any of them?</i>" To which Jon takes the high road and apologizes for ignoring her, but seriously NO ONE WAS DISMISSING SANSA OR TELLING SANSA "SHUT UP WOMAN!!!" She chose not to participate in a war planning session to which she was clearly invited - else she wouldn't be there. Even the red witch was not invited to the war room. </li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzfElbZi7L0SXdjTBuTF_zuTFq7YaxzVUCE7hsO8pu1l-iCM-MD1dY7s3UW4WQ1Svt68F_QYF3yi6r89NaIOsqNEJtsvBSw6fo3jtKoOvsOzZTDyG26C7KaU2dkTfM6RSfrFKWvum/s1600/Game-of-Thrones-Season-6-Trailer-Sansa-Stark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzfElbZi7L0SXdjTBuTF_zuTFq7YaxzVUCE7hsO8pu1l-iCM-MD1dY7s3UW4WQ1Svt68F_QYF3yi6r89NaIOsqNEJtsvBSw6fo3jtKoOvsOzZTDyG26C7KaU2dkTfM6RSfrFKWvum/s320/Game-of-Thrones-Season-6-Trailer-Sansa-Stark.jpg" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>Sansa then warns that Ramsey will not fall into Jon's trap, he was too smart for that and that Rikkon was as good as dead. She does so in a tone that suggests that Jon doesn't know what the hell he's doing - really bad.</li>
<li>Finally Jon asks her what should they do. Her only response is "GET MORE MEN!" to which Jon is correct in assuming there are no more men and that they were lucky enough to have this many men. It is presumably true that if Jon does not march on Winterfell, Ramsey will march after Jon. So she offers no real solution to the current problem (We'll get back to this later, do keep this in mind).</li>
</ul>
<li>Jon Snow proves his sister right. At the sight of his brother being dragged to the front of Ramsey's army and then set free to run to Jon while Ramsey uses him for target practice (He's actually pretty good), Jon rides out leaving his army behind in a futile attempt to rescue Rikkon (Who dies anyway). A real WTF moment and proof that Jon Snow knows nothing. </li>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgY7UJZD2mCXcp9XGJ6rD9DMiZHnL2p4eDG82MIIpj1LEeQen_CkeJkR3sk2yzP3LObAHUQqtntnw5vHjup26A0nU9f4pCPjKGOU2igT4GTrqMIsteMA-CKycpVLJZFphgQ8zWFxEw/s1600/Jon+Snow%2527s+last+stand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgY7UJZD2mCXcp9XGJ6rD9DMiZHnL2p4eDG82MIIpj1LEeQen_CkeJkR3sk2yzP3LObAHUQqtntnw5vHjup26A0nU9f4pCPjKGOU2igT4GTrqMIsteMA-CKycpVLJZFphgQ8zWFxEw/s320/Jon+Snow%2527s+last+stand.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><i>The Last Stand of Jon Snow - he knows nothing</i></span></td></tr>
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<ul>
<li>As a result, you have Jon, alone, half-way to Ramsey's army, well within the bow range of Ramsey's army, who has no choice now but to advance - why? Not sure. Maybe so he doesn't look like a coward or maybe he truly doesn't want to be shot in the back. </li>
<li>Naturally Sir Davos Seaworth can't leave his new Lord to die so he orders their cavalry to charge - followed closely by the last giant Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun - or "Wun Wun the Giant" and the Wildlings led by Tormund "<i>I'm not impressed with Jon Snow's Pecker</i>" Giantsbane.</li>
<li>So the plan of luring Ramsey into a charge so they could surround him completely falls apart, but we do get a few seconds of Jon Snow looking heroic as he prepares to die before the charging cavalry of Ramsey Bolton. Jon Snow obviously knows nothing about his own cavalry that suddenly slams past him, saving his miserable life. </li>
</ul>
<li>Bodies pile up. Ramsey doesn't care who dies so he has his archers fire volley after volley into the two intertwined armies - something Davos Seaworth is not willing to do with the archers under his command, so they charge and join the melee as well. For some strange reason the writers imagined that the carnage would be so great that bodies would naturally start to pile up and eventually Jon Snow's army would find itself trapped in a cul-de-sac formed by dead bodies - literally a mountain of dead bodies maybe fifteen or twenty feet high. Now I understand that bodies start to pile up in battles, but for more people to die on top of them, people would have to climb on top of them. It makes no sense for soldiers to want to waste energy by clambering onto piles of dead bodies (And battle on top of those dead bodies) - especially after a certain height. I sincerely doubt if this is possible.</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzh10BtddY9nzfRgl9fMHTyWac_xdmVhe07ztJ4CngMhogBOQf-IsQc3igl2v2ESZjALoxfWcfhehGs07yVlntSNiiOBQsHN6wEYUM0EDYn_kxfg_BpiA56UOkPgNeeAYMRK2RW4M/s640/GOT+Mountain+of+Dead.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Zombie film worthy piles of dead soldiers. Note the piles are taller than the horse in the left side.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>Petyr Baelish, responding to Sansa Stark's plea for help, saves the day with the last minute arrival of the Knights of the Vale as predicted by everyone outside of the Seven Kingdoms. </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYWsgJxW3RyCL5UM9ItyAIjU44DRjeVpcEb_QyLbDqJpg3wz_nzt5NoGJz5WYsKFK108-Ioeu9bD6yLZStBf3K4EzXgQ0zhDks45N3DLL_xDQz3vZI4KNqRzMIIMPg1IK0h_CMBPv/s1600/Knights+of+the+Vale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYWsgJxW3RyCL5UM9ItyAIjU44DRjeVpcEb_QyLbDqJpg3wz_nzt5NoGJz5WYsKFK108-Ioeu9bD6yLZStBf3K4EzXgQ0zhDks45N3DLL_xDQz3vZI4KNqRzMIIMPg1IK0h_CMBPv/s320/Knights+of+the+Vale.jpg" /></a>
<li>Back to the issue of Sansa Stark - WHY DIDN'T SHE TELL JON ABOUT PETYR'S OFFER!!!! Littlefinger was less than an hour away given his timely arrival. Would it have hurt for her to tell him about it so that they could have waited? Less lives would have been lost had Jon known about the Vale Cavalry. Even if he kept the Vale Cavalry in reserve less lives would have been lost because there was a small massacre that happened when Snow's army was caught in the cul-de-sac. WTF SANSA!!!!</li>
<li>Was Sansa afraid that Jon would refuse Littlefinger's help? It's not Littlefinger's army, it's the army of his late step aunt, Sansa's full cousin. </li>
<li>Was Sansa afraid that Littlefinger would not come? Maybe, but she should have revealed Littlefinger's offer to help to Jon when they were begging around for bannermen. Waiting for a reply surely would have been within the options open to Jon - or sending a rider - Petyr got his forces to Winterfell on horseback - so the Vale and Winterfell are within riding distance.</li>
</ul>
<li>Overall the fighting was pretty chaotic and bloody. Was it the best battle we've seen from Television though?<b> No. Spartacus still reigns supreme when it comes to armies locking horns in my opinion. </b></li>
<li>What happened to the creepy little girl Lyanna Mormont and her 62 elite commandos? Didn't really get to see them fight. I thought she was going to fight. </li>
<li>Would have been great if Brienne of Tarth made it back for the fight. Would have been great to watch her fight. </li>
<li>Wun Wun the Giant is killed by an arrow from Ramsey while surrounded by friendly forces who happened to have Ramsey Bolton surrounded. Way to go security!</li>
</ul>
That said, back to our regularly scheduled program:</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-85260104600660032932016-06-05T10:03:00.000-07:002016-06-05T10:04:16.909-07:00Marvel Civil War II # 1 Review (Spoilers)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0j-JY7uLeWe7Kq4L_ZFjJ2xfRSIt_rhvOOIvwdSv3BQfKACM4jL2Mba8tPtdE5H7iANsUfz5TS_oolMxGa2x_wkuCnQ6PZbf7qJ76TTbdMjWwB_r4IOm4prRCv28RT0Cw9yd5go6/s1600/Marvel+Civil+War+II+1+of+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0j-JY7uLeWe7Kq4L_ZFjJ2xfRSIt_rhvOOIvwdSv3BQfKACM4jL2Mba8tPtdE5H7iANsUfz5TS_oolMxGa2x_wkuCnQ6PZbf7qJ76TTbdMjWwB_r4IOm4prRCv28RT0Cw9yd5go6/s640/Marvel+Civil+War+II+1+of+7.jpg" title="Marvel Civil War II # 1 " width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Marvel Civil War II # 1 Review</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So Marvel Comics' much publicized Civil War II has hit the shelves this week and we thought we'd lay down some of our thoughts on the matter.<br />
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Marvel Civil War II is from the beautiful mind of Brian Michael Bendis (All New X-Men Vol 1), and this particular issue features the art of David Marquez (All New X-Men, The Magdalena); color of Justin Ponsor, and; was edited by Tom Brevoort (New Avengers, Fantastic Four).<br />
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Writer(s)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Brian Michael Bendis<br />
Artist(s)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>David Marquez<br />
Colorist(s)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Justin Ponsor<br />
Editor(s)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Tom Brevoort<br />
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Now, the plot has already been revealed - so this is a non-spoiler as far as I'm concerned. This civil war is not as political as the original Civil War. Civil War II revolves around the (re)birth of an Inhuman named Ulysses, with the power to predict the future. <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2015/02/marvel-legends-ms-marvel-infinite-series.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Carol Danvers</span></a></b> acting as the leader of the Ultimates wants to use the Inhuman to help proactively stop crimes from happening.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2013/04/marvel-legends-heroic-age-iron-man.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Iron Man</span></a></b> disagrees.<br />
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The reason for his disagreement begins here with the spoilers:<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">SPOILERS AFTER THE JUMP</span></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56XCMhqcnBubv_fVvWsocd_ydvSLGkfFRuWHlJ11I2gOPM17o7rz9u8xi5IvOvv2Fdhy6l8OWzipUaw-gQXBbXqmmIUw4j1vHo232wkz-CH3hNU4MTVxCXA-PKbZmPn0OHXYqmVnx/s1600/Civil-War-II-0-Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56XCMhqcnBubv_fVvWsocd_ydvSLGkfFRuWHlJ11I2gOPM17o7rz9u8xi5IvOvv2Fdhy6l8OWzipUaw-gQXBbXqmmIUw4j1vHo232wkz-CH3hNU4MTVxCXA-PKbZmPn0OHXYqmVnx/s640/Civil-War-II-0-Cover.jpg" width="423" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marvel Civil War II # 0</td></tr>
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The biggest spoiler of Marvel Civil War II # 1 is that it confirms the death of War Machine (Colonel James Rhodes) and heralds the death of the She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters)<br />
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That being said, you really also have to get a copy of Marvel Civil War II # 0 AND the Civil War II free version released during Free Comic Book Day (FCBD), Civil War II #0 provides highlights with regard to the origin of Ulysses and gives a little background on the lives of She Hulk and War Machine and Carol Danvers.<br />
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Civil War II # 1 opens with the Avengers battling the "Celestial Destructor" Apparently a magical entity bent on destroying Earth. Except the Destructor has actually walked into a trap formed by the Avengers, Inhumans, X-Men and a cabal of magic users led by Dr Strange. While the non-magic users hold off the end of the world, Dr Strange leads his group in banishing the Celestial Destructor.<br />
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The heroes succeed and given the recent animosity between groups in the Marvel universe, Tony throws a party for everyone involved where the Inhumans introduce them to Ulysses, the source of the knowledge that allowed them to prepare for and ambush the Destructor. A heated debate ensues between Tony and Carol on the use of Ulysses and ends with Tony simply dismissing the issue.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYF5LWwRWNUJcsLBKRm4MrpLNa0XXaIslSYObiiPQKhNlXVPryWMVu_4e6kJkj86QV6TeJ_eC6eenvU3kP6pE_ZlxJMgo80cuyjk0gKu6WWCzPYUDPKnp6x6EiW_ToVqlP2FWbrJ8/s1600/Thanos+versus+the+Ultimates+and+the+Inhumans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYF5LWwRWNUJcsLBKRm4MrpLNa0XXaIslSYObiiPQKhNlXVPryWMVu_4e6kJkj86QV6TeJ_eC6eenvU3kP6pE_ZlxJMgo80cuyjk0gKu6WWCzPYUDPKnp6x6EiW_ToVqlP2FWbrJ8/s400/Thanos+versus+the+Ultimates+and+the+Inhumans.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Marvel Civil War II # 1 </span></i></td></tr>
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Unfortunately Ulysses has another vision heralding the arrival of Thanos who is in search of a cosmic cube.<br />
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The Inhumans tell the Ultimates and the group, joined by War Machine who was just in the area because he's snogging Carol Danvers apparently, ambushes Thanos.<br />
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The two groups manage to overwhelm Thanos, but a misfire from War Machine injures She Hulk, and a punch to the gut from Thanos puts War Machine down.<br />
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This sets off a chain of events that throws Iron Man up against Carol Danvers and puts him at war with the Inhumans - like no one else is.<br />
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Now that that's out of the way, we can look at the events of Civil War II # 1 through the eyes of five characters:<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><u>THE DEAD:</u></b></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77BejcJN8LnyHiZ3g7V6otUr0obL1Bnp1K1wPiBBUuiSycnaOyjgWCN1mE6FQuMIFHNarRiThy-8ywBjes967-MwX4yNFJVF5JW6TPSJfzsn2iAKIH4i5bYdIpk6uYaV7h9fSu_X1/s1600/War+Machine+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77BejcJN8LnyHiZ3g7V6otUr0obL1Bnp1K1wPiBBUuiSycnaOyjgWCN1mE6FQuMIFHNarRiThy-8ywBjes967-MwX4yNFJVF5JW6TPSJfzsn2iAKIH4i5bYdIpk6uYaV7h9fSu_X1/s640/War+Machine+1.jpg" title="Iron Man II movie War Machine" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Iron Man II movie War Machine</span></i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">War Machine</span></b>: Oh Rhodey. You had sooo much going on for you. Marvel Civil War II # 0 revealed that not only was James Rhodes being asked by the United States government to step in as Secretary of Defense, they wanted to groom him to run for President of the United States.<br />
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<i><span style="color: blue;"><b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2011/02/iron-man-armored-avenger-legends-series.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">For more about the movie War Machine's armor, click here.</span></a></b> </span></i><br />
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War Machine had nothing to say about the precognitive division of the Ultimates as he was just wandering by. He is however the catalyst that I believe triggers emotional responses from both Tony and Carol - which is why they go to their extremes.<br />
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On one hand, you have Tony suddenly losing his best friend because of the actions of Carol right after he told them not to do it. Add to the fact that Tony could not understand how someone was able to breach the War Machine armor - right after a scene at the party where he jokingly turns down Rhodey's request for an upgrade. Tony is probably thinking that if he had "<i>hooked a brother up with his new suit technology instead of having him fly around in his late-eighties hand-me-downs</i>" that his best friend would still be alive.<br />
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He's probably right.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvMAxd7Q8kxws7yy7q_1-DP-z_DkU5nCSMJTQ8gvSVatWowTOlYr8AB1JVv1tvde-MjQ9vUT7GZceNrOMb5aTB-Ey-rDqLmiv0-C5_4DP0KXrzXyTdXxpP2lpC_aEwon-y1eEcXckt/s640/War+Machine+versus+Thanos.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
On the other hand it triggers a defense mechanism in Carol who was far too quick to say that she would have made the decision to ambush Thanos again if she had to and said that Rhodey would have stepped up to fight again if he had to. It's a soldier's rationale that they are willing to pay any cost to get the job done. She hides the fact that she just lost her lover behind having accomplished a greater good. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rqOEX6DAFzVdRpdCNNbtpbwobSV1wTnBNONNwwaddDLI7nCFajOri4rgA_VEmCMzQ8lTvdB60eNfrsI2GcXB3ejJuhmLYKYVoSBqwEoPHJRzfqeaV3JHNq1bL2rA8slzPOTP9JA4/s1600/Sensational+She+Hulk+31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rqOEX6DAFzVdRpdCNNbtpbwobSV1wTnBNONNwwaddDLI7nCFajOri4rgA_VEmCMzQ8lTvdB60eNfrsI2GcXB3ejJuhmLYKYVoSBqwEoPHJRzfqeaV3JHNq1bL2rA8slzPOTP9JA4/s640/Sensational+She+Hulk+31.jpg" title="2007 SDCC Exclusive She-Hulk" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">2007 SDCC Exclusive She-Hulk - with Hercules</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: blue;"><b>The Sensational She-Hulk </b></span>In contrast to War Machine, Jennifer Walters was having a very bad day. She had just lost a case where she was defending Jonathan Powers, the retired villain known as the Jester who was caught simply talking out loud about his previous life of crime. He got sentenced back to jail for a crime he did not commit. The Jester was simply babbling to an undercover agent about how he would have done his crimes differently. </div>
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Later the Jester was jumped by two inmates in prison and killed shot dead by a guard. </div>
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Jennifer didn't have much to say after that.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2011/06/marvel-legends-she-hulk-sdcc-exclusive.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">For more about the 200 SDCC Exclusive She-Hulk, click here</span>.</a></b> </div>
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Later during the battle with Thanos, Medusa, leader of the Inhumans would get thrown at War Machine, banging up his aim and sending a projectile meant for Thanos straight into She-Hulk's chest.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5XZyKhv_x9IrEzHzmDeIR5VNF5HXbyw9rDNA-P-jpIOnO4KytaIckE6fo-1ag4jrAewMozwU6RrdD-85icjNAyq1QqRjQXa6Rjd1Ju5FAhsYwmqS2_tH9_qbG8Qk9aOsqDS3jdJb/s1600/She+Hulk+death+of+the+Jester.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5XZyKhv_x9IrEzHzmDeIR5VNF5HXbyw9rDNA-P-jpIOnO4KytaIckE6fo-1ag4jrAewMozwU6RrdD-85icjNAyq1QqRjQXa6Rjd1Ju5FAhsYwmqS2_tH9_qbG8Qk9aOsqDS3jdJb/s320/She+Hulk+death+of+the+Jester.jpg" /></a>What I did find surprising is that despite what happened with the Jester, She-Hulk's last words were in support of the use of the precog, specifically she asks Carol to "<i>Fight for it. It's our future, not his. Fight for it.</i>" Then she flatlines. I find it confusing because she was just defending someone from being sent to jails for crimes he could have but did not commit. Yet in the last moments of her life she basically says "Frack it! Send them all to jail!"</div>
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It could be the frustration at the loss - her way of compensating for the death of the Jester by saying that he was going to go bad anyway. Or it wasn't what she meant.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Anyway, we may have jumped the gun on her death because none of the Marvel Previews show her dead. She flatlined, but by the time Marvel Civil War II # 1 ends, the doctors are still fighting for her life - despite the declared possibility of being exposed to high levels of gamma radiation.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXt7DDd8mSnvbKmgDtvRMv_O4WD5X0TVhUulu86s4VEDVXJ8xiMxKAwWa-Moi8i7fzVOsMekVhPlZKchTXRMMbGhGYLhEV5hlO3PWNGSS0bwDYw0sbXUvblDxHCBXimXAIogqIQtJ/s1600/Marvel+Civil+War+Ulysses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXt7DDd8mSnvbKmgDtvRMv_O4WD5X0TVhUulu86s4VEDVXJ8xiMxKAwWa-Moi8i7fzVOsMekVhPlZKchTXRMMbGhGYLhEV5hlO3PWNGSS0bwDYw0sbXUvblDxHCBXimXAIogqIQtJ/s320/Marvel+Civil+War+Ulysses.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Marvel Civil War Ulysses</span></i></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="color: blue;">Ulysses</span></b>: In Marvel Civil War II #0 we are introduced to Ulysses, a college student who was trying to ask his crush out when the Terrigen mists arrived. Both he and his crush were transformed. He came out looking normal, but his crush Michelle turned into a winged demon. Michelle turns violent and triggers Ulysses' procognitive powers where he sees the destruction of New York at the hands of the Celestial Destructor. Nothing more is revealed about Michelle after, and Ulysses is adopted by the Inhumans shortly after. </div>
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Tony doesn't trust him because his powers are un-quantifiable. He argues that Ulysses sees a possible future, not the future - case in point, the stopped the Celestial Destructor from destroying New York, so Ulysses did not see the future because it did not happen. Jean Grey of the X-Men can't read his mind. It's a closed system according to her, which adds more to the distrust on the part of Tony because nobody knows Ulysses or what could be scheming behind his mind (Personally I think Michelle is inside him)</div>
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Ulysses predicts the arrival of Thanos on Earth and sets in motion the events of the Civil War. </div>
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The kid is both scared and starstruck.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYbzGJO_St8s0p10WZD8Lh9dYzPLda6T5xt39btS_jiFxXVp3ez0r5HFjcol5_GNzDZhVAA6eq4ImfP2lxu8PlkyD3awiVRsf9OkVbE-y8gcYV9TesXi4N8dtTXiHkqTqhALvPj9E/s1600/Marvel+Legends+Ms+Marvel+Infinite+Series+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYbzGJO_St8s0p10WZD8Lh9dYzPLda6T5xt39btS_jiFxXVp3ez0r5HFjcol5_GNzDZhVAA6eq4ImfP2lxu8PlkyD3awiVRsf9OkVbE-y8gcYV9TesXi4N8dtTXiHkqTqhALvPj9E/s640/Marvel+Legends+Ms+Marvel+Infinite+Series+15.jpg" title="Marvel Legends Ms Marvel" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Marvel Legends Ms Marvel Infinite Series</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>Carol Danvers</b></span> Carol Danvers, leader of the Ultimates is on an edge. Marvel Civil War II #0 reveals that she's tired of being the stopgap between the destruction of humanity and the forces that want to destroy it and it bothers her that one day they might not be enough. Which is why she really wants the ability to stop the bad guys before they can bring the world to its knees.</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2015/02/marvel-legends-ms-marvel-infinite-series.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">For more about the Marvel Legends Ms Marvel Infinite Series Action Figure click here. </span></a></b></div>
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Truthfully it doesn't sound like a bad idea - stop crime before it happens. But just like in the 2002 movie Minority Report, Carol Danvers is silent in reply to Tony Stark's question which goes: "What if Ulysses tells us you (Carol Danvers) are a danger to our future? Do we stop you before you do your voodoo that you're going to do even though maybe you didn't even know you were going to do it?"</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vfJUjgeeUEvkSz3c4CUk7arruqBGuLV5rr5m5I20CN1Oxr1rj8xyHLMyX1mfO_u98zd-h7Pp4CzE8x0XfBojO2dBDGdQueINs-jWGfup5okyOwhnsQwZvnJEJjazh91P9GC9_wpr/s1600/Marvel+Civil+War+Carol+versus+Tony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vfJUjgeeUEvkSz3c4CUk7arruqBGuLV5rr5m5I20CN1Oxr1rj8xyHLMyX1mfO_u98zd-h7Pp4CzE8x0XfBojO2dBDGdQueINs-jWGfup5okyOwhnsQwZvnJEJjazh91P9GC9_wpr/s400/Marvel+Civil+War+Carol+versus+Tony.jpg" width="295" /></a>Carol's reply is a weak "Depends" to which Tony asks "On what?" and Carol falls silent. She resorts instead to asking Tony "I thought you were a futurist!" Frankly, I think that has nothing to do with the discussion and it was a weak shot. Tony's answer is correct "We should be very careful about what our new buddy Ulysses here tells us and what we do about it." because again, they don't know anything about him or his powers. </div>
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Carol of course ignores this when the Inhumans tell her that Thanos is coming and sends her team plus War Machine to ambush Thanos. </div>
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I didn't like how she set herself out to fail. </div>
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This is Thanos they are facing. Not some low-level street villain. This is someone who has beaten the Avengers, badly, time and time again. And she arrogantly chooses to go face him with the Ultimates and Agents of SHIELD She Hulk and Dazzler and three - yes just three Inhumans (Medusa, Crystal and the Human Torch). Granted that their power levels are considerable, this is still Thanos visiting Earth. Would calling in the Avengers or bringing in more power have hurt? Prior to the battle all of them were just lounging around casually. Is this how arrogant the Ultimates have become knowing that one of their members - not present - is the Devourer of Worlds Galactus? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqeh42e5dwIVk8hyphenhyphenCoA2I716yL_ahT85DolJLbItuXtk9_unmeaw51G2rasOJcaFlS6M1xzW2wjCxrKAaHNCZ3KbBNQDI_WMfydsfyw5mzeEbXHkOwzpT9Gms0afPR9L9xObLaV06/s1600/Thanos+versus+the+Ultimates+and+the+Inhumans+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqeh42e5dwIVk8hyphenhyphenCoA2I716yL_ahT85DolJLbItuXtk9_unmeaw51G2rasOJcaFlS6M1xzW2wjCxrKAaHNCZ3KbBNQDI_WMfydsfyw5mzeEbXHkOwzpT9Gms0afPR9L9xObLaV06/s400/Thanos+versus+the+Ultimates+and+the+Inhumans+2.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
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By the way, why were the Ultimates using lethal force? Because Thanos can take it?</div>
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Let's also also take into account the fact that these three teams have fought side-by-side what? Never? This lack of coordination is what got the She Hulk killed because Medusa didn't pull out when she was told to - not just because her hair was not strong enough to hold Thanos and Thanos threw her into War Machine - more of both War Machine and Medusa were not used to working with each other.</div>
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So Carol set herself up to fail. And then she hides under the cover of duty and that soldiers would do their job and War Machine was a soldier. Given the opportunity she believed that she and Rhodey would make the same decision.</div>
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Given that they had a precog and time, in my opinion not calling in additional help given a repeat of the situation is utter hubris on the part of Carol Danvers. </div>
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Carol Danvers is a scared little girl hiding behind the soldier's uniform. </div>
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Sad.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHYvasOM_RkfY2OPzL3EawuXr3aXUxkLbMwqaXI2v9iAMn5GN8hNwZoVrSEjEnhPiJkaFxlG7N1I8xtM4DQsZJ5VnaH9PGvnwg0BlhXKe-L6ZezUgSJSdbHjAEiRN-zF-wVAaoxVS/s1600/Marvel+Legends+Heroic+Age+Iron+Man+33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHYvasOM_RkfY2OPzL3EawuXr3aXUxkLbMwqaXI2v9iAMn5GN8hNwZoVrSEjEnhPiJkaFxlG7N1I8xtM4DQsZJ5VnaH9PGvnwg0BlhXKe-L6ZezUgSJSdbHjAEiRN-zF-wVAaoxVS/s640/Marvel+Legends+Heroic+Age+Iron+Man+33.jpg" title="Marvel Legends Heroic Age Iron Man" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Marvel Legends Heroic Age Iron Man</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Tony Stark</b> We already talked about how Tony Stark must feel guilty about the death of his best friend due to the failure of his armor to protect him, so you can imagine how he feels about Carol doing something he told her not to do. I really would have been better if Carol opened the arrival of Thanos to the Avengers.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2013/04/marvel-legends-heroic-age-iron-man.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">For more about the Marvel Legends Heroic Age Iron Man Action Figure click here.</span></a></b></div>
<div>
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And now he's faced with a Carol Danvers who refuses to acknowledge that it's her fault that War Machine is dead. All Tony was asking for was caution and Carol arrogantly went forward.<br />
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Yeah it's Thanos and he was looking for something dangerous, but that only reinforces the need for caution.<br />
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She's lucky he didn't kill her.<br />
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The problem is, Tony goes forth to ensure that it doesn't happen again - which means going up against the Inhumans to get Ulysses - in the same manner that the Avengers went to get the now missing Hope Summers. And he's armed with a brand new stealth version of his armor.<br />
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War is coming.<br />
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All because of fear, and the inability to communicate.<br />
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Should be interesting.<br />
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And Marvel promises that more heroes will fall. So who is next?<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0hcaihyphenhyphenS4porCahJjXILc2ryk_K8o2dWB4HHmZ2G5VIRDYGQMoH2VAu_EHjtKPGqXq0_94vQaLdhcTaD0r8qlyl9j0hfzKX3n5moPX1rHpX6gqLbQm3ji6mjRvZvpBVQm3cdy5J2/s640/War+Machine+dead.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-17338709570091287732016-05-30T16:46:00.000-07:002016-05-30T16:46:58.600-07:00Ranee Margo Louis Battalion (Part 5)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHu0zZG61B2NAW7bPzhvhqTpUPmglfXhNEI82QosRWr4ml8STYTdEKwJjVBrnvrDrfQa3FMqBaua7Rb5LAbJAV4umTBblB_UxOSk4QD9ba0MrlAva3zJNXXRLytkDMOfVnzLjGll0/s1600/Battletech+Griffin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHu0zZG61B2NAW7bPzhvhqTpUPmglfXhNEI82QosRWr4ml8STYTdEKwJjVBrnvrDrfQa3FMqBaua7Rb5LAbJAV4umTBblB_UxOSk4QD9ba0MrlAva3zJNXXRLytkDMOfVnzLjGll0/s640/Battletech+Griffin.jpg" title="Griffin Battlemech" width="419" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Griffin Battlemech</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Alex's <i>Withworth</i> broke right in a trot behind Adara's 'mech, heading off to assist Curtis in his battle with the <i>Hatchetman. </i>The cocky neophyte swung his torso to the left and released a quick barrange of LRMs from his chest mounted Longbow LRM system.<br />
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The missiles streaked towards the damaged <i>Griffin</i> which had managed to successfully rock its way back into a standing position. however in the pilot's rush to regain his footing he failed to cover his damaged right side. Roughly sixty percent of Alex's missiles stitched the Griffin's gaping wound blowing the remaining armor off the damaged <i>Griffin's </i>torso. The fifty-five ton war machine shuddered violently! Its leg actuators struggled to compensate for the impacts, buckled and the machine slammed back into the ground.<br />
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The <i>Griffin's</i> nuclear reactor went critical and a series of internal explosions marked the death of the COMSTAR Battlemech.<br />
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Alex marched on.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The heat in Adara's cockpit was soaring higher than what she expected and Adara had to wipe away the stinging beads of sweat rolling down into her eyes. Outside she could hear the abnormally high-pitched squeal of her malfunctioning heat-sinks as they struggled to vent the heat generated by her <i>Battlemech</i>. Adara struggled for every breath and she fought against the cramps, sores and aches that were coursing through her body.<br />
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An alarm blared! Safety protocols built into her reactor had started the shut-down sequence to prevent a meltdown. Adara barked her rage and slapped down hard on the override!<br />
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"I'll have to finish this fast!" she muttered to herself.<br />
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Adara focused on her now flickering Coreab B-Tech tracking display to identify her targets by priority: Target 1 was the <i>Pheonix Hawk</i>; Target 2 was the <i>Quickdraw.</i><br />
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The <i>Quickdraw </i>had managed to regain it's footing but it was facing the wrong way. It's pilot was drunkenly trying to keep from pitching his <i>Battlemech</i> back into the furrowed ground and bring himself back into the fight.<br />
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The <i>Hatchetman</i> with the hideous toothy smile had engaged in close combat with Hauptmann Jackson, accidentally blocking the field of fire of the kneeling COMSTAR <i>Pheonix Hawk. </i>The COMSTAR pilot realized it had no clear shot and started to rotate towards Adara's '<i>Mech</i> - almost as if he could feel her gaze on his <i>Battlemech.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
