Book Trilogy Review: A Riddle in Ruby - by Kent Davis

 Greetings, friends!

Time for my first book reviews of the year and you are getting threesome. Nicely organized how this occurred with both of my first reviews for books and movies being trilogies, eh?

These are books that Iʼve never heard of anyone else reading, and Iʼm going to try to change this! I have mixed feelings on these books, but I want other people to talk about them to. Plus, I can imagine that things in these books would make awesome fan art, so I want to see that. Iʼm giving you a dose of encouragement to try these books and let me know what you think.

Letʼs get into the reviews!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. All three of these reviews are spoiler free! Because of that the reviews for the second and third books will be more vague because I donʼt want to reveal what happened in the other books.

A Riddle in Ruby - by Kent Davis:

ʻNever pick a chemystral lock.ʼ

Ruby Teach is training to be a thief and picking locks is her specialty. Between cons with her mentor Gwath and sailing with her father, a smuggler and pirate, sheʼs learned a lot. Lately she keeps running into the same two suspicious characters: a young lord and his servant. The world flips when Ruby learns that people are after her, and she is forced to flee the life sheʼs always known. Organizations appear and offer help to her if she does what they want, but in this world of Tinkers creating chemystry and the reeve controlling everything, whom can she trust? What do they want with her, merely a skilled pickpocket?

Genres: Steampunk, Adventure, Fantasy, Middle Grade Fiction.

Characters: 8, weʼre just getting the characters started here and donʼt know a lot about them which can be confusing. But let me tell you, after reading the other books and looking back, good foundations are built here that will be used later even though it all seems crazy.

My favorites: The characters are so involved in every part of the story that spoilers can be easy when talking about them, but have no fear. Iʼm going an extra mile to avoid that. Iʼm just going to talk briefly about my favorites in the trilogy review as a whole. 

Words/Writing style: 10, I love this writing style. Itʼs told in past tense, third person, I think? Itʼs surprising that I claim myself to be a writer when Iʼm not the most knowledgable about this. All I know is that I love it. Ruby is the main character, but it shows different peopleʼs perspectives in a really cool way. I want to try writing like that, now!

 ʻHe had scoffed at watches and chronoms. Timepieces were for the weak.

ʻThe only true measure of time, he said, was the beauty of your heart. There was

never a maxim for that, though.ʼ

Quotability: 9, there are so many unique descriptions and dialogue that are easily quotable. I would say the lines more if I had anyone to tell them too.

ʻ...Ruby had always imagined swordplay as a thrilling dance, filled with grace and daring.

ʻThis was not a dance. It was a chicken coop on fire.ʼ

Content: 8, there is mild peril with people getting hurt in many different ways as well as death. With that are descriptions of the different wounds. At one point in time someone isnʼt wearing a shirt which is mentioned.

Some of you may be wondering, “What is this ʻchemystryʼ?” Itʼs basically as it sounds: chemistry. There is some magic involved. Even with rereading Iʼm still a little confused about it, but I thought it was really cool. Itʼs not like any of it could be recreated in real life because we are either not given the ingredients or they are fictional. Itʼs that people started learning about the wonders of science earlier than in actual history, so the setting is...steampunk. I canʼt think of a better way to describe it than that. Alternate history, perhaps?

Originality: 9, have I mentioned that the whole world is AWESOME? The plot was fun, but not particularly mind-blowing. Maybe that was because I didnʼt have a mind to be blown because it was already taken out by how astounded I am by the world and setting!

Good For: Anyone who loves steampunk, anyone looking for a circus of an adventure. 

Age Range: Itʼs categorized as Middle Grade Fiction, and I know that some people donʼt like to read that once their past the age, but I think itʼs really fun for all ages. This first book should be fine for young audiences, but 10 and up would probably enjoy it especially.

Overall Score: 8.5.

ʻAll well and good; Ruby ate devilishly complex locks for breakfast.ʼ

Thoughts:

This was the book that made me realize that I love steampunk (Iʼm sorry, you guys are probably thinking, “Stop saying that word!”). I will gobble it up! Truthfully, these books are the only steampunk that Iʼve read so far, but the concept is beyond awesome. I want to explore this genre more.

&

The Changerʼs Key - by Kent Davis:

Henry Collins is trying to decode a book that could hold unimaginable secrets while he and the others look for someone who can actually help them. All the while hiding from the ones who are out to catch them. Rubyʼs having to work hard training in new ways, while avoiding mean kids and testings by a doctor. The reeve seem to think that she has some secret, something special about her and she wonders, what is it? Can she control it?

Genres: Steampunk, Adventure, Fantasy, Middle Grade Fiction.

Characters: 8. We get to meet new characters here! So, so, so many of them. I really liked the motivations for all of them and wish that I could remember the names of some of them, because the names are awesome.

My favorites: Avid Wake needs a shout out because of that awesome name. I also loved the names of the Curtsies, but Iʼm a little confused because sometimes the girlʼs name was Never, and sometimes it was Ever. Which one is it?

Words/Writing style: 10, same as last time! To me it seemed like we got more of Cramʼs point of view which I really like because I relate to Cram in so many ways. We also got a noticable more chapters from Henryʼs perspective! I love that because I love Henry. The visuals that are built into this writing are fantastic!

