Who Needs the Avengers When You Have Thor, Loki, Elves, Spaceships, Lasers, a Sort of Hulk Monster, a Hammer, and All Kinds of Other Cool Crap?

Thor: The Dark World - Directed by Alan Taylor, written by Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus, and Stephen McFeely, story by Don Payne and Robert Rodat, starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba, and Tom Hiddleston - Rated PG-13

This gets a Kurgan simply because if the Kurgan showed up in the middle of a scene, no one would bat an eye.

Thor is certainly the strangest character in the mainstream Marvel universe (or at least he is for someone like me, who is not well read when it comes to comic books).  He is equal parts Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and, well, superhero. Because of this, Thor's standalone films can be quite different from the other Avengers' more Earth-related adventures.  This is a good thing because in a film like Iron Man 3, you wonder just what all the other Avengers are up to as the world comes to the brink of annihilation.  In Thor: The Dark World, Earth factors in very rarely, so it's conceivable that the other Avengers wouldn't even be aware anything was happening until it was too late.

The new Thor movie is entertaining for many more reasons than simply its setting.  The first film was surprisingly, and appropriately, comedic as it was essentially a fish out of water story.  This film retains that comedic spirit while not relying on the same gags from the first film.  To be fair, there are still some easy jokes made with Thor's scenes on Earth, but the majority of the humor is earned through character moments, especially those between Thor and his brother-turned-nemesis Loki.

Loki steals the show as one of those villains you love to hate.  During his first appearance in the first Thor movie, Loki didn't seem all that amusing or menacing.  Somehow that changed with his role as the main baddie in The Avengers.  He still seemed a little bland as far as super villains go, but credit Tom Hiddleston for breathing some real life into the character. His constant smirk and witty banter make him an honestly likable character, despite his goals of world domination and whatnot.  Apparently his role was initially smaller, and Hiddleston was brought in later for some additional scenes.  That turned out to the correct move as he is one of most enjoyable parts of the film.

The focus on Loki doesn't mean that the titular character is any less fun.  Chris Hemsworh picks up right where he left off as Thor.  He's a bit more somber in this film, since his love interest is stuck on Earth, so there are fewer fun scenes with him this time around.  The performance is fine; it's just that the character required a quieter performance, which is why Loki picked up the comedic slack.

As for the rest of the cast, all the returning players perform admirably.  It was nice to see Idris Elba, as Heimdall, get a few more scenes this time around, although he is still the most underutilized aspect of the franchise.  The new faces are few, but serve the film well.  Chris O'Dowd produced a few laughs in his few scenes.  And Christopher Eccleston is decent as the villain, though that was more of a prosthetic performance.

Of course all of these characters are involved in a plot, but that doesn't really matter in the Marvel universe, does it?  Some strange being is threatening to use some vaguely described powerful substance to destroy the world for even vaguer reasons.  That isn't meant as too much of a dig against the film (or entire Marvel universe for that matter), but let's face it, these plots are mediocre at best.  It's a good thing the characters are so great because the stories for these movies just keep getting more and more nonsensical and boring.  Not to mention the fact that shadow of the next Avengers looms over everything as if to say, "This is all well and good, but just wait until you see me!"  It dramatically lowers the stakes of all the standalone films  because you know the real threat and all the coolest stuff is being saved for the group effort.

Thor manages to rise above all of that, though.  The movie works on its own and is just as entertaining as the first.  As action movies go, Thor should keep you happy.  The beginning was a little on the weak side, with a lot of exposition and bland battles, but it picks up in the middle and has a thrilling climax.  Director Alan Taylor (of HBO's Game of Thrones fame) turned out to be the perfect fit for the franchise, providing a straightforward action movie devoid of all the random Dutch angles (which I actually liked, despite their randomness) of Kenneth Branagh's previous entry.  Although it would certainly be interesting to see what Taylor would have done if he had been allowed to be as graphic with this film as he is with Thrones.

