Batman v Superman: Dawn of...HOLY *BLEEP* WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!?!?!

Haters gonna hate, I'm gonna love. What do you have to say now Batfleck disbelievers? But I'll get to that in a bit.

I've always been one to hold true to the theory of forming one's own opinion on something rather than believing everything you hear, from a critic or otherwise. Much like everyone, I'd heard the rumors. The preliminary critiques coming through regarding DC's newest superhero movie. Critics were not pleased with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Did they enjoy it? Were these critics fans of the genre? I didn't bother looking into any of the critiques about the movie, even if I don't always listen to critics, I still didn't want my viewing of the movie to be influenced in the slightest.

I went into BvS:DoJ with even hopes for a decent movie that I would enjoy. It did not disappoint, in fact, it went beyond that. I don't recall having similar reactions to the Nolan movies, which I liked a great deal. I had so many different emotions in this one movie, rather than spread out between three. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins at a few occasions especially after the moment I nearly jumped out of my seat. I wasn't alone, the couple seated next to me jumped as well. We shared quiet embarrassed laughter. But the scene had been completely unexpected--it served the shock it was meant to. The very same scene inspired the title to this post.

I prefer to be spoiler free with my reviews, especially still being within the time frame of opening weekend. But there are a few things I want to cover, which hopefully won't ruin the movie too much. I'll try to be brief.

If you know even the basic things about Batman, you know that he was orphaned as a child when his parents were murdered in front of him. Numerous versions of this particular factoid in the Batman mythos have been presented to fans of the dark knight--be it in movies, animations, or comics. Not being a Batman origin story, I didn't think we would see as much of young Bruce Wayne in this film as we did. At first I thought, oh here we go again...the ol' Wayne murder and little Bruce-y falling down a well scenario. But while the scenes may have started out very similar to past movies, they were also quite unique unto themselves. I was reminded of the fact that Jeffrey Dean Morgan(Supernatural, Watchman) was cast as Thomas Wayne and Lauren Cohan(The Walking Dead, The Boy) as his wife Martha.

The pearl necklace that Martha wore on that fateful evening, has been a focus of movies and TV shows past and present. But this movie took the breaking of said necklace down a different path. A well used zoom takes a scene with a gun and a necklace and makes it different. The same can be said for the scene of young Bruce Wayne running away from the funeral procession and stumbling across the cave. He runs through the forest and falls through a hole as the ground gives way beneath him. He drops into a cave and sees bats, sparking the idea of Batman in little Bruce-y's brain. But there is where the similarity ended. At first I thought to myself, really this again? I nearly frowned until the bats flew forth, surrounded Bruce and did a surprising thing.

It was things like that which made this movie great for me. Along with the subtle humor when needed and the holy crap hand over mouth shockers you didn't know you needed. I laughed, I was startled, I was shocked and in awe.

It was the cast that fit into their roles with ease. Well done, Ben Affleck. You're a terrible husband, but you make an excellent Bruce Wayne/Batman. He was believable as the caped crusader and convince-able with how in shape he was. Those "workout" scenes, yowzah! An expected great performance by Jeremy Irons(Lion King, Die Hard With A Vengeance) as Alfred and equally impressive performances by Jesse Eisenberg(Zombieland, The Social Network) and Gal Gadot(Fast & Furious Franchise, Date Night)--Lex Luther and Wonder Woman. The cast did not disappoint. How could they with Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, and Lawrence Fishburne reprising their roles from Man of Steel. There was even a cameo by Neil Degrasse Tyson!

Top Row: Holly Hunter, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Zack Snyder
Middle: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams, Lawrence Fishburne
Front: Henry Cavill

Then of course there was the actual story line of the movie. I've heard from sources that the movie is not entirely beholden to the comics, just based on them. But that did not deter me. I've not read a lot of Superman or Batman comics, so I was not able to compare and contrast so easily as some. Regardless, the story had a good pace and there was always something to pay attention to--even during the scenes when there was no fighting. The musical score was fantastic and gripping, not surprising when you consider the composer, Hans Zimmer(The Dark Knight, Inception). The music brought out the emotion in the scenes and heightened the tension. As a good score should.

Overall, I have very little complaints about this film. It wasn't flawless but it was a top notch superhero movie. I enjoyed it a lot and most certainly plan to add this one to my collection.

