Green Lantern (2011)

I have never been much of a DC fan, personally, I have almost always been a Marvel girl. Not that I didn't read or collect DC, but…you know…favorites, but when I saw the first preview of the Green Lantern, I was pretty stocked. Ryan Reynolds playing the main character Hal Jordan definitely didn’t hurt either J So last night I went with my boyfriend to see it and it was worth it!

The story starts by explaining how the universe it is divided and protected by the Green Lantern Corps. A group of warriors from all the different races in the universe that have be selected and have sworn to keep intergalactic peace and order. Each of these warriors, these Green Lantern’s wear a ring that provides them with superpowers that are only hindered by the Lanterns will and imagination.

But in the Lost Quadrant, a new enemy was brewing, a threat that could destroy the balance of power in the universe, Parallax. Long ago, Parallax was imprisoned by the Green Lantern, Abin Sur but over time, Parallax got bigger and more powerful until he could escape his prison. With only the desire for revenge fueling him, Parallax begins to destroy Green Lanterns and engulf worlds that stand in his path.

Hearing the outcry in the universe, the Green Lanterns rise up to protect and Abin Sur rushes to the most recent cry or assistance in his sector. Sector 2814 (earth falls into this sector).  On his way, Abin receives a message from Sinestro (played by Mark Strong) informing him that all is lost and there is no point for him to continue on. Preparing to turn back, Abin is attack by Parallax, mortally wounded, he evacuates his ship and heads to the nearest inhabited planet in search of a new keeper for the ring. Abin lands on earth, sensing that his time is coming to a close, he sends out a calling for his replacement….

Meanwhile we meet Hal Jordan, a cocky young Air Force pilot. He and his longtime friend and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (played by Blake Lively) are selected to compete against the new Ferris Aircraft new robotically controlled aircraft. Ferris Aircraft, owned by Carol’s father Carl has spent years to ensure this government contract and this test was to show that these new aircraft could out fly and outsmart any human pilot. Hal determined to win at any cost, uses Carol as a decoy and fly’s dangerously high into the atmosphere until the new Farris jets stall out and crash down to earth. In the process of going above and beyond, his own aircraft stalled and started to fall back. Realizing that he was going to crash, Hal has a flash back to the day his father, Martin Jordan, died in a plane crash during a test flight for Ferris Aircraft. Hal snaps out just in time to evacuate his aircraft and survive.

Carol is furious with him for destroying his plane, pulling that idiotic stunt in front of the Secretary of Defense but most of all; she could tell that something happened to Hal in the plane. Realizing they may not get the new contract, Carl Ferris, downsizes and fires most of the staff. Hal refusing to talk about it and realizing he messed up he leaves to go to visit his nephew’s birthday party. His brothers and sisters are furious with him, all of them seeing what happened to their father almost happening to Hal. Hal, seeing that his nephew was disturbed by the incident went to make things right. After the party, Hal leaves only to have a giant green sphere enclose around him and take him to an alien space ship with a purple dying alien inside, Abin.

Seeing Abin in trouble, Hal rushes to the ship and pulls the dying man out. Not knowing what to do, Hal tries desperately to get Abin to hold on, but with his dying words he tells Hal that he was choose to take the ring, it was a great honor and that he should take the lantern, place the ring against it and speak the oath. Hal, unsure of what to do accepts the ring out of the dying man’s clutches; he buries him, takes the Lantern and calls his best friend.

Back in his apartment, Hal sits looking at the lantern, I can’t really blame him on this one, I would look at the lantern too. Suddenly his eyes go this strange white and he repeats the oath. I guess through some telepathic possession he amazingly knows the oath….

“In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight
Let those who worship evil’s might,
Beware my power… Green Lantern’s light!”

He goes all green glow like and then returns to normal in shock! As anyone would be, because seriously, if I just got electrocuted or whatever by a freaking 1920’s lantern I would beat someone down!

Later that night Carlo and Hal go out for a few drinks, you see the compassion that Carol has for Hal, but Carol is trying desperately to hold her feelings for him back.  Trying to pry into his personal life (like all woman do – I too am guilty of this – even though I do try my hardest not to be) he storms out of the bar. In the parking lot he is attached by 3 of the x-Ferris employees who are pissed off and blame in because they were not valuable enough in the company to avoid getting laid off. During the little scuffle Hal’s ring senses the danger and kicks in, knocking the crap out of the 3 drunken thugs.

Realizing his ring is doing some crazy ass stuff he tried to rip it off, but the ring has a plan of its own and suddenly he is rushing through the universe (how awesome would that be – no big bulky suit, not space ship, just you and the universe…tell me after experiencing something like that you wouldn’t realize just how small and insignificant you really are).

The ring takes him to Oa, home of the Green Lanterns, He awakes to see himself decked out in his green skin…after checking himself out in the mirror, he turns to see Tomar-Re (played by Dorian Kingi), a fish like humanoid, or a humanoid like fish. He introduces him to Oa and explains that there are “3600” Green Lanters across the universe each protecting its own sector. Hal’s sector is sector 2814. Tomar-Re explains to Hal, that the power of the Green Lanterns comes from “will” and the power of each Green Lantern is only as strong as his will. Tomar-Re and Kilowog (played by Michael Clarke Duncan) who is a bad as mo-fo take what seems to be only a few hours before Sinestro steps into the scene, completely embarrasses Hal and sends him crying back to earth

While Hal is getting his ass kicked on Oa, the government has found the Alien Abin and have called in Hector Hammon (played by Peter Sarsgaard) , a young scientist, friend of Hal and Carol and son of Senator Hammond (played by Tim Robbins). Now Hector just looks like an evil little freak of nature who kinda reminded me of Chucky. Hector, thanks to his father’s connections gets the opportunity to dissect the dead alien and in the process he finds some yellow blob (“fear”). The “fear” infects him and he slow starts to experience changes…he can read minds and his head gets all swollen and he looks even more freaky and evil than before if that is even possible.

