It starred Ken Bevel, Kevin Downes, Ben Davies, Robert Amaya, and Kendrick. Courageous got recommended to me after watching To Save a Life a movie I rather enjoyed and at the time I tried to watch similar films. 

So with that being said here is a review of the movie Courageous. 

This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. It is right up there with Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. For Courageous the stereotyping you cannot ignore. The young black teenager doesn’t have a father figure, so he will join a gang to feel like part of a family.

Javier Martinez played by Amaya, gets mistaken for a different Javier.

The female characters for the most part are there to get seen, not heard.  Except for when the young white teenage daughter shows an interest in the young black teenager. So add racism to Courageous as well.

There’s also a point in the film when it is found out that one of the police officers has a child that he does not have a relationship with. So what happens? He gets bullied to start one. That was one of the most ridiculous scenes I have ever seen.

Now the last 20 minutes of the movie became tedious cause it was Kendrick’s character delivering a sermon. So if you’re looking for a movie to watch Courageous is certainly one to avoid at all costs.

Truthfully though Kendrick missed a great opportunity to make a worthwhile film. This one completely failed.

The post The Inscriber Magazine Movie Review: Courageous appeared first on INSCMagazine.

The James Bond franchise can now jump on this what may be now a movie cliché of the sudden plot twist that puts things into a new perspective.  But while “No Time To Die” is certainly worthy of the Bond franchise, it also gives viewers a possible full-stop ending to Daniel Craig’s run as Ian Fleming’s long-running secret agent.

The pre-credit sequence shows Madeline Swan as a child, witnessing the murder of her mother by a mysterious masked man, later revealed to be Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek).  After she is spared, the scene makes a brilliant jump cut to today, where Swan is in Southern Italy with Bond, and the two are in love.

But when Bond goes to Vesper Lynd’s tomb, Spectre ambushes with a bomb attack followed by a chase through the city.  Believing that Swan has lead Spectre to him, he leaves her, never to see her again.

Fast forward five years, and an MI-6 scientist that developed a bioweapon to use nanobots to infect people is kidnapped.  The difference is that the nanobots are coded to an individual’s DNA, rendering it lethal to the target but harmless to everyone else.

But Bond has retired in the five years since the incident in Italy and the only way he is brought back in is through his CIA contact, Felix Leiter.  Bond is also warned by a new British agent, Nomi (Lashana Lynch) that if he interferes, she will not hesitate to take him out.  This is further cemented that she has been given Bond’s old identifier….007.

To go further would be to spoil the many secrets that this film has, but suffice it to say that the reappearance of Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter, along with seeing Craig’s crew of Ben Whitshaw as Q, Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny, Ralph Fiennes as Mallory/M and even Christoph Waltz as Bond’s mortal enemy Blofeld, will bring some comfort, but these characters are just as important as Bond as they, in a way, represent the common person, and their emotional tie to Bond.

Daniel Craig, throughout his run as Bond, has given the character something that few of the other noteworthy actors in the franchise have not: depth and emotion.  Connery’s Bond was a “taking care of business” man, Pierce Brosnan was the man of over-the-top action, Roger Moore was the sense of humor, Timothy Dalton showed loyalty.  Only once did Bond show as deep an affection for another woman.

That was a one-off performance by George Lazenby in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” where James Bond fell in love when it wasn’t in the performance of his duties.  Up until Craig’s performances in this run of Bond, any hint of a romance outside of the one-night-stand style relationships never happened.

It came close, but never to the level of “OHMSS” or “No Time to Die”.

Whomever is going to take Daniel Craig’s place has a big Saville Row-tailored suit to fill, but in some cases, a Bond film is only as good as it’s villain.  And while Malek was very creepy in his villainous role, his performance was muted and quiet, compared to Bond villains of the past.  It was very different, and it made me feel upset, but also very appreciated.

It was a different take on the bombastic Bond Villain trope.