Thor: The Dark World is yet another solid movie in the Marvel franchise.  It doesn't take any risks with the storytelling or anything, but it doesn't really need to.  Thor satisfies the craving for that specific character (and a few of his friends and enemies) that will keep you sated until Thor teams up with the rest of the gang again.  It is a bit troubling that the film feels less important now that the Avengers are around, but the movie is just fun and outlandish enough to make you forget about those other guys for a little while.

"Snow White and the Huntsman"

Directed by Rupert Sanders, written by Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock, and Hossein Amini, starring Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, and Charlize Theron - Rated PG-13

This film just wasn't dark and action-packed enough for me. 

Snow White is suddenly a hot property in Hollywood as not just one, but two new films about the fairy tale have been released in recent months.  I skipped out on Mirror Mirror because it simply didn’t interest me and appeared to be going with a safe, family friendly tone (no offense to safe, family friendly movies, but those types of films don’t appeal to me).  The second film, Snow White and the Huntsman, appeared to be geared more towards my demographic with its action packed previews and dark tone.  While I’m sure that this film is more enjoyable than Mirror Mirror, Snow White turned out to be overlong, a bit boring, and just underwhelming in general. 

You should know the story by now, but even if you just remember the bits and pieces of it (like me), then you still probably know what to expect from this film.  You have the princess (Kristen Stewart) and the evil queen (Charlize Theron), the seven dwarves, a talking mirror, a magical forest, a poison apple, a love story, etc.  The whole point of this incarnation is to be darker than the cartoon version most know.  As far as that is concerned, Snow White is a success.  The kingdom in this film is truly miserable as dead bodies are caged up in the streets and young women are taken from their homes never to return.  The two standout dark elements are the drug-trippy forest featuring truly grotesque images and Theron as the evil queen who engages in Elizabeth Bathory-like (Google it) antics to retain her youth.  Those elements account for the best parts of the film.

The rest pales in comparison or consists of misfires.  First off, the film attempts to inject action into the fairy tale and there are some action sequences, but they are incredibly dull.  The action is chaotic and hard to follow and is simply not interesting.  It’s just a bunch of arrows and sword slashes and people falling down.  Some supernatural action elements start off promising (like the troll), but fizzle out quickly. 

The titular Huntsman raises some issues as well.  Nothing against Chris Hemsworth, though.  His performance was fine and he is one of the more interesting characters in the film.  But his inclusion creates this love triangle issue between him and some duke’s son (who is pretty much a non-character).  I can’t remember if there was a love triangle in the original story, but regardless it just made this film more bloated than it needed to be.  Does Kristen Stewart always have to have two men vying for her?  Is it in her contract or something?  It felt tacked on and pointless in this film.  This could have been easily fixed had the Huntsman and the duke’s son been condensed into one character. 

Screen time that was wasted on the duke’s son could have been used on the dwarves.  I don’t want to waste time listing all of the actors’ names, but they all deserved so much more screen time and they seem to appear as an afterthought in the film.  If they had been introduced early on, the film would have benefitted greatly and there could be more character development with at least a few of the brilliant actors portraying them.  Instead, they serve as awkward comedic relief in the third act. 

Snow White and the Huntsman just has a bit too much going on and is unable to focus on anything for too long for it to become compelling.  If some cuts in the right places had been made, perhaps the running time could have been cut down (it clocks in at over two hours) and more deserving elements could get some attention.  It seems as if someone wanted to make a Lord of the Rings film out of the Snow White tale and that’s all they were worried about. 

Think about it: they have true evil in Theron (Sauron), there are dwarves (hobbits), and there’s a long journey to save a kingdom (Middle Earth).  The long journey is the worst part.  There are so many scenes of walking and campfire chats in this film.  That just isn’t good cinema; especially when you don’t care what the characters are talking about and you are 99% sure the characters will end up where they need to be. 

Snow White and the Huntsman is a film that is all over the place.  Some of the movie works, but far too much of it seemed pointless to me.  It is not an unredeemable film, though, and there will certainly be fans (and probably a sequel).  If it works for you, fine.  Me?  If I want to see Lord of the Rings, I’ll just watch that instead.