Quotability: 7, this had lines that I could share but they would be out of context and very confusing. I havenʼt quoted this one in my head as much as the first one (with the chicken coop line), but it still has really good lines.

ʻThe whole of this doctoring, if it could even be called doctoring, was worthy of suspicion. In point of fact the dwelling, if it could be called a dwelling, was equally worthy of suspicion.

ʻIt was a cave with a front porch.ʼ

Content: 7, once again there is that high stakes adventure where people get hurt and sometimes killed. Kids purposely hurt each by fighting a few times, but there is talk about why that is bad. There are some medical thing in here, such as someone getting blood drawn, but itʼs not too much. At the end there is something scary that carries on through the next book, so Iʼll explain it the following review.

The quality of this one is lowered slightly because of two instances of crude humor which I did not appreciate, but other than that the first and second are pretty similar in terms of content. Same with the setting and chemystry/fantasy elements.

ʻWhy did chemystry always smell so terrible? Couldnʼt the Tinkers use their almighty skills to make their concoctions smell like rhubarb pie?ʼ

Originality: 9, again, so cool! Part of this reminded me of Spirited Away (2001), but it was only one small detail and the stories are completely different. This book is brimming with details that I want to see brought to life.

Good For: Anyone who loves steampunk, anyone looking for a circus of an adventure. This one also has an edge of mystery, so it would be good for mystery lovers!

Age Range: The stakes are more intense, so Iʼd say maybe just a little older. 12 and up. Depends on the person, though!

Overall Score: 8.

“I cannot go back in disgrace. We must go forward into madness.”

Thoughts:

Sometimes when I think about this book it seems very much like the middle book in a trilogy, where nothing much happens, but at other times it seems to me to have quite a story of its own! I like the separate stories as we focus more on the individual characters. Mostly I want to reread it!

&

The Great Unravel - by Kent Davis:

ʻThey were declaring their allegiances. They were hauling their flags up the mast.ʼ

The time has come to pick a side in this unfolding war. Doubts have been held so long about who to trust, and more bonds are broken each day but decisions have to be made. Disguises and espionage will be needed to play this dreadful game. Can the friends get together to save the people from a terrible invention? Who will win this game of chess, chemystry, and power?

Genres: Steampunk, Adventure, Fantasy, Middle Grade Fiction.

Characters: 9, extra point here because of all the growth! These characters have come so far. I absolutely loved the message of forgiveness and the quiet moments surrounding that time.

“...You observe. You guess. You open yourself to the possibility of who they might be. How they are different from you. How they are the same as you.”

Words/Writing style: 8, I have to take off a few points because some adults *cough* started swearing. It was mild and I donʼt know if most people would notice it, but I did and was annoyed. Other than that I still love the style! I wanted more of a certain point of view (I feel like he was neglected), but other than that awesome.

ʻThe smells sang to him, wrapping him in a rich song of Science...ʼ

(This writing wraps you up in the story!)

Quotability: 8, I wrote down so many parts that I couldnʼt even use them all! Pretty good. Still not as quotable as the chicken coop, but weʼll make it work.

ʻAhead of them in the hallway lay a stout wooden door, the kind of door whose makerʼs philosophy was most likely “You can have your frills and carvings. Give me something that will keep out a hungry werewolf.”ʼ

Notes: There was this really cool thing happening near the end, but it would've tied in nicely if Ruby had related it back to her training as we were in her point of view already.

Content: 6, here is where we step into a tricky area. Part of this one involves (and Iʼm sorry if this is confusing, but Iʼm avoiding spoilers while at the same time still not sure of what happened) energy being taken away from people. This is one part of this that I donʼt want to see a visual of because the description is pretty terrifying. An important note is that itʼs shown as being bad and is only used by the “bad guys”.

There is the usual of fighting, injuries, and death. Mentions of peopleʼs underclothing. One final thing that I want to talk about: the “Source”. When I read these it kind of freaked me out, but thinking back on it I think I was overreacting. Now Iʼm thinking of it as being like the Force (they do rhyme...) in STAR WARS and Iʼm cool with that. If you are bothered by that, then you might want to do a double take on these books. 

Originality: 8, did this reach a level of something scary that I had never seen before? Um, maybe. The plot was so unique, though! There is one "creature" that I was confused about for a while but as soon as it clicked I thought, "Ohhhh, that's really clever." Endings can be so difficult, but this one was good.

Notes: The quote, ʻAdventuring was starting to get to her.ʼ reminds me of a line in The Silver Chair - by C. S. Lewis.

Good For: Anyone who loves steampunk, anyone looking for a circus of an adventure. Anyone who is having trouble with forgiveness or is feeling lonely and unforgiven for something.

Age Range: As I've been mentioning scary things for all of these reviews then I'm going to say this one is more PG-13. As always, it depends on each person!

Overall Score: 8.

Thoughts:

Well, it's the end of a wild ride! I had no idea how everything was going to be wrapped up, but I was satisfied. 

