Hey everybody, this is just a schedule for things to come on this blog of mine. I have been watching the James Bond movies, and I thought it best to review some of them. However, since I don’t want to review 25 movies, I will just do the best and worst from each actor that has played James Bond. Here is the rough schedule:

Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever for Sean Connery

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service for George Lazenby

For Your Eyes Only and Moonraker for Roger Moore

Licence To Kill and The Living Daylights for Timothy Dalton

Goldeneye and Die Another Day for Pierce Brosnan

and Skyfall and SPECTRE for Daniel Craig.

These reviews will come out soon. Thanks for you patience.

Yeah, Yeah, I know. I’m coming in late for this one. But I can’t help it. Die Hard is awesome. Aside from being the best Bruce Willis performance ever, the breakout performance of Alan Rickman, and an all-around awesome action movie, it’s a Christmas movie. It isn’t just one of those movie that people call a Christmas movie because it’s set during Christmas. It actually has beats of a Christmas movie. But more on that later. Let’s get into the review now.

Die Hard is a 1988 Action Thriller film directed by John McTiernan and starring Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Reginald VelJohnson, Bonnie Bedelia, and Alexander Godunov as John McClane, Hans Gruber, Sgt. Al Powell, Holly McClane, and Karl Vreski respectively. Released on July 15th with a run time of 132 minutes, the movie has grossed a total of $141.5 million worldwide.

Plot!

On Christmas Eve, NYPD detective John McClane arrives in Los Angeles, intending to reconcile with his estranged wife, Holly, at the Christmas party of her employer, the Nakatomi Corporation. McClane is driven to the party by Argyle, a limousine driver. While McClane changes clothes, the party is disrupted by the arrival of a German terrorist, Hans Gruber, and his team: computer hacker Theo, Karl and Tony Vreski, Franco, Alexander, Marco, Kristoff, Eddie, Uli, Heinrich, Fritz, and James. The group seizes the tower and secures those inside as hostages except for McClane, who slips away, and Argyle, who gets stranded in the garage.

Gruber interrogates Nakatomi executive Joseph Takagi for the code to the building’s vault and reveals that he plans to steal $640 million in bearer bonds, with the terrorist act merely a distraction. Takagi refuses to cooperate and is killed. McClane secretly watches, but accidentally gives himself away and escapes. He sets off a fire alarm in an attempt to alert authorities, so Gruber sends Tony to investigate. McClane kills Tony, pocketing his weapon and radio, which he then uses to alert the LAPD. Sgt. Al Powell is sent to investigate. Gruber sends Heinrich and Marco to stop McClane, who kills them both. Powell arrives and is greeted by Eddie, posing as a security guard. Finding nothing unusual, Powell prepares to leave, but McClane drops Marco’s corpse onto his patrol car to gain his attention while Alexander strafes the car from the building with a machine gun. Powell summons the LAPD, who lay siege to the building. McClane steals Heinrich’s bag containing C-4 explosives and detonators.

James and Alexander use anti-tank missiles to disable a SWAT armored car before McClane drops C-4 attached to an office chair and computer down the elevator shaft, blowing up their floor and killing them. Holly’s coworker, Harry Ellis, attempts to mediate between Hans and McClane for the return of the detonators. McClane refuses, prompting Gruber to execute Ellis. While checking explosives attached to the roof, Gruber encounters McClane; Gruber masquerades as an escaped hostage. McClane offers him a gun and Gruber attempts to shoot McClane, but the gun is empty. Karl, Franco, and Fritz arrive; McClane kills Fritz and Franco, but is forced to abandon the detonators.

FBI agents take command of the siege, ordering the building’s power shut off; this, as Gruber anticipated, disables the vault’s final lock. Gruber demands a helicopter on the rooftop for transport, but the FBI prepare to double-cross him by sending helicopter gunships. McClane discovers that Gruber intends to detonate the explosives on the roof, faking the deaths of his team so they can escape with the bearer bonds. While making final preparations, Gruber sees a news report by intrusive reporter Richard Thornburg that features McClane’s children and deduces from a desk photo that McClane is Holly’s husband. The criminals order the hostages to the roof, but Gruber takes Holly with him to use against McClane, who defeats Karl in a fight before heading up to the roof, killing Uli in the process. He sends the hostages downstairs as the FBI appear and shoot at McClane, believing him to be a terrorist. Gruber detonates the explosives, destroying the roof and the helicopter; McClane barely survives.

Theo retrieves their getaway vehicle, an ambulance, before Argyle hits the ambulance with the limo and knocks Theo unconscious. A weary McClane finds Holly with Gruber and his remaining men, Eddie and Kristoff. After knocking Kristoff unconscious, McClane confronts Gruber and is ordered to surrender his machine gun. McClane does this to spare Holly, but distracts Gruber and Eddie by laughing, allowing him to grab a concealed pistol taped to his back that contains two bullets. McClane wounds Gruber and kills Eddie with a shot to the forehead. Gruber crashes through a window but grabs onto Holly’s watch. Gruber raises a pistol in a last-ditch attempt to kill the pair, but McClane removes Holly’s watch and Gruber falls to his death.

Outside, McClane and Holly meet Powell. Karl emerges and attempts to shoot McClane, but is killed by Powell. Argyle crashes through the parking garage door in the limo to drive McClane and Holly home. Thornburg arrives and attempts to interview McClane, but Holly punches him before she and McClane leave the area with Argyle.

The Cast!

Bruce Willis is an American Actor(age 64) who does a phenomenal job in what can only be described as his best performance in movies ever. It’s not his skill, or his energy, it’s the fact that he feels so natural in this, like he does this in his spare time. That said, he is full of energy in this one, and is clearly giving it his all, unlike his current movies. His career includes: Die Hard 1-5, Unbreakable, Glass, Pulp Fiction, The Sixth Sense, The Fifth Element, Looper, and 12 Monkeys.

Alan Rickman was a British actor(died at age 69) who is awesome in this movie. The fact that this was his first ever film adds to his awesome power, and he gives such an energetic performance in this movie. He competes for the best part of this movie with Bruce Willis, but Bruce is better. Plus, hearing the guy I know as Professor Snape say the F-word is hilarious. His career includes: Die Hard, Harry Potter 1-8, Love Actually, Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland 1 & 2, Galaxy Quest, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.

Reginald VelJohnson is an American actor(age 67) who does an awesome job as Al Powell in this movie. He provide moral support to our protagonist, he has a sad backstory, and he is very funny. All in all, he is a quintesential side character, never stealing the spotlight, but always making us laugh. His career includes: Die Hard 1 & 2, Family Matters(TV), Ghostbusters, and Crocodile Dundee.

Bonnie Bedelia is an American actress(age 71) who is kind of wasted in this movie. Really. If you take her out of the movie, it doesn’t change too much. The ending just becomes Bruce Willis taking down Hans. She is only needed to have a reason to bring Willis’s character out to LA. But, nevertheless, she still is fun to watch, as she keeps faith in her husband while everyone else doesn’t. Her career includes: Die Hard 1 & 2, Needful Things, and Salem’s Lot.

Alexander Godunov was an American-Russian actor(died at age 45) who does an ok job of playing a secondary antagonist. His conflict with McClane is understandable, but his last-minute appearance felt tacked -on, and is my least favorite thing about the movie. It was clear the director wanted to give Al something to do. His career is basically just Die Hard.

