Movie Review: Avengers Endgame

I knew I had to see this one on opening weekend for several reasons. 1st is that it's the grand finale of the Avengers series that dated back in 2012. Second is in this age of social media spoilers, it's best to try and get ahead of the buzz. Especially when you work with a bunch of nerds who never stop talking about it, as is the case at my baseball job. I knew my best bet to get ahead of the buzz was to join the masses on opening weekend. And 3rd was I knew it was going to be a special effects behemoth that had to be appreciated in theaters.

The key to beating spoilers is to watch it while it's fresh and brand spanking new. Sure there are those who enjoy to read the leaks (such as my mom), but I do my best to block all that stuff out. I enjoy the suspense of not knowing what is going to happen, and the surprise and emotions that come with something fresh and new. It's the same as watching a live sports match where you have no idea what is going to happen, and it takes you on a roller coaster of emotions (especially if you're as a big of a fan as I am). I know this is a nerdy way to live, but its these things that keep me going, and I enjoy it. And now to the matter at hand regarding the Avengers; I enjoyed it very much and thought it was a fitting end to the series.


Avengers Review

Now fair warning, I am going to discuss some of the plot and characters of the movie, and don't want to be guilty of the exact thing I despise, Spoilers! And there's one that shines above the rest, that being the fate of Iron Man. I made this prediction several years ago that Iron Man would have to be the sacrificial hero, knowing his ego to always be the top dog. I suppose I also found it to be poetic justice since after all it was he who started the whole Marvel Superhero craze back in 2008. Robert Downy does a phenomenal job at creating an original witty superhero you just hate to love. His death at the end was the fitting close to the Avengers.

Perhaps the second biggest shock was the sacrificial death of Black Widow played by the very sexy Scarlett Johansson. This one I had no idea was coming and was the exact same scenario as the death of Gamora in the Infinity War. In order to get the soul stone, Black Widow and Hawkeye had to decide who would give up their life. After an honorable fight as to who would do it, Black Widow took the honor and scarified her life thus bringing an abrupt end to the heroine. However rumor has it she will soon have her own spin-off movie which will surely be set as a prequel to these events.

The movie consisted of a somewhat complex time-traveling mission in which the Avengers went back into 3 moments in time in order to collect the infinity stones before Thanos did. While I understood the basic flow of it all, I'm sure I'll have to watch it several more times to follow all the specific details. Thor and Hulk were my favorite characters and provided some very good comedic relief throughout the film. Perhaps my favorite part of the movie was the final battle which saw the other half of the Avengers return from oblivion.

All-in-all the movie was an epic summer blockbuster and already has shattered the box office records. I watched it with Philip and Benjamin and it made for quite a memorable and enjoyable experience. Although I thought some of the time traveling was perhaps over-complicating things, I still enjoyed the way it all worked out in the end. I was also glad Captain America got a proper walk-off as it was he who was always intended to be the leader of the Avengers. While this marks an end for the Avenger series, there are still many other Marvel super hero movies to come that I look forward to.

Historical Study: Scottish Wars of Independence

For the past month now I have been emerged in an Irish appreciation phase, perhaps unlike ever before. This has consisted of a full intake of Irish culture, from it's food, drinks, music, films, documentaries, folklore, history, and anything pertaining to Ireland. I suppose some of this fascination can be credited to my recent binge watching of Game of Thrones. The show is quite similar to Lord of the Rings, and is set in a fantasy world that imitates an Irish or British countryside during medieval times. I will eventually have a full post and review on Game of Thrones after I finish watching the final season in June.

I intend to continue my Irish appreciation thru the spring-time, especially that of Celtic music. Whether it's driving in my car, falling asleep, or going for a run I find the music of Enya, the Cranberries, Riverdance, and Irish instrumentals to be very soothing. With that said however I take a slight pivot today to Scotland, yet not too far from my phase as I consider Scottish customs to be somewhat similar to that of Ireland. Perhaps I see this connection in it's proximity and similar geographic structure of green countrysides and rolling hills. However unlike Ireland, Scotland is still a territory of the United Kingdom, along with Northern Ireland and Wales. 

The first thing that comes to mind when I think Scotland are two things; the bagpipes and William Wallace. I believe it was thanks to Mel Gibson's critically acclaimed film, Braveheart, that made Wallace's story so well known to most today. This movie remains one of my all time favorites, listed at number 6 on my list. While I can imagine how historically inaccurate it is, it still demonstrates the historical setting of the Scottish War of Independence from Britain during the early 1300s. The film demonstrates the heroic magnitude of William Wallace, the rise of Robert the Bruce, and the injustice of the British monarchy.

However a few things to consider in regards to Scottish history after watching this film. First is that it was not William Wallace yet Robert the Bruce who lead the Scottish armies against England. Also is that there were two wars fought; first from 1296 to 1328 and the second from 1332 to 1357. Scotland did achieve it's independence as a sovereign nation for nearly 400 years until 1707 when it was re-merged with England by King James VI under the Act of Union. To this day Scotland remains a territory of Britain, and just in 2014 the majority of Scottish citizens voted to remain a part of the United Kingdom rather than it's own sovereign nation.

