Spider-Man, Spider-Man...

   Because after Endgame, that's pretty much the only thing on my mind. I can't wait until Far From Home comes out.

   Prepare for fangirling. You've been warned...

   I watched Spider-Man for the first time when I was really young, in 2006, or about there. I don't think I saw the whole thing, but I really liked it, even though I was firmly against anything I considered a "boy movie", only because my oldest sister hated boys and "boy movies", and as the youngest I naturally followed in her footsteps (it didn't last; Star Wars and The Incredible Hulk TV show boosted all of us out of the "no boy stuff" phase forever). My dad turned it on one day, my sister and I watched at least some of it, and we loved it. I somehow missed the whole "genetically engineered spider" (a la Tobey Maguire version), and thought the idea of getting spider powers from an ordinary spider bite was ridiculous, but fell in love nonetheless.

   Fast forward to us getting Netflix (2009 to 2011ish). Not long after we got the streaming service, we watched Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 (Spider-Man 3 was, sadly, not available for streaming). And I loved it. The quintessential superhero movie, basically. I don't care how predictable it is. That's my Spidey you're watching right there.

   And then 2012 hit. And all the The Amazing Spider-Man commercials dropped. They showed his face in the commercials and I was lowkey furious. That was not my Spidey. They already had a Spidey and he was a pretty new Spidey, too. There was no reason to reboot a franchise that had just come out. (It had only been five years since Spider-Man 3!) Thankfully, most of the world agreed with me, though I didn't know it at the time. Even Andrew Garfield said making the movies "broke his heart", because they were nothing like his dreams of being Spider-Man were. I resolved to myself never to watch the movie (or its subsequent sequel) if I could help it.

   Eventually, we found Spider-Man 3 somewhere really cheap, so my family bought it for me and we watched it. One of my sisters absolutely hated it, but I still loved it. It's not quite as good as the first two, but still really good.

   Right around that time, I met someone who really liked the Amazing Spider-Man movies, and, while she is my friend, I just don't understand it. Because of her, I decided to finally watch The Amazing Spider-Man one Sunday when I was sick and it was on TV. And let me tell you (sorry, Danielle), WHAT THE J JONAH JAMESON. I mean, Peter Parker, uber-nerd, certified loser, and possessor of the Parker LuckTM , should not be skateboarding down school hallways. Losers don't skateboard down school hallways. Also, Andrew Garfield is not small enough to be Peter Parker. He doesn't look like a loser, he looks like a cool kid. His version of Peter Parker is not sweet, but instead, arrogant, rude, cocky, and a certified stalker (who the heck has a picture of the girl they don't even talk to as their LAPTOP BACKGROUND???). And you could sneeze at all of his nerdiness. Tobey Maguire's Peter is sweet and supportive, even if a little self-absorbed at times. Okay, angry rant over.

   Then the Marvel craziness won out over the rest of the entertainment world, and Sony finally agreed to let the most popular Marvel superhero join the MCU. The Marvel overlords decided not to rehash the Spider-Man origin story again, and so, when my sisters and I went to see Captain America: Civil War in theaters, we were treated to our first glimpse of the new and improved Spider-ManTM . 

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   I walked out and said, "I think I like him better than the Tobey Maguire version."

   Okay, first of all, he actually looks fourteen! You look at him and you really think he could be in high school. A++ casting just on that aspect. And second, they nailed him as a nerd and certified fanboy like no one else did. The other Spider-Mans were just really smart, but this one is so relatable nerdy. 

   And then he died and my heart did too.

   Ugh, the new Spider-Man movie was just so good! (See me fangirling more about it here.) Even Flash Thompson was a cool and refreshing take on the character. I was so excited for Infinity War and then at the end he turned into dust and do you know how traumatizing it is to see your childhood hero die before your very eyes? 

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   Yeah... Waiting for Endgame was agonizing, even though I knew Spidey had to come back because of the sequel. And I saw it recently and

Do Not Read Any Further Or Risk Endgame Spoilers

   oh my word. The fact that we aren't going to get any more Iron Dad and Spider Son? I live for Iron Dad and Spider Son! How is Peter going to cope without Tony Stark? He already lost two father figures and now he's lost another, probably forever? I'm gonna cry, guys, because it's just not fair. Peter saying hi to Tony was great, and then he said, "Mr. Stark, we won, Mr. Stark, we won, I'm sorry, Tony." And I'm just over here crying, don't pay any attention to me. The whole reason Tony decided to help the Avengers bring the Vanished back was because he saw a picture of him with Peter and realized he couldn't not help bring his son back and Tony died because of it and no I'm not okay!