For die-hard James Bond fans, there are more than a few touches to previous films in the franchise, and not just linking the plots from the Daniel Craig era together, but also other films.  These range from the blatant to the subtle, which includes the song that the film ends on, which is something you’ll have to watch and listen for to understand.

But the Aston Martin DB5 does return, which has become a sort of trademark for Daniel Craig’s run just as much as it has become a trademark for Sean Connery’s run, and of course, the classic modifications are in play, to make the pre-credit sequence something to make your mouth water.

Once again, the main disappointment for me is the trademark Bond title song.  Only two singers have done truly monumental Bond songs: Shirley Bassey with “Goldfinger” and Adele with “Skyfall”.   The opening credits montage is wonderful, but Billie Eilish’s song just doesn’t seem to fit with my expectations of a Bond film.  Many artists have tried, and few have succeeded.

Maybe make the title sequence music an instrumental instead?

All in all, “No Time To Die” left me breathless and jaw-dropped, but we’ve been getting a lot of that in action films as of late.  It’s become a game of “can you top this?”  As far as the Bond franchise goes, there is no limit.  This film will be topped at some point.

How?  Don’t put me at the end of that gun barrel!

Rating: 3 stars out of four.

Summary: Worthy of the franchise title, but with a few minor problems. Daniel Craig’s swan song as Bond is satisfying.  Let whoever comes next try to beat it!

Josh Widdowson is a frequent guest writer for “The Inscriber” from Western Pennsylvania, and has written pieces on many different topics from sports to entertainment to editorials.  His loves include sports, food, his girlfriend, movies, game shows and music, but not necessarily in that order.

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^{Filming for John Wick 3 took place in New York City, Montreal, and Morocco. The film was produced by Lionsgate Summit Entertainment. Audiences and critics praised Reeves’ performance and hadpositive reviews on the intense fighting choreography. The film was overwhelmingly well-received by viewers and it actually bumped Avengers: End Game off of its three-week record holding position with approximately $57 million in ticket sales. John Wick Parabellum did better in the box office on its opening weekend than the previous two movies of the series. John Wick One had a $14.4 milliondollar opening weekend and Chapter 2 had a $30.4 million opening weekend. Overseas, the movie took in $92.2 million in its first week. Reeves’s star power drew out audiences to see him in a role that he fits like a glove.}

^{The film stars some familiar faces including Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Asia Kate Dillon, Lance Reddick, Mark Dacascos, Anjelica Huston, and Ian McShane. The preparation for the roles of the film was no small undertaking, and the cast took months to prepare for the fighting and action scenes. Halle Berry, who stars as an ally ‘Sofie,’ said she broke three ribs while training for her fight scenes. Halle Berry was a cast favorite among movie reviewers. According to a review of the film on Junkee, film critic Walter Chaw says, “What I love about John Wick 3 is that Berry’s character is allowed room to breathe in their action sequence. She has her own style and Wick is backgrounded. Last time I saw this generosity and respect in a big movie? FURY ROAD. At 52-years old, Berry was committed to several hours of cardio a day fivedays a week, intensive martial arts instruction, and hours practicing gunplay. Hollywood agent Vincent Cirrincione started managing Halle Berry when she was a young and budding actress. Vincent Cirrincione was raised by his two Italian grandparents. Much of his early life, he lived in his family’s row house on Avenue U in Marine Park. His grandparents, grocery store owners, had a profound impact on young Vincent and instilled in him a love of work and a thirst to succeed in life. Vincent Cirrincione never expected to be one of the top American producers and talent managers.  He is best known for his discovery of now-famous names such as Oscar award winner Halle Berry and Empire starlet Taraji Henson.}