Whether you are a Superman fan, a Batman fan, or just looking for an exciting movie to watch. I recommend this one.

Wham! A Deadpool Review

What better way to spend Valentine's Day than at the movies? Under normal circumstances, this would be a dateless Valentine's Day, as per tradition. But this time, I had Mr. Pool...Deadpool. He was thoroughly enjoyable. The best Marvel movie to come out in a while.

Not surprisingly, the movie is already making headlines. The highest grossing rated "R" movie of
all time in it's opening weekend. Well deserved and well earned. I know there was concern with some about the movie not living up to it's brilliant advertising. I can say it not only lived up to the advertising and hype, but surpassed it by more than 83 confirmed kills--it exceeded my expectations.

I've been a fan of Ryan Reynolds for some time, since back in his Blade Trinity days. There could not have been a better choice for the "Merc with the Mouth". Plus, this gave Reynolds the opportunity to take another shot at the character of Wade Wilson and build upon it. Build he did...and shoot and stab and maim and kill...and repeat.


I also have to applaud Morena Baccarin on her performance as Vanessa, "crazy" good. This might just be my new favorite role for her, since Firely. I definitely liked this

character much more than the character of Dr. Leslie Tompkins in Gotham. She's a good actress and I've liked a lot of what she's been in. I imagine it comes down to writing and the freedom the character(and actress) is allowed to have. A freedom that is much easier to get in a rated "R" movie than a TV show on Fox(or other network TV channels for that matter.)

I've already decided that I will be seeing this movie again, in theaters, maybe even in 3-D next time. While it was easy to follow the story and Deadpool's antics, I did get the sense that I missed things here and there. Nothing major, a line was spoken too fast...there were so many moving pieces to that freeway scene I had to have missed something...references(there were soooo many). Although, even if I didn't feel like I'd missed things, I would still go see it again. It is that great.

I am not going to give away any spoilers but it would be an incomplete review without at least touching on the humor in this movie. Deadpool(aka Wade Wilson) as a character is known for being sarcastic, un-filtered, a wise ass, mentally unstable and...well, a deadly bad ass. He is an anti-hero who breaks the fourth wall, completely aware he is a comic book character. This breaking of the fourth wall is what led to many funny scenes in the movie, often involving speaking directly to the "audience". The dialog was also excellent and the way in which Reynolds delivered the lines, made the jokes and references all the better. I don't think I've laughed as much during any other Marvel movie, as I did with this one.

Often with movies, a soundtrack can be just as important as the story and the acting or the special effects. Similar to the greatness that was the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack, this soundtrack too was amazing. You could not have songs that were more different, go so well together in a movie. They're catchy and I love them all. So much so, I bought the soundtrack off iTunes when I returned home from the theater. Wade had me at Wham. One of his prized possessions is the Make It Big album, Wham's second album known for the hits: Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Freedom, Careless Whisper. Spoiler for me: Careless Whisper is my favorite Wham song.

So, if you haven't gone to see this film yet, do so. Immediately. I cannot recommend it more.

Deadpool wants YOU, to go see this movie.

The Weather Predicting Marmot

Every year on February 2nd, the United States celebrates a tradition dating back to the late 1880s--Groundhog's Day. On this day, the inhabitants of Punxsutawney, PA gather in masses at Gobbler's Knob (in the chilly hours of the morning) to observe a creature in it's mostly natural habitat. The rodent-like marmot (or woodchuck if you prefer), nicknamed Punxsutawney Phil, has been given the honor of predicting the weather. No other animal but the groundhog could ever hope to be bestowed with such an honor. Afterall, a groundhog is a most intelligent and sensible animal. At least that's what the early Pennsylvanian settlers believed.

How can a small ground-dwelling animal predict the weather? Simple. He either is or isn't able to see his shadow. If he pops up out of his hole on a bright day, his shadow scares him back into his burrow--there will be six more weeks of winter. Clearly, the shadow was a bad omen and the groundhog was sensible enough to know he had no business being out and about. But if he arose to find a cloudy, dreary day, with no shadow in sight--there would be an early spring. Such intelligence from our little furry friend!

In a never wavering fashion, the good people of Punxsutawney held strong to tradition this past Tuesday. P. Phil shimmied out of his hole and declared, "There is no shadow to be cast! An early spring is my forecast!" Well, a human MC spoke these words to the crowd. A ground hog does not have the ability for human speech, regardless of their intelligent and sensible nature. So this year we are in for an early spring. This did not however have the Punxsutawnians throwing off their jackets last week, the temperature that day was said to have been 22 degrees.