Okay, you can read again, no more Endgame

   I also started reading the comics recently and they're as good as I thought they'd be. A lot like the MCU in that literally everything is connected. Peter Parker's parents were double agents in HYDRA and Red Skull ordered them assassinated by the Finisher when he found out they were undercover for the CIA and Daredevil helped Spider-Man when he was temporarily blinded by a bad guy and Tony Stark designed special glass and knock-out gas for the NYC police that helped them keep Maggia members from escaping after capture by Spider-Man. There was an issue where Pietro and Wanda Maximoff came to NYC and Pietro tried to capture Spidey because he thought he was a bad guy and thought capturing a bad guy would help alleviate some of the bad press on Pietro and Wanda. My hands down favorite story, though, was when Peter got the flu, and he didn't realize he could still get sick because he was Spider-Man, and so he thought he was losing his Spider powers, and so he told all of his friends he was Spider-Man (and I mean ALL of his friends, Harry, MJ, Gwen, Flash, everyone), and then he went to the doctor and found out he just had the flu and had to ask a boy whose life he had saved to wear his costume so he could convince his friends he was just delirious and he wasn't really Spider-Man. Classic Parker Luck right there. And now I want more and I'm not sure I have access to any more.

   To finish off, I will leave you with some Iron Dad and Spider Son, because this is SPOILERS all we're gonna get now. END SPOILERS

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Who's your favorite superhero? Did Batman die in Infinity War? TELL ME I NEED ANSWERS!!!

Why "Save-the-World" Stories Are Usually Boring

   In all this craze of superhero movies, most of the movies we see nowadays are about saving the world. In fact, many, many, many books, movies, and TV shows are about this very subject: Lord of the Rings, Makilien Trilogy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 & 2, Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, Thor: Ragnarok, Iron Man, Thor: The Dark World, The War of the Worlds, Independence Day, Star Wars, Doctor Who: the Movie, Tomorrow Land, Harry Potter, Superman, Dreamlander, Armageddon, War Games (and almost every other Cold War movie), the Lunar Chronicles, the Ilyon Chronicles, Batman Begins, 24, Star Trek IV, Raiders of the Lost Ark, about half of the books in the Fantasy genre, and of course, many, many more. With all the diversity of fiction on this list, what is the most common theme between all save-the-world stories?

   Most of them are boring.

   Why, though? Shouldn't saving the world be something we all care about? After all, every one of us lives in the world. It should be the ultimate relatable story.

   Far from being the ultimate relatable story, however, save-the-world stories are often the ultimate unrelatable story. After all, few if none of us have ever been in a position where the entire world is in danger. All of us, however, have probably been in a situation where our country was in considerable danger, which marks the big difference between save-the-country stories and save-the-world stories.

   It's very easy to understand why a protagonist would want to save his country: because he loves it (or because he lives in it; you know, practicality and all that). Though there are some people that do not love their country, I'm willing to bet there are many more that do. Most protagonists of save-the-country stories attempt to save their country because they love it, they live in it, they desire to defend their home, or they just don't want them and their family or friends to die. Very relatable.

   However, most protagonists of save-the-world stories attempt to save the world "because it's the right thing to do."

   Excuse me?

   Exactly how many times have you done something simply because "it was the right thing to do"? That's right. Never. Even Christians don't do the right thing because "it's the right thing to do," but because we love the Lord. Right for right's sake has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with it.

   This is why, even though I love Captain America, a lot of people think he's boring. Because everything he does is because it's "the right thing to do." (I contend that he does the right thing not for the sole virtue of "the Right", but because he loves freedom and his country and despises bullies, but that's neither here nor there.) Contrast this with the Guardians of the Galaxy:

 
   Guardians of the Galaxy was far from boring. In fact, it was wildly successful beyond Marvel's biggest expectations. There are many reasons for this, but one of them is definitely because someone was finally saving the galaxy for a relatable reason.

   **Spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War ahead**

   Avengers: Infinity War is pretty much the ultimate save-the-world story. Thanos wants to destroy half the population of the universe and the universe's mightiest heroes do their level best. Yet none of the characters, superheroes no less, seem to be doing it because "it's the right thing to do." Thor tries to stop Thanos because Thanos murdered every one of his people (including his brother). Bruce Banner joins the fight to stop Thanos because he witnessed the murder of the Asgardian people and can't stand that happening to Earth. Tony Stark, Dr. Strange, and Spider-Man try to stop Thanos because their city is attacked by a giant alien spaceship. The Guardians try to stop Thanos because he's committed planet-wide murder in their galaxy for a long time, he's the stepfather of Gamora and she's learned all his plans, they came across the murder of the Asgardians and realized Thanos is fianlly trying to murder half the galaxy, and they have a healthy wish to not die.