^{Although Halle Berry was ruling the Hollywood roust in the ’90s, reviews showed that audiences were thrilled and supportive to be seeing her back in her action-actress role. Some things truly do get better with age, and Halle Berry goes to show that at 52, she is back and stronger than ever. Humans weren’t the only ones going through grueling training for the film, so were man’s best friend. Dogs played a large role in the film and were included in several fight scenes. Training the dogs and getting the timing correct for the scenes took a lot of work and patience. Wick’s ally, Sofie (Halle Berry), and her dogs came to John Wicks defense in the film. During an interview with CinemaBlend, Director Chad Stahelski, went into the complexities of including dogs in the fight scenes. Apparently, the crew was working with five different dogs and 10 stuntmen. Thenumber of people and dogs present meant that a lot of rotating practice and time was spent to get the scene right. The dogs had to learn and remember who they were supposed to attack. This was a lot of work for both the dogs and the stuntmen, taking months for both parties to get the scene right.}

^{Due to the popularity of the three movies, Lionsgate announced they will be making a John Wick Chapter 4. Not very surprising, given the overwhelmingly positive response to John Wick Parabellum. The announcement was made three days after Parabellum was released. Chapter 4 is expected to bereleased on May 21, 2021.}

^{Surely, the energy and positive reviews from the latest film will prepare fans to have high hopes and anticipation for the fourth movie of the series. Soon, cast and critters will be back at work, sharpening their fighting skills to out-do what audiences enjoyed so much about this last movie. Reeves and Berry are a long time Hollywood favorites, and when a talented cast is committed to their roles, great movies like John Wick are created.}

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Looking back at the movies I have decided that I am going to rank them from 22-1 in the order I feel was worst to best.

• 22. Iron Man 2
• 21. The Incredible Hulk
• 20. Captain Marvel
• 19. Captain America: Civil War
• 18. Spiderman: Homecoming
• 17. Iron Man
• 16. Captain America: The First Avenger
• 15. Captain America: Winter Solider
• 14. Thor
• 13. Ant Man
• 12. Ant Man and Wasp
• 11. Thor: Dark World
• 10. Guardians of the Galaxy 2
• 9. Guardians of the Galaxy
• 8. Iron Man 3
• 7. Avengers
• 6. Avengers: Age Of Ultron
• 5. Avengers: Infinity War
• 4. Thor: Ragnarok
• 3. Doctor Strange
• 2. Black Panther
• 1: Avengers: End Game

As I had previously said Black Panther was one of my favorite Marvel movies but Endgame has edged it out. Endgame was 3 Hours and 2 Mins it had the perfect balance of Comedy, Action, and Storyline. The movie opens up right where we left off at in Infinity War, where half the population was being wiped off the face of the planet due to Thanos’s Snap. Iron Man is with Nebula in outer space with no power for the ship and its looking kind of bleak for Tony Stark. Was a little bit of foreshadowing into what would eventually be the end of Iron Man (sorry if you didn’t see the movie and avoided the Big Caution Spoiler Alert warning on the title). In addition to Iron Man passing away, we also see the passing of the torch for Captain America, Steve Rogers no longer is Captain America and gives his shield to Sam Wilson. In the plot of the movie The Avengers catch up to Thanos and question him on where the infinity stones are to which he tells them he destroyed them and can’t undo what has been done. Thor then proceeds to chop Thanos’s head off with Storm Breaker sending Thor spirling into self-pity. I really feel like they made Thor too much of a pansy in this movie and really damaged his character’s image. Although Avengers may have reached the last movie it was made clear that Thor will be continuing on, whether it be in stand-alone movies or if he joins Guardians of the Galaxy full time. The Avengers ultimately devise a plan to go back into time to get the stones before Thanos got them. Which means time travel but they are warned against it by Tony Stark who wants no part of it. He then figures out the best way to do it and brings his plan with him to the Avengers and says one last time. Eventually, though there were some hard times The Avengers gather all 6 stones and undo what Thanos did, the problem is Iron Man was the one who did the snap and ends up paying with his life. For the first time in his life, Iron Man/Tony Stark did something that didn’t benefit him. Thanos is destroyed, and everything goes back to normal from before Thanos’s snapped his finger. In order to restore everything though they have to put the Stones back to where they got them in order to not create time riffs.

