Drew’s Movie Reviews Turns 6! My Fave Five New Movies I Watched in Year 6

July 30, 2019 by Drew

Hello, friends!

Today is a special day. Today is my the sixth blogiversary! I celebrated the occasion by reviewing Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. If you missed any of those reviews, here they are:

Spider-Man
Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 3

Since “Year 5” was a bit extended due to my six month hiatus last year, I haven’t seen as many movies during Year Six as normal. However, I still did see some pretty fantastic films during that time. Here are my fave five films I watched during my sixth year of blogging.

5) Aquaman

The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) doesn’t have the best track record. I think Warner Bros. recognized that directors should have the freedom to make their movies their way, even if they exist within the larger universe, which is exactly what James Wan is allowed to do with Aquaman and it payed off. This movie has its share of problems but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still a ton of fun. Wan injects a blend of humor and action with a sprinkle of his signature horror elements in the right spots to create an enjoyable action adventure, leaving me actually excited for a DCEU sequel.

4) Juno

I’ve heard of Juno and how good it was for years but it was one of those films that I never watched for one reason or another. When discussing this year’s Ultimate Decades blogathon with my co-host, she recommended this 2007 film to me and I figured “what the heck?” After watching it I was saying to myself “what the heck!? Why didn’t I watch this sooner?” It is extremely heartfelt and way more captivating than I expected it to be. Ellen Page and Michael Cera were phenomenal, playing off each other’s senses of humor wonderfully. Dramas are hit or miss with me but this was a definite hit!

3) Spider-Man: Far From Home

After the epicness that was Avengers: Endgame, we needed a more relaxed film. That’s not to say Spider-Man: Far From Home is a walk in the park but it does lack the scale of Endgame. Tom Holland has really come into the role of Peter since Captain America: Civil War, and has probably become my favorite Peter Parker between the three actors to have portrayed him since 2002. Jake Gyllenhaal has a unique take on Quentin Beck, adding to the relatively unimpressive comic book version of the character. The end of the film finally sees Spidey swinging through NYC, making me even more excited for Holland’s third solo Spider-Man film.

2) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse immediately makes itself standout from other Spider-Man films with its truly one-of-a-kind animation style that makes you feel like you are watching a comic book come to life. We’ve seen plenty of big screen versions of Peter Parker so Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse takes a different approach and presents us Miles Morales, the Ultimate Spider-Man, for the first time. There is a lot to enjoy between the characters, story, and animation. Opening up the multiverse creates literally endless story possibilities and I can’t wait to see what they come up with for the inevitable sequel.

1) Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame. Wow. What an emotional end to what is now being called the “Infinity Saga”. Marvel Studios crafted one of the finest pieces of pop-culture history. Where Avengers: Infinity War brought together story threads from all the previous Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films, Endgame wraps up those story threads in an emotional and exciting way, closing out the chapters of most of the Avengers we have followed since 2008. It is hard to believe we will see another cultural cinematic event like this anytime soon. Love you, 3000.

What a year for superhero films, huh? It’s probably good that we are getting a breather from the MCU for now, now that the Infinity Saga has finished. There were some pretty amazing announcements that came from the Marvel panel at San Diego Comic Con this year so I can’t wait to see what Phase Four brings. Unfortunately, the Fox’s X-Men series went out with a whimper with X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Hopefully under the Marvel Studios banner, the X-Men characters can return to their former glory. As for the DCEU, well they seemed to have distanced themselves from a shared universe and are focusing on stand alone stories, which honestly is probably their better option right now.

And that does it for another year at DMR! Thank you to all my followers, and anyone who has liked, commented, shared, or simply visited the site. You all make this worthwhile and an enjoyable experience. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next 12 months. 🙂

Until next time, cheers!

Avengers: Endgame Review

May 7, 2019 by Drew

Synopsis
After Thanos (Josh Brolin) successfully eliminated half of all life in the universe, the Avengers search for a way to defeat Thanos and undo his actions.

Review
And I thought Avengers: Infinity War was an event! Avengers: Endgame blows Infinity War out of the water in terms of spectacle and scope, which is saying a lot. Where Infinity War was the beginning of the end of the current Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) era (now dubbed the “Infinity Saga”), Endgame is the finite end of the era. Whether you’ve been with these characters since Iron Man in 2008 or jumped in somewhere along the way, if you’ve spent any time with these characters and formed connections to them, you will more than likely find this a gratifying conclusion to the tapestry woven over the last eleven years.

If you somehow have stayed away from the MCU until this point, this is not the time to jump in. From specific moments or plot points from previous films, the story is seeped in the history of the MCU. We are given reminders along the way of why we have fallen for and cheered for these characters over the years. If you have no idea of who the characters are, their story arcs and growth, or what they are talking about, the subtleties will probably be lost on you, and will potentially ruin those moments for you if you do decide to revisit the other films later on.

You might think that with a three hour run time this film would drag on. If you thought that, you’d be wrong. This film is three hours long but it never feels that way. Not once did I think “when will this end?” The pacing never felt too rushed or too slow. When movies run as long as Endgame does, you might think there are scenes that could be removed but every scene plays a part and serves a purpose. The entire three hours is needed to make the story feel complete. Also, each act feels unique, helping mitigate issues of repetitiveness.

The films of the MCU have been hit or miss in terms of balancing their signature humor with more dramatic moments. Endgame manages to balance the two more than most other films in the MCU. If you like the humor then there will be plenty for you to laugh at. The quips come fast and loose as you have come to expect from these films. However, when the drama needs to take front and center, it does. In other movies in the franchise, humor can undermine the quieter, intimate moments. While there are a few moments that feel weakened by an abrupt joke, for the most part, the dramatic moments are given the room they need to have the emotional impact they deserve.

Every movie in this franchise has been character driven to some extent but Endgame might be the most character driven film of them all. The entire first act is spent following the remaining Avengers and seeing how Thanos’ victory has affected them. Even during the second act when the film picks up momentum, there are still plenty of instances when the action steps back and lets the characters drive the story forward. The full three hour run time is used to satisfy those who want to see big action pieces as well as those who want the nuanced scenes as well.

As someone who sees Marvel and Star Wars films opening weekend (if not opening night), I have seen some pretty enthusiastic crowds. Yet I have never been apart of a more energetic crowd than the one I was watching this movie with. In the final act, we get the battle between the heroes and the villains that we have been waiting for. This battle is the definition of epic. It is up there with the the Battle for Helmes Deep in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers or the Battle on Planet Doom from Ready Player One. This battle is filled with so many “hell, yeah!” moments that had everyone whooping and cheering and throwing their fists in the air. It’s events like these that makes me so happy to be a part of these fandoms.

I thought Avengers: Endgame was GREAT 😀 While I would love to go into more details, I want to stay away from spoilers on the off-chance you haven’t seen it yet. I applauded Avengers: Infinity War for its ability to bring together plot threads laid down over the previous ten years. Now, Avengers: Endgame should be applauded for its ability to give those threads a satisfying and fitting conclusion. There are a lot of emotions to be felt, particularly if you’ve kept up with the MCU since the beginning. Marvel Studios has been a Hollywood pioneer in world- and franchise-building and Avengers: Endgame is a magnificent payoff to what they have been creating all these years. Although there is still a future in the MCU, this chapter has come to a close with the biggest bang possible.

Trailer