Movie Review: Spider-Man: Homecoming

There comes a time when a hero finally makes his long awaited return to a place he rightfully belongs to, and in the case of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man he is now at home with the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to the deal Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios a few years back that allowed the wallcrawler to join the multimillion dollar shared film universe filled with superheroes based on Marvel Comics. That meant rebooting and reintroducing Peter Parker/ Spider-Man to the MCU with a new actor, and that role fell right into the hands of one Tom Holland - a young English performer who has an extensive background on acting and dancing - qualities that befit a young and nimble Spidey!

Making his debut in last year's "Captain America: Civil War" where he was recruited by Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man, Holland's Spider-Man emerged as a quick fan favorite - becoming a witty, energetic, and very green addition to the MCU. After the fallout of that film and the division of the Avengers, it became very clear that we would see Tony Stark mentoring his new protege just like his comic book counterpart did - thus one of the key elements of the inevitable sequel was established. Add the fact audiences will see Peter's young High School and teenaged life fleshed out for the first time, and you have "Spider-Man: Homecoming" - the new Spidey film that certainly prioritizes the words "FUN" and "AMAZING" all around it.

Thanks to the folks at Columbia Pictures Philippines, I was able to see the film a weekend just before its release in a special "Spider-Man: Homecoming Fan Screening" where my team of webheads in Spider-Verse PH was invited! We went straight from ToyCon 2017 just to see the wallcrawler swing into theaters once more in young and rejuvenated fashion, and WE WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED. We loved the film and wore our respective Spidey suits to see it, and it was SPECTACULAR beyond words.

This review is meant to express how much I enjoyed the movie, and to invite fans new and old to see this wonderful film that redefines "Great Power and Great Responsibility" for a new generation with the webhead filling his rightful spot in the MCU!

Movie Review: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

As someone who has collected, lived, and breathed comic books since he learned how to read, Civil War remains one of the most memorable yet consequential comic book events I have witnessed and which Marvel has ever released in its publishing history. Written by Mark Millar and illustrated by Steve McNiven, this 2006 miniseries saw a Super Human Registration Act put into effect that required heroes to register themselves to the government, be trained, and reveal their identities to the public for purposes of accountability and safety. This act immediately divided heroes and allies alike, with Iron Man championing the cause of pro-registration while Captain America campaigned against the act for taking away their civil liberties. As a result, it was friend against friend and former teammates fighting against one another – dividing the superhuman community and forever changing the entire landscape of the Marvel Universe as we know it.

With an epic premise like that containing a lot of exposition and characters, it’s hard to imagine how Marvel Studios and Disney actually decided on adapting the concept and turning it into “Captain America: Civil War” - the 13th entry in the growing Marvel Cinematic Universe that pretty much sums up all the consequences and activities that the heroes have to deal with since the Avengers were formed. Tasking Joe and Anthony Russo with the responsibility of telling the tale, the directors of 2014’s highly successful “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” were more than well equipped to handle things… And I dare say after seeing the movie that they have created what is likely the best damn “Superhero Ensemble Cast Movie” that takes everything you love about Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and injecting it into a story that still retains the political thriller atmosphere that made The Winter Soldier great while revolving around the personal lives and relationships shared by friends and allies - particularly Captain America and Iron Man - now divided and turned enemies because of circumstance and necessity.

This review is certainly not for those who have yet to watch, and I can only warn you now with a considerate SPOILER WARNING tag here and now. Whether you're for Team Cap or Team Iron Man, the stakes are intense and high in what introduces "Phase Three" of the MCU into the Hollywood blockbuster scene.

Opening today in theaters in the Philippines and in the US on May 6, allow me to share my thoughts on “Captain America: Civil War”. Big thanks once again goes to Marvel Philippines and Walt Disney Studios Philippines for inviting me to the special advanced screening last April 25th at SM Megamall!

The Crusader's Corner - Marvel's The Avengers Petron Tumblers and 7-Eleven Trading Cards Review!

The Crusader's Corner returns, and just in time for Marvel's big superhero blockbuster movie "The Avengers"! To celebrate the release of one of the most anticipated films of the year, Timzster reviews two product line promotions tied to the film and making waves in the Philippines! First up and coming from Petron is the snazzy looking Avengers Tumblers, featuring the big four members of the team - namely Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and Hulk! Lastly, 7-Eleven gives consumers reasons to comeback with their Avengers Collector Cards promo! If you're looking forward to seeing Earth's Mightiest Heroes in theaters, find out why these items must be a part of your collection!

The Crusader's Corner - Marvel's The Avengers Petron Tumblers and 7-Eleven Trading Cards Review!

The Avengers assemble in theaters on April 25th internationally and May 4th in the US! Also, a non-spoiler review about the film is up, so see it here!

Non-Spoiler Review: Marvel's The Avengers

Finally, the assembly officially begins!

