QUICK REVIEW: Kong: Skull Island

Howdy ladies and gents, its review time once again and today I’m talking about another one of the big blockbuster films of 2017 in the form of Kong: Skull Island. Now this was a film I was hyped for especially with the cast and after watching the first trailer, but with the subsequent trailers my interest waned due to the use of humour and the reveal of King Kong (which I wasn’t overly keen on), and with the mixed reviews that recently came out I was bracing myself for disappointment, but after watching the film last night I now have my thoughts on the film ready to share.

The plot can be described as the following:

“When a scientific expedition to an uncharted island awakens titanic forces of nature, a mission of discovery becomes an explosive war between monster and man.”

I thought the story was good, it had a little more depth than I expected being set during the 70’s with the ties war and intriguing mythology about Skull Island and King Kong’s origins too. But the best things about this film was that it was straightforward and fun. The pacing felt good and didn’t drag and when the action was going down it was very entertaining. That being said I do feel like the film had some tonal inconsistencies and some of the humour felt a little forced at times, plus it didn’t help that some of the funny lines had been shown in the trailers already. I also wish that there had been a better sense of fear, dread and stakes in the film, not that the film didn’t have those elements, it just wasn’t to a high enough degree considering the situation these human characters got into. Oh and finally there are some cool ties and references to other notable monsters throughout the film and in the post credits scene too which was great if you like your classic kaiju films! 😀

Now when it comes to the cast it is stacked to the maximum with a lot of notable faces including Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Brie Larson, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Shea Whigham, Toby Kebbell, John Ortiz and John C. Reilly among others. And here’s the thing, everyone is fine, but it really is the actors that elevate the characters as the dialogue doesn’t do well to give the characters depth or character arcs, though some people fare better than others.

Firstly you have Tom Hiddleston as Captain James Conrad and he was pretty good, he was a smart, tenacious and tactical badass and while I was surprised by how good he was at almost any situation he was put into, overall he was good. Brie Larson as Weaver was fine, Weaver was clearly the most kind and caring of the characters, she was fine but it was Larson that made her more engaging. John Goodman was really good as Randa, he’s a part of the government organisation who gets everyone on Skull Island and I like how his stern yet humourous demeanour and how he was determined to see his mission through. Next up is Samuel L. Jackson as Lieutenant Colonel Packard, and here he had an interesting character who was deeply effected by the Vietnam War and had some interesting and personal stuff that he dealt with once on the island. Sam Jackson was great and added a lot of personality and flair to the character. And then you have John C. Reilly as Marlow, of all the characters he had the most substantial depth and character arc, when I saw Marlow in the trailer I thought he’d be very annoying and at first he was a little too zany, but by the end of the film he ended up being my favourite character. Corey Hawkins as geologist Houston Brooks was good, he had good screen presence and charisma. Also Shea Whigham and Jason Mitchell as Earl Cole and Glenn Mills were two of my favourites, but that was more the actors than the characters. Toby Kebbell as Maj. Chapman was fine though I wish he’d had more screen time, oh and his accent was a little wobbly. And finally John Ortiz, Thomas Mann, Jing Tian and Terry Notary were fine.

Visually the film is pretty good, the cinematography was solid and there’s some absolutely beautiful shots of scenery and action, the use of colour is very rich and striking during the day and night scenes, and the action sequences when they’re on-point they are ferocious, aggressive and brutal. I will admit that while that some of the action wasn’t as creatively choreographed as I would have liked, and though the CGI was really good, at the same time some of it wasn’t always as sharp or consistent as it should be. The film score for Henry Jackman was decent and did well to add to the action and subtle moments too.

In conclusion Kong: Skull Island was pretty good, not great, but better than I expected considering some of the early reviews. While I had some issues with the characters, some of the humour and visual effects, overall the film was solid fun and I’d recommend it. 🙂

So have you seen Kong: Skull Island and if so what did you think of it? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters! 😀

 

QUICK REVIEW: Crimson Peak

Howdy ladies and gents, its review time once again, and today I’m gonna be talking about Crimson Peak, the latest film from Guillermo del Toro. Now I’ve been looking forward to this film since before there was any images or footage released, and even after the trailers came out I never watched them, I was going into this film pretty fresh which is almost impossible to do these days. So was the film good or not? Well read on and find out!