A Riddle in Ruby overall trilogy review:

Words/Writing style: 9.5. Quotability: 8. Content: 7. Originality: 8.5.

Characters: 8.5. My favorites: Of course my favorites are our four main characters:

Aruba Teach: She's a fun and spunky heroine! She has a few stereotypes, but I really liked seeing her struggles and figuring out how to overcome them.

ʻWhat choice did Ruby have? It was simple. And insufferably hard.ʼ

Words to describe these next three: 'Skill, resilience, and courage.':

Henry Collins: I love Henry! He's so sweet and caring and brave while thirsting for knowledge.

Cram Cramson: I hardcore relate to him. I don't even particularly know why, but I do. I love a good sidekick. 

ʻHe wasnʼt a complainer. He could hear Mam in his head: “Moaners never get the pie, boy, and more, they always end up scrubbing the pan.”ʼ

Lord Athen Doyle: I have a sinking feeling that there was some kind of agenda with this character that I'm too dense to see, but nevertheless I liked this character and thought that he had one of the strongest arcs.

There are a lot others who I really like, or heavily dislike, or am extremely conflicted on, but Iʼll leave you to find out about them.

Age Range: The action builds as these books to on, so they are good for growing kids. Even adults or young adults could like them, like I do. (Because I honestly don't know how old these people are. More on that in a minute).

Overall Score: 8.5!

Worth reading?:  Yes, for my introduction to steampunk! Also for the matters of forgiveness in the third book. It was beautiful! All around a fun time that I'm glad I've experienced.

Will I read again?: Rereading books is a very rare activity for me, but I'm going to say yes. If only to better understand them and be in the setting again.

Bonus thoughts: 

This trilogy is...pretty awesome. A few extra things:

Things I donʼt like:

• Something that bothered me the whole time is that we never really knew how old everyone is. Maybe it mentioned it and I just didnʼt catch it, but it was weird to me. At the beginning of the first book Iʼm guessing that Ruby is about 12 (give or take a year), but Iʼm really not sure about any of the others. Theyʼre on the young side but thatʼs a big range and I donʼt know any more than that.
• Doyle's and Greta Van Huffridge's relationship to each other was a little weird. I don't knew what to think about it. The hatred seemed to be so weakly founded? I'm confused. Maybe after I read it again I'll get it more.

Things I do like:

• As I have mentioned in all of these reviews, the writing style is awesome. Another neat thing about these books is that before each chapter there is a "quote" or statement from someone or something in this world. I've seen this before and I really like it because it gives you a more immersive experience.
• I've mentioned this so many times, but once more for good measure: STEAMPUNK. THE SETTING. THE WRITING. I am thoroughly in awe.

I read the first book in this series when it first came out...and was so confused. I reread it last July so I could read the other two books and even with having read it before I was still puzzled, but I began putting things together and admiring the world building. The next two books were great as well and I can see myself reading them each several times to truly solve them.

And I'm done! If any of you have read these books, let me know! And if you haven't, please do so I have someone to talk to! I need a second opinion!

Thanks for reading! Does anyone else like steampunk as much as I do? Any recommendations?

MovieCritic

Movie Review: Life With Father (1947)

Good "day" everyone!

I hope that this finds you well. Do you know what I like to do on a snowy day (besides being in the snow doing crazy things)? I like to watch a cozy movie in my home. Today Iʼm bringing you a review of one ideal for this activity! Stick around because in addition to the usual review Iʼll be talking about the significance of home and family in this film. Enjoy!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free! After reading this review things will still surprise you when you watch the movie.

Life With Father (1947):

Based on: the memoir Life With Father - by Clarence Day Jr..

Set in New York in 1883, this tells the story of Clarence Day who lives with his wife and four boys. “Clare” is used to living by a very strict schedule, which he tries to control the monetary savings and income as much as he does at his bank. Life is always changing with the four growing boys. Whitney is trying to learn his catechism, John is looking for a job, and all is going well for Clarence Jr. until his motherʼs cousin brings a pretty girl with her. One day Mrs. Day learns that Clare was never baptized and she is horrified but determined to find a way to remedy that. Will the whole household and family be shaken up through sickness and finances?

ʻ“I notice when you have a headache you yell and groan and swear enough.” 

“Well, thatʼs to prove to the headache that Iʼm stronger than it is.”

Genre: Comedy.

Length: approx. 118 minutes.

Script: 8. By a technical standpoint there are no bad words, as when Mr. Day swears he says “Gad”, heavily saying an A. Itʼs too close for my liking to taking a name in vain, hence the deduction of two points.

Crew: Directed by: Michael Curtiz. Written by: Clarence Day Jr., Donald Ogden Stewart, Howard Lindsay, & Russel Crouse.

Starring:

William Powell as Clarence Day.

Irene Dunne as Vinnie Day.

Jimmy Lydon as Clarence Day Jr..

Martin Milner as John Day.

Johnny Calkins as Whitney Day.

Derek Scott as Harlan Day.

Elizabeth Taylor as Mary Skinner.

Zasu Pitts as Cora Cartwright.

Edmund Gwenn as Rev. Dr. Lloyd.

Emma Dunn as Margaret, the cook.

Heather Wilde as Annie.