Random Thoughts (SPOILERS)

I know it's a fairy tale and all, but how in the hell did Snow White learn how to handle a sword?  She was locked up for a decade or so with nothing but weird little stick dolls, yet when she gets released she can take down trained knights.  It doesn't help that it's Kristen Stewart, who looks like she should collapse under the weight of her armor.

Anyone else notice that the love triangle was just swept under the rug by having Hemsworth smile at her at the end?  What was that?  I know the movie was too long and an extra scene wrapping that story up would just be too much, but why even throw in that aspect if you can't finish it?  Just have the duke's son wake her up with a kiss if you can't devote time to the love triangle part.  Would it be so bad for the Huntsman to just help out and continue to grieve for his dead wife? 

Seriously, you get Ian McShane, Toby Jones, Eddie Marsan, Nick Frost, Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone, and a few other lesser known actors and you don't have them show up for an hour.  And then you just use them for weak jokes and an odd death moment?  That death meant nothing, by the way, because we barely saw the character before he died.  Oh no, I can't believe they killed off that dwarf that had just been introduced ten minutes ago?  How could they kill off...wait, which one was he?

I know it's a fairy tale, but the actual fairies just looked stupid.

"The Avengers"

Directed Joss Whedon, written by Whedon and Zak Penn, starring Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, and Samuel L. Jackson - Rated PG-13

Captain America: And Hulk...Smash!

This is the comic book movie people have been waiting for.  Anticipation is high for any big name comic book property adaptation (for instance, we still have The Dark Knight Rises on the way), but The Avengers is unique because it is so unlikely.  Take some of the heaviest hitters from the Marvel universe (Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, etc.) and combine them in one huge movie.  The fact that a studio was able to plan this out after each character had his own film produced is impressive.  But The Avengers doesn’t skate by on the simple existence of itself; instead it soars up there in the higher echelons because it is one of the most enjoyable action films in years.

The Avengers was always a project I was on the fence about.  I’ve always been more of an X-Men and Batman fan, so the crew of this film didn’t excite me all that much.  On top of that, I had doubts that a big studio could come up with a storyline that managed to balance all of the personalities of the film, both in character and out.  How do you justify a scene between relatively unknown characters like Loki and Black Widow when you could just have The Hulk and Thor duke it out for a half an hour?  Why have a scene with Clark Gregg and Jeremy Renner when you can have Robert Downey, Jr. talk smack to Samuel L. Jackson? 

Surprisingly, the filmmakers (writer/director/geek god Joss Whedon and writer Zak Penn) found the perfect balance of star power and character moments.  I cannot come up with a gripe along those lines.  I felt that each actor and character was given just the right amount of screen time.  This is most likely because of Whedon’s involvement (not to take away anything from Penn), but it is certainly because there are only two screenwriters on this film rather than half a dozen.  (I’m sure more than two writers took a crack at the script, but still, only having two credited writers is a good thing.)  Hollywood should take note: you don’t need a dozen writers to hash out a script.  Less can be more, especially when you’re dealing with so much. 

Speaking of balance, The Avengers also finds a great balance between action and comedy.  I cannot remember the last film I watched that had me glued to the action one moment and laughing aloud the next.  I don’t want to ruin any gags; I just want to point out that any joke situation I could think of among these vastly different characters was addressed and it was addressed well.  Thankfully, the film never delves into deadly serious territory (that’s what Batman is for), but instead keeps things light and entertaining. 

This is not simply a comedic action film, though.  The Avengers features some very exciting action sequences, whether it’s a fight amongst the team or a full-on intergalactic war.  The characters complement each other perfectly in battle.  As if it wasn’t already awesome to see Thor and The Hulk fight (both one-on-one and as teammates), the filmmakers managed to hit on every possible fanboy desire while also making the action compelling and easy to follow.  This applies to the entire film as characters have to work together and use their specific skill sets to help each other. 

It’s easy to forget that there are actors inhabiting these characters when you’re dealing with such an action-heavy, funny film; but if you stop and consider it, every actor does a fine job.  I don’t want to waste space and write an individual comment for every performance, especially since almost all involved have played these characters before.  Downey, Evans, and Hemsworth have their respective characters down and it’s a lot of fun to simply watch them talk to each other.  Lone newcomer Mark Ruffalo has some amusing moments as well as Bruce Banner, but it is the CG-enhanced Hulk version that is the real force behind the film. 

