My Ranking of the Marvel Films

Here is my ranking of Marvel films that have been released over the last 15 years.  Remember this is just my personal opinion. I'm curious to see how others would rank these films. I didn't include anything from Fox or Sony. Bravo Disney for acquiring the rights to the X-Men and I guess The Fantastic Four.    

20. Hulk, 2003: I don't know if this can count? I only saw it on cable, once, and I don't think this is considered a part of the MCU, whereas Edward Norton's version is.

19. Captain America: The First Avenger, 2011:  This was a snooze fest. I've watched it only twice, the first time, not really watching but more along the lines of napping. We did not see this in theaters, it was a rental at home. 

18. The Incredible Hulk, 2008: Better than the 2003 version, but I get annoyed at reboots. I can remember when and where I saw this film. My husband and I had just gotten married. We waited until the 4th of July holiday to watch it. 

17. Thor: The Dark World, 2013: This was bad, definitely worse than the original. It felt very rushed. 

16. Iron Man 3, 2013: I wish Iron Man's final solo outing could have been better. 

15. Thor, 2011: Thor's first outing was really bad, sorry Kenneth Branagh, nice try though. There were some funny parts to it, but I just didn't care for the character, The God of Thunder with long hair and a hammer. He was nice to look at though.

14. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, 2017: I thought it was ok, not a favorite, but not bad enough to be at the bottom. Mantis was a great addition. The scenes with Drax and Mantis are the best. 

13. Iron Man 2, 2010: Just ok.

12. Avengers: Age of Ultron, 2015: I felt it was just another rushed film and I was a little lost. Those damn infinity stones!!

11. Captain America: The Winter Soldier, 2014: This was a much better movie!

10. Spider-Man: Homecoming, 2017: I hope Marvel gets to keep the rights for this film. Sony did a horrible job with the reboot and should have left the films alone. He should be called Spider-Boy, not Spider-Man.

9. Guardians of the Galaxy, 2014: Chris Pratt and Dave Bautista are really funny, the end. 

8. Iron Man, 2008: The movie that started it all.  

7. The Avengers, 2012: I really enjoyed this movie, but there are so many more that I love. It was a fun.

6. Ant-Man, 2015: I love Paul Rudd. I really thought the movie was going to be stupid, but I was wrong. It was good. 

5. The Avengers: Infinity War, 2018: I can't wait to see how this ends and bravo for bringing Nick Fury back! P.S. I saw him at LAX on my way to Chicago. I forbade my husband from yelling something out to him. We had to keep our cool. 

4. Doctor Strange, 2016: Come on guys, I'm waiting patiently for a sequel. I LOVED the special effects!! 

3. Black Panther, 2018: I think the hype ruined it for me. Sorry, as much as I LOVE Chadwick Boseman, and I think Black Panther is awesome, I didn't love the movie. 

2. Captain America: Civil War, 2016: I loved this movie!! It was like The Avengers: Infinity War Jr. This was the best of the three and one of my favorite Marvel films! Captain America Civil War

1. Thor: Ragnarok, 2017: This is still my favorite Marvel movie!! I wrote a review a few months back, so I won't say anything more here. Thor Ragnarok

So here is my ranking of the MCU. I can't wait to see what they have in store for us next!





  

Avengers: Infinity War

I love Thor, I love Black Panther, I love Captain America, I love The Avengers. For years now, we have been awaiting the arrival of the "big bad" Thanos. It's no secret that he is the baddie in The Avengers: Infinity War. With that being said, this review comes to you with spoilers. If you haven't yet seen Infinity War and you don't want to be spoiled, turn back now. You've been warned.

At the end of Thor Ragnarok, doesn't Thor meet up with the Guardians of the Galaxy? It was the last "end credit" scene, I mean, am I wrong about that? So here's my idea of a plot hole.  Infinity Wars opens up with Thor and Loki being attacked by Thanos. He wants the infinity stone in the Tesseract. He kills most of the inhabitants of Asgard who were saved in Ragnarok. Loki gets killed again. I hope that this time he stays that way, but more on that later. Thor is flying in space (why does Disney continue to this??  It's lame) and lands on the Guardians spaceship. There is a hilarious exchange between, Thor and the Guardians. Chris and Chris nail it. What a great comedic duo. Drax and Mantis are amazing! But again, why are Thor and the Guardians being reintroduced? Someone please explain this to me, seriously.

The setting takes place in various locations, with various members of Team Avengers working together to try and stop Thanos from collecting all of the Infinity Stones. The purpose to have all the stones is to rid the universe (not just the world) of half the population, so that those who do make the cut, can live happy lives without the fear of starvation and poverty. He succeeds in collecting all six infinity stones, even the Soul stone which is being watched over by Red Skull from Captain America. In order to do this he must trade a soul for a soul, so he kills the only thing he ever loved, his "daughter" Gamora. This annoys me, but more on that later.  Apparently, Thanos is a kidnapper who abducts Gamora from her home planet, after he nearly destroys it.