So the story can be summed up as the following:

“In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds…and remembers.”

Well the story certainly didn’t unfold the way I expected it to, even though this was a horror film there was also a romantic element to the film as well. This was a tale of love, family, deception, death, and the past coming back to haunt you. What I appreciated about this film was its tone and style. Too often these days horror films are filled with jump scares, excessive violence and gore and paranormal stuff. This film is consistent in its need to creep you out through its imagery but also through atmosphere, suspense and the actions of the characters. I will admit that there were certain plot points I guessed were coming and I was curious to know where the story was going around halfway through but by the third act things to became clearer. I think one of the key reasons I liked this film a lot is because unlike del Toro’s mainstream films like Pacific Rim and Hellboy and was closer in tone to Pan’s Labyrinth (one of my all-time favourite films) with the horror and disturbing nature of the plot.

Tom Hiddleston was as great as Sir Thomas Sharpe, obviously we all associate Hiddleston with his great performances as Loki from the Marvel films, but I know he’s great beyond those films as well and since not many people saw Only Lovers Left Alive, this film was the perfect place to illustrate how much he can bring to a film outside of the superhero genre. Hiddleston’s character was confident and charming, but also troubled and scared when it comes to certain aspects of his past and I loved his performance. But Jessica Chastain as Lady Lucille Sharpe, Sir Thomas’s sister. This character is like a hawk, always watching, she doesn’t say much but she say more with her eyes and body language, and when she does speak at first she’s nice yet withdrawn. It is only later when we start to see more of her personality and plans come into he light and then she becomes a much more aggressive and complicated character for sure. Chastain’s performance was reserved and full of intensity and drama, loved it. And then there’s Mia Wasikowska as Edith Cushing, and I didn’t save her for last out of the main trio because she’s terrible, but I don’t feel like ger performance was nearly as strong as the people I mentioned before. That being said this is my favourite performance from Wasikowska so far, her character was a lovely and bright individual who just happens to have her life changed forever in an unexpected way and she was someone you could connect and sympathize with as well. Also Charlie Hunnam was really good as Dr. Alan McMichael and Jim Beaver did well as Carter Cushing too.

The presentation was lovely. Visually the film was incredible and had that del Toro touch when it came to way the environment and ghosts looked and came across. I loved the use of colour and lighting, oh and the costume design is awesome in terms of the design and colour. As for the mansion at  Allerdale Hall, I loved the way it looked, there was beauty to the decrepit house. Whether it be the design of staircase, the look of the attic, the fireplace, the open hole in the ceiling or the fact that the house oozes red clay that looks like tick blood, the mansion is just a sight to be hold and is very much a character of its own too. The apparitions were handled well too with them looking quite unique and disturbing, and when they’re in the background they slip around so swiftly with one even reminding me of moment from Signs (if you know the key scene I’m referencing). I also liked the use of violence with these being some pretty brutal attacks and deaths on display, the make-up and practical effects team should be commended for their work as its realistic and raw.

In conclusion Crimson Peak was a pretty damn good film and was a deeper and more personal tale than I thought it’d be. With gorgeous presentation, stellar performances from Chastain and Hiddleston, and a story that is both heartfelt and creepy, it succeeds in being another great film in del Toro’s filmography and I highly recommend it.

Rating: 8/10

So have you seen Crimson Peak and if so what did you think of it? Be sure to leave your comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters!

 

J.K. Simmons Joins Kong: Skull Island, Set For 2017 Release

Yo yo people of the internet, time for some film news. Recently there has been some news about the upcoming King Kong reboot film and I thought I should talk about it. The following information comes from superherohype:

On Friday, we learned that Legendary Pictures had shifted the release date for their upcoming film Kong: Skull Island from November of 2016 to spring 2017, and now Deadline brings word that actor J.K. Simmons has signed on to appear in the film. A fan-favorite to genre fans for his role as J. Jonah Jameson in the “Spider-Man” films, Simmons can currently be seen in the film Whiplash and will appear in Terminator Genisys next summer.