First War of Independence

William Wallace

Just as with any major uprising, rebellion, or revolution the fervor was long in the making. The British monarchy had been in power for over 200 years and had cruelly imposed it's will on the northern territories of Scotland. However in 1290 came a turning point for Scottish leadership when there was a dispute over the crown of Scotland. The nobles called for England to oversee the matter and thus the wicked King Edward Longshanks planted a puppet leader of Scotland in John Balliol. Thru this appointment Longshanks was able to influence and subdue Scotland. 

In 1295 the Scottish council began negotiations with the French and formed a secret alliance against England known as the Auld Alliance. When Longshanks discovered this alliance he began to strengthen his armies in the north and tighten his grip on Scotland. This ultimately lead to skirmishes and military campaigns throughout Scotland. The first significant battle of the Scottish Wars of Independence was the English capture of Berwick in 1296. John Balliol attempted to retaliate against the English, however lost at the Battle of Dunbar and was disposed thereafter by the Scottish council.

Following these early defeats in the war it seemed Scotland was at a loss to English control, that is until a series of revolts broke out in 1297 lead by William Wallace. Thru guerrilla warfare tactics Wallace was able to defeat English military posts and lead a campaign into northern England. He was able to unite various Scottish clans such as that of Andrew de Moray and together they achieved a monumental victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. Following this victory and other successful raids William Wallace was knighted by the Scottish nobles and appointed as the "Guardian of Scotland".

By this point Wallace had finally enlisted the support of the Scottish nobles, specifically Robert the Bruce. However from 1300-1305 the English armies had begun to shift the tide of the war and won various strongholds. Wallace traveled to France and Rome to gather support however in 1305 he was captured and executed for treason. The Scottish nobles were forced to pay homage to King Edward Longshanks and the fighting came to a stalemate. That is until Robert the Bruce killed Lord Comyn and crowned himself king in 1306. With the majority support of the Scottish nobles he was able to re-ignite the rebellion against the English.

Robert the Bruce

King Edward brought a swift response to Robert's coronation in defeating him at the Battle of Methven in 1307, causing Robert to flee and hide in the Scottish highlands. As an outlaw Robert the Bruce waged a similar guerrilla warfare campaign as Wallace did. From 1310 to 1314 he began gathering more military support and victories throughout Scotland. Perhaps one of his most significant victories came at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 where he defeated King Edward II of England and re-claimed his position as king of Scotland.

The victory at Bannockburn marked a turning point in the establishment of the kingdom of Scotland. Robert the Bruce continued military campaigns throughout northern England and into Ireland where he was able to enlist the support of the Irish. Even still however the stubborn King Edward II refused to surrender his lordship over Scotland. Robert the Bruce was then able to appeal to Pope John XXII who recognized Robert's crown and Scotland as an independent nation. In 1326 Scotland strengthened its ties with France, which resulted in the disposition of King Edward II.

Shortly after this under the new reign of King Edward III, the war between Scotland and England came to an end with the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton. Scotland was now officially an independent nation. King Robert the Bruce died the following year in 1329 and his son David succeeded him as king. To further strengthen the peace with England, King David was married to King Edward III's sister Joan. However the peace did not last long and only took a couple years for King Edward III to reverse his stance on Scotland. 

Second War of Independence 

King Edward III conspired with disinherited Scottish nobles to reverse the peace treaty and take back the land his father had lost. Edward Balliol, the son of John Balliol led a Scottish army secretly backed by England to take back the throne from the Bruce dynasty. Balliol won a key victory at the Battle of Dupplin Moor in 1332 which can be seen as the start of the Second War of Scottish Independence. Edward Balliol crowned himself king of the Scots following this victory however it was not officially recognized by England nor the pope of Rome.

In 1333, Sir Archibald Douglas, the new Guardian of Scotland, met with Balliol to discuss the throne. After various disagreements Douglas attacked Balliol's army at Annan and drove him away from power. However Balliol later returned with more English support and laid siege to Douglas' army at the Siege of Berwick. Douglas lost control of the city and was later killed at Battle of Halidon Hill. Following this defeat King David the Bruce had to flee Scotland and Balliol returned to power, still as a pretender to the Scottish crown.

David the Bruce lived in exile in France, while various Scottish guardians fought against the Balliol occupancy. Balliol was able to sustain a tight grip on Scottish strongholds with the aid of King Edward III's English Army. However by 1336 the French threatened King Edward III to leave Scotland or they would invade both England and Scotland. King Edward III obliged to the French request and shortly after the Scottish were able to take back their strongholds from English occupancy.

During this time the Scottish War of Independence had essentially become a proxy war between France and England. In 1337 King Edward III reverted his attention from Scotland and directly towards France. The English invasion of Flanders was the beginning of the Hundred Years War that embodied most of Europe. Scotland aided France in this war while continuing to drive the English out of their land. David the Bruce returned to Scotland in 1341.

Upon returning to Scotland, David was eager to strengthen his father and family legacy by driving the English completely out of Scotland. He also lead various raids into England, however was defeated in 1346 at the Battle of Neville's Cross imprisoned in the Tower of London for 11 years. During this time Balliol continued further campaigns to win back territory from the Bruce dynasty however after various defeats he resigned his claim to the throne in 1356. The following year David the Bruce was released from the Tower of London and returned to reign as king of Scotland. This ultimately marked the end to the Scottish Wars of Independence that saw Scotland as an independent nation until the Act of Union in 1707.