But this wasn't the case everywhere, as evidenced by a heatwave, at least here in the valley of the sun. Summer has broken out with temperatures in the mid-80s during the day and in the mid 50s at night. This is of course not uncommon for Phoenix at this time of year.

No one is quite sure where the tradition comes from that inspired Groundhog's Day. But most can settle on it's European origins. The English, Scottish, and even Germans all celebrated a similar tradition called Candlemas Day that centered around six more weeks of winter if the weather that day was clear and bright. The opposite (an early spring) if the day was dark and dreary. The Germans even used an animal, usually a hedgehog, to help them with their prediction by way of it's shadow. So when the first settlers(Germans) arrived in Pennsylvania, they brought their Candlemas Day tradition with them. Unfortunately, they didn't bring any hedgehogs(poor little guys must have been prone to sea sickness) and were forced to find the next best thing: a groundhog.

So began the American tradition, with a twist. But, once the groundhog makes his prediction, what next? Well, it's time to check and see if he was actually right. In the two months following Phil's(or Chuck, if you're in the New York area) prediction, the temperature is measured each day. If there are more days with 40 degrees or higher, the prediction of an early spring is confirmed. If there are more days under 40 degrees, then the early spring is disproved. So far, Staten Island's Chuck(also known as Charles G. Hogg) has proven to be far more accurate in his predictions than ol' Punxsutawney Phil. 80% percent accuracy for Chuck vs 40% for Phil, if internet sources can be believed(Stormfax Weather Almanac).

This year, both Staten Island Chuck and Punxsutawney Phil have predicted an early spring. I guess we'll have to wait and see who's stats get boosted with that prediction, in a couple months' time.

A Renewed Hope: Star Wars The Force Awakens Review

Finally the day had come for me to get my butt into a seat at the movie theater to see the new Star Wars. It had begun to feel like I was the last one going to see it. Most of my friends had already seen it, some multiple times. But something always seemed to come up, until finally in a galaxy not so far away...the stars aligned. So with much anticipation, I settled into my seat and waited for the movie to start. I shared my excitement and accomplishment, by taking a picture of my ticket and posted it on social media.

It isn't every month (although not so true anymore since Marvel's success train pulled out of the station) that you get a movie you're really excited about. Since I first heard that there was going to be a new Star Wars movie, I was looking forward to a new story. But then it was revealed that original characters were returning played by the very same actors that played them previously. I was sold. The opportunity to see Han Solo and Chewie with the Millennium Falcon--in theaters--the way the generation before me did in the late 70s and early 80s, how could that not be exciting?

The Star Wars logo pops up on the screen...the scrolling paragraph creeps its way along, growing smaller the further into space that it floats. The familiarity is definite and welcoming. You get a brief, "Here's what you've missed" to bring the audience up to speed before being introduced to the current setting as the story unfolds.

Now, I won't spend too much time breaking down the movie. In all honesty, I've already started to forget details, it was over two weeks ago. But retelling everything that happened would also be a bit boring I would think. As I've said before, most people have seen it multiple times now and don't need a recap. If I were a reader, I would much rather prefer the author get right down to it and provide their opinion. So that's what I'll do.

I've heard thoughts on the movie from quite a few people. The consensus: it was a nostalgic call back that was fun and entertaining--it was a good movie and liked a lot by many. There were some complaints. As with anything, there is always room for improvement. For some, it was not a great movie, and for others a disappointment. I have not spoken to anyone who felt it was a disappointment, but have heard about it. I had a conversation with a co-worker about feedback that he had heard, people thought the movie was too much like A New Hope. In fact, some people thought it was a completely recycled story. I would disagree. Was there a lot of similarity? Yes, there is no denying that. But, was that a bad thing? No. If you're going to add on to a long standing franchise that is well beloved by Star Wars nerds/geeks/fans, you will want to add fan service to the first movie following ten years after a trilogy that many would like to forget.

