Movie Review: ****^X-Men: First Class

 X-Men series

This version of X-Men provides the origin story for Xavier (James McAvoy), Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence)  and Eric/Magneto (Michael Fassbender).  In the case of Xavier and Eric different actors are used than the original X-Men.  Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) is also a mutant, but intent on starting WWIII.  This is around the time of the Cuban missile crisis.  At the end of the show the Russians and thr Americans are facing off over the American embargo of Cuba.  Will war begin?  Will war begin?  Magneto and Xavier work together, but have a falling out by the end over differing techniques.  This movie shows why Xavier was in a wheel chair; among other background stories.  

Movie Review: ***^ X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

X-Men series 

Stryker (Danny Huston) is determined to put together the best strike tam, using mutants.  However with this, behind the scenes he is determined to harvest the powers of all the best mutants, and make a super mutant.  This is how Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is created.  However Wolverine/Logan (Hugh Jackman) is the key.  His brother Victor (Liev Schrieber) is pursuing him with this goal in mind.  Although it seems he is just wanting Logan back in the game and is willing to kill people to have his way.  In the end, he is coming for Victor and Stryker (the brains behind everything.). 

Too much violence for my tastes.

X-Men Movies: Summaries and Reviews.

 The X-Men series is now available through Disney +

**** X-Men (2000) The first X-Men made

****X2: X-Men United (2003) The two sides actually unite

***^ X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). Jean destroys everything but Wolverine saves us

***^ X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

****^ X-Men: First Class (2011)

**** The Wolverine (2013)

**** X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) Very good but bounces from past to present too much 

***^ X-Men Apocalypse (2016)

Deadpool (2016).  rated R  Deadpool as a character was first introduced in X-Men Origins: Wolverine

** Logan (2017) Too much language and too much violence.  Rated R, I watched edited tv version

Deadpool 2 (2018). rated R

**^ Once Upon a Deadpool (2018). An edited down version at the theater but still pretty rough.  Deadpool interacts with X-men.

**** Dark Phoenix (2019). In this movie Jean kills Raven

***The New Mutants (2020)

Deadpool and Wolverine (2024). rated R

Movie Review: ****^Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

 Since Covid it seems the quality of movies has gone down.  Fortunately this movie is on exception.  It has fun characters and a good story.  It even has a fat dragon.  Edgin (Chris Pine) our thief/planner and Holga (Michelle Rodriguez) the muscle have been betrayed by by a former team member, Forge (Hugh Grant) who has been influenced by a red wizard, Sofina (Daisy Head) who helped Forge become a ruler, and  wealthy.  The red wizard's goal is to take over the population with a half dead curse and create an army to rule.  Forge has fostered Edgin's daughter, Kira (Chloe Coleman), and has manipulated her with lies.  Edgin seeks a talisman which will bring his dead wife back to life.  He engages the help of a wizard, Simon (Justice Smith) who lacks confidence and consequently is not a very good wizard. and a druid, Doric (Sophia Lillis).  She is able to transform from creature to creature.  The talisman is in Forge's safe.  This is protected with many spells.  The only way in is with a helmet which cancels all spells.  Xenk (Regé-Jean Page) who is a Harper (sworn to peace) and reminds Edgin he is a Harper as well.  

The conclusion of this movie is very fun.  It ends much differently than you would expect.  Suffice it to say that Edgin gets his daughter back, but they are still poor.  

Musical Movie Review: ****Dear Evan Hansen (2021)

 The music in Dear Evan Hansen is superb, and you are able to so much better feel the emotion through song.  Towards the first of the movie, Connor commits suicide.  Before this he has a couple of interactions with Evan, not positive.  He yells at him in the hall, and he steals a letter Evan wrote to himself at the suggestion of his therapist.  He also signs Evan's cast.  Evan's parents, Cynthia Murray and Larry Mora find the note, and confront Even to know more of their relationship.  Evan wants to tell the truth, but he doesn't and makes up a history, and his family friend, Jared Kalwani helps him make an email history.   Connor's sister, Zoe, suspects something fishy as the only time he saw them together Connor was yelling at Evan.   Evan's mother, Heidi Hansen is a single mother, and knows of Evan's anxiety but not of his history of having suicidal thoughts.  Sometimes I wonder if making a movie about suicide and depression might make suicide more favorable to someone contemplating suicide.  But in this movie there is hope, in the song Evan sings as a tribute to Connor, You will be found.