Simmons joins a cast that thus far only includes another comic book movies veteran, Tom Hiddleston. Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts (The Kings of Summer) and written by John Gatins (Flight) and Max Borenstein (Godzilla), Kong: Skull Island will fully immerse audiences in the mysterious and dangerous home of the king of the apes as a team of explorers ventures deep inside the treacherous, primordial island. Legendary’s story honors the foundations of existing King Kong lore, but places it in an entirely new, distinct timeline.

Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni will produce and Alex Garcia will executive produce. The film will be released in 3D and IMAX 3D by Universal Pictures on March 10, 2017.

 So there is three things I have taken away from this recent film news:

1. ‘Skull Island’ has now become ‘Kong: Skull Island’ (probably just to better associate itself with King Kong himself)
2. The film has moved from 2016 to 2017 but only by around four months
3. J.K. Simmons has joined the film’s cast

I think the biggest news worth talking about is the involvement of J. K. Simmons. Simmons is one of my favourite actors to see in films, even if he isn’t part of the main cast, it is alway nice to see his face. If you ever want someone some good talent for your film, Simmons is always a good choice. It will be interesting to see what he brings to both this and Terminator Genisys. I actually forgot that Tom Hiddleston was attached to this film until I read the article, but since there has been such a gap between casting it is easy to forget. But it is nice to know that we have two very talented actors in this film. I’ll be interested to see what other news comes out for this film in the coming months, 2017 seems so far away but it looks like it’ll be great year for films. 🙂

 

LATE NEWS: Skull Island Adds Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts and Actor Tom Hiddleston

Good day to you ladies and gents, time to talk about some later film news that went online a few days ago that I just had to talk about on my blog yo. The following information comes from superherohype:

Legendary Entertainment has announced today that the recently-announced King Kong prequel film Skull Island now has a director in Jordan Vogt-Roberts and a leading actor in Loki himself, Tom Hiddleston!

Vogt-Roberts directed and executive produced the Sundance darling The Kings of Summer. He has also directed the pilot and multiple episodes of FX’s new series “You’re the Worst” and is set to direct Metal Gear Solid for Sony. His other credits include directing the pilot of “Cocked” for Amazon Studios and directing and executive producing the concert documentary Nick Offerman: American Ham.

Appearing to be a sort of Kong “origin story,” Skull Island looks like it will explore the life of the classic movie monster before he was taken to civilization. Previous works have touched on the island, but staying and exploring this mysterious and dangerous place offers Legendary the opportunity to take audiences deeper inside this rich world with a style and scope that parallels other Legendary productions.

Skull Island will be released on November 4, 2016.

Well, this was certainly a surprise for me, but definitely a pleasant one. When Skull Island was announced at Comic-Con this year I thought it was still a ways off from getting any major announcements, but here we are with a director and lead actor. Firstly I‘ll talk about the director, now I haven’t really heard of Jordan Vogt-Roberts and I have never seen any of his films, I know of The Kings of Summer and will probably check that out at some point, but since I haven’t seen any of Vogt-Roberts material I can’t say whether this is a good fit for him or not. That being said when it comes to Tom Hiddleston I am totally down with that idea. Hiddleston is a fine actor, he’s shown us why he is brilliant in three Marvel films already (Thor, The Avengers & Thor: The Dark World) and in Only Lovers Left Alive, the man is clearly talented and I feel like this is the kind of role that will propel him further into stardom. Right now, as much as I love Hiddleston, I feel like he needs another big role in another franchise to help break him away from Loki and Skull Island seems like a step in the right direction.

In conclusion I‘m happy about this news and I’m curious to find out what other news will be going down about this film in the coming months. So what do you think about the latest news relating to Skull Island? Be sure to comment below and give me your thoughts yo! 😀

 

Only Lovers Left Alive Review

Howdy once again ladies and gents, once agin I resurface from the depths of the earth to deliver a new film review. I have already reviewed Her and The Monuments Men and my final review for today is Only Lovers Left Alive. I found the trailer for this online back in December and was intrigued just because it was a different kind of vampire film, plus it had Tom Hiddleston in it so it was gonna be a mandatory watch regardless. So how did it turn out? Read on and find out.