Nancy Evans as Delia.

Moroni Olsen as Dr. Humphries.

 Frank Elliott as Dr. Somers.

Elisabeth Risdon as Mrs. Whitehead.

Monte Blue as The Policeman.

Mary Field as Nora.

Clara Blandick as Miss Wiggins.

Douglas Kennedy as Reverend Morley.

Costumes: 8, I like the 1880ʼs style! One of the subplots revolves around a suit. 

Cinematography: 8, some brilliant colors here! Compared with newer movies it isn't too shocking, but compared with the times it was made I think it's neat. 

Cinematography by: Peverell Marley & William V. Skall.

Music: 8, not the most memorable in the world, but the whole time I was thinking of how cheery it is.

Music by: Max Steiner.

Quotability: 8, it's not something that I would think of quoting every day, but after a phone call with my sister where I convinced her to rewatch it, we've been saying some of the lines from time to time. One of my favorites was when Harlan is complaining about oatmeal, saying he doesn't like it and Clare replies:

“Iʼll tell you what you like and what you donʼt like. Youʼre not old enough to know such things.”

Oscars won: This was nominated for 4 awards, including Best Actor for William Powell, but didnʼt win any of them.

Content: 8, there are one or two suggestive lines, but that's it. It talks about religion and faith, and while none of it is mine exactly, I like Vinnie's concern and care!

Originality: 8, the scrapes that the family gets into are pretty unique! I smile through the whole thing, so it is something to brighten your day.

Good For: Families, fathers and children, fans of the actors.

Age Range: This is perfectly fine for any and all ages!

Overall Score: 8! I don't remember the last time the score I gave was so easy!

Worth watching?: For sure! I was fun to fill in my memories of what this was. The stunning colors alone are worth looking at.

Will I watch again?: You bet! I have fun with this one and will be watching it again wherever I need a "pick me up" film.

“Thereʼs something wrong with your reasoning.”

For the blogathon:

Thatʼs right! This is my entry in Rebecca of Taking Up Room and Gill at Realweegiemidget Reviewsʼs Home Sweet Home Blogathon!

The requirements were easy, stating that the goal was to talk about films centering around the theme of “home” or “family”. It took me a while to decide, but then I thought that this was perfect as with itʼs title it deals with a father!

I used to get this confused with another movie because I think that I watched them for the first time very close to each other. For years I had wondered which one was which. When I was able to rewatch this last October I was glad to find that this one was the one with “Clare”. After some digging on my part I figured out what the other movie was, Cheaper by the Dozen (1950)! Funnily enough, that stars a lady who was famous for being in movies with William Powell, Myrna Loy!

They both feature fathers. In this one, while it is titled Life With Father, it is made clear that the mother, Vinnie, is what holds the house together. All of the family adores her and would do anything to make her happy. Even if it includes stepping outside of comfort zones.

Thanks for reading! Check out all of the other entries to the blogathon HERE.

Tell me, what are some of your favorite movies involving family? Has anyone seen this or the original Cheaper by the Dozen (1950)? What is your favorite William Powell movie? Have a good night!

MovieCritic

The MCU Tag of Ten + Marvel Movie Rankings

 Hello!

Today is my second entry in ThunderbirdQueen and Miss Woodhouse's 23: An MCU Blogathon! I'll be filling out the tag and more...

Check out HERE for more posts from this blogathon!

I know that I already filled out a Marvel tag this month, but I'm going to try to put different answers! If you want to compare you can check out the first one HERE.

Am I forgetting something? Oh yeah:

SPOILER ALERT! I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU) SO IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ALL OF THE MOVIES THEN READ NO MORE! Have a nice day. OR, if you've seen the movies already you can proceed.

The MCU Tag of Ten: Questions:

What is Your Favorite Movie?

Youʼll see in a moment, I guarantee it. Just read to the end of these questions.

What is Your Favorite Stan Lee Cameo?

One of my favorites is the one in Thor (2011)! Heʼs the guy driving the truck and trying to pull the hammer, Mjölnir, out of the pit it is in.

Who is Your Favorite Character from the Original Six?

Hands down, HAWKEYE! It all started just because I am obsessed with Archery. I LOVE the legend of Robin Hood. Legolas is my favorite Lord of the Rings character. Brave (2012) is my favorite Pixar movie. When I saw Avengers (2012) for the first time, Clint obviously became my favorite because of that. But, throughout the movies he stayed my favorite because he is just the most awesome superhero EVER! He doesnʼt get enough love (or his own movie, hello?) so I need to talk about him whenever I can.

Who is Your Favorite Sidekick (characters not from the Original Six who donʼt have their own movie)?

I have a few, so allow me to elaborate:

• Ned, Spider-Manʼs “guy in the chair”! He is definitely one of my favorites!
• Groot. Because Groot is absolutely adorable and what saved Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) for me.
• Rhodey. I love this guy! Heʼs gone through some hard stuff, but I love his determination and loyalty. Heʼs the best.

What is the Funniest Moment?

I realized in my other post that I didnʼt list so many of my favorite quotes! Ack! This question is perfect, though, because I have so many favorite moments that are my favorite because I laugh so much.

