JOLIEFICENT!

There is no denying Angelina Jolie was made for this role. The way she did Disney's iconic dragon sorceress was just beyond awesome. And I'm a huge animated Maleficent fan so that's saying something. I'm also big on villains taking the limelight for a change so this Maleficent back story is much appreciated.

Now, a rundown of the movie's goodies and baddies!

High Points:

1. I like the whole Human vs. Magical Creatures war. Okay, Shrek did that first, but the fight scene here was way cooler.

2. That shrill, blood-curdling scream when Maleficent lost her wings. That sound will stay in my nightmares forever.

3. LOVE THE MENTAL BREAKDOWN! The dramatic transition from good fairy to evil sorceress was beautiful! From Maleficent herself to the landscape eeriefication. 

4. True love does not exist as the plot trigger was harsh but realistic. 

5. In your face, Philip! I'm not big on Prince Charming… ever. So I loved the way he was ditched here. You don't save the day this time, mister. Mwahaha!

6. Wardrobe! Maleficent sported a series of fantabulous capes all throughout the movie. Props to you, stylist!

Ultimate High Points: 

1. GREEN FLAAAME!!!

2. The way Angelina said the curse was EXACTLY the way the animated version said it. "…on her sixteenth buuuth-day!"  The nostalgic hit there was pretty intense!

Low Points:

1. The three fairy godmothers aka the magical world's version of The Three Stooges. I just thought they tried too hard to be funny. Oh well.

2. The real True Love was between Aurora and Maleficent… which we also saw in Frozen's siblings Anna and Elsa. It's not exactly that original as a plot twist, but it did pull heartstrings so I'm letting it slide, somewhat.

3. Aurora is crowned the new queen of the moors? Huh? Say what?

Ultimate Low Point:

1. Maleficent didn't transform into a dragon. DUUUDE! That's the whole magic of Maleficent --her turning into a frikkin badass dragon! AND YOU STOLE IT FROM MEEEE!!! The glorious makeover was given to Maleficent's shape-shifting pet crow. *sniff* 

That said, did we like the movie? I'm giving it 5 super shiny stars. If you're as ancient as I am, it's a brand new take on a sentimental ride. If you're as young as my sons… well, let's just say my 10-year old boy is super crushing on Maleficent right now.

The Magnificent Maleficent. On cinemas. Watch her! 

Papier Macheniacs: TF2 Metal Jaw

The Team Fortress 2 Metal Jaw (also seen on Heavy and Engineer) is one of our easier mask-making projects. First of all, it doesn't require the whole face. The details were simple enough. And the paint job was pretty much a free-for-all.

Our version, naturally, started with a paper plate --folded and taped with a bunch of newspapers and coins. The coins were for the rivets. Genius, huh? :P

The dents and breaks on the surface were fun to make during paper mach stage. The imperfection of this piece brings out a lot of your creativity.

And then, you just let loose on painting it. Miro decided on a post-battle Metal Jaw, hence, the rust and blood stains. The boy really went to town with realism here. Proud mom moment. *sniff*

Make your own paper mache TF2 Metal Jaw. Because… Just because.

The Amazing Spiderman 2: A new fangirl's review

SPOILER SHMOILER!

WE LOVE THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2!
I know that sounds pretty weird after writing a not-so-happy review about The Amazing Spiderman 1. But this time around, this all new version of the Spidey franchise floored us. Simply floored us.
The upside?

FIRST PERSON CAM
Gamer perspective! Every web-slinging feat is like riding on Spiderman's back. Sweet!

STUNTS!
Spiderman's moves are just way cooler now. The slow-fast-slow crawling, the crazy-wide leg-spread during leaps, the creativity in web manipulation, the ballerina-esque fight choreography, the jumping over speeding trucks in precise insect-like agility… *slow claps*

SCIENCE!
We're geeks. We totally dig it whenever Spiderman attempts to crack an enemy's code or enhance his web using batteries and what-nots --and then fails. Yuh.

BETTER PARKER
I'm a huge Toby fan. He was the only Peter Parker for me. When Garfield came around, I found him to be too cute and acted too cute to take his place. But then he shed that self-conscious shtick and went down to acting real. Loved how he delivered the jokes in the movie! He's actually funny now!

COOLER HARRY
Not just a pretty boy, this guy has angst. Not just avenging his dead father, he has his own inner demons. And he looks hot in a leather jacket. Good one!

THE GOBLIN DOESN'T WEAR A MASK
Instead, he wears the rotting face of a dying maniac. How. Cool. Is. That?!

GIRLFRIEND DIES
So much like the original Spidey, this lankier Spidey has issues with having a girlfriend, too. How do you solve that dilemma? Kill her off! Now that's realism for you.

COOL ENDING
That last frame where Spiderman catapulted into the air to bonk a good one right on Rhino's metal skull, and then the scene cuts to credits before impact. LOVE THAT!

Okay, okay… calm down. I'm making it sound like it's all perfect. Of course not!
Hello, downside.

ELECTRO
Sorry, I know he's the top bad guy in this story, but he just didn't do it for me. My kids liked him for the sheer electrical KZZT! AND FZZANG!, but for me, he didn't really have a focused evil plot. And you CANNOT be a villain without focus. First, he was pissed because he was being ignored. Second, he wanted to take revenge on the people who stole his plans for the grid. Third, he's just a whacked up job who couldn't deal with the fact that a) Spiderman forgot his name; b) Spiderman had more fans and more New York billboards' screen time, c) Spiderman set him up for a duel.
Dude, if you want to make it bad, find that single reason why you're mad. First lesson in Villainy 101. Look it up.

The Amazing Spiderman 2 is still webbed to cinemas. Sling yourself right over!