So the story for this film is as follows:

“Adam (Hiddleston), an underground musician reunites with his lover for centuries (Swinton) after he becomes depressed and tired with the direction human society has taken. Their love is interrupted and tested by her wild and uncontrollable little sister (Wasikowska).”

I thought that the story was pretty interesting and definitely had some nice themes relating to the longevity of life and love. The atmosphere and tone of the film is lovely and by switching from Los Angeles to Tangier offers up some moments of great scenery and culture changes. My only issue with the film is the slow pacing. At times it felt like the characters were just completely zoned out or doing nothing of any great importance. I feel like if the pace had been sped up or some of the time in between some of the key scenes had been cut down then I would have enjoyed the film a lot more.

When it comes to the cast they are all very good and give some great performances. Let’s start with Tom Hiddleston as Adam. I really liked him in this film, his character is very lethargic, mellow reclusive and has very small needs. Only Adam has interest in music and his lover, but when you mess with his stuff or his groove he has one hell of a temper. Hiddleston was awesome, I’ve only mainly seen him as Loki in the Marvel films, but I wanted to see how he put his acting skills to use in other films and he does so very well in this film. Similarly Tilda Swinton is wonderful as Eve, she is very out-going, whimsical, caring and cunning too. I only know Swinton as Jadis, the White Witch from the Chronicles of Narnia films, luckily I see that she is a capable actress who is captivating and very likeable. Together Swinton and Hiddleston have great screen chemistry and vibe off of each other very well.

Anton Yelchin was another strong person as Ian, his character was very nice guy personality-wise and he was surprisingly chilled out about his friendship with Adam. Yelchin was just fun to watch and his look in this film really reminded me of John Frusciante, the ex-guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers haha. Also Mia Wasikowska was good as Ava, this an annoyingly energetic person who just wanted to be adventurous and have fun (much like most teenagers/young adults these days). Wasikowska was quite nice and surprisingly she was a lot better and has kind of erased her performance as Alice from Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. John Hurt was nice as Marlowe offering us a wise, old and yet quite funny elder vampire and lastly Jeffrey Wright was cool as Doctor Watson, again Wright is showing off roles very different from his recurring role in Boardwalk Empire as he is quite funny and light-hearted here.

In conclusion Only Lovers Left Alive is a breath of fresh air in this sea of vampire films and TV shows, it is actually very realistic, dynamic, different and creepy with some great performances. I feel like if the pacing had been a bit quicker and some of the actions of the characters had transpired a little faster I would have liked this film a little more. That being said it is a very different kind of vampire film that I would recommend. P.S. Any ladies who are fans of Tom Hiddleston who want to see him topless best give this film a look too. 😛

Rating: 7.5/10 (An interesting and strange take on the life of vampires)

So what did you think of Only Lovers Left Alive? Have you seen it or are you gonna watch it? Whatever your thoughts be sure to leave them in the comment section below and I’ll see ya on the next film review yo. 😀

 

Check Out My Thor: The Dark World Video Review!

Howdy ladies and gentlemen, recently I reviewed Thor: The Dark World on my blog and now that the film is FINALLY playing worldwide I feel like its time for me to bust out my badass spoiler-free video review!

Now for those who don’t know, I’m primarily a video review kind of guy on YouTube, have been for about 3 years and over the summer I sort of dropped off the radar and gave all that stuff a rest because I was too lazy and was perusing other ventures. But with Thor: The Dark World, I knew I have to come back to the online world and share my thoughts and I can tell ya that it is SO good to be back.

Check out the review below:

So what did you think of my review? Was it good, bad, indifferent? I’d love to hear your thoughts/criticisms. Also how was Thor: The Dark World for you? Whatever your thoughts, drop in the comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review yo! 😀

 

Thor: The Dark World Review

Howdy people of the internet, its time for a new film review and today’s review will be on a film I’ve been easily anticipating for AGES; Thor: The Dark World. Now I reviewed Thor on Tuesday and now we have the follow-up which promised more character development, a new villain and more realism and not only does The Dark World have to follow-up from the first film but also The Avengers too, so does this film succeed or fail? Read on and find out in this spoiler-free review!

