Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) A Stunning Surprise

 

Movieshared.net - Guardians of the Galaxy is nothing short of an amazing movie. If there's anything I can say, it's that it is the best superhero movie I have seen. Not only does it have the impressive set pieces and enough action to last you a lifetime, it has an emotional core and you actually get to care about each and every single character. Overall this movie is filled with all the required thrills and spills and is a first class action movie. It also has a great mixture of comedic value and a deal of seriousness.

The film's unlikely hero is Quill (Chris Pratt), an eccentric gunfighter in the Han Solo mould who we meet stealing a metal orb coveted by the evil warlord Ronan. When he dispatches his top assassin, the green- skinned Gamora (Zoe Saldana), to recover the artifact, the pair find themselves locked up, along with the galaxy's most unlikely bounty hunters – a gun-toting raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and his sidekick (Vin Diesel) who just happens to be a walking tree. All the actors do a great job at portraying there characters, they feel real beings. You get to know about them and their struggles and you become attached to them. Every character in the movie got their time to shine, especially Rocket Raccoon who is voiced perfectly by Bradley Cooper. Everyone is pitch perfect in their roles even Batista!

For those that want specifics: effects were top notch, acting was excellent, story lines were compelling, the comedy was perfect 99.5% of the time and surprise there were a lot of one line typical superhero zingers that worked really well. What really can't be stressed enough is just how insanely fun and entertaining Guardians of the Galaxy is for literally its entire two-hour-plus run-time. I still have a hard time wrestling with who was my favorite actor in this. all in all, the film is brilliantly well done, action scenes are engrossing and genuinely done, you genuinely worry about certain characters and I for one was thrilled with it. Go see this.

Thor (2011) Pleasant Surprise

 

Movieshared.net - When I heard they were making a movie of the character Thor I had serious trepidations. When I heard that Kenneth Branagh was directing it I had even more trepidation not due to the fact that it was Branagh but the fact that all he's ever directed was drama's.

Going into the theater I very low expectations from this film and man was I blown away. I like the fact that Branagh didn't approach the story as a super-hero film but more of a Shakespearing epic. The fantasy elements alone were marvelous.

Anthony Hopkins IS Odin...I cannot imaging another actor portraying him. His performance as Odin captures the essence of the character and the delicate balance of ruler verses father. He exudes power with subtle touches of vulnerability.

Chris Hemsworth is outstanding as Thor. He's got such a likability about him that even at Thor's most arrogant point in the story you can see how his friends stand by him. His performance is rock solid and extremely enjoyable.

Tom Hiddleston is THE perfect Loki. He's captured the sleazy, slimy, be nice to your face but looking for a place to drive the knife in your back nature of the character.

As I had stated earlier the story plays out as more of a fantasy epic than a dyed in the wool super-hero story. The journey into Jotenheim was stunning and Asgard itself was just beautiful to behold. The set designs were excellent. The humor in the film was very organic and never seemed forced. The story itself was very well balanced and didn't leave you wondering what the heck was going on. I almost wish they'd have kept it separate from the upcoming Marvel films. It works very well as a stand alone epic.

The effect's that I was expecting to be sub-standard were in fact top notch and even Thors trademark spinning hammer from the comics didn't look as cheesy as it could have.

This movie is a gem. All parties involved should be proud of themselves for bringing such a great piece of work to the screen. I for one cannot wait to see a sequel to this film. With any luck we'll see some of the other nine realms such as Muspelheim, Alfheim or even Vanaheim.

This is definitely a MUST SEE film

Agent Carter (2015) Season1 Online Free

 

In typical Marvel form they leave us off with a cliffhanger at the end of episode 1 to get us more excited for the next episode. Luckily this time around they aired both of them back to back to create a full 2 hour movie like story. While this episode touched on some of the same notes as the first, there was a much darker feel to this one. And we also got a bigger sense as to who this Leviathan character really is.

Jarvis, who is in human form at this point in the universe, turns out to be a much bigger part of the show than we previously thought. He is pretty much the Diggle of this show but also has something else going on behind our backs. Perhaps it was too early to get attached to his character but I wonder what his and Starks intentions really are. I don't think Peggy is one to be bullied around so it's likely either she already knows or is bound to find out sooner or later that she seems to be a pawn.

Her and Jarvis' journey to find more about what was being stolen from Stark became more explosive this time. Joe Russo, director of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, helmed this second episode. Which is probably why the action looks so good. But it was also well written with a lot of familiar spy elements. It's funny how little respect Carter has around the office but how every time she is a few steps ahead of the rest of the crew. It may not be possible but wouldn't we all love to see her and Black Widow have some sort of team up? So through two episodes Agent Carter has my attention. It's 40's style dialogue and strong lead characters give this a unique feel to the superhero genre.

The Avengers (2012) - Nothing Short of Amazing

 

Movieshared.net - The Avengers is the culmination of what began in Iron Man; and continued through The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America. It was only a few years ago that my son and I had just finished watching Iron Man and as the credits were ending, Samuel L. Jackson appeared on screen as Nick Fury and spoke to Tony Stark about joining Avengers Initiative…in that short scene, the framework for potentially the greatest comic book movie of all-time had begun!

Director Joss Whedon, most known for the T.V. series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, takes the foundation that was built in the prior films and brings together the greatest team of superheroes in film history, The Avengers: Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) as "assembled" by Nick Fury. Whedon's scripts usually include clever banter, gripping action sequences and an air of mystery and The Avengers is no different. Whedon has an utter love for comic books, and it is proudly put on display in The Avengers.

