Showing posts with label Thor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thor. Show all posts

Friday, 27 October 2017

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

I'm a sucker for Marvel and I'd watch anything they make. Those terrible movies with Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garden and whoever played the Punisher are the proof.  What I'm trying to say is that's pretty obvious I was excited for Thor: Ragnarok. However, this time there wasn't just the fact that it's an MCU flick, but especially the fact that Taika Waititi directed it. Last year, he left me speechless, in a very good way, with Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and that's the real reason why I was really looking forward to seeing this. And once again he left me speechless. This indeed is the most entertaining, exciting and fun Marvel film since Deadpool.

Set after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron and picking up when Thor: Dark World left, first Thor (Chris Hemsworth) finds out that his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has taken over Asgard; then a new menace arrives, Hela (Cate Blanchett), the ruthless goddess of death who wants to steal the throne and rule Asgard, he gets imprisoned on the other side of the universe and finds himself in a deadly gladiator contest where he has to face an old friend of his, the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), in order to survive and save Asgard.

It's a rather simple plot, a little predictable at times and it doesn't always make a lot of sense but it does have a few aces in the hole and the pace is just perfect which makes it very compelling.

And that's because of the direction Thor: Ragnarok took. Instead of being another dark-toned family drama like the previous Thor movies, Waititi's film relies more (like only) on humour. I'm sure many will complain about this, maybe saying that the dark tones were the only thing separating the Thor movies from the rest of the Marvel movies that all look the same (DC fanboys are so going to say this), but it works here. The humour is spot on (very close to Deadpool's): the jokes never feel forced and there are plenty of funny moments. This film is basically like a buddy-superhero movie with some sibling rivalry.

All that comedy though kind of throws away Thor's development achieved with the previous movies. Thor isn't indeed the serious God anymore, but he a funny guy. But this change is more than welcomed as Chris Hemsworth does comedy way better than drama. Seriously, I had no idea he could be so funny. The reason why I liked this Thor better though is that for the first time the God of Thunder is shown in all of his strength. Without the hammer.


The humour isn't the only charming side of Thor: Ragnarok. The visuals are just as charming, which makes of this one of the most beautiful to look at Marvel movies. The film is an explosion of vibrant colours, the photography and editing are stylish and the locations are just stunning. The CGI could have been better though. While it's great during the action, sometimes the background looks a little flat.

Just like the characters since there's no development whatsoever in here. I'm still trying to understand what the writers were trying to do with Hela's henchman played by Karl Urban. That character was such a mess. It's not like Tessa Thompson's alcoholic Valkyrie was that better. Or Cate Blanchett's Hela. Blanchett is very charismatic and her presence is just perfect for Hela, but the character itself wasn't that strong which is pretty common with Marvel. She did get more screen time than most Marvel villains though.

Worth of a mention are Benedict Cumberbatch who reprises his role of Doctor Stranger and Jeff Goldblum who plays Grandmaster, the host of that gladiator contest I mentioned above. The first has a hilarious cameo at the beginning of the film, the latter, although his performance reminded a lot of Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, is very amusing.

Monday, 2 March 2015

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Genre


Director


Country


Cast

Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano, Jaimie Alexander, Rene Russo, Alice Krige, Chris O'Dowd, Benicio del Toro, Ophelia Lovibond, Jonathan Howard, Tony Curran, Clive Russell, Richard Brake, Chris Evans, Stan Lee

Plot

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) fights to restore order across the cosmos, but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Opinion

Finally Thor has the same importance of the others Marvel superheroes. Thor: The Dark World, not only exceeded my expectations, but is spectacular. The special effects are exceptional; the action scenes are great; the setting, which mostly takes place on Asgard, is fantastic and certainly more realistic than it was in Thor. 
Lady Sif, Heimdall and Volstagg have a more important role, and their impact in the storyline is decisive.
Chris Hemsworth is great, and even more convincing as the God of Thunder, more mature and responsible than he previously was. Tom Hiddleston seems born to be Loki: he looks like him and he acts perfectly like him. Christopher Eccleston is great as Malekith, although I would have preferred a stronger villain. Natalie Portman does not have much chemistry with Chris Hemsworth.