Hal returning to earth makes his debut as the Green Lantern at Ferris Aircrafts dinner party announcing their new contract. Hector attends (thanks to his father) and he runs into his old friends Carol and Hal. You can tell that Hector has a thing for Carol, but she is too far out of his league and after trying to impress her by telling her he was just experimenting on an alien body his father pulls him away. Frustrated that his father doesn’t appreciate him or think of him as much of a success Hector slowly slips into furry. As the Senator prepares to leave in a Ferris Aircraft Bell Helicopter, Hector snaps and using his new found “fear” power he causes the Helicopter to careen out of control. Luckily Hal is there and saves the day…and the girl!

**stop reading if you haven’t seen the movie and skip to the last paragraph….the rest is pretty much a spoiler J**

Carol realizes who Hal is….guess that stupid little mask that only covered his face didn’t hid his identity very well.  Worst super hero hidden identity every, seriously by the end of this movie like 3 people know who he is and its only been like a week!!

The Senator, realizing that something is wrong with his son, attempts to help him, by hurting him, but it doesn’t work. Parallax has grown stronger inside him and he turns against his father. Hal shows up and he and Hector battle, the Green Lantern wins, but the Senator and everyone else in the building die.  Now Hector knows who is true enemy is…the Green Lantern, and he knows who the Green Lantern is…is long ago friend Hal. While fighting Hector, the Green Lantern learns that Parallax is on his way to earth to destroy him and destroy his planet.

Hal rushes off to Oa to request help from the Guardians, but unable to assist, the do admit that Parallax is in fact a Guardian who long ago, in an attempt to strengthen the power of the green lanterns tried to harness the power of “fear” but was in fact engulfed into it turning him into the monster he is today. Thanks to Abin, Parallax was imprisoned for years, but is now free. Sinestro believes that the Guardians should create a yellow (fear) ring but Hal disagrees, saying will is all they need to beat Parallax. He requests the assistance of other Green Lanterns, but is denied. He turns to go back to earth to fight the fear alone.

After he leaves, Sinestro convinces the Guardians to create a yellow ring….

Back on earth, stuff starts getting heated up. Hector has somehow become a cripple in a wheelchair, I guess his head got to heavy and he has kidnapped Carol. Hal tricks Hector into giving him Carol in exchange for the ring, but Hector didn’t realize the ring only worked for the chosen one. While all this is going on, Parallax is in the background…eating up the city, destroying everyone in its path. When Hal finally defeats Hector…after about 2 min…the guy is just a creepy pedo, Parallax is disappointed and eats, consumes Hectors fear. Ringless (because he gave it to Hector to confuse him) Parallax goes after Hal, but Carol runs over to Hectors dead body, pulls of the ring and tosses it to Hal. Hal and the Parallax battle…badly and within 5 minutes they are in space and Parallax is being consumed by a sun. Hal himself would have did if Sinestro, Tomar-Re and Kilowog had not shown up in the last minute to pull him from the gravitational pull of the sun.

Hal returns to earth, gets the girl…

Sinestro…of course puts on the Yellow ring…idiot!

I guess they will never really be able to turn Carol into Star Sapphire, because how can Star Sapphire and the Green Lantern not know each other’s true identity and fight battles if they already do. Guess they will just have to skip ahead and create Star Sapphire already separate from Carol.

Overall I loved the effects of the movie. I was a little disappointed by the ending, I just felt something was missing, but that could have been just me. Overall, this is a movie that is worth seeing…if you have already seen Thor , you can check out my blog on Thor. I did like it more than X-Man 1^st Class however, but the summer is still young. I am already looking forward to Green Lantern 2, because after they have already banked at the box office this one is already in production and I expect we will see it in 2012 easy. 

X-Men 1st Class – The movie (2011)

Since I was in…3^rd grade…I have been a X-Men fan. I loved Marvel and with my allowance or pocket money that I earned, I would go to the comic book store and spend it. So when Hollywood realized that they had all these great stories already layed out for them with characters, heros, great plots and even already in story board form…they had to go for it. We have had so many of my childhood heros come to life on the big screen so far…some good...some bad, and they keep coming…and I love it.

Most recently I went with my boyfriend to see X-Men 1^st Class. I have been wanting to see it for quite some time, the original ORIGINAL X-Men rock! So this was great for me. I knew before going it that it wasn’t going to be all crazy, but setting a wonderful backstory and it did just that.

The movie starts off with the same scene as the X-Men movie, a flash back into Magneto/Erik Lensherr’s (played by Michael Fassbender) childhood. Erik is in Poland, during WWII at a German concentration camp. While the Jews are herded into the camp the Nazi’s separate the children from their parents. Erik gets tossed onto one side of the fence as his parents are forced to another. In complete fear and desperation Erik reaches forward for his mother and begins to pull the metal gate towards him. The guards struggle to pull the boy away from the gate, but his magnetic pull is to strong and the soldiers cannot get solid footing in the wet mud, suddenly one guard knocks Erik unconscious. Looking out the window, down upon the tortured and dishearten prisoners, Sebastian Shaw (played by Kevin Bacon) see what Erik did, realizing this child has great potential that he could use to strengthen the Nazi stronghold he has Erik brought to him. Ordering Erik to move a coin without touching it, Erik is unable. He doesn’t understand what happened, but to encourage the boy, Shaw has his mother brought into the room and out of pure evil he kills Eriks mum because the boy is unable to yet control his power. Filled with a furry and hatred for Shaw and the Nazi’s Eric unleashes his magnetic power, crushing the skulls of two soldiers and destroying the room. Shaw, not realizing what he is creating he is delighted.

