My Review: Thor: The Dark World (6/10)

"You must be truly desperate to come to me for help."

Marvel Universe Season 2 Episode 2

The second phase of the Marvel universe began this summer with Iron Man 3 which was a film I enjoyed very much, but really hasn't seemed to stick with me. I'm afraid the same problem can be said about Thor: The Dark World, which was an entertaining movie but I don't think I'd enjoy it as much on a second viewing. Most of these films are fun and exciting as you experience them for the first time, but the magic seems to vanish for me after a few weeks. Perhaps The Avengers was so great that these sequels don't seem to live up to the standard set by Joss Whedon. I still had a great time in the movies and enjoyed the sequel to Thor considering I wasn't blown away by the first film either. By now Thor knows exactly who he is and doesn't have to prove anything to anyone, so we get to see him in action with his might hammer quite a bit. At times the film has a sort of Star Wars vibe to it mixed with The Lord of the Rings (with Jane reminding me of Frodo), but the final action scene suffers from something we've seen in way too many superhero films recently: buildings getting completely destroyed and blown up. It also mixes some elements near the end that we've seen in Jumper, but all in all the film succeeds thanks to the great chemistry between Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. The way they played off each other and interacted was the highlight of the film, and Hiddleston was extremely funny here. I wasn't a huge fan of his in the first Thor, but after The Avengers I began to enjoy his performance, and his character in this sequel is better than ever. I wasn't blown away by the action scenes, but I did like the smaller comedic and light moments which the film had to offer. The film is entertaining enough to garner at least one watch.

The film picks up after the events of The Avengers with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) back in Asgard serving his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) trying to restore peace to the nine realms that his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has altered. Loki is sentenced to prison after his mother Frigga (Rene Russo) insists he shouldn't be killed. It turns out to be a good decision because Thor will need his service after the city is attacked by a race of beings known as the Dark Elves. Their leader, Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), is searching for a weapon known as the Aether which had been taken away from him thousands of years ago by Odin's father. Since the aether couldn't be destroyed, the Asgardians had to hide it. In the meantime Jane (Natalie Portman), who hasn't seen or heard from Thor since he left two years ago, along with her assistant Darcy (Kat Dennings) discover an anomaly very similar to the one that had brought Thor to Earth in the past. When she goes to investigate she is sucked by some sort of wormhole and ends up right next to the place where the aether had been hidden. After Heimdall (Idris Elba) warns Thor that Jane has disappeared, he goes after her, but somehow Jane has awaken Malekith which is what provoked his attack in Asgard in the first place.

Thor: The Dark World is pretty generic and follows a similar formula of most superhero films. That is the reason why so many scenes remind us of other scenes we've seen in other action films. I was never at the edge of my seat during any of the action scenes, but I did have a great time with the light and funny moments. Some people actually enjoyed the action sequences in this film, but it really didn't do anything new for me. The highlight of the film for me was Tom Hiddleston and the scenes he was in were probably the most memorable of the movie. Jamie Alexander, Zachary Levi, and Ray Stevenson all return for their supporting roles here as Thor's soldier/warriors but their characters aren't really developed too much. It is strange to see a summer blockbuster film in November but I guess that the timing was right considering all the superhero films that came out this year. Thor doesn't stand out (and I guess none really did this year), but it is still an entertaining movie. This Marvel universe is growing so fast with all these films that at times it feels like a TV series. So I guess it was a good idea that they brought in the Game of Thrones director, Alan Taylor. He has made an enjoyable film.

My Review: Thor (8/10)

¨Whoever wields this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.¨

With Thor, summer movies have officially started in Hollywood. It`s not one of my favorite seasons of the year for films, but if the rest of the movies can live up to what Kenneth Branagh has accomplished with Thor it will be an exciting and entertaining season at the movies. I wasn`t a huge fan of Thor before this movie came out, I wasn`t even expecting too much out of it, but I decided to go see it because he`s still one of The Avengers and I couldn`t miss out on all the propaganda that began with Iron Man. With each one of these films my expectations for The Avengers is rapidly building, and even Thor managed to win me over to his side. The first thing I can say about the movie is that it was entertaining enough for me to want to go see it twice in two days. The story, the visuals, the strong performance from two relatively unknown actors like Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston are all factors that contribute to making this movie successful. Include Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins into the mix and you have an even better film. The directing had a lot to do with it as well because Kenneth Branagh is a serious and dedicated director; he has proven it time after time with his adaptations of Shakespearean plays. He was dedicated with this project as well; adapted this Marvel comic superhero and prepared him for the big screen. Like most every Marvel character, they are very well developed and the film is no exception remaining true to the comic.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is the son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins) the god of Asgard. He is a great warrior and his father has been preparing him to be the future King of Asgard. It is no easy task because Asgardians are the keepers of the peace in all nine realms (Earth being one of those realms). They can travel from one realm to another through the bifrost which is guarded by Heimdall (Idris Elba). Odin saved Earth from extinction many centuries ago when the Frost Giants tried to destroy the planet. Odin defeated them and took away their power so they could no longer leave their planet, Jotunheimr. Odin has kept the peace during all these years but now it`s time to proclaim Thor as his heir to the throne. On the day of his proclamation something unexpected occurs and three Frost Giants manage to enter Asgard and almost steal the cube which holds their power. However The Destroyer does his job and kills the invaders before they can do any harm. Thor is furious and wants to give the Giants a lesson, but Odin wants to maintain peace and orders Thor to remain in Asgard. Against his father`s command Thor travels to Jotunheimr with his younger brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the 3 warriors: Volstagg, Hogun, and Fandral, and Sif (Jaime Alexander). Together they face the Giants who tell them there is a traitor in Asgard. Odin discovers that Thor disobeyed his command, rescues the warriors from the Frost Giants but vanishes Thor to Earth without his supernatural powers. In Earth Thor meets a group of scientists: Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard), Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and Darcy (Kat Dennings) who help him rediscover his path.