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy on Amazon Instant Video

Quotes

Loki: Well done, you just decapitated your grandfather!

Loki: I think you missed a column.


Dr. Erik Selvig: Your brother isn't coming, is he?
Thor: Loki is dead.
Dr. Erik Selvig: Thank God... I'm so sorry.

Rating

8.0/10

Monday, 2 February 2015

Thor (2011)

Genre


Director


Country


Cast

Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Colm Feore, Ray Stevenson, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Rene Russo, Anthony Hopkins, Tadanobu Asano, Joshua Dallas, Jaimie Alexander, Clark Gregg, Adriana Barraza, Maximiliano Hernández, Joseph Gatt, Joshua Cox, Douglas Tait, Stan Lee, Michael Straczynski, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner

Plot

Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins), prepares to ascend to the throne of Asgard, but is interrupted when Frost Giants attempt to retrieve the Casket.
Against Odin's order, Thor travels to Jotunheim to confront Laufey (Colm Feore), accompanied by his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), childhood friend Sif (Jaimie Alexander) and the Warriors Three: Volstagg (Ray Stevenson), Fandral (Joshua Dallas), and Hogun (Tadanobu Asano). A battle ensues until Odin intervenes to save the Asgardians, destroying the fragile truce between the two races.
As a result, Thor is banished to Earth where he is forced to live among humans. When Loki sends its darkest forces to invade Earth, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero.

Opinion

Thor is good adaptation of Marvel's comic book. There is lack of depth in some characters, especially in Loki, but the story is good and there is no lack of action.
The contrast between right and wrong is the main theme of the film, even though in the heart of the characters there is always a glimmer of goodness.
The special effects are well used; the photography is wonderful.
Chris Hemsworth gives Thor everything he needs and Tom Hiddleston as his villainous brother, Loki, shows off his acting ability. 

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy/Rent on Amazon Instant Video

Quotes

Loki: I never wanted the throne, I only ever wanted to be your equal!

Rating

7.5/10

Friday, 3 August 2012

MARVEL UPDATE: Malekith Has Been Cast In THOR: THE DARK WORLD And More Details About GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

After Mads Mikkelsen had to step away from the role of Malekith The Accursed (very sad about that - very big fan of his work), Marvel went after non other than Doctor Who - Christopher Eccleston for the role.

According to Deadline, Eccleston has signed on so it's a done deal. Malekith often aligns with Loki so it'll be interesting to see two super villains in tandem against Thor.

Malekith is one evil character. Here are his abilities as per Wikipedia:
Malekith has all the normal attributes of a member of the race of dark elves, although his abilities are as a result of above-average development. He possesses superhuman intellect, strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes. As a dark elf, Malekith also has the ability to manipulate the forces of magic for a variety of effects, including teleportation, energy projection, physical malleability, flight (by transforming into mist), illusion casting, and the ability to change the shape and appearance of other beings or objects. Malekith has a vulnerability to iron, which disrupts or cancels his magical spells.

THOR: THE DARK WORLD is slated for November 8, 2013.

Source: Deadline



*** AND ***


Apparently Chris McCoy has been tapped to rewrite Marvel's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. The thrice appointed Black List director will empirically inject his own brand of comedy into what has already been written for the feature by Nicole Perlman (CHALLENGER) and maintain what we have come to expect and love from a Marvel tentpole.

Remember that we are in the post AVENGERS era now and entering Marvel's phase two which will ultimately lead up to THE AVENGERS 2. The big question for me is whether Marvel will bite the bullet and introduce Thanos (the guy at the end of THE AVENGERS credit scene) in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY or wait and have him devastate in THE AVENGERS 2.

You're witnessing art in motion here guys! The creatives at Marvel have been waiting forever to get these titles on the big screen and they are literally exploding with enthusiasm. Can't wait to see the results if THE AVENGERS are any indication of things to come!

Here's what to expect for characters in the movie:
The character lineup will include Drax the Destroyer, a human resurrected as a green warrior with the sole purpose of killing Thanos (the villain in the Avengers final-scene tease); Groot, a giant tree-man; Star-Lord, a gun-toting half-human/half-alien intergalactic vigilante; Rocket Raccoon, a genetically engineered animal with a knack for guns and explosives; and Gamora, the last survivor of her species who was saved by Thanos to be his assassin but now battles him.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is slated for an August 1, 2014 release.