While Erik is being tortured in a concentration camp in Poland, we meet a young boy living in a beautiful mansion in New York…a very young Charles Xavier. The boy awakes to sounds coming from his kitchen. Wondering down the stairs he finds his mother sanding in the kitchen. Staring at the woman, Charles realizes that it is not his mother and watches in amazement as a young blue girl shifts from the form of his mum. The scared young girl introduces herself as Raven. Charles is ecstatic to have meet someone else with powers so he tells the scared young girl, that she can live with him and his family.

*Side note - Guess he had to brain wash everyone in the house and in his life to keep her around as his “sister” but too many questions can destroy a good story J

Time travels forward and the two boys grow up…World War 2 has ended and the world is starting to feel normal again. You see Erik walking into a Swiss bank, his goal…to find out what happened to Shaw. After slowly torturing the bank president he learns that he must go to Argentina. Traveling across Europe, Erik finds a lone tavern in the middle of nowhere. The tavern only has 3 people inside of it, two are former Nazi’s. Erik kills the men and in doing so realizes that he has to cross the ocean…to Miami.

So as Erik struggles to deal with his twisted past, Charles lives with Raven and is graduating from Oxford with a PhD. He wrote is thesis on mutation in humans. Life for one is going rather well while life for the other is pure torture and pain.

While Erik is seeking out Shaw and Charles is flirting with random girls in bars, the world around them is beginning to see its first encounters with mutants. CIA agent Moira MacTaggart follows Colonel Hendry into a night club in Vegas, trying to see what the man is up to. Feeling she has him cornered, she throws back the curtains to an exclusive VIP booth only to see it empty. Colonel Hendry and the beautiful girl he was with had vanished. Curiosity taking the better of her causes her to uncover a secret room where the Colonel is being threatened by Shaw and his mutant sidekicks, Emma Frost (played by January Jones) and Azazel (played by Jason Flemyng). Disturbed by what she witnesses, MacTaggart rushes out to call the CIA and tell them what she just saw, but Colonel Hendry is already in Washington DC, thousands of miles away, transported in an instant by Azazel. Sounding to her commanders that she is insane, MacTaggart realizes that something larger is at foot.

After convincing the US Military to place missile in Turkey, Colonel Hendry meets with Shaw on his Yacht to collect his money. Realizing that he is trapped he tries to earn his freedom from Shaw by threating to pull out the pin in a grenade. Shaw, laughing, takes the grenade and pulls the pin out himself, the grenade explodes and Shaw absorbs the energy and with a fingertip pushes it back into the Colonel, blowing him up.

Still trying to understand what she saw, MacTaggart seeks out Charles. Telling him that the country needs his help, she convinces Charles to meet with the CIA and explain that mutation does exist. The CIA is unconvinced until Raven in a desperate attempt to help her brother, revels her true, blue nature. Amazed the CIA must now work with them to stop Shaw and his threat to start a nuclear war.

Charles uses his powers to find Shaw in is yacht. The coast guard rushes out to arrest him, but before they can get any closer, Charles is cut off by Emma Frost who has the same abilities as she does. Realizing that he will not be much help, Charles is frustrated…he suddenly realizes that there is another mutant in the water. Rushing back up to the deck, Charles see Erik get blown off the yacht by Riptide (played by Álex González). Suddenly huge anchors attached to gigantic metal chains begin to wrap around the yacht. Shaw and his team rush to the basement, and escape in his submarine. Erik, full of rage tried to stop the sub. Charles realizing the Erik will die if he doesn’t break the bond between himself and the sub, jumps into the water and talks Erik down.

Returning after being outwitted by Shaw, Erik, Charles and Raven return to the CIA facility. Realizing that Shaw and his team are stronger than they first realized, they admit that they need help; they need to find and recruit other mutants. meet a scientist, Hank McCoy (Played by Nicholas Hoult). Charles, thrilled that the CIA already hired another mutant blurts it out before thinking. Embarrassed but not defeated, McCoy shows them his beast like feet and abilities. McCoy then shows Charles his new project, Cerebro, which is just what Charles needs to boost his powers and find other mutants. Scared to show her true form, Raven/Mystique goes to Hank and asks him if he can help her find a way to hide their “mutations”. He draws her blood and tells her he can find a way.

*Side Note – Love how the machine was a perfect fit for Charles…it was almost as if they were expecting him to be the one to try it on.

Charles and Erik begin to recruit. They begin to find mutants and slowly they start to recruit them. They even approach Wolverine who promptly tells them to go to Fuck off J. By the end, they have recruited Angel (played by Zoe González), Darwin (played by Edi Gathegi), Banshee (played by Caleb Jones), Havok (played by Lucas Till) and Hank.

*Side note – how is it that Shaw got experienced, trained mature mutants, but Charles and Erik got kids?? Are you telling me that there were no other…older…better trained mutants out there besides Wolverine that they could approach? Only kids?