I can imagine how difficult it was to try to make a serious movie out of all this Norse mythology about the nine realms and so on, but Branagh pulls it off by combining humor with the story. For instance when the three warriors come to Earth to find Thor, the unbelievable situation is toned down with a lot of humor. The same can be said with the Destroyer when he arrives at Earth to try to destroy Thor. When the SHIELD agents first see this metal giant they believe it could be one of Stark`s creations. So whenever the plot seems to be getting ridiculous, the tone of the film is cooled down with a lot of humor. The funniest character is Darcy who with clever one-liners manages to steal most laughs. I liked Kat Dennings in Nick and Norah`s Infinite Playlist, but here once more she proves she is a talented actress. The true stars of the film however are Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. Hemsworth plays Thor to perfection, and Hiddleston is excellent as Loki. The scene where he realizes his true identity is perhaps one of the most dramatic and best acted sequences in the movie. I know we are being bombarded with a lot of superhero movies, but as long as they keep on making them this entertaining I have no problem with that. Thor is no Dark Knight, or even Iron Man for that matter, but it still is a very good film. I will end my review by quoting my six year old brother`s words after the movie ended: ¨I don’t want to have an Iron Man party for my birthday anymore. I want it to be Thor!¨  

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My Review: Black Swan (9/10)

¨It`s about a girl who gets turned into a swan and she needs love to break the spell, but her prince falls for the wrong girl, so she kills herself.¨

If there is any justice in the world then Natalie Portman should win the Oscar for her leading role as Nina. She has to win; her performance in Black Swan is by far the best of the year. She is just incredible in this film and the transformation her character experiences in order to become the Black Swan is just amazing. I can`t think of any other performance from any actress this year that can compare to this one because the entire movie revolves around her. The rest of the characters are all secondary, she is the only lead and star of the film. I just hope Natalie Portman didn`t have to go through all the psychological torture that her character had to go through in order to become the black swan. I would`ve never thought that a film about ballerinas could be so gruesome, raw, and full of psychological and sexual tension. This is the scariest film I`ve seen this year, and the only person who can pull off a movie like this is Darren Aronofsky. In order to direct a film of this caliber, one has to be completely submersed and passionate about the project, and Aronofsky has always proven he`s totally dedicated to his work (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, and The Wrestler were all great and difficult films to make). Black Swan is a different kind of movie and probably will divide audiences because it isn`t a film for everyone, but if I have to compare it to any of Aronofsky`s previous films I would say it resembles The Wrestler. Mickey Rourke resurrected his career in that film playing a washed up wrestler. He had his glory days, he was passionate about his profession and didn`t know how to let go. Natalie Portman plays a ballerina in Black Swan, she`s also passionate about her craft and completely dedicated to it. Both of these characters lives revolve around their profession, Mickey is at the exit point of his career, while Natalie is just now trying to make it to the top of hers.  As different as these professions may seem, the physical and psychological pressure to succeed is the same.

Nina (Portman) is about to get the role of her dreams: Being both the white and the black swan from an adaptation of Tchaikovsky`s ballet ¨Swan Lake.¨ She has been working endlessly for an opportunity like this and when director, Thomas (Vincent Cassel), considers her as the new lead she doesn`t want to miss her shot. He has decided that it is time to find a new prima ballerina since Beth (Winona Ryder) is getting old and her career is coming to an end. Nina is one of his best and most dedicated dancers. He knows that she would make an excellent white swan due to her perfect form and technique, but she doesn`t seem to have what it takes to become the black swan. In order for the transformation to take place, Thomas insists that she loosen up and let her feelings guide her. A new ballerina named Lily (Mila Kunis) shows up and suddenly becomes a threat for Nina because she is so free and confident, everything the black swan should be. Her technique isn`t as good as Nina`s, but she sees her as a threat nonetheless and at the same time she also becomes fascinated with her. Lily represents everything that Nina has repressed her entire life, she seems to be the opposite of her and that is exactly what she needs in order to become the black swan. Nina begins to lose herself in the role, and the fine line between reality and fantasy becomes blurry.

