"Avengers: Age of Ultron" Movie Poster

I have to be completely honest; I never thought I would thoroughly enjoy a Marvel movie. The only ones I’ve ever seen and truly liked is The Amazing Spider Man and its sequel, however, they didn’t “wow” me. So when I saw the Avengers movies and appreciated them as much as I did, I surprised myself.

From left to right: The Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Ironman,
Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye

The movie began with the Avengers raiding a Hydra (a terrorist organization in the Marvel universe) base in Sokovia that is experimenting on humans with Loki’s scepter, which we see distinctly in the first movie. They then meet twins Quicksilver (super speed) and the Scarlet Witch (telekinesis) - two of the organization’s experiments - before retrieving the scepter. Tony Stark (Ironman) and Bruce Banner (The Hulk) then find an “artificial intelligence” inside the scepter, and use it to complete Stark’s defence program, which he has named Ultron, without telling the other Avengers. However, Ultron backfires, and thinks the best way to save the world is to eradicate humanity. It gets rid of J.A.R.V.I.S., Stark’s current computer system, and attacks the Avengers. Ultron then recruits the two twins (who later leave him), and makes an army of robots to destroy the Avengers. He also attempted to make an artificial body, but the Avengers retrieve it. Meanwhile, Stark is re-uploading J.A.R.V.I.S. to put into the synthetic body, along with the mind stone, which is one of the six infinity stones, the most powerful objects in existence. They call this being “The Vision.” The Avengers, along with The Vision, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, go to Sokovia to fight Ultron and its army. As every superhero movie ends, the Avengers win. They then open up a new base in upstate New York to train the new avengers; The Vision, the Scarlet Witch, and two others.

From left to right: Ironman, Ultron, Captain America

I personally liked this movie more than the first Avengers movie. It might have been that the plot was more clear to me, or that there wasn’t as much ongoing action. I also like how they always seem to add humour, which takes away from the heavy conflict going on. One thing I didn’t like was how there was continuity from previous comics and other movies; while, yes, this might please many Marvel superfans, it hardly gave any background information for anyone who didn’t understand the “infinity stone” concept, or especially, the end credits scene.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron loosely followed the Hero’s Journey. While I sometimes found it hard to follow, it was evidently there:

Status Quo:	For the Avengers, their status quo would be fighting and defeating villains. We don’t get to see too much of their life otherwise (however, there are flashbacks, relaxed moments in the movie, etc.).
Call to Adventure:	The call was when Ultron had crashed the party, destroyed J.A.R.V.I.S., and stolen the scepter. The trigger for them leaving was when they realized that Ultron would be in everyone’s databases using it for evil. There was no refusal.
Assistance:	There was no main mentors/guides. However, they had help from eachother, Hawkeye’s family, J.A.R.V.I.S., and other allies.
Departure:	The first departure when they really took off, was when they went to Africa. Although, most people would qualify their trip to Sokovia as their departure. There was more than one departure (as there was more than one trial).
Trials:	There were many trials; fighting Ultron at the party, fighting/the hallucinations the Scarlet Witch bestowed in Africa, Ironman and the Hulk fighting, etc. The first half of the movie was mainly all trials.
Approach:	I couldn’t detect a real approach; they just went and fought.
Crisis:	The crisis was Ultron and its army eradicating the human race by trying to recreate a mass extinction, to make the Earth “calm.” As said in the movie, Ultron didn’t know the difference between saving and destroying.
Treasure:	I couldn't find a treasure either; if there were to be one, it would either be to kill Ultron or to have the infinity stone.
Result:	The Avengers saved the world from extinction.
Return:	After fighting in Sokovia, they returned to their base in upstate New York.
New Life:	There wasn’t as such a “new life,” as there was a new Avengers base and another fight in their memories.
Resolution:	“                                                                                  “
Status Quo (Revised):	Their lives carried on as superheros, with more Avengers to add to their group and more knowledge.

Overall, I surprisingly really enjoyed this movie. I had very scarce negative comments, and it’s definitely a movie I would watch again and recommend!