The Best Scene!

It was really hard choosing a single best scene from this movie, because I think that the movie flows better as a combination of good scenes. But if I had to choose, I would choose the scene where Hans takes Takagi up to his office to get the safe codes. It has some very good quotes from Hans, well-build tension, and a little joke at the end. The tension comes from the fact that Hans is clearly going to shoot Takagi if he doesn’t give the codes up, but Takagi refuses. So Hans kills him. It’s topped off with a little joke, as we see that Karl and the hacker had a bet on whether or not Takagi would give up the codes.

Favorite Overall Thing

My favorite overall thing is easy. The acting choices of Bruce Willis. He just feels so natural in this role, like he’s playing himself. His dialogue with himself is one of the best parts of the movie, and I honestly can’t figure out why. The writers for this movie did a very good job figuring out his character, and Willis nails it here. A close second is the acting of Alan Rickman. He also feels very natural, even if he is playing the villain. The fact that this was his first movie at the age of 42, is just amazing.

Theme And Deeper Meaning!

The theme of this movie, in my humble opinion, is the importance of your loved ones, and not to take them for granted. It is clearly shown to the audience when John Mcclain bangs his head on the wall after fighting with his wife. Actually, Mcclain and his wife interacting with each other is very enjoyable. Also, it fits in well with the Christmas setting. However, there isn’t really a deeper meaning. Sorry. It’s a simple action movie.

The Bad Stuff.

I can only think of two bad things in this movie. Number one: There is no way an ambulance could fit in the back of the truck that carried in the bad guys. Number Two: while it’s an awesome stunt, the scene where Mcclain falls from vent to vent would have broken his fingers and sent him falling to his death. The main bad stuff starts with the sequels, which just get progressively worse and worse.

Wrapping Up.

Die Hard is one of my favorite movies of all time. It instantly made my top ten when I first saw it, and I still love it now. The action is great, the acting is phenomenal, the characters are excellent, and overall, just a very good movie. I highly recommend that you watch it and the first two sequels.

Final Score: 9/10.

So, I finally saw The Matrix. And I gotta admit, it was really awesome. My tiny mind was blown by the impressive visuals, Keanu Reeves’s kung fu skills, the amazing fight choreography, Hugo Weaving’s Agent Smith, and Lawrence Fishburn’s sexy, soothing voice during the talking scenes. It was phenomenal, and felt faster then it actually was. But anyways, I will talk about this stuff later. Let’s get to the base information.

The Matrix is a 1999 Sci-fi Action adventure film directed by The Wachowski brothers and starring Keanu Reeves, Lawrence Fishburn, Hugo Weaving, Carrie-Ann Moss, and Joe Pantoliano as Neo, Morpheus, Agent Smith, Trinity, and Cypher respectively. With a run time of 136 minutes, it was released on March 31st, 1999, and has grossed 465.3 million dollars.

Plot Time!

In an abandoned hotel, a woman (later revealed to be Trinity) is cornered by a police squad but quickly overpowers them with superhuman abilities. She flees, pursued by the police and a group of mysterious suited Agents capable of similar superhuman feats. She answers a ringing public telephone and vanishes.

Computer programmer Thomas Anderson, known in the hacking scene by his alias “Neo”, feels something is wrong with the world and is puzzled by repeated online encounters with the phrase “the Matrix.” Trinity contacts him and tells him a man named Morpheus has the answers he seeks. The Agents, led by Agent Smith, apprehend Neo and threaten him into helping them capture the “terrorist” Morpheus. Undeterred, Neo later meets Morpheus, who offers him a choice between two pills; red to show him the truth about the Matrix, and blue to return him to his former life. After Neo swallows the red pill, his reality disintegrates, and he awakens in a liquid-filled pod among countless others attached to an elaborate electrical system. He is retrieved and brought aboard Morpheus’ hovercraft.

As Neo recuperates from a lifetime of physical inactivity in the pod, Morpheus explains the truth. In the early 21st century, there was a war between humans and intelligent machines. When humans blocked the machines’ access to solar energy, the machines responded by harvesting the humans’ bioelectric power, keeping them pacified in the Matrix, a shared simulated reality modeled after the world as it was at the end of the 20th century. While the machines have taken over the world, the city of Zion still remains as the last refuge of free humans. Morpheus and his crew are a group of rebels who hack into the Matrix to “unplug” enslaved humans and recruit them; their understanding of the Matrix’s simulated nature enables them to bend its physical laws, granting them superhuman abilities. Morpheus warns Neo that death within the Matrix also kills the physical body, and that the Agents he met are powerful sentient computer programs that eliminate threats to the system, while machines called Sentinels search to destroy humans in the real world. Neo’s prowess during virtual combat training lends credibility to Morpheus’s belief that Neo is “the One”, an especially powerful human prophesied to free humanity and end the war.

The group enters the Matrix to visit the Oracle, the prophet who predicted the emergence of the One. She implies that Neo is not the One and warns that he will have to choose between Morpheus’s life and his own. The group is ambushed by Agents and tactical police, tipped by Cypher, a disgruntled crew member who seeks to betray Morpheus in exchange for a comfortable life in the Matrix. Morpheus allows himself to be captured so the rest of the crew can escape. Cypher exits the Matrix first and murders several crew members as they lie defenseless in the real world. Before he can kill Neo, Tank, a crewman whom he had only wounded, kills him.

In the Matrix, the Agents interrogate Morpheus to learn his access codes to the mainframe computer in Zion. Tank proposes killing Morpheus to prevent this, but Neo resolves to return to the Matrix to rescue Morpheus; Trinity insists she accompany him. While rescuing Morpheus, Neo gains confidence in his abilities, performing feats comparable to the Agents. Morpheus and Trinity exit the Matrix, but Smith ambushes and kills Neo before he can leave. As a group of Sentinels attack the Nebuchadnezzar, Trinity whispers to Neo that he cannot be dead, because she loves him and the Oracle told her that she would fall in love with the One. She kisses Neo and he revives with newfound power to perceive and control the Matrix. He effortlessly defeats Smith, and leaves the Matrix just in time for the ship’s electromagnetic pulse to disable the Sentinels.

Later, Neo makes a telephone call inside the Matrix, promising the machines that he will show their prisoners “a world where anything is possible”. He hangs up and flies into the sky.

Actors!

Keanu Reeves is a Canadian actor (age 55) who plays Neo in this film, and I think he does a terrific job. Some of his line deliveries are a bit clunky, but overall, he does a good job embodying the everyday man swept up into a crazy situation. He also had to learn kung-fu for this film, along with Lawrence Fishburn and Hugo Weaving. His career includes: The Matrix 1-3, John Wick 1-3, Speed, Toy Story 4, Point Break, Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and Constantine.

Lawrence Fishburn is an American actor(age 58) who does a fantastic job enthralling me with his silky voice. He plays Morpheus, and does a good job in the mentor role for Neo, and an amazing job soothing me with his sexy vocal chords. His career includes: The Matrix 1-3, John Wick 2 and 3, Apocalypse Now, Man Of Steel, Event Horizon, and Ant-Man And The Wasp.