One character I didn`t mention in the plot is Nina`s mother (played by Barbara Hershey), who is really scary and over controlling. She has definitely played a big role in Nina`s life and shaped her character. Nina is a very insecure perfectionist, but she won`t let anything stop her from getting the lead role. She begins to push herself so hard into trying to become the black swan that her life begins to get out of control. The entire cast is great in this film, but Portman steals the show. The psychological torture she goes through is perfectly captured by Aronofsky. The score is amazing and plays a huge role in building the suspense and tension as well as the cinematography of the film. Every shot is just perfectly executed. I couldn`t help but cringe every time I saw those extreme close ups of the ballerinas feet, of their nails being cut, and so on. If I ever have a daughter it`s really going to make me think twice before letting her take ballet classes. Aronofsky has completely changed my perception about ballerinas. Black Swan is a really bizarre, but great film. I recommend seeing it in the theater because the sound and cinematography in this film is just amazing. It’s one of those movies in which larger and louder can make a huge difference in the viewing experience. Aronofsky is completely in control of his craft and delivers a terrific film. This is my favorite film of his so far.

  

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My Review: Brothers (7/10)

¨I don't know who said 'only the dead have seen the end of war'. I have seen the end of war. The question is: can I live again? ¨

Jim Sheridan directs this melodrama that focuses on family and the impact war has on all of it`s members, not just the soldiers. Most of Sheridan`s films focus on family, such was the case in In the Name of the Father, In America, and The Boxer. In Brothers the main problem Sheridan had to face was that there were two other war movies released during the same year that had much more critical success: Oscar winner The Hurt Locker and The Messenger, and out of the three Brothers was the weakest. Brothers was based on the 2004 danish film of the same name written and directed by Susanne Bier. The screenplay for this american version was written by David Benioff. The story may seem a little forced during some scenes, such is the case when the family is dinning together for Maggie`s birthday near the end of the movie and Isabelle burts and says something that doesn`t feel real because it is not something a little girl would say. Some scenes were just forced for more melodramatic effects. Many people might be divided over the story, some liked it a lot others hated it, but what no one can deny is that the performances were great. Toby Maguire gives the performance of his career and I think he really deserved an Oscar nomination, but I guess the Academy didn`t think so since they had already nominated Renner for The Hurt Locker and Harrelson for The Messenger. I thought the kitchen breakdown scene by Maguire was one of the best of the year. Natalie Portman was excellent as well, the two child actresses were really believable, and Jake Gyllenhaal gives his best performance since Brokeback Mountain. Brothers is a movie I enjoyed more because of the performance from the cast then the actual story.

Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) is a Marine Captain who has to return to Afghanistan for his second tour in a few days. Meanwhile he is enjoying time with his family back home: his beautiful wife Grace (Natalie Portman), and his two young daughters Isabelle (Bailee Madison) and Maggie (Taylor Geare). Before leaving for Afghanistan Sam gets to pick up his younger brother, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal), from jail and brings him home. The family gets together for dinner along with Sam`s parents Hank (Sam Shepard) and Elsie (Mare Winningham). Tension between Hank and Tommy is felt from the first moment they sit together for dinner as Hank always speaks well of Sam and criticizes Tommy for always being trouble. Sam has a good relationship with his brother and always tries to defend him. Sam leaves for Aghanistan and suffers an accident on one of his missions. Two marines visit Grace and let her know that Sam has passed away, but the truth is that he has survived and been taken prisoner by Afghan rebels, but we are the only ones who know this because the director has decided to share this information with us. Meanwhile Grace is devastated and tries to be strong for her two young daughters who she really loves. Tommy is also devastated by his brother`s loss and decides to help Grace out with the kids and remodeling the kitchen. As time goes by Tommy`s relationship with Grace and the kids grows and he even seems to redeem himself in his father`s eyes. While Tommy is reconstructing his life, Sam is being tortured and suffering physical and psychological damage, and we are waiting for him to be rescued and see what happens.

The movie is mildly succesfull because of the performance from the entire cast. The story suffers from being a bit melodramatic, but it is still worth a watch. It is mostly a character driven film as we see how war takes its toll on family. Sam was a great husband and loving father before the incident, and Tommy was kind of the black sheep in the family. Sam`s supposed death brings a reversal of roles as Tommy takes care of the kids and befriends them while giving Grace the emotional support she needs. Sam on the other hand suffers so much psychological pain that he changes completely because he was forced to do things he never imagined possible. During the movie I was really hoping this wouldn`t turn out to be another Pearl Harbor as we could see the events unfolding before our eyes, but Sheridan stays away from that and focuses on the psychological impact on the family. I know I haven`t stopped repeating how much I enjoyed the performance from the cast, but I was truely suprised by the two child actresses who really were great on screen. It was the best performance by children on screen I have seen in quite some time. This movie is worth your time for the solid acting although the plot has its weak moments.

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