But in the time though that it took for the COMSTAR pilot to point his forearm mounted Harmon Large Laser onto <i>Nasty Boy</i>, Adara released a flight of missiles at the kneeling 45 ton <i>'Mech!</i><br />
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Another blast of heat filled the cockpit and Adara's throat was so parched she couldn't scream against the furnace that her cockpit had become! Somewhere within <i>Nasty Boy </i>several loud <i>BANGS</i> sounded and reverberated thundered through the spine of the <i>Battlemech. </i>Warning lights sounded despite repeated attempts to reboot the system she watched helplessly as power drained from the laser systems mounted in her <i>Mech's </i> forearms. <i>Nasty Boy's</i> left arm registered completely offline, while the right one flickered between ready and off-line.<br />
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"I'm fucked!" She thought and started to back-pedal her <i>Mech</i> into the safety of the forest. The <i>Withworth </i> was slow and sluggish to respond.<br />
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Adara blinked and struggled against the growing tunnel vision as she watched the white contrails of her LRMs streak straight and true towards her enemy. Her Corean reported an 80% missile hit! The <i>Pheonix Hawk</i> started to rise and fought to stay balanced as her missiles peppered it's left torso in a growing cloud of fire, smoke and shattered armor plating! The armor piercing missiles continued to dig deep through the <i>Pheonix Hawk</i>'s torso! The <i>Pheonix Hawk </i>was shoved back a few steps by the damage and its torso twisted to absorb the damage. Fire, smoke and explosions continued to pepper the Battlemech and Adara gave herself a moment to breath as the <i>Pheonix Hawk</i> seemed to disappear into the black and red firestorm that she had unleashed.<br />
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Only to rise again like its namesake.<br />
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The blackened, broken Pheonix Hawk emerged from the fire, it's entire left torso was gone along with the arm that was attached to it. Myomer and metal dropped from the open wound and the <i>Mech </i>sprayed toxic green coolant into the battlefield. A small fire raged from inside the <i>Battlemech </i>and it sought to hide it's now exposed reactor. The head-like Battlecom sensor array of the <i>Pheonix Hawk</i> was cracked open and twisted to the left side.<br />
<br />
But it was still standing.<br />
<br />
Adara reached to reload her missile launchers but a grinding noise told her her missile autoloaders had jammed as the the <i>Pheonix Hawk's </i>Harmon laser again rose to aim at her!<br />
<br />
A silent electric blue beam connected their two '<i>Mechs</i> and a loud BANG marked the loss of over half a ton of armor and the Large Laser superheated the armor covering Nasty Boy's left thigh. Her <i>Battlemech </i>remained sluggish and the laser-strike halted her slow retreat.<br />
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Unable to fire, unable to run, Adara was suddenly back on North Ridge watching in horror as the <i>Daishi</i>'s foot started to come down on her cockpit, listening to the dying screams of her men pleading - no, begging for mercy - as they were cut to shreds. Her trembling hand started to reach for the eject handle, when flames ignited underneath the <i>Pheonix Hawk</i> 's legs as the 45 ton <i>Mech </i>ignited its jump jets.<br />
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The <i>Pheonix Hawk</i> retreated.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-45889124960358373392016-05-26T07:21:00.000-07:002016-05-26T07:24:06.270-07:00X-Men Apocalypse Review (Spoilers) - justifying global mass murder<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21qEohon1zLo9RvPHQkkDqoYzDqhVauKESm0LHNiEWWSicSfFIcNZH_-hIadBSnqf0qXHpC2wraaWlmzP18th7WSrUK67UCcXbm-TdVkFN9MOnOz5yWHXZnwBGLL7o2qS9kXtOe6P/s1600/X-Men+Apocalypse+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21qEohon1zLo9RvPHQkkDqoYzDqhVauKESm0LHNiEWWSicSfFIcNZH_-hIadBSnqf0qXHpC2wraaWlmzP18th7WSrUK67UCcXbm-TdVkFN9MOnOz5yWHXZnwBGLL7o2qS9kXtOe6P/s640/X-Men+Apocalypse+3.jpg" title="X-Men Apocalypse Review" width="496" /></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">X-Men Apocalypse Review</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My thoughts on X-Men Apocalypse.<br />
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X-Men Apocalypse was directed by Bryan Singer (Superman Returns), using a screenplay by Simon Kinberg (Hahahaha.... <b><a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2015/08/fantastic-four-2015.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Fantastic 4</span></a></b>) that was based upon a story by Bryan Singer, Michael Dougherty (Superman Returns), Dan Harris (Superman Returns) & Simon Kinberg<br />
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X-Men Apocalypse reunites most of the cast from the previous X-Men movies including:<br />
James McAvoy (Atonement, Wanted) as Professor X;<br />
Michael Fassbender (Assasin's Creed, Atonement) as Magneto;<br />
Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) as Mystique; Oscar Isaac (An unknown indie film called <b><a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2015/12/star-wars-episode-vii-rewriting-new-hope.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Star Wars VII</span></a></b>) as Apocalypse; Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road, About a Boy) as Beast; Rose Byrne (Star Wars Episode II, Dallas Doll) as Moira MacTaggert; Tye Sheridan (Mud, The Tree of life) as <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2013/09/cyclops-marvel-legends-wolverine-series.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Cyclops</span></a></b><br />
Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones) as Jean Grey; Olivia Munn (Newsroom, Magic Mike) as <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2012/02/marvel-universe-psylocke.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Psylocke</span></a></b>;<br />
Lucas Till (Hannah Montana the Movie) as Havok; Kodi Smit-McPhee (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) as Nightcrawler; Ben Hardy (East Enders) as Angel; Alexandra Shipp (House of Anubis) as <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2012/02/marvel-universe-storm.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Storm</span></a></b>, and; Hugh Jackman (Eddie the Eagle, Real Steel) as Wolverine.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><u>SPOILERS AHEAD</u></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>WHAT WORKED?</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeJxzZrKnQ9uavHBM-noMZXFzMitnGf9X41NOqjfdtq3AyoWPEeJSz8NGIPDZ6Ai2kTzjRcGXr10zv3cB7D10r6jjYWgs1Gt871M8NCznTDNl6Lzs4P-kCcUyU92V8SUJxIHloES8/s1600/X-Men+Storm.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeJxzZrKnQ9uavHBM-noMZXFzMitnGf9X41NOqjfdtq3AyoWPEeJSz8NGIPDZ6Ai2kTzjRcGXr10zv3cB7D10r6jjYWgs1Gt871M8NCznTDNl6Lzs4P-kCcUyU92V8SUJxIHloES8/s320/X-Men+Storm.gif" width="320" /></a><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">THE POWERS</span>:</b> 16 years ago when the X-Men first hit the silver screen under the direction of Singer, it always bothered me that the mutants seemed hesitant to use their powers - and in most cases seemed to have to be reminded to use them. Magneto, a character whom we see in X-Men Apocalypse had the power to turn the Earth into his personal sandbox, kept walking and didn't seem capable of flight (I believe he first showed his ability to fly by levitating on a metallic disc in X2). Now that technology has caught up, I really, really love the display of power just being tossed around. Flying for example now in this movie for all characters who can seems effortless and natural. Highlights include:</div>
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<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajdRksR0xiKAnppHlBltd03j8ukIDMR7A0KnQvOJ_1HPPuR29I07_sfZTKJ-vnMxSBH-eQ1Nn8wUKy7cq-VT9nleqdz0sAh-p4u5I72Xf_gRpz6NzxvYUId5Q5rm7l4QVQOh_ThaW/s1600/X-Men+Apocalypse+Magneto+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajdRksR0xiKAnppHlBltd03j8ukIDMR7A0KnQvOJ_1HPPuR29I07_sfZTKJ-vnMxSBH-eQ1Nn8wUKy7cq-VT9nleqdz0sAh-p4u5I72Xf_gRpz6NzxvYUId5Q5rm7l4QVQOh_ThaW/s320/X-Men+Apocalypse+Magneto+2.jpg" /></a>
<li>The original four horsemen giving their all to save their master</li>
<li>Apocalypse encasing people in cement </li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2013/09/cyclops-marvel-legends-wolverine-series.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Cyclops</span></a></b> cutting a tree in half</li>
<li>The battle between Angel and Nightcrawler - part 1 & 2</li>
<li>Magneto avenging his family and later tearing the world apart</li>
<li>Jean Grey manifesting the Pheonix</li>
<li>Wolverine showing Deadpool how to kill an army</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2013/09/cyclops-marvel-legends-wolverine-series.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Cyclops</span></a></b> versus <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2012/02/marvel-universe-storm.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Storm</span></a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2012/02/marvel-universe-psylocke.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Psylocke</span></a></b>'s creative use of her powers</li>
<li>The battle on the Psychic plane</li>
<li>Havok versus Cerebro</li>
<li>Quicksilver saving everybody - except Havok</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9m_gpxxZ_xwEDc36oCPRH1miTIWnL3wjzbnB6zNceWrYs4lJ5VNWKb5KFxn8zVfIs2cAGOKFYlj7eJsbWjNWZP3Gepn7pMuUr9uYWX2QQdQmlobV3_vvBDmw3geoTGpVDwoknF-v/s1600/Uncanny+X-Men+377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9m_gpxxZ_xwEDc36oCPRH1miTIWnL3wjzbnB6zNceWrYs4lJ5VNWKb5KFxn8zVfIs2cAGOKFYlj7eJsbWjNWZP3Gepn7pMuUr9uYWX2QQdQmlobV3_vvBDmw3geoTGpVDwoknF-v/s400/Uncanny+X-Men+377.jpg" width="258" /></a><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>THE STORY: </b></span> I loved that Kinberg and company drew heavily from the comic books for the story. X-Men Apocalypse begins with Apocalypse in ancient Egypt where he as deified and feared. The premise is similar to "The Twelve" storyline of the comic-books where Apocalypse sought omnipotence by absorbing the energies of 12 mutants and transferring his essence or possessing the body of a 13th. In the movie, Apocalypse merely wants to gain the power of the mutant who he would be transferring his essence into - in this case, a mutant who can heal like Wolverine. </div>
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But just as the transference is completed, Apocalypse is buried underneath his pyramid by rebel soldiers within his army - despite the best efforts of his Four Horsemen.<br />
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Several thousand years later Moira MacTaggert unwittingly sets forth a chain of events that revitalizes and releases Apocalypse from his tomb and sets off a chain of events that would reunite her with Xavier.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://denisdelcallar.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdD8Itf-QuLj3v5W-5PVQhEJGVREg2uxjz5aCe4FzujSTgfK9auekSj39G_H-RPhHeQEkWLsakZq7_TD3V-u_j9_hlWw4LuUz8jqsN-Ilx9wxRt0rq1c25R9ZwXTflpE1Xgtuvn5n/s400/Marvel+AOA+Angel+versus+Nightcrawler.jpg" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://denisdelcallar.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;">Do visit my art blog if you're over 18</span></i></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Meanwhile Scott Summers, younger brother of Alex Summers (It's the other way around in the comic books), enrolls Scott into Xavier's school for gifted youngsters where the Beast develops a pair of shades to keep his uncontrolled powers under check. It's here that he meets Jean Grey who follows the character story-line started by Famke Janssen (Taken, Goldeneye) which makes her the Pheonix, an Omega level mutant with the power to destroy the world. Xavier is still in the process of putting up psychic blocks to suppress her full powers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNo-Y4KRMNFMVMxwV8i6yzQW5b24khh5SbLQ3H3XVBSf-lVCNNECIEF0PmWg0zf1xOCUxXxKGOQt2WMaJRG-8ys1CLXqcKvHPS1PW5V35UMxr0FBh5f1gPXeljdSSXCIMwD-phSU1G/s1600/Mystique+X-Men+Days+of+Future+Past.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNo-Y4KRMNFMVMxwV8i6yzQW5b24khh5SbLQ3H3XVBSf-lVCNNECIEF0PmWg0zf1xOCUxXxKGOQt2WMaJRG-8ys1CLXqcKvHPS1PW5V35UMxr0FBh5f1gPXeljdSSXCIMwD-phSU1G/s200/Mystique+X-Men+Days+of+Future+Past.png" /></a>Mystique on the other hand is out trying to save mutants from abuse, interfering in a battle between the Angel and Nightcrawler in Germany - so I suppose the idea that she is Nightcrawler's mother is out of the question. I thought it was hinted at when Nightcrawler blurts out "It's you!" and she acts surprised, but he was only saying that he recognized her as the mutant hero of DC. Yes, through her actions in DC, Mystique is now famous for being a warrior willing to fight for mutant-kind - how we're not sure, frankly following that movie, Magneto was the one fighting for mutant-kind, not Mystique (If anything she betrayed mutant-kind). And if she's so famous, hey the Beast was there too. Anyway she brings Nightcrawler to the School for Gifted Youngesters.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Z9DtezUj_V613dwxcdqGZufyaHXufLfIGK5eEfA4_x_dkpCzEv7PeuZsHgaz_228HZ2h3y3D1wi8dbZCTeAtfvt-Ak_FHuaDV6XjhP3VZ3L6gGnjCk-Pi1geP46SkoZGDe0MSUZr/s1600/x-men-days-of-future-past-poster-magneto1-465x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Z9DtezUj_V613dwxcdqGZufyaHXufLfIGK5eEfA4_x_dkpCzEv7PeuZsHgaz_228HZ2h3y3D1wi8dbZCTeAtfvt-Ak_FHuaDV6XjhP3VZ3L6gGnjCk-Pi1geP46SkoZGDe0MSUZr/s400/x-men-days-of-future-past-poster-magneto1-465x600.jpg" width="308" /></a>Magneto on the other hand has decided to give peace a chance and works as a steel-mill worker in Poland where he has fathered a child who, at an early age, already manifests the ability control animals. When he uses his powers to save a co-worker, the police arrive armed with nothing metallic (Bows and arrows) to arrest him. The child goes berserk and the police are attacked by birds, a cop accidentally fires off an arrow which penetrates Nina, Magneto's child, and goes straight through his wife. Filled with grief, Magneto kills them all using a necklace from his wife.<br />
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He then goes on to kill all his fellow steelworkers - really big dudes, if he had no powers he would be dead - but has his monologue interrupted by Apocalypse who is on a recruiting mission to replace his horsemen. He already has <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2012/02/marvel-universe-storm.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Storm</span></a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2012/02/marvel-universe-psylocke.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Psylocke</span></a></b> and Archangel - who was injured but healed by Apocalypse by mutating his wings to metal. Apocalypse kills all the humans for Magneto and takes Magneto the Auschwitz where he teaches Magneto the true extent of his powers if he gives in to his hate. Making his realize that the entire world was metal.<br />
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While in the process of - get this - personally making costumes for his Horsemen, Apocalypse comes to know the power of Xavier and determines that this ability to be everywhere at one time in everyone's minds, is the next power that he needs. So he kidnaps Xavier, and Havok accidentally sets off all the jetfuel Beast stores underneath the mansion blowing it up and nearly killing everyone had Quicksilver not been visiting while looking for his dad (Magneto).<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhERJAFXekj6LjgQBuoI0Zc0BFLNHhbJCS01GYjzszw6Iptmq1H7IwauPwvxB2qbXuvP-m5grlf3Id1z5BrlB8QIqJFYKmmiDNsTez05ccOah1a0L_Ib2ttK725wsJ_LWP8Ho7YrKle/s1600/x-men-first-class.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhERJAFXekj6LjgQBuoI0Zc0BFLNHhbJCS01GYjzszw6Iptmq1H7IwauPwvxB2qbXuvP-m5grlf3Id1z5BrlB8QIqJFYKmmiDNsTez05ccOah1a0L_Ib2ttK725wsJ_LWP8Ho7YrKle/s320/x-men-first-class.jpg" /></a><br />
After a sidetrip to Alkali lake thanks to Major, oh sorry, now Colonel Stryker, a rampaging Wolverine, the finding of an experimental plane and matching jumpsuits, the underpowered, inexperienced newly minted X-Men go to face the Apocalypse and his horsemen - despite being told that only Mystique and Beast were left of the original X-Men - but to be fair, Magneto and Xavier were also members of that team.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HO45qS8qaER_bBnLCfajqQMBkclv3BsII3EgJfm1-Ez0r4OeO3r_HyF8DR_bnePg-sAY7JU56hJ5vUvdme_pa2kg4UT8eL8gFtsNAVjDtc2BXSlEhlGs3SHqShwK07k_ibLhj4XC/s1600/X-Men+Apocalypse+Professor+X+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HO45qS8qaER_bBnLCfajqQMBkclv3BsII3EgJfm1-Ez0r4OeO3r_HyF8DR_bnePg-sAY7JU56hJ5vUvdme_pa2kg4UT8eL8gFtsNAVjDtc2BXSlEhlGs3SHqShwK07k_ibLhj4XC/s400/X-Men+Apocalypse+Professor+X+1.jpg" width="250" /></a><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Professor Xavier</span></b>: Patrick Stewart (Star Trek TNG) did not make an appearance in this movie. This is all McAvoy, Wade. The movie finally explains to the world why Professor X is bald - but we'll leave that to you to discover on your own (Personally I found it funny so why deprive you of that humor?). Suffice to say McAvoy's character seems to be the only one who keeps walking (pun intended) away from the fights in the X-Men series, having lost something.<br />
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MacAvoy didn't bring anything new to the character that he seems to have already perfected. Surprisingly though he's abandoned the idea of helping mutants fight oppression and has simply decided to run Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters - so yes, there are no X-Men. The "militant" arm of the Xavier's school came from Beast and Mystique.<br />
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It's nice to see Xavier introduce the concept of combat on the psychic plane - even though he got his ass handed to him by Apocalypse (Which shouldn't have happened, we'll discuss that later).<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYxIiw0BL-_m3fgW7_3_vZg_Jq0OoNrEpVg7X-y1cDdL_1UZQFYz_LuUWWsd_78ucY8gLbdRaWA4KkM9-GQ-LmGIsy492MUKDMfkgxjUCz0gu5R8oirAEHd9cjKMAriKZTtPZwCZY/s1600/X-Men+First+Class+Havok+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYxIiw0BL-_m3fgW7_3_vZg_Jq0OoNrEpVg7X-y1cDdL_1UZQFYz_LuUWWsd_78ucY8gLbdRaWA4KkM9-GQ-LmGIsy492MUKDMfkgxjUCz0gu5R8oirAEHd9cjKMAriKZTtPZwCZY/s1600/X-Men+First+Class+Havok+1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue;">In Memoriam</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Havok</span>:</b> Alex Summers returns to Xaviers to enroll his younger brother Scott. To make the timeline work I suppose they had to reverse their ages. Alex returns to Xavier school and shows just how much he's mastered his ability to unleash his solar powered plasma blasts. He no longer needs the chest piece Beast designed to direct his blasts and can now fire his blasts from his chest or from his arms. Personally he would have made a great leader for the X-en. Unfortunately he dies It struck us strange that, yes, there was a brief period of mourning, but there was no real grief for Havok following the reconstruction of the mansion at the end. There wasn't even any bad blood between the X-Men, Magneto and <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2012/02/marvel-universe-storm.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Storm</span></a></b> considering that the two helped Apocalypse in his attack on the Xavier school which resulted in Havok's death.<br />
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While unlikely, it would be nice if Havok was just shunted to another dimension - which has happened in the comic-books.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7T78BuZ8YL1fzLdCpHGYKmXNdJxn1ds2cDwze6oHlBWZzdgFcamkb1w6lcCS6GoZ1z9iIwcu9KahedWCKeZ6p28l3E41OkzrSBSjwKNwnSCr1fsR6Ft0GjIDSc0UuzvwAp586xZ1/s1600/X-Men+Apocalypse+Quicksilver+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7T78BuZ8YL1fzLdCpHGYKmXNdJxn1ds2cDwze6oHlBWZzdgFcamkb1w6lcCS6GoZ1z9iIwcu9KahedWCKeZ6p28l3E41OkzrSBSjwKNwnSCr1fsR6Ft0GjIDSc0UuzvwAp586xZ1/s400/X-Men+Apocalypse+Quicksilver+1.jpeg" width="250" /></a><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Quicksilver</span>: </b>So Pietro is finally revealed to be Magneto's son, but in the end he doesn't tell him. Personally I feel it would have turned the tide in the favor of the X-Men if he did. Quicksilver initially came across as a comedic foil and his almost casual emptying of the Xavier Mansion during the Blackbird's explosion thanks to Havok is definitely entertaining and a seemingly lighthearted moment - he even saved the goldfish - that is immediately overshadowed by Havok's death. Personally though it's nothing we haven't already seen on the CW's Flash. Still it was fun to watch.<br />
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I'm glad that he wasn't just a comedic foil as to me his best moment was when he went toe-to-toe against Apocalypse. We'll discuss it later, but again, we don't believe this Apocalypse should have won that.<br />
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Interestingly enough, Quicksilver in the comic books has never been a member of the X-Men. So I didn't have much a problem when he didn't continue on with the X-Men in First Class. He was a member of X-Factor. Also his sister is missing. I suppose this is Fox's compromise with Marvel given the popularity of Quicksilver in First Class: Marvel can keep the Scarlet Witch but they had to kill off Quicksilver because Quicksilver will be in the X-Men.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nBuGpsY3Iy6xWlExAVC5A5txqa28QmjxMekb6YTjF4c_N3jcJmzJHrnQ7Rz6VFzx7Crw55at6EObF1QVDaEB-hX2B5ShnACHIGxG24YuEAkon21AZd3iGdDCVhNMw28-4CVyHSd7/s1600/X-Men+Apocalypse+Angel+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nBuGpsY3Iy6xWlExAVC5A5txqa28QmjxMekb6YTjF4c_N3jcJmzJHrnQ7Rz6VFzx7Crw55at6EObF1QVDaEB-hX2B5ShnACHIGxG24YuEAkon21AZd3iGdDCVhNMw28-4CVyHSd7/s320/X-Men+Apocalypse+Angel+2.jpg" /></a><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Angel</span>:</b> It is not established that this is Warren Worthington III - since that Angel supposedly makes his appearance much later when the X-Men are older and Rogue has joined the team.<br />
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But I looooove his design! It never occurred to me that Angel could have sharp, dragon like spikes at the end of the wing's wrists. This is what Angel uses to kill. Simply beautiful! a WOOOOAAAAH moment. So when Apocalypse heals him by giving him new wings, it was a bit of a disappointment for me because I already know what those wings look like and can do. No surprise there. I missed this new feathered wing design all of the sudden.<br />
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I also did not like how easily he was trapped by Nightcrawler in rubble that formed a birdcage. I thought that he was pretty whimpy and the weakest of Apocalypse's Horsemen.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Wolverine</span></b>: I have to say that I disagree with everyone who says that Logan's presence was a cameo. This is clearly a continuation of his story from X-Men Days of Future Past. It's nice to see the animal <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2013/09/marvel-legends-wolverine-wolverine.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Wolverine</span></a></b> released and the huge body count that follows.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcfW7vyrQkAV7oLcZJotQjOiWdZsvVW8o9oM5Ln2WESFTyFxKycxrcQAo5HlujS3yBUhUgTY4Xk4LdHbTvFGxRNefbYloV2v09MdxdZC3xLgt7RveNZo762cLfxfpJzgwWuXsN0c3/s1600/X-Men+Apocalypse+Magneto+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcfW7vyrQkAV7oLcZJotQjOiWdZsvVW8o9oM5Ln2WESFTyFxKycxrcQAo5HlujS3yBUhUgTY4Xk4LdHbTvFGxRNefbYloV2v09MdxdZC3xLgt7RveNZo762cLfxfpJzgwWuXsN0c3/s640/X-Men+Apocalypse+Magneto+3.jpg" width="430" /></a><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Magneto</span>: </b>Magneto finally in his full glory! Untouchable! Floating above all others! Destroying the world! THAT is Magneto. While I may prefer Sir Ian McKellen's snobbish, elitist demeanor to Fassbender's seething hatred, Fassbender definitely delivered to us a Magneto worthy of the silver screen. Someone to be truly feared on a global level. If the world thought that Magneto was a threat after Future Past, what must they think now? This is a Magneto we have not seen before and one that finally does justice to his comic book version.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Psylocke</span>:</b> Oooh-la-la! If we got the perfect Magneto, we also got the perfect Psyocke! Olivia Munn is extremely hot! The fact that she's of mixed descent helped fill the role of the mixed origins <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2012/02/marvel-universe-psylocke.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Psylocke</span></a></b> - except she wasn't British. We understand that early on she tore the crotch of her uniform. Given how tight it is we see why. Olivia Munn was incredible! Fast, deadly, creative in battle. I thought she was doomed when the X-Men's plane went down, but no, the guy who could fly got killed (?), she made it safely down without a second thought.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAua5AG4N7Sp_h40Q52q8xPW9QG6updXtIymtAO1qQl-PITBrTHOGyO_mnUQMbry2x2BhG7qSUq388Iu1R3s0zMteMIrcs8rrdsGUrReDb8G_9fIcTyWTiYe_lywnmKO46pgOReWh/s1600/X-Men+Apocalypse+Psyclocke+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAua5AG4N7Sp_h40Q52q8xPW9QG6updXtIymtAO1qQl-PITBrTHOGyO_mnUQMbry2x2BhG7qSUq388Iu1R3s0zMteMIrcs8rrdsGUrReDb8G_9fIcTyWTiYe_lywnmKO46pgOReWh/s640/X-Men+Apocalypse+Psyclocke+2.jpg" width="283" /></a>Some people might have a problem with the use of her powers though. This <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2012/02/marvel-universe-psylocke.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Psylocke</span></a></b> does things that she has done in the comic books but doesn't do so regularly - specifically turning her psychic blade into a lasso/garrote. Hang tight true-believers as I'm pretty sure Olivia Munn's <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2012/02/marvel-universe-psylocke.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Psylocke</span></a></b> will be compared to Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman - especially when Wonder Woman hits the screens.<br />
<br />
What bothered me with her portrayal is her lack of motivation. Why exactly is she with Apocalypse? Just for the power? Speaking of power, Singer seemingly removed her telepathic and telekenetic powers. All she had was the ability to manifest a blade and kick-ass martial arts and sword-fighting skills. The motivation seemed shallow and wastes the character by pegging her as nothing more than a power-hungry villain - which is probably why she slinks away instead of joining the X-Men. Actually only Magneto and Angel seemed to have a real good motivation to join the Horsemen.<br />
<br />
Storm for example seemed to join out of pure naivete. That should have faded when she started to see the world fall apart, and eventually she sided with the X-Men, but it came rather late in my opinion.<br />
<br />
There's a depth lacking from this great fighter and Olivia Munn is capable of giving more. Personally we doubt if she'll make an immediate appearance in the next X-Men film, but given her disposition, warrior nature and semi-evil background, maybe she'll become a part of the future X-Force or Wolverine films.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>WHAT DIDN'T WORK?</b></span></div>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_KYeGZ8lZ3Zw_aJjC1mc32FFX9Plzem9C_AWj7yrczNnCrrhe6yHQ8N41_o4gpdm4r6hnN4-LaF8ie27H8JpFxod4tajpTb0aqyWIF89stOFIao4HRSJdGF9MnEXRSX3-kAnlOsB/s1600/Uncanny+X-Men+%2523280+Xavier+versus+the+Shadow+King.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_KYeGZ8lZ3Zw_aJjC1mc32FFX9Plzem9C_AWj7yrczNnCrrhe6yHQ8N41_o4gpdm4r6hnN4-LaF8ie27H8JpFxod4tajpTb0aqyWIF89stOFIao4HRSJdGF9MnEXRSX3-kAnlOsB/s320/Uncanny+X-Men+%2523280+Xavier+versus+the+Shadow+King.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Shadow King versus Professor Xavier on the Astral Plane</i></td></tr>
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<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">The Battle on the Astral Plane</span></b>:This might be nit-picking and maybe I'm asking for too much, but if you were a near omnipotent mutant battling out in the Astral Plane where your mind can pretty much do anything it wants to, why resort to a fist-fight? Perhaps Xavier should have watched Nightmare on Elm Street: Dream Warriors. It also troubles me that someone with no real psychic powers - though to a certain extent he does(?) - Apocalypse is able to best Xavier. A battle on the Astral Plane should not just be a matter of wills, but a matter of actual power - as was always the case with the Shadow King. Unless Apocalypse already has the telepathic powers that he wanted to get from Xavier, then it shouldn't have happened. My personal theory, given that he was also able to best Quicksilver - which he shouldn't have been able to perceive thanks to his speed - is that Apocalypse's base power in the movies is an ability similar to Darwin's from First Class. He adapts. He survives. That makes more sense, but it was never really established.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rL_bfK_jEVbWbXjboUWMNYkDAlECwVurBsvqlEZZeJBxQ372iuZ_JdcnZijMorveIrDeFAqRlBLHiiLbcf01LNFipKfa7_BHYp69JEjSuPAUkFoGajQj9QUvZarBA9eHQ1F2Stg6/s1600/x-men-apocalypse-poster-nightcrawler-kodi-smit-mcphee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rL_bfK_jEVbWbXjboUWMNYkDAlECwVurBsvqlEZZeJBxQ372iuZ_JdcnZijMorveIrDeFAqRlBLHiiLbcf01LNFipKfa7_BHYp69JEjSuPAUkFoGajQj9QUvZarBA9eHQ1F2Stg6/s400/x-men-apocalypse-poster-nightcrawler-kodi-smit-mcphee.jpg" width="250" /></a><br />
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Nightcrawler</span>: </b>I felt that there was an attempt to link Nightcrawler's character to Alan Cumming version of Nightcrawler in X2 - which explains all the tattoos. However Singer sought to use him as a comic relief who relied more on his teleportation ability rather than his natural acrobatic abilities - or even the use of his tail. Nghtcrawler was supposedly found in a circus, what he just there to teleport around? He's an acrobat.<br />
<br />
I also did not enjoy his juvenile attitude. It was a bit much. He was almost more like the X-Men's pet dog than an actual X-Man - especially at the end where he actually growls at the Sentinels.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnHvGKKb-wOB5C8ArTVoe6RPtttkRcxRi4yCOayWw8N__HZWqWq3r3k8y60Xvv4dhAsg2ndzYBn5Xs7q13kiOkuR3EJY6742wLNv89qloritaCs0eLHz_7mDb4bzQgEpiSn2CG-AZ/s1600/X-Men+Apocalypse+Jean+Grey+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnHvGKKb-wOB5C8ArTVoe6RPtttkRcxRi4yCOayWw8N__HZWqWq3r3k8y60Xvv4dhAsg2ndzYBn5Xs7q13kiOkuR3EJY6742wLNv89qloritaCs0eLHz_7mDb4bzQgEpiSn2CG-AZ/s400/X-Men+Apocalypse+Jean+Grey+1.jpg" width="250" /></a><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Jean Grey</b></span><b>: </b>I truly did enjoy the continuity established from Famke Janssen's Jean Grey that made the Phoenix the true manifestation of Jean Grey's potential rather than an alien entity. However that "<i>I'm afraid to use my powers because I can't control them but I'll embrace them in the end at a time of need</i>" plotline is too much of a cliche already. I couldn't help but want to shout "<i>Get on and manifest that raptor already!</i>"<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Cyclops</span>: </b>I totally enjoyed the Cyclops versus Storm battle but I did not like the fact that I could not feel "leader" out of him. Hell I did not feel " leader" from Storm either. So while it was nice to watch the two future leaders of the X-Men duke it out, it was currently very hard for me to see them as the leaders of the X-Men.<br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Mystique</span>: </b>The hero of the mutant nation with a notoriety akin to all that of Che Guevara. How exactly did she achieve this? I watched Day of Future Past again just to try to figure this out. Magneto really was the one who was fighting for mutants, not Mystique - well at least no one would know that (Remember, no internet, poor media). Why would the mutant nation rally after a figure that is supposed to be fighting for them when what she did was protect the humans? I sincerely doubt it's because her actions saved mutantkind by preventing a future from happening because... well just try explaining that say... John Wilkes Booth is a hero because his assassination of Lincoln prevented a future from happening to other people, see what happens. It felt forced - like they needed a reason for Mystique to be respected and relevant to the younger soon to be X-Men.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">The story</span>:</b> Didn't we all just sit through more than five hours of screen-time involving Superheros whose consciences are troubled by the amount of innocent bystanders killed in the wake of their actions? These were central topics to both <b><a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2016/03/batman-versus-superman-review-worlds.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Batman vs Superman</span></a></b> and <a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2016/05/captain-america-civil-war-review.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Captain America: Civil War</span></b></a>. Granted Deadpool didn't care about the people he so casually sent to the afterlife (His action are actually quite obscene, but fun), but at least he only killed bad guys.<br />
