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Captain America: Civil War (2016)
A Team Divided
Captain America: Civil War is a comic based movie (for those who don't know) and is the third installment in the Captain America. Released in 2016, grossing over $406 million in the United States alone (placing it in the #2 spot for 2016. When I review movies, I like to break it up into different categories, discuss them, and then wrap it up in a conclusion.
Story: I don't like to spoil movies often (especially Marvel releases), so I'm just going to talk about the continuity of the plot. Being that this is a sequel, it could be a little to follow the storyline if you haven't seen the previous installments (or read the comics), but I feel like the story is relatively simple and most audiences can catch on. Being that Captain America (as well as over half of other Marvel characters) are ultimately owned by Disney, it's interesting to see a grittier and darker film. I personally liked the vibe that was given off of the film. This movie was more than a slug-it-out film like Thor or even Iron Man and offers significant material that puts you in a place where you think and relate to the characters and their struggles. There were very few plot holes in the plot, but one thing that did bother me is that some of the newer characters that were introduced had shallow backgrounds and (if you don't follow the Marvel Cinematic Universe or comics) could make you wonder why they are even there. 8/10 Characters: Most of the MCU characters from previous installments are back with the addition of some other characters like the Black Panther and Spider-Man. When there is multiple significant characters in one movie it is easy for characters to get sidelined, but "Captain" does a good job of this. I probably should have mentioned this is the story category, but while I'm on the topic of characters, I feel like the title didn't really fit the movie. It doesn't really feel like a Captain America film, it feels more like an Avengers 2.5. Anyways, the established characters show some growth and the new additions are very entertaining and add to the film in many different ways. I'm just going to say that I'm not even sure who the villain is in the movie, it feels to me that it is a matter of interpretation. 8.5/10 Action: Marvel Studios always does a good job when shooting action scenes and "Civil War" is no different. I really enjoyed how the characters' powers were incorporated into their fighting style and the film definitely offered some memorable moments that will not be forgotten. With a strong combination of choreographed and CGI fight scenes, the movie has a very strong visual appeal. 9/10 Special Effects: As I mentioned briefly in the previous category, the overall special effects in the film are pretty solid, but I really don't know what to say when I saw Spider-Man's costume on the screen. The whole thing looks like a glossed over, CGI mess and to me became very distracting and looked really out of place. Being that the rights for Spider-Man were acquired shortly before shooting for the film started, it's understandable ... not really. Hopefully Spidey's suit will look better in his upcoming solo film "Spider-Man: Homecoming". 8/10 Conclusion: I honestly believe that this is one of the better films in the MCU, and definitely the best of the Captain America installments. I give this movie an 8/10. If you haven't seen the previous Captain America movies I recommend you watch them (except for the first movie. It wasn't that good, but it is important for his back story) and then wrap it up with "Civil War". Highly recommended.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Does the Amazing Spider-Man Video Game Live Up to the Hype?
The Amazing Spider-Man Video Game (2012) is a tie-in to the rebooted Spider-Man movie, but actually serves as an epilogue to the movie. When the game starts Curt Connors (The Lizard)is still in prison and things were left as they were (including Spidey's reputation and his relationship with Gwen). When I review games I critique on several different categories which include: Story, gameplay, graphics, achievements (which pertains to unlockables, side missions and bonus material), and overall satisfaction and then I follow it up with a recommendation (or not!!!)
Story -- To be honest, I am a big fan of the rebooted "Amazing" movie series and I felt that there was a lot of potential for a video game tie-in, however, the game seemed a little rushed. The storyline is quite basic... and rather boring. The whole object of the game is to stop a cross-breakout that transforms people into human-animal hybrids... um, think about that for a second. Without going into too much detail, the story was shaky at best and there were a lot of sidelined stories that just seemed unnecessary. At times I wasn't quite sure why this game was even made. 4.5/10
Gameplay -- To me, the gameplay is one of the shining beacons of this game and Beenox does some really cool stuff that separates itself from other Spider-Man games. One thing that was introduced is the Web-Rush mechanic which allows you to slow down time and web zip to just about anywhere in your surroundings. When done correctly, you are able to chain together several web-rushes and bounce around from enemy to enemy and avoid damage (while showing off the agility that Spider-Man is known for). The combat was pretty solid, but definitely had some room for improvement. While the bosses in the game were rather dull, it was challenging and (if I must say) rather entertaining all the same. "Amazing" swings off of the Arkham games with some of the combat, including a stealth attack system and a counter button. While it didn't live up to Arkham's standards, the combat for "Amazing is unique in its own way and brings some new things to the table. This game returns to the open world setting and (in my humble opinion) has the best web slinging action of any previous game. 7/10
Graphics -- I wasn't to impressed with the graphics, but it could've been a lot worse. Swinging threw Manhattan looks top notch, but the character detail was no where near what it could have been. 6.5/10
Achievements -- While there is plenty of side missions, collectibles, and challenges throughout the game, none of them seem necessary or motivate you to to even partake in any of them. The only unlockables that even appeal to me is the costumes. 5/10
Overall Satisfaction -- To me, The Amazing Spider-Man is a mediocre game and by the time I finished it, was not looking forward to going back and collecting the rest of achievements and bonus material. This however does not mean that others will not thoroughly enjoy this game. 5.5/10
Recommendation -- Unless you are a Spidey fan, this is definitely a game you can do without. For people interested in Spider-Man and the Marvel universe, I recommend renting the game first and then perhaps buying it if you enjoyed the game.