Have you ever felt like nobody was there?
Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere?
Have you ever felt like you could disappear?
Like you could fall, and no one would hear?

Well, let that lonely feeling wash away
Maybe there's a reason to believe you'll be okay
'Cause when you don't feel strong enough to stand
You can reach, reach out your hand

And oh, someone will coming running
And I know, they'll take you home

Even when the dark comes crashing through
When you need a friend to carry you
And when you're broken on the ground
You will be found
So let the sun come streaming in
'Cause you'll reach up and you'll rise again
Lift your head and look around
You will be found

Ben Platt as Evan Hansen, Kaitlyn Dever as Zoe Murphy, Amy Adams as Cynthia Murphy, Danny Pino as Larry Mora, Julianne Moore as Heidi Hansen, Amandla Stenberg as Alana Beck, Colton Ryan as Connor Murphy and Nik Dodani as Jared Kalwani

Movie Review: Knives Out

 Daniel Craig plays a master detective, Benoit Blanc, and although not affiliated with the police is called in to investigate the death of a rich author.  He was hired by an unknown person.  The victim is a famous author, Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) who takes medication administered by nurse Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas).  However one day the medication is administered incorrectly, resulting in an apparent lethal dose, so Thrombey kills himself with a knife to keep suspicion off Cabrera.  The children of the author include Ransom Drysdale (Chris Evans), Linda Drysdale (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Richard Drysdale (Don Johnson).

Thrombey had been disappointed in his progenitors for some time; so had rewritten his will leaving everything to the nurse, whose company he enjoyed.  Ransom was onto this change, and had changed the medication labels so as to trick the nurse to give the wrong medication.  So this sparks a case of blackmail.  Ransom knows the wrong dose was given, and wants Cabrera to give up her claim to the will.  It is only when Craig realizes who hired him that he is able to break the case, but still unable to charge the murderer.

I enjoy a good Agatha Christie, and although this is not an Agatha Christie, it has that feel.  I was completely entertained.  I really enjoyed the character created by Ana de Armas.  She was likable and sympathetic.  The family members were all mostly spoiled brats. 

Disney + Star Wars mini series Review: ****^Ahsoka

 Rosario Dawson stars as Ahsoka, continuing from Clone Wars, Rebels, and Mandalorian.  This is the period after the Empire has been defeated, but Ahsoka is worried about the return of Thrawn.  Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), was her intern, and becomes that again.  She is also accompanied by a droid, Huyang (David Tennant)a who served at the Jedi temple and help many Jedi construct their light sabers.  Other characters who help them are Hera (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly)

Thos who are pursuing the return of Thrawn (Lars Mikkelson)  are Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) of the witches, Baylon Skol (Ray Stevenson), former Jedi knight turned to the dark side and his apprentice Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno).  Skol appears to be helping, but is more interested in getting to Peridea where he can continue his studies of the dark side of the force.

The first few episodes revolve around finding thrawn and/or Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi).  There is a dilemma, in finding Bridger, you also find Thrawn, who can make things very difficult for the New Republic.  The New Republic government however does not believe Thrawn is coming back, as he has been gone for some time.  Consequently Ahsoka and Wren have to solve this on their own.  However they actually get separated, and it appears Ahsoka has been killed.  Wren is taken captive by those looking for Thrawn, and thereby meets Thrawn, and is released to look for Bridger.  And Skol and Hati are sent after her to kill both her and Bridger.  In the meantime, Ahsoka is on her way having traveled by purrgil.

This show is very enjoyable.  It ends with Wren and Ahoska in a terrible fix, and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) watching over them.  There is plenty of action, Skol vs Ahsoka, Ahsoka vs Morgan Elsbeth, Shin Hati vs Sabine Wren.  There is a bit too much witchiness for my taste, but in flows into the show.