Masoom Syed

I love this movie, because it’s the perfect origin story of Batman, a great Batman movie, and one of the best movies of 2005. I love how we finally get to see Bruce Wayne training as a ninja, and when he learns the League of Shadows’ true purpose, the complete destruction of Gotham City, Bruce rejects the League and returns to Gotham, choosing to fight crime without killing. I also love how we get to see Bruce design his Batsuit, gadgets, and the Tumbler, because we never got to see that until this movie came out. Christian Bale was the perfect Bruce Wayne/Batman, because he didn’t kill anyone. Batman not killing anyone is what makes him so compelling; if he kills criminals, he is no better than them. Michael Caine was perfect as Alfred. He was the comic relief in these movies. He was, still is and always will be the best Alfred ever. Liam Neeson as Ra’s al Ghul was perfect, because he was a great villain, and he was the perfect Ra’s al Ghul, because he basically wants to destroy Gotham. I love how at Bruce’s 30th birthday party, Ra’s was wearing all black. He was wearing a black suit with a black shirt, a black tie, a black belt, and black dress shoes. That was the whole point, to show the audience that this was Liam Neeson’s first villain role. I have to admit that he nailed it. Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon was perfect, because he was basically Batman’s partner. He also actually has respect for Batman. Not to mention he’s one of the few good police officers in Gotham. Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox was perfect, because he was basically Bruce’s armorer for the Batsuit. I love the scene where he tells Earle, “Didn’t you get the memo?” That was a great scene. I also love how Fox was the one who helped Thomas Wayne build his train. That’s how they met. Not only did they work together, but they were also friends. And finally, Cillian Murphy as Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow was also perfect, because he was scary. Like the scene where he poisoned Batman, and Batman was hallucinating his parents’ death, and bats. This movie has a lot of funny moments, like the scene where Bruce says, “Bats are nocturnal.” Or the scene where that cop says, “At least tell me what it looks like.” The Tumbler goes by. He says, “Never mind.” Overall, Batman Begins is great. It’s definitely a classic of the Superhero genre. Definitely a must watch.

This movie was amazing! It’s a lot better than I remember! There’s no way The Dark Knight Rises could have topped The Dark Knight, given the fact that The Dark Knight is a masterpiece, and it changed the superhero genre forever. What I love about this movie, is of course the story, the acting, the writing, and the music. But besides that, I love the villain, even the opening scene, the fight scenes between Batman and Bane, but I prefer the second fight, and I absolutely love the scene where Bruce Wayne was climbing out of the pit, with the chant, and last but not least, I love the ending. I love Tom Hardy as Bane, because he was a great villain, but he was a mediocre Bane. He was a great villain because he was menacing, terrifying, and manipulative. But he was a mediocre Bane, in my opinion because he didn’t look anything like Bane in the comics because he didn’t have the tube on his back filled with venom. They also changed his origin story. Bane in the comics was never a member of the League of Assassins. But in this movie he was a member of the League of Shadows, but he was excommunicated by Ra’s al Ghul, because Bane’s existence was a reminder of the hell Ra’s al Ghul left his wife to die in. The reason why I prefer the second fight scene between Batman and Bane is because when Batman was looking for Bane, and Bane was looking for Batman, and with the snow falling, it just looked and felt so epic. Fun fact: this is the only time in the entire Batman franchise where we see Batman in the daylight. Also when it was revealed that Marion Cotillard’s character, Miranda Tate, is actually Talia al Ghul, Ra’s al Ghul’s daughter, I was shocked, and when she stabbed Batman, I was like, “Oh no! Why’d she do that?” Then she revealed herself as Talia. Oh yeah and after Batman got stabbed, I noticed nowadays that he lost the raspy voice, and he instead used his normal voice. The way this movie concludes was perfect; it was the most satisfying way to conclude the trilogy. Batman died, but Bruce is still alive and he’s happy and in a relationship with Selina Kyle. I’m glad that he’s with Selina. In other words, Alfred’s fantasy happens for real. Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character, John Blake, he was excellent, he’s one of the few good cops in Gotham. He also knows that Bruce is Batman. When I first saw this movie, when it’s revealed in the end that his legal name is Robin, I was confused, but then I looked it up and now I understand: The whole point is that it’s a throwback to Batman’s sidekick in the comics, Robin. Not the actual Robin character, because Christopher Nolan said, in a June 2005 interview, so after Batman Begins came out, he said, “Robin will never be in my Batman movies.” So basically, his full name is Robin John Blake. But I hate that we never knew who he’s going to become. In the end I will say that The Dark Knight Rises is epic. It’s one of the best Batman movies ever made, it’s also a satisfying conclusion to an incredible trilogy, definitely the best superhero trilogy ever made. And The Dark Knight Rises is by far the best movie of 2012.