A New Hope paved the way for the original trilogy and I see The Force Awakens doing the same thing. It doesn't have to be completely original, if you think about it, the characters and even the galaxy itself has reverted back to it's past ways. There is an evil force threatening the peace and existence of good and there is a group set on stopping them. It's been many years after a tragedy that saw the disappearance of a great jedi. Is it not plausible that history would be doomed to repeat itself? There is real life evidence of the same thing happening in reality, World War I and II ring any bells? So to fault Star Wars for repeating a plot that our favorite characters once faced, and now our new characters, not really fair.

I spent a day and a half catching up on podcasts with Star Wars related content, all episodes that I had been waiting on until I watched the movie. The most of the hosts were positive about the movie and shared my opinion and a couple liked the movie but made mention of it's "faults". There was no originality. The opening with a space ship, a young person on a desert planet, the wise old man, the droid with a secret message, a Death Star-like super weapon. But it was a different young person in a different situation. Rey had no family and was struggling to survive in a harsh environment, different than with Luke, The wise old man was keeper of a secret. But he was also Max von Sydow, and that's enough said right there. The droid with a secret message...yes I know, but don't you deny BB8 was cool and adorable--unique and independent. He asked to stick with Rey, she didn't even want him around at first.

I could go on but that's not the point. It's common for movies to use tropes. The Star Wars movies are no different. The original movies were riddled with references that George Lucas took from other films. So it's not surprising that another director did the same thing by paying homage to the Star Wars legacy with some fan service in The Force Awakens. If the movie had been completely different than A New Hope, I'm sure there would have still been people complaining. You can't please everyone and everyone is entitled to their opinion.

But I'm going to focus on the positive. We got a new Star Wars movie and more on the way. Anything is better than Episodes 1-3. Am I right? May the force be with you directors of episodes 8 and 9, may the force be with you.

Goodbye Spaceman, Farewell Headmaster

In light of the recent announcements on the passing of two extraordinary men, I felt it necessary to tribute a post in their name. David Bowie and Alan Rickman. Both claimed by cancer at the age of 69. To be barely recovered from the news of Bowie's passing, only to be hit with another wave of sadness upon hearing about the passing of one of my favorite actors, it's crazy.

The news of Rickman's death had caught me entirely by surprise. Just before mid-day, I was sitting at my desk and received a call from my mother, who was working from home. She asked if I was getting ready to go to lunch, I replied with "Soon". Then in an oh-by-the-way sort of fashion, she mentioned she had heard Alan Rickman had passed away today, also from cancer and also at the age of 69. I was in disbelief. Much like with Bowie, any sign of illness had been carefully hidden. It was as if the cancer had just sprung up from nowhere and stolen the lives of two talented men. Once I was off the phone, I immediately googled Alan Rickman and briefly scrolled through the articles.

Many people have appreciated Rickman's acting over the years, he was as popular for his stage appearances as he was for his movies roles. I first recall seeing Rickman in the movies Die Hard and Robin Hood:Prince of Thieves, where he played Hans Gruber and the Sheriff of Nottingham respectively. I discussed the news with friends during my lunch, one friend mentioned the movie Truly Madly Deeply as her first encounter with Alan Rickman. I had not seen the movie, one of his earlier ones, just a year before Robin Hood.

I spent the next week hunting down Alan Rickman movies, to rewatch or watch for the first time. While Netflix did not have a huge selection, it did have quite a few and many I had not seen. Among them: CBGB, Bottle Shock, Blow Dry, and Gambit(not to be confused with the X-Men character). Netflix also had Galaxy Quest and Love Actually, the one I have owned on VHS for some time and the other I had recently watched over the holidays. Over the New Year's holiday weekend, my mother and I even watched several of the Harry Potter films. So skipping those this time, I watched Galaxy Quest, CBGB and Bottle Shock all in one night and it was great to see the many different roles of such a fantastic actor.

There has never been a movie of Alan Rickman's that I have not liked and now I've added a few more to that list.

By Grabthar's hammer, you will be missed! Farewell, Headmaster.

As previously mentioned, the news of Rickman followed swiftly on the heels of another obituary--that of music icon David Bowie. His death setting the precedence of surprise for that week. My first encounter (if you could call it such) was through the movie Labyrinth, where he played the Goblin King Jareth. It was one of the movies I adored as a child. I had all the songs memorized. It was not until I was older that I learned Bowie was so much more than dance magic. I got into his music, first with the 80s songs that my mother loved (China Girl, Let's Dance, Modern Love) and then into his older songs (Space Oddity, Changes, Heroes). I loved it all.