Shaw is on top of the world with his plans of corruption and devastation as he sends Emma to meet with a Russian general and “encourage” him to move against the Americans. Emma is however intercepted and captured by Charles and Erik.

But while they are in Russia capturing Emma, Azazel, Riptide and Shaw are meeting the new recruits. Crashing into the CIA facility, the humans do not stand a chance against the villains and soon the only ones left alive are the mutants. Looking at them, Shaw explains his plane, of mutants ruling and surviving over humans. He asks the young mutants to join him, all flinch away in fear, except for Angel. Seeing that life could be better if she went to the dark side…Angel step across. In an attempt to stop Shaw from taking her, Darwin and Havok hatch a silent plan. Darwin protects her, while Havok throws power rings at her, however they do not realize who or what Shaw is and Shaw turns to and kills Darwin by forcing him to ingest the energy that Havok threw at him. Raven, conflicted, understands what Shaw is trying to say, but does not want to leave her brother.

*Side Note – did anyone else notice the first mutant to die was the only black guy? Just saying…even in new movies, why does the black guy always die first??

Charles and Erik return to find the place in ruins. Now more determined than ever, they move from the destroyed CIA building to Charles’ own mansion…home. Where Charles begins to work with the mutants, and Erik to build their skills and powers.

As the Russians announce their plan to put missiles in Cuba, President Kennedy announces to the nation that world war 3 will occurs if this happens. Seeing that Shaw’s plans are moving swiftly they realize that they too must stop training and start fighting. The night before they are to fly to the blockade of American ships, Hank comes to Mystique with a cure. He tells her they both can take it and be normal, but still have their powers. Mystique, although still uncomfortable with her true form…realizes…thanks to Eriks constant reminder, that she is more beautiful in her true form.

The next morning MacTaggart, Erik and Charles meet with the X-Men to stop the world from plunging into WW3! They are all their, except for Hank. Rushing to find him, they find his lab destroyed. Hank appears, no longer Hank…he has now become Beast! They pill into the aircraft and Hank/Beast flys off.

Shaw sends Azazel to kill everyone on the Russian ship so he can send a missile from the Russians to the American’s starting WW3. Azazel sets the missile, but Charles takes control of another Russins mind and forces him to send a second missile to intercept it. Relieved and realizing what they were about to do, the Russians begin to back out. Realizing that the Russians were “weak”, and the only way to start his dream, Shaw uses a nuclear core to charge himself up with energy.  

The story gets better and better and the ending lets so many questions drop into place. I usually do not give the ending away, and this will be one of those times. I provided a lot of spoilers, but I will not spoil the end. They really did a wonderful job. If you have not yet, I would suggest it. This truly is X-Men 1^st Class!

On the Hunt for the Perfect Fish n’ Chips

Spending my summers in the UK with my mum and the family, I learned to like a few…non-American items. Most of them I have been able to find in this country in one form or another. I still have my Marmite for breakfast in the mornings, and I go to the local British depo stores for a number of things, but I have yet to come across the perfect Fish n’ Chips.


How hard can this be…really, it is a simple item…Fish n’ Chips! I remember how good they tasted and every time we go home, I always get some. . I miss standing outside and unwrapping the vinegar reeking Fish n’ Chips from the white paper. Picking up the crisp chip and tasting the tender fish…yum…I can still smell it. So why can’t I find a good one here.


I have tried a number of different places since moving to South Florida. I figure, closer to the sea then St. Louis Missouri…gadda have good, fresh fish right. Gadda be able to come up with a really good Fish n’ Chips….WRONG.


I have tried the Ye Ol’ Falcon Pub…supposable famous for their Fish n’ Chips…WRONG…Maybe a few YEARS ago…
I have tried Kingshead Pub…which was run by a Brit and even had my Welsh flag flying…not bad, but missing something….I had to add so much vinegar!
I have tried Jet Runway Café… such an American version it wasn’t even funny
I have tried Flannigan’s – really I know what was I thinking?? I knew it wasn’t going to be good at all!


I have tried a lot of places….the list could go on and on and on…..


But none as bad as last night…(YET)!

Taylor and I went to South Port Raw Bar in Ft. Lauderdale.


Side note - Whoever said this was the next Bimin Boatyard was confused and really lacking in taste. This is NO where NEAR as good as Bimin Boatyard...SORRY! 


Anywho.....Everything we ordered up to the point of the atrocious Fish n’ Chips was ok, and I would actually go back (if Bimini Boatyard is full). Conch Salad, Raw Oysters, and Conch Fritters (I was on a Conch craving last night for some reason)…but when the Fish n’ Chips (or supposed Fish n’ Chips) came out…standards fell to a point well below bad. I was starving, so I ate it, but wow it was the WORST Fish n’ Chips I have ever eaten. It shouldn’t have even been called Fish n’ Chips, just because you bread & fry a piece of fish and toss it over some standard blah French Fries does NOT make it Fish n’ Chips. Fried Fish and FRENCH FRIES maybe, but seriously, no. I just want to smack whoever put that on the menu. Have they ever even tasted TRUE, REAL Fish n’ Chip. No, they obviously have not; they obviously wanted to torture me instead with this crap on a plate.


We split the Fish n’ Chips (it was funny watching him try to eat it with a spoon…but I must admit he was doing rather well) and we paid and left. Riding in the car home, I had to say…


“I liked it, except the Fish n’ Chips were horrible!”
“Thank You! I wasn’t going to say anything” he responded….


