Day 2: Movies I Could Watch Again and Again

Welcome to the second round of our Geek Week!
Let's continue my post-chain, "Movies I Could Watch Again and Again", shall we?

4. The Dark Knight Trilogy

Ok, let's back up a bit here and lemme just say, I am one of the biggest fans, biggest lovers, biggest supporters, biggest everythings of all things Batman.
I can't help it, I have a serious obsession.

Now I absolutely adore the other Bat films, I do! They have a lot of good things about them.
But the DK trilogy is like...oh my word.
There is very little you can say against such perfection.
The style, the characters, the story, the direction, everything is just so intelligently written and perfect.
Christopher Nolan is by far one of the most amazing and talented directors of our time, no lies.
He puts a lot of detail and thought into what he does and he does a bloody brilliant job at it.

I have no favorites when it comes to this trilogy. They're all the same movie to me.
The usage of villains and the characters are just so clever. I don't always dig it when people try to make things I like more realistic, but I definitely did with this one.

Christian Bale did a glorious job as Bruce/Batman. He covered his accent well and humanized the character in a unique way. Bruce's character has always been really interesting to me. He puts up an act with Bruce, which is supposed to be his real identity, but almost reveals the real him when he's Batman. And this has been a different thing from other super heroes. Morally, he's triumphant.
I don't always agree with his stances on things- e.g. the no killing policy- but that's his own walk and I respect it. Because he's awesome at everything he does.
Bale portrayed Bruce in an amazing way, taking everything we've seen from Bruce's character and putting his own spin into it. He acts in a way where it's almost as if he's playing two characters. He separates the two personalities of Bruce and Batman very well, making it look almost effortless.
I love his mixture of emotions and restrain from making who's supposed to be the same person seem like the same person. He did a terrific job as Batman and it's a shame we won't be seeing him play him again.

Of all the Gordon portrayals I have seen, Gary's take was fantastic. He really humbled the character and made him likable even in times where he shouldn't be. I love the loyalty and trust he showed to Batman and how their partnership built up. Gary made Gordon's character seem believable and as good a cop and person as Gordon can be. His character honestly was just as important and heroic as Batman was.
And that's why you need to be careful with how you portray everyone.
In a story like this, everyone has an important role.

I liked Rachel well enough and it was horrible when she died, but there was a bit of an annoyance how she kept friend-zoning Bruce and was so conflicted with her feelings. Not that I was annoyed with how it was portrayed, it was an annoying situation, so it's supposed to be annoying.
Her personality was in the right place; she loved her city and it's people and wanted to try her best to save them both, and I really respected that part of her. She did what seemed right to her and that's always a good thing. I would've loved to have seen her and Harvey together longer, because they did make a good couple.

But thankfully, Selina really made up for the bad relationship that went down in the first two movies.
Bruce needed some love and he sure found it.
I've always loved BatCat's (yes, don't judge me) relationship and adored their sass with eachother.
Catwoman has always been one of my favorites, especially in Batman Returns, but I think Anne's portrayal is my more favored one, simply because she's not as sexualized as with Michelle's.
She's more grounded and realistic and does what she can to survive and doesn't put herself out there for men to boggle over. (Michelle's didn't do this, but you know what I mean)
I love her sarcasm and wit, then change to a more serious and aggressive behavior when it's down to business. She's more like Bruce in this way, as far as knowing what personality to use when it comes down to things. I really loved the way they set the relationship up in the movie. It wasn't rushed or dragged, it was a perfect build. And I'm sorry, but in almost every portrayal of them I see, they are just perfect for one another.

Ahhhh, the villains. I could go on and on about the villains, but I just won't.
You have Villainous Villains for that one.
I will say that I loved Crane in this one and that he actually got to have a film appearance.
That's one of the only shames about the movies is that he didn't play a bigger role.
But who can deny that the whole judge-y scenes of him were not absolutely perfect?

So yeah, I know I went even more overboard on my so-called "mini" review than I did for Advent Children, but I AM talking about three movies in one here, so go easy on me.
The soundtrack was incredible and because of it, I am a huge fan of Hans Zimmer, cuz golly, the man is the king of music. I'm not kidding.
The plot, the acting, the look, the feel, everything to me is perfect. I could watch those movies every day and not get tired. They're so brilliantly well done and I give every thumb up possible to everyone involved for putting it together. So I give a very strong 10/10, because yes.