It’s not just that the CG Hulk actually looks like the actor portraying him (previous incarnations involving Eric Bana and Edward Norton tried to personalize the face, but failed); it’s that The Hulk has finally found a film formula that works.  First, he’s not just trying to free himself of his power this time around.  Second, The Hulk is so much more fun to watch when he’s only part of the crew.  As ironic as it is, The Hulk is just not capable of carrying his own film.  Throw him in with some other superheroes, though, and you wonder why his character isn’t as popular as the rest.  Just to be clear, though, I still think The Hulk is not right for a full feature film.  Perhaps they can work him into some of the other individual films to keep the audience sated until the next true Avengers film. 

If The Hulk is the bright spot in the line up of The Avengers, then baddie Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is the weak point.  Nothing against Hiddleston, he does a fine job and is obviously having fun as the bad guy of the film, but the character of Loki pales in comparison to the iconic villains of other franchises.  This is hardly a major problem, though, especially when you’d rather spend all of your time with the heroes, anyway. 

The Avengers is nearly perfect in accomplishing what it sets out to do.  It’s a big budget movie that looks expensive.  It’s an action-comedy that provides thrilling set pieces and hilarious gags.  It’s a movie about a team that also seamlessly caters to each individual.  It might just be the best comic book movie ever made, if you’re judging it based on the sheer level of enjoyment it provides.  As of this writing, The Avengers has already broken box office records.  Part of that might be hype.  But a larger part is because The Avengers is simply a good movie.

Random Thoughts (SPOILERS)

Everything with Thor and The Hulk was simply awesome.  The Hulk unable to lift Mjolnir, Hulk punching Thor out of nowhere, etc.

I loved how the film acknowledged that some characters don't understand modern references.  My favorite moment was when Captain America spoke up after hearing "flying monkeys."  "I get it! I understood that reference..."

"The Cabin in the Woods"

Directed by Drew Goddard, written by Joss Whedon and Goddard, starring Kristen Conolly, Chris Hemsworth, Fran Kranz, Bradley Whitford, and Richard Jenkins - Rated R

Why wasn't the Evil Kurgan on the whiteboard?  Too hardcore?

All of the talk of The Cabin in the Woods has been about critics and fans spoiling the film.  First off, the movie has been out for a few days now, so it’s pointless for me to repeat the spoiler warning crap, though I will say that the best way to see this film is with as little knowledge about it as possible.  So you should stop reading if you truly want to enjoy it (though it’s always been my opinion that reviews are best read after a viewing anyway).  The spoiler issue is misleading, though, because it sets up the movie as some twist ending ordeal, and that is not the case at all.  The film lets you in on the concept immediately, so there is no twist in the traditional sense.  If there’s anything that people should be saying to drum up interest in this film, it’s this: “Do you love horror films?  Are you tired of how predictable they are?  Watch this then.” 

The Cabin in the Woods is certainly something new for horror and it’s pretty fantastic.  It takes a cliché setup (college kids go to a secluded cabin only to be terrorized and/or killed) and does something special with it.  I’ve seen this scenario dozens of times it seems and it’s become so predictable that the storyline has turned into background music.  Now, to keep things fresh you get films like Tucker and Dale vs. Evil that play with the scenario.  What makes Cabin special is the fact that the film doesn’t just poke fun at the genre and turn into goofy nonsense.  This is still a horror movie for horror fans and the more well-versed you are in the genre, the more fun you will have. 

The only foreseeable problem with this type of film is the viewer not being in on the joke.  The advertising for the film has been condemned by many as selling the film as a traditional slasher flick.  I can’t comment on it because I made a point to avoid previews for the film.  I just knew from various websites that it was not your standard horror film, especially since geek god Joss Whedon was involved.  I can understand that a preview could be misleading, but if you do a little research, just a little, you can find out what type of film it’s going to be.  Okay, okay, I understand not everyone takes movie watching as serious as me.  I know there are people out there that don’t even know what they’re watching until they get to the cinema and look at the titles (you people are insane, by the way).  This is where the movie truly lets you know what it is, though.  It’s called The Cabin in the Woods!  The title itself is a joke about the overused location of the film.  No proper horror film would focus on the cliché aspects of it.  Did anyone get up in arms when the Scary Movie franchise debuted and the movies weren’t meant to be scary?  This is the same thing, only much geekier, smarter, and, arguably, funnier.