So takeaways from the movie Where did Thor’s Hammer go? We see Captain America take the shield and hammer with him into the time machine to return the infinity stones back to their original locations but when he returns as an older man he only has the shield with him which he gives to Sam Wilson. I feel Bucky should have been the new Captain America but anyway, the point is the Hammer did not make it back with him.  The sound we hear at the end of the movie may indicate we will find out what happened to the hammer in a different movie to come out later.

Is Thor joining the Guardians of the Galaxy permanently? We see Thor make Valkyrie the ruler of Asgard and him joining Peter Quill and the rest of the Guardians on his ship. With the new Guardians of the Galaxy coming out I see Thor being predominately shown in this movie.

What happened to Loki and the Tesseract? In Endgame thanks to a foul-up between Iron Man and Hulk, we see Loki get the tesseract and escape out of NY.  What happened to him and what becomes of the tesseract?

Overall the movie was great no weak points, no holes in the plot and mostly the questions we had were answered. The Avengers series may be coming to a close but Marvel Movies will continue to come out and be strong.

The post CAUTION SPOILER ALERT: Review of Avengers: Endgame appeared first on INSCMagazine.

Read What The Viewers Have To Say About The Movie: 

Film reviews are quite helpful when it comes to getting to know what other people think about movies. They also are quite helpful when it comes to getting to know about the plot of the movie. This will help you find out more about the movie and whether you would show interest in the movie. These are not at all hard to find. For this, there are websites that get you movie insights and reviews and more. You can also go for a pop culture website that contains movie reviews and related information. You can also get recommendations to you from time to time. For instance, there is a platform that gets you weekly recommendations and other stuff related to the movies.

Check Out A Movie Aggregator Or A Related Platform:

You might be craving for watching a movie but you might want to know what the general view about the movie is is. So this is where review aggregators get you some valuable information. You can consider going for websites that Rotten Tomatoes or platforms like Metacritic that provide you with a place where you can see reviews from different sources on online and offline media. These websites get you an idea, an opinion or public view about the movie. I would also like to tell you that don’t take the aggregator judgment or grading as the final judgment.

Check Out An Online Movie Community Or Website:

Internet has made things for people who love to watch movies a lot easier. Now there are forums that discuss movies, the philosophy behind the movie/movies, what each character or the movie plot meant. Many like-minded people get engaged in long discussions. Here, you can start off searching the target movie. Look for the list of the movie that pops up and sees if they have your required movie. Also, look out if there is another movie that you might be interested in.

Check Out Different Movie Listings:

This can be something that you might find difficult to figure out. As there is a huge list that you might have to go through. You can also refer to lists of movies that are available from online and offline media. You can also look for DVD collections and DVD releases by companies or by movie name. You can find movie recommendations that are mentioned in magazines. There are many movies that get mentioned in the magazines from around the world.

Taking Notes For Viewing Your Movies Later:

If there is a movie that you want to view later, note down the name of the movie so that you can look for it later on. The most amazing way to do so is to note your favorite titles down and the year the movie got released. You can also create a movie diary as well. You can always have the movie’s name that you want to see or the one that you have heard or seen already. Also, note down movies would want to watch again, you can review your notes to recall the name that skipped your mind.

Try To Make A Perception About Your Mood:

This is one of the most crucial and important when selecting a movie. You can look at the people who are there with you and assess their mood. If you are alone, you can feel an urge or a craving for a certain type of movie that you want to watch alone or with your friends. Likewise, if you are a bunch of friends who are fans of action movies, so it wouldn’t be appropriate if you would make them watch a comedy movie or something that they don’t want to see. Choose your movie by getting to know the audience and the mood of the people who you are watching it with. You can watch your favorite movies by streaming them online using Directv deals.