★★★★☆

8/10

Print Review: I Am Malala

"We have a saying, "Without honour, the world counts for nothing." We fight and feud among ourselves so much that our word for cousin -tarbur- is the same as our word for enemy. But we always come together against outsiders who try to conquer our lands." ~Malala Yousafzai 

Malala Yousafzai

   Malala Yousafzai was fifteen when an armed Taliban soldier stopped and invaded their school bus, on its way to an all girls' school. Even though when the soldier exclaimed, "who is Malala?" and none of the girls on the bus answered, she was tragically shot through her left eye socket. Thankfully, she is alive today, and amazingly won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

   The extended title, "I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban," is a summary itself. Yet, it doesn't truly capture the essence of this book. It begins with a short few chapters on her birth, (the birth of a girl wasn't celebrated like the birth of a boy would be,) and on her being influenced by her father to stand up for girls' rights, as he had created a school. It then goes on to talk about how the Taliban took over the Swat Valley in Pakistan. It then goes into more depth about the shooting, and finally, her life afterwards, up until the publishing of the book. 

   One of the many things I loved about this book is that you learn about Pakistani history and culture while reading. I have recently had an urge to read and learn more about the planet we live on and all of its different people and cultures, as I one day hope to see as much of it as I can. I also liked that this book is so inspiring; it shows how one person, especially so young, can make such an impact on the world, and encouraging change to happen. 

   In conclusion, I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. It makes you really think and appreciate what you have. By the end of this book, I was ready to leap out of bed and make my mark on the world by impacting human rights. 

9/10

★★★★✬

Music Review: Coming Up For Air

  Three or so weeks ago, I was recommended this album by Kodaline, by a good friend of mine. I wasn't too interested, so I put it off until last week. At the time I was listening to it, I wasn't keen to actually "absorb" the music and really listen. So I wrote a review, which had a great lack of enthusiasm and was all negativity.

  However, yesterday, I decided to give it another listen a few days ago,  paying attention to things like the lyrics and how they affect the songs and the melody. I discovered that it wasn't half-bad, and while most of the things I wrote in the first review I feel are true, I have many positive remarks to add to them.

Kodaline, from left to right: Vinny May, Jason Boland, Steve
Garrigan, Mark Prenderghast

    Kodaline was formed in 2005 in Swords, Dublin, and was known as "21 Demands." In 2011, they changed their name to Kodaline. On many websites, they are said to be of an indie/alternative/folk rock genre, and while I agree to some extent, I also disagree. Just because they play their own instruments, it doesn't necessarily make them sound like they're a rock band. 

  "Coming Up For Air" is their second studio album, released in February 2015. The mood of the music is usually sad or depressing, and it almost makes you feel as if you want to lie down, while not relaxing you. The lyrics are quite clever in some songs, while others are not.

"Coming Up For Air" Album Cover

    The only thing I really enjoyed about this album, were the songs Coming Alive, Unclear, and Love Will Set You Free. These songs have the most interesting lyrics in my opinion, and they draw me in the most.

    One thing I disliked about this album, was that a lot of the songs reminded me of songs I've heard before. They had the same melody, the same beat, etc. The majority of songs reminded me of Coldplay or The Killers, and a few sounded exactly like One Direction. Another element of this album that I disliked, was that in some songs, the lyrics are incredibly repetitive. I understand that choruses are repeated several times, but as in the song "Everything Works Out in the End," it's the same lyrics over and over again, with this verse being repeated throughout the whole song:

"They told me
Everything works out in the end
Everything works out in the end
Everything works out in the end
Everything works out in the end

Everything works out in the end
Everything works out in the end
Everything works out in the end
Everything works out in the end"

   Overall, this album was okay, but it wasn't great. Some of the album  had a lot of meaning, while other parts made no sense and were almost boring. And while Kodaline has a lot of talent, it was nothing special that I hadn't heard before.

★★✬☆☆

5/10

Movie Review: Men, Women and Children

"You don't seem to understand how dangerous it is on there."

