The Avengers series is based on the Marvel Comics written from 1961 and later. The Avengers movie was not the first movie in the series but instead the sixth. Prior to the Avengers movie, five were made in order to lay a back story and introduced audiences to Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, Mark Rafallo’s The Hulk, Chris Hemsworth’ Thor and Chris Evans Captain America. In 2012, the Marvel Universe released the first Avengers movie. The movie was directed by Whedon who out did himself when it came to special effects and action packed battles. The movie opens to Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, Thor’s evil brother, arriving on Earth through a doorway through space called the tesseract after being sent by leaders of a world looking to take over the world and conquer the universe. After Loki’s appearance is made, Agent Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, orders for SHIELD  to initiate the Avenger Initiative. The Avenger Initiative requires that all of the super beings that SHIELD had recruited up until this point in time must be assembled to create the ultimate super team that can hopefully defeat any threat to Earth. Loki makes a move to gain access to a relic that has the ability to give him an advantage against Earth when he wages war. During his heist he is captured by Iron Man and Captain America. When they try to transfer him back to SHIELD headquarters Thor ambushes the aircraft in which Loki is on and kidnaps him in an attempt to find the whereabouts of the tesseract. After Loki is recovered from Thor, the Avengers go to work on figuring out how to locate the tesseract and what Loki’s scheme consists of. Before long, The Avengers find themselves at odds with each other and must figure out how to be a team in order to defeat Loki and his Army. 

In 1993 Steven Speilburg directed and released the enormous blockbuster Jurassic Park. In the film paleontologist Alan Grant who is played by Sam Neil and Ellie Sattler who is played by Laura Dern are among a select group of people chosen to embark on an island that is inhabited with dinosaurs. The dinosaurs in the park are made from DNA that was found inside of a mosquito that was preserved in tree sap. Richard Attenborough plays Hammond, an investor with a lot of money and a vision of building an amusement park on the island. He also recruited Alan and Ellie to come and serve as experts on the island  and to help him earn the approval from the insurance company’s lawyer Ganaro who is played by Martin Ferrero. They are also joined by Jeff Goldblum’s character Malcolm. Malcolm is a mathematician that was brought along with group and he often offers his opinion whether people like it or not. Hammond’s son, Nedry who is played by Wayne Knight, works on the island as a computer technician and programmer. Nedry also happens to feel like he is mistreated by his father Hammond because he will not give him any more money outside of his salary. He also has access to the islands entire security system and electronics which allows him to control all electronic devices connected to the islands server. Since he has all this power over the island, Nedry decides to help a third party steal dinosaur embryos from the park. During his heist, he violates several security rules and warnings that help keep the island from being overrun with deadly dinosaurs. Before long, a tyrannosaurus rex escapes from its enclosure and claims the life of Genaro. Not to mention every door and gate on the island have been unlocked for whoever or whatever to roam free. As the Dinosaurs begin to over take the island while racking up a significant body count, Alan, Ellie and Malcolm have to fight to survive and get off the island before it is too late.

Full Metal Jacket is a war film that was released in 1987. It was directed, co-written, and produced by Stanley Kubrick who gives his take on the Vietnam War by following the main character’s life throughout his marine boot camp and the TET Offensive. The main character, Private Davis, played by Mathew Modine, is the focal point of the movie because of the challenges he faces as well as the relationships he makes while he is in the Marine Core. The opening scene sets the tone in which the film will operate within by introducing the audience to Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, played by R. Lee Ermey, a foul mouthed drill sergeant who is in-charge of breaking the recruits in boot camp and turning them into stone cold “killing machines”. Sergeant Hartman opens by addressing what the expectations of being a marine under his authority requires while he also manages to insult every recruit in an attempt to get a reaction. Throughout bootcamp, the audience begins to learn of a recruit who learns slower and is not as physically capable due to his own fault called Private Pyle, played by Vincent D’Onofrio. After Sergeant Hartman tries to motivate Private Pyle by all means of verbal and physical abuse possible, he proves to be a burden to the rest of the recruits because they are punished for all of his mistakes. Private Davis is assigned to being responsible for helping and teaching Private Pyle what he lacks. As bootcamp comes to an end Private Pyle becomes a well rounded marine but he seems to be a bit off in the head. On the last night in the bunks Private Pyle kills Sergeant Hartman before killing himself. Immediately the film jumps into the Vietnam War with Private Davis paying for a hooker while he should be on duty. Throughout the rest of the movie Private Davis learns what it means to be field marine in Vietnam while the audience watches his growth from a sarcastic boy  to a mature man.