   So if you want to write a save the world story people will actually care about...

   Make. It. Personal.

Dagger's Sleep Review and Interview of Tricia Mingerink

About the Book

A prince cursed to sleep.

A princess destined to wake him.

A kingdom determined to stop them.

High Prince Alexander has been cursed to a sleep like unto death, a curse that will end the line of the high kings and send the Seven Kingdoms of Tallahatchia into chaos. With his manservant to carry his luggage and his own superior intelligence to aid him, Alex sets off to find one of the Fae and end his curse one way or another.

A hundred years later, Princess Rosanna learns she is the princess destined by the Highest King to wake the legendary sleeping prince. With the help of the mysterious Daemyn Rand, can she find the courage to finish the quest as Tallahatchia wavers on the edge of war?

One curse connects them. A hundred years separate them. From the rushing rivers of Tallahatchia’s mountains to the hall of the Highest King himself, their quests will demand sacrifices neither of them could imagine.

Dagger’s Sleep is available for preorder on Amazon Kindle.

   My review  
 This book is so amazing! First of all, what a refresher to find a fantasy world not based on medieval Europe! I absolutely loved the native American feel to it and the settings. Seriously, all the canoes and stuff...wow. And when I say the princess can paddle her own canoe, I mean it quite literally. :)

   The characters, of course, are amazing, though since I couldn't spend as much time with them as with the Acktarian characters, I didn't fall quite as much in love with them. Daemyn and Alexander are both lovable, but they're not as adorable as Leith.

   I just loved the way the fairies were done. There's something about the way most fairies are done in stories that I just don't like, and that wasn't present here. It seemed so believable and real and like it actually fit in with the world.

   Even more amazing was the allegory. Seriously, I don't know if I've seen a more beautiful allegory. I can't go into details, but it was so beautiful.

   This book was seriously amazing and everyone needs to read it. The lessons and the themes, the characters, the settings, and of course, the amazing allegory all make it so worth it. I can't wait to spend more time in this world. (Of course, I will always be a little peeved I shipped the wrong ship, but oh well. I can't have everything, I guess.)

I also had the privilege of asking Tricia a couple questions. Check it out!

Who is your favorite fictional character (your own don’t count)?

This is a really hard question! It is really, really hard to choose. There are SO many characters that I’ve loved throughout the years. I think it might be Halt from Ranger's Apprentice. Or maybe Will's horse Tug. Really, why do I only have to pick one favorite character????

Ha, I get your struggle. I do love Tug. 

What is your favorite fairy tale?

Beauty and the Beast. I was obsessed with that fairy tale when I was growing up. I rewatched the Disney cartoon all the time and read all the different picture books and fairy tale versions of it I could get my hands on. My grandparents gave me an illustrated fairy tale book and I was so excited when not only was Beauty and the Beast the first story, it was also the one they used for the cover art.

That's one of my favorites, too! 

Marvel or DC (and please don’t say “neither” or “both”)?

Marvel. I tend to like action movies that are balanced out with a good deal of witty humor and not too dark, so that’s why I’ve always liked Marvel better. Though I’m really hoping they aren’t starting to go darker with the latest couple of movies…

 I'm not sure it's possible for Marvel to go completely dark, given their obsessive love of quips.

What piece of writing advice has helped you the most?

That would probably be the advice I got from my 7^th through 9^th grade English teacher who told me writing was a series of baby steps. You don’t have to worry about trying to master it all at once. Start slow and work on mastering the next step.
That's really great advice!

How does it feel to be known as an evil author?

Ha, ha. As long as that is always said fondly, I don’t mind. 

And we couldn't say it any other way but fondly. Though I'll never completely forgive you for the cliffhanger at the end of Deny.

About the Author

Tricia Mingerink is a twenty-something, book-loving, horse-riding country girl. She lives in Michigan with her family and their pack of pets. When she isn't writing, she can be found pursuing backwoods adventures across the country.

You can connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Goodreads, Twitter, Instagram, and her blog.

About the Book:

Freedom begins with finding the truth.