Okay, so I know this isn’t the popular opinion, but I’m going to say it: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is way better than the original. My reasons why are because it has a better soundtrack; the soundtrack in the original was great, except for the Oompah Loompas. They looked creepy. And, they sang the same songs over and over again. Meanwhile, the Oompah Loompas in this movie looked way better, and they sang different songs for each child. I love that. I have to give them credit for that. The acting in this one was perfect. In fact, they were all portraying the kids accurately. This movie is way funnier than the original; it’s not like completely dark, despite being directed by Tim Burton. Like the scene where Willy Wonka meets all the kids, but when he says to Veruca Salt, “I always thought a veruca was a type of wart that got on the bottom of your foot.” There are a couple of funny moments in this movie.

The Batman is not the best Batman movie but it’s one of the best. I loved the way Gotham City looked in this movie: not too bright nor too dark. It was actually a little bit of both. I also love how Robert Pattinson as Batman, he didn’t kill his enemies. I mean we saw that in The Dark Knight trilogy. I’m just saying that I’m glad to see more of that aspect of Batman in this movie, because no matter what, Batman should not kill anyone, not even his enemies. Also I love that they finally addressed the detective aspect of Batman. Other Batman movies have barely shown Batman as a detective. This was the first time they showed Batman as a detective on the big screen. Because Batman is the World’s Greatest Detective. The Batmobile in this movie looks amazing! In fact, that one might be my favorite Batmobile. Colin Farrell as The Penguin, he was pretty good, because he was exactly how The Penguin should be portrayed. Because remember, in the comics, The Penguin was a Mob Boss, and he was a Mob Boss in this movie too. In fact, that didn’t even look like Colin Farrell. Zoe Kravatz as Catwoman, perfect in my opinion. She was smart, complex, and she was an anti-hero. Unlike many other versions of Catwoman, like Michelle Pfeiffer’s performance in Batman Returns, she was crazy, and evil. Halle Berry’s portrayal in Catwoman (2004) was so bad, but I have never seen that movie, which is a good thing. Anne Hathaway’s version of Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises, was mediocre, because all she did was talk or fight. But Zoe Kravatz, the best portrayal of Catwoman. Overall, The Batman is one of the best Batman movies ever made, one of the best superhero movies ever made. It’s a masterpiece, in my opinion. In fact, this was the first Batman movie that I saw in theaters. All the other Batman movies I either watched on DVD, VHS, or TV. But this one I saw in theaters. It was a good experience. I have to say I really enjoyed it.