Not only did we have an interestingly horrible and lame version of Fish n’ Chips, we had the loudest guy behind us at dinner. We couldn’t help but laugh. He was one of those guys who knows a little bit about a lot of things, and to compensate for not knowing more about it…he just talked REALLY loud. Guess the guy lost his job, moved to S. FL thinking he would get a job working on a Yacht…without realizing that those jobs aren’t ones you just wake up and decide to do one day…in your early 40’s. So laughing and smiling at each other Taylor and I were engulfed in this maddeningly loud man’s conversation…


So my never ending hunt continues for true Fish n’ Chips. I am beginning to wonder if I will ever get it in this country…

Thor – The Movie (2011)

Lately it seems that Marvel has taken Hollywood by storm. Those once dorky kids who collected comic cards and spent their days after school in the comic book store are finally having the opportunity to see some of their favorite hero's become reality. I was one of those dorky kids J

When the previews for Thor started months ago, I couldn’t wait to go to see it, finally I had my opportunity. Thor, has always been on the top of my hero list, because he is based in true mythology, like Hercules or Jason.

The story begins with 3…no let’s be realistic and call it…2 Scientist, Jane (played by Natalie Portman) and Erik (played by Stellan Skarsgard) and 1 Political Science major, Darcy (played by Kat Dennings) sitting in the middle of the New Mexico desert studying an aurora borealis phenomena. After hours of waiting, they begin to debating whether or not to go a tremendous tornado of lightning flashes through the sky and plunges to earth. Convinced that this is it, Jane instructors her assistant Darcy to drive towards to phenomena. Once engulfed by the tornado their van hits a lone man who is standing inside the storm.

The plot line then takes a step back, by giving you a brief story from Nordic mythology, telling the tale of a great battle that was fought between the evil Frost Giants and the Asgardians. The show of good v/s evil with the use of the black/dark blue, tall red eyed Frost Giants and the shining, gold, blond Asgardians is so blunt there is no question from the beginning who you want to win, regardless of if you know the story of Thor. As always, good triumphs over evil (even if the triumph is only fleeting) and the Asgards win. The Asgards take position of the Frost Giants “power casket” leaving them weak and venerable in the dark and return to their realm, Asgard.

Asgard, compared to the Frost Giants realm of Jötunheim is immaculate. Towers of gold leap from the earth and light baths every corner of the kingdom. It reminded me of the Elven forest of Lothlórien from The Lord of the Rings. You meet King Odin again (played by Anthony Hopkins – *side note…I spent half the movie staring at him going…I know who that is, who is that until it finally hit me and I felt like a fool*), the hero of the great battle, who defeated Laufrey (played by Colm Feore), king of the Frost Giants. He is telling is two sons, one a blond enthusiastic child and one a dark haired mysterious one. Odin tells both of them that they are worthy to be king, but only one of them can be….as the boys eyes meet, we all already know which one will be king, and so do they!

Time passes and the young boys grow into young men. The blond boy Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) is marching down the aisle welding his hammer in an elaborate ceremony where he is to be crowned the new king of Asgard! His brother, Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston) stands, watching, green with envy. We flash to the volt of relics and weapons that the Asgardians have acquired over the years from their enemy, including the Frost Giants power casket. The room turns cold and ice penetrates the walls. Before Odin can finish the ceremony, he senses something wrong in his kingdom….intruders…Frost Giants. Suddenly, the Destroyer is released from his bared cell and destroys the Frost Giant intruders before they can escape with the casket. Rushing to the volt Odin, Thor and Loki find the frozen Asgardian soldiers. Thor explodes into a fury, frustrated with his father for seeming undisturbed and so trusting of Laufrey. Thor itching to go to war is infuriated with Odin says no.

Storming off Thor vents his anger, while his sly brother whispers into his ear…encouraging him to go against their father’s wishes. Pumped up on the thoughts of victory for Asgard, Thor gathers his closest friends and warriors, Volstagg (played by Ray Stevenson), Fandral (played by Josh Dallas), Hogun (played by T.Asano), Sif (played by Jaimie Alexander – and she is one bad ass hot warrior chic) and Loki. He tells them of his plans to go to Jötunheim and find out how the Frost Giants got into Asgard and they ride together to the Bifrost Portal Bridge. The guardian, Heimdall (played by Idris Elba – and who my girl thought was a hottie) warns them that he will not open the portal back up if it could bring danger to Asgard.

“I have no plan to die today” Thor replies as he and his friends step into the portal

“No one ever does” Heimdall replies as the warriors are whisked away to the frozen, dark wasteland of Jötunheim

Upon reaching the Frost Giants realm the land seems desolate. Cautiously the warriors proceed, only to be confronted by Laufrey who taunts the Asgardian heroes into a battle the warriors have no way of winning. Laufrey, seeing his chance to destroy Thor releases a huge beast. One of the Giants touches Volstagg, burning his skin and Fandral is wounded, the warriors realize they must run for their lives. Loki turning to run is touched by one of the Giants, but instead of burning, his skin turns a frost blue, in shock Loki back away and joins his comrades.  Realizing that Heimdall would not open the portal, the small group turn to fast an army of Frost Giants. Odin suddenly arrives to, he apologizes to Laufrey for the intrusion and takes the kids home.

Furious, Odin strips Thor of his power, makes him mortal and banishes him to earth. Whispering to Thor’s hammer “Only one worthy can lift you” he send Mjollnir out into the universe.