Source: THR

Friday, 1 June 2012

Rumor Confirmed! 10 Disc AVENGERS ASSEMBLED Blu-ray Collectors Set Being Prepped!

Remember that rumor about a 10 disc blu-ray collection for THE AVENGERS that was being bounced around a couple of weeks ago? DONE DEAL.

According to Amazon, the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One - Avengers Assembled (10-Disc Limited Edition Six-Movie Collector's Set) will have the most recent 6 movies from Marvel and 3 of those movies will also have the 3D discs for those of you with 3D TVs at home. Namely, THOR, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER and THE AVENGERS.

Here's what's included in the limited edition collection:


• Marvel’s The Avengers (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)
• Captain America: The First Avenger (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)
• Thor (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)
• Iron Man 2 (Blu-ray)
• The Incredible Hulk (Blu-ray)
• Iron Man (Blu-ray)
• Bonus Disc - “The Phase One Archives” (Blu-ray)
• Collectible packaging with exclusive memorabilia from the Marvel Cinematic Universe

The AVENGERS ASSEMBLED 10 disc set does not have pricing yet, but I will let you know when that drops on July 15.



via /Film

Wednesday, 21 July 2010

New THOR Photo: Hemsworth With Mjolner!

THOR photos are coming fast and furious now! Here we see Chris Hemsworth as Donald Blake (THOR's second self) trying to pick up the famous hammer Mjolner. He can't move the weapon at this stage according to /Film and their handy dandy comic consultant Harry Hopkinson.

I am beginning to see why Marvel went with Hemsworth for the role. Hope he pulls it off.

Official storyline:
Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the epic adventure, “Thor,” which spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and is forced to live among humans. A beautiful, young scientist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), has a profound effect on Thor, as she ultimately becomes his first love. It’s while here on Earth that Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

THOR hammers theaters nationwide on May 6, 2011.


Tuesday, 20 July 2010

Marvel Concept Art: THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICA!

Marvel has released two new pieces of concept art (via Yahoo!) for the upcoming 2011 movies THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER.

Click photos to enlarge.

The nature of a champion is quite evident in both of them, but under completely different circumstances.

Ryan Meinerding created the CAPTAIN AMERICA piece and it truly resembles what a hero would look like during a conventional war in the 20th Century.

On the other hand, Charlie Wren's work shows THOR seemingly battling on another plane of existence or even on the side of an active volcano!

Marvel will ultimately attempt to rein in both of these heroes as well as IRON MAN and THE HULK for their AVENGERS movie. If they can pull this off, AVENGERS will be the must see comic adaption of the decade if you ask me.

Monday, 19 July 2010

New THOR Pic! With Helmets!!

More and more marketing is breaking through for Marvel's THOR and with this particular photo we get a glimpse at Hogun, Fandral and definitely helmets this time around!

Many were upset with the first shot we saw of Kenneth Branagh's THOR which did not show them wearing helmets. Now you can relax!

Click the image to enlarge.

From League Of Comic Geeks: In addition to the helmets worn by Odin and Loki, the photo even reveals Huginn and Muninn - the pair of ravens that retrieve information for Odin, flying all over Midgard. You can also see Hogun (Tadanobu Asano) and Fandral (Joshua Dallas) on the right side of the throne steps. On the left, you'll see Loki and what is likely Frigga (Rene Russo), Odin's wife.

How are they going to bring THOR and company into Tony Stark's modern world for the AVENGERS? Hmmm.


Wednesday, 14 July 2010

Marvel Jumps Into 3D With Both Feet! THOR And CAPTAIN AMERICA Going Stereo!!

Well it's about time! I fully thought that IRON MAN 2 could have raked in an extra 25% minimum if it went to screens in 3D, but oh well.

Click images to enlarge. This is the first official image of Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Anthony Hopkins (Odin) and Tom Hiddleston (Loki).