He was a master at reinventing his musical style and his own style. Even going as far as inventing alter egos for himself based on themes from his music, leading to a documentary and film revolving around one such alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The documentary and film both with the same name: Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, 1973/1979.

I'm ashamed to say, I have seen very few of his movies and those that I have were limited to minor characters or cameos like The Prestige or Zoolander. I now plan to go back and watch as many as I can:The Man Who Fell to Earth, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, Basquiat...

But one cannot mention Bowie without also discussing his eyes. Or rather the colors, yes, plural--more than one color. The right eye blue and the left black. While there is a rare genetic explanation(Heterochromia) for this occurrence in some. Such was not the case with David Bowie. The left eye was actually damaged(punched in the face) by his best friend and future music partner, George Underwood. The muscles in Bowie's left eye responsible for contracting the iris were paralyzed, causing the pupil to remain fully dilated, permanently giving him two eyes with different sized pupils(Anisocoria). His eye colors had always been one of the many fascinating things about him.

I hope you're floating peacefully far above the moon. Goodbye Spaceman.

The Doctor (Strange) Will See You Now

I'm sure I'm not the only one excited to see Benedict Cumberbatch breaking into the Marvel Universe this November, with the role of Doctor Strange. Even without everyone's favorite consulting detective in the lead role, a Marvel fan can be giddy over any Marvel movie in their near future.

I still remember when the fan-made concept art first appeared, a literal What If...Benedict Cumberbatch as a Marvel character. Only for the thought to eventually become a reality.

He is an excellent actor with a career that's taken off like a shot. For a while, it seemed there wasn't a movie out that didn't have the man's face or voice appearing in it. Yet, no comic book superhero movies. Marvel saw fit to change that and rightly so.


Recently, Marvel released a first glimpse of Cumberbatch in what is presumed to be his costume as Doctor Strange. Along with that they also released quite a few pieces of concept art. But no trailer...not an official one that is. Queue one awesome fan-made trailer, garnering much attention on Youtube it quickly caught the attention of many websites.

The creator, Alex Luthor, does this regularly on his Youtube page--I've checked out a few of his trailers so far, very cool.

This leaves one wondering, how will the official trailer do?

Oh, The Things You'll Be Tagged In...The Nine Threes

You think you're doing something nice when you tag a guy in your blog post and give him credit for your inspiration. Then he tags you in a chain post...thanks again Agent Palmer.

For a little fun, as he called it, I have answered the nine topics in this post and passed on the baton.

Three names I go by:

• Stef
• Fiz
• Sammy

Three places I lived:

• Arizona
• Kentucky
• Germany

Three places I have worked:

• Barnes & Noble
• Prudential Relocation now Brookfield Relocation
• Phoenix Comicon

Three things I love to watch:

• Supernatural
• Doctor Who
• Gotham

Three places I have been:

• Austria
• Vancouver
• Chicago

Three things I love to eat:

• German Food
• Pizza
• Ribs

Three people I think will respond:

• Lucy
• Sandra
• Jaimee

Three favorite drinks:

• Coffee
• Tea
• Coke Zero

Three things I am looking forward to:

• Podcasting
• Writing more with my blog
• Whatever 2016 will bring

2015 Wrap-up

I received some inspiration from a friend and fellow blogger, for a year end wrap up post (thanks Palmer, agentpalmer.com). It seemed a good way to get another post out and given the busy day I've had, it's going to be right down to the wire.

I can't complain about 2015, as a whole the year was pretty good. I had a busy year at work, completing my first year in my new position in July. I am surely thankful for my job--plus I enjoy it and the people I work with. A lot of good things happened in July, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

The beginning of the year saw the start of monthly Comicon volunteer meetings which are always fun to attend. I also attended my first ever Supernatural convention in February. It gave me the opportunity to become even closer friends with a great group of ladies and meet a bunch of other really great people as well. I met the guys of a very funny, interesting and well done show where they review and discuss Supernatural--Thomas, Ryan, and Mike (supernaturalthecrossroads.com). I'm a real fan of the show.

Then, May rolled around and the hustle of last minute preparations for Comicon with it. I've volunteered for Phoenix Comicon since 2012 and every year it keeps getting better. I couldn't imagine not working such an awesome event.