We travel back in the plot line to Thors abrupt arrival on earth in the mist of the thunderstorm tornado. After being hit by a van, Thor finds himself in a strange hospital with men in white robes staring down at him. Unnerved Thor attempts to escape, but he is tranquilized and strapped to the bed.

With Thor in the hospital the scientist return home, only to find their house full of Government agents taking EVERYTHING. Jane is infuriated, but realizes that there is little she can do to save all of her research and work stands back. Jane, realizing that this mad man is the only one that can explain why he was in the storm, rushes back to the hospital only to find that Thor has escaped. Dishearted, but not defeated Jane, Erik and Darcy get back into the car to hunt him down, which doesn’t take long as Jane proceeds to back into Thor yet again.

They take Thor back to their office/temporary home and cloth him and then leave for a local café to feed him. While in the café, 2 men come in talking about a satellite that crashed 50 miles west. They tell the waitress that people have been coming from far and wide trying to move this hammer shaped satellite. Realizing that it is Mjollnir, Thor rushes off to find a horse (at the local pet store no less. I love the line

“We only have Dogs and Cats” said the sales clerk, looking at Thor in wonder.

“Well give me one of those big enough for me to ride” commands Thor”)

Thankfully before he can embarrass himself anymore (and save me from laughing so hard I could cry) Jane appears and gives him a ride, the two head west in the van. Before they can reach the crash site, Government appears yet again (damn the man!!) and shuts the area down. Convinced that he can just walk in and reclaim what is rightfully his Thor is devastated after fighting though the agents only to realize that he can’t lift Mjollnir…he is not yet worth.  

Back in the realm of Asgard, Loki confronts his father, demanding an explanation for what happened to him in Jötunheim. Odin cautiously admits that Loki is actually Laufey’s son, Odin had found him alone and abandoned in a chapel and took him back to Asgard. Infuriated and confused Loki rounds on Odin with a anger fueled by betrayal and Odin falls into the Odinsleep (a comma). Loki seizing his opportunity steps into the role of King of Asgard. Thor’s friends seeing these occurrences begin to truly question Loki’s motives. Realizing that without Thor Asgard will fall, they head off to find him and bring him home.

Back on earth, Thor is defeated, banished from his home land, unable to lift Mjollnir, left human and alone on this god forsaken place. Sitting in a white room, Thor is quested by Agent Coulson (played by Clark Gregg), unresponsive Coulson leaves the room briefly and Loki appears to Thor. Thor, thrilled to see his brother is beaten down even more when Loki tells him that father is dead and mother refuses to let Loki unbanish Thor. You see the last glitter of hope leave Thor desolate.  As Loki leaves he makes a stop by Mjollnir…only to realize that he cannot lift the hammer either J.

After being begged for hours by Jane, Erik finally goes to the Government base and explains that Thor is Jane’s crazy ex-husband. Colson agrees to let Erik take him, but sends someone to follow. On his way out, Thor grabs Janes notebook (question is…how did he know that was Jane’s notebook, he had never seen it before…but it was still a sweet thing to do). Erik and Thor go out for drinks and Erik unable to keep up with the God of Thunder passes out drunk and Thor has to bring the drunken man back to Jane’s trailer (again…if Erik was so drunk…how did Thor know that Jane was in the trailer and not at her lab in the little town).

Thor hands Jane her note book and together they stare at the stars and Thor tells Jane about the 9 realms and the Bifrost Bridge.

Upon arriving back in Asgard, Loki goes to meet with Laufey. He tells them that he will use his power to let them pass into Asgard where they can kill Odin and retrieve the power casket if they leave Asgard in peace. Laufey, unable to pass up such a pleasing offer agrees without questioning Loki’s motives too deeply (men and their desire for power…always get them into trouble). Returning back to Asgard, Loki is confronted by Heimdall. Heimdall questions Loki about the appearance of the Giants and Loki turns on him. Relieving Heimdall of his duty, Heimdall realizes that Loki is a traitor and attacks. Loki, uses is Frost Giant powers and freezes Heimdall right before Heimdall’s sward slices through Loki’s throat.

Loki, drunk on power, sends the Destoryer to earth to kill Thor. The giant begins to destroy everything in his path. Luckly, Thor’s friends found him before the Destoryer did. They explain to Thor what Loki has done and to give Thor time to help the Jane, Erik and Darcy escape they turn to face a powerful metal Destoryer they have no chance of defeating. Thor watches in horror as his friends are thrown around by the Destoryer and he realizes that his brother, controlling the beast will not stop until he is dead. Thor steps out, mortal and weaponless to face the Destoryer. Thor begs Loki to leave the humans alone and to kill him…giving himself as a martyr (much like Jesus did). The Destoryer belts Thor with a full force backhand sending him flying lifeless through the air. Jane screams in anguish as she runs towards Thor’s motionless body. Suddenly Mjollnir flies from the crater and sails through the sky landing in Thor’s outstretched hand, transforming him back to his immortal self. Thor turns and fly’s into the sky defeating the Destoryer. Thor and his friends head back to the portal gate to return to Asgard and deal with Loki. Thor promises Jane he will return (broken lies and promises…). Heimdall, frozen on the other side of the Bifrost Bridge manages to break free of the ice and open the gate to bring Thor and his warriors back to Asgard.

Thinking he has won, Loki goes to handle other issues, unconcerned that his brother will make it back. his planned invasion of the Frost Giants. The Frost Giants enter Odin’s bead chambers and push aside his wife. Anxiously, Laufey prepares to kill Odin when Loki appears…stabbing Laufer in the back and killing him.