5. Terminator 2: Judgement Day

I have always been a big fan of the Terminator films. I love the concept, the story and all the characters.
I haven't fully watched the first one (although I would like to), didn't much care for the third one, even though I could tolerate it unlike other people, loved the fourth and adored the fifth, but the 2nd one was just incredible. They did a massively awesome job with how they went about things in this one.

The build up was done right, with how they opened it and how they brought on all the characters.
And the terminator scenes are intense in their own right. I, for one, always get chills.
The music they use also really helps the mood.
Young John Connor, I'm sorry to say, I always had a crush on him when I was around his age.
But his character was great. Especially when he was interacting with Arnold. XD
Sarah rocked here. I love how intense and aggressive she got after her experience.
Her portrayal was insane and it was bloody epic. But she didn't always do things that made the most sense.
If anything, she started to react to a lot of things in anger, which is totally understandable.
The whole deal really messed her up and it was heartbreaking when she lost Kyle. (Which is why I'm pretty thankful for Terminator 5, because you know...)

Arnold, as usual, was his awesome acting self. He plays tough and serious so well.
The action scenes mesmerize me. And Robert's terminator gives me the willies, mainly because he is so cold and direct with how he acts and kills. Let's be honest, if his kind've terminator existed, we'd all be scroogled.

I just seriously loved this movie. Sure, the language is a bit much, and it has it's own set of flaws, but it's the best one (next to T-5) of the series, mainly because they take this one seriously and didn't mess around with it. The story was great, the actors were great (and intense, my word), the music was mixed in well, and the look of it all was dark and edgy, just the way I like this kind of movie.
I give it a 9.5. ^^


6. Hugo

I will go very far in saying that this movie is stunning.
It is gorgeous in every way. Everything about it was just perfectly done and so full of life.
They really paid attention to things and built it up in the correct way a movie should.
Every time I watch Hugo, I get so full of inspiration.

I originally hadn't even heard much about it, except for one little TV spot and a mention of it when talking to my sister, who saw it and loved it. So when it was available, I decided to give it a try.
And boy, was I right to do so. :)
It has since become one of my most beloved movies. I was super surprised at how much I adored it.
I fell in love with the plot (DEFINITELY the plot), the characters, the look of everything, and just everything in general. It really pulled me in and kept my attention glued to the screen.
I am always fascinated by movies about writing or acting or just simply film-making.
It's a topic that's closest to my heart and I love to see other people's takes on it, especially from the writers or film-makers themselves. They really capture the beauty of books and movies so vividly here and gave out the perfect message that films had the power to capture dreams.

I love Chloe Grace Moretz and this is actually the only movie I own that she's done, mainly because her others just don't interest me, even though she's a fantastic actress.
I adored her character and her lively spirit, even though at time she could be a real brat.
But she makes up for it with charm and compassion and the way her and Hugo slowly become best friends is just so touching. They complimented eachother's personalities really well and they made eachother better people by being around one another. Also, the fact that she became a writer made me love her even more.
Hugo had his moments of being unlikable, but he really pulled through when he started to show more emotion and revealing what was happening within him, to where you really felt for the kid. He had went through a lot and it was a shame he had such a hard life, knowing how smart and talented he was.

Georges Méliès and his wife Jehanne were precious. I loved those two so.
They both had incredible dreams and talents and were so smart and passionate about what they did, it was so shattering to watch them be so broken. Like Hugo, they had their beginning times of being unlikable, but then when you find out what all happened to them, you just really have nothing but pity for them.

Uggghhh, but the movie, I love this movie so incredibly much. It was so beautiful and fantastic and I adored the Inspector and his lovely love interest and his dog so much. Anyone who has not seen it really needs to, because it's just a perfect film, especially for writers or film-makers like myself.
It always, always fills me with so much inspiration and really speaks to my heart, awakening the passion I have for writing and film-making in really strong volumes.
So yeah, if you haven't, watch it.
You'll probably love it.
All the things are fantastic. I give it a 10/10. Hands down.

That's all for now. Check back tomorrow for more! ♥

Terminator: Genisys review by The Character Queen

(WARNING, contains spoilers!)