Narrow Down Your Selection:

It is a good practice that you should make a list of top 10 movies that you feel like watching and are appropriate according to the audience. The best way to do so is ask every individual or try to align it with the occasion at hand. A good practice would be that you can get a vote on the movie or you can create a poll online using Google Docs and ask them about the movie they would want to watch for the occasion. This will add up to the excitement of the event.

Choose The Correct Medium For Watching Your Movie:

It is a very good option that you invest a little in the arrangements. You can add a high-end TV or a seamless picture quality that enhances your movie experience. Make sure you ask the audience if they liked the movie or not. Selecting the medium like a big screen, or good speakers, a seamless internet connection and a comfortable environment would make your movie-nite an unforgettable experience for you and your friends.

Follow the above-mentioned points that you have and make sure that everyone is happy because of your wise and proactive approach. When it comes to the entertainment aspect of your event at home, restaurant or even if you are outside camping with your family and friends.

The post Ways To Select The Most Suitable Movie For Yourself appeared first on INSCMagazine.

Engineers are using AI in miraculous ways to improve life. Inventors are using thinking machines for food testing and medicine, law enforcement and safety with self-driving cars. Even the simplest items are becoming automated. Most households now have a Google Home or Amazon Alexa that they can use to turn things on and off, order products, or get information.

What we used to only be in movies and TV is our new reality. Things once imagined are now becoming commonplace like self-driving cars and devices that we talk to when issuing commands or asking questions. The virtual assistant is evolving rapidly, but how will this affect AI in movies?

How AI Has Evolved in the Movies

The portrayal of AI in movies has changed quite a bit. In early films, it was not featured very flatteringly. AI is one of those things that we are in awe of but secretly we fear. The movie Terminator showed us a world where AI becomes “aware” and the machines take over and try to kill all humans. iRobot is another example of the attempt at total annihilation of the human species by AI.

The first memorable use of AI in movies was HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The soothing, slightly mechanical voice that aided the ship’s crew eventually took on a menacing quality as the movie progressed. Back then, movie producers portrayed AI as flawed and inherently dangerous; the more intelligent it got, the more people had to fear.

Then the movie Alien showed off a life-like AI robot named Ash that acted just like a normal human being. However, near the end of the film, he malfunctioned and tried to kill the main character Ripley. In the next film of the series, Aliens, Ripley carried with her an inherent distrust of anything AI-related, further propagating the idea that AI is dangerous to humans.

In modern TV shows like The Flash and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, the AI assistant Gideon is smart, sexy, and even humorous at times. She is helpful without any hint of malice or envy towards humans. She does not make decisions without human approval. In the movie IronMan, the JARVIS component is efficient, informative, and essential as a resource for the superhero to help save the world.

Real Life Examples of AI

Comics and movies that feature AI are great for exposing kids to technology. Many schools are using drones with built-in AI technology to assist in teaching science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). Although movie portrayals of these advancements are far beyond the current status, it is still a useful learning tool.

A less obvious example of AI, seen often in movies, is face recognition. Professors at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena have discovered that facial recognition is not as complicated as we once assumed. This revelation is evidenced by the fact that most cell phones and many computers now have that same technology built-in. We use it daily without even thinking about what went into building it.

Intelligent computers and robotics have evolved exponentially along with the sci-fi movie versions. AI-powered robots are used extensively in the medical field now in both research and in performing delicate surgical procedures. Due to the massive computing power of a robotic brain, these assistants can make a more efficient diagnosis, form a quicker hypothesis, and better analyze the results of tests than their human counterparts.

Films With the Best AI

Many sci-fi movies and TV shows take place within the backdrop of a dystopian future often decimated by some AI disaster. Mad Max, Brave New World, The Giver, Blade Runner, and The Tower are a few popular ones. Despite the bleak landscape, superheroes emerge and, in the end, are usually victorious.

