MOVIE REVIEW: THOR 3D

IN THEATERS

THOR



Exiled to Earth after his arrogance fans the flames of an ancient conflict, The Mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) of Asgard discovers the meaning of humility when a powerful old foe dispatches a destructive force to crush humanity. Only when the banished prince has defeated an opponent capable of crushing him in battle will he learn what it takes to be a true leader. Anthony Hopkins}, Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgard, and Tadanobu Asano co-star in a comic-book adventure from acclaimed director Kenneth Branagh. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård

Release Date: May 06, 2011

Rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi action/violence

Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

REVIEW:

Thor is one of those properties that sounded like a looming disaster from the outset. A comic book property that included a Norse god that some how had to be meshed into an Earth setting. Hiring Kenneth Branagh, Shakespeare cinematic stalwart, to direct seemed like an April fool’s joke. This turned out to be a master stroke with Branagh in the director’s chair the story hits the screen in a believable but not overtly serious manner that’s first and foremost fun. Branagh give this property enough standard Shakespearean light turns to make the Asgard set pieces entertaining and intriguing. The earth set pieces are funny but occasionally feel flat when compared to the grandeur of Asgard. Chris Hemsworth in the title role is spot on perfect. Initially cocky rash and arrogant, Hemsworth doesn’t overplay the role and allows it to feel natural and organic. In doing so the character’s growth over the course of the story rings true, all a testament to Hemsworth’s work. The rest of the cast is fine but very few standout, mostly due to unwritten parts. Tom Hiddleston is given a fairly generic role to play as a double dealing underappreciated sibling. To Hiddleston’s credit he gives the character a bit more depth in the 3rd act. Natalie Portman is equally handcuffed by a paper thin role that’s a romantic interest simply because there must be one. Portman and Hemsworth have very little chemistry together and the entire romance feels shoehorned and forced. Thor’s Asgard cohorts, The Warriors Three and the Lady Sif, are terribly under development and underused. The film itself is strongest in the 1st and 3rd acts with a noticeable lag in middle which, unsurprisingly, Earth centered while the others are mostly set in Asgard. Still as fun mindless summer fun Thor delivers the goods more than it doesn’t.

B-

TV SHOW REVIEW: SPACED THE COMPLETE SERIES [DVD]

Tim Bisley and Daisy Steiner rent a flat pretending to be a couple. There, they meet Marsha, the alcoholic landlady; Brian, the disturbed and troubled painter downstairs; Mike, Tim's war-crazy best friend; Twist, a fashion designer and Daisy's best friend; and Colin the dog. What follows is the group's crazy and comical adventures.

Starring: Jessica Hynes, Simon Pegg, Julia Deakin, Nick Frost

Director: Edgar Wright

REVIEW:

Being a late a party can typically be a terrible thing but on occasions if you are late you still showed up and had a good time. Having heard of Spaced through reputation over the years had left me longing to see it but after they released it on DVD, I figured I’d wait for a high definition Blu-ray release. Sadly, that release never came and doesn’t seem to be on the horizons so I went ahead and picked up the DVD set. First off, I’m a huge fan of Pegg, Frost & Wright so this was required viewing, it was never a matter of if I’d like it but how much. So after finishing the series in short order recently I’m left kicking myself wondering why it took me so long. Any 30 something nerd slacker needs to watch this series. Besides its general comedic greatness it served as something so much more, a time capsule of me in my mid to late 20. So much of the show rings so true that it’s almost scary. That in of itself is enough for me to love the series as a whole. Add to that seeing the genesis of Wright, Pegg & Frost’s collaboration is just film nerd nirvana. Honestly, it’s almost scary at how good everything works from the start and its always fun to see the evolution continued over the 2 films they did together and what was sorely missing from Pegg & Frost’s Paul. The rest of the cast is all stellar with Jessica Hynes & Julia Deakin leaving the biggest impression on me. The series as a whole is short sweet and outside of a few references, Star Wars Episode 1 and a PS1, it’s kind of timeless as well. The minute the sadness washed off from having finished the last episode I had a need to watch it all again, ala Extras, Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Seinfeld & Arrested Development.

A
[DUH!]

[Trailer] Conan the Barbarian

I’ll be the first to admit I hold no special spot for Schwarzenegger’s Conan even though it is a benchmark for the actor.

Still, it’s a part of my childhood and I can’t overlook the fact that along with a handful of other 80’s movies Conan is one of those characters that linked to the star.

Remake mania is still running pretty strong and while this trailer looks fairly interesting I couldn’t help but notice that it’s felt kind of generic.

If I didn’t know it was Conan or had somebody say the name in the trailer, I’d probably have no idea what movie this was other than another action heavy fantasy film.

Since Marcus Nispel is directing this, he seems to have peaked with the Chainsaw remake, I can’t say I’m too optimistic…..

Final [Trailer] Green Lantern

The final trailer for Green Lantern is out and it does contain some new scenes along with a more cohesive idea of the plot.

Trimmed down significantly is the Ryan Reynolds’s smart ass segments which highlighted the first few clips released.

What we get is a much better idea of the villain, general plot and a few passing glances of Oa and The Guardians.

Looks more like the space adventure I’d hope for in any Lantern flick.

This and Thor were the 2 comic movies I thought had the greatest chance to be sucked into an bottomless Velveeta cheese vortex.

Thor’s reviews have been strong and this one looks like it’s trending in the right direction…..

[Trailer] Transformers: Dark of the Moon

The week of endless trailers ends with a fitting bang. While the kid in me has allowed me to ignore most of the larger issues in the first 2 films the adult in me can see the glaring flaws.

That being said this trailer fills me with all kinds of childlike glee (Laser Beak & Shockwave!).

Michael Bay hold a trump card on me here thanks to my life long love of Transformers, hoping us fans can get a good send off and no more robot testicles…..

[Trailer] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Never professed to be the biggest Potter fan, I’ve been limited to the films and I’ve stuck with the series. The last 3 or 4 have really have been a lot more impressive with Deathly Hallows Part 1 shining brightest.

The trailer for the final chapter looks pretty damn epic….