Officially, it will be THOR being the first entry with CAPTAIN AMERICA coming after in 3D. Marvel is a company who meticulously maintains it's intellectual property (although some will say the current X-MEN comics are off somewhat - too many monthly titles and Wolverine is in practically ALL of them), so it is no surprise that they are going 3D with their future projects.

What will be a surprise to many is that these first two movies will be converted 3D. Yes, in spite of the slap in the face we got from TITANS and AIRBENDER many still have supreme confidence in 3D conversion. So do I. I know it can be done right. But the time and money NEEDS to be spent. It sounds like Marvel is doing it the right way.

Kenneth Branagh on 3D (LATimes):
"We came to feel that in our case 3-D could be the very good friend of story and character for a different kind of experience," Branagh said, taking a break from post-production. The filmmaker said the terminology of the 3-D process initially made him cringe -- at first, it was "math and physics and way over my head," he said with a chuckle -- but then he started to pulse with the unexpected artistic opportunities. "It's another draft of the story that can reveal itself in a different way," he said. "I had a healthy degree of skepticism up front ... I've become somebody extremely excited about working with possibilities of doing it this way. A pretty careful conversation is what we've been having for quite some time about what we know has to be the most sensible decision: Is it led by story? Can this offer a different type of experience and exploit what we have in the story? It absolutely can ... we travel very long distances in the movie and the opportunity to export and exploit the journey of the hero is really offered up as a great potential enhancement here."

THOR is due to hit theaters May 6, 2011.

With CAPTAIN AMERICA, Joe Johnston investigated native 3D briefly but decided against it...--

(From LATimes): Johnston did a one-day test shooting with a 3-D rig -- as opposed to shooting in 3-D and converting -- and said it was "a nightmare" due to bulky gear, calibration issues and restricted filmmaking options. He said he's a firm believer, though, in the conversion approach if done right and he's enthused to move forward. "It's a new challenge and it's exciting," Johnston said.

Personally, it sounds like he didn't want to mix and match cameras for the various shots he has, nor take the time to truly get into shooting in 3D. A one day test? Not likely to get you to change your shooting style. You can easily use REDs or FUSION cameras for larger scenes and something like a SI-2K or even an ALEXA for more intimate shots. So sounds a bit like a cop out with an easy target to blame. To each their own though.

What both directors had better watch is to ensure their movies have a balanced 3D style to them. THE LAST AIRBENDER suffered horribly from this as the converted scenes were practically flat while the CG scenes popped like a champagne bottle (Remember those warship hulls sticking out at you?). I hate seeing movies like that almost as much as a generally bad conversion like CLASH OF THE TITANS.

CAPTAIN AMERICA is slated for a July 22, 2011 release.

I have a good feeling about them though.
If Marvel can follow the conversion success of ALICE IN WONDERLAND or even the partial scenes from previous HARRY POTTERs, they should be fine.


Marvel is all about spectacle.
If you think these turn out well, wait until AVENGERS. That movie is truly the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for all of this work. That project should be conceived and shot in native 3D and I will push for that at all costs. Native 3D and of course that we need to see the Iron Man Hulk Buster suit too :-) I have a little surprise coming up about that suit. More about that in an upcoming post in a month or so.


Thursday, 29 April 2010

SPOILER ALERT - Spy Shot Of THE DESTROYER From Marvel's THOR??

Jim here. With there being a STRONG possibility that Marvel's THOR will be shot in native 3D, we need to track this project VERY closely! :-) And so we take a look at a spy shot (courtesy of Kellvin over at LatinoReview) of what THOR's villain, The Destroyer, may look like:

**SPOILER ALERT**

**Image Removed at the request of Paramount.**

From LatinoReview: The Destroyer is an enchanted suit of armor forged by Odin, and when it first appeared it was hinted that the Destroyer had been created as a weapon to face some dark menace from the stars. The Destroyer is used by Thor's arch-foe Loki on several occasions, and each time has actually come close to killing Thor.

The film follows the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and is forced to live among humans. A beautiful young scientist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), has a profound effect on Thor, as she ultimately becomes his first love. It’s while here on Earth that Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

Yeah, I would say that image is legit. Cool shot to say the least! Kenneth Branagh must be fuming that it got out. My anticipation for this movie just doubled. Easily.