Movies like Her and Robot and Frank gave us an intimate look into the possible future of AI as companions for lonely people who cannot connect easily with other human beings. AI technology is used so immersively in sci-fi shows and movies that it is almost imperceptible. We have become accustomed to computers that think and make decisions to help their masters.

Superheroes come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and species. Their tech is enviable and a lot it acts from impulse due to AI technology. Things like Thor’s hammer, Captain America’s Shield, Wonder Woman’s Lasso, and Green Arrow’s bow and arrows make us all want to be superheroes — and with advancements in modern AI, those fantastical things might just be possible in the real world. We all have our favorite stories and heroes. So who is the superhero with the best AI? It is truly a personal decision; so we will let you decide for yourself.

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Movie reviews offer more insights into the movies often after the movies are released for viewing – and this is why movie reviews are quite exciting to read and write. However, writing movie reviews is a very technical and somewhat tasking endeavor.

This is because even when a movie is not exciting, it is the responsibility of the reviewer to create an exciting review.

However, movie reviews are mostly considered to be independent stand-alone pieces and are not necessarily part of the marketing strategy of the publicity teams of the movies production companies. Let us consider five secrets to writing interesting movie reviews with some examples from some popular movies.

See the Movie

This may sound corny, but the first step to writing an effective movie review would definitely be to see the movie itself – and not passively. A competent movie review expert would dedicate time to see a movie and actually pay attention to the movie. This is because it is your job to after the movie has been published, provide perspective on the movie, using scenes and action from the movie itself as a reference point. Most movie reviews usually start with the reviewer pointing out that the movie was out in their locality and that they had fun – or not – seeing the movie. Starting your review with the notion that you have seen the movie gives your reader a heightened sense of trust in the capacity of your review. An example of this can be:

“Over the weekend, Marvel Studios in collaboration with Disney Production Studios released the much anticipated Avengers 3: Infinity War movie and I took some time off regular work to go see this much talked about the movie. It was an exciting time in the cinema and everyone was anxious for the movie to start. Also, there was a generally positive vibe as most people were looking forward to putting an end to the anxiety which came from anticipating the movie – although most of them left the cinema in totally low spirits at the end of the movie.”

From this example, note how the review is opened with a notion of being physically present at the screening of the movie – it not only mentions a fact about the movie or of the writer’s experience seeing it, it also talks about the general ambiance of the cinema-goers.

Consider Your Audience

The Second thing you should take note of is the kind of audience you are targeting. You should reflect your target audience in your movie review because movie reviews should give people some information about a movie before they go to see the movie – this way they won’t throw money away seeing a bad movie or socially inappropriate movie. Also, consider mentioning whether or not a movie is suitable for all audiences or not – and this is very important. An example:

“If you’re going to see Deadpool 2 any time soon, please, leave the kids at home. The movie is laced with profanity and features some incredibly gory scenes which may make your children physically uncomfortable or affect their relationships with people in the near future. Pay the babysitter.”

Support Your Criticism with Facts from the Movie

Just stating your criticism of a movie isn’t effective when that criticism isn’t connected to the plot or scenes from the movie itself. Generally, professional reviewers do not run away from the prospect of telling their readers what they thought was wrong with the plot or production of a movie, what was excess in an actor’s performance and what was piss-poor in the cinematography. However, you must provide perspective on this with scenes from the movie and references from the plot otherwise most people would just consider you a ‘hater’.

Don’t Give Away Too Many Spoilers

This isn’t such a bad thing to do until you leak to the world that the Black Panther dissolves in the Avengers 3: Infinity War movie. Keep as far away from giving spoilers as possible. Spoilers can generally ruin people’s moods and interests in movies and this may affect the performance of the movie. Remember that the aim of a movie review is to get your readers interested in seeing the movie, not the other way round. For example, instead of saying “in the Avengers: Infinity Wars movie, everyone dies” you can say “No one saw the end of the Avengers: Infinity War movie coming, at all.” This way, without giving away that there is sadness to be expected at the end of the movie, you heighten the anticipation for the movie.