In terms of the story it takes places two years after The Avengers, Loki has been imprisoned, the Bifrost bridge has been repaired and Thor has been fighting away to restore peace to the Nine Realms. And for a little while things look like they’re stabilizing and becoming peaceful, but in the depths of the universe evil lurks waiting to be unleashed. A powerful energy known as the Aether is chased after by the race known as the Dark Elves, lead by Malekith who wishes to use it to plunge the universe into darkness. This not only spells trouble for Asgard, but also Earth and the rest of the realms too, so now Thor will have to go above to save not only Jane Foster but the rest of the universe too.

I thought the story in this film was great, from the beginning there’s a greater sense of scope and danger that comes with this plot and it all feels so much bigger and more involved than the first film. The overall tone is much darker and more serious and considering the threat involved that is a welcome addition, that being said there are still great moments of humour that works really well. The involvement of the Dark Elves and the history of Asgard and the Aether brings a lot more mythology to this fantastic world that was established in the first film and fleshed it out a lot more. I also like how even though there are crazy chaotic things happening on Earth and in Asgard, that there were still intimate moments with the characters. Family is still one of the key themes in this film and it is brought to the forefront and handled is a beautiful way, most moments between Thor, his family, friends and Jane are wonderful.

When it comes to the cast all amazing. Firstly Chris Hemsworth is still amazing as Thor, in the first film he took on the role with such charisma, flair and understanding of what the character embodies in the comics and in The Avengers he continued to impress. And in The Dark World Hemsworth just in his element, he’s badass, intimidating, funny, but also human and expresses a great deal of emotion too. And then there’s Tom Hiddleston as Loki, OH MY GOD, WHAT A BEAST! At this point its hard for me to deny my love for this character, since the first film Loki has inhabited a more sympathetic and likeable demeanour than his comic book counterpart and in The Avengers, Loki when to new heights to become the more villainous and despicable man he’s known as while still having a sense of humour and being incredibly cool and sophisticated. In this film Hiddleston nearly steals the show, his acting talents know no bounds and he takes Loki to deeper, more emotional places which just makes the character a joy to watch. Hiddleston along with Hemsworth are just fantastic and share some amazing scenes together and they’re both the major highlights of the film.

Natalie Portman as Jane Foster was pretty good, I feel like she’s matured just a bit and because of her role in the story I feel like she’s a lot more useful and interesting than the first film. Anthony Hopkins also steps it up as Odin offering some really wonderful father-son moments whether they agree or not, Odin looks out for Thor but is not afraid to voice his opinion. I also loved Idris Elba as Heimdall, this guy had a bit more to do in this film as he had more screen and action time than the last film, Elba is awesome in most roles he’s in and in this film he’s no exception. Then there’s Christopher Eccleston as Malekith the Accursed is pretty damn awesome as the main villain of the film, he’s scary, doesn’t seem too cliché in his personality and I like how he just wants to rule the universe in darkness like the days he knew before now. Also Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Algrim/Kurse was pretty cool, he a very creepy and powerful beast-like creature and offered up some good challenge for the good guys in this film.

Other good performances include Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis, while her character is still primarily for comic relief, she did provide good moments of humour. Stellan Skarsgård as Dr. Erik Selvig makes a great return and strangely enough is a lot funnier in this film. Jaimie Alexander as Sif still looked incredible and kicked ass though she wasn’t nearly in the film as much as I’d hoped. And then there’s the Warriors Three with Ray Stevenson as Volstagg, Zachary Levi as Fandral and Tadanobu Asano as Hogun, they were all great and did well in their roles especially newcomer Zachary Levi, I just wish there was more screen time for them. Oh and Rene Russo as Frigga she was epic, I like how her role was expanded for more active stuff and emotional moments with her family and Jane. Oh and lastly may I just say that Chris O’Dowd in this film was great, while his role was small it offered up some really funny scenes.