Hugo Weaving is an English-Australian actor(age 59) who does an excellent job as Agent Smith, the unstoppable killing machine sent to kill Neo and the team. He is suitably scary and machine-like, but the scene were he talks about the stench of the Matrix(the place) is one of the best parts of the movie. His career includes: The Matrix 1-3, The Lords Of The Rings 1-3, The Hobbit, Captain America: The First Avenger, V For Vendetta, Hacksaw Ridge, Happy Feet, and Babe.

Carrie-Ann Moss is a Canadian Actress(age 52) who does a fine job as Trinity, the second-in-command and love interest of Neo. She delivers a preformance that is ok compared to everyone else’s, but that’s not to say she did bad. Her career includes: The Matrix 1-3, Memento, and Jessica Jones(TV).

Joe Pantoliano is an American Actor(age 68) who delivers the most underrated performance in the movie. As Cypher, the guy who betrays the team, he delivers a good motive for it: He wants ignorance, and hates how messed up the world is. For him, The Matrix(the place) is an escape. He isn’t evil, he’s just human. His career includes: The Matrix, The Goonies, Memento, The Fugitive, Risky Business, Bad Boys 1 and 2, and The Sopranos(TV).

Now, For the new and improved version of the best scene!

There are a lot of good contenders for best scene in this film. Now, there’s the obvious ones’ like the bullet dodging scene, or the red pill/blue pill scene, and some underrated ones, like the fight between Neo and Agent Smith that ends with Neo gaining powers and stopping bullets, or Agent Smith’s monologue about the stench of the Matrix(the place). But for me, the best scene was the training-room kung-fu fight between Neo and Morpheus. It starts with one of my favorite quotes ever(Neo: I know kung-fu. Morpheus: Show me) and progresses into a fight scene so well choreographed that it reminded me of the Marvel movies. The fact that both of those actors know kung-fu in real life makes it even better.

Now for a new category: my favorite overall thing about this movie!

There are a lot of good things about this movie. The good acting, Lawrence Fishburn, Hugo Weaving, the core concept(more on that later), and a host of other stuff. But my favorite thing was the impressive CGI, and the amazing cinematography. The CGI wad revolutionary a the time, and still holds up well today. But the cinematography is phenomenal. The cinematographer, Bill Pope, really knows how to make beautiful, artistic shots. The shot of the building exploding behind Trinity as she is rescued by Neo is stunning, and the shot of Neo looking at the incubation pods when he awakens is similarly awesome. Even when it comes to lighting a scene, Pope does it well. He is the man responsibly for giving the Matrix(the place) its distinctive green tint.

Another new section: The theme and deeper meaning behind the movie!

The Theme is pretty obvious. I think it’s finding one’s self and never giving up. Pretty motivational for a dark, depressing movie with a horrifying deeper meaning behind it.

The Deeper Meaning Ties into the core concept very well. The idea that all humans are living inside a simulation is crazy-scary. And it’s throwaway line to Deja-Vu being a glitch in the Matrix(the place) spawned a scary theory: What if the real humans(us) are living in a simulation? It makes some sense. Everyone has experienced Deja-Vu at some point. Everyone has experienced some weird, un-explainable thing in their life, small or big. And the concept of the Agents being Men In Black is kinda scary. It also gives a good message on what could happen if machines became self-aware. But Terminator already did that.

Another Brand-new section: The bad stuff.

Not much is wrong with the first Matrix. Keanu Reeves delivers some lines badly, and he isn’t the greatest actor, but he’s still fun to watch. Or maybe the underused of Agent Smith compared to the other movies. But therein lies the problem. The next two movie suck. The Matrix(the movie) is a simple action movie, with good CGI. The next two try to expand on the deeper meaning of the first and had absolutely horrific CGI. and both were made within the last twenty years!

Well, wrapping up.

Overall, The Matrix(the movie) is very enjoyable. It has good acting, good characters, good writing, good CGI, well-choreographed fight scenes, and stunning visuals. I recommend that you watch this movie as soon as possible, and ignore the fact that the two sequels exist.

Final Score: 8/10

So, school has been putting stress on me, and this blog is adding more stress to it. So, as of today, I am shutting down the video game reviews on this blog.

The upcoming Dead Space review and COD Zombies review will no longer be happening, and I will be focusing exclusively on movies.

The surprise on October 27th will still be happening, seeing as how it’s a movie.

There will now be 2-4 movies per month, and I will continue themed months.

Please understand the change, take it well, and I will see you next time!

It really is. Beetlejuice is the king of Tim Burton movies, and is one of the most influential comedies of the 80s. But, this movie is definitely not for the faint of heart. It is a movie about a perverted ghost, after all. Let’s jump in, shall we?

Beetlejuice is an American Comedy/Horror movie released in 1988 and directed by Tim Burton. Starring Micheal Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffery Jones, and Winona Ryder, it grossed $74.2 million and was the movie that put Tim Burton on the map, and Micheal Keaton too.

Plot Time, Boys!

Barbara and Adam Maitland decide to spend their vacation decorating their idyllic Connecticut country home. Relative Jane Butterfield, a pushy real estate agent, hounds them with purchase offers that she solicits against their will. As the two are driving home from a trip to town, Barbara swerves to avoid a dog and the car plunges into a river.

After they return home, Adam decides to retrace their steps as they cannot recall how they got home. Upon stepping outside, he is taken to a desert world with monstrous sandworms before being pulled back in by Barbara. Even though he had been gone for less than a minute, Barbara claims he had been gone for two hours. She and Adam notice that they now lack reflections and they discover a Handbook for the Recently Deceased and realize they did not survive the crash.

Jane immediately sells the house to the Deetz family, from New York City. Charles Deetz is a former real estate developer; his wife Delia, a sculptor; and his thirteen year old goth daughter Lydia, from his first marriage, is an aspiring photographer. Under the guidance of interior designer Otho, Delia begins to transform the house into a posh modern art piece. Consulting the Handbook, the Maitlands travel to a netherworld waiting room populated by other distressed souls, where they discover that the afterlife is structured according to a complex bureaucracy involving vouchers and the usual overworked caseworkers. The Maitlands’ own caseworker, Juno, informs them that they must remain in the house for 125 years. If they want the Deetzes out of the house, it is up to them to scare them away. Barbara’s and Adam’s attempts at scaring the family prove counterproductive, despite their ability to shape-shift into monsters, as nobody can see or hear them.

While the Maitlands are away seeing Juno, Lydia discovers the handbook and reads it. Although Adam and Barbara remain invisible to Charles and Delia, Lydia can see the ghost couple and befriends them. Against Juno’s advice, the Maitlands contact the miscreant Beetlejuice, Juno’s former assistant and now freelance “bio-exorcist” ghost, to scare away the Deetzes. However, Beetlejuice quickly offends the Maitlands with his crude and morbid demeanor; and they reconsider hiring him, though too late to stop him from wreaking havoc during a small dinner party, when the Deetzes have invited Delia’s agent, Bernard, along with Otho and other friends. However, the living are only intrigued by the turn of events.