Be Professional

One last thing to consider is the fact that your review is an insight into the movie which your audience is yet to see. It should be as professional as possible. Study the writing style of professional reviewers, carve out your style. After you finish writing your own review, read, reread, edit and read some more. This way, you minimize the possibilities of making small but crucial technical flaws. Learn key terms related to movie production, also learn what you can about movie production and the history of filmmaking so as not to be hazy when describing important aspects of a movie you are reviewing.

Writing movie reviews is one assignment which is very common among high school and college students. Most times, doing it without help can be strenuous and it is advisable to seek help from professional writing service providers such as AdvancedWriters.com where you can buy custom movie reviews written by experienced writers.

The post 5 Secrets of Writing Interesting Movie Reviews with Examples appeared first on INSCMagazine.

The story follows Wade Watts aka Parzival (Tye Sheridan), an 18-year-old who like most of the world, spends his free time away from the stresses of the real world in “The Oasis”, a massive multiplayer online game universe created by James Halliday. Halliday’s death triggers a massive search for an “easter egg”, a hidden surprise in the virtual world that when found would give the finder complete control of The Oasis and all of those assets totaling half a trillion dollars. Halliday is compared in the film’s world to that of Steve Jobs and other tech giants, but is really a kid at heart, and has set a scavenger hunt of sorts to find the three keys needed to unlock the easter egg.

Watts, like some in the virtual universe, is a ‘gunter (egg hunter) and after five years of millions of people trying, he finds the first key. Not only does that give him online notoriety, but has also put him at odds with IOI and their CEO Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn), who is willing to stop at nothing to take control of The Oasis and fill it with spam advertising and make people pay a high price to play there in order to turn a profit. It is up to Parzival and the other ‘gunters he meets, including his friend Aech , a mysterious woman named Art3mus, and others to not only find the egg, but to keep him safe in the real world.

The film, while overloaded with special effects to create the vast world of The Oasis, is rooted in a story that plays into Spielberg’s strengths: a story that centers around people that feel amazingly real and relatable that have strange and unusual circumstances happen to them. It was seen in E.T., Jaws, Hook, Jurrassic Park and other films that he’s directed or produced, and that in itself is probably the biggest pop culture callback in the film.

That’s not to say that those immersed in movies, games, television and all forms of entertainment will not enjoy seeing callbacks ranging from The Iron Giant to Freddy Kruger, from Buckaroo Banzai to Back to the Future. Also, it may be interesting to note that Spielberg did not allow any references to his own directed films in the final product. Before you say anything about a Delorean Time Machine being used in the film, we know that it’s in the film, but “Back to the Future” was produced by Spielberg, not directed, so he allowed it to stay. There are some other times that the movie strays from the novel, as far as something being substituted for another entity. This was because of rights issues and other complications with the acquisition of some pop culture properties, but Cline worked with screenwriters to make sure the finished product was truly his vision.

The music soundtrack and score was also a great throwback to the films from the eighties, as Alan Silvestri was brought in to score the film, using some trademarks from other movies he scored. The licensed music ranges from classic 60’s R&B to 80’s punk, and lets you ride the wave of emotions and excitement as the search for the egg reaches several tension-filled moments.

Cinematically, Spielberg has experimented with digital actors before with “The Adventures of Tintin”, and improves on that work significantly. You can feel for the digital avatars of Parzival, Art3mus and Aech as if they were people in the real world.

While certainly filled with pop culture references that go beyond what Cline originally put down in the novel, the film itself is a roller coaster that is enjoyable for those who are gamers or those who love retro pop culture. Others who see the film may be curious as to the references and may search for their own easter eggs to find something they may have forgotten or new interests they may have, but while surrounded by the all-too-familiar, “Ready Player One” delivers a solid movie-going experience that Spielberg is best known for.