As for the presentation of Thor: The Dark World it is easily one of the film’s strongest points. Visually the film looks INSANELY beautiful, the CGI is so much more vivid, colourful and detailed than ever before offering up some truly impressive material when it comes to the scenery of Asgard and the other realms. And may I just say that Asgard on a whole is WAY more lively and seems more realistic than before with more scenes dedicated to interior and exterior locations within the city that aren’t just in the main hall. Also the action sequences are very intricate and vast than before and luckily everyone gets enough screen time to kick some ass! Oh and the soundtrack by Bryan Tyler is amazing, this guy is really starting to become one of my favourite film composers, and while none of his music reaches the majestic points that Patrick Doyle’s score did in the first film, this soundtrack has a lot of epic and beautiful moments that amplified the emotion tenfold.

So in conclusion Thor: The Dark World is another great film for Marvel, it takes the foundation from the first film and amplifies the story, characters and action by a lot more. Alan Taylor has done a really good job at giving us a more dramatic and realistic version of this fantastic world that Kenneth Branagh crafted. In truth it is the characters that make this film truly special and Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston are simply incredible and really elevate this film into something special.

Rating: 8.5/10 (This is a sequel that goes above and beyond to deliver much richer and deeper experience than the first film)

So what did you think of Thor: The Dark World? Did it meet your expectations or were you disappointed? Whatever your thoughts, drop in the comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review yo! 😀

 

Feel The Thunder In This Thor Review

Howdy ladies and gentlemen, its film review time once again and with the release of Thor: The Dark World just around the corner I thought I’d give you my thoughts on its predecessor, Thor. Now I’m just gonna say this upfront, I love this film, I saw it 5 times in the cinema! If that doesn’t say enough about my love for this film, then let me elaborate in this review. So here we go!

So story-wise the film is about our main character Thor, god of thunder who happens to defy the rule of his father, Odin and because of his defiance Odin strips him of his powers and banishes him to Earth. While banished, his evil brother Loki takes over their home and has some questionable dealings with the enemy known as the Frost Giants. Over the course of the movie Thor has to learn the lesson of humility to gain his powers back through his interaction with humans and stop Loki from causing havoc to the world of Asgard.

The story is pretty good overall, though it has problems. The film deals with cause and effect, redemption and change, honour and family, and these issues are tackled in a thoughtful and spectacular fashion. I loved the focus on the relationships between Thor and Loki, and Thor and Odin, at the end of the day this is a film about family ties and how important they are. In addition to that I really liked the dialogue too, how it had a very Shakespearean vibe and there were some really beautiful, humourous and memorable lines. Obviously there were a great deal of aspects from the comics that were changed and for better or worse they’re now part of in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I believe most of the updates feels realistic, fresh and approachable for by both comic and casual audiences. That being said there are problems with the story in terms of pacing, uninteresting scenes on Earth when related to Asgard and obviously the not so believable relationship between Thor and Jane, which was materialized over a few days rather than a longer period of time. But other than those issues its impressive how the filmmakers crammed several years of comic book history is into this film.

As for the cast who’re all really great and add a lot of realism to this sci-fi/god-like story. Let’s start with the Asgardians. Firstly Chris Hemsworth is fantastic as Thor, he does a great balancing act between being larger than life, arrogant and aggressive, but also adds subtly, charm and drama to his performance.And then there’s Tom Hiddleston who does an equally great performance a Loki. This adaptation is more reletable because he is misunderstood and misguided, that in turn makes us feel for him and come to terms with his transition into darkness and evil. Hiddleston added some more remorseful aspects to the character and his transition to evil is portrayed well, though I wish he’d been a bit more sinister, but otherwise he was fabulous. Anthony Hopkins as Odin was as expected really cool, Odin was such a strong, imposing, yet caring character and I loved his speeches and aura. Hopkins already had the tools to portray the character effectively and he was so cool. The Warriors Three (Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun) played by Ray Stevenson, Joshua Dallas and Tadanobu Asano were delightful, they were all interesting, quirky and pretty awesome on and off of the battlefield. While I primarily know about them from Hulk Vs. Thor and my Wikipedia research, overall they seemed to be depicted pretty well though I wish they had more screen time.