The small town’s charm and the supernatural events inspire Charles to pitch his boss Maxie Dean on transforming the town into a tourist hot spot, but Maxie wants proof of the ghosts. Using the Handbook for the Recently Deceased, Otho conducts what he thinks is a séance and summons Adam and Barbara, but they begin to decay, as Otho had unwittingly performed an exorcism instead. Horrified, Lydia begrudgingly summons Beetlejuice for help; but he agrees to help her only on the condition that she marry him, enabling him to freely cause chaos in the mortal world. Beetlejuice saves the Maitlands and disposes of Maxie, his wife, and Otho, then prepares a wedding before a ghastly minister. The Maitlands intervene before the ceremony is completed, with Barbara riding a sandworm through the house to devour Beetlejuice.

Finally, the Deetzes and Maitlands agree to live in harmony within the house. Adam, Barbara and Lydia are seen in a remodeled part of the house dancing to Harry Belafonte’s “Jump in the Line” (with Lydia floating in the air) to celebrate Lydia getting an “A” on her math test. Meanwhile, Beetlejuice is stuck in the afterlife waiting room; there, he attempts to cut in front of a witch doctor, who shrinks his head in retaliation.

Best Scene, Here I come!

I believe the best scene is where the Maitlands meet Beetlejuice. The teleportation effect is quite cool, and Beetlejuice’s following interaction with them is cool. It showcases his core personality traits(perverted, eccentric, crazy, quick to anger) and it is fun to watch Micheal Keaton act like this. The scene where he does the “Scariest Face” is still creepy, but leaves enough to the imagination to still be creepier.

The Cast, Yay.

Micheal Keaton(Beetlejuice) is an American actor(age 68) who is hilarious to watch in this movie. He overacts at a Jim Carry level, and it’s a joy to watch. He perfectly captures the role of Beetlejuice, and hopefully will reprise his role in Beetlejuice Two. His career includes: Batman, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spotlight, The Founder, and Batman Returns.

Alec Baldwin(Adam Maitland) is an American actor(age 61) who does a fine job stacked against Micheal Keaton. His chemistry with Geena Davis is quite apparent, and he does an overall good job with what he was given. His career includes: It’s Complicated, The Hunt For Red October, The Boss Baby, A Star Is Born(2018), The Departed, and The Cat In The Hat.

Winona Ryder(Lydia Deetz) is an American actress(age 47) who does a very good job in this movie. She is also pretty fun to watch, and her obvious distaste for Beetlejuice is still pretty fun to watch. She’s just great. Her career includes: Stranger Things, Friends, Edward Scissorhands, Heathers, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Black Swan.

Now, What Actual Critics Think! I’m Not An Actual Critic So I Don’t Do This For A Living!

Rotten Tomatoes: 84%

IMDB: 7.5/10

Metacritic: 70%

Outro Time!

Oh man, Beetlejuice is a fun movie. I highly recommend that you go and watch it. It is a good Halloween film, but not too scary. It’s the film that launched Tim Burton’s career(and Micheal Keaton’s), it’s one of the most influential films of the 80s, and it’s fun overall, I give you…..

Beetlejuice.

Sorry I posted the last two late, I’ve been busy. Here is the Spooky Season’s Itinerary!

October 6th: Beetlejuice(movie)

October 13th: Dead Space(video game)

October 20th: Call Of Duty Zombies(collection of video games)

October 27th: It’s a surprise!

Thank you all for the support, and I will see you on October 6th!

Disclaimer: Rocketman is an R rated film. Teenagecritic.net does not condone the use of anything in the film except for being like Elton John. Support the film by watching it. It’s great.

I have discovered what makes musicals bad/annoying. That is the fact that the music is terrible or annoying(cough cough Sound Of Music cough cough). Rocketman fixes this, due to the fact that Elton John is the greatest person ever and his songs are actually good. I cannot stress how good all the actors did in this role, but I will elaborate more later. For now, let’s get into it!

Rocketman is a 2019 Musical directed by Dexter Fletcher and starring Taron Edgerton, Jamie Bell, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Richard Madden. It has grossed $96 Million as of September 24, 2019, and has a run time of two hours, one minute. The film follows Elton John’s life, from a child to an adult. Now, here’s the summary!(note: all songs mentioned in the summary are sequences in the movie. I will go more in-depth after this.)

Dressed in a flamboyant devil’s outfit, Elton John enters an addiction rehabilitation session, and recounts his life in a flashback (The Bitch Is Back).

Young Reginald Dwight grows up in 1950s Britain, raised by his cold, unaffectionate mother, Sheila, and more loving grandmother Ivy. Reginald is interested in music and hopes to perform for his father, Stanley, who takes no interest in his son nor his talent (I Want Love).

Reginald begins piano lessons, eventually making his way into the Royal Academy of Music. Stanley abandons his family after Sheila has an affair with another man. Reginald develops interest in rock music, and begins performing in local pubs (Saturday Night’s Alright). As an adult, Reginald joins the band Bluesology, which is hired to play backup for a touring American soul band. One of its singers recommends that Reginald write some songs and put his old life behind him if he wants to become a famous artist. This inspires Reginald to change his name to Elton John.

Elton begins writing music and tries to find success with Dick James’ record label DJM Records under the management of Ray Williams. Williams introduces Elton to lyricist Bernie Taupin and they quickly form a friendship (Border Song) and they move into a flat together to work on their songs. When Elton admits that he is homosexual, he ends his romantic relationship with their landlady and he and Bernie are evicted from their flat.

Elton and Bernie continue writing and create “Your Song.” James sets up a performance for them at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. Elton is nervous before his Troubadour debut, but the audience eagerly embraces his performance (Crocodile Rock). Elton is overjoyed by his success, but feels abandoned when Bernie leaves him at a party to spend time with a woman (Tiny Dancer). He is approached by John Reid, a music manager. They sleep together, and reunite later (Take Me to the Pilot).

Reid’s influence over Elton launches a downward spiral into a life of debauchery even as his career rises to new heights (Hercules/Don’t Go Breaking My Heart). Elton develops a flamboyant, over-the-top stage persona and becomes one of the most successful artists of the 1970s (Honky Cat). Reid’s manipulation increases into outright abuse after becoming Elton’s manager. Reid insists that Elton come out to his parents as gay, so Elton reconnects with his father, who still displays no interest in him. Unhappy and hurt, Elton calls his mother and tells her he is gay. She informs him that she already knew, but tells Elton he will be forever unloved. Struggling with parental issues as well as Reid’s increasing physical and emotional abuse, Elton becomes addicted to alcohol, cocaine, cannabis, shopping, and sex.

Elton consumes large amounts of drugs and alcohol to escape his pain and loneliness, but his mood swings and short temper alienate the friends who do care for him (Pinball Wizard). He catches Reid cheating on him with another man and breaks off their relationship. During a party, Elton binges on drugs and alcohol and attempts suicide by jumping into his pool. He is rushed to the hospital, then thrust onstage at Dodger Stadium to perform (Rocket Man).

Elton descends further into a life of drugs, alcohol, and loneliness (Bennie and the Jets). He has a short-lived marriage with a close female friend, Renate, but his homosexuality dooms this relationship (Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me). He falls out with his mother and Bernie (Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word). Elton’s dependence on prescription pills and alcohol result in a heart attack. Realizing that his life is out of control, Elton seeks help (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road). He enters rehabilitation and realizes he no longer needs support and approval from his parents or Reid. Elton rekindles his friendship with Bernie, who brings him new lyrics to try and help him back in action. At first, Elton is worried that he cannot perform or compose without alcohol or drugs as a crutch, but he writes “I’m Still Standing” and returns to a successful career.