Directed by Martin Scorsese, the masterpiece known as the Wolf of Wall Street will blow audiences away with the incredible performances delivered by all of the actors and actresses within the film as well as the graphic and uncensored rawness of movie. Almost the events within the movie took place between 1988 and 1999, but the movie was not able to be released until 2013. Since The Wolf of Wall Street is based on a true story, the producers had to wait on the person in which the movie is about, Jordan Belfort, to be released from prison after being convicted of money laundering and fraud. The film opens up Jordan Belfort, extremely wealthy investor and owner of Stratton Oakmont Investments, driving a white Ferrari at an excessive speed along the estates of upstate New York with a very beautiful lady in the passenger’s seat flaunting her perfections. For almost five minutes Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, narrates to what extent his wealth reaches. When the first scene ends the audience is sent back in time ten years to see young Jordan Belfort chasing the American Dream on Wall Street with his hometown fiancé. Jordyn quickly falls in love with his job after experiencing the perks of instant money, drugs , alcohol and woman. As quickly as Jordyn’s American Dream came true it turned back into just a dream. Struggling to pay the bills, Jordan gets a job at a local penny stock firm that just needs a little coaching and experience that Jordyn is able to provide. Jordan expeditiously takes control of the firm and before the audience can blink the firm is one of the largest on Wall Street. A life of luxury and wealth ends up being the demise of Jordan because he becomes too greedy and ends up compromising a lot of people’s finances and stealing from millions. 

As director, Brian De Palma delivered a masterpiece when he released the 1983 film Scarface. Upon initial release the movie was scrutinized for portraying a Cubans as violent criminals. That is not all, due to the extreme amount of violence, profanity, and gory content within the movie people did not show up to see it in theaters. Nearly 20 years later the film rose in popularity and has been hailed one of the greatest crime films of all time. Al Pacino plays the star of the show, Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee who earned his green card into the United States by assassinating a Cuban government official. Throughout the movie Tony gets bored working at a food stand on a beach in Miami and pursues a career in the drug trade. Upon one of his first dealings one of his best friends is killed in a set up. Tony sees it as an opportunity to earn favor with the largest drug trafficker in the state of Florida. Serving as one of the top men in the drug trade of Florida, Tony falls in love with the wife of his boss which leads to an assassination attempt upon Tony’s life. Tony survives the attack, but filled with rage he surprises all of the men who where his superiors and executes them in a ruthless fashion. At the same moment in time Tony assumes the head of the drug trade in Miami and becomes the largest drug trafficker in the state if Florida. Within a few short months Tony has been disowned by his family and he has entered in drug wars with the cartels in Columbia. Throughout the movie, the audience is taken on an emotional roller coaster as hearts are broken and decisions with inevitable endings are made. The tragedy, Scarface, is a must watch movie when the audience is of an appropriate age.

John Lasseter made a spectacular directing debut when Toy Story was released in 1995. Toy Story was the first of its kind because it was the first film that was completely computer animated. Toy Story brings to life a child’s, Andy, toys as they face everyday struggles that people in everyday life may experience. When a new toy, Buzz Lightyear, is given too Andy for his birthday everything the toys once knew as the norm was on the verge of changing for Andy’s toys. Woody, Andy’s favorite toy and the “mayor” of all the toys Andy owns, is greatly opposed to Buzz because he feels like Andy is going to love and play with more him more. It takes buzz a while to realize that he is not a real astronaut, but when he does it crushes him and forces him into a depressed state. Woody feels as if he has won the battle of Andy’s favorite, but eventually realizes that it is unfair to exclude Buzz and force him out of Andy’s life. In the this movie as the toys learn to work together they face challenges in which everyone, including buzz, is needed to overcome. Toy Story uses the element of childhood toys to engage with the audiences’ emotions as they can relate to having a favorite toy growing up. The movie also uses the platform to illustrate what the writers feel as true friendship. Toy Story has gone on to create three more movies that audiences have learned to love. The series is capable of reaching all ages because it is appropriate for young and old viewers that are looking to watch a movie together. Toy Story ultimately paved the way for all completely animated movies and created a new genre of family friendly movies that have a strong message.

The Star Wars Saga, written and directed by George Lucas, was introduced to the public as episode four, A New Hope, was release in 1977 as a political statement about the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union. With the scripts written for three movies the saga continued into the 1980s until the producers decided it was time for a break. In 1999 the saga was revived with episode one, The Phantom Menace. In the Phantom Menace, the audience is flashed back about thirty years prior to episode one. Within the first scene corruption in the highest levels of government are exposed and Master Yoda seems to be leading an underground revolution that aims to defend the code of the Jedi. Quickly after, the audience is whisked away to a poor planet in which young Anakin Skywalker, also know as Darth Vader and also Luke Sky Walkers father, is building a racing pod that he aims to race in attempt to earn money for his family. As he puts the pod to the test in a race, he quickly shows his ability to learn on the spot as well as his ability to perform far ahead of his years. He is recruited by Obi Wan Kanobi who catches a glance of the race. As Anakin is brought back to the capital to begin his Jedi training, his abilities show to be more advanced than those of the other padawans. The film flashes ten years forward to Anakin breaking into adulthood as he has entered his final stages of training to become a Jedi. But, the Imperial Army stages attacks to throw the Jedi coalition off their guard and away from the capitol as they take they take the offensive. Throughout the film the audience is reintroduced to several of their favorite characters before they were they significant figures in episodes four through six. The audience also learns of several bridges that connect good and evil throughout the saga.