(Paraphrasing all of these. I mean, I hope they're accurate, but I'm just doing then from the top of my head)

From Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017):

ʻ“Join me and we can build my LEGO Death Star.”

 “No way, man! Thatʼs awesome! How many pieces?”'

“Ned, Ned, the glowy thingʼs a bomb!”

ʻ“I know what a girl sounds like.” 

*interrogation voice* “Iʼm not girl!”ʼ

ʻ“Too much bread.” 

“I like bread.”ʼ

From Thor: The Dark World (2013):

ʻ“Try pushing it.”

“I am pushing it!”

“No, youʼre hitting it. Try pushing it gently.”ʼ

 '"I think you missed one."

 "Shut up!"'

"Well done, you just decapitated your grandfather!"

'"Look, why don't you let me take over? I'm clearly the better pilot! "

"Is that right? Out of the two of us, which one can ACTUALLY fly? *the Harrow takes out a building* Not a word..." '

And all of Thor: Ragnarok (2017) is a hoot! That is why it is one of my favorites.

 I canʼt forget: Avengers: Endgame (2019):

*Peter Quill is dancing around and singing* Rhodey: “So, heʼs an idiot?”

Who is Your Favorite Villain?

Ugh, it's so hard to choose someone different from last time! I should've thought this through some more. I'll go with Yon-Rogg from Captain Marvel (2019) because I love to hate him.

What is Your Favorite Power or Technology? 

Ahhhh! I can't pick such an important thing! I love so many of them! I'll go with the old standby of Spider-Man's abilities.

What is Your Favorite Sequel (no trilogies!)?

I love Captain America: Civil War (2016). For so many reasons, but mostly because it has the best people. Yes, itʼs a very painful movie because everyone is fighting everyone else, but I love it.

What are Your Favorite End Credits? Or End Creditʼs Scene?

 I love that this is a question because it is such a part of the MCU! My favorite is the scene in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). It shows that the Vulture is truly thankful to Peter for saving his life! Ack! It makes me so happy.

I can tell you which one isnʼt my favorite. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019). Talk about a cliffhanger!

Who is Your Favorite Ship?

Iʼm going with Pepperony. First, thatʼs one of the best ship names ever. Plus, they are so good for each other! They do step away and spend time without each other from time to time because they understand that they arenʼt perfect, but in the end they are the best thing that ever happened to each other.

Actually, I can do better than that, Thor, thanks for asking.

Remember the first question where I was asked to name my favorite? Do you really expect me to choose one favorite? Why donʼt I just rank all of them? Well, if thatʼs what you wanted then youʼre in luck because that is exactly what I decided to do.

Note: These are just my personal rankings based on how well I liked them, not the “quality” of the films. If your list is completely different, then thatʼs awesome! Iʼm glad that you liked the ones that I didnʼt so much. I hate it when people tell me that my favorite movies are garbage (which happens a lot, surprisingly. Then again, maybe I just have controversial favorites? *cough*The Last Jedi*cough*) so Iʼm not saying that. Each of these movies have values contributing to the whole MCU! For each movie Iʼm going to list why it is there and not higher or lower, and then say some of my favorite things (which I am limiting to five or else Iʼll be here all day [Update from the future: Actually, even with only five it still took me all day to write this.]). Because yes, all of these movies have made me laugh at some point or another! Some have made me cry! Some Iʼve only seen once, so my rankings might change after Iʼve seen them more times.

While I have reviewed four of these movies, one of my goals is to review as many as I can in 2021! These are just have bullet points listing why I love them, so one day I'll write up whole spoiler-free reviews talking about content concerns and whatnot.

(And yes, there are 22 instead of 23 because The Incredible Hulk (2008) is almost impossible to find a copy of and I haven't seen it yet)

Starting at the bottom and going up:

22. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Yep, this is at the very bottom. The story was just so weird and grossed me out. It has a feeling of an 80ʼs movie (which, letʼs just say, is not my favorite).

What I like:

• Groot!!!! As!!!! A!!!! BABY!!!!! Sooooooooo cute! My sisters and I were saying that the first five minutes with Groot dancing around as a baby could honestly have been a whole two hour movie and we still wouldʼve watched it and loved every second.
• Kraglin. Yondu. Especially Yondu and Rocket talking to each other and understanding each other? Some quality stuff there, my dude.
• Mantis! She is such a sweet character and I love her. Some of her and Draxʼs conversations were really weird, but on the most part I liked them.
•  Gamora and Nebula fighting but then talking about how they just wanted to be sisters? I love all of my sisters so seeing that made me really happy.

21. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

The first Marvel movie that I ever saw. For awhile it was pretty high on my list because of that reason, but when I rewatched it last December that all changed. There is so much violence and fighting. How did this get only a PG-13 rating? My sisters and I were saying that if they took out half of the lengthy fight scenes and explosions this movie would be much shorter. And probably brought more of an impact (other than people just punching each other...)?

What I like:

• Stan Leeʼs cameo. One of my favorites!
• “On your left.” Meeting Sam! Sam is one of my favorites and I love all of his parts in here. Even when he barely knows Steve he is so loyal!
• Robert Redford as a villain. Yes, great choice.
• Bucky saving Cap. Ah, my heart canʼt handle it! He knows that he knows him and wonʼt just let him drown.