<br />
I digress.<br />
<br />
<b>"Yo Xavier! I'm pretty sure Magneto killed more people than all the civilian casualties in Man of Steel, Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers Age of Ultron <a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2016/03/batman-versus-superman-review-worlds.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Batman vs Superman</span></a> and <a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2016/05/captain-america-civil-war-review.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Captain America: Civil War</span></a> combined!!!!"</b><br />
<br />
Even if Superman decided to wait a few hours before confronting the Krytonians, Magneto would still have killed more people.<br />
<br />
If the Avengers let Sokovia drop Magneto would still have killed more people (maybe).</div>
<br />
And we're not just talking about human casualties, it is without a doubt that he also killed countless mutants. We're also not even taking into account the physical destruction of several coastal cities - Remember, he started his wave in Egypt and it was felt in what looked like New York, Australia, San Francisco etc.... if it was felt there then it was most likely felt in ALL other coastal cities - Lord knows what his actions did to the Philippines.<br />
<br />
And Xavier offers him a teaching job.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8zZh0OEpdxhEauwVTeywph3vr57DmkXnk24UYPw5hBqzOGHiNiB1pMP2ElwEopDzxL_QW6Q9wBVj-wLY7g3bX2ioBSC8R3v63V6kmHueGoPAAyTkHVOYITHKptTn1fholeoL4TSn/s1600/Trial+of+Magneto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8zZh0OEpdxhEauwVTeywph3vr57DmkXnk24UYPw5hBqzOGHiNiB1pMP2ElwEopDzxL_QW6Q9wBVj-wLY7g3bX2ioBSC8R3v63V6kmHueGoPAAyTkHVOYITHKptTn1fholeoL4TSn/s640/Trial+of+Magneto.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Trial of Magneto</i></td></tr>
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<br />
I guess he feels they're all good because Magneto was just having a tantrum. The loss of his wife and child does not, and should and could never justify the mass murder of countless husbands, wives and children - it didn't even justify the killing of the steelworkers (though that was fun to watch).<br />
<br />
Storm and Magneto are square over the death of Havok because they helped rebuild the mansion and Storm has more power than Havok so that's a plus.<br />
<br />
The writing simply smacks of hypocrisy. Professor X and the X-Men are all so afraid of the day that the humans will come for them and have the balls to pity the fools who do. But maybe if they stopped killing the humans and causing global catastrophes the humans won't come for them. Because frankly they have good cause right now to just nuke the campus - oh wait they can't anymore.<br />
<br />
Xavier's school fights for a world where Humans and Mutants co-exist. Well if that's true then Magneto and Storm should have been brought to justice for their part in the destruction of the world - and again not just because they killed Humans, they killed their own people as well.<br />
<br />
I remember the last time Magneto threatened destruction at this level, Professor X shut down his mind.<br />
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Hypocrisy at its best.<br />
<br />
Marvel should write better than this.<br />
<br />
But then now <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2014/04/marvel-legends-captain-america-winter.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Captain America</span></a></b> is an Agent of Hydra so perhaps this is to be expected.</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-28210780936064636332016-05-02T23:58:00.001-07:002016-05-03T14:44:49.606-07:00Captain America: Civil War Review (Spoilers)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtne9jPgMJYTmhpj6-j5smIzE-TUBKA2P_C9yIaU9eeKoCk2xlJl5TrCRL7wkwvd6Nxq5gec9IeaGPr32cL1eaagWjhDElb3y4UV4WiDPekjj_kJwXnAM7ilTSZ1ab2-8EHWx94wK/s1600/teamsvscivilwarposter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Review" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtne9jPgMJYTmhpj6-j5smIzE-TUBKA2P_C9yIaU9eeKoCk2xlJl5TrCRL7wkwvd6Nxq5gec9IeaGPr32cL1eaagWjhDElb3y4UV4WiDPekjj_kJwXnAM7ilTSZ1ab2-8EHWx94wK/s640/teamsvscivilwarposter.jpg" title="Captain America: Civil War " width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captain America: Civil War Review </td></tr>
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This is a review of Captain America Civil War and it does contain spoilers, so anything past this point - if you don't want spoilers - is on you.<br />
<br />
Chris Evans reprises his role as the Star-Spangled Avenger and bings the rest of the Avengers with him.<br />
<br />
That being said: This is the second movie I've watched this year where super-heroes go to war against each other because of their mothers. What's up with that?<br />
<br />
THAT being said: I'm a bit of a quandary on how to proceed. There is no way that I cannot compare this to <b><a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2016/03/batman-versus-superman-review-worlds.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Batman versus Superman</span></a> </b>because - despite the terrible writing from DCComics - the two have themes that intermingle.<br />
<br />
Bottom-line though, under the helm of the Russo Brothers- Anthony and Joe (You, Me and Dupree, Arrested Development) - Captain America Civil War did it waaaaaaay waaaaaay waaaaay better than Zack Synder did with <b><a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2016/03/batman-versus-superman-review-worlds.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Batman versus Superman</span></a></b>.<br />
<br />
This was one of the best and most engrossing two and a half hours we've ever spent in a movie.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">MORE AFTER THE JUMP</span></b><br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">WHAT WORKED?</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhTU8ebsCqwNA8xengRNnPo1IWUIaqtTT3mlFgPKdFN9ZvKzqWr1dMmxanM96XAJlGWLbIW3uNskplBQkUer4-n8jaW5kyl7BUkaViTn-PIF5coMmGM6oJjRVGoHVKqVcsd-j368Y/s1600/marisa-tomei-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhTU8ebsCqwNA8xengRNnPo1IWUIaqtTT3mlFgPKdFN9ZvKzqWr1dMmxanM96XAJlGWLbIW3uNskplBQkUer4-n8jaW5kyl7BUkaViTn-PIF5coMmGM6oJjRVGoHVKqVcsd-j368Y/s320/marisa-tomei-03.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh Aunt May!</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">AUNT MAY!!!! </span></b>We'll get to Spider-Man in a bit... he's not important :)... the really, really, really beautiful Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinnie, The Wrestler) makes her debut as Peter Parker's Aunt May and she is HOT as hell! I would be Peter Parker's best friend if I knew about Aunt May. It's quite daring for Marvel to deviate so far from the traditional depiction of Peter Parker's aunt, but as Marisa Tomei says in the movie, aunts "<i>Come in all shapes and sizes</i>." Will she make a great Aunt May? Her performance was short enough to whet my appetite because I've had a crush on her since the 80s, but I'll have to wait for the Spider-Man movie to really judge whether or not Marvel made the right move.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8dsMRp-paPLl0qYB5tkQIzT8xRPFnA9GG-vNLZWqudI0aWbWffcS_vZIwpxwVF7NBaMH2Uy7p2Mfjq_BlgZ-pav-DL3UbaFZTL4j1H1mlTQG3kLeYeYzZ-NhLyBEMjmC4do2Wv4-/s1600/poster-15752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8dsMRp-paPLl0qYB5tkQIzT8xRPFnA9GG-vNLZWqudI0aWbWffcS_vZIwpxwVF7NBaMH2Uy7p2Mfjq_BlgZ-pav-DL3UbaFZTL4j1H1mlTQG3kLeYeYzZ-NhLyBEMjmC4do2Wv4-/s320/poster-15752.jpg" width="213" /></a><br />
<br />
Another reason why Marvel may have chosen Marisa Tomei for the role of Aunt May - though this is probably more of a happy accident - is that it reunites Marisa Tomei with her co-star. Robert Downy Jr. (Sherlock Holmes, Chaplin) from one of THE most romantic chic-flicks ever made: "<i>Only you: A love story written in the stars</i>" The movie preaches about destiny so it's nice to see these two reunited by destiny on the big screen - even if it is just for a moment. We're glad to hear that Robert Downy Jr has signed on to appearing in the next Spider-Man movie - where hopefully the two will have more time together. Only you was released in 1994, 22 years ago; both Marisa Tomei and Robert Downy Jr were 29 at the time.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>The Writing</b></span>: Captain America Civil War's story is not original. <b><a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2016/03/batman-versus-superman-review-worlds.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Batman versus Superman</span></a></b> has it as one of their many intertwined plots. But it is well written and flows naturally unlike the forced plotlines of the DC movie. Civil War's screenplay was written by the writing team of Cristopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (Captain America First Avenger, Winter Soldier and the Narnia Chronicles) and is loosely based upon the comic book series of the same name.<br />
<br />
In a nutshell the Avengers are divided by the Sokovia accords - a United Nations ruling that states that the Avengers will act - or not act - based upon the decision of a committee. You can pretty much gleam all that from the trailers. The accords divide the Avengers into two: Those who agree to sign, and those who don't. What you won't get from the trailers is:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bYyK2YFCX_CFgqt-6fifFKywxAWwxqAmh8BjmYd42jrY-O25aLHLwhSolIZrUl6-txrLuu3cd0bTu4iIj9V2BZQry0N3DZRihbUEwjT0ce1Qj_cR0AMYwcdxqrn-sHs3z9N-4o9C/s1600/Captain+America+Civil+War+Scarlet+Witch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bYyK2YFCX_CFgqt-6fifFKywxAWwxqAmh8BjmYd42jrY-O25aLHLwhSolIZrUl6-txrLuu3cd0bTu4iIj9V2BZQry0N3DZRihbUEwjT0ce1Qj_cR0AMYwcdxqrn-sHs3z9N-4o9C/s320/Captain+America+Civil+War+Scarlet+Witch.jpg" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>The Scarlet Witch is the last straw that causes the accords. </li>
<ul>
<li>The Avengers Captain America, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansen, Lost in Translation), Falcon (Anthony Mackie, 8 Mile) and the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen, Godzilla) are in Lagos, Nigeria, following up on a lead that says that ex-SHIELD/Hydra agent from Captain America: Winter Soldier, Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo, Minority Report), is about to attack. Rumlow hates Captain America for dropping a building on top of him in Winter Solider - the Triskellion - and is hideously scarred from the experience. He now wears a mask, upped his punching ability via a pair of hydraulic piledrivers on each hand, and now calls himself Crossbones. </li>
<li>After an epic display of teamwork in battle, the Avengers triumph and Cap has Crossbones on the ropes. Unfortunately Crossbones is wearing a suicide vest and blows up while Cap is grappling him. </li>
<li>Steve is saved by Wanda manifesting her telekinetic powers that she uses to contain Crossbones and his growing explosion. She throws both into the air but the explosion breaks free, unintentionally wreaking havoc on.... the upper floors of the Wakandan embassy - the same Wakanda that was nearly leveled in a slugfest between Iron Man and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo, Begin Again) - killing a few hundred innocents. </li>
</ul>
<li>The Avengers do not bother trying to justify their actions - which is a refreshing change over that other movie (Rumor has it that the Senate hearing scene in BvS represents what Zack Synder thinks about the opinion of those who say that Superman killed so many people in Man of Steel). The deaths of those who died in New York, Washington DC (Which really only involved Cap, Widow and Falcon), Sokovia, are not hidden behind the fact that they saved the world and countless times in all three events and weigh heavily on the team. </li>
<ul>
<li>The fact that Wanda accidentally killed a few hundred when they saved a few million thanks to stopping the release of a bio-hazard weighs heavily on the team. </li>
<li>They acknowledge the power that each of them can bring to bear and have no argument against the fact that they have no idea where Thor and the Hulk are - which is indeed akin to misplacing a couple of nuclear weapons. </li>
</ul>
<li>Regardless, Captain America is not ready to give over control of the Avengers to a committee - which is a natural flow from Winter Soldier, and this is where the lines are drawn. The motivation behind the team split are actually kept simple:</li>
<ul>
<li>Team Cap:</li>
<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxbGf3oqKVa8cuin2XKCyefk8G_sHkPjnFkIocXjnhphPPGgHh9zXVRxTA4hNCSuetV2tE09BgBQXUbW5G1xfrUjS4FfWvkJ8vHDwTdl0pIYCqnVHylZWxnnTLNQo6IKoa_rBayHE/s1600/Captain+America+Civil+War+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxbGf3oqKVa8cuin2XKCyefk8G_sHkPjnFkIocXjnhphPPGgHh9zXVRxTA4hNCSuetV2tE09BgBQXUbW5G1xfrUjS4FfWvkJ8vHDwTdl0pIYCqnVHylZWxnnTLNQo6IKoa_rBayHE/s400/Captain+America+Civil+War+1.jpg" width="400" /></a>
<li>Falcon: Agrees with Cap, again a natural flow from Winter Soldier</li>
<li>Winter Soldier - he doesn't really care about the politics, he's on Team Cap by default - we'll discuss him later. </li>
<li>Ant-Man (Paul Rudd, Clueless, This is 40) - he's here because he worships Captain America and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas, Basic Instinct) told him never to trust a Stark.</li>
<li>Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner, Hurt Locker) - Captain America calls Hawkeye out of retirement to help out. It took me a while to figure out the rationale behind his supporting Captain America. My theory is that it's because his family was kept off the grid, a complete secret, by just one man, not a committee. A committee would or could use the existence of his family to control Hawkeye. </li>
<li>Scarlet Witch - Captain America's powerhouse. She's here because she's come to realize that the government - and even Tony Stark - want to control her because they fear her power. Captain America at least believes in training her. In fact in the opening Avengers scene in Lagos, Cap and the Scarlet Witch are training her in covert operations and Captain America does mention that they should do things just like they practiced. </li>
</ul>
<li>Team Iron Man:</li>
<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYvQ35V5-nuhIro98CXEQOmSJhl4wbBwn4saCy8_dP04Arrf7TWTwHrUxD9ZGSnvmRcVLPFvk6uKY4Xe3YHWJkUicsFJMHvqhkpgT4mtKaEf2zxT8J3ZoDcAkfcI8kBOYUOqAduhF/s1600/Captain+America+Civil+War+Iron+Man+War+Machine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYvQ35V5-nuhIro98CXEQOmSJhl4wbBwn4saCy8_dP04Arrf7TWTwHrUxD9ZGSnvmRcVLPFvk6uKY4Xe3YHWJkUicsFJMHvqhkpgT4mtKaEf2zxT8J3ZoDcAkfcI8kBOYUOqAduhF/s320/Captain+America+Civil+War+Iron+Man+War+Machine.jpg" /></a>
<li>War Machine (Don Cheadle, House of Lies) - is not doing this out of loyalty to Tony. He's a military colonel and it flows from his character to follow orders. In fact we should remember that technically he stole the War Machine suit. </li>
<ul>
<li>At this point I should probably point out that both Captain America and Iron Man are proxied by black people. I never realized that in the comic books. It took the movie to make me see that. I wonder if this is a racial statement from Marvel.</li>
</ul>
<li>The Vision (Paul Bettany, Legion) - He actually sincerely believes in the need for controls given how much power they have - particularly how much power he and Wanda have. </li>
<li>Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman, The Kill Hole) - T'Challa is here by default because he's here to kill the Winter Soldier.</li>
<li>Spider-Man (Tom Holland, The impossible) - he's here because Tony Stark got to him first and brainwashed him, and because with great power comes great responsibility. </li>
<li>Black-Widow - Despite the events of the Winter Soldier and the fact that she can hardly believe she's agreeing with Tony, Natasha is here - actually she isn't - because she believes that keeping the team together is more important. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<b style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Fighting</span>: </b>The accords are signed in a public event chaired by the King of Wakanda T'Chaka (John Kani, The Ghost and the Darkness). The event is bombed, killing T'Chaka, sending T'Challa - his son - into a blood rage, and sending every law enforcement agency in the world out after the Winter Soldier - who is seen in the area prior to the explosion. And the fights begin - and boy do they fight. Scenes you should look out for include:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCJGONTvawKcmX9ikdOpvmcdOaavd1n1M-3BYhaPR6-_3mZhZYShG4vR6naGBue9r7szhyKj4-6ICoBE_HpgAntBbT12aP8i9LIZLYw8tMrQRfucZD_VgqvIj9eA-JfSpd9H7zwwb/s640/Captain+America+Civil+War.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<ul>
<li>Cap and Falcon versus Winter Soldier versus the German GS9 versus the Black Panther. A free-for-all melee worthy of Jason Bourne or Kung-Fu Hustle flick. Ends with an intimidating show of force from War Machine.</li>
<li>Winter Soldier versus almost everybody. The brainwashed version of the Winter Soldier beats the crap out of Captain America (Shieldless), Falcon, Iron-Man (No armor), Black Widow, Agent 13 (Emily VanCamp, Brothers and Sisters), and the Black Panther. He's taken down eventually after Captain America holds down a helicopter - yes you read that right (You could hear all the panties of women dropping in the movie theater as Captain America gives you the most powerful display of manliness ever to hit the silver screen - Happily they kept his shirt on or their would have been fainting in the audience). </li>
<li>Hawkeye versus Vision. Hawkeye gets his ass handed to him, but it was nice to see that he's no longer using a short bow. He's using a long bow that can morph into an attack staff, and he carries more weapons around with him. Ends when Wanda uses her powers to override Vision's density powers and literally send him down through several floors.</li>
<li>Team Cap versus Team Iron Man - with the prize being a Quinjet. Highlights include:</li>
<ul>
<li>Spider-Man against everybody. We'll talk about him later.</li>
<li>Ant-Man against everybody. We'll talk about him later.</li>
<li>The pitched battle between Captain America and Spider-Man where experience won out. </li>
<li>Hawkeye being called out for pulling his punches with Black-Widow;</li>
<li>War Machine letting people know why he's called War Machine </li>
<li>You'd think that this would be the finale of the movie. It's not. It's the middle or the end of Act 2 and it is pitched with no clear winner in-sight. That is til Ant-Man happens and Black Widow betrays Team Iron Man</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCa7DTGALTnKN2OXrtFiifMOeYwUGDlTWD2yKjgfWqpnZOXoOc_ZvVauKPWtalfQgQbYJTH0NyVLjDJNz4k_wQGR1YeC49HoVtWyA8TXPOHeKQDlIAKn13h3iBt_EDpshX859hLIxA/s1600/background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCa7DTGALTnKN2OXrtFiifMOeYwUGDlTWD2yKjgfWqpnZOXoOc_ZvVauKPWtalfQgQbYJTH0NyVLjDJNz4k_wQGR1YeC49HoVtWyA8TXPOHeKQDlIAKn13h3iBt_EDpshX859hLIxA/s320/background.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">The "Martha" moment</span></b>.</span> Tony eventually finds out that the Winter Soldier is framed and goes to help Cap and Bucky in Russia. It's there that Tony Stark finds out that it was a brainwashed Winter Soldier who killed his parents, specifically his mother, and all hell breaks loose - especially when he finds out that Captain America knew. It is an emotional pitched and draining battle. It's like watching your parents fight for the first time. Literaly Cap and Iron Man don't hold anything back.You could feel that it's the kind of rage wrought of betrayal between two people who really loved each other - as friends. I literally wanted to cry because you could empathize with both of them. Highlights include</div>
<ul>
<li>Bucky loses his arm</li>
<li>Iron Man's armor is trashed</li>
<li>They recreate the famous comic book cover you see on the right. </li>
<li>Iron Man borrows a page from the comic books and has Friday - his armor - analyze and counter Captain America's fighting style.</li>
<li>Captain America eventually wins and, just as with the comics books, he has the opportunity to smash his shield into Tony's face, decapitating him. He smashes Tony's arc reactor instead.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwP7knvwSdxdhaTJPLPGuddz62oiA-vlzujbuVf9FrseIgnp4q91FaowZ-dO4TQ0VYmf_Eop9JyljKGtfvNuEEzsZC_KjDLIAU1t-Ov-NvAJsy0BQ5uQeOcZ_dzF9hKptfkve5aVfU/s1600/Captain+America+Civil+War+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwP7knvwSdxdhaTJPLPGuddz62oiA-vlzujbuVf9FrseIgnp4q91FaowZ-dO4TQ0VYmf_Eop9JyljKGtfvNuEEzsZC_KjDLIAU1t-Ov-NvAJsy0BQ5uQeOcZ_dzF9hKptfkve5aVfU/s400/Captain+America+Civil+War+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The end of the fight is also very emotional. Cap picks up Bucky and the two limp away. A beaten Iron Man cries out that Captain America doesn't deserve his shield. His father made that shield. Captain America pauses and drops the shield, leaving it behind. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Definitely no longer friends.<br />
<br />
Do take the time to check out Episode 18 of Season 3 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg, The New Adventures of Old Christine), breaks out a photonic shield, similar to the one that Steve Rogers used when he lost the mantle of Captain America. It's even fashioned after Cap's shield with the star at the center being replaced with the S.H.I.E.L.D. crest.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfajWFcySyZMaC8qhW2TRNcZoUsscmHkCN79ALFMonhzoR8TkwcqAZKMJVQCLeLC7U8qrAp7QbjPQ9SE5n7Bn3Q9O0kyO8uQzinIN2gE4AT2I9ZKbRGI58g6zvoKpoUtPL2xur2owr/s640/Phil+Coulson+Photonic+Shield.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div>
<br />
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2014/04/marvel-legends-captain-america-winter.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvbw-TjP7wH1k_VXaQnEWEurJWz8v8OithNkZssxaieabHzteNt7CFKNA32mLr4MFqbhBTzABbEJc21uo70BS3F203qhoZqBBInJmKtbwKhCp4eIKGcyNz5tux7e5Xu6gA7HX_3s5/s320/Captain+America+the+Winter+Soldier+Action+Figure+16.jpg" title="Captain America" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2014/04/marvel-legends-captain-america-winter.html" target="_blank">Captain America</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZp-hqALBQTNp_Ar0Ke2z-M7lkSGc3Q0Y4NqNGvsc19QHfuXLl1LLTTZM-PYpUQyHzUsww_gbJqqpbW5ZUFGeArTyjitMytYID4wD2_v5OlxZQuxe4jhk45IbmN9Zj48lEc-Ju-Xqc/s1600/tumblr_o6fs8p22qm1tbg2hpo2_400.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZp-hqALBQTNp_Ar0Ke2z-M7lkSGc3Q0Y4NqNGvsc19QHfuXLl1LLTTZM-PYpUQyHzUsww_gbJqqpbW5ZUFGeArTyjitMytYID4wD2_v5OlxZQuxe4jhk45IbmN9Zj48lEc-Ju-Xqc/s1600/tumblr_o6fs8p22qm1tbg2hpo2_400.gif" /></a><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Holding on</span>:</b> I love how the fact that these two heroes are trying so desperately to cling to who they are inevitably leads to their conflict. Captain America pines for the old days when the enemy was simpler and clearer. Following Winter Soldier, yes he would be reluctant to trust a committee to steer them properly That's an enemy he can't see, can't punch. He's not about not taking accountability, instead he believes that accountability is best left in their hands - what that means for super-powered individuals in unclear in the movie, but I think it involves training them and setting them out on the field with better control of their powers. Coming from the military he knows casualties are a possibility and doesn't like it but can accept that. But he knows that they have to have hope and tries to be the symbol for that (Right Superman?). He's also suffering a great personal loss as key figure from his past dies. Goodbye Agent Carter, (Hayley Atwell, Pillars of the Earth). This is probably why his interest in her now revealed niece Agent 13, Sharon Carter has finally come out - with the approval of Falcon and Bucky Bucky is also literally one of the last things he has from the life he once had. So it was really fitting that in the end, Captain America lost it all: His position, his shield, his friend (back in storage), and he's in the company of a king who has managed to balance both tradition and the future - the Black Panther - so that he may be better equipped to face the future. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2013/04/marvel-legends-heroic-age-iron-man.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EjXguSDXy-rGDabsLAfPWba9fRG83D_aFaNosWrJdENFQNL6O5QLfMP9psLshiLrQbp5rJBcQ7f17zhkn26lCt2nwLYmWEGVmnrvJWiRF_YC4rYJ_csxXAolz8mE856UQgIAv1XB/s320/Marvel+Legends+Heroic+Age+Iron+Man+33.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2013/04/marvel-legends-heroic-age-iron-man.html" target="_blank">Iron Man</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On the other side, here you have Iron Man still bearing the weight of a world he wants to keep safe on his shoulders and being willing to compromise just so that future is safe. And apparently at the core of that need is the death of his mother whom he could not protect. Add to this the fact that Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow, Shakespeare in Love) has left him (Probably for Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau, Chef), whom she marries in the comic books). Remember Tony tapped out at the end of Avengers Age of Ultron and talked about settling down with Pepper. Without her, Tony has no choice but to immerse himself in what he knows best, being Iron Man and saving the future of mankind. In the end he is left alone with a cold robot (The Vision), and a friend who was injured - almost killed - because of a shot he ordered fired. This is probably why in the end he lets Steve Rogers break his friends out of the Raft (Superhuman prison)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So what does the future of the Avengers hold now that the team is permanently split in two? Will Iron Man ever use the direct hot-line Captain America had mailed to him? We will have to wait and see.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
In the meantime:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="color: blue;">Ant-Man</span></b>: I didn't think Scott Lang would fit well in the big-leagues, especially since he's not quite the "serious" super-hero. He meets Captain America and practically drools on him. But he definitely proved himself to be a team powerhouse when he:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jycip2kjxaf8LTpRir_TLj4hI2A1MOIQfrYAn_W6Wxk8wMYy0sql2ryCes9Nj8rper_aDJQWP9yD_DyxcaCaXELTblEPV6GFO8RbtgVdQCNdQT_rPZrHp63aGtEgOeO7Wza9P1uu/s1600/Captain+America+Civil+War+Ant+Man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jycip2kjxaf8LTpRir_TLj4hI2A1MOIQfrYAn_W6Wxk8wMYy0sql2ryCes9Nj8rper_aDJQWP9yD_DyxcaCaXELTblEPV6GFO8RbtgVdQCNdQT_rPZrHp63aGtEgOeO7Wza9P1uu/s1600/Captain+America+Civil+War+Ant+Man.jpg" /></a>
<li>Stood toe-to-toe against the Black Widow - well he was mini and eventually the Widow's bite got him, but he got his licks in. </li>
<li>Miniature bombs. This guy keeps fuel trucks in his pockets so he can throw them and make them suddenly revert to their true size. Now THAT's a bomb. </li>
<li>He was the voice inside Iron Man's suit for a while, knocking out various weapons systems till Friday flushed him out. And he got there by riding one of Clint's arrows.</li>
<li>Giant Man! Yes he turned the tide by stressing his system and transforming into a big jolly giant! While he wasn't very accurate at that size, he was devastating. </li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><span style="color: blue;">Spider-Man</span></b>: I have mixed feelings about our new <br />
Peter Parker. He reminded me lot of Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man), both in voice, size and fighting. But we love him because</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0nxfxJ-NTSvO-ljqTGcuyGbCqHBMXpnFss0doPssRuhUaaUnUhuFAB1vCEpBwhTmHslw-jsi59T0lMew2JANCTzkB8z5wvd0oZ7D2pdkwg-mNP_-8rnvXJVgEXJvY5oAkPV7owFM/s1600/Captain+America+Civil+War+Spider-Man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0nxfxJ-NTSvO-ljqTGcuyGbCqHBMXpnFss0doPssRuhUaaUnUhuFAB1vCEpBwhTmHslw-jsi59T0lMew2JANCTzkB8z5wvd0oZ7D2pdkwg-mNP_-8rnvXJVgEXJvY5oAkPV7owFM/s1600/Captain+America+Civil+War+Spider-Man.jpg" /></a>
<li>He's got a really hot aunt that I want to see more of.</li>
<li>Iron Man gave us a very realistic reason for the existence of his costume. I have always sincerely doubted that a teenager would know how to sew properly.</li>
<li>He can hold his own! Not only did he stand toe-to-toe against Captain America, he also took out both the Falcon and the Winter Soldier - even managing to overpower Winter Soldier's bionic arm. It was also Spider-Man who figured out how to take down Giant-Man ala Rebel Speeder versus Imperial Walker. </li>
<li>I liked how they kept his reason for siding with Iron Man simple - its because Tony said this, and that, and this. It shows a naivete, yes, but it's reasonable considering that he's talking to a hero and we have to trust our heroes. </li>
</ul>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjML14zUL26V97YQwZwYiHScPI70lq2pAN0xn17GNnhd_lvBsh48pf3n5KEoQzx_YYH6cXbhm_zTd0vGPPB91auHKt8mvRJSW7pvgRtw9S4_OjLIJ4RxhZYS9fN3h7QUGEZeqWO2as/s1600/Captain+America+Civil+War+Falcon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjML14zUL26V97YQwZwYiHScPI70lq2pAN0xn17GNnhd_lvBsh48pf3n5KEoQzx_YYH6cXbhm_zTd0vGPPB91auHKt8mvRJSW7pvgRtw9S4_OjLIJ4RxhZYS9fN3h7QUGEZeqWO2as/s320/Captain+America+Civil+War+Falcon.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: blue;">Falcon</span>:</b> Love the new armor! Falcon now comes with shields, missile and an attack drone called Redwing. The new armor has a lot of red so you know who made it. Falcon's fighting capabilities are definitely upgraded.<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2011/02/marvel-legends-black-widow-and-winter.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMw0CxsHF_gHIVGaMpfiDy51cVqR1uoAzq_k47uWSfsXoOBvNtBMHnw-CASkadFqcaoqJRsUAmsV-YwFSg5LwtBbYmbvgAUFjnaOxQ5bwuhnQaTVvvCT2txpiRbpCoWPjb2tGdUDz/s400/Marvel+Legends+Black+Widow+and+Winter+Soldier.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2011/02/marvel-legends-black-widow-and-winter.html" target="_blank">Winter Soldier and the Black Widow</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: blue;">Black Widow</span></b>: She missed out on a lot of the fighting in Age of Ultron because Scarlet Johanssen was pregnant. She's fighting now! At the end of the film, she's betrayed Tony so the authorities are after her as well.<br />
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While she had the Winter Soldier solidly between her thighs, the Black Widow asks if Bucky remembers her. He then slams her around. This could be a reference to Bucky having shot her in a past mission, their short tussle in Winter Soldier, or perhaps there is something the Black Widow is not telling everybody. Perhaps they were also partners while they were in the KGB and perhaps they were lovers as they were in the comic-books.<br />
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Natasha's status after the Civil War is not clear. This would be a perfect time for Marvel to launch a solo Black Widow movie.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>The Scarlet Witch</b></span>: So. Rumor has it that Chris Evans and Elizabeth Olsen are secretly dating. You could actually feel the chemistry between them when Captain America was trying to console Wanda after the Lagos incident. This does not bode well for young Ms Maximoff as, if I remember right, she was dating Cap when she went loco. Anyway that's the real world and comic books. In the movie, Wanda is afraid of her powers and how people are afraid of her, but believes that with practice and learning, she has less to fear.<br />
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I know Marvel probably doesn't have the time to explore it, but I really would like to see her lose it.<br />