Forrest Gump, directed by Robert Zemeckis, was released in July of 1994. The movie is an autobiography told by the fictional main character, Forrest Gump, while he is waiting for a bus. The movie addresses many political and practical problems that have plagued American and the World for thousands of years. From drug abuse and alcoholism to civil rights and the war in Vietnam. Forrest Gump, played by Tom Hanks, is a boy from Alabama that was born with learning disabilities as well as a walking impairment which requires leg braces for the early years of his life. Forrest is bullied and taunted in high school for his disabilities. Though he lives a rough and unforgiving life, his “moma”, played by Sally Field, always seemed to have interesting sayings that kept his going through his childhood. Jenny is Forrest’s best and only friend throughout his childhood. Jenny defends Forrest when it comes to bullies and invented the famous saying, ”Run Forrest, Run!”. Jenny is abused as a child which results in her running away from her home. Throughout the movie, Jenny is presented in many different stages of life that several people in the world could relate to in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Forrest’s adult life starts with him mowing grass at the local high school football field where he is made fun of by the football team. Bear Bryant, arguably the best football coach of all time and longtime University of Alabama football coach, noticed how fast he was and offered him a full scholarship to the University of Alabama to play football on the best team in the United States. While Forrest is playing football, Forrest unknowingly finds himself in the middle of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Following Forrest’s graduation he goes on to be enlisted into the Army Special Services and becomes friends with a African American man named Bubba. Throughout the rest of Forrest’s life, a viewer can learn how being honest, respectful, obedient, kind and pure in heart leads to a life of happiness and love.

Pulp Fiction, directed by Quentin Tarantino and released in October of 1994, the movie taps into the lives of two mob hitmen, a gangster and his wife, a boxer, and a pair of restaurant bandits. Throughout the movie the timeline is rearranged in order to hide information but at the same time give clues to the audience as to what is to come. The opening scene of the movie starts in a diner in which a couple is eating breakfast and the two decide that they are better than robbing liquor stores and gas stations and conclude that they need to rob the diner they are currently sitting in. The scene is cut immediately and the audience is introduced to the two hitmen, Vincent Vega, played by Johnny Travolta, and Jules Winnfield, played by Samuel L. Jackson, who are currently on their way to collect stolen merchandise from their boss, Marsellus Wallace, who is the gangster and also played by Ving Rhames. In the scene, the audience witnesses Jules psychologically tear apart the thieves and then viciously murder three men within the first fifteen minutes of the movie. The following scene contains Marsellus and the boxer, Butch Coolige, played by Bruce Willis, making a deal in which Butch is going to go down in the fifth round of a fight he is predicted to win. From there the story dips and dives through time as the audience does not yet know the actual sequence in which the events occur until the final scene in which all the people within the film are finally connected together at the same point in time. The film is great because it draws in the audience as soon as it begins and due to the twists and turns the audience experiences. 

Home Alone has become a staple in the holiday season when it was released in 1990. Director, Chris Columbus, collaborated with Macaulay Culkin who plays Kevin, an eight year old boy and the star of the film. The movie opens up to the night before Maccalisters are set leave on their Maccalister family Christmas vacation to Paris. Throughout the night two police officers turn out to be burglars stop by to see if the Maccalisters would be in town over the holidays.After the to fake police officers leave, Kevin gets himself in trouble after aging on every member of the family in some way. Since Kevin is the youngest in his family and feels that his family does not love him as much of the others, Kevin acts out and has screaming matches with his parents and siblings. Ultimately, his parents sent him to the attic to reflect on his actions. When morning comes, the alarm clocks do not sound because the power went due to a blizzard that hit Chicago. An hour after the Maccalisters were supposed to leave they burst into a mad dash and head for the airport. In the knick of time the Maccalisters make their flight and are on the way to Paris. Not until they land do they notice they forgot one thing. Kevin! Kevin Wakes up to a quiet house. As he explores the house he quickly realizes that he is home alone and is free to do whatever he wants to whenever he wants to. As Kevin’s family tries to get back home to find their dear son Kevin, the burglars return to steal all the valuables within the house. Kevin prepares for the invasion by boobytrapping his house. Throughout the movie Kevin learns what it means to be mature and how much he truly loves his family and how much they love him.