In the end Thanos, with the snap of his finger, kills almost everyone in the universe, except for all of the ORIGINAL AVENGERS, oh and Rocket.  So, we are left with: Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Captain America, and Bruce Banner. All of the characters who only have one movie left in their Marvel contracts, which means, something will happen and everyone will be resurrected again, a la Justice League's Superman.

Now this is where I have the problem. We know contractually the recently obliterated Avengers will be back. I think that Vision and Loki are truly dead. I hope they are, not because I didn't like their characters, but because we need to have some loss.  They didn't turn to dust like the others. Vision's body was still intact. Loki, we just didn't see again. Thor even states, "He's been dead before." Gamora we know is already coming back. She'll be in Guardians 3. I'm really over the "resurrection" story-line. It's been played out, it doesn't work.

Overall, the movie was wildly entertaining. It kept my attention from start to finish. When Captain America and Thor showed up to the fight, the audience went wild. My husband took a nap, but that's typical. Ragnarok is still my favorite film in the MCU. I definitely liked this movie better than Black Panther, and would recommend it if you're already a fan and have seen the previous films. Newbies would be lost. Articles I've read, stated how connected the Avengers were when they got together to fight, I would have to disagree. My dream is to see everyone working together. I would have LOVED to see an Iron Man and Captain America reconciliation, is that too much to ask? I wish I watched all of the previous films leading up to this one. That would have been helpful. I mean we're talking a ten year span of movies.

This movie only had one end credit scene. Nick Fury calls on Captain Marvel right before he turns to dust. So chances are, she'll be in the next one. Pay close attention to Chris Hemsworth's eyes. Rocket gives him a new eyeball, so no more patch. I was disappointed to not see Ant-Man. I love Paul Rudd so much! I'm thinking, he might be in round two.

Overall, Avengers Infinity War gets 4 out of 5 Pink Gerber Daisies.

UPDATE: One thing I forgot to mention that really irked me, why didn't they just cut off Thanos's arm when they had the chance??? 

Spring Break in Chicago

I saw snow fall for the first time and it was the most magical thing ever. Don't get me wrong, I've seen snow on the ground before, in Big Bear and New York, but being a Socal native, I've never seen a snowfall. Every year my husband and I travel out of state. The last two years we traveled to warmer climates, this year we went to Chicago and had a fantastic time. 

Happy at the beginning

I lost these glasses and I loved them so much!!

I love the big city. I love the shopping, the art, the food and the nightlife. I love the ease of getting around. Chicago was one of the last "big cities" for me to travel to and it didn't disappoint. Be prepared, public restrooms rarely have seat covers, there are only hand driers (these spread germs and spray feces on your face) and charge for bags.   

The views from our room at the Wyndham Grand Riverfront were amazing. I love staying in the timeshare. I feel like I'm at home. Of course you have to deal with the constant sales calls. My hubs and I just ignore them. 

Chicago is known for it's stuffed deep dish pizza. I'm not a fan of deep dish myself, but when in Rome. Our first stop was Bella Bacinos Italian Restaurant. The pizza was good and I enjoyed it. We also had deep dish at Giordano's. This is supposed to be a popular tourist destination. By the end of the trip, I was tired of pizza. 

The first thing we did was brave the freezing temperature to go on a sightseeing tour of Chicago's architecture on Wendella's boat tours. I enjoyed learning about the city's history. The tickets were a bit pricey, but the 75 minute ride was well worth it.

Tax in the city is ridiculously high, be forewarned. It's 10% in the city. I didn't shop a lot. I didn't have room in my suitcases anyway. I had to bring heavy winter coats. You see, because I live in California, it takes my body a few days to adjust to the cold weather, and oh boy was it cold. I thought it was colder than my trip to Massachusetts in November. I don't think that temps reached higher than 34 degrees. 

We spent a lot of time going to the museums. It was a cultural trip. We first went to The Museum of Contemporary Art. I wasn't a fan. Looking back, I wish we would have gone to the Art Institute of Chicago. It holds one of my favorite van Gogh's. 

We also visited one of the public libraries in the city. We went to the Adler Planetarium and Shedd Aquarium. Adler and Shedd were both located near each other. If you have the time, it's easier to kill two birds with one stone. Since we didn't leave our room before noon any day that we were there, we had to make two trips to the area. Take the 146 bus, not Uber.  I also suggest getting a city pass. It gets you to the head of the line in most places. You get tickets to The Field Museum, The Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium, Willis Tower, and either the Adler Planetarium or The Art Institute of Chicago, but not both.

Public transportation makes getting around the city a travelers dream. We took the Metro to Wrigley Field. We couldn't go on a tour of the stadium, but we had a good time walking around the Wrigley area. I suggest getting a metro pass for the week. They aren't that expensive and can be used on bus fare too. Parking in the city is ridiculously expensive too, that's why we didn't rent a car, parking would have cost us $66 a night. 