Opening in theaters today, April 25th, in international theaters, Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and Marvel Studios proudly present the crowning jewel and long anticipated superhero team up movie everyone has been waiting for - The Avengers! The culmination and fruit of four years of work since 2008's Iron Man ushered in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is finally here, and it's bringing out a storm of fans and viewers into theaters the world over. Anyone who's followed all five films of Marvel Studios knows that everything is connected and has led up to this. While it has yet to open in US cinemas until May 4th, this Spoiler-Free review will give you an idea of just why you should see this comic book film dream come true if you still have any reservations. That being said, read away and learn why it's awesome, true believers! Also, if you do watch, finish the whole thing to the end, and don't leave while the credits roll!

Toy Photography #17: The Center of Attention

Title: “The Center of Attention”

Toy Featured: Marvel Universe Iron Man "Extremis" Armor 
Taken at: 8/22/11

Location: Greenbelt I, Ayala Center, Makati City

Taken with: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W320

Photo Taken By: Timzster

Toy Photography #14: Metal Rebirth

Title: “Metal Rebirth”

Toy Featured: Iron Man 2 Mark I Iron Man

Taken at: 8/13/11

Location: Ayala Triangle Gardens

Taken with: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W320

Photo Taken By: Timzster

Toy Photography #10: Weather Adjustable

Title: “Weather Adjustable”


Toy Featured: Iron Man 2 6" Mark V Iron Man 


Taken at: 8/5/11


Location: SM Megamall Outside Parking Lot (In The Rain...)


Taken with: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W320


Photo Taken By: Timzster



Title: “Weather Adjustable”

Toy Photography #7: Avengers Prime

Took a bit of a hiatus from Toy photography for a few days (and finally caught Captain America, which you can read my review of here!), but now I'm back along with a new composition to boot!

Title: "Avengers Prime"

Toy Featured: Marvel Universe Captain America (Two Pack version with Wolverine), Modern Thor, and Bleeding Edge/ Modular Armor Iron Man

Location: Somewhere in the City...

Taken at: 7/27/11
Taken with: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W320 

Photo Taken By: Timzster

The Crusader's Corner - Sci-Fi Revoltech Iron Man Mk. VI Toy Review!

It's been a while folks, and I haven't been posting anything here for almost two months now! However, now that the ball's rolling with updates and I'm getting things back up to speed, let's start off with a good ol' fashioned toy review for a change here! Straight from a purchase I made last week, here's my take and review on one of the newest figures to hit the collectible market - Sci-Fi Revoltech's release of the Iron Man Mark VI armor from Iron Man 2! Also, consider this video review as a "teaser" for the inevitable written review I'll be making after this, so enjoy this video for now, and stay tuned for the detailed write-up!

The Crusader's Corner - Sci-Fi Revoltech Iron Man Mk. VI Toy Review!

The Iron Man "Mark V" Suit Action Figure!

Catching up on the updates, I just wanted to share my latest fanboy acquisition!

AWESOME!!!

Oh yes, this baby looks awesome alright. If you're not familiar with this figure at all, then what you're looking at here is the Mark V "Suitcase" Armor that Tony Stark used to fend off Whiplash during the Monaco race track scene in Iron Man 2! I know I'm not alone when I say this, but this is my favorite among all the armors that have appeared in the sequel (yes, including War Machine), and it's a homage to two classic suits used by Shellhead in the comics, namely the original classic Red & Gold suit, and the Silver Centurion armor, which the Mark V takes its colors from. I'm itching right now to open and display it eventually, but that will come in time after I finish up the video review for this particular. In the meantime, here's a video preview to look at:

IM2 Mark V Action Figures Preview!


Hell yes, this is really cool. Look forward to the review soon!

Site Soft Opening!

It's May already and work is still in progress, but with things just about up and running in this blog already, I think it's high time to open this site "officially" with its very own soft opening!

Welcome, one and all, to my new blog site! Unlike my other creation and blog, Pop Culture Crusader, which caters mostly to news and updates in the popculture spectrum, this blog will focus mostly personal and video entries of my exploits and adventures around god knows where. I'm sure a lot of you know I'm a comic book, movie, and gaming buff at heart, so most of the stuff you'll see here will pertain to that. I'll be adding other things as I update along the way, so for now things are technically incomplete as of the moment. At least everything is working in proper order, including my You Tube Channel, so feel free to subscribe and comment here or there. You can also follow and add me in Plurk or Twitter.

Yeah, way to cap off 5/5/10, and here's a new video as icing on the cake! It's a short video of the day I went to the UKG show as an invited guest to talk and display all things Iron Man! With Marvel Studios' Iron Man 2 now playing in theaters, it was a perfect time to talk about one of the most beloved Marvel characters in comic history, as well as show off some of my collectibles in the process. I've embedded the video here, so click, watch, and enjoy this brief tease!

Iron Man Collection Video
Well, that's it for now! Welcome again to the site, and look forward to more things AWESOME!

- Timzster