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I didn't really feel a romance between her and the Vision. In fact the Vision had more of a psychotic stalker feel since he abruptly walks through walls disturbing privacy, and was tasked with keeping Wanda within the Avengers compound.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">The Vision</span></b>: I always wondered why the Vision was often described as creepy in the comic books. He didn't seem that bad a guy and even in the cartoons he was robotic, but no creepy. Paul Bettany's performance as the Vision is creepy. Looking at the Vision playing chess and thinking made me wonder if he was going to go HAL on the Avengers and begin systematically killing them. His power levels are truly other-worldly and had Captain America not had the Scarlet Witch on their side, they would have been finished.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">The Black Panther</span></b>: Chadwick Boseman's portrayal of the Black Panther was spot on: Regal - someone who you would have no problem taking orders from; powerful - he fought Captain America to a relative draw, and at one point was technically fighting Cap, the Falcon AND the Winter Soldier; tenacious - the guy just won't give up (Kinda irritating actually, WHY DON'T YOU JUST GIVE UP!!!) . I am really looking forward to his solo movie now. Hopefully he and Cap will at the very least have a sparing session in Wakanda where Steve now resides. There is certainly much that both the Panther and Captain America can teach each other when it comes to fighting and I would love to see them duke it out again.<br />
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Speaking of duking it out: The Black Panther came with a Dora Milaje - personal bodyguard of the King. In the credits, she is credited as a "<i>Security chief</i>" and her name is Florence Kasumba (The Quest, Age of Cannibals). This incredibly, tall, beautiful, lithe and powerful woman had a staredown with the Black Widow because she refused to "move" out of the way. I would have paid good money to see that fight, and even T'Challa thought that would have been very amusing to watch.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross</b></span>: William Hurt (Body Heat), reprises his role in The Incredible Hulk (2008). He's now Secretary of State Ross who is pushing for the Sokovia accords and is the one who directly confronts the Avengers for their atrocities. His presence is nostalgic because in the end-credit scene of The Incredible Hulk, Thuderbolt Ross is drinking in a bar when Tony Stark shows up to talk about a team he was putting together - which is the present day Avengers - though technically Stark didn't form the Avengers, Nick Fury did.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">WHAT DIDN'T WORK?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">WHERE IS NICK FURY?</span> </b> Or Maria Hill for that matter. What happened to S.H.I.E.L.D.? I thought that at the end of Avengers Age of Ultron that S.H.I.E.L.D. was back because Fury was in charge of what looked like an army occupying the Avengers compound. All these agents working out of the Avengers compound seem to have all disappeared, including Professor Erik Selvig and Dr. Helen Cho. There is an entire Helicarrier missing. While not necessary to the story - perhaps they were still there and just not noticed. Samuel L Jackson was at the premiere. The end of Age of Ultron has always bothered me because it re-establishes something akin to S.H.I.E.L.D. but does not call back in the people from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuOBEOHtS3qfUYKYyNj44yxRqCrvRhYwm6cJknPD_vO5Kgmr-PuMFbvcV7Um4fvnozhY4-po-ZTLSoGSpn7CVyFCvwVbEimMsRfrQzbST47Ku_GYUYb0P-rlztzGQzsYVkfoejbFg/s1600/Baron+Zemo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuOBEOHtS3qfUYKYyNj44yxRqCrvRhYwm6cJknPD_vO5Kgmr-PuMFbvcV7Um4fvnozhY4-po-ZTLSoGSpn7CVyFCvwVbEimMsRfrQzbST47Ku_GYUYb0P-rlztzGQzsYVkfoejbFg/s400/Baron+Zemo.jpg" width="400" /></a><b><span style="color: blue;">ZEMO</span></b>: Have you noticed that we got this far without mentioning the villain? Portrayed by Daniel Brühl, Zemo is a Sokovian Special Forces operative who loses his entire family in the Age of Ultron. Because of this he seeks revenge on the Avengers by destroying them from the inside i.e. bringing Cap and Tony to blows. He acts on a rumor that it was the Winter Soldier who killed Tony Stark's parents and sets off trying to find the Winter Soldier's launch bay in Russia. So he frames Bucky for the UN explosion knowing that he will be captured. Takes the place of the UN psych evaluator so that he can trigger the Winter Soldier's activation code and find out where the Russian base of the soldier is. Both Cap and Bucky think that Zemo is really after the other Winter Soldiers (More psychotic versions of Bucky), but Zemo kills them all in their sleep because all he's after is a video-tape of Bucky killing the Starks - which triggers the final fight.<br />
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He's a plot device used to advance the story. Nothing more. In fact the story can move on nicely without him.There were many other plot devices that could have been used to advance the story of Civil War so it's actually possible to write him out of it. He's hardly the super-villain we know Zemo to be and in the end, his incarceration is not befitting his super-villain status. Yes, he took on the Avengers with nothing more than his brain, but.... he has no military, no political agenda other than the destruction of the Avengers and no super-powers. But he's put in a glass cage where if he moves, he gets electrified. Poor guy. Kinda feel sorry for him.<br />
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He's no Loki. He's no Red Skull. He's just an angry man.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Everett Ross</span></b> played by Martin Freeman was a waste of Martin Freeman's talents. He might have even been a better Zemo. Perhaps he'll have a bigger role in the Black Panther since he's supposed to be an ally of the Panther. For now he's just Agent 13' boss.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!!!</span> </b>Is still not uttered in this movie. But then it's a Captain America movie.</div>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">The Winter Soldier</span></b> outrunning cars - he's not Quicksilver and his legs are not bionic.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Crossbones</span></b>. The Lagos event would have gone smoother and probably would not have resulted in that many casualties had Captain America brought his entire team. The Vision and War Machine were sorely missed in that fight.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">How did Cap know?</span></b> I may have missed it, but I have discussed it with others and they didn't see it either: Iron Man asks Captain America if he knew that the Winter Soldier killed his Martha. Cap denies it at first, but then admits that he knew. How did he know? When did he know? This might be an editing error.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">CONCLUSION</span></b>: This is a much watch movie. The best movie we've seen to date for the year and now my favorite Marvel movie. Unfortunately a comparison between DC's Batman versus Superman cannot be avoided. Marvel took the similar themes of the two and handed Zack Synder and DC's ass on a silver plate with a "That's how you do Martha" love letter attached to it.<br />
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Captain America: Civil War not only makes me want to go see it again, it makes me excited for all the new possibilities that are to come from Marvel.<br />
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Definitely make mine Marvel!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-2468158587959917442016-04-26T15:07:00.002-07:002016-04-26T15:07:44.484-07:00Containment TV series<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCzBGpnK0PowpzkytPIhs1M7y2pc5O0UMS-0Pl3auHdBwhF8935xDMQMy_3dca0mb6KFMVsAxh4n4y8VpqlD6SB0Gugl70ucd3luCqpqadjWqMnQ8w9xbvJ9qtXnFHMN9xagvSGEi/s1600/Containment_TV_Series-324994130-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCzBGpnK0PowpzkytPIhs1M7y2pc5O0UMS-0Pl3auHdBwhF8935xDMQMy_3dca0mb6KFMVsAxh4n4y8VpqlD6SB0Gugl70ucd3luCqpqadjWqMnQ8w9xbvJ9qtXnFHMN9xagvSGEi/s640/Containment_TV_Series-324994130-large.jpg" title="Containment TV series" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Containment TV series</td></tr>
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Presenting a short review on Containment, a brand new TV series from the CW.<br />
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Everybody's talking about the return of Game of Thrones (A real cock-blocking issue. Really hurt us.), and the rest of our staple TV fare have reached the end of their respective seasons so we decided to go search for something new and Containment caught our eye.<br />
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Containment aired April 19 and is an American adaptation of a Belgian TV series called Cordon. In a nutshell, the series follows individuals caught in an outbreak of a weaponized version of avian flu which forces authorities to cordon off a large portion of Atlanta in an attempt to prevent the virus from spreading.<br />
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Google it, and you get this as a description: "<i>When a mysterious epidemic breaks out in Atlanta, an urban quarantine is enforced, leaving those inside to fight for their lives as local and federal officials search for a cure. Police officer Lex Carnahan works to keep the peace, but the situation becomes personal when he learns his girlfriend Jana and his best friend Jake are both stuck in the cordoned area. Also trapped with the infected are 17-year-old Teresa, who is very pregnant and separated from her boyfriend, elementary teacher Katie Frank, who is on lockdown with her entire class, and CDC researcher Dr. Victor Cannerts. Public trust deteriorates as a journalist, Leo, begins chasing down a conspiracy that unravels the official story.</i>"<br />
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The series stars:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1D7a-KWlgoSF517Uf5o4yICgBXDckgVsRiTb41sx8iJH6ZYS3E5nia8uGdEf97QXUPyaC2ZwNS3-_0qW_wM5R6FTZ7t-wEB9P52XuwFxxb0vFv_KwJ-DyzZNlsCkE0-zwQqIrb9KB/s1600/Containment-The-CW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1D7a-KWlgoSF517Uf5o4yICgBXDckgVsRiTb41sx8iJH6ZYS3E5nia8uGdEf97QXUPyaC2ZwNS3-_0qW_wM5R6FTZ7t-wEB9P52XuwFxxb0vFv_KwJ-DyzZNlsCkE0-zwQqIrb9KB/s400/Containment-The-CW.jpg" title="The CW Containment Cast" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The CW Containment Cast</td></tr>
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<li><b><span style="color: blue;">Claudia Black</span></b> (Farscape, Dragon Age) as <b><u>Dr. </u></b><b style="text-decoration: underline;">Sabine Lommers</b> of the Center for Disease Control. A no-nonsense government representative who orders the containment having seen - and survived - an Ebola viral outbreaks in Sierra Leone. The Containment to her may be cruel but she sees it as a means of cauterizing the infection before it gets out of hand.</li>
<li><b><span style="color: blue;">Demetrius Bridges</span> </b>as <b><u>Xander Paulson</u> - </b>The father of Teresa Keaton's unborn child who is stuck outside of the containment zone when the virus breaks out. He is currently trying to break in.</li>
<li><b><span style="color: blue;">Kristen Gutoskie</span></b> as <b><u>Katie Frank</u></b> - A grade-school teacher and single mom to 11 year-old Quentin (Quite young actually to have an 11 year-old), who struggles with the fear of failing to protect her son thanks to the prodding of her baby daddy's family. Unfortunately when the outbreak starts, she and her class her on a field trip to the Atlanta Midtown Hospital - ground zero for the virus. She is poised as a love interest for Jake Riley.</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVteAQ4pP982lL23H9lRD2DlL6cmSIX6pJd5XFo1FFBHU8JsEibHtd5dKWkF2zguhhWSu3olxr1aBMwnkJQ18NWIQN1YwRdqeIBSfB4L9SIvc_yAXSmay8j0JymoPjxlbwFVGjpVe/s1600/Containment+Cast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVteAQ4pP982lL23H9lRD2DlL6cmSIX6pJd5XFo1FFBHU8JsEibHtd5dKWkF2zguhhWSu3olxr1aBMwnkJQ18NWIQN1YwRdqeIBSfB4L9SIvc_yAXSmay8j0JymoPjxlbwFVGjpVe/s400/Containment+Cast.jpg" title="The CW Containment Cast" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">The CW Containment Cast</span></td></tr>
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<li><b style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: blue;">David Gyasi</span></b><b style="font-weight: bold;"> (Cloud Atlas) as <u>Major Alex "Lex" Carnahan</u></b><b>, </b>Police ground force commander who is tasked with keeping order and people within and outside of the containment area. Sabine Lommers wants him to be the voice of reason for the people as he is "one of them." He unwittingly becomes an internet "hero" when he prevents an act of police brutality against Xander Paulsen who was trying to break into the containment zone.</li>
<li><span style="font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Hanna Mangan-Lawrence</span></b> </span>(Spartacus) as <b style="font-weight: bold;"><u>Teresa Keaton</u></b><b>:</b> An 8-month pregnant unwed who was about to elope with her boyfriend Xander before the containment because her family wants to have her unborn child adopted out. Unfortunately she's stuck on the inside of the containment zone along with her mother and grandparents, and Xander is on the outside.</li>
<li><span style="font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Christina Moses</span></b> </span>(Starship: Rising) as<b> <u>Jana Mayfield</u>: </b>A computer repair technician who works in a hermetically sealed environment. She is also Major Lex's girlfriend who has commitment issues and was supposed to move in with him at the start of the series - but because she has issues, they fight instead. Her ex-boyfriend and Major Lex's best friend tries to convince her to get over her issues and commit to Lex. She is stuck inside the containment when it breaks out.</li>
<li><span style="font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Chris Wood</span></b> </span>(Vampire Diaries) as <b><u>Jake Riley</u></b>:<b> </b>Major Lex's best friend who gets stuck inside the containment area. It's a bit difficult to understand why they are friends as he is the ex-boyfriend of Jana Mayfield and still talks to her about her relationship with Lex (Not cool). He starts to blame Lex for assigining him to pick-up Patient Zero and suspects that Major Lex put him there intentionally.</li>
</ul>
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Episode 1 was written by Julie Plec and directed by David Nutter (The X-Files, Game of Thrones) <br /><br />Episode 2 was written by Julie Plec and directed by Charles Beeson (The Vampire Diaries, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUIi7t_I9JuuTvW_BhRP1UXA1LpQHse_udgpM_HAObpNZehgofc6Fos8icss_CrBzzXiGqU2Fno0SOQ3rht5ZyvYZXM4u3RCztMhpoVrerYivof6dK5037RFoA9Tj0kaNF-eBK1sk/s1600/Containment+photos+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUIi7t_I9JuuTvW_BhRP1UXA1LpQHse_udgpM_HAObpNZehgofc6Fos8icss_CrBzzXiGqU2Fno0SOQ3rht5ZyvYZXM4u3RCztMhpoVrerYivof6dK5037RFoA9Tj0kaNF-eBK1sk/s400/Containment+photos+1.jpg" width="400" /></a><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u>What's to like about the CW's Containment?</u></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">FIRST</span></b>: Well if you're a fan of shows that leave you guessing who is going to die, how they are going to die and who will they take with them when they die, then this is a TV series for you. So it's a lot like the Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, but without any swords being swung - death comes from the inside.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>SECOND</b></span><b>: </b>The paranoia! If a character sneezes, coughs or sneezes or coughs on someone does he/she have the virus? Did they just infect someone else and subject them to death within 48 hours? What happens if the virus is found outside of the containment zone? Is everyone in the containment zone going to die? Is that why CW says that this is a limited series event? Is this a terrorist attack? What happen if you don't show symptoms within 48 hours - like that kid in quarantine? Is she the hope of the city?<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">THIRD</span>: </b>The human factor. Who can you trust? Why should you trust? The virus is spread via bodily fluids and is not airborne, so how do you go through life without human contact? While there is no physical violence - for now - The CW seems to have run a gamut of of human issues for viewers to tackle: best friends torn between a woman who loves both of them and has intimacy issues; a city police major who is fighting to keep control of the community that respects him as he inflicts the horrors of a containment quarantine on them; his best friend who wonders if his friend is trying to kill him; an officer of the CDC who has to pretend to be a robot for the greater good.... etc.... Following these characters and wondering when their sense of duty will be overcome by personal needs or morality versus the stupidity of random characters is interesting to watch and far more realistic and terrifying than a zombie apocalypse.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u>What's NOT to like about the CW's Containment?</u></span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NYuni6VUFjYRnMA_1Glv4S2AgekjUvxgOvmRvbhlbIU34uGINRqt0enSWZkWDxsWSpNCTDVuVrwbJQ2GOxtuQVdcRClH844Ab-hyGV3bVztePjI_Kf7lgXTfb32Zo_RQ3b-hJNpb/s1600/The-walking-dead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NYuni6VUFjYRnMA_1Glv4S2AgekjUvxgOvmRvbhlbIU34uGINRqt0enSWZkWDxsWSpNCTDVuVrwbJQ2GOxtuQVdcRClH844Ab-hyGV3bVztePjI_Kf7lgXTfb32Zo_RQ3b-hJNpb/s400/The-walking-dead.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Walking Dead</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">FIRST</span></b>: Containment is situated in Atlanta, Georgia. The same Atlanta, Georgia from the Walking Dead. Given the similarities between the two series, it would probably have been better if the CW chose a different city to terrorize as the two will be compared - in this case, needlessly.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">SECOND</span></b>: The racial sterotyping. The source of the laboratory manipulated strain of avian flu is a man who flew into the United States from Syria in the storage compartment of an airplane. So yes, the source of this terrorist attack, Sayyid Nassir, is from the Middle East. His entire family is arrested and they all start dying to the virus all the while cursing the United States government for harassment. There are mentions of ISIS denying being the source of the viral attack. While it exists within the realm of possibility that a virus could come from them and/or from any anti-American group in the United States, perhaps adding more gasoline to an already burning fire was not the best move for the CW.<br />
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Other than that? So far so good. We love where the show is going and we're waiting for the shit - and blood - to hit the fan.<br />
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Episode 3 of Containment airs May 3, 2016 on The CW.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-6769137461783629752016-04-02T13:49:00.000-07:002016-04-02T13:49:21.544-07:00Daredevil Season 2 Review<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7V957-4lVf6iXI4_DvKhq6o7vmLTxGnDOd34Oj9_z9SDr55ncMCR0UnitrrG7GklPboI6cbgpzmZ4ku2I__Nu7eO28dgpBxR_YKZpUM5Wx2Sxp_1yUvUlw2g9O7f585uDB3OGPOT/s1600/daredevil-season-2-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Review" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7V957-4lVf6iXI4_DvKhq6o7vmLTxGnDOd34Oj9_z9SDr55ncMCR0UnitrrG7GklPboI6cbgpzmZ4ku2I__Nu7eO28dgpBxR_YKZpUM5Wx2Sxp_1yUvUlw2g9O7f585uDB3OGPOT/s640/daredevil-season-2-poster.jpg" title="Daredevil Season 2 " width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daredevil Season 2 Review</td></tr>
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Here're our thoughts on the 2nd Season of Daredevil on Netflix. The whole world went Bat-crazy on Batman versus Superman which means this review is a bit late in favor of the<b><a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2016/03/batman-versus-superman-review-worlds.html" target="_blank"> <span style="color: blue;">BvS Review</span></a></b>. We'd like to take the time to point out that this review has nothing to do with Ben Affleck having played Daredevil. This is merely our thoughts on the Devil of Hell's kitchen played by Charlie Cox (There be Dragons - kinda ironic).<br />
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Netflix released the second series of Daredevil on March 18 with the following cast:<br />
<ul>
<li>Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil</li>
<li>Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood) as Karen Page</li>
<li>Elden Henson (The Hunger Games) as Franklin "Foggy" Nelson</li>
<li>Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead, Fury) as Frank Castle/Punisher</li>
<li>Élodie Yung (GI Joe Retaliation) as Elektra Natchios</li>
<li>Rosario Dawson (Rent, Alexander) as Claire Temple/Night Nurse (?)</li>
<li>Vincent D'Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket) as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin</li>
<li>Scott Glenn (Silence of the Lambs, Sucker Punch) as Stick</li>
<li>Peter Shinkoda (Falling Skies) as Nobu Yoshioka </li>
</ul>
Episodes written by: Douglas Petrie, Marco Ramirez, Mark Verheiden, John C. Kelley, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, Sneha Koorse, Luke Kalteux, Whit Anderson, & Mark Verheiden,<br />
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Episodes directed by: Phil Abraham, Marc Jobst, Peter Hoar, Floria Sigismondi, Andy Goddard, Ken Girotti, Michael Uppendahl, Stephen Surjik, Peter Hoar, & Euros Lyn,<br />
So here's our take on why it worked, what didn't work.<br />
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<b>Suffice to say:<span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: red;">Spoilers Ahead</span></span></b>:<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">What worked?</span></b><br />
<ul>
<li>To paraphrase Jon Bernthal on Jimmy Kimmel: "<i><b>Action sequences worthy of movies made on television time</b>.</i>" If you're getting sick and tired of the clunky, posturing fight scenes on Arrow, then this is the series for you. It's bloody, it's brutal, it's down to earth and the only thing the actors don't do when they fight is bite (They left that for the Walking dead). You really get the feeling that the fighters in this series know that they could die so they give it all they have when they fight.</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0mbJJ1xelOSLX6zUCNUASs0O5fRwjC_cQbO9RDKXkn-OHdMuDSF807N9NpYlfXnER_Oj9PXYAyDSM48AJ4DAu-1xbP1w9vTjlqfgtnt-9o5T0-VesqZxSBsRZ_t_VyYTO6Aj6pPq/s1600/12794707_1719825021587067_5890561489880274871_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Review" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0mbJJ1xelOSLX6zUCNUASs0O5fRwjC_cQbO9RDKXkn-OHdMuDSF807N9NpYlfXnER_Oj9PXYAyDSM48AJ4DAu-1xbP1w9vTjlqfgtnt-9o5T0-VesqZxSBsRZ_t_VyYTO6Aj6pPq/s400/12794707_1719825021587067_5890561489880274871_o.jpg" title="Daredevil Season 2" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Daredevil Season 2 Review<br />
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<ul>
<li>The highlight of which is what is starting to become a Daredevil series tradition - the one loooong take fight. In season 1 fans were wowed by Daredevil raising hell in a hallway that was 2 minutes 53 seconds long. They've doubled down in season 2 and a bloody, beaten, cracked armored Daredevil fought his way through the Dogs of Hell Biker gang in a long take that lasted 3 minutes 54 seconds long! And to make the long take and fight scene even harder, this time the battle started in a hallway, but the fight continued down a multi-story building stairwell, ending on the ground floor. One really, really long take/fight scene that is an absolute must see. </li>
<li><b>The Hand</b>. We've been exposed to the supposedly lethal army of the League of Assassins in DC's Arrow. Their fight scenes have always been clunky and slow. Obviously choreographed to ensure no one gets hurt - and nobody does. The League of Assassins is so incompetent that a couple of nights ago on Legends of Tomorrow, 1/2 of Firestorm, Jefferson "Jax" Jackson (Franz Drameh) who has practically no combat training, knocked one of the "highly trained assasins feared worldwide" out. In Daredevil the fighting is bloody, close quarters, dirty, pitched and takes a toll on all combatants - as fighting should. In fact whenever Daredevil fights the Hand, you cannot avoid that feeling that he might lose - because he actually might. The questions that remain are:</li>
<ul>
<li>What the hell are they digging for in Hell's Kitchen? Daredevil didn't quite shut that door.</li>
<li>What's with the zombies? What exactly are they incubators for?</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li><b>The Punisher</b>. The choice of Jon Bernthal to play Frank Castle/Punisher was a stroke of genius.</li>
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mxlftrBrpuidAi1pT03dc8KewEsYTON-n-1ydeU9cKnKQisEKzd6aCfM73igIjXH_ogySPdEJlS32i5BAINJWsKVVy0cZe9XxoGWb4071MKTkXLOKhUGh-0I_oqrEUSfQYElePOg/s1600/Daredevil+Season+2+Punisher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mxlftrBrpuidAi1pT03dc8KewEsYTON-n-1ydeU9cKnKQisEKzd6aCfM73igIjXH_ogySPdEJlS32i5BAINJWsKVVy0cZe9XxoGWb4071MKTkXLOKhUGh-0I_oqrEUSfQYElePOg/s320/Daredevil+Season+2+Punisher.jpg" /></a>
<li>The Punisher storyline carries more than half the series and succeeds in polarizing Hell's Kitchen into supporting its vigilantes - even those that kill - and pushing the elected government into taking action at their seeming helplessness in the face of the rising violence. The actions of the electorate threaten not just to take out the Punisher, but eventually ALL vigilantes including "<i>the Horny one</i>" and another familiar name: Jessica Jones. </li>
<ul>
<li>Tangent to this: With Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) in negotiations with Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss) possibly joining the law firm of Hogarth, Chao & Benowitz as a partner, Marvel is practically screaming that Matt Murdock will soon be meeting Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter). Bring on the Defenders!</li>
</ul>
<li>We loved Jon Bernthal in the Walking Dead, and we loved him in Fury. Jon Bernthal seems to have typecast himself into playing psychotic rednecks who are at war with the world and this makes him perfect for the Punisher. Thanks to him:</li>
<ul>
<li>Daredevil fans will forever argue whether or not he was trying to kill Daredevill when he shot Daredevil point-blank in the head. Daredevil had to return to Melvin Potter (Matt Gerald) - the Gladiator - who made Daredevil's armor. Potter suggested that either Daredevil was very lucky or the Punisher knew exactly where to shoot him. So was Daredevil lucky or did the Punisher - who had just encountered Daredevil for the first time and fought him in the dark - know that Daredevil's skull cap could take a point-blank shot? </li>
<li>We have recruitment. The battle between Daredevil and the Punisher eventually becomes one of ideology. Both want to rid the streets of crime, but the Punisher does not believe in redemption, he believes in living up to his name and killing whoever stands in the way of his mission - even if that means he has to eliminate an entire prison cell block with his bare hands - which he does. Matt, ever the Catholic boy - he even asks the Punisher (Who turns out to be Catholic as well) if he still goes to mass - believes that no one is beyond redemption and that everyone deserves a chance to change their lives. To which the Punisher cries "<i>bullspit</i>" and says that the Daredevil is just one bad day away from becoming him. He even attempts to make the Devil of Hell's kitchen chose to shoot and stop him before he kills a criminal stating that either way - shoot,don't shoot - the blood is on Daredevil's hands. Matt chooses a third option, but the Punisher is still able to kill his victim.</li>
<ul>
<li>Despite this, Daredevil remains true to his belief in redemption and saves the Punisher's life not once, but twice.</li>
<li>Our hearts were moved when the Punisher finally opened up as to why he declared war on the city. This was definitely a depth and vulnerability that we've never seen in any previous Punisher - especially Dolph Lundgren - as they tend to just be one-dimensional revenge seeking killers with sparks of humanity. We appreciate that it really took the guy being beaten to an inch of his life and rescued by the Daredevil to do this. It opened up the characters to a begrudging respect for each other even if they did not agree with each other's ideologies. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li><b>The Kingpin</b>. Vincent D'Onofrio scared the hell out of us when he decapitated someone with a car door. We did not even think that was possible and admire the intestinal fortitude of Leland Owlsley (Bob Gunton). </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIPhGG-SjR37K2md9tQX6pQqinpH_TnUxhO1AEhjSfdifI8jJNqTmj9CjaqTTy55tX561MfSDirZJj7c-3FyswcLUX7WCPxk682L5t6g6evdgCIkW0nr4zJykTuYNSnRy7_L9cXLn/s1600/daredevil-season-2-kingpin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIPhGG-SjR37K2md9tQX6pQqinpH_TnUxhO1AEhjSfdifI8jJNqTmj9CjaqTTy55tX561MfSDirZJj7c-3FyswcLUX7WCPxk682L5t6g6evdgCIkW0nr4zJykTuYNSnRy7_L9cXLn/s320/daredevil-season-2-kingpin.jpg" /></a></div>
<li>Murdock, Nelson and Page start the series feeling elated and safe that the Kingpin is in prison. However, before the end of the series, we see something we did not expect to see in the Man without Fear: Fear. Not only has the Kingpin thrived in prison, he's taken over the prison - to the point that he beat up Matt Murdock without the guards giving a damn.We're 100% sure, Matt Murdock left that prison scared of the day the Kingpin steps out of it and we are so looking forward to the Kingpin's revenge. On the negative side: How did someone whose wealth is almost exhausted get that much power? </li>
</ul>
<li><b>Madame Gao</b> (Wai Ching Ho) is back in town and Daredevil did not take her out in exchange for information. We have a feeling that Madame Gao is not done in Hell's Kitchen. She was able to lie low and Daredevil doesn't consider her an immediate threat - probably because she seem's like such a nice old lady (Even the Kingpin deferred to her wisdom). Let's remember that this old lady threw Daredevil across the room with a single punch. What exactly is she? She reminds us of a predator smiling and waiting for the right time to kill. There are hints that she's involved with the Rand Corporation. Perhaps they're saving her as a major villain for Iron Fist when he comes in to play.</li>
<li><b>Upgrades</b>: Season 1 of the Punisher had Daredevil fighting in nothing more than a black suit with padded knuckles. By the end of it we got the Daredevil armor courtesy of Melvin Potter. In season 2:</li>
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygQ4i06OVKklDppmwr_GyNwUTkFn_9-lPdPj9czQB2wJmTaAJceQgmj2018dUWSPzLrzED_hTXld8HlsQTorVksvbtnOkXhTpdo9YySOq8ijyVANoLL86n9bptAZLHZe_7ucMgUY8/s1600/Daredevil%2527s_Billy_Club.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygQ4i06OVKklDppmwr_GyNwUTkFn_9-lPdPj9czQB2wJmTaAJceQgmj2018dUWSPzLrzED_hTXld8HlsQTorVksvbtnOkXhTpdo9YySOq8ijyVANoLL86n9bptAZLHZe_7ucMgUY8/s400/Daredevil%2527s_Billy_Club.PNG" width="400" /></a>
<li>We got to see a glimpse of Melvin Potter's Gladiator armor. Will he turn evil?</li>
<ul>
<li>Hey! Stiltman's armor!</li>
</ul>
<li>After Daredevil's armor is damaged, Potter replaces his skull-cap with a stronger, reinforced one, and gives Daredevil a new set of armored gloves as well.</li>
<li>Till this point, Daredevil has been battling crime with Filipino arnis (Batons). The billy club is finally introduced to Daredevil as a Christmas gift from Potter, providing Matt with a police length club, nun-chucks, arnis, a weapon that he can throw short distances that he no longer has to go pick up again, and; a means of swinging around rooftops.</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Karen Page and Claire Temple</b>. Aside from the fact that Daredevil/Matt Murdock is now involved with three women (We're Team Night Nuse - though we wouldn't mind a catfight between Claire Temple and Jessica Jones over Luke Cage): </li>
<ul>
<li>Karen Page has started a new job as a journalist. But before he took the job she was confronted with Ben Ulrich's research on her. What exactly is she running from? Her character, her lies, are starting to catch up with her. Where it will lead should be interesting. </li>