"The only thing that's dangerous in this house, mom, is you."

     Men, Women and Children is about a series of families, who in one way or another, have social media ruin their lives at this point in time. The movie also questions our existence, and how we shouldn't sweat the small things, because they're simply not big enough in the realm of existence.

Carl Sagan - Pale Blue Dot
(link to youtube video mentioned multiple times in the movie)

     The movie begins with scenes of the planets and a satellite, and after dragging this on for about ten minutes, Emma Thompson narrates and talks about this particular satellite. I won't talk about all of the problems and how they were resolved because there were so many of them, but I will about one in particular.

Tim Mooney (Ansel Elgort) was star of the football team, before quitting to play a video game he has 'invested' over one thousand hours playing. Months before, his mom had also abandoned him, and moved to California. Brandy Beltmeyer (Kaitlin Dever) is monitored by her mother, Patricia, (Jennifer Garner) on and offline, by knowing all her passwords, and a device that tracks every move Brandy makes on her computer and on her phone. Tim and Brandy begin talking, after they meet in a mall after school. Tim reaches out to Brandy via Facebook, but because Patricia is on Brandy's account before she is, she deletes the messages so Brandy can never see them. At school, when she tells Tim this, she tells him about her secret Tumblr account, which her mom doesn't know about. They begin communicating about that, and Brandy starts sneaking out to see Tim.

A few weeks later, Tim's dad cancels his gaming account because Tim had told them his mom was engaged (which his dad did not know), and they said harsh comments about it. Tim, being upset, reaches out to Brandy for support. Patricia, however, found Brandy's secret Tumblr, and tells Tim things like "I'm bored of you," and "talk to me ever again and I'll block you." Tim being upset, overdoses on antidepressants, and is found by Brandy and Tim's dad on the floor of his room. He is then taken to the hospital and stabilized.

     One of the best parts of this movie, is it makes you realize that dangerous things can really happen to anyone on the internet. I also really liked the way it brought in Pale Blue Dot, and while it had no actual relevance to the movie, it makes you think about how small we are in the universe, and how small our problems are related to everything else. One of the worst parts, was that there were these huge ideas, and the first half hour of the movie was great. But these ideas were just shut off, and it seems as if this movie was finished like homework on the morning of the day it was due; by the time you got halfway through, you fit in a sloppy ending and be done with it. I also really didn't like Jennifer Garner's character, Patricia Beltmeyer. Yes, the internet is a dangerous place, but she was hypocritical and was a complete invasion of Brandy's privacy. She almost killed someone her daughter cared so much about, because she was only thinking of herself.

     In conclusion, while this movie had some great messages and ideas, they were drowned in a week ending. It shows all the negative sides to social media and how technology has advanced, when in reality, it has greatly benefited us as well. You can keep in contact with people all over the world, with just one click of a button. I personally think, that's amazing.

★★★☆☆

6/10

Game Review: Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7

"Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7"
Game Cover

     I'm going to be honest; I don't play video games. I'm generally not interested in them, nor am I generally good at them. The only game I can properly play and win, is MarioKart Wii. However, my brother, James, is highly skilled in that department. I asked him what game I should do for this media review. He simply handed me an old DS, and a game to go along with it. This game was one of the ones he used to play a few years back (he said it was the easiest to play). 

     Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7 is a game that can be played on many platforms, such as PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable (PSP), PlayStation Vita (PSV), Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, and even iOS.

     In this game, you go through the last three Harry Potter stories, with everything entirely made out of Lego. The first chapter of the game is the first scene in Order of the Phoenix, where Harry and Dudley are at the playground. They then go to the Ministry of Magic because Harry used magic outside of Hogwarts, and Dumbledore shows up and fixes everything (everything that happens in the first twenty minutes of the movie).

     The mechanics are very simple in this game: •  A button: pick up/build objects (basically
                                                                                 anything you can't do with the other buttons)
                                                                             •  B button: jump/block in duels
                                                                             •  Y button: cast spells
                                                                             •  X button: change characters
                                                                             •  Control Pad/Circle Pad: move around

First scene in the game: Harry is fighting off a Death Eater.