Since I was a baby, and I mean baby, Arnold and his movies have always been a part of my life.
Baby me was mega easily entertained by him, probably because he reminded me of my dad.
I LOVED his movies, but especially the Terminator films.
So yeah, I'm a pretty big Terminator fan.
Seeing the newest one as a full-fledged 20 year old with my mom and pops, a series that I've loved since my baby years, was quite the 'wow' experience. I felt old.
Same thing with Jurassic World.
My generation didn't go to the theaters to see the originals, we just watched the movies as either VHS' or DVDs. And we grew up with them and came to love them.
Then long-awaited sequels come about.
And suddenly you're an adult, going to the theater, seeing the series you grew up with, maybe you have a kid or two of your own, and a new generation of fans springs up.
It's pretty amazing, in my book.

So yeah, seeing Terminator was really special to me.
I liked the last one with Christian Bale, it was pretty good. The third one I choose to not even speak of.
But this one was just pure awesomeness.

First of all, the casting. The casting was half of perfect.

Having Arnold was a must.


Emilia Clarke made a PERFECT Sarah Connor. Seriously, sometimes, she looked just like her.

This was actually the first time I've seen anything from her and Jai Courtney, and they're pretty good actors.


Now Jai, I probably would've gone with someone who looked a little more like Michael Biehn.

But Jai did a really good job with what he had and made a convincing Kyle.


Jason Clarke also did a pretty good job as John Connor.
My parents were the most effected by his casting. I honestly have never cared who they pick for John, so it didn't faze me. My favorite portrayal of him will always be the Edward Furlong one, but I guess that's just because I've watched that one since I was a mini-me.

Now for the terminators.

THE ASIAN TERMINATOR.
I need him back, because he was awesome. I was really expecting him to show up again near the end or even at the part where they went down to the time machine.
I was rather disappointed he didn't turn up again, cuz his appearance was rather brief.
So hopefully they bring him back for the sequel they have promised me.
Lee Byung-hun made a pretty cold and callous T-1000 and that pleases me.
I loved him as Storm Shadow....and that was pretty much the only thing I could carry any knowledge of him by when I walked into the theater. XDDD
I was all like, "STORM SHADOW IS A TERMINATOR, BWA BWA BWA"

And no, I will not talk about the Arnold terminator, not yet.


The John terminator.
Ok, ok, ok.
Love it or hate it, I loved the concept. Turning humans into terminators was a brilliant twist in the Skynet department and I hope they explore that more in the future.
John made a rather good villain in his own right. Especially because he was Sarah's son and all and had all that knowledge of her. It's like...crap. My son is the villain.
The robotic part of him looked awesome and I want more of it. XD
What would be cooler with it, though, is if they brought John back and reprogrammed him so that he fights with the others. CAN YOU IMAGINE THE AWESOMENESS.
Him and the Guardian can like, do so much coolness together, ugh. I would love that.
GRANDPA AND GRANDSON BATTLE PARTNERSHIP.
DO YOU HEAR ME.
I NEED THIS.

Now for Skynet.
The actual legit embodiment of Skynet.
A.K.A. Matt Smith.
A.K.A. Doctor freaking Who.
That would've made an excellent crossover joke, btw.
John: Doctor!
Skynet: Doctor who?
yes, yes..

That was a clever twist, what they did with him.
People were critical of his portrayal and his accent, but I think he did an excellent job with both.
And am I the only one finding any humor out've him being Skynet and dealing with time machines and basically not being HUMAN again??
In his beginning stage, they showed him as a type of hologram, but in the future, he's pretty fleshy.

So something obviously happens there.
I hope he reprises his role. It was brief, but I think it served as more of a cameo or, rather, an introduction.
And he was all like, "I was the Doctor. Now I'm Skynet. Deal with it."

And they pretty much added all the main terminators in this, too.
So if you're a fan of one from the other movies, you're bound to see a good amount of them in this one.