<li>Claire Temple quit her job at the hospital. Where will she pop up next? Will she be in Dr. Strange? When will she take the mantle of the Night Nurse?</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mmMuwhJU7beYAngoO-KddWFqqG3L56N4xQu11VuYy9cb6tEO5bOtxtSyHnnYLutkQyMGvvcQ2lp436cnygu8B2eoI_I0l9jda-qcqqayjuIxleeQrtNla1VxYnLuZS7wuPeMR7Qh/s1600/Elektra-Daredevil-Season-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mmMuwhJU7beYAngoO-KddWFqqG3L56N4xQu11VuYy9cb6tEO5bOtxtSyHnnYLutkQyMGvvcQ2lp436cnygu8B2eoI_I0l9jda-qcqqayjuIxleeQrtNla1VxYnLuZS7wuPeMR7Qh/s400/Elektra-Daredevil-Season-2.jpg" width="400" /></a><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">What didn't work?</span></b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>Elektra</b>. We're on the fence on this one actually. We've given other movies/series flack for changing characters, but we like this Elektra better than Miller's Elektra. Elodie Yung was perfect for the role: exotic, beautiful, tempting, agile, and a believable fighter. And her voice! A tempting package that you know you will regret but are powerless to follow. She's capable of looking hard and deadly - something we feel Jennifer Gardner could not deliver. But this is not Frank Miller's Elektra Natchios. In fact we hear that he's not happy with her Netflix version either - but then he's never been happy with the way Marvel treated her. </li>
<ul>
<li><b>The Black Sky</b>. This is a concept that has been following Daredevil since Season 1. The Black Sky was revealed to be a child with undetermined supernatural powers and fighting abilities who will plunge the Earth into darkness. Supposedly it was this kid in Season 1 whom Stick killed. Now it has been revealed that the Black Sky was Elektra all along. We'd like to point out that while this may not be in the comic book Elektra's lore, there is a precedent: The critically reviled Elektra movie revolved around a child warrior that both the Hand and Stick's people wanted desperately to recruit. This concept seems to have been revived for the TV-series. </li>
<li><b>Elektra's origin</b>:</li>
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip66AvaUty7Nj5el-n6cT82g0GH0XgLhKodxc_LRyDjB8lx1wTb1Bg1uOIiNxAiwa0pgQdJVMOb3kDfgezU25qOveDxhdKqxgQZUtpTNojR4pogRvEJ_FeD7bzpJRtXaveKNx0UVDm/s1600/daredevil-season-2-elektra-elodie-yung.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip66AvaUty7Nj5el-n6cT82g0GH0XgLhKodxc_LRyDjB8lx1wTb1Bg1uOIiNxAiwa0pgQdJVMOb3kDfgezU25qOveDxhdKqxgQZUtpTNojR4pogRvEJ_FeD7bzpJRtXaveKNx0UVDm/s400/daredevil-season-2-elektra-elodie-yung.jpg" width="400" /></a>
<li><b>Miller's Elektra </b>was the daughter of a Greek Diplomat who received extensive martial arts training at an early age who was traumatized by the death of her father at the hands of the police during a rescue that involved Daredevil. Greek stricken she sought to never become a victim again by becoming the ultimate weapon. She received training at the hands of the Chaste but was cast out and recruited by the Hand where she became their most deadly assassin til her death at the hands of Bullseye. </li>
<li><b>Netflix's Elektra</b> was trained to be a weapon as a child by Stick til she ended up killing one of her fellow students. Rather than have her be destroyed by the Chaste, Stick leaves with her and has her adopted by the Natchios, a wealthy family that Stick believes she can learn a lot from in terms of social skills, making her even more deadly. She and Daredevil meet and hit it off because she's the exact opposit of his Catholic School boy upbringing - dare we say she's crazy - but not in the scary crazy way, but in the really sexy psychotic girl-next-door way - admit it, we all know girls like that. To paraphrase Deadpool: Her crazy matches his crazy. They eventually break up when Elektra sets up and captures the gangster that killed Jack Murdock, Matt's father, and Matthew refuses to kill him - turning him in to the authorities instead. Again with the moral code. </li>
<ul>
<li>Here's the thing: Elektra in the comic books is not crazy. She's quite professional and hardly smiles. She's a hardened killer. Elodie Yung's character is definitely crazy - but crazy, as we mentioned, in a really sexy way. Netflix's Elektra is an evil creature who could destroy the world at a whim and the only thing stopping her from doing so is her love for Matt Murdock. Everyone has given up on her - even Stick who tries to have her killed - except for Matt Murdock.</li>
<ul>
<li>Did Stick send the Moonkight's gay bodyguard Frenchie to kill her? Or was that supposed to be the Swordsman? Or was that someone completely new? It was a nice touch though for Elekta to keep the weapons of the assassin sent to kill her by Stick so that she could use them to try and kill Stick. Great reason for her to keep and stick to the use of sais. </li>
</ul>
<li>But! As with Daredevil running around in black leotards for 99% of the 1st season, perhaps this is just part of her origin story. In the end following her death - not at the hands of Bullseye, but in "an attempt to be good" (Cliche) by saving Daredevil from being skewered by Nobu (Peter Shinkoda) - Elektra is sealed in a giant "casket" dressed in her comic-book red garb. We can already see the sign "<i>She'll be back</i>" But as what? It looks like the Hand won. When she comes back we doubt we'll see that happy-go-lucky crazy chick that we had this season.</li>
<li>One note though: If she was the Black Hand all along, when did the Hand determine this? Because she almost died because of them.</li>
<li>We also love the armor Elektra got from Potter and are really fond of the way she pulls up her ski-mask to cover her lower face before she fights. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>Daredevil's womanizing. He gets more women than Tony Stark. So towards the end of the series, Daredevil is willing to run away with Elektra (You know from that point on that this will not end well and he probably just jinxed her). It's actually a real tear jerker because their acting was so good you want to root for their happiness. You just want them to get away. So when she dies it's a real WTF moment. Even the last minute arrival of the Punisher who cleared the roof for Matthew did nothing to bring us out of wanting to hurt the writers (Yeah we're talking about you Douglas Petrie and Marco Ramirez! We know what you did!).</li>
<ul>
<li>But the next day he's revealing his true identity to Karen Page.</li>
<li>Before that he was with Karen Page</li>
<li>Sooooo two timing? Rebound? All too soon if you were to ask us. PLUS! The Claire Temple says that they were not done! So now on the internet you have Team Elektra and Team Page. Personally we're with Team Elektra - but we all know that the Elektra that returns will not be the same one we saw - so we're with Team Night Nurse.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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Which leaves us now with our biggest problem with the series.... WE NEED SEASON 3 NOW!!!!!</div>
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But we have to wait :( </div>
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THIS IS A MUST WATCH!!!!</div>
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<img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivoRBPwJ28bzmlGZ9_6uA3t_4eHCVtnup8bIwmy7CIkakQG0rF1iDSPhXNcPbkuIKhGzALjcLMasNgOu0hgxAPhACpBsW6saG-pfgISumHVF_Z1u0OhNY6jEEmycPv3OxWR3U46wQ0/s640/daredevil-season-2-poster+1.jpg" width="640" /><div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-65944338204745548452016-03-29T00:24:00.000-07:002016-04-27T21:26:06.642-07:00Batman versus Superman review: World's Finest Disaster<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruTJMV4uL9Um1UOykSigR5VoiRbXkJ_SZR9DfSPmR3Cbg0AdPzHMXh_tTIzvnLpa8dJswsuy4occp2J_6suxd0GFMpvRkhfZnoYuJt60CBV1EWk6RGgZUq22lTeMu-T4eWvT7p5Wb/s1600/Batman+versus+Superman+1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="World's Finest Disaster" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruTJMV4uL9Um1UOykSigR5VoiRbXkJ_SZR9DfSPmR3Cbg0AdPzHMXh_tTIzvnLpa8dJswsuy4occp2J_6suxd0GFMpvRkhfZnoYuJt60CBV1EWk6RGgZUq22lTeMu-T4eWvT7p5Wb/s640/Batman+versus+Superman+1.jpg" title="Batman versus Superman" width="507" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Batman versus Superman: World's Finest Disaster</td></tr>
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Batman versus Superman has officially made a respectable US$82 million from ticket sale, and is projected to have an opening weekend return of US$170M - this despite the plethora of negative reviews that has plagued its release.<br />
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Unfortunately, this is another one of those bad reviews. In a nutshell we believe that DC and Zach Synder both gave in to the public pressure and criticism that followed Man of Steel (2013), and created an apologist version of what could have been a great movie.<br />
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And it wasn't a fun ride either. It was two hours worth of flipping screens with probably no more than four lines of dialogue exchanged between cardboard characters prior to a rather unimpressive gladiator match and another few minutes of city-wide carnage with supposedly no casualties.<br />
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So here's our take on why it didn't work, what did work, and what we feel needs to be changed if DC doesn't want to follow Michael Bay's mindless money making Transformers movies.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Suffice to say: Spoilers Ahead:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u><span style="color: red;">What worked?</span></u></b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFatDzKhXyZvAMqmsYp2t4CBGUx7NbCXy59nTdW5OeoJsSYmo61mbj2MdKDZcd8EsMmN6-mGMkLu928D9KN0u9do_z7u3zJcCmk1gv34HP97AkG7Zw0m5G12m6umTceF5W2NDBciJz/s1600/Gal-Gadot-Wonder-Woman-Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Gal Gadot" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFatDzKhXyZvAMqmsYp2t4CBGUx7NbCXy59nTdW5OeoJsSYmo61mbj2MdKDZcd8EsMmN6-mGMkLu928D9KN0u9do_z7u3zJcCmk1gv34HP97AkG7Zw0m5G12m6umTceF5W2NDBciJz/s640/Gal-Gadot-Wonder-Woman-Poster.jpg" title="Wonder Woman" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman</span></b>: Initially Gal Gadot's Diana Prince was a flat "Bond-girl" like character who liked to show off her smooth and sexy back and dress quite elegantly - albeit scantily. But that was fine considering that this was not her movie. Any true character development would occur when her own movie comes out. </div>
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Wonder Woman's entrance though was the turning point to this snooze-fest. Marked by a sudden change in score, Zynder's Wonder Woman was brave, aggressive, quick, powerful, precise, a true fighter - a true Amazon. She was doing more damage to Doomsday than Superman was - even if it wasn't "true" effective damage. Wonder Woman was hit less than Superman was. And when she was hit? Zynder added a very nice touch of having her smile, shrug it off and charge back into battle. Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman is a fine recipient of the torch being passed by Lynda Carter, and a fine role model for the woman of today.</div>
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Our only criticism of Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman is that she could have been more aggressive in terms of leadership - instead of deferring to the two alpha males. She has, after all, been fighting and doing the super-hero bit far longer than the other two have, so it should have been quite natural for her to assume a larger leadership role.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZp6kXqjJMLrPo7VxzHIhUfX2L_b5__PQ9q93XDfWhooin3N5TKldgRFtMQjZeK6e4EEYeU9TkDqEJJXED2etEcYeSDlpgExka3_oZ6BfhZ5zA8P_t8Hqmm6ll6aWDOi1uuPRpIKG3/s1600/Jason+Momoa+Aquaman+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZp6kXqjJMLrPo7VxzHIhUfX2L_b5__PQ9q93XDfWhooin3N5TKldgRFtMQjZeK6e4EEYeU9TkDqEJJXED2etEcYeSDlpgExka3_oZ6BfhZ5zA8P_t8Hqmm6ll6aWDOi1uuPRpIKG3/s400/Jason+Momoa+Aquaman+1.jpg" title="Aquaman" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason Momoa as Aquaman</td></tr>
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<b style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: blue;">Jason Momoa's Aquaman</span></b><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">: Aquaman was only shown for less than two minutes, but he was well shot. It honestly felt like looking at a Moray-Eel being disturbed in its lair - eventually lashing out at the drone dumb enough to bother it. It really made us want to see the movie.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.4px;">The only problem we had with that scene was that Jason Momoa was obviously holding his breath under-water. He should be breathing under water, and moving as naturally as he would move in the air. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioUz-6gcxk7uV-DoSwxpUAxQ5_VaIdARDRWaml6OrFHhB86rLq6NOg_9aCY5eOdjR0j0DpRvwioEw6Lnt87yY_FW4XqncbjCWW4uZgKJOrgtEzhgw7w1Ny4uZJbtyuewoJwwUZroqz/s1600/Batman-v-Superman-Batwing.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioUz-6gcxk7uV-DoSwxpUAxQ5_VaIdARDRWaml6OrFHhB86rLq6NOg_9aCY5eOdjR0j0DpRvwioEw6Lnt87yY_FW4XqncbjCWW4uZgKJOrgtEzhgw7w1Ny4uZJbtyuewoJwwUZroqz/s320/Batman-v-Superman-Batwing.png" /></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><b><span style="color: blue;">The Batwing!</span></b><span style="color: #7f7f7f;"> We love the non-batlike front wing. It's a unique design that works. Very sleek, sexy and - given that Batman uses the front wing as a launch platform - very practical. We look forward to owning a toy or Lego version in the immediate future. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZMuxfZTj8XIGWD9wbWuI2_fpAP-VNt7hWMkL7ufryD-98RYoF1cVThyphenhyphenX_kBmwbp4DuXtmu1zAuo_h1HNgbCNJ11i-q4EJmY8QvP9V1diiH0Er-EjN6b9XTgH_KTyEU6wvOGSzVk3/s1600/Alfred_Penyworth_82907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZMuxfZTj8XIGWD9wbWuI2_fpAP-VNt7hWMkL7ufryD-98RYoF1cVThyphenhyphenX_kBmwbp4DuXtmu1zAuo_h1HNgbCNJ11i-q4EJmY8QvP9V1diiH0Er-EjN6b9XTgH_KTyEU6wvOGSzVk3/s320/Alfred_Penyworth_82907.jpg" /></a><b style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: blue;">Jeremy Irons</span></b><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">: A wonderful Alfred. He comes across incredibly believable as a butler who can build a tank in his spare time. We wish his character was fleshed out a bit more, we'd love to know his background which definitely has to have a dash of military engineering in it. Sad though that Ben Affleck doesn't really listen to him, but we would find comfort listening to his calm firm voice in our ear if we were Batman. </span></div>
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<b style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: blue;">The trailers</span></b><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">: It was a treat to see the that there will be a Lego Batman movie (Will Arnett is the best Batman! :) ) , and that Bohemian Rhapsody themed Suicide Squad video will always be a winner to us. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.4px;">That's about it.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><u>What DIDN'T work?</u></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;">This will be a while:</span></div>
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<li style="background-color: white; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;">The Walking Dead's Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen, Losers) were not credited as Martha and Thomas Wayne. <b><u>DC Should seriously consider doing the Flashpoint universe Batman with those two cast as the Joker and Batman. </u></b></li>
<li style="background-color: white; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 22.4px;">Did we really need another Batman origin story? Especially as one as graphic and as detailed as that? Fine Zynder had to establish that Bruce Wayne's mom was also named Martha - a fact that was rubbed into us over-and-over again throughout the movie. So what are they saying? Batman is a momma's boy? If only his dad was shot would we have Batman? Even the dream sequence with a Bat creature breaking out of Martha Wayne's grave seems to imply this.</span></li>
<li style="background-color: white; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 22.4px;">What's with all the dream sequences? Zack Synder seems to believe that we're watching Sucker Punch - which admittedly has a cult following.</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6AgE-rS0gYMULBO8pkusep2lnLDnOhIjdh3kJLNF_Sh2PUqSy6ILPhNEDLpBN8sLwQePiNGAWVSpA3xj4U895fj_mnv5qyuCX_UOKzMWY1uM1W0cXoYZ3F1qmr11J7Vx-fKuVyeV9/s1600/batman-v-superman-desert.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6AgE-rS0gYMULBO8pkusep2lnLDnOhIjdh3kJLNF_Sh2PUqSy6ILPhNEDLpBN8sLwQePiNGAWVSpA3xj4U895fj_mnv5qyuCX_UOKzMWY1uM1W0cXoYZ3F1qmr11J7Vx-fKuVyeV9/s400/batman-v-superman-desert.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Batman: Knightmare</td></tr>
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<li style="background-color: white; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 22.4px;">A young Bruce Wayne being lifted to the light by the updraft of Bats in flight: Must be the severe head trauma.</span></li>
<li style="background-color: white; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 22.4px;">The Knightmare scenario: So this is what Batman fears the most: Superman becoming a tyrant in a dystopian world because he killed Lois Lane (Or let her die)? So which is is: The entire world knows that Lois Lane is dating Superman - which should make her a celebrity of sorts, one which the US Senate should have had interest in? Batman knows who Superman is and who Superman is dating and internally sees her as the source of why he's behaving? Or c: Zack Synder likes the Injustice series? Bottomline we guess this is at the core of Batman's fear of the future - let's keep that in mind. We should also note that this sequence is never brought up again.</span></li>
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<li style="background-color: white; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 22.4px;">One possibility though - thanks to the "Dream within a dream" tool involving Flash (At least we think it's the Flash, hard to say who the hell that is. He looked more like Cyborg) - is that this is a thinly veiled promotion for the arrival of Darkseid (Especially given the presence of the Parademons). But if this is so, then this sequence has nothing to do with Batman's need to protect the world against Superman. The movie is 2 and 1/2 hours long. Why do we have to compress points? We should also note that the troopers bow to Superman and have his logo on their clothing. So are we to suppose that Superman beats Darkseid and takes over? That's two movies down the road too far for a premonition. Give us Darkseid first. It also downgrades the big Darkseid's arrival. Don't worry folks: the world will go to hell but Superman will reign supreme.</span></li>
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<li style="background-color: white; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 22.4px;">The fight sequence within the Knightmare scenario was horrible. It was slow, had obvious miscues and was definitely worthy of a fight sequence from Arrow, but not something that you would expect from a several million Dollar movie. </span></li>
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<li style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"> The "incident" The US congress is investigating an incident that occurred in an African town that involved Superman. Witness statements say that Superman contributed to the entire village being wiped out by doing nothing about it. Failing to mention that a) It was a terrorist village so the world so the world shouldn't really care given the way things are in the real world; b) Nice to see the CIA isn't providing the US Congress with information, and; c) Most of the killing was done by people with guns - which Superman doesn't use. So it's kinda hard to understand why US taxpayers are paying for the hearings. It would have been better if they just focused on the events that happened in Metropolis.</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGjEnwglFI1U3F3LjEx0e-QooYZ9PMywWHVKR9vgyCKVxYWKBiOSJxwwBPunqsGJ9V39ZSWVmdGIrmmNPUuBGlq_yuE28BPRUjBycOLM_XUOe0H6S5BP9bHx7egbeBdgm5hJrj0bk/s1600/Holly+Hunter+Batman+vs+Superman+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGjEnwglFI1U3F3LjEx0e-QooYZ9PMywWHVKR9vgyCKVxYWKBiOSJxwwBPunqsGJ9V39ZSWVmdGIrmmNPUuBGlq_yuE28BPRUjBycOLM_XUOe0H6S5BP9bHx7egbeBdgm5hJrj0bk/s320/Holly+Hunter+Batman+vs+Superman+1.png" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;" /></a></div>
<ul style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;">
<li>What guard would not find it strange that a news camera man is still using film in this day and age. Jimmy Olsen as an operative of the CIA practically screamed "Inspect this camera!" </li>
<li>They killed Jimmy Olsen! WTF!!!</li>
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<li style="background-color: white; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 22.4px;">Speaking of Metropolis - and India - people just leave lost alien technology lying around and unguarded? We would think that a nuclear capable government like India would jealously hoard such a find instead of leaving it to petty scavengers. As for Metropolis, we find it hard to believe that Superman - or even the US government - would leave an alien ship in the heart of the city (And build a monument dedicated to those who died next door). Health issues alone dictate that the wreckage should have been moved out of the city.</span></li>
<li style="background-color: white; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 22.4px;">Again on Metropolis: Which is it? People love Superman for saving Metropolis? Or People hate him for the mass destruction. It really does seem in poor taste to have a Superman statue next to a wall in remembrance of those who died in the Metropolis Attack. Especially if the event is polarizing enough to warrant US congressional hearings and are loud enough to disturb Superman's sense of duty.</span></li>
<li style="background-color: white; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Batman: Surprisingly Ben Affleck was able to carry the weight of the Bat and he did justice to the role. Hat's off to you sir for delivering the character. However:</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYYBQSDQ5GBLiGwiv-sKKMUpbE4XZ5odQq7wYOwsLpGUMO_-sC7USqxGAuwQ_iOuY2lENtL3WtuGeNHHMa927VqDV48zN2YErq2W1CAkYxTPB6rNKQPoFCdJByH76mbo1lSLMYf7H/s1600/Sad+Batman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYYBQSDQ5GBLiGwiv-sKKMUpbE4XZ5odQq7wYOwsLpGUMO_-sC7USqxGAuwQ_iOuY2lENtL3WtuGeNHHMa927VqDV48zN2YErq2W1CAkYxTPB6rNKQPoFCdJByH76mbo1lSLMYf7H/s400/Sad+Batman.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sad Batman</td></tr>
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<ul style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;">
<li style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Ben Affleck brought nothing new to the Batman. If you were to splice the action sequences into one of Christian Bale's Batman movies, it would flow seamlessly. <span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Affleck looked and fit the part of the character, but he looked like nothing more than a continuation</span><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"> of Bale's character. </span>Christian Bale was criticized for being a brawler and less of a ninja, but Affleck was no different and even more so of a brawler. </span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">The armor. Ben Affleck's armor took several bullet holes which he just shrugged off, including a point-blank shot to the back of the head. Now if you just finished a binge on an unmentionable character on Netflix, then you know that while armor will stop a point-blank shot to the head, you will feel it. The only way around this is if this is some physics defying force-field or some kind of technical armor - none of which was ever established unlike Christian Bale's armor which was explained. But that's not the worst of it! Ben Affleck's Batman armor stops bullets, but a knife gets through? Perhaps it's because it penetrated near a joint and not a plate - but with man-boobs that big, then every knife stab that hits his chest will deflect to the joint. </span><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Sans the armor defects/question, the warehouse battle was very, very cool.</span></li>
<li style="background-color: white; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;">The code is gone. Batman doesn't kill. Period. Regardless of whether or not he's done it - which he has in the comic books - Batman separates himself from criminals by that one fact that is essential to the character. He's not the Punisher. He's the Batman. Yet here we have a Batman who wantonly dishes out .50 cal bullets. Supporters of the idea of a gun-happy Batman bring out that he's been traumatized by his past. Again this is not established. We get one shot of a Joker vandalized Robin costume (We get that that Robin is dead). We have a burned down Wayne Manor. We should like to remind comic-book and non-comic book readers that when Batman lost Jason Todd due to a reader's poll, Batman still adhered to his code for years following the death of that Robin. He still adhered to his code even after the fall of Barbara Gordon. He still adhered to his code after the death of Damian Wayne - his own son. </li>
<li style="background-color: white;">Batman's motivation against Superman is that he could wipe out the planet if he wanted to.... so his motivation is that he wants to stop the guy who can kill more people than he does?</li>
<li style="background-color: white; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;">Bruce Wayne always looked tired - even when he was flirting or attending a party (Why attend a party if you're tired?). Yes, once again, we get that this is an older, more jaded Batman, but it really isn't established again.</li>
</ul>
<li style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Superman: Henry Cavill delivered the role he had mastered in the movie that was supposed to be his till DC decided that Batman was more marketable. Our problems with the Man-of-Steel include:</span></li>
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJ_1dlLD_U7mWYxwN9pcn2jWBdihudj3yyYztj7lp9mQKsc0yot8lYOBLEylh3sM5CCcoWjYOfMdgcK9y2L2zKjjaN6AvsbXrUn-FMjDPi2JemogZZN5Wn7bDnpQgFYkqHy-xLR67/s1600/Superman_Batman_V_Superman_Character_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #7f7f7f; float: right; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJ_1dlLD_U7mWYxwN9pcn2jWBdihudj3yyYztj7lp9mQKsc0yot8lYOBLEylh3sM5CCcoWjYOfMdgcK9y2L2zKjjaN6AvsbXrUn-FMjDPi2JemogZZN5Wn7bDnpQgFYkqHy-xLR67/s400/Superman_Batman_V_Superman_Character_Poster.jpg" width="266" /></a>
<li style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Superman decides to stop the Dark Knight while he's actively pursuing a truck with people carrying heavy weaponry (Including a rocket launcher). It's just really strange that Superman considers violent vigilante activity more important than stopping people walking around with weapons dealers. Especially when it was very well within his powers to stop both at the time.</span></li>
<li style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Superman thinks that the Batman's brand of justice is extreme due to the violence - failing to remember that when he saved Lois Lane in Africa he charged a guy through several walls. If Zack Synder wants me to believe that that guy is still capable of breathing, I have a bridge I'd like to sell him.</span></li>
<li style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Perry White's deadlines. Having worked in the media, we know that we'd be fired if we couldn't submit a single article in the time that was given. You can't possibly make us believe that this all happened in the span of one day. And even then, Clark is being very disrespectful to his editor and what? Perry White is going to wait for Clark to submit or not before the issue goes to print? Why is Clark only doing one article? He's either overpaid or paid peanuts and is a drag on overhead expenses. </span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Clark seems quite obsessed with the Batman story - to the point that he's willing to challenge his boss. Why when he's also a super-violent vigilante is not established (What's the difference between branding someone and punching someone through a wall?). His disapproval of Batman seems.... petty and forced.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">At the same time, Clark is really bothered by the way people perceive him. He definitely doesn't want to be deified, but he also has problems with all the damage he caused. It was a pleasant, natural and modern societal reaction to the first movie. Especially since Zack Synder, through the scale of the destruction, made it a point to deify Superman powers in the first movie. We liked this development and wished they focused more on this rather than force a reason to battle the Bat - not that he needed to because in the end, he had to be blackmailed to fight the Bat. </span></span></li>
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<li style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Superman walks into a trap.</span></li>
<li style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Superman walks into a trap again.</span></li>
<li style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Superman walks into a trap for the third time. Guess all those Super senses aren't working. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Superman is blackmailed into killing the Bat - but even if he doesn't want to fight, he flies overhead in the most menacing way possible and does a Superhero landing that leaves a crater (He was in a hurry! So why bother hovering and posturing above?). There was at least a dozen ways that Superman could have diffused that situation, but he chose to fight. Why? Because he doesn't like Batman's level of violence? Shouldn't he have been more worried about his mother and pushed that level of pettiness aside? Batman may have hurt him, but he did not force Clark to fight. Clark chose to fight.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Speaking of which, Superman was able to hear Lois Lane's muffled thumps for help during a pitched battle, but in a span of 1 hour he can't scour the world to find his mother?</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Throughout the movie Superman was fighting for a place in the world. In the end Zynder killed him showing people he really didn't have a place in the world. We guess we have to wait for the next movie to see if he gets any redemption.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Lois Lane: From super-tough journalist, to perennial damsel in distress.</span></span></li>
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<li style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 22.4px;">Amy Adams's Lois Lane was naked but we didn't see more :( </span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Lex Luthor: Why is Mark Zuckerberg out to kill Superman? And yes, Jessie Eisenberg seemed to do just that: Reprise his role as Mark Zuckerberg with a touch of psychotic. What's his motivation? Kill Superman! How? Get the Bat to do it, he's gullible anyway. Why? Speaking of which, Luthor apparently knows who Batman and Superman are. Why didn't Luthor have files on them? Batman should have found that little tidbit in his files. If you know the secret identity of your enemies, there are sooo many other ways to torture and kill them. In the end it's revealed that it's because Darkseid is coming and we need a team of superheroes to band together to fight him. So why kill the strongest member of the team? If Luthor's motive were so altruistic, there were a million ways that he could have assembled a team and even look like a hero doing so. How did he even know Darkseid was coming? Why is Lex Luthor the most convincing Joker that we've seen 2nd only Heath Ledger? Totally miscast. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">The battle between Batman and Superman: While we were told early on that Zynder relied heavily on the Dark Knight Returns saga, he clearly only borrowed the Bat-armor. Our problems with this are:</span></span></li>
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSGAgKXY3voY-jrD10FHke7BMn3RclS5QP6mnXrLGV1xe7wvvbUszIqNc2vR5PP5V00_uExVGbcvYcAXYvTKsiUXB0LvhRDTKioyMvSyGFJbuAWoMfc7J6Y_FFkLaqhWh5EOq8VCU/s1600/Batman+versus+Superman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSGAgKXY3voY-jrD10FHke7BMn3RclS5QP6mnXrLGV1xe7wvvbUszIqNc2vR5PP5V00_uExVGbcvYcAXYvTKsiUXB0LvhRDTKioyMvSyGFJbuAWoMfc7J6Y_FFkLaqhWh5EOq8VCU/s640/Batman+versus+Superman.jpg" width="297" /></a>