Jaimie Alexander as Lady Sif was great too, she was gorgeous and knew how to handle herself in battle, again like The Warriors Three I wish she had more screen time but she was still fun to watch. Idris Elba as Heimdall was very good too, I really wasn’t sure what to expect because this was very far removed from Elba’s standard line of work, but he did well, though some of his words were a bit hard to comprehend at times. Rene Russo as Frigga did a nice job well in the film too, although she was severely underused and I wish she’d had more screen time. Okay, now let’s talke about the human characters. Natalie Portman as Jane Foster was decent, Jane was good for the first half of the film and had nice chemistry between her and Thor, however I didn’t buy into her like her relationship with Thor. Firstly I find it hard to believe that someone as pretty as her would find it so hard to find love, and secondly I the time that she and Thor spent together was FAR too short for her to go from an infuation to all out love, more time wasneeded for that relationship to grow as it kind of felt forced towards the end of the film. Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig was pretty good too, can’t really fault him. And Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis was good too, she had some funny dialogue and was also very beautiful. 😀 And finally it was so great to see Clark Gregg back as Agent Coulson, he had some great scenes and dialogue and by that point he’d definitely become more of an interesting character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

When it comes to the presentation of Thor it is pretty good. Visually the film was very pretty with lovey art direction,good CGI, great costume design and nice cinematography. The visual effects were handled by BUF and Digital Domain, and they crafted some great gorgeous stuff, from the space worlds of Asgard and Jotunheim to the Frost Giants, Destroyer Armour and battle sequences, it was pretty awesome. The travelling sections via the Bifrost Bridge is some of the coolest stuff I’ve seen on-screen for some time (the first time it’s like, “Wow! FRIGGING AWESOME!!”). That being said the world of Asgard seemed a tad empty outside of the main hall and one had to wonder where all of the residents were haha. There also seemed to be a lack of sharpness and clarity in certain sections and I feel a studio like Industrial Light & Magic would have been a better choice for tackling the VFX, but still overall the film looked good.

The action sequences in the film was handled in an effective manner too, with most characters getting decent screen time. The action was shot wonderfully with lots of quick cuts and a variety of camera shots. I loved how Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir was depicted as it demonstrated a lot of different techniques especially with the spinning attacks which I wasn’t expecting to make it into the movie at all. The lightning effects were good and even Thor’s flying ability looked well portrayed too. Loki’s action on-screen was pretty good with a lot more physical combat with a staff, though I wish he had done more magic-based attacks. Everybody else have good fight scenes from the Warriors Three to Sif, from their battle with the Frost Giants to the attack on the Destroyer Armour. One thing that does bug me is the fact the first battle with the Frost Giants is the best one and everything that follows afterwards never quite reach that same level of greatness. Also the soundtrack crafted by Patrick Doyle was pretty great, it epic, dramatic and can go from being really powerful to being quite small and emotional. It really elevates whatever is happening on-screen and hits all the right notes for all the key scenes

So in conclusion I liked Thor a lot, it was a grand film with a good story, great characters, good action and a decent soundtrack. While there are some notable problems with the story, pacing and action, the film laid out the groundwork for these characters and other comic aspects to be incorporated into the sequel. Kenneth Branagh must be commended for taking what seemed to be an impossible task and making it feesable for comic book fans and casual audiences. A lot of people hate on Thor but I reckon its one of the better Phase 1 films, I recommend it and I can’t wait to be blown away by The Dark World (hopefully)!

Rating: 8/10 (It really was one of my favourite superhero films of recent years)

So what did you think of Thor? Whatever your thoughts, drop in the comments below and come back to this blog in the next few days for my review of Thor: The Dark World! Laters yo! 😀

 

Tom Hiddleston Talks Branagh/Taylor and Potential Thor 3

Hi peeps of the internet, more news has been put on the internet for me to talk about, so I’m gonna talk about it. Ah yes more news on Thor: The Dark World from our favourite man Tom Hiddleston. and as per usual superherohype provides the following article:

“Tom Hiddleston has been one of the most vocal members of the Thor cast when talking about the upcoming sequel, Thor: The Dark World. The actor has spoken about most topics presented to him and today, in an interview with Huffington Post, he talked about the difference between Kenneth Branagh (director of Thor) and Alan Taylor (director of the sequel Thor: The Dark World).