One night we went on a "Gangsters and Ghosts"  tour of the city. It was ok. I think I would have preferred to also go on just a gangster tour and had drinks at a former speakeasy.  I didn't find that there was much of either gangster or ghost on the tour, so we were slightly disappointed. I had a good time nonetheless, looking at the beautiful historical sites. Our tour guide showed us the beginning of Route 66. Now I can say I've been to the beginning and end of famous Route 66. 

Did you know that Sears Tower is no longer called Sears Tower? It's called Willis Tower now. It's super sad, because the last Sears store in the city is closing down this year. I think I would have liked to visit the Hancock building and "Tilt". The day we went, it was closed for a private party and a visibility of zero.  From the Willis Tower, you can see three states on a clear day; Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin. 

Navy Pier was another tourist trap. We had a lovely dinner at a seafood restaurant called Riva's on the pier, but the pier itself is geared more towards kids. They have a children's museum, and arcade. There was a lot of remodeling going on, and it probably wasn't the best season to visit the pier. It did snow the night we were there. 

The shopping is of course amazing. I feel like if I can get it back home, I shouldn't be buying it on vacation. Michigan Ave. has Magnificent Mile. A mile of upscale shops on both sides of the street. We visited two Macy stores and two Sephoras. I just loved to window shop. 

I love movie While You Were Sleeping. To be able to watch that film and identify the locations is really cool. Of course we heard about Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which ironically was also filmed in Long Beach. I was wishing that there was some sort of John Hugh's tour, but sadly, there wasn't. 

The city views were amazing. There was so much to do, I don't feel that we even scratched a portion of the surface. Oh well, it looks like I'll have to travel back to this gorgeous city!!

My favorite picture

One of my dreams has always been to work in the media. It was a privilege to see the Tribune building. 

My sad face having to leave this magical city!

Overall, we had an amazing, cold adventure in the city. I was sad to have it come to an end, but life isn't a vacation. now, we can't wait to start planning our next destination. 

Spirit Airlines Customer Beware!!

Every year my husband and I take a trip during spring break. This year our destination was the tropic, I mean snowy and cold,  Chicago. Before we get to that post, I have to tell you about my experience with Spirit Airlines, one of the worst airlines, I've ever flown.

This airline claims to be the "Bare Fare" because of their "cheap flights". The only thing that's bare is, well, it's the entire experience, so here it is.....

Unfortunately my travel agent (my husband) booked our flights last minute, even though the trip was planned June 2017. We purchased our March 31st flight in February. From now on I'm making the travel arrangements. Our departure time wasn't that bad. LAX at 8:30 in the morning, with an estimated Chicago arrival time at 2:50. This wasn't bad considering our check-in for our place was after 4.

The price of the nonstop flight wasn't that cheap. I had found cheaper in September, when I was booking my "flying solo" Thanksgiving trip to Massachusetts.

The check-in wasn't easy. You can't go up to the counter to check-in if you choose. You must check-in at the automated station, weigh your own bags and tag your own cases. There was a long line, but we got to the airport in time, so that wasn't a problem. This was the problem, the fact that bag check is $50 PER CHECKED BAG!!!!! That's right, we spent $100 before we even got to Chicago because we had TWO checked bags. BEWARE, they charge you $50 a bag AND it MUST be under 40 LBS. Anything over is an additional fee. Most airlines only charge a $100 added fee if your bag is over 50 LBS. I couldn't believe it!!! Buyer BEWARE, they will also charge $25 if you have a carry-on with wheels, which I did, but I carried it with the straps, so they didn't charge me.

The seats were just awful! They were super cramped, both in leg room and hip space. The guy next to me, who just happened to be an employee was really tall. I can't image what he was going through.

You know how most airlines offer complimentary beverage services? Well, you don't get that with the "Bare Fare" airline. Every beverage, including water, has a price. SERIOUSLY? The airline sucks. I travel a lot and never in all of my 21 years on earth have I experienced something so bare. At least on Southwest you get pretzels!

I really don't care if you have the youngest crew in the air. The service I experienced was poor. Once we arrived in Chicago we had to wait a  long while for our luggage. I was talking to some unfortunate fool from my flight, who said she only 'flys' Spirit in a jam and each time the service gets worse and worse. She said, "Well, at least we're home." To which I replied, "Oh no honey, I'm from California, just beginning my trip."

The only thing I got out of this HORRIBLE airline is a dirty bag (which was brand spanking new BTW) and less money to spend on the things that I happen to enjoy (visiting new places).

This new travel culture is pretty sad. You constantly hear of people being mistreated on their flights, poor quality service and expensive ticket prices. There really does have to be a change. I'm not at all expecting to fly for free, and travelers shouldn't act like jerks, but the service you get for the price you pay is truly depressing.

If you can, stay away from this airline at all costs. Spirit Airlines gets 0 out of 5 Pink Gerber Daisies. Find a better airline if you can!!!! If you see this airline on your Expedia page or app, scroll as fast as you can away from the Spirit Airlines option!!!!!

My dirty new bag wah wah wah