<li><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Ten minutes? That's it? We sat through 2 hours of build up for 10 minutes?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Batman goes to war with someone who can throw laser beams from his eyes: Leaves his mouth exposed. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Superman really didn't have to fight Batman. Especially since his mother was his real motivation to meeting up with Bruce. In fact, had Luthor not kidnapped Superman's mom or thrown Lois Lane off a building, Batman could have been waiting up all night for Superman to show up. What was Bruce thinking? I shine the Batsignal up into the sky and Superman will automatically come?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">The fight ends with "He's going to kill Martha!" Dying, and about to become a shish kebab, Superman decides that now is the time to refer to his mother by her first name? Writers across the universe wince knowing that they would not have written that that way.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">And even if they both have Martha's for a mom - not the same mom by the way - why does that suddenly bury 18 months of Batman's anger? He's ready to kill Superman, and suddenly decides to become his best friend just because they have the same mother's name?Complete and utter rubbish for writing!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">A better ending would have been to have a weak and beaten Superman win the battle and threaten to kill Batman with Batman going "Go ahead! Do it!" It's cliched but it would be Superman's chance to prove Batman wrong and win him over to his side. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Superman and Batman stop fighting and Superman prepares to leave to go find his mom - maybe you should have done that to begin with instead of trying to take Batman's head (So he had to be seriously considering it to have come to Gotham to fight Batman - which really should fire up Batman even more). But let's assume it's all a change of heart, heat of the moment thing for Superman. Batman stops him and says "No I'll find her" and Superman just goes off. How does Superman know that a guy who was just trying to kill him can find his mom - an act that he couldn't do - in ten minutes? Note that Superman knows nothing about Anatoli Knyazev or that Batman cloned his phone. Batman also has to go on a stretch to assume that it's Anatoli who has Superman's mother. He can't possibly be the only muscle that Lex Luthor has can he?</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">The final battle: Loved the visuals. Very powerful, very action filled. Wonder Woman was perfect! Superman kept getting swatted around, and Batman was useless. But:</span></span></li>
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhvssNXfLaxxnyp5jde1mrnThrVQfX5O6zr6TZfO_afElAR4e1V6n8EXAGg3UsHORSlKlm9pPm1EQDAK-LriBiE1BigwsJ9C23yeb8gP6vkV5dGwF2qVYvtMCsdvmYX_Y_G0ydRHA/s1600/The+Thing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhvssNXfLaxxnyp5jde1mrnThrVQfX5O6zr6TZfO_afElAR4e1V6n8EXAGg3UsHORSlKlm9pPm1EQDAK-LriBiE1BigwsJ9C23yeb8gP6vkV5dGwF2qVYvtMCsdvmYX_Y_G0ydRHA/s320/The+Thing.jpg" /></a>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #7f7f7f;">Last year we wrote about </span><b><a href="http://guardiandc.blogspot.com/2015/08/fantastic-four-2015.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Josh Trank's Fantastic Four</span></a></b><span style="color: #7f7f7f;"> and how he had a naked Thing with no penis. Throughout the movie, Zack Synder would position circumstances so that no one would see General Zod's (Michael Shannon's) privates. When Doomsday finally appears, he comes out via the same process a Lord of the Rings Uruk-hai does, he looks exactly like a cave troll, AND NO PENIS!!!! :D No wonder he isn't a happy camper. </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #7f7f7f;">Doomsday: If that's what happens when you mix Kryptonian with Human DNA, Superman and Lois should consider themselves warned. </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #7f7f7f;">Zack Synder goes out of his way to make sure a news announcer thanks God that everyone had gone home for the day. Either the people of Metropolis hate the environment and leave their lights on, or there are a lot of people still in the city at that hour. It's a city that rivals New York! How could there be no people in it. So no way did people not die because of this. </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #7f7f7f;">Zack Synder finally has Superman try to knock the guy into space! FINALLY!!!! The right thing to do! Finally a Superman who is wary of the human and collateral damage that something like battling Doomsday would cost. Bravo! This is something he should have tried in the first movie and we're glad he tried it. </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #7f7f7f;">Naturally the stupid humans Nuke the two. If gravity claimed Doomsday back to Earth, guess what it did to the radioactive fallout. Exoatmospheric nuclear detonations were banned in 1967, but their effects were so widespread over the globe that they literally left timestamps on trees. They really just should have just let Superman do what he was doing - which was the right thing. </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #7f7f7f;">He falls to Earth, and Batman draws him to "An abandoned dock" in Gotham. Again, Zack Synder has to remind viewers that there is nobody there to get killed - even if Batman and Superman both forgot that that's where they left Lois Lane, please show us an "abandoned city" that doesn't have at least a few indigents living in it. How big is this abandoned area and why is it abandoned? Are things that bad in Gotham that people are abandoning portions of the city? It doesn't make sense. Also, note that Superman threw Doomsday into a fuel depot, that exploded. Fuel is just left in abandoned portions of Gotham city with no guards or crew?</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #7f7f7f;">Batman was useless. Maybe he should have gone to look for the spear instead of gawking over Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman who was single-handedly holding Doomsday at bay. Speaking of which:</span></span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #7f7f7f;">How did Bruce Wayne get Wonder Woman's email address?</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #7f7f7f;">Why did Wonder Woman give the server copier back to Bruce Wayne if she was trying to hide her secret? All she did was give her secret to someone else.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #7f7f7f;">How was she planning to steal the data during the party - which was what she set out to do originally? Steal the actual server and fly out?</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #7f7f7f;">Why is Lex Luthor's most prized secrets stored in a glass room next to the kitchen? Wouldn't it have been easier for Bruce Wayne to bribe a kitchen attendant to walk in there, plant the device and give it back to him? No guard after all and people seem to just waltz in and out pretending to look for the bathroom. </span></span></span></li>
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<span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">That's about all we can remember at the moment. We had really high hopes for this film even if we did not like Man of Steel or the casting of Ben Affleck. To be fair, Ben is not the reason why this movie was bad. There are many reasons why this movie went bad and we think that the biggest reason is that DC gave into the pressure to play catch up with Marvel. In the process they wanted a movie that would springboard all their upcoming characters, movies and plotlines, while ignoring that the movie has to stand on it's own to begin with. There are simply too many items that Batman versus Superman expects the audience to swallow. There are too many subplots, too many comic books (The Dark Knight Returns and the Death of Superman) jammed into this movie.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Sadly, a good majority of the public like the movie. That's not necessarily a bad thing as at the end of the day, the goal is to entertain the public. Was the movie entertaining? The last act was. Everything before that in our opinion was a snoozefest brought forth by lazy writing. This <span style="white-space: pre;">is surprising because the writers are </span></span></span><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; line-height: 22.4px;">Chris Terrio - the guy who wrote Argo; and </span><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; line-height: 22.4px;">David S. Goyer - The Dark Knight Trilogy. We can and should have definitely expected more from these two</span><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; line-height: 22.4px;">. However, while the goal of movies should be to entertain, it should also be to entertain at a higher level. Provide a story that inspires positive thought and action - not make people actually waste time writing reviews like this one. And to do that, you have to deliver a good story.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Else, Hollywood might as well just follow Micheal Bay's formula: Explosions, explosions, explosions, shoot in China so that 1B Chinese will watch to see China. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">That being said, if you're a comic book buff, this movie is not for you. If you're just a casual fan who wants to be entertained, then go for it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">We leave you with Sad Affleck. It's really not his fault and he shouldn't carry the blame. </span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-24084203042709528082015-12-21T11:11:00.000-08:002015-12-25T15:29:33.553-08:00Star Wars Episode VII: Rewriting A New Hope<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1zAXQr90aAm9pt8rpZ2-WbIWSoqEsvuUUCfs8rAgU458wXbF6l8bw_0QKzMHlBfCNdazc2V4mOBBACwkrbn8cc8ZOlTAKkDwJtuVIzXgFKiCfMH3Gt5OluoZlbcc7tv2fxWvOqsD/s1600/Star+Wars+Episode+VII+the+Force+Awakens+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1zAXQr90aAm9pt8rpZ2-WbIWSoqEsvuUUCfs8rAgU458wXbF6l8bw_0QKzMHlBfCNdazc2V4mOBBACwkrbn8cc8ZOlTAKkDwJtuVIzXgFKiCfMH3Gt5OluoZlbcc7tv2fxWvOqsD/s400/Star+Wars+Episode+VII+the+Force+Awakens+1.jpg" width="400" /></a>Star Wars Episode VII has officially become the movie with the largest opening weekend of all time in the United States with US$240 million made from ticket sales, beating Jurassic World's US$208.4 million.<br />
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And it's not surprising. Despite all the apprehensions that some of us may have had at the choice of JJ Abrams as director and George Lucas' supposed disappointment over the direction of Episode VII, it was a fun ride from start to finish with never a dull moment and a ton of "I didn't see that coming" moments. </div>
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So here's our take on why it worked, what didn't work, and what we feel we will see in the Star Wars Episode VIII.</div>
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Suffice to say: <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Spoilers Ahead:</b></span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">What worked?</span></u></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">The rewriting of Star Wars A New Hope</span></b>: What we think worked is that JJ Abrams managed to stick to the central theme of the original Star Wars movie. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue;">McQuarrie Concept Han Solo</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>Once again you have a small seemingly harmless droid (<b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2015/10/star-wars-black-series-rey-jakku-bb-8.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">BB-8</span></a></b> the love child of the 1st Death Star and R2-D2) carrying information vital to the Resistance (Formerly the Rebellion) that's wanted by the First Order (Formerly the Empire);</li>
<li>Main characters have to deliver the droid to the Resistance. One of them just wants to get back to doing what she was doing (Like Han Solo wanted in the first movie, now <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2015/10/star-wars-black-series-rey-jakku-bb-8.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Rey</span></a></b>); the other just wanted to start a new life (Not quite Luke, but in a sense what Finn was). </li>
<li>You have a villain who used to be a instrument for good following the orders of a hologram;</li>
<li>Daddy issues (Well that's more ESB and ROJ than ANH); </li>
<li>A wizened old man returns from exile and inspires belief in a hokey religion called the Force; (Han Solo - The McQuarrie concept Han Solo reveals that the original Han Solo was meant to be a swashbuckling Jedi Knight/pirate. The character was later split to create Obi-Wan Kenobi and the smuggler Han Solo)</li>
<li>Wizened old man dies in the presence of the Force sensitive he inspired (While it pains me to know that Han Solo is dead, he died a good death trying to bring his son - Ben [<b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2015/09/star-wars-black-series-kylo-ren.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Kylo Ren</span></a></b>] - back to the light. Almost succeeded too). </li>
<li>Main character surrenders completely to the Force to defeat the villain;</li>
<li>Villain survives encounter with the hero and will make a come back in the next Episode (Which is probably what <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2013/07/star-wars-black-series-darth-maul.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Darth Maul</span></a></b> should have done)</li>
<li>A Death Star (It's still a Death Star, no matter how big it is) planet killer (Multiple planets this time) - you gotta love the physics that shows that it will take time even for such a "laser" weapon to travel the vastness of space (Though it's probably still not realistic);</li>
<li>A trench run</li>
<li><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2014/10/star-wars-black-series-darth-vader.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Anakin Skywalker</span></b></a>'s lightsaber is back - again people pass if around business end first. If you don't pass around a knife business end first, you probably shouldn't pass around a lightsaber business end first.</li>
</ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHb4Abplq6OcFAgMjfBucfpCEqjCNvDFUJ8TLKHNlFKhmPUPPT0njtuWTd4D4eztN3udjM3mxEPMbmgDOxiMjDef6lVjq4rUMeaGQhw-50iwLd2hFcgp2JypfgHbjCZaBk-J2MBQv9/s640/Black+Series+Kylo+Ren+27.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Kylo Ren" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><b>Kylo Ren</b></i></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
</ul>
<div>
<u><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">What's New?</span></b> </span></u></div>
<ul>
<li>The chemistry: </li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJ4_B-qBW0OsfkvJg0gXfeV-0kyRDjvbzY46b_1PhJv3iBWu-DATQm_WI3dvD77rdzZYGikWAxzqmW9J_ric12k612DpR5qsjeAxxwGn9rQjuv5yP8Ft6zWRH6E5nWbuCLge9VoIm/s1600/Black+Series+Rey+30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJ4_B-qBW0OsfkvJg0gXfeV-0kyRDjvbzY46b_1PhJv3iBWu-DATQm_WI3dvD77rdzZYGikWAxzqmW9J_ric12k612DpR5qsjeAxxwGn9rQjuv5yP8Ft6zWRH6E5nWbuCLge9VoIm/s400/Black+Series+Rey+30.jpg" title="Star Wars Episode VII Rey" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue;"><i>Rey</i></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>The dynamic and seemingly platonic (To the point of friendzoned) tandem of John Boyega and Daisy Ridley is incredible! Maybe it's best that they stay "just friends" Their acting is natural, unforced and refreshing. And that says a lot because most of the movie is carried by these two newcommers to the Star Wars universe. Those who did not watch this movie because of a "<i>Black Stormtrooper</i>" don't deserve the movie. Though seriously: A "<i>Black Stormtrooper"</i> is more of a political joke that a lot of people don't get. Really love the fact that even John Boyega can laugh at it. More power to you sir! </li>
<li>You can feel the love, pain, regret and the rift that now exists between Han Solo and Princess Leia. It's sad to find out that the two lovers from the original trilogy parted ways, but you can see why: When faced with the fall of their son to the Dark Side of the Force, both characters returned to the basics - what they do best - to deal with the pain. Leia turned her efforts to the Resistance, and Han went back to smuggling. Even Luke was so affected that he went back into the wilderness. Unfortunately, Han's attempt to bring his family back together failed.</li>
<li>We have a new-found respect for Adam Driver who we absolutely hated in Girls - probably because we were forced to watch it. Now THAT's a villain! We look forward to his return and hopeful(?) redemption. </li>
</ul>
<li>More comedy. The witty lines and snappy comedic scenes that we enjoyed in the re-make of Star Trek (I know, it's heresy to discuss Trek here)? Star Trek Episode VII is chock full of them. We're especially fond of the two Stormtroopers who did a 180 turn when they saw <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2015/09/star-wars-black-series-kylo-ren.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Kylo Ren</span></a></b> venting his anger in a room.</li>
<li>The cameos: Seems like everyone wants to be in Star Wars, including 007 himself who was the Stormtrooper who fell to the Force suggestions of <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2015/10/star-wars-black-series-rey-jakku-bb-8.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Rey</span></a></b>.</li>
<li>Stormtroopers - this time they actually hit things, and that electric tonfa that can take the strike of a lightsaber was simply awesome.</li>
<li>Lighsaber duels (There was only one in ANH between Kenobi and Vader). Not as brilliant as the battles in the prequels, but just as dramatic;</li>
<li>A non(?) Force user wielding a lightsaber;</li>
<li>Proper use of the Dark-Side: This is the first instance that the world has seem a Dark Side user physically hurt himself to get more powerful. JJ Abrams' idea that <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2015/09/star-wars-black-series-kylo-ren.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Kylo Ren</span></a></b> should strike his bleeding bowcaster wound to fuel his rage shows that he has a complex understanding to the use of the Force. Speaking of <b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2015/09/star-wars-black-series-kylo-ren.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Kylo Ren</span></a></b>:</li>
<ul>
<li>Force Paralysis: That's only been seen in the video games. They didn't even use this in the prequels</li>
<li>Stopping a laser-bolt in mid-air. Now that's new and on the level of "<i>Holt S#%t!!!!</i>"</li>
<li>Now that we know that the guard of his lightsaber can cut, that is really an impractical weapon and he probably stabs himself involuntarily all the time.</li>
</ul>
<li>X-Wings - smaller, more maneuverable than their older cousins, used in a very dramatic rescue;</li>
<li>Jumping to lightspeed within close proximity of a hanger bay - only Han Solo would be that crazy and it's probably really dangerous.</li>
<li>Jumping to lightspeed into close proximity with a planet - probably up there with "<i>Are you insane?</i>" </li>
<li>Star Trek displays of physics (HERESY!!!!). </li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5Vkfq_m0VqZ3-64USoEKF6sRmy1OPq6afzhCe-Qd9o__LSj9CC4wOFGwjawROito_3VA_2wnmTbQSpxa4h19-2_GK0_QS-yO7EArnk7cQRvZmLCdLdL-Ax86kwrz6_7wEoRvMFUm/s1600/Black+Series+Captain+Phasma+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5Vkfq_m0VqZ3-64USoEKF6sRmy1OPq6afzhCe-Qd9o__LSj9CC4wOFGwjawROito_3VA_2wnmTbQSpxa4h19-2_GK0_QS-yO7EArnk7cQRvZmLCdLdL-Ax86kwrz6_7wEoRvMFUm/s640/Black+Series+Captain+Phasma+18.jpg" title="Star Wars Episode VII Captain Phasma" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Captain Phasma</span></i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<u><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">What's DIDN'T work?</span></b> </span></u></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7_Axqm-MoAzQMCw3qakGgqSbyZwXT6bIxPzsWCxvSKJOG3kRshi5vV7XrP9odLkr9yQMBZHwNKk1Id8P285fLOV-Ce9ksNM8rGRaAU5kr1Gj-HLBK7Bp6L7NkSTRQhFop0DygaWj/s1600/Black+Series+Mara+Jade+6+Lit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7_Axqm-MoAzQMCw3qakGgqSbyZwXT6bIxPzsWCxvSKJOG3kRshi5vV7XrP9odLkr9yQMBZHwNKk1Id8P285fLOV-Ce9ksNM8rGRaAU5kr1Gj-HLBK7Bp6L7NkSTRQhFop0DygaWj/s320/Black+Series+Mara+Jade+6+Lit.jpg" title="Star Wars Black Series Mara Jade" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><b>Mara Jade Skywalker</b></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2015/09/star-wars-black-series-captain-phasma.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Captain Phasma</b></span></a>: So..... why exactly is this woman to be feared and why did JJ Abrams feel the need to cast the great Gwendoline Christie to play a comic foil? All she did was look menacing the entire movie. We're kinda glad we sold the action figure before her value goes down. <a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2015/09/star-wars-black-series-captain-phasma.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Captain Phasma</b></span></a> was a waste of a wonderful actress and a wonderful opportunity to show powerful women in a male dominated Empire/First Order. </li>
<li>Starkiller base: So the new Death star, Starkiller base - whose name is an ironic tribute to the original Luke Skywalker - is basically a Death Star built into a planet. To stop it from destroying the Resistance, they send three (?) squadrons of X-Wing fighters to destroy a capacitor on the planet. Clearly this is not a job for X-Wings (And seriously you only have 3 squadrons?). This is a job for orbital bombardment - especially since the shields are gone. With the future of the resistance at stake, what was the point of holding back the fleet? And where was the First Order's fleet? </li>
<li>The destruction of all the Star Wars history that begun with the Heir to the Empire trilogy of Timothy Zahn in 1991. While we loved Episode VII, it just feels like we wasted our time reading all those books. Gone now are:</li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQsG9txzI1vaLhvGmrZQqT-omxm3gjTOeQ35g2gcRqaLaeeKzAQgnKJrf1wfEe4m0n6QCcQALVVDyISk9Ig6R2NYzcGa99aCokZaWEbjycj2yhY188nqpKRMW8gZOfmOaYszcLS3u/s1600/Jacen+and+Jaina+Solo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQsG9txzI1vaLhvGmrZQqT-omxm3gjTOeQ35g2gcRqaLaeeKzAQgnKJrf1wfEe4m0n6QCcQALVVDyISk9Ig6R2NYzcGa99aCokZaWEbjycj2yhY188nqpKRMW8gZOfmOaYszcLS3u/s320/Jacen+and+Jaina+Solo.jpg" title="Jacen and Jaina Solo" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Jaina and Jacen Solo</span></i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>Mara Jade (seemingly)</li>
<li>Princess Leia becoming a Jedi - though her powers are acknowledged as she felt Han Solo's fall. </li>
<li>The New Jedi order - which, given their age, should exist by now</li>
<li>The retaking of Coruscant and the establishment of the New Republic (Seemingly). We're kinda shocked that the Republic Civil War has lasted this long)</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.darklorddungeon.com.ph/2011/01/jacen-and-jaina-solo.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Jacen Solo, Jaina Solo</span></a></b>, Anakin Solo</li>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<li>Ben Skywalker. Interesting that now, Ben is a Solo. We should probably also note that in the now nonexistent books, Ben was corrupted by Darth Caedus (Jacen Solo) and that also promoted Luke Skywalker into a period of indecision. </li>
</ul>
<li>The music. Other than the original score music, we did not feel as moved by anything original from Episode VII - unlike say the memorable subtle notes of Duel of the Fates. </li>
<ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
<div>
<u><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">What we think will happen?</span></b> </span></u></div>
</div>
<ul>
<li>This is our guess for Episode VII: We know that Rey:</li>
<ul>
<li>Was abandoned by unknown parents on Jakku;</li>
<li>Is a Force Sensitive of incredible power, able to tap into the Force on gut feel alone almost as if she's HAD training;</li>
<li>Was drawn to the Skywalker lightsaber.</li>
<li>Has a strong affinity for the Millennium Falcon. Almost as if she's been on it before.</li>
</ul>
<li>Given the above, our great "What if" for Episode VIII is: "<i><b><span style="color: blue;">What if Rey is Luke Skywalker's daughter?</span></b></i>" It makes sense: strong in the Force; Repressed (Or Force blocked) memories that are starting to appear naturally; affinity for the Skywalker legacy, and; a teacher who abandoned the galaxy when he saw that his nephew fell to the Darkside. It makes a bit of cruel practical sense to abandon Rey on Jakku given that (If our theory is correct) Luke was traumatized (May therefore himself fall to the Darkside, and, probably at that time, felt that being with a daughter who may herself fall to the Darkside under his tutelage was unacceptable) and being hunted by the First Order. </li>
<li>It could also explain why the Millennium Falcon was left behind on Jakku. The story of it being stolen and ending up on Jakku exactly when it's needed beggars the realm of possibility. It's more probably that it's waiting for the day when she claims it. </li>
<li>Which also raises another possibility: Did the Solo's have twins as they did in the now non-canon books, and did Luke wipe their memories as well? Is Rey really Ben's sister?</li>
<li>We should also note the plethora of Rebellion equipment within Rey's AT-AT including a Rebellion pilot doll and that helmet that looks pretty generic. </li>
<li>Also, remember the trailer with the VO of Luke Skywalker saying: "<i>The Force is strong in my family. My Father has it. I have it. My sister has it. You have that power too</i>." While this could be an unrevealed conversation between Luke and Kylo. It could also be an unrevealed conversation between Luke and Rey. </li>
</ul>
<div>
But that's our theory. What do you think? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8vdXgvOMUe2jfq32BTZMyhU0CRQXL_x60rVGxHo2jqhdUiA_DxwP0LX6iqg9SZMQviyvkvDiH2Md7p4qfChTE4BSpME1xT0tUHNlx-SwE0N19-6qHTHczXSeEroLXC1ZRZLFaqpO/s1600/Black+Series+Rey+40.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Star Wars Episode VII Rey" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">The Force Awakens Rey</span></i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul><ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-85368666589009850862015-08-27T11:36:00.000-07:002015-08-27T11:36:01.265-07:00The Negativity Jar<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggodnz1iL2aUGTyikvEY5GwSgKsOsoSsIOLqVGyt76eOTvuLuZn-YCg_7CCFXwJUtwSf8DkjjuYv0nRX2Kyy2QO-HmjoDFW82RrRnXyViAFZoiJNFrZCKE6M5EeG30r_xxByldRkKc/s1600/stop_negativity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggodnz1iL2aUGTyikvEY5GwSgKsOsoSsIOLqVGyt76eOTvuLuZn-YCg_7CCFXwJUtwSf8DkjjuYv0nRX2Kyy2QO-HmjoDFW82RrRnXyViAFZoiJNFrZCKE6M5EeG30r_xxByldRkKc/s400/stop_negativity.jpg" width="400" /></a>I have a Negativity Jar.<br />
<br />
A Negativity Jar functions just like a Swear Jar. But instead of fining myself for cursing, I started fining myself for every negative thought I had or voiced - particularly voiced because negatively is contagious.<br />
<br />
So I set out to fine myself PhP 1 - not a really large amount - for every negative thought or negativity that I would voice.<br />
<br />
What scared me was that just after three days, I was at PhP 63. Or 21 negative thoughts or statements within a span of three days. Almost 1 per hour - more if you remove the hours spent asleep and take into consideration the possibility that I did not catch all my negative thoughts and words.<br />
<br />
I thought that was quite a number, and if you're trying to live your life based upon what we can pick off from the Secret, then that was 63 draws of negative energy that was literally drowning me.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmugFaLZVDCfHItt6zhJVD9d7GYQgQxIQGLpfgSygcj3RWHJHnc4RV8aAuZy8ubAg9e7v7wIw38WEiOwGHoPxtn5_L5nUjhrCttYMQLgDmbZ9PxxMifV-z2L8ifLF7Ufes7T11lzB/s1600/GAP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmugFaLZVDCfHItt6zhJVD9d7GYQgQxIQGLpfgSygcj3RWHJHnc4RV8aAuZy8ubAg9e7v7wIw38WEiOwGHoPxtn5_L5nUjhrCttYMQLgDmbZ9PxxMifV-z2L8ifLF7Ufes7T11lzB/s320/GAP.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;">This is not the ad on the facade</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then I saw what free flowing negative thoughts did in action.<br />
<br />
My girlfriend and I were walking in Megamall here in the Philippines when we walked past the GAP store on the second level, and their facade featured a woman of Asian (?) descent wearing a blue top.<br />
<br />
What struck me was that she was wearing no make up.<br />
<br />
And a negative thought bubble started forming in my head that I'll complete here: I was partially disgusted, partially offended that a major clothing store would present, offer, to me a model who is not presented or offered in the most palatable fashion as possible.<br />
<br />
That thought now actually sends a shiver of shame down my spine. How could I be that much of an elitist snob?<br />
<br />
So I'm glad I caught the thought.<br />
<br />
Instead I just stared at the woman's clean face and realized that she was actually quite attractive. And I found myself admiring her beauty every time I passed the facade. I also grew to appreciate the store's marketing campaign that featured a real person, not a dressed up doll that was selling apparel - not her face. It made perfect, real-world sense.<br />
<br />
And I started telling my girlfriend about it.<br />
<br />
But I also realized that had I completely voiced the negative thought in my head, I would have reinforced that thought, just as the positive thought was reinforced, every time I passed by the ad. And that I would have eventually voiced that negativity to another person, passing on my bile.<br />
<br />
So this exercise - while costly - really does work and it is helping me to see the world in a brighter, more positive manner.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-79614528401097733462015-08-06T02:16:00.001-07:002015-08-06T02:16:48.016-07:00Fantastic Four 2015<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB85iVBJcz5VYJTG4VUUFu1ftNpsdWXLPXJR9GCj7b_IdtIvfI4DKl5aaGh9HlYLYCLqzgW0_33FkCYHXtiIYMIefrHTcflSiBGHlTK_iuD3tBVbPb4AC2_W-ofZhpbwLCzXJvnNsW/s1600/2015_Fantastic_Four_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB85iVBJcz5VYJTG4VUUFu1ftNpsdWXLPXJR9GCj7b_IdtIvfI4DKl5aaGh9HlYLYCLqzgW0_33FkCYHXtiIYMIefrHTcflSiBGHlTK_iuD3tBVbPb4AC2_W-ofZhpbwLCzXJvnNsW/s400/2015_Fantastic_Four_Poster.jpg" width="270" /></a>My thoughts on the new Fantastic Four movie.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Director: Josh Trank</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Writing Credits </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Simon Kinberg<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>...<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>(screenplay) &</li>
<li>Jeremy Slater<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>...<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>(screenplay) &</li>
<li>Josh Trank<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>...<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>(screenplay)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cast (in credits order) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Miles Teller - Reed Richards</li>
<li>Michael B. Jordan -Johnny Storm</li>
<li>Kate Mara<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Sue Storm</li>
<li>Jamie Bell<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> - Ben Grimm / The Thing</li>
<li>Toby Kebbell - Victor Von Doom / Dr. Doom</li>
<li>Reg E. Cathey - Dr. Franklin Storm</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t remember where or when it was said, but there was
once a discussion as to why the Fantastic Four is debatably the most powerful
superhero team in the Marvel Universe. Yes they don’t have thunder-gods, ninja-assassins
or Omega-Level Masters of Magnetism (Well they do have someone who can burn
with the full power of an exploding sun), but they were one thing no Marvel
team was: they were a “<i>Family</i>”. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that simple fact seems to have been lost in Josh Trank’s
version of the Fantastic Four. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">SPOILERS AHEAD</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">MOVIE SUMMARY</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCba0aojJZVU4U-_dtJhJzIZJTaO1dwUag6Nn6-G0lR7X4y8w8EOFjgl-f-wSOrJOADGN5-bcE5RnzhmD4yZcsP73Lgmk726EeN9LfAzcTi0npHFjy1ScT-SLQnZ1DlEU8AsQSINtk/s1600/Event+Horizon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCba0aojJZVU4U-_dtJhJzIZJTaO1dwUag6Nn6-G0lR7X4y8w8EOFjgl-f-wSOrJOADGN5-bcE5RnzhmD4yZcsP73Lgmk726EeN9LfAzcTi0npHFjy1ScT-SLQnZ1DlEU8AsQSINtk/s400/Event+Horizon.jpg" width="280" /></a>Instead the movie asks viewers to sit through a tedious
origin story that asks us to really stretch the term “suspension of disbelief.”