Thor flying though Asgard arrives at his father’s bed chamber. Loki is shocked to see him and Thor confronts his traitors brother.

Realizing that he has no way out, Loki runs to the Portal and turns it to destroy Jötunheim. Thor tries to top Loki and a horrific fight erupts between the brothers. Finally immobilizing Loki (by setting Mjollnir on his chest) Thor goes to stop the Portal, but is unable. Realizing that all may be lost for all 9 realms unless he breaks the Bridge back to earth Thor calls Mjollnir and destroys the bridge. Everything begins to crumble under the brothers and they fall into space, when Odin appears grabbing ahold of Thor who grabs Loki’s staff. Realizing what he is done, admitting defeat and failure Loki falls into space diapperaing with the Bridge.

Unable to return to earth, Thor’s heart goes out to Jane, and Jane realizing that something went wrong works tirelessly to find a way to get back to Thor.

This movie had comedy, action and a bit of romance. Thor was a hot warrior and the movie was beautifully done. I wish I hadn’t waited so long to see it, and next on my list of summer action movies…X Man 1^st Class J

The Rite (2011)

First off, I wasn’t going to actually post this one, I haven’t had time lately and although it has been written for a while, I just hadn’t gotten around to actually posting it, but my friend said I should so I am doing this for her…

I am always looking for the next good horror movie; it seems that there are so many opportunities for a great horror movie to be made that are just missed. By making a movie PG-13, you know it isn’t going to be scary. A 13 year old can go to it for crying out loud and you can still scare them by jumping out from inside their closet!! So when I saw the previews for The Rite, I was a little more than skeptic. Being that it was a movie about possession and demons gave me hope, seeing it rated at PG-13 pretty much let me know it wasn’t going to be scary and would pretty much suck.

The movie is based on a true story about a priest in training, Michael Kovak (played by Colin O’Donoghue). Michael didn’t want to be a priest, but being  from a traditional Italian family Michael had two choices if he wanted to go to college…join the priesthood or become a  mortician. Being that he watched and assisted his father embalm and prepare his own mother for the grave, Michael choose to avoid that career path and instead choose to join the priesthood and use it as a means to an end to get his college degree.

Michael worked diligently throughout his time at Seminary. He was an excellent student, but he knew this is not what he truly wanted to do and right after his graduation he sent an email to Father Matthew (played by Toby Jones), his advisor, explaining that he could no longer follow the path before him because he did not have faith. Later that night Michael packs up his things to leave, but Father Matthew attempts to go after him, talk to him. As Michael is crossing the street Father Matthew chases after him and Michael causes an accident.  Father Matthew and a young woman passing by on a bicycle get hit by a van. As Michael runs over to the woman as she lay is the rain socked street, she reaches up to him and touches his priest’s collar and begs for him to give her last rites. Michael pulled between his inability to believe and his desire to help breaks and gives the woman last rites as Father Matthew looks on with renewed hope for the young priest in training.

A few days later, Michael meets with Father Matthew again to discuss his desire to still leave the seminary. Father Matthew make a surprising move and tells Michael that he “could have Michaels degree taken back and force him to pay back the Seminary for the money they spent to educate him”. Michael looks at Father Matthew with shock, Father Matthew makes a deal with Michel that if he attends an exorcism school at the Vatican in Roma, completes it, and still wants to live the Seminary he will back him 100%. Michael, realizing he is cornered, accepts Father Matthews deal and travels to the Roma, Italy.

Michael starts his class with Father Xavier (played by Ciarán Hinds), but his skepticism keeps him distant, always challenging Father Xavier to consider psychology and mental illness before tossing up abnormal behavior to demon possession. All of the other students in the class frown down upon Michael except for one girl, Angeline (played by Alice Braga), who is in fact a journalist not a sister in training. Angeline and Michael become friends. Father Xavier in an attempt to sway Michael’s views send him to meet Father Lucas (played by Anthony Hopkins). Father Lucas is an unorthodox priest who sees the world of faith through much different eyes and has performed over 1000 exorcism. Father Lucas introduces Michael to a much darker side of Catholicism.

Upon Michael’s first visit with Father Lucas a young girl, Rosaria (played by Marta Gastini), shows up to Father Lucas house with her Aunt. Rosaria is a 16 year old girl who was raped by her father and is now pregnant.  Michael gets to see his first exorcism, but believes that Rosaria is not possessed but instead dealing with her issues with her father and her pregnancy.  Michael is unsure of what to think of this strange occurrence and although still questioning the legitimacy of the exorcism begins to follow Father Lucas around.

The more Michael follows Father Lucas around the more he begins to question everything he believes. He sees Rosaria have violent and terrifying secures with the demon pushing itself to the surface. Rosaria can tell Michael things about his life, his father and his mother that no one knows. Michael slowly begins to believe. One day Michael and Father Lucas go out to make a house call to a young boy and his mother. The boy is convinced that a demon in the body of a mull with blazing red eyes is attaching him and biting him in his sleep every night. The young boy shows Father Lucas the marks. Father Lucas tells the mother to bring him the boy’s pillow and he proceeds to pull a lizard out of it. Father Lucas tells the boy that the lizard was the demon and he is now free of these dreams. Michael looks on in shock, until he realizes that Father Lucas only did a cheap magic trick to placate the mother and boy. As Michael and Father Lucas prepare to leave the boy looks directly at Michael and whispers something to his mother, his mother gasps and tells him he should not say such things.