Amidst the turmoil caused by Smyth’s arrest, Celeste is stuck in limbo, stripped of her citizenship, with no choice but to flee to a peaceful Kyraenean hideaway with the tumultuous Amaya Mason.

When bounty hunters threaten the local orphanage, Celeste and Amaya must work together and fight. Even if it means risking what they cherish the most.

His plans in tatters, his career in jeopardy, Mick Haynes is forced to leave Kyraenea with the enigmatic Torrance Kyle, the agent he still can’t trust.

Torrance is good at lying, and even better at hiding his pain, but is he strong enough to deal with the consequences of betraying his own father?

Can Celeste accept the truth, accept her place in the Haynes family or will lies chain her to the past and destroy her chance at a new life?

Dissociate is available for sale on Amazon here. The first two books in the series Disowned and Dissemble are also available on Amazon.

About the Author:

Sarah Addison-Fox is a New Zealand-born home-schooling mother of two who loves action-packed fantasy with strong heroines. She has an astonishing amount of nail polish, has all her creative writing credentials shoved in a drawer somewhere, and has a husband who, after 27 years, can still make her blush. When she’s not working on her Christian YA fantasy series',  she can be found fangirling on Goodreads or sending GIFs on Twitter.

To celebrate the release of Dissociate and Dagger’s Sleep, Sarah Addison-Fox and Tricia Mingerink are hosting a day-long Facebook Festival. There will be plenty of games and giveaways, not to mention Serena Chase, author of the Eyes of E’veria series, will be the guest of honor. It’s a party you won’t want to miss! You’ll be able to stop by any time during the day to join the fun, no matter what time zone you live in!

Link to the Facebook Festival: https://www.facebook.com/events/244246872802075/


Sarah Addison-Fox and Tricia Mingerink are each hosting a giveaway for their books for the blog tour.

Sarah Addison-Fox is giving away a paperback set of the first three books in the Allegiance Series. The giveaway is open internationally where such giveaways are permitted and where Createspace ships. The books may or may not be signed depending on where the winner lives.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tricia Mingerink is giving away a paperback of Dagger’s Sleep. The giveaway is open internationally where such giveaways are permitted and where Createspace or the Book Depository ships. The book may or may not be signed depending on where the winner lives.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday – May 22

Laura Grace – Author Interview

Reading Anyone – Book Review

Jaye L Knight – Book Spotlight

Quirky Faith – Book Reviews and Author Interview

Wednesday – May 23

Allyson Kennedy – Author Interview

Sam H. – Book Review

Addyson Huneke - Book Review and Author Interview

Ivie Brooks - Book Reviews

Thursday – May 24

Shantelle Mary - Book Review and Book Spotlight

Brie Donning - Book Review and Multi-Character Interview

Blooming with Books - Book Review and Author Interview

Julian Daventry - Book Review and Author Interview

Friday – May 25

Faith Thompson - Book Reviews and Author Interview

Hannah Gaudette - Author Interview

CM Williams - Book Review

Chloe Parker - Book Reviews

Saturday – May 26

JM Christian - Book Review and Multi-Character Interview

Abigail McKenna - Book Reviews

Liv Fisher - Author Interview

Book Wolf - Book Reviews and Author Interview

Liz Koetsier – Book Spotlight

Monday – May 28

Jessica Dowell - Book Review and Author Interview

Lila Kims - Book Reviews

Marie Elrich - Book Reviews

Faith Potts - Book Review and Book Spotlight

Facebook Festival – begins 5PM EST May 24th through 9PM EST May 25th with special guest Serena Chase

The Liebster Award

   I've never actually done the Liebster Award before, so when my lovely sister Morgan left her Liebster Award post open for takers, I jumped on the opportunity of doing it instead of actually finishing one of my blog post drafts or reading more about the British during the Revolution for my research paper. Thanks, Morgan!

The Rules:

Thank the person who nominated you

Answer the 11 questions they gave you

Name 11 facts about you

Nominate 11 bloggers to do this tag, and let them know

Give them 11 questions to answer

1. What is your favorite song?

You mean I have to pick? You evil person! Let's see... *scrolling through my "Favorites" playlist on Spotify*  Currently it's a tossup between "SHERlocked", "Song of Captivity and Freedom", and the entire Ratatouille soundtrack. Also "That's What Friends Are For (The Vulture Song)", "The Breaking of the Fellowship", "The Ellie Badge", and "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer". I'm indecisive, okay?