It begins with a 7 year old Reed Richards who we are supposed to believe was
able to build a teleportation device out of toys and aluminium foil. He meets and befriends Ben Grimm while
raiding the Grimm’s Junk Yard for a transformer – why the Grimms just so happen
to have a transformer in a junk yard full of cars is beyond me. Unlike the comic books where Ben Grimm is a
noble football star out to protect the defenceless Reed, this Ben Grimm is the
runt of his family, and when we see him 7 years later, he’s actually smaller
than Reed Richards. Anyway, Reed successfully activates his teleporter and is
able to swap a toy car for rocks from wherever he sent the car. Here’s the
thing – he doesn’t know where he’s sending the car, only that he’s sending the
car somewhere. For all he knows he could be teleporting objects into another
human being. Sounds like the premise for Event Horizon. He also manages to
knock out the power grid for the entire New York. Talk about reckless. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7 years later, the two best friends are together in a
Science Project having “perfected” the teleporter and successfully sending
objects into what they believe is the Gobi desert in China based upon the
returning dust. They are disqualified for peddling magic in a science fair. Enter
Dr. Franklin Storm and his adopted daughter Susan. Why a prominent scientist
would be trawling a rural high-school science fair for the slim chance that
there would be a student with a working teleporter is again beyond me. It
doesn’t sound probable that the scientific community would be talking about it
because no one believes him. Which leaves us with social media, but if his
research, success and failures is publicly online and Sue Storm later tells
Richards that he was lucky he didn’t create a black hole that swallowed the
world – a fact that seemed to only dawn on Reed when she mentions it – why not
contact him earlier and get him to stop a potential Earth Extinction? Instead
they actually let him activate it in a high-school gymnasium. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBKiitopjBPe8X4wdkkqcwOSDExg9CYCw7itodbYT36RwBReSc1BxXiNgWblB2hqr3DCdkWI2152UDBDilmYQTVN2kIFK8cTO5apWaWMODWiYr-8M9oKY83UDI5bFkBfYMYaQcHl8/s1600/635640150236937897-56-FANTASTIC-FOUR-MOV-jy-5566-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBKiitopjBPe8X4wdkkqcwOSDExg9CYCw7itodbYT36RwBReSc1BxXiNgWblB2hqr3DCdkWI2152UDBDilmYQTVN2kIFK8cTO5apWaWMODWiYr-8M9oKY83UDI5bFkBfYMYaQcHl8/s400/635640150236937897-56-FANTASTIC-FOUR-MOV-jy-5566-.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So.... it's NOT a teleporter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They tell Reed that he hasn’t created a teleporter. He’s
created an interdimensional-gateway (Definitely Event Horizon) and they show
him a vial of rocks from their own attempts at interdimensional travel. So
Franklin Storm gives Reed a scholarship to the Baxter Foundation in New York - defending his decision to the Baxter
Foundation Board by saying the Reed is the last great hope to find alternate
resources to replenish the dying Earth – which is the premise for Pacific Rim
and Battle of Los Angeles. This really doesn’t sound great ethically. Maybe
they should have stopped at exploration. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, Dr. Storm has Reed, Sue, and a massive technician
filled laboratory filled with 3D printers, try to recreate Reed’s experiment on
a larger scale. They are joined by the brilliant, but jaded, technopath Victor Von Doom - who
secretly has the hots for Susan, but this is only hinted at. Reed also secretly
has the hots for Susan but there is not enough time to explore this as Fox
would rather stick the origin story. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdaibs2H29p7rQcLtf-Qq1_V10_Gr_itf7YEX-C8xGT06gmUTgtBewvco7YWLhudf3JxlqM7IofljuPkONkRmXQoiQ6Le9Y4d-51uOYUuM3ZdsfOJ1K9MtODoUTNM-mpvG7YZWvRW/s1600/Sue+Storm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdaibs2H29p7rQcLtf-Qq1_V10_Gr_itf7YEX-C8xGT06gmUTgtBewvco7YWLhudf3JxlqM7IofljuPkONkRmXQoiQ6Le9Y4d-51uOYUuM3ZdsfOJ1K9MtODoUTNM-mpvG7YZWvRW/s320/Sue+Storm.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My face is stuck this way</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Later they are joined by car-racer and machine-smith Johnny
Storm, who is apparently qualified to work on the project because he can build
a car up from scratch (That nearly exploded causing him to crash) and has a
genius level IQ (Not that smart). He
apparently resents his sister – because she’s Daddy’s favourite despite her
being adopted from Kosovo. We’re not sure if he has the hots for Sue.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, after a long building process, the machine works and
they test it out with a Monkey. However when the Baxter Foundation wants to
involve NASA to send astronauts over to wherever there is, the four throw a fit
because they were “promised” the non-militarization of their project, and want
to go first.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJr2e0OXO3pnJoEzcOjWJ_UAJ2UcCVkAhBkDLgmoirnAlAlFybNcezwrgxspKEPOmEh5jKsz7o5PVHeF2tlOFmGmPMvHJi7ZdNyrhSRz5pJ3UYlaRBT1Ttqwh68zY40xKOWsu8SnP/s320/Dr+Doom.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not such a bad guy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reed, Johnny and Victor get drunk and decide to use the
teleporter while no one is watching. They invite Ben over and end up on an
alien planet. When they try to plant the US flag, they trigger an energy spike.
They trace the spike to a pool and Victor plays with the pool. Boom! Lots of
running, Victor is left for dead and the other three rush back to their
capsules and scream for Sue to bring them back to Earth. Ben opens his capsule
door and is pummeled by rocks and energy. Johnny’s capsule is breached and he
catches fire. The three make it back to Earth accompanied by an energy burst
that envelops Sue. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the Fantastic Four is born.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kinda. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHWtAL15OZDBmJS8kiE1-wsRQFw-8TeZj17Oxk7NDXCtENCKXSpok86T8eHVdkugw9pXEz5M9ehwMoVq34wpZa2ZfB4PdCmqP2nSn44ymARHkFK3hx2BSruUM9zvNA4NUUbq0w9tb/s1600/Fantastic+Four.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHWtAL15OZDBmJS8kiE1-wsRQFw-8TeZj17Oxk7NDXCtENCKXSpok86T8eHVdkugw9pXEz5M9ehwMoVq34wpZa2ZfB4PdCmqP2nSn44ymARHkFK3hx2BSruUM9zvNA4NUUbq0w9tb/s400/Fantastic+Four.jpg" width="400" /></a>The military gets their hands on them and starts training
them for military uses. Reed escapes to Panama where he starts work on a single
person teleporter to get him back to wherever there is to solve cure him of his
powers. Ben becomes a military enforcer. Sue and Johnny aren’t fielded yet,
although Johnny is about to given that he can now fly and throw fire
bolts. At this point, one hour or more
past the start of the movie, is when you finally see a glimpse of them use
their powers – and in the Thing’s case, it’s through monitors or close-up
shots.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dr Storm agrees that the only way to cure them is to go back
and is working to rebuild the teleporter – but without the genius of Reed or
Victor, they cannot seem to figure out the software behind the machine. So,
hoping to cure them before Johnny is deployed as a military asset, Dr Storm and
Sue track down Reed – because he’s sooo predictable and Sue is an expert in
pattern detection. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCot8CceXDGCBI0djEj3GRSUtl_xhsj66PfXkdSpEKVjV1Nz6seCw95eQQ6byLdGgWFBMa_U_S4MCrsXvC9-ne3XiAVLMj4No1HGVj-yspEnyksbpVB7zOXItLFGEKPazbzNSkfD6J/s400/The+Thing.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guys! It's really cold! Give him a break! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They send a crack team with the Thing to go retrieve him and
BOOM!!!! We see the Thing in all his NAKED GLORY!!!!! Seriously that’s the
first thing I noticed when I saw him: The Thing is naked. Not the combat, not
the CGI, the freakin THING is naked. (We’ll talk more about that later)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So Reed goes back and is fed the same BS about curing the
four and he fixes the teleporter in under ten minutes – which means the rest of
the world is really stupid.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It works, but instead of sending the four back to find a
cure, an exploration team is sent to determine what they can harvest that would
be of importance to the military or the industry. The team finds Doom who has
had his exploration suit bonded to his skin and who is still alive after one
full year wherever there is.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They bring Doom back and he is enraged that the Baxter
Foundation wants to rape his new home in order to save the Earth – see, ethical
dilemma (Doom is really the good guy). He goes on what looks like a
psychokinetic killing spree – killing people left and right with his mind. The Four gather and try to stop him from
triggering a black hole using the teleporter so that he can go home and destroy
the Earth at the same time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At this point I’m wondering “<i>He just killed maybe a hundred people with his mind ala Professor X
right? Why isn’t he doing so now</i>” It’s only four more people and he just
killed Dr. Storm in the same way. Maybe it’s some misguided sense of
camaraderie? It seemed pretty impractical since he was trying to kill them
anyway.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So the four get sucked up into wherever there is, and watch
as Doom builds a disintegrator. Everything that gets sucked in is destroyed and
converted into energy – in the method, I should mention, that is very similar
to what Galactus would do (Maybe this is the surface of his skin). We’re
talking devastation almost at the level of Zynder’s Superman as the black hole
starts to suck up highways filled with people. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The four become a “<i>team</i>”
(Cliché) to take down Doom. Please note that their previous visits to wherever
there is required air tanks. But suddenly all four can breathe now and Johnny
is on fire so he’s buring oxygen. The four beat Doom by having Reed distract
him while Sue turns ben invisible so he can use his “<i>Clobberin time!</i>” battle cry to punch Doom into his matter shredder.
Doom is killed and the four escape through the black-hole (Really?) leaving
behind countless civilians who may still be alive and who are most probably
wounded. They return to Earth and stand at the edge of a crater the size of a
city next to a highway filled with abandoned cars. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The four then blackmail the government into giving them a
base, money and ability to do research – which the government does. Why? Dunno.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the Fantastic Four is born.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Don’t wait through the credits, there’s nothing there. I
even heard some movie goers asking why that was so, asking out loud “<i>Isn’t this a Marvel movie?</i>”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">PROS:What’s to
like about the Fantastic Four Movie:</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TvgFzdiZzDK8w4Xf9bWKE7b6zfwaD5dfwG_kkr5zyPJWRlYiEDpOxRe4I5MM8JwvNB6f6iZi3yGy_u6BGfGluoB19XVY5bu86UR-7uYs5PQAIKkEC7o4wPmhyphenhyphenf_eEPkZN6sBXDIO/s1600/MallRats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TvgFzdiZzDK8w4Xf9bWKE7b6zfwaD5dfwG_kkr5zyPJWRlYiEDpOxRe4I5MM8JwvNB6f6iZi3yGy_u6BGfGluoB19XVY5bu86UR-7uYs5PQAIKkEC7o4wPmhyphenhyphenf_eEPkZN6sBXDIO/s400/MallRats.jpg" width="266" /></a><b>Ben Grimm, the Thing,
has no penis. </b>The age old question that has been the subject of debate by fanboys
since<b> </b>Brodie Bruce asked Stan Lee
about it in Mallrats has finally been answered. The Thing has no penis. All
that’s there is a rocky looking codpiece. He does, however have an ass-crack. Why
no one seems to mind that he’s walking around naked is beyond me. Yes, he doesn’t
need to wear clothes because he’s all rock, but still! Even I looked down. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkW9btVv-aCmc2ipP1Q8KAZMJiUNeCwdcl1Kkqh4vqbDnrYRC1S9xqaTq1QvioXQUHgXqfxZ-Y8_L5HGMjYR-ViWAJUzQ4rNWM_r1_KVXBDwd5AEYmGKafSiRTOHJZAQb6T9b5OmcB/s1600/Fantastic-Four-Poster-Michael-B-Jordan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkW9btVv-aCmc2ipP1Q8KAZMJiUNeCwdcl1Kkqh4vqbDnrYRC1S9xqaTq1QvioXQUHgXqfxZ-Y8_L5HGMjYR-ViWAJUzQ4rNWM_r1_KVXBDwd5AEYmGKafSiRTOHJZAQb6T9b5OmcB/s320/Fantastic-Four-Poster-Michael-B-Jordan.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's so hot he's on fire!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Michael B. Jordan –
The Human Torch:</b> While I was really hesitant about the inclusion of an
African American actor into the Fantastic Four cast just to satisfy Marvel and
Disney’s need to appear to be in favour of racial equality (Hey! Captain
America is black now!), I have to say that of the four, he was the only one who
seemed to have read comic books and knew his character. Had there been more
women in the cast, I’m pretty sure Michael would be hitting them up. He’s the
only character I loved and would pay to see more of. Hat’s off to you Mr.
Jordan. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Coincidentally, he's the only one with a real code-name in the movie. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">CONS:What’s NOT to
like about the Fantastic Four Movie:</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Ben Grimm, the Thing,
has no penis. </b>Nuff said. Poor guy <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">L</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>THE CAST:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePaqvnMIVC3zaoIc44yTuCljjgOEr_AmobDTv_pRijqTXWrAykPjsJ_dafet6gHmPeIs0zG92XDMjKRJ_RIlETvTqo0pPw8PhPU-8gxBSd6XZKCA0fLCF7fLFvaK72S-yze65bn3X/s1600/p36137_p_v7_ae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePaqvnMIVC3zaoIc44yTuCljjgOEr_AmobDTv_pRijqTXWrAykPjsJ_dafet6gHmPeIs0zG92XDMjKRJ_RIlETvTqo0pPw8PhPU-8gxBSd6XZKCA0fLCF7fLFvaK72S-yze65bn3X/s400/p36137_p_v7_ae.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still Superior</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>REED RICHARDS: </b> There is something really unlikable about
Miles Teller’s portrayal of Mr. Fantastic. He literally does not have a
backbone. I’m surprised the other three still listen to him. He’s a reckless
coward who abandons his friends. Why this turned around at the last minute and
why the other three follow him is beyond me. Ioan Gruffud’s Reed Richards was less reckless
and more of a leader than him. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>SUE STORM:</b> Kate Mara
unfortunately had very large shoes to fill because everyone loved Jessica Alba.