I love this show!!! The Animation got better, the writing got better, and I love how it has a bunch of funny moments, a bunch of sad moments, a bunch of epic moments, and a couple of intense moments. Fun fact: Iroh and Zuko were the only two people in the Fire Nation to say Aang's name. The other people in the Fire Nation only referred to Aang as the Avatar. I remember Zuko said Aang's name several times in the final season. And Iroh said Aang's name in Sozin's Comet, Part 2. I remember because Iroh was saying, "Sozin's Comet is arriving, and our Destinies are upon us. Aang will face the Fire Lord." When I first saw this show, and when it got to the point where Aang took Ozai's bending away, I was thinking: Why is Aang becoming orange? Then I realized that he was absorbing Ozai's energy. In other words, he took his Firebending away. I'm glad he didn't kill him. When I first saw the Series Finale, when it got to the scene where after Zuko became Firelord, and he went to the same prison Iroh was in, I thought he went to see Azula, but then I realized that he was there to confront his father. That scene gave me chills. Especially when Zuko was asking Ozai, “Where is my mother?” Also when Aang and Katara were standing, smiling at each other, when they hugged and kissed, I was like, “Finally.” Did you know that when the end credits were playing, they changed the soundtrack to make it sound more triumphant. What I'm saying is that it's not too dark, nor too kid friendly, it's a balance between comedy and seriousness. When I first saw this show, when I saw Zuko's backstory, I was shocked. We all were shocked when we found out that his father burned him. There's so many shocking revelations in this show. Like the episode where we found out that Sozin was Zuko's great grandfather, (his father's grandfather) and Roku was his great grandfather (his mother's grandfather) and the fact that Roku and Sozin were best friends, that just surprises me. I love how Roku and Sozin were best friends, then enemies. Unlike Aang and Zuko, they were enemies, then friends. Also, I noticed that it took Roku 12 years to Master all 4 elements, but then it took Aang 12 months to Master all 4 elements. My favorite character is Zuko, by far. My favorite episode is the Series Finale, because it was amazing, it was the most satisfying way to end the series. Because there is one word to describe the Series finale of Avatar, and the word is epic. There were no loose ends, except for Zuko's mom. My favorite fight is Aang vs Firelord Ozai. I love how Aang got pushed back, and the spot where Azula shot him with lightning, that same spot was pierced by a rock, and he entered the Avatar state. I love how he made a planet out of the 4 elements. That was amazing! Book 1 was okay. Book 2 was great. Book 3 was incredible. Book 3 was the best.

At a time when DCEU movies were kinda bad, David F. Sandberg directed Shazam! a movie about a kid who can say Shazam! and turn into an adult superhero. The movie stars Zachary Levi as Shazam. He was awesome. He was really funny. And that's what I love about this movie, is that it had humor. It had a lot of funny moments. Like the scene where he was like, "Your phone's charged" or when Dr. Sivana was making his villain speech and Shazam was like, "What? I can't hear you. You're like a mile away." Or even "Sorry about your window. But you're welcome for not getting robbed." It's not like the other DC movies, which were too dark. I feel like this movie was a balance between comedy and seriousness. Some scenes were dark, others were funny, some were sad. I love how Zachary Levi acted like a kid, while Asher Angel (Billy Batson) acted like an adult. Then Mark Strong as Dr. Sivana was fantastic in my opinion. I love how he went from a little kid to an evil man. In the end I have to say that Shazam! is the best DCEU movie. It had good humor, great acting, an amazing story, excellent writing, wonderful music and an incredible post-credits scene.

This movie was phenomenal!! It’s one of the best movies ever made, but it’s also one of those movie sequels that topped the original. What made this movie so popular, was the tonal shift; the tone in the original Star Wars movie, which was lighthearted. But this film was a lot darker and more emotional. It also had a romantic relationship between Han Solo and Princess Leia. The scene where Luke Skywalker was hanging upside down, and he tried to grab his Lightsaber using the Force, and it was kind of shaking, that was amazing!! Also this is the one where Yoda made his debut, and I have to say that he was excellent in this movie. I love the training scenes between him and Luke. Like when Yoda was training him that anger, fear, and aggression are what leads to the Dark Side. Or when Yoda says, “Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.” The music in this film is even better than the original. Imperial March (Darth Vader’s theme) is incredible!! Of course everyone was shocked when they first saw this movie and they found out that Darth Vader is Luke’s father. Overall Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is one of my favorite movies of all time. I love it. The only complaint I have with it is the ending. I’m sure everyone was disappointed with the ending, because it ended on a cliffhanger. Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca left to find Han and bring him back.

