My Own Little World

Infinity War is the Empire Strikes Back of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is a comparison made quite often – not just for this film, but for nearly every franchise. At some point, every gritty sequel will be likened to the practical perfection of Empire and its usurping of its predecessor’s formula. Whether this is deserved or not is a contentious subject with the fans of whatever franchise falls prey to the discussion. With the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though, Infinity War fits the mold perfectly. For the first time in these nineteen films, the stakes are real and not contrived by an incompetent villain. For the first time, the villain is a true psychopathic terror that gets true sympathy that can even approach empathy. For the first time (at least in an Avengers film), this group of god-like beings feels truly threatened by the antagonist, incapable of stopping them. There’s other parallels to be made for sure – like how both Infinity War and Empire split up ...

In closing the door on 2016, I realize that there are a lot of films that I have seen that unfortunately I was unable to review for one reason or another. That doesn't mean, however, that I don't want you guys to know what I think of most of these films, so just like the last couple of years I will be doing a few posts over the next month or so wrapping up all of the films I got a chance to see from this past year. First up, a trio of big blockbusters from early on in the year... Deadpool - Buy it, and eat some chimichangas while you're at it.  Deadpool is not your parents' superhero movie, and it also is one of the few superhero movies you wouldn't want to watch with your parents. Ryan Reynolds might have just saved his career with his witty delivery, and the way this film pokes fun at itself and other superhero movies is impeccable. The direction of these action sequences is also really solid, and the effects are done well too. It's a wild time an...

I've taken a little more time in prepping my year-end wrap-up this year, mostly because I was making sure I had seen everything I wanted to in theaters before publishing. Like last year, I've written mini-reviews on all the films that I either saw too far into their theatrical run to do a full review on or after their home video release. Tomorrowland  - Watch it, but only if it's free.  There's something to be said for making an original film in today's industry. Too bad this one didn't quite pan out. Tomorrowland is able to highlight a couple good performances from George Clooney and Britt Robertson, but Hugh Laurie's villain seems a little thin. Brad Bird's direction is great too, but the third act makes the plot and characters of the first two acts seem incredibly thin. There's such a good build-up to the film's climax that when it fizzles out, it feels like a huge letdown. Grade: 59 Cinderella  - Watch it.  Cinderella succeeds sol...