Thor review... expect to be delighted

For months I have been hesitant towards Thor.  I didn't know what to expect out of an unknown lead (Chris Hemsworth) and a Shakespearean actor turned director (Kenneth Branagh).  Sure there were Oscar winners in the film (Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins), but that doesn't guarantee a good film.  So the Summer movie season has kicked off in full swing.  I skipped on Fast Five last week and watched Thor instead, let's get it started in here.

What I liked about the movie:
The Storytelling, director
Branagh is a wonderful actor.  His work has been solid for well over a decade... as an actor.  Why elect him to direct a big budget Summer film?  Well, here's my two cents.  He was perfect in his storytelling.  He understood how to divide the story between Asgard and Earth.  He made Asgard a grand, mythical place while keeping it believable.  The parts on Earth were tastefully done and grounded in reality.  It was just the right tone and pacing necessary for a something as mythical as Thor.  He knew how to direct Hemsworth, and in turn got a wonderful performance out of him.  The editing was solid as well.  The only thing I would critic Branagh for was his lighting, which I'll explain later.

The acting

Hemsworth gives a wonderful performance.  He has a commanding presence, a swagger if you will.  While in Asgard, he is a cocky, arrogant man who feels entitled to his father's throne.  When he is banished to Earth, he plays the "fish out of water" very sincerely.  It's always a risk casting a relative unknown for a movie of this size and scope, but this was perfect casting.  Hemsworth got so unbelievable big for this movie, he was physically believable as Thor.  The long hair and beard were spot on to what I felt Thor should look like on the big screen.  The accent was perfect as well.  Because we're dealing with the Norse God of Thunder, there has to be a sense of grandeur, and Hemsworth nailed it.  

Thor's father, Odin, is played by the masterful Anthony Hopkins.  He is the stern father figure we would expect Odin to be, but has a sensibility that any good father must posses.  The primary villain in the film is Thor's half-brother Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston.  Hiddleston nails it!  I loved his performance in this film.  He is vengeful and sinister.  The only thing I didn't like was the "turn".  We get to see Loki's motivation for turning on his family, but it would have been nice to dig deeper; especially considering it has been officially announced that Loki will be the primary villain for The Avengers film. 

Natalie Portman does well as an astrophysicist.  She plays the character as genuinely as we would hope.  Her side kick is played by Kat Dennings; who despite all the hate online, I thought was blessed with some of the best one-liners in the film.  Portman's mentor is played by the great Stellan Skarsgard who did great with what little screen time he had.

The Visual Effects

This is a Marvel film, so we shouldn't expect any less out of a big, blockbuster film.  The visual effects both on Asgard as well as on Earth were awesome.  I couldn't tell where some of the special effects blended with the practical effects, and that's what we really want as an audience, we shouldn't be able to tell.  Thumbs up to Marvel for spending the money necessary to make the worlds look real. 


What I didn't like about the movie:
The lighting, cinematography

This was a major, major issue for me.  I endlessly complain about 3D (I saw it in 2D mind you), but the lighting in this film was so bad it was unbearable at times.  All the scenes featuring our hero on "Jotunheim" were so dark and difficult to see.  I don't know if this was a poor print at the theater I went to or if it were intended that way, but nonetheless, it was tough to watch and understand what was happening.


The verdict:
Satisfying to all

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.  Goes to show you, yet again, never judge a film by its trailer.  I was not impressed with the trailers leading up to the release of this film, but gave it a chance and enjoyed myself.  I will say it is very kid friendly at times, a darker version would be nice, but then again I'm a 30 year old man, not a 12 year old child.  I think Marvel realized they spent too much time during Iron Man 2 setting up The Avengers, they didn't do that so much in this film.  But they did set up the villain.  Loki and his powers should be a worthy opponent of the superhero team. 

Hiddleston did very well and has made me a fan.  Good job to everyone involved, I really liked Thor and would recommend it to anyone who wants to see a good action film to kick off the Summer season!

Thor trailer #2, action packed!

Check out the second trailer to this Summer's Thor.  There is a ton of action and a lot more scenes between Thor and Odin.  There is also a lot more Natalie Portman in this trailer, I'm assuming its because of all the Oscar buzz she's receiving of late.  Enjoy!

Black Swan review

Almost done!  I have almost seen all the Best Picture nominees for this year's Oscars.  This one.. Black Swan.  So I think everyone is familiar with the movie by now.  Natalie Portman stars in Darren Aronofsky's mind screw.  A dark movie that explores one woman's battle with her inner demons.  The film, Aronofsky and Portman have all been nominated for Academy Awards.  The film co-stars Mila Kunis as Portman's alternate to the ballet.  Barbara Hershey plays Portman's mother, and Vincent Cassel plays Portman's instructor.  There is also a small, but impressive role starring Winona Ryder. 

Portman is a hands down favorite for Best Actress; but I just don't see why anything else was nominated for this film.  You all may be surprised by this review.  Let's begin.

What I liked about the film:
Natalie Portman

Her performance is as good as you've read.  She is a force to be reckoned with.  She plays a ballerina that has been cast in the famous "Swan Lake" ballet.  She must play the timid, innocent white swan, as well as the evil, seductive black swan.  We can see Portman discovering her character's dark side.  At the beginning of the film, her character Nina is very delicate.  She's a calm and sweet girl who is sheltered by her mother.  As the film progresses, we see Portman becoming the metaphorical Black Swan.  I have no doubt in my mind she will win the Oscar.  Amazing!