20. Ant-Man (2015)

This one isnʼt here because I dislike it, more just because I found it kind of boring? Iʼm sorry! I donʼt know why! Maybe after I watch it for a second time Iʼll really like it.

What I like:

• Luis. Hey, heʼs another sidekick whom I love! He is hilarious in every way.
• The whole heist. I love a good heist. Especially how Hank and Hope planned on Scott breaking into their house to recruit him.

19. Doctor Strange (2016)

I really like the characters and the message and all of that...itʼs just that the powers kind of freak me out. Itʼs just weird for me, okay? I donʼt mind it so much with the other films that heʼs in, but for some reason the first one gets to me.

What I like:

• Stephen Strange. His character arc is one of the most well developed that Iʼve ever seen in my life! Bravo!
• Christine. I love Christine. She is so sweet, and I want her and Stephen to work out as a couple. Obviously, he needs to grow some more, but still.
• The Ancient One. I liked the discussions of power and the responsibilities that it holds!
• The cape. Every superhero has a cape, right? This was a genius move to make his relic a cape that seems to have a mind of its own!
• Itʼs funny. I laugh a lot. Especially when Stephenʼs talking to Wong.

18. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Ever since I was little Iʼve had a dislike of “myths”, especially ones that involve “gods”. I just donʼt like it (this occurred based on a traumatic experience which we donʼt need to go into). Thatʼs why all of the Thor movies are lower on this list than might be expected (and why Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) is my least favorite). While this one is so cheesy and cringy in parts (to me), there are some great moments.

What I like:

• That whole scene that I listed above with “funniest moment”.
• Darcy.
• Loki.
• Darcy.
• Loki. Yep, that covers it.

17. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Iʼve only seen this one once and donʼt remember a lot of it, but I donʼt remember anything bad.

What I like:

• The beginning scene. I love Peter singing to a song, using a rat thing as a microphone!
• Drax. While he was there to be just comedic relief in the second one, I really liked his development here!
• “We are groot.” Groot being precious! 

16. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

I know all of you are horror struck that this one is so low! There is one reason for that: You canʼt have an Avengers movie without Hawkeye! This was well made up for in Endgame, but if this had had even a ten second clip of Clint reading a magazine it wouldʼve been higher.

What I like:

• Tony and Peter acting like father and son. I just love it so much! Ever single moment with the two of them is my favorite.
• ʻ“He'll die alone, as will you.” “She's not alone.”ʼ: This part makes me cry! 
• Itʼs really funny. I could quote a million lines here.
• Thor literally activating a dead star. Talk about epic!
• “Yibambe!”: How the Wakandans are so willing to help!

15. Iron Man 2 (2010)

This one isnʼt here because I donʼt like it, just because it is not as memorable as the others. Still a great time!

What I like: 

• Fantastic villains.
• Seeing Natasha.
• How Tony is trying to deal with being so scared of dying.
• ʻ“I think I did okay!” *explosions*ʼ: That describes my life.
• Howard Stark giving Tony the tools to save his life.

14. Thor (2011)

The aesthetic of this one is not my favorite, but the plot is undeniably good.

What I like:

• THE HAWKEYE CAMEO! THIS BRINGS ME SO MUCH JOY! “You better call it, Fury, because Iʼm starting to root for this guy.” He couldʼve taken Thor down, but he waited to see his potential. BECAUSE HE HAS THE BIGGEST HEART!
• Darcy. Darcy is a sold win any time she is there. 
• Thor growing a lot in this movie. Learning about responsibilities!
• Loki! Strongest antagonist motivations ever?? Yes!

 13. Iron Man 3 (2013)

This one is kind of scary, but I really like it.

What I like:

• Harley and Tony working together!!!! So cute! Sure, Tony is a jerk in these moments, and suffering from PTSD is not a decent excuse, but I love the two of them. It set such a good foundation for when Tony would later work with Peter!
• Tony having PTSD. It is so realistic in so many ways and it really enhanced Tonyʼs character.
• Rhodyʼs password. That was hilarious!
• The whole charade of the plot!
• Tony and Pepper!

12. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Commonly a less popular one, but you will see the reason I like it so much has a common element. Whose name is Clint. Barton. Because he is. the. best.

What I like: 

• Cliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiint.
• “You didnʼt see that coming?”. I was going to list out every time that Hawkeye interacts with one of the Maximoffs as a separate thing that I liked, but I should just put it as one element and let you know how much I love it. I love the relationship between the brother and sister and how Clint is kind of a grumpy dad to them.
• Tonyʼs fear. The MCU is so strong because of this. To me, all of his actions are so understandable because of how he just wants to protect the world. His world.
• Backstory with Black Widow. I have to admit, I didnʼt completely mind her and Bruce as a couple. The way that they both feel like monsters really connected them (in the end of everything though, I appreciated what Marvel did which her connection to everyone).
• Pietro and Wanda. I love them. Also their "made up names" Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are just awesome. I feel the need give them a shout out.