2. Do you play an instrument? If so, which one, and if not, which one would you like to learn?

Yes. I play the piano. I've been taking paid lessons since 2008, with just a little gap the year we moved. I was my first teacher's first student.

3. Which book have you reread the most?
I'm not sure, but it's probably one of the Ilyon books. They are my comfort reads, after all.

4. What is your favorite day of the week?

I don't know. I'd say Sunday, except Sunday comes right before Monday, so it's a tossup between Sunday and Saturday. I also like Friday, but Friday generally contains school or work, so ick.

5. What is your favorite vacation place?

Disney World. Hands down. It is the happiest place on Earth, after all. I only wish I could go more. And that I could visit all the other Disney resorts.

6. Do you like spending time outside?

No. I would if there weren't so many stupid bugs outside, but I can't handle being in their home territory. Plus, the growing things want me to die, or at least lead a very miserable life. And I'm a wimp about extreme temperatures. But I do enjoy being outside, when the weather is mild and I'm all caught up on allergy meds and the bugs are away. Or it's winter. I do like winter. But chances are, I'd probably choose being inside over being outside.

7. What household chore do you dread most?

It used to be putting out pine straw and mowing. But we don't use pine straw in our landscaping anymore and our yard is too steep for anybody but my dad to mow (and occasionally my mom, if she goes a certain direction down the hill with the mower). So I can honestly say I don't know. Maybe doing dishes, but I don't hate it all that much.

8. Do you like driving? If you don't have your license yet, are you looking forward to getting it?

Yes, I do, when it doesn't terrify me. But no, I'm not looking forward to getting my license. Why, do you say? Because having your license means you have to pay for gas. And insurance.

9. Do you like sweet tea or dirty water (unsweet tea)?
Gross. No. Yuck. I hate cold tea. The only good tea is hot tea with plenty of milk and sugar. I refuse to pick a side in this culture war.

10. Are you registered to vote, or planning to register as soon as you are eligible?

No, I am not registered to vote. (Muahahaha!) I am counting down the days to after this year's election so I can register. I'm just upset there won't be anything to vote for next year.

11. What is the saddest movie you have ever seen?
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. That was the worst movie on the planet. The worst thing about it was it wasn't even plausible. SO WHY RIP VIEWERS' HEARTS TO SHREDS LIKE THAT???

1. I've never broken a bone or been stung. *knock on wood* I was not a very rambunctious child. And was banned from climbing trees because my mom thought I would hurt myself. I am accident-prone, so she was probably right.

2. I have walked into the wall before. PSA: Don't watch TV and perambulate.

3. I used to love The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror until it made me sick on my last Disney trip. Now, I refuse to go on any rides that drop straight down.

4. I have watched the National Dumpling Day Parade, the only parade that goes both ways at once, the only parade that spends zero dollars on floats, and the only parade that you don't know you're in until you hear them talking about you on the radio. Visit Disney's Hollywood Studios today and you can probably catch a similar parade in honor of Dinosaur Day or National Chocolate Chip Day or Straw Hat Day.

5. We used to have a "pet" green tree frog that always stuck around our house and sat outside on our dining room window at nights during the summer. He moved with us to our old house living in our grill. We named him Preston. But he died a few years ago.

6. I went door-to-door for Barry Loudermilk when I was three years old. He was running for state house and my dad and older sister were always going door-to-door for him. My sister and I would rather have actually gone door-to-door than sit in the car and watch other people do it, so my dad took each of us to a few houses. I wanted to keep doing it, but my parents wouldn't let me.

7. Gagging yourself doesn't quiet you. Neither does putting Scotch tape over your mouth. I would know, since I've done both.

8. I once asked my family to tie me to a post in case I was the next Harry Houdini. I wasn't.

9. I have legitimate arachnophobia. I stepped barefoot on a daddy long legs when I was three and have been uncontrollably terrified ever since.

10. I don't like getting dressed. I'd rather just wear pajamas. Getting dressed involves too many decisions.

11. I hate Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Luke Skywalker is my hero and it is not okay to portray him like that. He refused to kill his own father when his father was Darth freakin' Vader and you expect me to believe that he tried to kill his nephew when he just saw hints of darkness in him? NO. #NotmyLukeSkywalker (other things I hate about it: Rey's "big reveal" about her parentage, Snoke's death and Hux's consequent non-reveal as a big bad Sith Lord, green milk, Carrie Poppins, the whole Finn and Rose side-plot, and Admiral Holdo for starters. Finn and Rose are my NOTP.)