The cast does a great job of bringing these iconic characters to life, beginning with Robert Downey Jr. Unlike Iron Man 2, in which Downey seemed to skate through scene after scene, Downey plays Stark almost effortlessly, delivering his lines with relative ease allowing his charisma, charm and smugness to shine through; Robert Downey Jr. IS Tony Stark! Chris Evans' solidifies himself in the role of Captain America. He was very good in his solo film, but truly owns the role standing alongside Iron Man and Thor. Chris Hemsworth's Asgardian god Thor has some incredible battle scenes and indirectly provides one of the film's most funny moments. After being seriously underutilized in Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow is provided a back-story, which helps in developing the character and provides an opportunity to prove she is much more than just a pretty face; she's as dangerous psychologically as she is physically. I could envision myself enjoying a beat-down at the hands (and feet) of Black Widow. The character I was most concerned about being given little story and the least amount of screen time was Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye; happily, he's not left by the wayside and does a more than admirable job of developing the character. Hawkeye stands alongside Robin Hood and Katniss Everdene (The Hunger Games) as the best archers to grace the silver screen. I'd like to see more of him in a film of his own. Mark Ruffalo, the most recent choice to play Hulk, is far better suited to the role than Eric Bana (The Hulk) and Ed Norton Jr (The Incredible Hulk). Ruffalo looks more the part of the nerdy scientist Banner and plays the part without looking angry in every scene. In The Avengers, the Hulk is at his most impressive, both in his on-screen transformation and the violence he displays when the opportunity calls for him to "hulk out". If any character appeared to stand out a little bit more than the others, for me it was the Hulk. Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury is finally more than just the guy making surprise appearances. Fury is finally able to stretch his legs some, and Jackson slides quite easily into the role. Clark Gregg's Agent Caulson returns, and Cobie Smulders makes her Marvel films debut as Agent Maria Hill, and she is a welcome addition. The film's main villain is Thor's adopted-brother Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston. You would think the part would be a difficult one to play being opposite such powerful personalities and strong characters, but Hiddleston does a fantastic job; the performance should not go unnoticed, because it's one of the strong points of the film. Loki is not a villain without purpose and Hiddleston comes across as a devious mastermind without being cartoonish.

At a running-time of 2+ hours, The Avengers is well paced and time flies by. The effects are top-notch, the acting is very good, and the script drives the movie elevating its strengths. For viewers that may not have seen any of the other films (and if so, why not!?!?), we're provided just enough information to bring everyone up to speed without feeling overdone. Whedon provides more than just a standard comic book film, but a story with reason that's backed up with incredible action and humor.

Although the film is filled with larger than life characters, none are short changed; each character is given at least one great scene to work with, and the opportunities don't go to waste. The film's finale provides a deafening crescendo of action that is breathtaking. As usual with Marvel films, be sure to stay around for the post credit sequence, which provides a surprising reveal.

I went into The Avengers with unfairly high expectations, due to all of those that were involved, as well as the films that came before it. After viewing the initial trailers and not being blown away, I had set myself up for disappointment. It was only a matter of minutes after the film started that I was put at ease, and just minutes later when my expectations were blown away. I never imagined that it was possible to put onto the screen, what I was watching. I'm happy that Marvel had the sense to keep these properties to themselves and to move forward with these characters in the manner in which they did. Marvel Studios and Disney are going to make a boatload of money off this film, and deservedly so; because there's never been another movie made of its caliber.

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Best of all xmen movies

2014 has proved to be a successful year so far for Marvel with 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' and the most recent 'X-Men: Days of Future Past'. Bryan Singer returns for the most recent X-Men after being absent for the past four films, and what a return he has made. 'Days of Future Past' is truly an impressive and spectacular instalment in both the 'X- Men' franchise and the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, combining the casts from both the original trilogy and the prequel allowing the audience to view the 'X-Men' in the past, present and future. The action scenes are intense and spectacularly choreographed with some fantastic heroes and foes fighting both against and alongside each other. As a personal opinion, 'Days of Future Past' is the best film to have graced the Marvel film franchise and one of the greatest superhero films of all-time. A visually stunning and exhilarating flick that combines the best elements of the series to create a fantastic and entertaining film.
Watch X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) Online

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) HD 720p

Went into the movie not expecting much as I felt that the first Captain America was one of the weaker movies in Phase one of the Avengers. However, this movie was one of the best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

First off, the action and fight scenes in the movie are just awesome and there is plenty of action to keep you entertained throughout the entire movie. There is also enough humour to balance all this. The characters all had their own amazing moments and the acting is decent as well. You get to see more of Nick Fury, and he was awesome in this. Black Widow is used much more in this movie and as well as being badass, she brings out more of the Captain's story. Sam Wilson (the Falcon) is great and is involved in some great action scenes. The villains in this movie were awesome as well.

Quite enjoyed the story as well. There were a few twists; some unexpected, some expected. And the reveal of the unexpected twists in the final third were epic. The story is not just about Captain America and the Winter Soldier, there are darker forces at play and causes the Captain to ask dangerous questions.

This movie is very entertaining, the story is decent, the ending is awesome and satisfying and I would recommend watching this. Makes for a decent political thriller as well. This will easily be one of my favourite movies