The film’s epilogue informs viewers that Elton has been sober for over 28 years. He remains good friends with Bernie, and is now married to David Furnish, with whom he has two children, and is finally loved properly.

Now, The song scenes!(in order of appearance)

The Bitch Is Back(released in 1974 on the album Caribou): As Elton John reflects on his childhood, Reginald Dwight(young Elton) appears and takes the audience to his childhood.

I Want Love(released in 2001 on the album Songs From The West Coast) : Reginald Dwight reflects on his family slowly growing apart, and he and his family sing this song.

Saturday Night’s Alright(released in 1973 on the album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road): Reginald Dwight preforms this song in a bar, but changes into Elton John halfway through.

Border Song(released in 1970 on the album Elton John): Elton meets Bernie Taupin, and the two bond and take their music to DJM studios.

Your Song(released in 1970 on the album Elton John): Elton adds a tune to lyrics written by Bernie, and creates Your Song.

Crocodile Rock(released in 1973 on the album Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Only The Piano Player): Elton preforms this song at the Troubadour music club, and everybody loves it. He then goes to a party.

Tiny Dancer(released in 1971 on the album Madman Across The Water): Bernie leaves Elton alone to be with a girl, and Elton sings this song to himself while walking through the crowd.

Take Me To The Pilot(released in 1970 on the album Elton John): Elton and John Reid sleep together after meeting.

Hercules(released on the 1972 album Honky Chateau): This song plays over a montage of Elton’s career going big.

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart(released on the 1976 album of the same name): Elton and Kike Dee are recording the song before John Reid interrupts them.

Honky Cat(released on the 1972 album Honky Chateau): Elton and John Reid have a duet while Elton spends his money on a year-long shopping spree.

Pinball Wizard(created for the 1975 movie Tommy): Elton embarks on the highest-grossing musical tour in the world. He also makes Bernie mad at him.

Rocketman(released on the 1972 album Honky Chateau): Elton attempts suicide at a party, but fails and is hospitalized. Two days later, he preforms a concert at Dodger Stadium.

Bennie And The Jets(first made at a 1976 concert, and later released on the 2000 album Elton John: Greatest Hits): Elton drunkenly preforms this song at a concert, and later goes to a gay orgy. He did the bad bad.

Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me(released in 1974 on the album Caribou): As Elton sings this song in a recording studio, close friend Renate joins in. They end up marrying, but Elton being gay ends the marriage.

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word(released on the 1976 album Blue Moves): Elton Sings this song while going to meet with Bernie at a restaurant.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road(released in 1973 on the album of the same name): Elton and Bernie have a fight. Elton has a heart attack due to drugs, and decides to go to rehab right before a concert.

I’m Still Standing(released in 1983 on the album Too Low For Zero): Elton records a new song, and as Elton walks out of rehab, The movie shows Elton in his “I’m Still Standing” music video.

Now, the best scene!

The Best Scene in Rocketman is easily the “Saturday Nights” scene. “Crocodile Rock” was good, but Saturday Nights perfectly captured the energy and enthusiasm in Elton John’s songs. The overhead shot of everybody dancing at the carnival is a stunning piece of work, and the vocals of Taron Edgerton really make a difference here. It has everything. Bright colors, loud music, and is a good redo of a great song.

Now, for the cast!

Taron Edgerton(Elton John)is a Welsh actor(age 29) who blows my mind in this movie. While Rami Malak from Bohemian Rhapsody won best actor, he lip-synced. Taron didn’t. He and Elton John recorded new versions of the songs used on the soundtrack, and Taron pours his voice into it. His acting is also on point, conveying a wide range of emotions in one scene. He should win Best Actor this year. His career includes: Kingsman: The Secret Service, Sing, Robin Hood, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Eddie The Eagle, and The Billionaire Boys Club.

Richard Madden(John Reid)is a Scottish actor(age 33) who does a very good job making me hate his guts. In fact, he vies for the spot of most hated character in this movie. He isn’t a bad person in real life, but his character sucks in this movie. He downright smacks Elton at one point, and it makes me sad. His career includes: Game Of Thrones Seasons 1-3, and that’s about it.

Jamie Bell(Bernie Taupin) is an English actor(age 33) who does a fine job of playing Elton’s oldest friend. His performance of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” is quite enjoyable, and his role in the movie is quite understated. His Career includes: Billy Eliot, Fan4stic, and Snowpiercer.

Actual Critic Reviews:

Rotten Tomatoes: 89%

IMDB: 7.4/10

Metacritic: 75%

Outro Time!

Rocketman is phenomenal. I really can’t do it justice here. You have to go watch it. Also, i’m sorry i missed the due date for this one. I won’t next time. Anyway, watch it yourself, and goodbye!

When I think of Black Ops II, I think of the word ‘Creative’. The first Call Of Duty game to have a non-linear story line, an actually balanced multiplayer, and a great zombies mode, this COD blew people away, and was the highest-grossing video game ever until GTA V came out.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is a 2012 First Person Shooter game developed by Treyarch and released by Activision. Set in the 1980’s and 2025, the Plot follows Alex Mason after the events of Black Ops I, and his son, David, taking down Raul Menendez in 2025. It grossed $800 million, and has sold 29.01 copies as of September of 2019.

Let’s get ready for the Plot!

In 1986, Alex Mason, now retired from active duty, pursues an obscure existence in Alaska with his son, seven-year-old David. Their shaky relationship is further strained when Mason is approached by Jason Hudson for an assignment in Cuando Cubango during the height of the Angolan Civil and South African Border Wars. Frank Woods and his team have disappeared aiding  Jonas Savimbi’s UNITA rebels against Angola’s Marxist government; their actions have already been disavowed by the CIA, but Hudson hopes to rescue any survivors. Mason and Hudson recover Woods from the Kavango River, subsequently locating Raul Menendez among a contingent of Cuban military advisers. As a lengthy firefight breaks out, the trio are rescued by Savimbi. It is revealed that Menendez is responsible for holding Woods captive after murdering his team.

In light of this, Mason, Woods, and Hudson begin tracking Menendez, an established primary arms dealer for bush conflicts in Southern Africa and Latin America. The CIA later authorize a strike against the unscrupulous Nicaraguan, now making a healthy profit running arms across Soviet-occupied Afghanistan. The trio and Chinese operative Tian Zhao ally with the Afghan Mujahideen against the Soviets. They locate Lev Kravchenko, who survived the grenade explosion with Woods in Vietnam, and interrogate him into disclosing that Menendez has moles inside the CIA. The Mujahideen then betray the Americans and Zhao, leaving them to die in the Afghan wilderness until their rescue by two unidentified civilians.

The origins of Menendez’s anti-American sentiment is revealed at this point. His sister Josefina was disfigured in a fire as part of an insurance fraud masterminded by an American businessman. The CIA sanctions the assassination of Menendez’s father after uncovering his ties to South American drug trade. Mason, Woods, Hudson, and Panamanian security forces led by President Manuel Noriega raid Menendez’s compound in Nicaragua; during the chaos, Woods inadvertently kills Josefina with a grenade. Conspiring with Noriega to fake his demise, Menendez crosses paths with Mason and Woods again during the American invasion of Panama. Utilizing moles within the CIA, Menendez captures Hudson and David, and has Hudson manipulate Woods into shooting Mason before crippling Woods. He then executes Hudson, promising to return and complete his revenge at a later date.