Probably an unpopular opinion, but this is my favorite Star Wars movie. I’m not saying that Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is bad. It’s phenomenal. I think it’s a better movie overall, but this movie is a better Star Wars movie. I have a funny way of looking at these movies. I love how Darth Vader was the main villain in this movie. I feel like the villain in this trilogy loses its focus in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. That scene where Luke Skywalker was standing, looking in the distance was beautiful. The visuals, the soundtrack, and the atmosphere. When Luke destroyed the Death Star, every Star Wars fan cheered for him. There’s no denying that. That scene is still iconic. I also love the ending: Luke, Han Solo, and Chewbacca all walking together with the Binary Sunset theme playing in the background. Overall I LOVE Star Wars: A New Hope. For a while it was hard for me to decide which Star Wars movie is my favorite; it was either Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, or Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. But now I decided that this movie is, and will forever be my favorite Star Wars movie.

I love everything about The Dark Knight. The bank robbery scene, the acting, the writing, the fight scenes, and the music. The Dark Knight is a phenomenal movie because of the Batman and Joker. Batman, James Gordon, and Harvey Dent are basically a trifecta of good. Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker is incredible; he was a great villain, but he was also an amazing Joker. He was a great villain because of his motivation. He was the best Joker, because he was a lot darker and more sadistic than Jack Nicholson’s Joker. I love how his makeup looked; white face, long messy green hair, black eyelids, and a red smile. Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, he was excellent. He was very underrated in my opinion. He was very serious, and I found it interesting that Harvey went from really good to really bad. He was really good because he locked up half the mob; he was the hero of The Dark Knight. Not Batman, not Joker, Dent. But then he was really bad, because he was about to kill Gordon’s son. Killing mobsters is one thing, corrupt cops is another, but that’s a little kid, and that’s a whole new level of bad. The Dark Knight is the best superhero movie ever made, because it’s the most realistic superhero movie ever made. It’s a testament that not all superhero movies have to be in a universe, and unlike superhero movies nowadays, where they’re all linked, and there’s a lot of CGI. Not that that’s a bad thing, I’m just saying, that The Dark Knight is the best superhero movie ever made, and that no superhero movie will ever top it, or even come close to this movie. The Dark Knight’s status as the best superhero movie ever made is not just my opinion, it’s everyone’s opinion. The Dark Knight always has been and always will be a Masterpiece. My final grade: 10/10. The Dark Knight is one of those movies that I always have loved, and I always will love.

I was obsessed with Batman Forever as a kid; I had it on VHS, and I remember watching it every single day, but multiple times a day. Why? Because this was my introduction to Batman. But now that I’m older and when I rewatch this movie, I realize that it’s a weird movie; now I’m not saying it’s a bad movie. It’s a good movie but it has a lot of flaws. The good things are the action sequences, the soundtrack, and, in my opinion, Val Kilmer’s performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman. I always thought that his performance was very underrated. He was a good Bruce Wayne, but he wasn’t a great Batman. He wasn’t horrible either; I think he was a mediocre Batman. He was a good Bruce Wayne because he had an arc. This was the first live action Batman movie that attempted to give Bruce an arc, and I think they did a decent job. I love the action sequences because of the fighting choreography. My favorite fight scene in the movie is when Dick Grayson was fighting those gangsters, because he beat them all by himself, including the leader. I love the soundtrack, because it gives me great vibes and nostalgia. I love how they put Robin in the movie. But the actor, Chris O’Donnell was too old to play Robin; in the comics, he was a kid when he lost his parents. But in this movie he was in his early twenties. The bad things about Batman Forever are the villains, and the costumes. Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face, who was horrible. Two-Face is a very serious villain. But in this movie he’s over the top. He spends the entire movie jiggling, jumping, and cackling. His makeup looks like he got a rash. Jim Carrey as the Riddler, who was definitely over the top. Not only was his portrayal bad, but his costume looked terrible, because he was wearing from neck to toe green tights, with a bunch of black question marks, and his hair looked bizarre. Dr. Chase Meridian was annoying at first but then she grew up towards the end of the movie. Nowadays I don’t love Batman Forever, but I don’t hate it either; I like it. Now I only watch it every few months. It’s still a good movie that was a box office hit.