     I didn't play the whole game because at my pace, you'd need months to do so. However,  I did finish the first year. Personally, I like how simple this game is. It's challenging because you have to use your brain to get through some levels, but it is very easy to control. I also like how close they related the game to the books and movies. The graphics on the other hand, are terrible. Before every new scene in the movie, there's a video with no talking to explain what has happened, and to give you and idea of what to do. These videos are probably the lowest quality videos I've seen in a long time. I also didn't like how long it took to use a spell; it might have just been that I was terrible at playing, but every time I tried to destroy either a death eater or a droid and move on to the next level, it took forever to change to the spell I wanted to use, aim and wait for the spell to be ready. And if I waited too long by a millisecond, I'd be killed.

★★★☆☆

6/10

Print Review: There's Nobody Meaner than Cousin Georgina

     "There's Nobody Meaner than Cousin Georgina" by Bernard Gallate, is a childrens' book published in 2000. Like my last review, I have liked this book for a long time. Although, because I received it when I was around two years old, it has been collecting dust on the bookshelf for a good six or so years. 

           The back of the book reads:

"When Cousin Georgina comes to play,

it's double trouble for poor Harry.

"A hilarious picture book about those

relations we sometimes

could do without!"

        This book is about a boy named Harry, whose cousin, Georgina, comes to visit his family for a week during the holidays (equivalent to summer vacation.) The minute she arrives in Harry's home, she is very irritating towards him; not only does Georgina make him sleep on the collapsible bed and make him dress up as a tree, but she also shaves his head, and throws him in the lions' enclosure at the zoo! In the end, she slightly redeems herself by saving Harry from a bully twice his size.

        One of my favourite parts of the book, is its rhyming paragraphs. If I were to have stayed in Melbourne, I wouldn't have noticed this, but the book can only rhyme with an Australian accent. If I were to choose a worse part in the book, it would have to be some of the irrelevant illustrations. While I understand they're there to be humorous, they make no sense, and have no relevance when it comes to the book.

       This book is, and always has been, near to my heart. Four days from my first birthday, my cousin, Lachlan, was born. For my second birthday, (where he had just turned one,) my aunt and uncle bought me this book. At the time, he was my only cousin and I was his, therefore we could easily relate to the book. (Today, we both have annoying ten year-old brothers.) Of course, I'd like to think of myself as less troublesome than the Georgina in the book. This also connects to me, because I have another little second cousin, whose name is Harry.

         Overall, this book is funny, entertaining, and connects to me in a personal way. Starting on a humorous note, then climaxing to a more emotional scene, then ending in an entertaining way, is one of the keys to writing a true childrens' story book.

★★★★☆

8/10

Music Review: I Love You

"I Love You" Album Cover

       The Neighbourhood is an American indie rock band, and ultimately, one of my favourite bands of all time. And even though I have been in love with their music for a year or so, I never really listened to any of their music in depth. In the past two weeks, I have seemed to finally understand the music in this album, the lyrics, and how musically strong it really is.

       It's hard to identify a mood to this album. The indie songs, with an almost hip-hop feel to them, make it soothing, yet incredibly catchy and easy to sing along to. As for the lyrics, while I was doing my research on this album, I came across a review that stated, if you listen to the songs in order, the what seem to be "immature" lyrics have a lot more meaning than what is first heard.

       "This album is autobiographical, starting in the preteen years, the loss of religion/faith (How), pre-teen and teen relations and rivals(Afraid and Everybody's Watching Me), puppy love (Sweater Weather), still working on Let it Go. Then moves on to childhood reflection in Alleyways, where the teen starts to think back on simpler times in life. Then more mature relationships problems reveal themselves in WDYWFM, and first true love in Flawless. Female Robbery deals with depression in the aftermath of losing that first love. The songwriter then shows how they dealt with that depression through music in Staying up and reflecting on the childs past as they move on into adulthood with Float. " ~Unknown Reviewer

The Neighbourhood

       After reading this review, I decided to listen to the album once more, in order. I'm not sure why, but I was listening from a different perspective. Having a storyline to connect to the melody made my job of comprehending the lyrics a lot easier.