I'll try and nominate eleven bloggers, but unless they read this blog post, they probably won't find out about it, because I'm super shy and will not reach out to them and tell them.

Kendra Ardnek (you probably won't do this, but I'm nominating you anyway)

RhoXie Mans (did I spell it right? anyway, you know who you are)

Jaye L. Knight (you're probably super busy, but I'm doing this anyway)

Melanie Crone (you've done this before, haven't you? I hope you won't mind doing it again)

J. Grace Pennington 

Jack Lewis Baillot (I don't mind if you only get around to doing this in a year or so)

Tricia Mingerink

Maddy Crone (except you have a photography blog, so I don't know if you do stuff like this)

Aaaaaand that's all the people I know. Welp. At least I tried.

1. What's your favorite breed of dog?
2. What, in your opinion, is the worst movie ever?
3. Did you see Infinity War? If so, what did you think (especially of the ending)? If not, what outdated piece of technology are you sad is now obsolete?
4. Who is your favorite president?
5. If you found a magic lamp, what would your three wishes be?
6. Did you see The Last Jedi? If so, did you love it, hate it, or somewhere in between? If you didn't, how and why have you escaped for this long?
7. What upcoming movie are you most excited about?
8. What is your favorite childhood memory?
9. What is your biggest pet peeve?
10. Most favorite and least favorite things about growing up?
11. On a scale of one to becoming an isolated hermit, how disgusted are you with your generation?

Spider-Man: Homecoming Review

   Anyone that knows me can tell you that I'm a huge fan of Spider-Man. I loved the original movies and I loved Spidey's appearance in Captain America: Civil War. (I wasn't a fan of the Amazing Spider-Man movies, but that's neither here nor there.) So needless to say, I was super excited when Spider-Man: Homecoming was released. I managed to convince my dad to take me to go see it not long after it came out, but due to Camp NaNo and other stuff, I haven't gotten around to doing such things as writing reviews for a while. So, without further ado, here is my (rather fangirly) review of the latest Spider-Man movie.

   First of all, this movie starts out hilariously. I loved how the original Spider-Man theme was incorporated into the intro music. The rest of the music was beautiful as well. Michael Giacchinno, while he couldn't measure up to John Williams with his Rogue One soundtrack, still did an amazing job with this movie.

   The technical aspects of this movie were very well done. Filming, lighting, acting, CGI, even the costumes were spectacularly done. Something so subtle and easily overlooked as costume design can really complement a story's plot and characters well, and this time they did so. Just something as simple as Peter's clothing choices says volumes about his character. 

   I mean, this t-shirt screams nerd:

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   Also, Peter's two different Spidey suits designed by Stark were beautiful. Just sayin'.
   The plot was amazing. It wasn't ridiculously predictable, way too complex, shallow and meaningless, or centered around a girl. It wasn't even in the vein of a typical superhero movie. It was very well-written. The plot points were all spot-on and powerful. The plot twist near the end was very unexpected, and the climax was masterful.

    The characters. Wow, the characters. They are some of the best parts of the movie. My favorite, naturally, was Peter Parker himself. He was a nerd, a dork, and a hero. And what's more, Marvel didn't feel the need to tell this to their audience. They just let it show. As a fellow super-dorky nerd, I really appreciated it. Peter was by no means perfect, but he had a good heart, and it showed. His character arc was amazing, and the center of the whole movie. His flaws were shown as clearly as his virtues, which takes bravery. He changed so beautifully. Alright, I'm done fangirling.
   The other characters were marvelous and deep. Tony has very obviously adopted Peter as his son, and is trying to do a better job fathering him than Howard Stark did with Tony. He states several times that he wants Peter to be a better person than he is. He makes some tough decisions and says some hard things to Peter that really help him overcome his flaws and struggles. Ned was a wonderful, loyal friend to Peter, and a great "guy in the chair." :) Peter's crush, Liz, was sweet, kind, and very understanding. And MJ was a star. She was hysterical, and I can't wait for more interaction between her and Peter in the future.
   The theme. Hardly separable from the character arc. It was so powerful and wonderful. Unfortunately, I'll have to see it more times before I'll be able to articulate further. Guess I'll just have to buy the DVD or something.
   All in all, this was a wonderful movie. I wouldn't recommend it to younger children, especially not without their parents viewing it first, mainly because of the language. You can read a good overview of the content concerns here. Despite all that, I would recommend it to teens and up, and for any Marvel fans or Spider-Man fans.
   Now, I just hope I get this movie for Christmas so I can rewatch it a ton.