In 2025, Menendez reemerges as the charismatic leader of Cordis Die, a militant populist movement. His organization stages a cyberattack that cripples the Chinese stock exchanges, forcing their government to leverage its economic influence and sparking a second Cold War between NATO and the Chinese-led Strategic Defense Coalition headed by Zhao. David, now a Navy SEAL code-named Section, spearheads an effort by American Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to track down Menendez. They fail to apprehend him, but learn that Menendez is planning a second cyberattack with global repercussions, dependent on a quantum supercomputer engineered by rogue developer Chloe Lynch. Section and two other SEALs, Harper and Salazar, either rescue Lynch by killing Menendez’s second-in-command, DeFalco, or he escapes. The “Strike Force” mission “Second Chance” must be completed to rescue Lynch if the latter occurs.

JSOC finally capture Menendez in Yemen with the assistance of undercover CIA agent, Farid. However, prior to being apprehended, Menendez orders Farid to kill a captured Harper. Farid will be executed by Menendez if he refuses. American forces take Menendez aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Barack Obama, commanded by Admiral Briggs; however, Menendez escapes with the aid of a mole inside JSOC: Salazar. How Salazar’s betrayal pans out is determinant on the fates of Lynch, Farid, and DeFalco. Menendez hacks into the U.S. military satellite to seize control of their entire drone fleet. Whether the Americans regain control is determined on whether the Strike Force missions were completed and whether Briggs remains alive to activate the ship’s defenses.

Regardless, Menendez uses the drones to attack Los Angeles during a meeting of G-20 leaders, hoping to kill them and foment widespread economic and civil chaos. With the drones also targeting several other strategic cities across the U.S. and China, Section escorts the President of the United States, who appears to be Hillary Clinton, to safety in a Cougar HE. Menendez is tracked to Haiti, where he reveals that the reason that he took control of the drones to destroy all of them. He tells his followers to rise up and strike, before destroying the base and attempting to escape. However, Section catches up to him, and Section must either execute or apprehend him.

Now, I’m going to go over the multiplayer and zombies modes.

The Multiplayer is fairly balanced, with no overpowered weapons standing out from the rest (although the AN-94 and M8A1 stand out a bit), and no stupidly overpowered attachments/killstreaks standing out either. The map selection is great, with Hijacked, Raid, Plaza, Slums, and Carrier being fan favorites. The community was not toxic, and it is widely regarded as the most balanced (and best) COD multiplayer.

The Zombies is a bit harder to praise. It is split 50/50, with three amazing maps and three terrible maps. Mob Of The Dead, Origins, and Buried are the good ones, while Tranzit, Die Rise, and Nuketown Zombies are the bad ones (although Nuketown wasn’t bad, just unnecessary). I have to give praise where it’s due, and criticize as well. I will go more in-depth during my COD zombies review in October.

Here’s the Cast.

Sam Worthington(Alex Mason) is an Australian actor(age 43) who does a good job of making me nostalgic for BO1. While he plays it low-key in this game, he does a fair job. His career includes: Avatar, Hacksaw Ridge, Clash Of The Titans, and Call of Duty: Black Ops I.

Micheal Keaton(Jason Hudson) is an American actor(age 68) who does an amazing job of making me hate him in the campaign. He replaced Ed Harris from the first game, but he’s lit here. His career includes: Batman(1989), Beetlejuice, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Batman Returns, The Founder, Birdman(Or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance), Jackie Brown, and Toy Story 3.

Micheal Rooker(Harper) is an American actor(age 64) who does a decent job as a military man in this game, though I prefer him in zombies from Black Ops One. I don’t have much to say about the cast of this book, so he is the last cast member I look at. His career includes: Guardians of The Galaxy Vol 1 and 2, The Walking Dead, Brightburn, Days of Thunder, and The Belko Experiment.

The actual Critic reviews:

Metacritic: 83%

Alright, I can’t talk a lot about this game further without spoiling it(and I want you to go see the movies I cover here and play the games I cover here), and I will go more in-depth in my COD zombies reviews, but this is a good game. It is available for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, and it is quite a good game. Until next time!

Terminator 2: Judgement Day is an R-rated film. Teenagecritic.net does not condone the use of anything seen in the movie, and you should be accompanied by an adult when seeing this movie.

Terminator 2(or T2, as I will be calling it) is a great film, and a stellar action movie. It has all the cliches, plus a great story and good characters. It is a fun film to sit through, and has one of my favorite actors ever, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER. Now, let’s get to it.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day is an action-adventure/sci-fi movie released in 1991 and directed by James Cameron. It stars ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER as The T-800, Edward Furlong as John Conner, Robert Patrick as The T-1000, Linda Hamilton as Sarah Conner, Joe Morton as Miles Bennett Dyson, and Earl Boen as Dr. Silberman. It grossed $523.7 million, and is the 2nd film in the Terminator franchise.(Chronologically, I don’t care. there are only 3 movies.)

Here Comes The Plot, boys

n 1995, John Connor is living in Los Angeles with foster parents. His mother Sarah Connor had been preparing him throughout his childhood for his future role as the Human Resistance leader against Skynet – the artificial intelligence that will be given control of the United States’ nuclear missiles and initiate a nuclear holocaust called “Judgment Day” on August 29, 1997 – but was arrested and imprisoned at a mental hospital after attempting to bomb a computer factory. In 2029, Skynet sends a new Terminator, designated as T-1000, back in time to kill John. The T-1000 is an advanced prototype made out of liquid metal (referred to as “mimetic polyalloy”) that gives it the ability to take on the shape and appearance of almost anything it touches, and to transform its arms into blades and other shapes at will, but it can’t form any complex machines like guns or vehicles. The T-1000 arrives under a freeway, kills a policeman, and assumes his identity. Meanwhile, the future John Connor has sent back a reprogrammed T-800 (Model 101) Terminator to protect his young self.

The Terminator and the T-1000 converge on John in a shopping mall, and a chase ensues after which John and the Terminator escape together on a motorcycle. Fearing that the T-1000 will kill Sarah in order to get to him, John orders the Terminator to help free her, after discovering that the Terminator must follow his orders. They encounter Sarah as she is escaping from the hospital, although she is initially reluctant to trust the T-800. After the trio escapes from the T-1000 in a police car, the Terminator informs John and Sarah about Skynet’s history. Sarah learns that the man most directly responsible for Skynet’s creation is Miles Bennett Dyson, a Cyberdyne Systems engineer working on a revolutionary new neural net processor that will form the basis for Skynet.