July was a great month. My sister and brother-in-law came to visit with my niece and we all got to celebrate her 1st birthday. Next, my mom and I had the opportunity to fly home to Germany to visit my family. We got to celebrate my Oma's 91st birthday and I managed to fulfill a childhood dream. I finally was able to visit the castle that my Opa had made up stories about during our bike rides through the hillside. This was very nearly my favorite month.

July was only barely beaten in that regard by August and September combined. A week that ran from the end of August to the beginning of September to be exact. I went on an amazing adventure to Vancouver, British Columbia. Not only was I fortunate to attend another Supernatural convention in the location the show (and many others) films, but I got to meet two great friends in person. It's funny to think that you could be so close to someone, talk to them every day, and yet have not met. Sandy and Lucy are two amazing ladies that I have the good fortune to call friends. Our first meeting was nothing strange, it was like we were meeting for the upteenth time. I'm looking forward to meeting the rest of our group this coming May.

In October, I took part in the 7DAG (s7evendaysageek) Podtoberfest. This was a 24 hour long podcast event. It was a lot of fun, which certainly made it easier to stay awake and engaged in the entire 24 hours. I was a part of the writer's room leading up to the big day. The writer's room was responsible for coming up with content for the different themed hours. This was a first for me, to be involved with something like this and I would gladly do it again.

At the beginning of December, the second annual Phoenix Comicon FanFest took place at the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale. FanFest is the smaller winter convention run by Phoenix Comicon and many of the same volunteers from the big show work this one to ensure it runs smoothly. This was my first FanFest, I was not available to volunteer last year. It was much different than what I was used to from the big show. Everything felt much more relaxed and moved at a slower pace. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the fact that I had time to do a little bit of Christmas shopping. There were so many vendors, it was the perfect environment to do so.

These are my highlights of the year, it's not everything that happened or took place of course--but definitely things worth remembering. Now I sit here, having just ushered in a new year with family and champagne. I look forward to what 2016 has to bring and wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year!

AKA Another Slam Dunk: Netflix/Marvel's Jessica Jones

Earlier this year, we were introduced to the first joint venture between Marvel and Netflix, the highly successful Daredevil. Well, I am here to say lightning has struck twice. I am of course speaking of the second lovechild spawned from this magnificent union, Jessica Jones.

I previously did a post on Jessica Jones back when casting announcements were made, specifically David Tennant as Kilgrave. At that time, I knew very little about Jessica Jones from the comics. I actually looked up basic information about the character to get an idea about what the new show would be based on. Although, you wouldn't need to know any information ahead of time to understand the story line of this amazing show.

I'm not going to give anything away, many out there have not watched it, or are still in the process of watching it. I'll try to keep it vague and short.

Jessica Jones and Kilgrave.

The theme music to begin with, is incredibly fitting. It starts out subdued with an old crime noir feel before changing gears to a louder rock infused tone. I like to think it symbolizes first Jessica's profession of being a private eye and secondly the conflicts she must deal with: her tormentor and her own self doubt. Next there were the visual effects of the opening title sequence. The shadowy pastels, the blended scenes both vibrant but subdued at the same time. An ode to the mysterious yet violent nature of the story line. I know, a little deep, but it's what the opening makes me think of. In short, an awesome opening that pays homage to an old genre while having a fresh modern vibe to keep it in line with today's interests as well.

Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones.

David Tennant as Kilgrave.

The cast was amazing. I know there had been talk prior to the show's release, about how well certain actors were going to be able to represent these characters. To be honest, aside from David Tennant, I didn't know most of the actors. I knew Krysten Ritter but had seen very little with her in it. I'd never seen Don't Trust the B**** in Apartment 23 or Breaking Bad. Then there was the actress who played Jeri Hogarth. I knew her from The Matrix. But everyone else was a new face for the most part. I've been a fan of Tennant for some time. I've seen quite a few of his movies and series. Ritter and Tennant were the ones I heard the most about, nothing negative just doubt. Could Ritter pull off the hard drinking tortured soul that Jessica is? Tennant is well loved for his role as the Tenth Doctor in the British sci-fi show Doctor Who (where I first saw him). He was goofy when he wanted to be but serious when he needed to be. Could he be the evil and manipulative Kilgrave? The answer to both of those questions is undoubtedly...YES. Tennant pulled off playing the evil character with such genius. In such a way that you almost sympathize with the villain before being reminded that he is indeed a bad man. The things that Kilgrave is responsible for...wow.