       A few of my favourite songs off the album are How, W.D.Y.W.F.M., Let it Go, Flawless, and Female Robbery. The lyrics in these particular songs aren't necessarily significant to me in any way, but there's something about them that draws me in. Another favourite of mine, while not on this album, is a mashup/cover of Say My Name by Beyoncé, and Cry Me A River by Justin Timberlake.  I can't say I had any dislikes when it came to this review, but one thing that came to my mind was that the band has so many more songs that could have the potential to be added to this record, while sadly only eleven were chosen.

       I personally love this album. It has the full package, from the catchy songs, to the hidden meaning beyond the lyrics. Not only is it The Neighbourhood's debut record, but it is one I highly recommend listening to.

★★★★✬

9/10

Movie Review: Unbroken

       

          Unbroken, directed by Academy award winner Angelina Jolie, is the true story-to-book-to-film adaptation of olympian's Louis Zamperini's time in WWII.

Louis "Louie" Zamperini

          Within the first ten minutes of the movie, we learn Louie Zamperini (Jack O'Connell) was a troublemaker as a child. Coming from an Italian immigrant family, Louie was made fun of by the other boys, which most likely led to his drinking, stealing and smoking. One day, when racing away from trouble, his older brother Peter notices how fast he can run, and trains him until he becomes his very best. Louie eventually becomes an athlete in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, coming 8th in the 5000m race.

          After the olympics, Louie joins the air force in WWII. While on a bombing mission, a plane Zamperini is on crashes into the Pacific Ocean. Fortunately, he survives, along with Russell "Phil" Phillips (Domhnall Gleeson) and Francis "Mac" McNamara (Finn Wittrock). They survive through safety boats, and fishing in the surrounding water. Mac sadly passes on the 33rd day, leaving only Louie and Phil. On the 47th day, the Japanese find the two men, and they become prisoners of war. Because they've been at sea for a month and a half, when the Japanese demand for information, Louie and Phil have nothing to tell them. The Japanese don't believe them, and they are sent to P.O.W. camps. Louie and Phil are separated, and the movie continues on Zamperini's journey.

          At the P.O.W. camp in Tokyo, Louie meets a sergeant called Mutshiro "Bird" Watanabe. The Bird grows envious of Louie, and to make him feel better, beats him often. After two years at this camp, Watanabe gains a promotion and moves on to another camp. Not long after, Louie's camp is damaged after bombing from the Allies, and all the prisoners of war move to another camp, where low and behold, the Bird is yet again in charge.

          After years at this new camp, where they are loading coal barges, the War had ended. The movie finishes with a recreation of an old photo. Louie walks off the plane from Japan, kisses the ground, and reunites with his family. There is then a slideshow, showing what happened after the war. The last slide is a recent picture of Louis Zamperini, in memory of his death in early July.

Jack O'Connell (upper left) and Finn Wittrock (centre left)

          Like all true stories do, there were parts where I teared up, (I think I was emotionally connected to the characters,) and some where I laughed too hard, not because it was funny, but because I was so into the movie. I also think the ending gave us an insight into their lives, and helped us process that something so terrible really can happen. I also was so amazed by the cinematography, and the way everything was filmed. 

          There were some scenes in the movie which puzzled me. I was either not too sure of what was going on, or I was not interested. There were not many of these though, and overall, it was a terrific movie.

          While this movie did have its good and its (very few) not-so-good parts, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have to be honest, when I first went in to see this movie, it was because one of my favourite actors from American Horror Story was in it. Although, even though that character was dead halfway into the movie, it was a surprise how much I was engaged. Usually, I'll be found watching chick-flicks or comedies, but this movie surely pushed me out of my comfort zone. 

★★★★☆