11. Avengers (2012)

The first time the team gets together! All of movie makes me so happy.

What I like:

• AGENT COULSON! Heʼs so sweet and wonderful.
• Hawkeyeʼs jaw-dropping skills.
• Bruce. Because Bruce is a big sweetheart who is one of my favorites.
• The team working together!!
• The fabulous music score that just pulls the whole movie together.

10. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

I feel obliged to have this one so high because of the sheer start of the journey. It was one of the first and is one of the best.

What I like:

• Peggy Carter! I love absolutely everything about her because she is stunning in every way.
• Tommy Lee Jones as a commander being everything that I hoped he would be.
• “I can do this all day.” The start of Steveʼs story! Why was he picked? Because he is so caring, selfless, and courageous. Also, I love the chase after the Hydra agent right after Steve is injected with the serum. The little kid who says, “Go get him! I can swim!” is so stinking cute!
• Howard Stark. Until I rewatched this I didnʼt remember that he is in here, but I love his contributions!
• Bucky. Because, of course.

9. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

This movie movies around on this list the most. It makes me laugh so hard and for some reason the vibe is really my thing. This is the reason that I donʼt want a fourth Thor movie, just a third Guardians of the Galaxy featuring him!

What I like:

• Loki. Especially: “Get help!”, “Thatʼs how it feels!”, and the snake story.
• Bruce! I love seeing him so confused. That sounds cruel, but heʼs just so sweet and helpful that itʼs really adorable.
• The whole “revolution” guys. The joke with “Rock, paper, scissors.” is so subtle, but so good!
• The music. This soundtrack just brings up to a new level!
• Thor using lightening for the first time. BOOM. EPIC. 

8. Iron Man (2008)

The place where it all started! The story is such a strong one and a great introduction to Tony. I just reviewed it, so I donʼt have much else to say about it, but know that itʼs a favorite.

What I like:

• The guy in the cave, Ho Yinsen, who helps Tony.
• Happy, because Happy is always likable. 
• Pepper who is a BOSS. Brilliant!
• Just, so much of it, okay?

7. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Iʼve only seen this one once, but man, it left a strong impression on me! It was solid!

What I like:

• Cassie helping her dad! It's so cute, I can't handle it.
• Luis and the Ex-Con guys. What happened when given “truth serum” was hilarious and did not disappoint.
• Eva and the professor. Both people who were hurting and Eva especially was afraid, and just wanted to live.
• Hope showing how epic she is as being the Wasp! 

6. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Iʼve seen two Marvel movies in the theater. Endgame and this one. Iʼm very pleased that of all of them they were these two.

What I like:

• The best follow up to Endgame that there ever couldʼve been.
• The plot twist that I saw coming from a mile away yet was another plot twist that was so unexpected.
• Happy and Peter. Happy helping Peter and giving him pep talks was awesome.
• Peter struggling with so many things and just wanting to have a vacation like a normal teenager, but helping all the same.
• “Night monkey!”

5. Captain Marvel (2019)

When my sisters and I first saw Endgame, Captain Marvel was the most annoying person in the universe. We couldnʼt stand her. Sure, she helped, but seemed to be doing it grudgingly. Because of that we werenʼt sure that we wanted to see a movie all about her. WE WERE WRONG. IT WAS FANTASTIC. I love every single part of this movie. It was so inspirational, and fun, and had deep characters. A few days later we rewatched Endgame and loved her in it. It made so much sense!

What I like:

• The whole message of getting up after getting knocked down.
• Carol. Carol was just awesome in all ways.
• A young Nick Fury! He was really cool.
• Jude Law. Sure, heʼs the “baddie”, but he rocks being the “baddie”. 
• Monica and Maria! Love them!

4. Black Panther (2018)

When I first saw this movie my main thought was, “Eh, it was okay.” When I rewatched it this December it really hit me. Maybe the fact that Chadwick Boseman is no longer with us? Whatever it was I really loved this movie. The design is flawless and the incorporating of cultural elements is spectacular.

What I like:

• TʼChallaʼs struggles. I know, I always sound so heartless, but his journey of, “Being the king that he wants to be.” was incredible.
• Le aesthetic. Blending culture and technology seamlessly is a hard task, but they pulled it off.
• Killmonger. What a complicated character, but has such a strong background! 
• TʼChalla. Okoye. Nakia. Shuri. All of the characters are so defined!
• The music. Once again, magnificent in all ways!

Here we are entering the top three! 

3. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Is there a lot of fighting? Yes. Does it have a dastardly villain who is hatable in every way? Yes. But I loooooooooove it. Just donʼt ask me to pick a side because I honestly canʼt.

What I love:

• (Say it with me) HAWKEYE!!!!! Especially him taking care of Wanda, joking with Nat, and sticking with Cap through so much.
• Our first introduction to Spider-Man! Especially because he references STAR WARS.
• Capʼs wonderful loyalty to Bucky. Even when Bucky feels terrible he is there for him. In addition to that, Samʼs loyalty to Cap. Sam doesnʼt trust Bucky at all, but he believes in Cap.
• BLACK WIDOW. She really struggles with picking a side, and in the end goes back and forth. All of her motivations are so strong.
• TʼChalla. His whole revenge motive and stepping away from it is what really set his character.
• (Technically this is six) How it looked at the aftermath of Age of Ultron! That is so rare, but it discussed real issues!

2. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

This was one of the movies that got me into the MCU. Where else could I put it?

What I love:

• That. This. Movie. Is. So. Relatable. Peter Parker is one of the most relatable characters of all time.
• “If you canʼt do it without the suit, then you shouldnʼt have it.” How he just wants to help but makes so many mistakes. He struggles through it. #kindredspirit
• Peter and Tonyʼs relationship.
• The best villain and a plot twist that shocked me for days. Still does.
• How funny it is! Especially Ned and his obsession with being the “guy in the chair”.

1. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Nope, I canʼt even express how much I love this. One day I will write it up featuring a lot of squealing, but for now just know that it is one of my favorite movies of all time! Quickly saying one thing, though:  A TIME HEIST. THE BEST PLAN THAT THERE HAS EVER BEEN IN THE UNIVERSE.

There you have it! I am so exhausted from all this typing, yet I now want to see all of these movies again. Life in a fandom never ends.

Thanks to TQ and Miss Woodhouse for hosting this! Thanks to you guys for making it through this post. Please, tell me how you rank all of the movies! I want to see and talk about it with each one of you. Are you surprised by any of my picks? Does anyone else have a hard time picking a favorite power?

MovieCritic

Prizes for the Guess the Celebrity Drawing Game!

Hello!

Fiona and I are back to bring you some drawings today!

I had to include a gif from Julie and the Phantoms because Fiona and I just finished watching it and we are obsessed with it!

Back in December I hosted a game that I called Guess the Drawing of the Celebrity. It was where my younger sister Fiona and I had drawn pictures of celebrities and you had to guess who they were. I'm so glad that so many of you guessed! If you want to check it out you can find the original game HERE and the answers HERE.

Today is the time for the prize! Rachel, Livia Rose, and Skye all tied for first place with 7 correct guesses. Each of them got to choose an actor or actress for Fiona and me to try to draw!

We were still following the rules of the game, so we were supposed to do it in 6 minutes (which got stretched a little). You'll see our drawings followed by the reference picture that we used. We both used the same reference photo at the same time so you can really see the differences in our styles. We had loads of fun, so we hope that you like these pictures! Please tell us whose you like better for each of them!

This was first time that I had drawn in 2021, so it was a little rough. Looking at my drawings I this is what I do:

Then I tell myself:

When I look at Fiona's this is what I do:

I had so much fun! Both of us did! All right, that's enough of my messing around. Let's look at the drawings!

Skye's request:

Art by MC

Art by Fiona

.

Drawing time: 6 minutes

Skye picked Marta from Knives Out (2019), so we drew Anna de Armas. I think that my nose is better than Fiona's, but the rest of hers is really good. She only drew the nose with less than a minute of time left, so it is impressive considering that. Mine looks angry for some reason? I don't know if Anna de Armas ever looks angry, but she does in my drawing.

Livia Rose's request:

Art by MC

Art by Fiona

.

Drawing time: 12 minutes (6 for each person)

Livia asked us to draw the iconic duo of Nick and Nora Charles! I was so excited that I told Fiona right away. 

"Who's that?" she asked. 

I should've expected that because she has only seen one of The Thin Man movies and didn't like it, which is the opposite of me! I still have three of the films to see, but I have had so much fun watching the ones that I've seen. So, we found a picture of William Powell and Myrna Loy. Not going to lie, while Fiona's Myrna Loy is good I like mine better. Mine looks nothing like William Powell. I think that it looks like Clarke Gable. In fact, we had just finished drawing when my mom came it. I showed her mine and had her guess. Clarke Gable. Does that mean it's official?

Rachel's request:

Going into this one you need to know some of the discussion that happened prior to Fiona and I drawing it. I was up for the challenge, but Fiona didn't want to do this one. Why? Because she loves this person and didn't want to mess it up. We did this one last so that she could practice.

Fiona, when asked do draw this person said that she would rather:

Fiona: "Wait, I need a new piece of paper."

MC: "Why?"

Fiona: "Because if it's bad I'm going to burn it."

I told her that it wasn't going to be bad. She might've burned it if I hadn't smuggled the drawing away from her so she wasn't able to. Alright, are you ready to see?

Art by MC

Art by Fiona

.

I couldn't find the exact reference picture that we used, but this is really close!

Drawing time: 8+ minutes

Rachel picked Tom Holland! This one was longer than 6 minutes because Fiona just kept going. Mine was really bad and after the original 6 minutes I was able to straighten it out in 2 more minutes then stopped. Not Fiona. Even when I took the reference picture away from her she kept doing it so I don't have a really precise timeframe.

I really like how Fiona's turned out! I just laugh whenever I see mine.

That's a wrap from us!

Thank you to Rachel, Livia Rose, and Skye! Your picks were excellent and we hope that we did them justice. Thank you for reading! Tell us what you think of our efforts and let us know if you would want to see anything like this in the future! Have you drawn any of these people? How did it turn out?

MovieCritic