The intelligence of the film is debatable, though.  Some might argue that just because a film is aware of the clichés of its own genre does not make it smart.  I agree, but Cabin doesn’t just point them out, it embraces them and reinvigorates them.  The film features a typical slasher flick line up: the jock (Chris Hemsworth), the whore (Anna Hutchison), the nerd (Jesse Williams), the stoner (Fran Kranz), and the virgin (Kristen Connolly).  What’s great about this lineup is the fact that each of the characters has a stereotypical aspect (such as Hemsworth rocking a letterman’s jacket even though he’s a college student), yet they are still amusing on multiple levels.  It’s fun to watch these archetypes on a meta level realizing the joke is the fact that they are filling a typical role in a horror film.  There’s the added bonus that even though these characters are unoriginal, they are still much better written and funnier than any of their counterparts in a traditional horror film. 

Fran Kranz is the highlight as the stoner who also seems to be the only one paying attention to his surroundings.  He gives a strange delivery of his lines that makes him stand out over the typical stoner.  It helps that his dialogue is much wittier than most stoner dialogue.  Hemsworth was born to play the jock, no surprises there (he is Thor, after all).  And Kristen Connolly handles herself well as the heroine.  The two best performances, though, do not belong to any of the typical characters of a horror film, but rather to Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins. 

(Reminder, you should really just watch the movie.  If this review wasn’t SPOILERY enough already, it’s going to get much worse now.)

Whitford and Jenkins are absolutely hilarious as the two men overseeing the ritual to make sure everything goes to plan.  The matter-of-fact way they handle their grisly business is hilarious in the darkest sense.  A large part of their performances are simply the faces they make while they watch the events and though it would seem that cutting back to these two characters staring at a screen would get old after a couple times, it remains funny throughout. 

If it sounds like I’m just absolutely loving on this film it’s because I thought it completely accomplished what it set out to do.  The Cabin in the Woods is not only a send up of the horror genre, but also a fitting entry into it.  Not everyone will love this film, though, and some will probably hate it just for being what it is when they expected it to be a “normal” movie.  Cabin tries something different and is a standout film because of it.  I don’t want to oversell it, though.  Some people are throwing some major hyperbole at this film proclaiming it to be a “game changer” that will change horror films.  I don’t know about all that, but I do know I enjoyed the hell out of this movie and if you dig slasher flicks and have a sense of humor, you will, too.

Random Thoughts (even more SPOILERS)

I loved the whiteboard list of possible baddies.  I especially dug the reference to the Deadites from the Evil Dead series. 

Am I crazy or was that Joss Whedon at the after party?  I haven't come across any confirmation of this.  And it looks like he's wearing a leather bracelet like Thor would wear.  Maybe I am just crazy...

The Merman subplot was hilarious.  I really dug how Jenkins complaint about the mess came to fruition, as well.

Speaking of Jenkins, my god, isn't he awesome?  I could watch him curse at happy Japanese children for hours.

The Sigourney Weaver cameo was a bit lame.  Way too much like her cameo in Paul. 

"Thor"

Thor - Directed by Kenneth Branaugh, written by Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, and Don Payne, starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, and Stellan Skarsgard - Rated PG-13

"How dare you threaten the son of Odin with such a puny weapon?" (Cue taser sound.)

The deluge of comic book movies has begun with Thor, a surprisingly entertaining film from director Kenneth Branaugh. Branaugh, known for his work with Shakespearean material, may seem like an odd choice for a “summer” action movie. But it turns out that a serious director can really elevate the lighter fare of the comic book world.