“Ken established the tone, so we’ve taken the baton and kept running. Alan Taylor is fantastic, one of the men responsible for ‘Game of Thrones’ which is so of that world, a very grounded, gritty, earthy world where warriors and swords and monsters and magic all meet, so his experience of that has given him a fantastic take on the whole world of Thor.

 

He was refashioning those archetypes in space. We talked about King Lear and that kind of dynastic drama, about succession, with somebody at the top of the tree, and somebody else due to succeed the throne, there’s always a wrestling if it’s father and son… it’s all very dynastic.”

 

So was he anxious about having a newcomer step onto the sequel instead of Branagh? “I went to a summer screening of a Marvel short film. Ken came and so did Alan, it was very clear how much mutual respect between them and I thought, ‘ok, it’s going to be fine.’”

 

Filming on Thor: The Dark World has only a few weeks remaining before it wraps and Hiddleston won’t say if they’re already talking about Thor 3.

 

“These kind of films, not to get too heavy about it, all depend on the financial success of the one before, so we’ll have to see.” 

In Thor: The Dark World, Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos…but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all. It’s slated for a November 8, 2013 release.”

It’s good to know that Alan Taylor has been having a good effect on the progress of the second Thor film and it’s also good to know that Kenneth and Alan are cool with each other with the transition of one director to another on the same film series. I’m also interested to hear what Tom had to say on the next instalment in the Thor series, I thought that next one would be automatic, but he does bring up a good point about the financial side of these big budget films; if a film doesn’t make enough money then it doesn’t really warrant a sequel. So let’s hope that Thor: The Dark World is a badass film that makes loads of cash so we can afford to see more of these characters in another adventure.

 

Tom Hiddleston talks about Thor: The Dark World

Any news about Thor: The Dark World is worth blogging about, though I am trying very hard not to spoil myself and still leave elements of the film a mystery so that I can appreciate it when it comes out properly or just shows up in the film next year in November. anyways we have some interesting information form the world of superherohype to deliver so read on below:

(Photo Credit: Daniel Deme / WENN.com)

“Tom Hiddleston is the bad boy of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s appeared as the antagonist Loki in two of the films in the series and is currently filming his third appearance as the character in Thor: The Dark World. Even though he appears as the mischievous Loki in the sequel he’s not the main ‘big bad’ for the sequel. Christopher Eccleston joins the film as Malekith the Accursed and you can now see the first photos of the character and a beaten up Chris Hemsworth by clicking here and here.

Hiddleston also spoke with GQ about the upcoming film and the pressure on the sequel because of this summer’s The Avengers.

“It’s mostly self-applied pressure actually. I remember Chris [Hemsworth] and I saying over the summer when Avengers came out, where do we go now? Going into this one we were – very flatteringly – involved in big creative conversations about tone, and story. Thor and Loki are these two characters that people know and love and understand – so we have to take this in the right direction. You want to do something new – you don’t want to re-heat the same recipe in the microwave, you want to cook up something different and exciting – but you don’t want to lose the things that worked the first time. So we’re our own slave drivers, in a way. Complacency is the enemy. But that’s exciting and it’s going well. I have never seen a group of actors or a crew work harder.”

GQ then asked how much influennce The Avengers has had on the sequel, specifically will we get a reference to the Hulk smashing Loki?

“Yeah! [laughs]  He’s certainly eaten humble pie. The springboard for us in the second Thor film is at the end of Avengers you see Thor and Loki beamed up back to Asgard. The first question that we all asked was ‘what happens next? What does Odin have to say about the events of Avengers?’ ‘What’s Jane Foster been up to while she wasn’t involved?’ It’s really exciting, actually. We’re literally half way through – we started at the start of August and we should be finished by Christmas. It’s going beautifully.”

In Thor: The Dark World, Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos…but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano and Jaimie Alexander with Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins as Odin, the film is set for release on November 8, 2013.”

Even though the original article was about set pictures of Christopher Eccleston as Malekith the Accursed, I feel the information that Tom Hiddleston gives about the progression of the Thor sequel to be way more relevant and much more of the focus of the article. I am just super hyped for this sequel and I just hope it is totally badass.