Now, for the O'Brien character. I loved what they did with that bit.
I knew there had to be a reason why they let him lived in the past. At first, I thought, "Why are you leaving him behind?! He'll be killed!", but the Asian Terminator wound up not touching him.
So when his older portrayal turned up, my initial thought was that he was future Silberman, who my parents and I have complete disgust over, but nope. I payed attention to the dialogue between the cops in 1984 and noted the name "O'Brien", so when the agents called the detective "O'Brien", I was like, "AHA!"
iz the cop. And having him in there, helping them, was pretty cool. ^_^

As for the movie itself, it was so good. Pay no attention to the people who seriously are not pleased with ANYTHING. Every time a new movie or anything comes out, I swear, I always hear such criticism of it and it's like, guys, seriously, shut up. Enjoy something for once in your life.
I loved this one. I wouldn't love it if it was a total disaster. It was certainly an improvement of the third one we shall not speak of.
The plot and everything was GOOD. They totally pulled a Star Trek, too, and altered the timeline and everything so that now, it's like a reboot, but not. Now they have the freedom to do as they please.
I saw it more as a second chance for characters. (well...except poor John)
The Arnold character is basically like the one from Terminator 2 and that one died, and this one sort've died, but didn't. And Sarah Connor had a screwed up life and had her head messed up because of all the crap humans put her through, but in this, she didn't have to go through all that because the Arnold Terminator protected her. Granted, she lost her parents when she shouldn't have, but still..
And Kyle. I mean, dude, he's famous for being Sarah's squeeze that died.
But here, he has another go at life and can live and I love that.

Now...
THE PART I DIDN'T WANNA SPEAK OF, BUT HAVE TO, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SARAH AND THE ARNOLD TERMINATOR WAS COOL, BUT NOT COOL.
Cool because, it was mega tons of sweet and basically a recurrence of what John had with the one sent to protect him and the father-daughter thing was just fantastic and well handled.
BUT....NOT COOL BECAUSE IT'S LEGIT LIKE MY DAD AND I AND I WAS NOT AMUSED.
It's like they stalked us.
Remember that bit about baby-me growing up with Terminator and the part where Arnold reminded me of my dad? SEE, yeah. Sarah is first of all a Sarah and they toughened her up and she was awesome and my parents state she's like me. And then the Arnold character is so totally my dad.
And then he winds up protecting her and raising her and did you see all the little pictures and the drawings he had up? Ok, MY DAD RIGHT THERE.
And let's get something straight here, you dO NOT COPY PET NAMES LIKE POPS THAT I GIVE TO MY DAD, HOW DARE YOU.
and at the end when he says, "my Sarah", WHAT THE CRAP IS THAT ABOUT.
yes, I cried.
I tried not to, but I cried.
stupid stalking film makers.

The parts also with young Kyle was so beyond amusing, and I laughed when him and his parents examined older Kyle and were all like, "We've never seen before, but he looks familiar". XDDD
Time travel nonsense at it's best.
And I personally found the bit where Sarah helped out young Kyle pretty cool.
I always love it in time traveling situations, where two characters who love eachother come across eachother's younger selves and it's like, "You're gonna marry them someday". ;P
I don't know why, it just amuses me greatly.
Especially at the part where young Kyle's all like, "I like her." And older Kyle was like, "Yeah, me too."
I laughed. Such humor.

Now for the little parental guidance bit.
If you're planning to see it and would like to know about these things, I shall tell you..
As far as I know (since I left briefly to go to the b-room during the helicopter scene), it had only one f word and that was when the original Arnold terminator approached the three punks.
In the same sentence, he says 'a-hole'.

There are frequent uses of  the s word, but not too many times and not all at once, they're a bit scattered.
The most notable times is when the T-1000 and Kyle are in the same room as Sarah and she has to choose which one is Kyle and she says it I think twice there.
Kyle uses it after dealing with a terminator close to the same time as that scene.
And there are a few g-d's, one said by the FBI agent when questioning Sarah and Kyle in the hospital, then a couple in the same sentence said by O'Brien when he looks into a security camera room.
I'm sure there are more things said, like frequent h words and probably a couple more s', but those are the most prominent that I mentioned. I can't really remember the rest.

Since in this version of time-traveling everyone has to be..ahem..nude, the characters WILL be without clothes. And Sarah also has a go at it this time.
But for the most part, you barely see anything and what parts you would visibly see, things are darkened.
They were pretty discreet with the matter.

And of course, there's lots of robotic violence and a lot of shooting, but nothing gets too gory.
It's the usual stuff in a Terminator film. ;P

That's all I can really say. I seriously loved it and found it to be a perfect summer film if you love lots of action and explosions. Plus it's a great new addition to the Terminator family.
I would give it a rating of 8/10. If you question my rating, I don't care. I loved it and I give things I love good ratings. XDDD

Now stop lingering here and go see it, you fools!!