After the disappointment from realizing that Father Lucas was using cheap magic tricks, he leaves for a few days. Refusing to go back and angry at himself for allowing belief in exorcisms to creep into his mind.  When Michael does final return, Rosaria is back, and in worse condition than before.  Michael and Father Lucas have no option but to take her to the hospital for medical care. While at the hospital, Father Lucas continues to perform the exorcism. Exhausted they leave the room to regain their strength, but during the night Rosaria miscarries and both the baby and mother die. Father Lucas falls into a deep depression, feeling that it was his fault both mother and child died.  Try as he may, Michael cannot pull Father Lucas from his depression, and Michael turns to Angeline for guidance.

Angeline goes with Michael to Father Lucas’ house, but it is not how he remembers it.  Father Lucas is sitting outside his house in the pouring rain, exhibiting significant signs of demonic possession. Father Lucas, coming back to his sense momentarily and leads them into his house and knowing that he is possessed, he asks Michael to lock him in the upstairs room and find Father Xavier so that he can perform an exorcism.

Michael and Angeline leave to find Father Xavier only to learn that he is on a retreat and will be out of contact for 3 days. Knowing they do not have the time to wait 3 days the duo returns to the house. They walk in and the house is a mess, crosses are upside down, items are broken and on the floor and the door that Michael and locked Father Lucas behind is unlaced and cracked open. Venturing up the stairs, they find Father Lucas sitting in the middle of the room, but he is no longer himself.

The demon turns onto Michael and his lost faith, as Michael attempts to rebuke the demon and free Father Lucas.

Although you can guess the ending, it is better to leave it for you to find out.  Although this movie was not something that I would suggest you rush out to theaters and see, I would suggest that you rent it when you get a chance one night and have nothing better to do. There are quite a few twists and turns and everything in this movie is connected in one way or another. If it hadn't been for Anthony Hopkins, I do not think this movie would have been as good. It had moments where it was so slow, I wanted to yell at the screen to "HURRY UP". Overall, I would give this movie maybe a 5 out of 10, and only because of Hopkins does it even get a 5

And of course, I was right, NOT SCARY. I am sick of movies not being scary and would love to see one that actually is for a change, but that is a whole other vent for another day. 

Twisted Dreams from the Dark Side of My Mind

We all have dreams sometimes that make us sit up in the middle of the night and wonder if what is going on inside our twisted minds makes us kinda crazy.

At least I know my vivid strange dreams are not just me but run in my family, my dad has some of the most twisted dreams that will give my bizarre ones a run for their money any day.

But this dream that I had lately, was so seriously twisted and demented that I had to share. Yes I am twisted…but what can I say, I am a girl who goes to bed watching horror and zombie flixs what do you think I’d dream about?.

So to make a long story (dream) short.....

I started by heading out of town on vacation….

I meet up with a group of  friends...

At a bar...

Bartender was a chick...

My best friend Brandi came down...

Ran into some guy that she use to have a thing for or did have a thing for....

We got drunk and were planning on going to a hotel….

He said we could all crash at his house while on our vacation...

While staying there, we began to think his neighbor was a serial killer...

Found body parts, bloody mutilated body parts...etc

We would watch over the fence as people disappeared in his yard…

Decided we should leave...

Just to be safe...

While trying to get everything together to leave the guy my girl had a thing for come home....

He stopped us...

We tried to tell him what was going on…

Explain we had to leave…

Quickly…

Problem was, he was actually the serial killer and was about to murder us...

He killed everyone (15+ people) except for Brandi and I....

To defend ourselves we used steak knives....

We proceeded to cut and slice at him, making incisions all along his body...

But every time we would go for a kill shot (ie – major artery  etc) the knife wouldn't penetrate the skin...

It was so frustrating...

Making me angrier and angrier...

I stabbed with such hatred...

Brandi had to hold him down while I straddled him and plunged the knife into his chest and cut the skin back and peeled it off the ribs...

Like a door the skin flapped away from his chest....

He pushed me off and got up...

Still moving towards us as if nothing had happened…

With his chest cut open and blood pouring down this body...

Blood poured from the chest wound and all the incisions we had inflicted....

But he still kept coming...

I finally managed to slice him in the belly...

His intestines spill out of the wound...

Finally after 20+ stab wounds from each of us he fell....

Thinking we had killed him we began to back away from his limp body...

He wasn't dead…

He grabbed Brandi’s leg and pulled her towards him...

Calmly I tossed her the knife and she plunged it into his eye...

He laughed and stood, coming at us again....

Backing up...we realized we had to go in full or die trying...

Running at him we began to stab furiously at his body....

Cutting away chunks of skin....

Coating us in his blood....

Anger boiled inside me...and maybe her...

All I wanted to do was stab him again and again and again....

We sliced him from the back of his neck to his butt...

Finally he collapsed again...

We went to call 911...

By the time we got back he was gone....

He had regenerated and wondered off laughing...

He went to the neighbor’s house...

Who was actually his brother....

And together they began to chase us down to murder us....

More blood and violence then I described and the rest of the dream was more of the same, he would catch us, we would stab him until he died...he would regenerate and come at us again.

I didn’t wake up screaming, I wouldn’t call that I nightmare….what I would say is…um. I woke up after that dream, thought to myself, well that was twisted and got up and got ready for work…carried on with my day like nothing at all had happened.

I guess the only crazy thing is, I have bloody violent dreams like this all the time…Being chased by mad lunch lady like woman with chain saws…zombies taking over the world…who knows.