The Score

Clint Mansell's score is the reason the movie could even be considered a thriller.  The music carries every scene, particularly those where Portman is acting alone.  She can act like no other with her eyes, no dialogue at all.  Mansell's score does the talking for her.  It's heart pounding, edge of your seat suspense that is second to none.  Great job!

Barbara Hershey
Wow, I did NOT see this one coming.  Barbara Hershey plays Portman's mother in the film.  At the beginning of the film, we see her as an overbearing, controlling monster.  But as Portman makes her decent into evil, she appears to be protecting Portman from herself.  There is a lot of stuff I want to mention, but it will spoil the film, if interested, leave a comment.


What I didn't like about the film:
The Contrast

Really?  Like really?  I need to see Portman wear light colors the entire film and Kunis wearing black to realize the contrast?!  Really?  He should take a note from The Sixth Sense, subtlety is best!  In that film, the director used reds as a sign of death and evil, usually in the form of something small like a blanket or a door knob.  Aronofsky wanted to say to the audience 'HEY LOOK... PORTMAN IS THE WHITE SWAN AND KUNIS IS THE BLACK SWAN'.  So stupid, give the audience more credit.

Darren Aronofsky

The man is nominated for an Oscar and he's an aspect of the movie I didn't like?  Yes, that's exactly right.  I don't like the art school canvas he's created.  I don't like his choice of lighting (yes I know that's the cinematographer's job).  I didn't like the OBVIOUS contrasts between Portman and Mila Kunis' character.  I didn't like the shaky cam for every freakin' shot.  I didn't like the fact that the film was essentially The Wrestler Part 2.  I seriously didn't like a damn thing about his directing.  I'm sure Portman benefited by Aronofsky directing.  Her performance along with Hershey's are what struck me as successes, not his directing.  Seriously, what the hell am I missing; I don't understand what the hell the hype is all about with this guy.  I've actually praised his visual style before, but this movie was just flat out bad to me.

The Verdict:
PASS
There will always be bad movies with amazing performances, this will be one of them.  I honestly have no clue how it was nominated for as many Oscars as it was.  I guess all I can say is; The Tourist was nominated for multiple Golden Globes this year.  Um, yeah, no more explanation is needed.  I know I'm going to get a lot of crap for this review, but I don't care.  It's my opinion and your on my blog, so you obviously are interested.  Secondly, it's art, and everyone reads art differently.  I'm just trying to figure out how paintings by 5 year old kids are considered art... to me, Black Swan is the same equivalent. 

"Your Highness" Red Band Trailer

I love Danny McBride, I mean I really really love Danny McBride. I've been watching his work for a few years and I honestly think he's one of the most underrated comedy actors in Hollywood. The man really can do it all. Check out Up in the Air as well as Due Date if you don't believe me. Those are just co-starring roles; check out Eastbound and Down to see the man really shine!

The trailer below is for Your Highness; it stars McBride, James Franco, Zooey Deschanel and the gorgeous Natalie Portman. I kind of want you all to see the trailer and tell me what you think. Check after the jump for my comments.

Ok, what did you think? Different, no? I like it. I think it's an interesting and fun way to look at Medieval Times. We know based on Pineapple Express that there will be a lot of riffing and improv between Franco and McBride. McBride especially knows how to roll with the lines, even if they weren't intentionally written that way. Then there is the crush of a lifetime; Natalie Portman. My goodness, crushes come and go (Emma Stone this year), but Portman has had my heart for a long time. And she's all thonged out in this trailer which was awesome to say the least. Share your thoughts about this kooky comedy.

Awesome "Black Swan" International Posters

Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan opens on December 1st, and international audiences have been treated to some beautiful posters.

If you haven't seen the trailer yet, check it out here.

Thanks to Empire, who had these hi-res images.
As always, click to enlarge.

"Superman" Rumors: Natalie Portman as Lois Lane and Darren Aronofsky Directing?

Tony Scott (Man on Fire), Matt Reeves (Cloverfield), Duncan Jones (Moon), Zack Snyder (300) and Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles). What do they all have in common? They were all announced last week as being in the running to direct the new Superman film! Not a bad list to be on, huh? Especially when it's Christopher Nolan who's considering you to direct a film about one of the most recognizable characters in the history of man. Then the LA Times added another name into the hat, Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler).

Now six names, and who should it be? Zack,"I can make amazing super-hero movies" Snyder, that's who! I am a huge fan of the man's work. 300 is a classic, as well as Watchmen. He knows how to direct big-budget action films that still care about character development. He would be perfect for the job.

I've never kept my hatred for Superman Returns a secret. I love director Bryan Singer, but the movie was awful. Just awful! So we need a director who will care more about the action than paying homage to Richard Donner's 1978 Superman film. I think Snyder is the man for the job.

The next rumor is about Natalie Portman playing Lois Lane. Not to bash on Superman Returns again, but Kate Bosworth was awful and terribly miscast in the film. So I guess I'm OK with Portman playing the famous reporter. But I think this rumor only came about because of the Aronofsky rumor. Aronofsky just worked with Portman on Black Swan, so the two have experience together.

I doubt Portman will do it though. She's working in the superhero realm in the upcoming Thor. I don't really care about the Lois Lane casting before a director is brought on board. And hopefully that director is Snyder!

Quickie: Thor casting news

/film has reported Natalie Portman has signed on to co-star in the Comic book movie, Thor. This is very exciting news for me personally because I'm a huge fan of the Marvel Comic movie genre and know they would not allow anything less than stellar performances. She will play Jane Foster, opposite Thor's human alter ego. I loved Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, and those were both produced and released by Marvel. Portman has seriously managed a great career so far. The Professional was ground break and controversial, and an instant classic! We'll give you the news as soon as we get it.