Thor is definitely lighter; it has to be. In the world of outlandish characters Thor stands alone as the only superhero who is also a bona fide god. Thor, son of Odin, lives in Asgard, one of nine “realms” in the universe and home of the Norse gods. Not to spoil anything, but Thor causes Odin one problem too many in Asgard and is banished to Earth. Of course, the problems in Asgard lead to problems on Earth, so this film operates almost evenly between two very different worlds. On one hand you have Asgard, shiny and futuristic yet still stuck in Viking lore as the characters still wield swords and ride horses (it’s an amusing contradiction). Then there is Earth, where scientists, played by Stellan Skarsgaard and Natalie Portman, are just scratching the surface of travelling between realms.

As much as Asgard is a contradiction of itself, Thor is still a stranger fit for Earth and that leads to the majority of the comedy of the film. Fish out of water jokes are always slightly amusing, but this gimmick is funnier than usual because Thor is such a loud, arrogant character…even for a god. He shows disdain for every human he comes across and shows complete disgust when they attempt to give him medical attention. But it’s all relatively harmless behavior and he becomes easier for everyone to deal with soon enough. Also, if you’ve been watching “Conan” lately, you’ll have to stop yourself from imagining the parody of Thor that’s been on the show the past week. That’s not part of the filmmakers’ plan or anything, but it still provides a few laughs for those in the know.

Thor mainly works because of its characters and the actors portraying them. Chris Hemsworth is impressive as Thor and should be a bigger name in the coming years. Anthony Hopkins gets to ham it up and growl his lines at people in an amusing way as Odin. Tom Hiddleston does a fine, angst-filled job in a Commodus-type role as Loki. Idris Elba looks freakish and has one of the film’s awesome moments as Heimdall. And Rene Russo shows up which is notable only because she hasn’t been in a movie for years. You may have noticed I haven’t written a word about any of the actors portraying human characters. They all do a fine job; it’s just that their characters pale in comparison to the gods, which is the way it should be.

Decent acting and a bit of comedy are fine, but Thor is still part action movie. The action is handled quite well and at times it can even be borderline jaw-dropping. Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, is a pretty amazing cinematic weapon. He has to do without it for most of the film, but when Thor has the hammer, you know you’re going to see some great action. The 3-D isn’t bad, either. If the film had taken place completely on Earth, the 3-D might have seemed pointless. But during action scenes in other worlds, it added quite a bit. Also, the extra dimension adds a taste of realism to the CG-heavy realms.

The story of Thor is a bit busy, but the themes of becoming an adult and the bond between father and son still resonate. There’s nothing overly special about the script, but it is certainly a step above many comic book movies. The script attempts to create an emotional attachment to the characters rather than just give reasons for stuff to blow up. Stuff still blows up (The Destroyer causes plenty of glorious mayhem), but it’s all tied together nicely.

Finally, Director Branaugh keeps it all intact and with a sense of style. The action scenes are easy to follow and the camera seems to always be moving, but not in a busy, over-the-top way. His choice to frame most scenes in a skewed angle is odd, but that element did give the film its own look and that’s always important when dealing with the Marvel universe since it’s all the Marvel films are connected in some way.

Thor may not end up being the biggest comic book movie this year, but it will most likely go down as one of the best. If this film is any indication, we’re in for a very entertaining summer.


Random Thoughts (SPOILERS)

The Avengers connections are getting tough to keep track of. Of course there's a scene after the credits. If you didn't check it out, it ties Captain America to a few characters and Nick Fury shows up. It also shows that Loki is alive and on Earth. But still, it seems like at the end of all of this everyone will need notes to understand everything.

I liked the nod to Tony Stark when the Destroyer showed up.

How badass was it when Thor basically used himself as a bullet shoot that giant frost creature through the head?

I dug the running gag of Thor getting hit by a car.

The Stan Lee cameo (as the redneck who tears off the bed of his truck trying to pry out Mjolnir) was my favorite yet.

Seriously, Conan O’Brien almost ruined the movie for me. I kept hearing that high-pitched voice during every action scene...

This film marks one of the few times in movie history where it makes sense for a character to scream at the sky because we know someone is actually listening. Still hard to take scenes like that too seriously, though.