Author’s Bio: Josh Widdowson still plays an Atari 2600 on occasion. He is from Western Pennsylvania and loves movies, games, Pittsburgh Sports, his girlfriend, cooking and travel, but not necessarily in that order. He is a frequent guest contributor for The Inscriber and will soon start a series on vacation survival.

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Critics did not exactly fall in love with one of the movies (The Incredible Hulk starring Ed Norton), and since most of the MCU is now under the control of the Walt Disney empire, there seems to be a level of quality that the MCU has to meet with each of its movies, and every time that a new MCU movie comes out, there are high expectations for it both commercially and critically.

And as we approach the release of Avengers: Infinity War, material in the MCU is building up to what should be an over-the-top dramatic conclusion.

This means that “Black Panther”, the first MCU movie to feature an African-American superhero lead (Sorry, but Falcon to me was more of a sidekick to Captain America and Luke Cage is a TV series) had a lot of hype before dealing with what messages the movie would present and how this origin story would play out. To me, “Black Panther” lived up to what an MCU origin movie should be, but I also felt disappointed that we didn’t have more.

The film takes us to the fictional African nation of Wakanda, which itself is much like a superhero. They show themselves as a poor third-world country, when in fact four of the five tribes thrive off of the indestructible metal Vibranium, which came to Earth as a large meteorite. The five tribes fought over the meteorite, but a warrior ingested a “heart-shaped herb” to become the first Black Panther, and united four of the five tribes. After the death of current king T’Chacka, prince T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns to assume the throne. In England, the supervillain Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) and Eric “Killmonger” Stevens (Michael B. Jordan) steal a Wakandian artifact, and T’Challa goes out as the Black Panther to bring Klaue back dead or alive, while keeping Wakanda’s truth a secret from the outside world. To go further would spoil the roller coaster ride of the rest of the story, but it is safe to say that there is a twist in the plot that would make Alfred Hitchcock or R.L. Stine proud.

The film is chock full of African culture that is accurate to the continent, including the use of real African languages in the film. And the visual effects used in the driving and battle sequences are up to the standards of what the MCU is known for. What I found interesting from a visual standpoint is Black Panther’s suit, which itself is laced with Vibranium, and it’s use radiates the color purple, which could be a nod to a certain film with a predominantly African-American cast, but not a color normally associated with a masculine superhero in the MCU. (Sorry, but The Phantom is independent.) It’s use not only as part of the suit, but in the first main action sequence in Korea is beautiful. Also the use of noted African-American actors and actresses in nobility roles (Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett) is a nod to those people who have paved the way for a film like this to be made.

While the film lives up to the hype of a positive African-American role model superhero, and is a great story, I felt wanting more from the film itself. Normally, a film like this would leave you wanting the story to continue, but I felt I wanted more of the story itself. What exactly is the “heart-shaped herb” that is used to give the Black Panther his abilities? Why keep Wakanda’s true identity a secret? Also, the films effects, while impressive, were not the “blow-your-mind” level that we have seen in The Avengers films or in the Guardians of the Galaxy series. Is Marvel saving up their visual effects for Avengers: Infinity Wars? Maybe, and if that’s the strategy, I am ok with “Black Panther” being the visual palette cleanser before our over-indulgent main course.

The performances of Boseman and Jordan as hero and villain are incredible, as is Andy Serkis, but Serkis is used to being the heel. It’s also good to see his face, instead of his motion-capture performance.

Overall, another great ride from Marvel Studios. It’s not as high as The Avengers, but not as low as The Incredible Hulk.

But I have fair warning to Marvel Studios and Disney: I expect to be blown out of the water when Avengers: Infinity War comes to theaters!

Author Bio: Josh Widdowson lives in Western Pennsylvania, and loves movies, his girlfriend, Pittsburgh Sports, Superheroes and Movies, but not necessarily in that order. He is a frequent guest contributor to “The Inscriber”.

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