The Amazing Spider-Man 2

My rating: ratings3

In this Spider-Man installment, Peter finds himself battling Electro, an Oscorp electrician who becomes a living electric generator after being attacked by electric eels, as well as Green Goblin (AKA Harry Osborn), Peter’s boyhood friend who becomes a weird goblin creature after trying to get Spider-Man’s blood (to prevent dying from an illness), and Rhino, a weird-looking Russian mobster who becomes equipped with a mechanical rhino suit. Peter also must deal with his promise to Gwen’s late father (who was killed in the first film by The Lizard), if he must keep it or not, and what the consequences might be.

This movie was great but disappointing. It has a messy script and narrative and way too much is going on. The villains are dumb and underwritten, and the ending is bad and predictable. But the action and main cast are fine.

The plot surprisingly went very deep into the Spider-Man universe, but that is a major problem. This movie doesn’t only focus on the Spider-Man fighting the film’s antagonists, but also his relationship with Gwen, which the first film didn’t have enough of, which I liked. The first film also didn’t go deep enough into the trilogy, since Curt Connors/The Lizard is a very minor villain in the Spider-Man universe. The second film, on the other hand, does go deep enough into the franchise, with Spider-Man facing a very big villain, the Green Goblin. But there are too many stupid subplots and it could have been shortened by a lot (this movie was actually longer than The Avengers!). Unfortunately the two movies in the Amazing Spider-Man franchise have not been so successful and the franchise might be dead.

This movie kept me at the edge of my seat at many parts and definitely managed to entertain me a lot, but I have to say, it has a lot to live up to. I would recommend it for anybody 12 or up.

Spider-Man upside down on the side of the OsCorp tower.

Need for Speed

My rating: ratings4

Former race car driver turned car mechanic Tobey Marshall (Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul) sets out to avenge a friend’s death, which resulted in Marshall unjustly spending 2 years in prison. Marshall travels to California to face off against his rival racer Dino Brewster (Dominic Brewster), who was also responsible for Marshall’s friend’s death. On their car-explosive-packed trip to California, they battle against Brewster’s henchmen, and some cops as well.

To be honest, this movie isn’t a movie I was really excited for. It wasn’t one of those movies that I would just watch the trailer over and over again to just witness how cool it looks. I just decided to watch it because it looked pretty cool. Now, I have to admit, I really underestimated this movie. Filled with non-stop car crashes and races, what could go better in a car-racing/criminals-who-use-cars-to-pull-off-schemes-themed movie?

Aaron Paul and his insanely awesome crew make a great cast. I have never watched a single episode of Breaking Bad, but after watching this movie, I am now a huge fan of Aaron Paul! Some people might consider this movie a Fast and Furious spin-off, or just a movie based on the video game of the same name, but I like to look at it as Grand Theft Auto: The Movie. With many vehicles getting destroyed, many twists and lots of trying to avoid cops, how could it be too different from GTA? In conclusion, Need for Speed is one hell of a movie.

P.S: Please do not consider taking young kids to this movie. I think it would be suitable for kids 12-13 and up. Otherwise, too many car crashes and explosions!

Need For Speed poster.jpg

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

My rating: ratings5

The dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug. On their way, they meet Legolas and Tauriel, two elf archers who help battle the orc invasions from Dol Guldur. They also meet Bard, a bowman who is determined to kill the dragon after his ancestor failed to when Smaug took over Erebor and Dale. Meanwhile, Gandalf and Radagast battle the Necromancer and discover his true identity. Eventually, Bilbo and the dwarves reach the mountain, and finally battle Smaug. The film’s cast includes Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Luke Evans, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lily, Lee Pace, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett, and Sylvester McCoy.

I saw this movie on Friday (Dec. 13) with my friend, my dad, and my brother. We all really enjoyed the movie. I thought it was way better than the original Hobbit movie. The visual effects and soundtrack are just amazing! I enjoyed every moment of the movie! My favorite characters were Legolas and Tauriel. You can tell that they both have that bad-ass spirit that other movie characters have, such as Richard B. Riddick (played by Vin Diesel) from the Riddick movies, and Hit-Girl from the Kick-Ass movies. The film’s ending (don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything) is such a cliff-hanger that I absolutely cannot wait another year to watch the trilogy’s finale (which hits theaters next December). I think any fans of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies should watch this movie, since it’s a prequel to them. But you should only see it after you have seen the first Hobbit movie. I would recommend this movie for kids 12 and up, since there is a lot of violence, including slicing off heads (no blood shown).

Here is the film’s site and trailer.

Below is a picture of my friend, my brother (they both saw the movie with me), and I standing near a poster of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

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