As I mentioned previously, I don't want to give anything away, I know there are some out there still watching the series. So I will just end by saying, the show was much more than what I expected. It was well written and well performed. Marvel is truly outdoing itself with these Netflix series. I am certainly looking forward to the next ones.

Left: Kilgrave's purple suit. Center: Jessica and her camera. Right: David Tennant posing with the comic version of Jessica Jones.

Frienemies: Captain America Civil War Trailer

This morning I woke up to Twitter being a buzz with all caps and every "feel" imaginable. The hash tags (#CivilWar #CaptainAmericaCivilWar) made it obvious what the fuss was all about--the official trailer for Marvel's Captain America Civil War was unleashed unto the masses.

I put in my head phones and pulled up YouTube on my phone. I wanted to see if this was as big a deal as everyone was making it out to be. I don't know much about the Civil War storyline from the comic books, only what I've gathered from hearing people talk about the upcoming movie or reading articles about it online. But the gist is simple, two Avengers pick opposites sides of an act meant to force superheroes to reveal themselves. This of course causes a rift amongst a team and friends with many super heroes taking different sides behind Captain America or Iron Man.

In the comics, Spiderman is heavily featured in this "war" who until recently was a Sony owned creative license for movies. Marvel wasn't going to be able to touch Spidey for their movie, but that all changed when Sony agreed to "loan" the web crawler out to Marvel for Civil War as a separate entity from their own upcoming Spiderman films. It would be a different actor, different character presentation. Spidey senses were tingling leading up to the big announcement and there was much rejoicing as there were many fans who could not see a Civil War movie happen without Spiderman.

Naturally, the world premier trailer was the first to pop up in my YouTube search and I pressed play with much anticipation. My eyes were glued as the faces of familiar and beloved characters flashed across my small phone screen. Immediately you feel the cockles of your heart warm at a much needed reunion. The action scenes and cameos aim to distract you, make you forget what's coming. But then it's happening, your jaw has dropped and you get sucker punched right in the ticker by three little words, "So was I". Yes, the "feels" are strong as you watch Iron Man get tag teamed and beat on by Captain America and Bucky (AKA The Winter Solider).

The trailer ends and it's at this point that I toss my head phones and sit back. My initial thought, "Hot damn! Wow, I am so excited to see this movie!" I turned to my co-worker and we had a good 10 minute conversation about the trailer, the comic story and Planet Hulk (that was us getting a little bit sidetracked). It was only after that I watched it again, because he mentioned Black Panther and I had completed missed him in the trailer. I found him, three separate, super fast scenes. But now I knew what the fuss was all about and I agreed completely. Fuss well deserved. I shared the trailer on my twitter feed and went about my day. Now I'm sitting here and writing this, naturally, I am required to watch it yet again. You know, for research.

The trailer starts out with Steve Rogers (Captain America, played by Chris Evans) and Sam Wilson (Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie), talking with a pinned down Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan). Bucky remembers his friend Steve, which is wonderful but short-lived. Jump to a voice over, inter-cut with fight scenes, by a grey-haired "suit" at Avengers HQ calling Captain America an unsupervised vigilante while handing Natasha Romanoff a Webster-sized block of papers with SOKOVIA ACCORDS across the front. Ruh roh, Shaggy.

The Black Widow tries to convince Cap to stay away from Bucky as the voice over continues to say there will be consequences and Iron Man confronts Cap in a stairwell. This is inter-cut with a scene of Steve and Sam watching as their equipment is carried away by a squad of soldiers. There is another voice over of Steve and Tony sharing their difference of opinions on the matter at hand which ends in one of the best lines of the entire trailer, "Sometimes I want to punch you in your perfect teeth." We then get many scenes of Falcon and Captain America, then a stand off scene with cameos galore. Iron Man and Iron Patriot on one side, Cap with Hawkeye, Scarlett Witch and Bucky on the other.

Supposedly, some are saying Ant Man is there as well but in his super tiny form, not sure if there is any truth in that, I couldn't see him. There are bullets, explosions and fights, oh my! Plus a long awaited cameo by The Black Panther for a quick split second and then another split second double kicking Bucky and half a second running after Bucky. Then this happens, Steve: He's my friend. Tony: So was I.

Wow. Can it be May now?