Sadly she brought nothing new to the character. Most of the time she was
standoffish and seemed to have only one facial expression. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>THE THING: </b>I’m
not sure why Jamie Bell had to become the runt of his family. If Josh Trank
wanted to use this to explore a “scrapper, never give-up” type of personality
in the Thing’s fighting, it was not explored. Michael Chiklis’ Ben Grimm was
again better. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>THE POWERS: </b>We
came to the theater to see a movie about four individuals with super-powers. We
got less than, in my opinion, 15 minutes (?) of power use. I felt that Josh
Trank even tried to hide the fact that the Thing was naked for as long as he
could by hiding him in the shadows before dropping him from a helicopter in a
really dramatic fashion. Unfortunately, you cannot hide the missing thing. The
movie felt like a long wind-up for a T V series which had a low budget for
special effects rather than a Fox movie. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>NO FAMILY:</b> You could feel the unity and closeness, the bond between the characters in the 2005 movie. That same feeling - even with the jokes thrown in - was not evident in the new Fantastic Four movie. I'm not even sure they are a team. They had one successful venture which resulted in a lot of casualties for which the movie shows no remorse, and one successful attempt at blackmail, that's it. Not really a family. </div>
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<b>MY RECOMMENDATION:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Don’t waste your money. Wait for it on HBO. Wait for a
Director’s Cut (Maybe it will be better). Steal it from the internet or watch
it legally on the internet. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-69179215804675044712015-08-03T01:19:00.000-07:002015-08-03T01:19:19.889-07:00Ranee Margo Louis Battalion (Part 4)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZlTUrodrkFr8B1L4uz3ifLwKZ-rmAJT83U9We3ynXzJBP-vaLcGEjJYuQkoUVd7rCPtMDa1wa2y38NbOzxDkxGob_TZy95hv6Pc8cPucgCzxh8fDMWs377Z22MYbbUSGM1k8ElU1K/s1600/191px-3025_Trebuchet1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZlTUrodrkFr8B1L4uz3ifLwKZ-rmAJT83U9We3ynXzJBP-vaLcGEjJYuQkoUVd7rCPtMDa1wa2y38NbOzxDkxGob_TZy95hv6Pc8cPucgCzxh8fDMWs377Z22MYbbUSGM1k8ElU1K/s1600/191px-3025_Trebuchet1.jpg" /></a>A dark shadow eclipsed the Archer's cockpit and Curtis jerked as the deafening roar of jumpjets rattled his ride. Suddenly the massive shape of Alex Spencer's <i>Withworth </i>dropped from the air right above the charging <i>Hatchetman </i>with the deafening clang of metal!<br />
<br />
"You idiot Alex!"<br />
<br />
Bishop 4, the team's newest recruit had probably just saved his commander by executing a "<i>Death from Above</i>" maneuver: It was a risky, destructive maneuver performed only by the desperate, foolhardy, or the stupid. The air seemed to endlessly reverberate with the gut-wrenching shriek of metal tearing into metal.Curtis grimaced as the forty ton <i>Withworth</i>'s left leg crudely cut through the <i>Hatcheman's </i>hatchet wielding right arm, dropping the limb like a dead weight.<br />
<br />
But it was the damage that the Withworth's right leg that caused that mattered the most as it completely flattened the <i>Hatchetman's</i> elongated cockpit, The <i>Withworth's</i> flat feet crushed the upper jaw of the enemy '<i>Mech's</i> toothy smile, and a splash of crimson appeared over the lower jaw - marking the demise of the COMSTAR '<i>Mechwarrior. </i><br />
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Thrown completely out-of-balance, the forty ton <i>Withworth</i> careened to the ground and to the right of the <i>Hatchetman. </i>It's momentum unspent, the <i>Hatchetman </i>plowed into the forest ground coming to a stop scant few meters away from Aura Deva's feet. The clang and groaning of metal boomed and echoed throughout the forest drowning out the cacophony of battle that surrounded them.<br />
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Alex's <i>Withworth</i> did not move from where it lay twisted on the forest floor. Curtis called up Bishop 4's pilot status monitor and noted the flashing red and yellow warning lights indicating broken armor and systems all over the fallen '<i>Mech</i>.<br />
<br />
The pilot's status displayed a flat-line.<br />
<br />
Curtis edged <i>Aura Deva </i>to stand over the fallen <i>Battlemech.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
"Bishop 4 come in!"<br />
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No response came.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-24156326008762899392013-08-13T09:40:00.000-07:002013-08-13T09:40:15.181-07:00Ranee Margo Louis Battalion (Part 3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivILCS_HXuQ-8FcsnfbZHL_cj2GaVJgclzKwVTrZEoe-Rw3qVWeZcsBax3bqea5jFUH9F8JKqiiieW08MEmN2w-AIXX6RK0rMj-s6nxgEbEd0c95H5hwPVYlc1PnK-F2Uv4ZmY5i9d/s1600/3025+Whitworth1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivILCS_HXuQ-8FcsnfbZHL_cj2GaVJgclzKwVTrZEoe-Rw3qVWeZcsBax3bqea5jFUH9F8JKqiiieW08MEmN2w-AIXX6RK0rMj-s6nxgEbEd0c95H5hwPVYlc1PnK-F2Uv4ZmY5i9d/s640/3025+Whitworth1.jpg" width="376" /></a></div>
"Bishop Three! Status!" Curtis shouted over the comm-link. The status panel for Bishop Three showed that the <i>'mech</i> was still functional, but it did not say anything about the pilot. Curtis' concern for the young pilot was abruptly cut by a blaring target-lock warning followed by a silent searing bright cerulean beam from the COMSTAR <i>Pheonix Hawk</i> that slashed through the armor on <i>Aura Deva's</i> arm.<br />
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"SHIT!" Cursed Jackson as his battle-computer displayed the loss of nearly half-a-ton of precious armor from his <i>'mech's </i>left arm.<br />
<br />
"So much for diplomacy!"<br />
<br />
Curtis jerked <i>Aura Deva'</i>s upper torso to the left, bringing the far-deadlier <i>Hatchetman</i> into his sights.<br />
<br />
"Adara! The Hawk! Lex! You're with me!" He ordered over the comm-link. Curtis did not wait for an acknowledgement and braced for the heat-surge as he released another fusillade of Deathbloom LRMs. The <i>Hatchetman</i>'s pilot also seemed to realize that Curtis' seventy-ton <i>Archer</i> was the greatest threat on the field. It raised the deadly Titanium Hatchet built into its right arm in challenge and triggered another leap this time roaring towards Curtis' position! Curtis' LRM's failed to follow the rising '<i>mech </i> and cratered the ground where the <i>Hatchetman </i>once stood. A fifteen-percent hit was pock-marked the <i>Hatchetman's</i> spindly legs, but they failed to impair the <i>'mech</i>'s advance.<br />
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It did however succeed in throwing off the <i>Hatchetman </i>pilot's aim. The '<i>mech</i> wavered ungracefully in the air as its autocannon blared at Curtis. The discharged metalic slugs fell short and stitched a line in front of <i>Aura Deva's </i> hooved feet instead.<br />
<br />
Curtis' parched lips formed a grim determined line and a wave of calm washed over him as the <i>Hatcheman </i>landed in a cloud of dust a scant sixty meters to his right - well within the arming range of his Deathblooms. He could fire them, but they would just impact harmlessly against his opponent's tough armor. <i>Aura Deva</i> rotated her torso and brought both of her arm-mounted medium lasers to bear on the enemy '<i>mech. </i>The COMSTAR <i>Hatchetman </i>again raised it's deadly arm mounted weapon and charged.<br />
<br />
Curtis snap-fired both of his medium lasers and watch the COMSTAR <i>mech</i> ignore the burning scars that crisscrossed its chest. The <i>Hatchetman</i> replied with a loud retort from its autocannon! A series of loud bangs quaked through <i>Aura Deva</i> and Curtis was thrown hard against his seat's restraints.<br />
<br />
"Oh God!" he cried out as he felt the force of the punches popping against <i>Aura Deva's </i>right leg. The violent force shoved the hooved leg back with a sickening screech of metal and Curtis pulled hard against his controls to keep the <i>Archer </i>upright and the leg from completely shoving out from under it. His battle-computer recorded a full ton of armor shattering off the leg in a spray of sharp debris.<br />
<br />
The leg continued to slide. Curtis quickly compensated by twisting his lower torso back to arrest the slide, while jacking his <i>Archer's</i> upper torso in the opposite direction to keep his sights on the sick laughing grin painted on the <i>Hatchetman's </i> head.<br />
<br />
The distance closed. The clouds of dust billowed.<br />
<br />
Curtis watched the Hatchet rise.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-48106444117631128622013-05-31T11:32:00.002-07:002013-05-31T11:32:22.930-07:00Baby Steps back to Sanity - originally posted as a Note on Facebook, October, 2010<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cGFg4dMVQ2mW6nLQjEcTlafjoHJyiCSfxVRRrT33roqqmWhkf77CFU1zE-_Zu6_vFuUk4a7LDHs3Ki2aw72XihpIeGKOF8f49n6vbXlhGyNDFxb6e3xDfiFuPph713Pu28iG6iyx/s1600/576194_558064100892906_1498515539_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cGFg4dMVQ2mW6nLQjEcTlafjoHJyiCSfxVRRrT33roqqmWhkf77CFU1zE-_Zu6_vFuUk4a7LDHs3Ki2aw72XihpIeGKOF8f49n6vbXlhGyNDFxb6e3xDfiFuPph713Pu28iG6iyx/s400/576194_558064100892906_1498515539_n.jpg" /></a>I just read the wiki on Jonathan Larson, creator, composer, songwriter behind Rent. Did you know that he never got to see it performed? He died of an undiagnosed problem before the curtains first rose on Rent. I found it interesting though that the play revolved around him. His life. His experiences. He dated a dancer who left him for several men but kept coming back eventually leaving him for another woman. Rodger was a room-mate. </div>
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I did something very similar in a “<i>rush</i>” situation during my college days. My dearest friends needed a play to pass literature class for Shakespeare week. I was feeling nostalgic over Les Miserables and had created a piece of offal that Carlos Carino outright rejected – and I don’t blame him – he did give us a second chance though but I was too busy dealing with Ria and her move to ostracize me from her life – one friendship I have never been able to rekindle. In the end I took the anger, frustration and Ria’s choice last words to me and built a play around it. “<i>I need a friend who’s here, even if he’s just a friend as long as he’s here.”</i> Even my reaction was put into the pot “What the hell does that mean?” Personally I still don’t get what she needed or what the drama was all about. Dense? Maybe. But I don’t get it.</div>
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I lost faith in my words when she left. All I had left were my emotions, my rage, my frustration, my guilt, and what was left of my naiveté. From there the words chastising the lead character in the play, a director whose focus on work and literature separated him from reality. The loss of his beloved shook the foundation of his tributary and made him doubt the worthiness of his life and cause, only to be haunted by the guilt, frustration, joy, love and simples of some of Shakespeare’s most popular female leads.</div>
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I didn’t even have a title. The play was called “<i>Plan B</i>” and credited as “<i>The Director</i>”</div>
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I didn’t finish the play. I didn’t have time to think of a happy ending. Actually I couldn’t think of one because I was bereft of my own. I only had the lines for each of the five women and the anger of the Director who – by my ending – left theatre. Carlos was bewildered: “<i>You’re presenting a play about hating Shakespeare on Shakespeare week?</i>”</div>
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I was past caring: “<i>Yes</i>!”</div>
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We were asked to leave the room while my peers, friends and mentors deliberated.</div>
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When we were asked to re-enter, we were told that not only were we in the Shakespeare week presentation, we were going to be the thread that bound all the performances together, AND I was going to play the lead.</div>
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I was numb by then. I had no idea how I pulled that off. As in <i><strong>WTF</strong>!!!! <strong>PI</strong>!!!!! </i>And I wasn’t really sure I was happy that they thought my personal grief was good – not that they knew.</div>
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Carlos and company kept the play intact providing a happy ending that frankly I didn’t agree with and found nauseating, and Rey Leuterio eventually took my place. I didn’t mind. He was a far better actor and I was only there as a favour to Bon-Bon, Boombie, Teresita, Jesse and Pamela.</div>
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Almost twenty years later, a worn copy of that play still stands testament to “the end of the world” but I’m still here. I started this note wanting to write about how the best material for creative work was one’s environment, and it is. In fact now I can look back and gain strength by laughing at how a 19 year old boy once taught it was the end of the world. When he had much, much further to go.</div>
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And to Ria, Rapunzel, Rapunzel where-ever you are oh muse of such turmoil, almost twenty years later, I really still don’t get it. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-20342065818443218032013-01-24T07:38:00.002-08:002013-01-24T15:49:57.010-08:00Ranee Margo Louis Battalion (Part 2)<a href="http://ppc.warhawkenterprises.com/diagrams/hatchetman.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://ppc.warhawkenterprises.com/diagrams/hatchetman.gif" width="376" /></a>Adara's company monitor indicated that Major Dorne had split his tank column up into two groups. A lance of medium tanks was skirting it's way at flank speed leaving behind the main column of heavy tanks and technical support units. The mediums would reach their position within five minutes, the main-body would make it in around ten.<br />
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Plenty of time for the battle to swing either way.<br />
<br />
Being not to keep on the idea of being involved in close-quarter-combat, Adara had wanted to protest Hauptmann Jackson's decision to send the Knights back. They could seriously use their help against the COMSTAR QRL. While they were all veterans - except for Alex - this was the first time for the lance to be in actual combat. And while Curtis Jackson may be one of the original survivors of the Ranee Margo, he was untested as a CO. The lack of a meshed unit could very well lead to the destruction of their lance and their deaths. Hauptmann Jackson's unorthodox methods did not inspire confidence in the young Leftenant.<br />
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Unfortunately there was no time to argue tactics.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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Adara ignored Hauptmann Jackson's order to fire and waited a scant few seconds more to watch her target's reaction to the fusillade released by Mike Spencer's <i>Dervish. </i><br />
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"Steady...." She whispered to herself.<br />
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"THERE!!!!" Adara triggered her own fusillade of thirty LRMs. The heat in the cockpit of her <i>'mech</i> flared like a physical wall that forced a grunt from her clenched fist. An alarm blared indicating that her <i>Trebuchet's</i> fusion engine was threatening to shut down due thanks to her <i>'mech's</i> malfunctioning heat-sinks.<br />
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The <i>Quickdraw</i> she had targetted backpedalled just as she had expected. The sudden leap sent most of Mike Spencer's missiles careening into the ground - a small number pocked the <i>Quickdraw's </i>legs.<br />
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Adara's missile however were aimed higher and tracked the desperate jump of the COMSTAR <i>Quickdraw. </i>Her missiles slammed into the <i>Quickdraw's</i> right arm and torso, blowing through the thick Riese 175 armor plating and burning through the myomer fiber muscles underneath. A secondary explosion marked the destruction of the <i>Quickdraw's </i>right-arm mounted medium laser. The impact of the LRMs literally swatted the rising <i>Quickdraw </i>out of the sky and sent it crashing back to the burning field where it smoldered - stunned flat on its back.<br />
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Having lost the guidance of their Precentor, the remaining two COMSTAR <i>Mechs</i> reacted to the ambush on their own. The pilot of the <i>Hatchetman</i> bearing the bright blue and silver colors of COMSTAR quickly realized the limitations of his short-ranged but powerful Autocannon and closed the distance between him and Curtis' <i>Archer </i>with a quick 120 meter leap forward. The toothy shark grin on the elongated head of the <i>Hatcheman </i>seemed to snarl at Curtis as it landed a mere one-hundred and eighty meters to the right of the fallen <i>Griffin</i>. Mike Spencer's <i>Dervish </i>was now well within the range of the<i> Hatchetman's</i> lethal Defiance Autocannon, but turned instead with deathly intend towards Curtis' <i>Archer. </i>Behind him the <i>Phoenix Hawk </i>took a more cautious stance, dropping to one knee and raising his right arm mounted Harmon Heavy Laser.<br />
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"We're in the shit now" gasped Adara over her struggles to draw breath. She pulled her <i>Trebuchet</i> into a short trot that brought her fifty ton war machine back deeper into the cover of the forest trees. The heat in the cockpit was still unbearable. The searing air was filled with the stench of burnt insulation making it doubly hard to breath. Already her muscles were starting to cramp from dehydration and she could feel heat exhaustion setting in. It felt like she'd been in combat for hours instead of mere seconds.<br />
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Outside, Curtis switched to a broadcast frequency and addressed the two COMSTAR survivors: "COMSTAR Pilots, this is Hauptmann Curtis Jackson, Commander of the Ranee Margo. "You have openly committed acts of aggression against the Lyran Commonwealth. Power down your '<i>mechs</i> and surrender.... or die!"<br />
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The reply to Curtis' challenge came in the form of a hail of metallic slugs and laserfire from the advancing <i>Hatchetman! </i>The crimson laserfire went wide and blazed through several trees setting them ablaze. The hail of metallic slug however slammed dead into the center of Mike Spencer's <i>Dervish</i> with several blaring BANGS!!! The young Corporal was thrown around in his chair restraints. He screamed audibly through the TAC-Comm as the impacts violently shoved the fifty-five ton war machine back into a massive tree. The tree held and the war machine comically flailed its arms as it bounced forward and fell flat on its face.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-85382255513366696102012-12-21T16:50:00.001-08:002013-01-27T00:31:52.506-08:00Egg Salad<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqRyUETv-CHKhVrbQqjFDPiVK7GUJ5gJyLKdECCI9tLtmND16oeVCx8p-nMNDN3dHK8ZkEA4kUzNJp5i3mkdIIsiVYUa-0zf8MxMovesM-xougD-vzBZhlfXIw7BMSHCBDrhppK41/s1600/egg-salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqRyUETv-CHKhVrbQqjFDPiVK7GUJ5gJyLKdECCI9tLtmND16oeVCx8p-nMNDN3dHK8ZkEA4kUzNJp5i3mkdIIsiVYUa-0zf8MxMovesM-xougD-vzBZhlfXIw7BMSHCBDrhppK41/s320/egg-salad.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://thehealthyblooddiet.wordpress.com/2010/10/11/egg-salad-lettuce-wraps-a-ab-b-o/" target="_blank">Photo courtesy of the Healthy Blood Diet</a></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>A tribute to my mother who passed away on September 4, 2008 - as salvaged from my original Multiply Blog:</i><br />
<br />
Egg salad. I never figured out how my mom made egg salad. With the help of Tita Maggi – yes, the <i>Tita Maggi</i> (if you’re old enough to remember the show) – I found out that if you mix a little pineapple or cheese – depending upon your taste – into the boiled egg and mayo mix, you end up with something that tasted almost identical to my mom’s egg salad. But I am completely certain that my mother never opened a can of pineapple bits or grated cheese when she made egg salad. I guess I’ll never figure out how she made it. I’m quite sure Egg Salad isn’t among the hand-written/typed recipes on index cards that she keeps in a tin box around the house.<br />
<br />
One time, I made a complete soupy blunder attempting to copy it, that the dogs wouldn’t touch it.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I did learn how to make her fruit salad though – and with her recipe have been able to duplicate it when the occasion calls for it. I haven’t encountered anyone who makes fruit salad like my mom does. It’s not simply throwing in fruit bits into boxed cream. No. It’s a complex procedure involving a double boiler. I remember on one occasion forgetting whether or not I was supposed to use egg-whites or egg yolks. I gambled. It was 50/50 anyway and it turned out okay. No one goes through such trouble anymore.<br />
<br />
The most common and celebrated desert of course were the brownies that came with practically every celebration. There’s a secret if you want your brownies to not just be sweet, but moist. Not a lot of people know what that is. And I’m not telling here what it is. Trade secret and all.<br />
<br />
The hardest dish we made on one occasion in the 90’s was a banana cream pie. That’s really hard because if you want the proper fluff on the cream, you can’t use a machine; you have to hand-beat it – no matter what people say. The difference lies in the effort. You may get the result you need, but not the result you want or the flourish you desire.<br />
<br />
You can tell that someone loves you when they keep making the food, not just when you come over, but just so that you would come over. So I know my mother-in-law loves me tooJ During the homily of one of the masses held for my mother, the priest said that the most eloquent speeches, acts, works of art were meaningless without love. (Something I tried to impart on my beloved pen-pal bigot Mike Wong – wherever he may be – whom I intend to continue to piss off by replying to his twisted beliefs.) Love takes many forms, but essentially it’s that extra effort to show you care. Acts or words you reserve only for a select few.<br />
<br />
My mom made me egg salad. Among other things which will now forever be lost.<br />
<br />
I don’t grieve for her.<br />
<br />
To paraphrase Shakespeare and a later conversation between Data and Captain Picard over the death of Tasha Yar: “<i>We don’t grieve for those in heaven, we grieve for ourselves, wondering how we will go on without them.</i>”<br />
<br />
Not living in the same house helps. You don’t miss someone whom you can think is just at home. But the holidays, and occasional drive-bys to raid the fridge will never be the same again. The food will never be the same again. Home will never feel like home again.<br />
<br />
This weekend we started the long process of de-cluttering and clearing. In a way it’s a celebration of my sister’s impending wedding this year as she readies the place to be hers, yet you can’t help but miss things that made the place Mom’s.<br />
<br />
To everyone who was there for me and my family through this trying time, my sincerest thanks for your prayers and support. It was literally overwhelming. Mom was a rock-star in her wake. We had so many flowers we wanted to give some of them to the other chapels which had none.<br />
<br />
I only wish you had the chance to taste her cooking.<br />
<br />
She passed with no regrets and with little suffering for such a terrible disease. What more could we ask for? It was almost like her body recognized that she her children were fine and she no longer needed to mother anyone so it was time to check out.<br />
<br />
My only real regret in her passing is the egg salad.<br />
<br />
Sometimes the smallest things have the most meaning.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-677162310924064211.post-47907073391728445112012-11-12T08:05:00.000-08:002012-12-23T21:18:34.214-08:00Ranee Margo Louis Battalion (Trial post)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zx2SlVr6h_-vrH41pgCo3PVkQPbNRp4OQqsjH8TtoZS2G_wmfk_K8GxGF8XsnF7kUEwB_662xl0fWVmYmvXeQ9qwYupEgRWhyphenhyphenDa5Km1SvE1bVcIdMYz7Tt2YKm8NrxXR-PoLtV61/s1600/ARC-2R.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zx2SlVr6h_-vrH41pgCo3PVkQPbNRp4OQqsjH8TtoZS2G_wmfk_K8GxGF8XsnF7kUEwB_662xl0fWVmYmvXeQ9qwYupEgRWhyphenhyphenDa5Km1SvE1bVcIdMYz7Tt2YKm8NrxXR-PoLtV61/s400/ARC-2R.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>ARC-2R "Archer" from <a href="http://mwomercs.com/forums/topic/20829-3025-arc-2r-archer-reseen-concept-plus-variants/" target="_blank">MWO Forums</a></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-align: justify;">“We’re clear!”</span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Leftenant Kerstine
Wendorf scream over the company frequency failed to drown the sickening crunch
of ferro-fibrous metal and the deafening crack of an ancient wooden pine as
Hans crashed his battered <i>Jenner</i> into
the wood line. The scarred <i>Jenner</i>’s
left torso slammed into a massive pine tree and the spindly legged war-machine twisted
with a tortured scream of dilapidated metal to the right of the sturdy tree
creating a billowing cloud of dust, oily-smoke, mist and debris. In complete
contrast, Corporal Hans Kristoferson silently succumbed to his injuries,
becoming Echo Company’s first official casualty in an undeclared war.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Bishop-two to
Bishop one, all Knights are in Hauptmann.” reported Adara adroitly. After a
short pause she added “Hans is dead.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Bishops power
up!” was Curtis’ only response as he ignored the death of a fine man and
brought his seventy-ton <i>Archer</i>,
nicknamed “<i>Aura Deva</i>” to life. The
slumped machine snapped erect with the sudden surge of electrical power from
the <i>Battlemech’s</i> fusion engine flared
through its myomer muscle structure filling Curtis’ cockpit with a wave of comforting
warmth. The targeting data from Max’s <i>Oscout
</i>immediately scrolled along Curtis’ primary monitor. The Instatract Mark VII
targeting computer showed that the COMSTAR Quick Response Lance or QRL had
entered the one-point-five kilometer war perimeter. The QRL was still too far
to be properly identified, but the computer indicated that they were medium
weight jump capable ‘<i>Mechs. </i>They were
currently leaping along the plains at a speed of roughly one-hundred and fifty
meters every seven seconds which would put them right on top of Bishop Lance in
roughly a minute. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Curtis’ computer
immediately drew a line ahead of the QRL’s approach indicating the effective
range of his lance’s Long Range Missiles or LRMs. LRMs had an effective minimum
range of one hundred and fifty meters and a maximum effective range of
six-hundred and seventy-five meters. The Bishop’s advantage was that they were
not and could not be spotted immediately by the rapidly advancing QRL. However,
trying to hit a target that was moving at twenty-one point four meters per
second half a kilometer away was virtually impossible even with the
sophisticated targeting equipment of his <i>Archer</i>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">He needed them to stand still.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Bishops, fire
on my mark only.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The three other
members of Curtis’ fire lance acknowledged his order with mike clicks and
Adara’s curt “aye.” Curtis took the seconds
to check the status of his Lance’s ‘<i>Mechs.
</i>Battlemechs were supposed to be prepped and warmed up before starting and
were prone to internal damage from the strain of “cold starts”. Immediately Curtis noticed that they had not
escaped the cold start unscathed: Mike Spencer’s Dervish listed a minor limp
due to a locked myomer fiber in his ‘<i>Mech’s</i>
left leg – It wasn’t much to worry about. Of particular concern was the irregularly high
heat reading he was getting from Adara’s <i>Nasty
Boy</i>. Heat was a deciding factor in ‘<i>Mech</i>-battles.
Heat determined how long either a ‘Mech and a MechWarrior could fight… or how
long it took for one to die. One of the greatest fears of a MechWarrior was
being trapped inside a burning <i>Battlemech.
</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Adara, confirm
that you’re running hot?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Unfortunately
Hauptmann” she replied again in her even tones. “I only have 45 percent
heat-sinks active.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Can you fight?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Not for long.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Pull back.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“I’m in this
Hauptmann. It will take more than your two new shiny bars you have and your
mixed-up sense of gallantry to throw me off the field.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Curtis shook his
head in concern “Alright Adara. No heroics though. Pull out when I order you
to.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Aye Hauptmann,
fair enough.” Curtis’ Executive Officer switched to the lance channel “Bishops,
stand-by for target identification. Scant seconds passed before Adara’s even
tones again carried over the channel </span>“Target IDs are confirmed: One QKD-4G
Quickdraw; one HCT-3F Hatchetman; one GRF1N Griffin; and one PXH-1 Phoenix
Hawk.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">A nicely knitted
unit specialized for quick and close-up fighting, thought Curtis. Of the four,
initially the most dangerous would be the heavily armored Griffin with its own
LRM’s and its devastating Fusigon Particle Projectile Cannon. As the range drew
closer however, the Hatchetman with its Defiance Autocannon, and the Phoenix
Hawk and Quickdraw with their Heavy lasers, became the <i>Battlemechs</i> of concern. The Quickdraw with its variety of weapons
and decent armor would be the most lasting of the four combatants. Curtis wondered if his people would have the
same evaluation as he did. A quick check of his Lance’s monitor prompted a
raised eyebrow as it indicated that all three of his Lance-mates were already
targeting the Griffin.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Curtis switched to the Battalion frequency so
that he could address the Bishops, Knights, Major Dorne’s Company and – God
hoping – the missing Rooks: “Men of the Ranee Margo. We are now at war with
COMSTAR.” Curtis could feel the uneasiness that rifled through the men and
women of his unit over the airwaves and chose to throttle down the queasiness
rising from his belly. Now was the time for action. Now was the time to fight
for survival, not to think about politics. “You are to fire-for-effect. It’s
them or us kids. Jackson out.” Curtis switched back to the Bishop’s frequency.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Hauptmann,
targets are at one-kilometer and closing.” Said Adara. “They show neither signs
of slowing down nor breaking formation. I guess your gamble paid off and they
haven’t spotted us.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Copy that
Bishop Two” Curtis flipped a switch that armed his Archer’s formidable weapon
systems. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Bishops, prime for full LRM Burst” Outside, covers retracted from <i>Aura Deva</i>’s twin shoulder mounted
Long-Range-Missile racks. Four “Death Bloom” LRM missiles snapped into place in
each launcher. “And the lady is ready to
fight. Good girl Aura” whispered Curtis.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Bishops: Double gang-bang on the good Acolytes.”
Ordered Curtis. “Adara you’re with Alex, tag the Quickdraw. Mike, you’re with
me, the Griffin’s ours.” Quick
microphone clicks acknowledged Curtis’ orders. His secondary monitor showed the
quick re-selection of the Quickdraw as the primary target of Bishops Two and
Three. Curtis’ latest gamble was that by disabling the two heaviest <i>Mechs</i> in the COMSTAR QRL, the other two
would take to the better part of valor. With luck, it would be over quickly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Bishops fire on
my mark. Set your ranges for three hundred and twenty-five meters”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“That’s cutting
is close sir.” Quipped Bishop 4 “At that range they may have us tagged.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Bishop Four was
the green MechWarrior Alex. Curtis decided not to chide him for questioning his
orders. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Correct Four. I’m counting on it.”
Was his only reply. Curtis’ dilemma was that while the QRL was well in
range of their LRMs, they were still moving too fast for their fusillade to be
effective. If he fired now and they failed to destroy the QRL, the battle would
be drawn out and while the Bishops held a slight advantage in weight, they were
comprised of missile boats. Conversely, the QRL were comprised of <i>‘Mechs </i>which did most of their damage
up-close-and-personal. He needed them to stop and take a hit. The problem with
this gamble was that by choosing to engage them at such a short-rage, the
Bishops would, at best, have only one more fusillade before the QRL would be
too close for them to use their missiles - Unless they “hot-loaded” their missiles
– arming them in their launchers which would running the risk that stray – or
intentional - fire during the battle would result in their missiles blowing up
before they could be fired. He had no doubt that COMSTAR would shed no tears to
see any of his Bishops die from an ammunition explosion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Kerstine
Wendorf, Knight One’s heavy accent came through the tac-comm. “We’re still here
and ready to fight Hauptmann.” Kerstine’s light scout lance was indeed most
effective in close combat. Kerstine was a proud officer: The pain of having
been mauled, driven out of Skylight and hunted for two days only fueled her
desire for payback. Curtis gave this some thought. She was tired, running on
adrenaline and a need for vengeance. This made her irrational and reckless: Traits
which would only add to the growing number of dead in his Battalion. “Negative
Knight One. Pull back and link up with Major Dorne’s unit. Guide them in here.
You’ve had enough for today.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“But…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Go Fraulein.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Curtis swore he
could hear her silent curses. She gave no reply but one-by-one the battered
Knights limped off into the woods. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">A steady beeping
noise started to fill Curtis’ cockpit and it was soon replaced by a solid tone.
He had a targeting lock on the approaching Griffin.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Steady
Bishops.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Precentor Lisa
Jennings was happy. She had never seen real combat till today and was quite
pleased with her progress. The Steiner recon lance had been chased out of
Skylight with their tails tucked between their legs. The “Knights” were now
heavily damaged and running scared with no help in sight. To her knowledge, the rest of the Ranee Margo
Battalion had been dealt with. It was only a matter of time before they drove
their quarry into the ground.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTxikRJYEdj8UgLaZZnLDJGkEmGQvRQ4smyUZgrSGvo5-ZMlilx-Ujr91bHySjPxagWNF6DoGL8VwvKwtzmTMJEnApp2TdSR-frwhjEYNvRrWLPYbUkd1KvqDST_gR3Shr5xx70Sn/s1600/HCT-Hatchetman.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTxikRJYEdj8UgLaZZnLDJGkEmGQvRQ4smyUZgrSGvo5-ZMlilx-Ujr91bHySjPxagWNF6DoGL8VwvKwtzmTMJEnApp2TdSR-frwhjEYNvRrWLPYbUkd1KvqDST_gR3Shr5xx70Sn/s400/HCT-Hatchetman.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HCT-3F Hatchetman from <i><a href="http://mwomercs.com/forums/topic/55718-hatchetman-hct-3f-mwo-style/" target="_blank">MWO Forums</a></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-US">Already she saw
that the end was near. The Knights were leaving the open grasslands and running
towards the New Haven Forest where she perceived that was left of her wounded
quarry’s speed would be further hampered allowing her lance to close in and
finish them. She had been on the tail of the Knights for almost 12 hours now
having replaced Precentor Michael’s recon lance who had failed to down the
wounded Knights after another 12 -hour helter-skelter battle which led to this
open Tundra. To her knowledge, Precentor Michael had replaced another unit
which had pursued the tenacious Knights. They just wouldn’t go down. But
COMSTAR had the advantage of cycling its troops to keep them fresh, the Steiner
unit had no such boon. Soon they would be dead: Whether that death came from
the end of a laser bolt or from sheer exhaustion meant little to her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">It was this
gleeful revelry that kept her from noting the red blinking discrete on her
console indicating that she was being targeted. By the time the blinking light
became solid and an alarm sounded it was too late. Seemingly out of nowhere
four more Steiner Battlemechs came to life at the edge of the forest. At three
hundred meters to the tree-line her instincts finally took over and she brought
her Quickdraw to a jarring stop. She and her lance skidded across the grassy plain
as they struggled to overcome the law of inertia, their heavy battlemech’s feet
leaving long ruts in the ground. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Precentor!”
Screamed one of her Acolytes in panic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“I know!” She
screamed back. Precentor Jennings’ Dynatec Tracking system scrolled information
on her opponents: An ARC-2R <i>Archer</i>;
one DV-6M <i>Dervish</i>; one TBT-5N <i>Trebuchet</i>, and; one WH-1 <i>Withworth</i>: Three medium <i>‘Mechs</i> led by one heavy boat. Even as
her primary monitor noted the demise of one of the Knight’s <i>Jenners</i>, the odds were now suddenly stacked
against her. It took her a small moment to realize that her best option was to
press forward - close the distance and deal with all of them at a range that
put the Steiner Demi-Company at a disadvantage. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">That moment cost
her. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The COMSTAR
Lance froze in place and Curtis seized the moment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">“FIRE!!!” Curtis
calmly ordered the Bishops.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Precentor
Jenning’s Dynatec tracking system quickly lost count of the number of missiles
heading towards her lance. Fight or flight took over her senses and she kicked
her Battlemech into full reverse.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Despite having
braced for the launch, the full force of launching all of his missiles shoved
Aura Deva back several meters before her hoofed feet caught purchase. Curtis’
cockpit blazed with a sudden wave of heat. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Outside, the <i>Archer</i> ‘s heatsinks burst open screeching and struggling to damp
the heat by-product of firing its main weapon. Gritting his teeth he watched as
the eight LRMS that he had launched each blossomed into five individual warheads.
Combined with the twenty LRMs from Mike Spencer’s Dervish, that was a total of
sixty warheads careening towards their targeted Griffin. The Griffin did not
stand its ground. It broke left into a run, twisted its torso and brought its
right arm mounted Fusigon PPC up to fire at Alex’s Withworth. The shot went
wide and the searing electrical pulse cannoned through several meter thick
trees before it was finally exhausted. The Steiner LRMs stitched a trail of
destruction up all the way from the Griffin’s right leg to its head. Curtis’
Instatrac reported a seventy-five percent missile hit. Layer-by-layer, the Griffin’s
heavy Starshield armor was pock-marked and blown away by the explosive LRMs
exposing the inner myomer structure, punching through the titanium alloy
skeleton and spraying the area with green coolant mixed with dangerously
flammable jump-jet fuel. The high-grass around the Griffin exploded in flame
and smoke. Curtis’ thermal image of the Griffin spiked with heat, but whether
that was because of the fire or a reactor hit, he could not tell. The attack rudely
shoved the Griffin onto its left leg and the 55-ton war machine was sent
crashing into the burning grass. </span></div>
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