Captain Marvel Review

On March 28, 2019March 27, 2019 By AllieS.In Movie Review1 Comment

Captain_Marvel_poster Captain Marvel is the twenty-first Marvel Cinematic Universe movie set in 1995. The story follows Carol Danvers as she becomes Captain Marvel when Earth is caught in a conflict between two alien worlds. For those who have watched most, if not all of the MCU movies Captain Marvel must be watched before Avengers: Endgame as it set up Captain Marvel for her potential role in the future movies.

Before going into the my thoughts and feelings about the movie, Captain Marvel is not the best MCU movie that we have gotten but it is nowhere near the worst. The movie starts out set in space and just drops the audience into the story without any background though if you’ve read the comics or follow information about the movie online you will have some idea of where the movie is going. Vers is a Kree operative sent with a team to another planet to find someone missing and during the mission they are attacked by the Skrulls, a group of shape shifting aliens. When Vers crashes on Earth the story really picks up as it becomes apparent that she is from Earth but has no memories about what happened to her or her past. Ultimately, Captain Marvel is a movie about a woman realizing that she has power, coming into her own and understanding the power that she has. Though I think that the movie is for everyone there are instances that I feel women will understand better because they speak to real life situations that women find themselves in.

The acting is great, I believed everyone in the roles that they had. The movie has funny moments it’s not as comedic as some of the other MCU movies. I personally liked the story and I loved that we get some information about how the Shield that we know from the other movies was born.

Though Captain Marvel is an origin movie set in the 90’s at this point Marvel Studios does kind of expect you to have seen at least some of the other movies as there are instances that things such as Shield are not explained as it is assumed that you know this information. However, it is a movie that can be watched without knowledge of the others since it is only the calls backs and foreshadowing to other movies that might be missed. Since the movie is set in the 90’s there are major references and jokes made about the 90’s that if you are not familiar with they might not connect. Stay through the credits as there is a scene that connects directly to the Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.

Overall, not the greatest Marvel movie but a good story with great characters that give us something good before what I feel will be the devastation to come with Avengers: Endgame.

February Wrap Up

On March 25, 2019March 24, 2019 By AllieS.In Wrap UpLeave a comment

In February I read five books and watched series 11 of Doctor Who.

Books:

Witch Child by Celia Rees is a historical fiction young adult novel that follows Mary Newbury who escapes a witch trials in England and travels with a group of puritans to the new world. However, it becomes clear when they arrive in Massachusetts that Mary must be careful as she is an outsider who could easily be tried as a witch and she might just be one. Witch Child is a reread for me as I read the book initially when I was a teenager. I didn’t love it as much as I remember because I’m much older now.Witch Child feel more like a middle grade but I still like the book.

Artemis by Andy Weir is a science fiction novel where Jasmine lives on Artemis, Earth’s first and only lunar colony. When her get rich quick plan falls apart she learns how the colony is truly run and what she has to due to try to save her friends and family while also not getting arrested. An interesting story on how a lunar colony would be run though not as funny as the Martian. I personally liked the premise of the story more than the story that is told and I feel like Artemis would not work in reality with how everything is run.

Rolling in the Deep by Mira Grant is a novella about a research ship going to the Mariana Trench to find Mermaids. When the ship gets there all the scientist think that the company sponsoring the trip is just going to film a mockumentary but they end up finding real mermaids who are not kind or beautiful. This book is technically a prequel to Into the Drowning Deep but it works as a stand alone. I didn’t connect to the characters much due to how short the book is but what is there is great. It made me want more from this world and story.

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant is a science fiction horror novel about a reteach ship going out to the Mariana Trench to find mermaids and what happened to the ship that went out seven years previously. This is a reread for me and I loved it just as much as the first time I read it. The best way I can describe it is the book is everything I didn’t know I wanted out of murderous mermaids.

The Invasion (Animorphs #1) by K A Applegate is the first in the Animorphs books where a group of teenagers are gifted the power to turn into animals to fight an invasion of aliens. I read most of the series when I was in elementary school and junior high but I never finished it so when I found the books again I want to see if I would like them enough to reread and finish the series. Though it feels much younger than I remember its probably just because I’m not the age these books are marketed to but I think its a good start to the series. The conflict is established early and the reality of the character involvement is much more harsh as these kids are going to fight a war. Though I didn’t love any of the characters they are realistic for the situation they are trust into and the books are much darker than I remember.

TV shows:

This month I finally sat down and watch the most recent season of Doctor Who with Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor. For me I was not a huge fan of this season, its not bad but its not all that good either. Most of the episodes were decent but I didn’t connect with any of the new characters or story lines. Graham and Ryan were the best characters and while Yaz was fine, with so many new characters and actors fighting for good character moments none of them were given much overall. As for Jodie Whittaker, I think she is a good actor but she is not the Doctor. I felt no connection between her version of the Doctor and other actors who had played the character and I didn’t believe that she was the Doctor. I don’t blame any of the actors as they are just bring what they can to the writers work so I feel like the writing needs to get much better for Doctor Who to continue and be loved by so many. Ultimately, if the show had any other name I don’t think I would have finished the season. I will watch the first few episodes of the next season as they will have a year to hopeful fix problems from the past season but if those first episodes aren’t good then I won’t continue watching.

Witch Child by Celia Rees

On March 16, 2019March 15, 2019 By AllieS.In Book ReviewLeave a comment

803120 Witch Child by Celia Rees is a historical fiction young adult novel that follows Mary Newbury who escapes a witch trial in England and travels with a group of puritans to the new world. However, it becomes clear when they arrive in Massachusetts that Mary must be careful as she is an outsider who could easily be tried as a witch and she might just be one.

Witch Child is written as a diary so we see Mary’s story unfold through her own eyes. She believes herself to be a witch but that thought and any of her actions through out the story could easily get her in major trouble. Rees makes the story very realistic for the time period both in the use of puritan values and beliefs as well as information about the Native American’s that Mary interacts with. Mary unlike the rest of the community sees a kinship with the Native’s as they are both outsiders that the puritan community would attempt to get rid of. The tribe used in the story is the Pennacook nation which was a real Native American tribe in the Massachusetts area when white settlers arrived in the new world.

Witch Child is a reread for me as I read the book initially when I was a teenager. I didn’t love it as much as I remember because I’m older now. Sometimes I like to go back and read the books published when I first started reading Teen or Young Adult books as the Young Adult book market is much different now. I remember when bookstores called it the teen section and YA really wasn’t a big thing. Now days it feels like YA is written for an older audience than it used to be which makes Witch Child feel more like a middle grade but I still like the book.

Rating:

February 2019 Owl Crate

On March 14, 2019March 13, 2019 By AllieS.In OwlCrateLeave a comment

Owl Crate is a young adult book subscription box where every month you receive one new hardcover book and an assortment of bookish goodies connected to the monthly theme. February’s theme was Whimsical Beasts.

The bookish items this month are amazing, primarily practical items that I will get good use out of. These include a key chain inspired by Spirited Away, a travel umbrella featuring creatures and beasts from Harry Potter, a pixie dust gem soap, and a beanie inspired by Harry Potter. All of these this I will use at some point but the umbrella is the best as it has been rainy in Texas. Also I won’t be able to use the beanie just yet as it is far to warm where I live at the moment but will be great for next winter.

The books this month included an extra graphic novel, The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill which looks very cute. The new hard back is Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto which is set in a world where warrior queens rode on the back of phoenix and the bonds of sisters through a story of survival and war. All Owl Crate books have exclusive covers and are signed but this one also as stained edges and includes a letter from the author and a feather bookmark. The new enamel pins that they include in each box also is inspired by the book.