Sarah gathers weapons from an old friend and plans to flee with John to Mexico, but after having a nightmare about Judgment Day, she instead sets out to kill Dyson in order to prevent Judgment Day from occurring. Finding him at his home, she wounds him but finds herself unable to kill him in front of his family. John and the Terminator arrive and inform Dyson of the future consequences of his work. They learn that much of his research has been reverse-engineered from the damaged CPU and the right arm of the previous Terminator who attacked Sarah back in 1984. Convincing him that these items and his designs must be destroyed, they break into the Cyberdyne building, retrieve the CPU and the arm, and set explosives to destroy Dyson’s lab. The police arrive and Dyson is fatally shot, but he rigs an improvised dead man’s switch that detonates the explosives when he dies. The T-1000 relentlessly pursues the surviving trio, eventually cornering them in a steel mill.. The T-1000 is frozen with liquid nitrogen and shattered, but manages to reform itself.The T-1000 and the T-800 engage in physical combat and the more advanced model seriously damages and shuts down the T-800. However, unbeknownst to the T-1000, the T-800 brings itself back online using emergency power. The T-1000 nearly kills John and Sarah but the T-800 takes it by surprise and blasts it into a vat of molten steel with a Grenade Launcher, destroying it. John tosses the arm and CPU of the original Terminator into the vat as well. As Sarah expresses relief that the ordeal is over, the Terminator explains that to ensure that it is not used for reverse engineering it must also be destroyed. It asks Sarah to assist in lowering it into the vat of molten steel, since it is unable to “self-terminate”. Although John begs and eventually orders the Terminator to reconsider, it makes the decision to disobey him, bids them farewell and hugs a tearful John before it is lowered into the vat, giving a final thumbs-up as it disappears into the molten steel. John and Sarah drive down a highway into the great unknown.

The Best Scene of T2 has a lot of contenders, but I would have to say a tie between the T-800’s introduction scene at the bar, and the chase scene between the T-1000 and John Conner. The bar scene shows how awesome and cool ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER is, even without killing anyone(which is a shame because bad guy ARNOLD was the best part of the first one). The chase scene shows how relentless the T-1000 is, even continuing the chase when the T-800 shows up. Robert Patrick does a phenomenal job.

You Ready For The Cast? Yeah, Me Neither.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER is an Austrian actor(age 72) and former governor of California. He is an imposing presence in his films, both figuratively and literally. His accent sounds like heaven, and he is easily the best part of whatever film he is in. He does a great job as the T-800, but I prefer him as the bad guy. His career includes: Conan The Barbarian, Commando, Terminator, Predator, Total Recall, The Running Man, Twins, True Lies, Kindergarten Cop, and The Last Action Hero.

Robert Patrick is an American actor(age 60) who does a terrific job of making my terrified of him throughout the entire film. He put in insane effort into tiny details of the movie(when firing a gun, he doesn’t blink. Nor does he blink in the movie.), and they do indeed pay off. His showdown with ARNOLD is quite fun to watch. His career includes: The X-Files, Walk The Line, The Sopranos, Bridge to Teribithia, Wayne’s World, and Spy Kids.

Edward Furlong is an American actor(age 42)and is the worst part of this movie. He doesn’t do a bad job, exactly, but he is just so annoying that I don’t want him to be saved. If he was less winy, he would be fine. His career includes: American History X, Pet Semetary Two, and Detroit Rock City.

Linda Hamilton is an American actress (age 62) who is quite good in this role. Her transformation from waitress in the last film to Commando/survivalist in this film is awesome. Her voice-overs in the film are quite bland, so that’s a downside. Her career includes: Terminator, Dante’s Peak, and The Children Of The Corn(1984)

How’s About That Crew, Huh?

James Cameron is a Canadian director(age 65) who held the record of highest-grossing movie for 10 years. He is brilliant in this movie, turning a sequel of an OK 80’s movie into a work of art. He spared no expense with this movie, and filmed it for so long that actors visibly age between shots. His career includes: Titanic, Avatar, Aliens, Terminator, The Abyss, True Lies, and Rambo: First Blood Part II

Brad Fiedel is an American composer(age 68) who composed the famous Terminator theme. That’s all I could find on him. His career includes: Terminator, Gladiator, and that’s it.

Critic Reviews

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

IMDB: 8.5/10

Metacritic: 75%

Terminator Two is quite a good movie. With ARNOLD’S biceps taking up half the screen all the time, it’s hard to see. Otherwise, it’s a really fun movie, and a good watch overall.

“You of all people should know…There’s plenty wrong with me.”-Mark Hamill as The Joker

Arkham City is revolutionary. It helped push open world games to new heights(along with GTA: San Andreas and Skyrim), created the open world movement system that would be used for Spider-Man, and is also the best Batman game ever.

Now, I wanna make something clear. I am not “The Batman Guy”. I will cover other topics that aren’t Batman. I just really like this game, and most Batman movies. We will do more Batman eventually, but this will be the last Batman post for a while.

For Video Games, I will usually have a specific way of doing things. For this game, we will talk about the story, and the cast and crew, but other things will be different. For example, instead of the best scene, I will do the best Side Mission, along with the best Boss Battle. You will see more of this later. Now, let’s go!

Batman: Arkham City is a 2011 open-world/Action Adventure game developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by WB Games. It starred Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Tara Strong, Dee Bradley Baker, Grey DeLise, Nolan North, Troy Baker, Corey Burton, and Wally Wingert as Batman, Joker, Harley Quinn, Ra’s Al Ghul, Catwoman, Penguin, Two-Face, Hugo Strange, and Riddler, respectively. The game has sold 6.4 million copies worldwide, and is the second game of the Arkham series of games(Third chronologically). It is available on Xbox 360, PS3, PC, and the Wii U. A remastered version called “Return to Arkham City” is available on PS4 and Xbox One.

Here comes the General Summary! Yay. this takes me forever to type, because I can’t copy and paste, so please read all of it.

At a press conference held by Bruce Wayne to declare his opposition to Arkham City, an open-air prison taking up half of Gotham City, TYGER mercenaries arrest and imprison him in Arkham City. Professor Hugo Strange, warden of Arkham City, discloses his knowledge of Wayne’s dual identity as Batman before releasing him into the prison’s criminal populace. While Strange prepares to commence “Protocol 10”, Wayne obtains his equipment via airdrop from Alfred Pennyworth, allowing him to become Batman. He first saves Catwoman from being executed by Two-Face, who hopes to gain respect by murdering her. After Joker attempts to assassinate Catwoman, Batman tracks him to his hideout in the Sionis Steelmill, believing Joker may know the truth behind Protocol 10.

There, Batman learns that the unstable properties of the Titan formula from the last game are mutating in Joker’s blood, gradually killing him. Joker captures Batman and performs a blood transfusion on him, infecting him with the same fatal disease. Joker also reveals that Gotham hospitals have been poisoned with his infected blood. Desperate to save himself and innocent citizens, Batman seeks out Mr. Freeze, who had been developing a cure but has since been kidnapped by the Penguin. Tracking Penguin to the Cyrus Pinkney National History Institute, Batman defeats his forces, his imprisoned monster Solomon Grundy, and ultimately the Penguin himself, before liberating Mr. Freeze(This part of the game takes forever to complete).

Freeze tells Batman that he has created a cure, but it is rendered useless via instability. Batman deduces that the restorative properties of Ra’s al Ghul’s blood can complete the cure and tracks one of his assassins to his underground lair, leading Batman into a confrontation with Ra’s and his daughter Talia, Batman’s former lover. With Ra’s al Ghul’s blood, Freeze is able to develop an antidote, but it is stolen by Harley Quinn before Batman can use it. When Batman returns to the Joker, he finds his health has been restored.

While the two fight, Strange activates Protocol 10, which is revealed to be a scheme to wipe out the entire population of Arkham City and destroy the criminal element of Gotham. TYGER troops begin executing inmates as Strange launches missile strikes on Arkham’s denizens from his base in Wonder Tower. A missile hits the steelmill, burying Batman under rubble. Before Joker can take advantage of the situation, Talia arrives and offers him immortality in exchange for sparing Batman’s life. After escaping with the help of Catwoman, Batman is convinced by Alfred to end Protocol 10 before pursuing Talia and Joker.

Batman infiltrates Wonder Tower and disables Protocol 10. Ra’s al Ghul is revealed to be the true mastermind behind Arkham City and mortally wounds Strange for failing to defeat Batman. With his dying breath, Strange activates “Protocol 11”, the self-destruction of Wonder Tower. After Ra’s commits suicide to avoid capture, Joker contacts Batman, threatening to kill Talia unless Batman meets him at the Monarch Theater. When Batman arrives, Joker demands the cure from Batman but is impaled and apparently killed by Talia while distracted. Talia admits to stealing the cure from Quinn, before she is killed by a second Joker, still stricken with the disease.

The healthy Joker that Talia impaled then reanimates into the shapeshifting Clayface, who is revealed to have been masquerading as a healthy Joker all along at the ailing villain’s request. Batman defeats Clayface despite Joker blowing up the theater floor. Batman drinks a portion of the antidote, and destroys Ra’s’ rejuvenating Lazarus Pit before the Joker can use it. As Batman debates curing his foe, Joker attacks him, causing the antidote vial to inadvertently smash. Batman admits that in spite of everything Joker had done, he would have saved him. After Joker finally succumbs to his illness and dies, Batman carries his body out of Arkham City. As Commissioner Gordon asks what happened, Batman places Joker’s body on the hood of a police car and leaves in silence.

Side Missions make up about 50% of the game, so I thought I should summarize them.

Acts Of Violence: Batman must stop random acts of violence happening to political prisoners around Arkham City. After completing like, twenty of these, they will stop and you will have completed the mission. Walkthrough here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mAlfFHv-pY

AR Training: Batman must train his gliding skills in order to unlock the Grapnel Boost upgrade. After completing four, you will unlock the Grapnel Boost. After eight, the mission is complete. Walkthrough here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMSFL3xzp10

Enigma Conundrum: The Riddler takes the medical team hostage, forcing Batman to solve riddles, collect trophies, and defeat riddler rooms before finally taking down riddler. To complete, you must complete 400 goddamn riddler challenges(Riddler trophies, riddles), most of them tedious. After completing 7 riddler rooms and 400 challenges, the mission will be complete. Room walkthrough here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4c5iRl9KbM, Challenge playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gluf6GKP9NY&list=PL1FD5613CAE0D2A32

Fragile Alliance: Bane informs Batman that 12 titan containers are in Arkham City. Batman and Bane agree to each destroy six, then meet up again. After destroying his six, Batman learns that Bane took his six, so Batman destroys them. Walkthrough here: https://www.youtube.com/watchv=KIPtcEt88W4

Remote Hideaway: The undercover cops at the museum inform Batman that they have found a mine disruptor. Complete by going to the museum and collecting the disruptor. Walkthrough here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66iKOnfOfoA

Heart Of Ice: Mr. Freeze tasks Batman with recovering his wife Nora, who is somewhere in the City. Complete by finding her and taking down 12 thugs who are guarding her, then informing Freeze. Walkthrough here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSeEKG02qsU

Watcher In The Wings: A mysterious figure watches Batman from various places in the four districts of Arkham City. When you see him, he will vanish and leave a symbol on the ground. Complete by finding all four symbols, then visiting the church. Walkthrough here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBopGlFuoyA

Shot In The Dark: Deadshot is killing political prisoners under the orders of Strange. Complete by finding three victims, them save Jack Ryder and stop Deadshot. Walkthrough here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBopGlFuoyA

The Tea Party: The Mad Hatter attempts to hypnotize Batman into joining him. Complete by defeating him and his henchmen. Walkthrough here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGYPGQYTRxE

Cold Call Killer: Zsasz tells Batman to find ringing phones to stop hostages from being killed. Complete by triangulating his position and taking him down. Walkthrough here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA6NVWPKxW4

Identity Thief: A killer is killing people in Arkham City and removing their faces. Batman must track him down. Complete by finding three victims, then track him down to his hideout, where he reveals himself to be the villain Hush. Walkthrough here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D6XMpfyhuQ

Alright, that’s done. Now it’s time for the Best Side Mission and the Best Boss Battle.

The Best Side Mission is Cold Call Killer. The side missions in this game range from tedious(i’m looking at you, Riddler), to great with terrible boss battles(Deadshot). But this side mission combines the suspense of hostages being held with a way to explore the city. While triangulating Zsasz’s location is tedious, it’s still not enough to effect the fun of this mission.

The Best Boss Battle is the Mr. Freeze battle. Video Game boss battles normally are you dodging, then attacking, or taking the guy down in a huge fist fight, or by sneaking around. But in this battle, you do have to sneak around, but there is a creative twist: no tactic works twice. You can’t attack him head on, which is already okay, but no tactic working twice encourages you to be creative in the fight. You can electrocute him, break through a wall and hit him, take him down through a vent, glide kick, and more.

Now, The Cast.

Mark Hamill is an American actor(age 67) who gives one of the most fun versions of the joker in this game. He clearly is having a ton of fun in his role, pouring everything into each line. This is one of the funniest versions of Joker ever, just look up some quotes. His career includes: Star Wars 4-8, Batman: The Animated Series, 2019 Child’s Play, and Batman: Arkham games.

Kevin Conroy is an American actor(age 63) best known for being Batman in animated shows. He is one of the better parts of this game, playing Batman with an underplayed ferocity that we will see in Arkham Knight. His career is just basically Batman: The Animated Series.

Nolan North is an American actor(age 48) who you have probably heard before. His voice is legendary in video games, seeing how he has provided the voice of the following: Hades in God Of War, Nathan Drake in Uncharted, Desmond Miles in Assassin’s Creed, Dr. Richtofen in the Black Ops Games, Deadpool in Deadpool, and Penguin in the Arkham Games.

Troy Baker is a american actor(age 43) who is basically just the stand-in for Batman and Joker whenever Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy aren’t available. He has played Batman and Joker in Batman: Arkham Origins, and Lego Batman 1-3.

Dee Bradley Baker is an American actor(age 57), who has one of the most annoying voices iv’e ever heard, due to the fact that he is basically carbon-copying Liam Neeson. His career includes: Phineas and Ferb, Spongebob Squarepants, American Dad, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Corey Burton is an American actor(age 68) and plays Hugo Strange with such perfection. He makes me genuinely think that he could deduce Batman’s identity. His career includes: Aladdin, The Princess and The Frog, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Wally Wingert is an American actor(age 58) does a fantastic job of making me want to rip his head off as the Riddler. He does this with just his voice. It’s insane. His career is basically the Arkham Games.

Critics were quite receptive to this game, with Metacritic giving it a 91 on PS3 and an 86 on Xbox.

With a cast of A-list actors, revolutionary gameplay and an incredible story, I give you…..

Batman: Arkham City.