Film Review: THOR (2011) - Revisited

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Writers (screenplay): Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz & Don Payne
Writers (story): J. Michael Straczynski & Mark Protosevich
Writers (comic book): Stan Lee, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby
Running Time: 114 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
UK Release Date: 27th April 2011

Watched on Sky+ Friday 6^th April 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Having seen this one at the cinema when it was released, I was interested to give it a second viewing when it aired on TV recently. Although it didn’t quite have the visual impact it did on the big screen, I still quite enjoyed it, the humour still comes through as does the drama of the piece. I will give you my thoughts after this brief summary.

We begin with Thor arriving on Earth and immediately being run over by a vehicle owned by storm chaser, Jane Foster. We then get some explanation of how he ended up there… this is quite long and involved, but necessary. In Asgard Thor was war-like and hot headed and, prompted by his brother, Loki, he had defied his father, Odin, and his actions almost caused a war. So Odin took Thor’s powers and banished him to Earth. He also sent his hammer with the proviso that it could only be held by someone worthy. Back with Thor, Jane is interested in the ‘storm’ that brought him to Earth and offers to help him find his hammer if he will tell her about it. Unfortunately, by the time they get to where it’s landed, agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. are already there. Back in Asgard Odin falls into a deep sleep and Loki takes over as king, he has his reasons, but I’m not going to tell you what they are here. Believing Thor to be a greater threat to him, he sends the Guardian, a great warrior entity, to destroy him and all those who would oppose it. Can Thor find the humility his father desires to see in him and regain his powers? Will he get the girl at least? All these questions and more are answered in the film… I’m not telling you here or the Spoiler Police (Marvel Division) will be sending the Guardian after me.

As I said at the beginning, there is an awful lot of humour in this film, a lot more than I expected. Of course, Stan Lee gets his little cameo… it wouldn’t be the same without him. The plot is very complicated and there was an awful lot of dialogue explaining everything which tends to get in the way of the story. Having said that, the visuals are quite stunning, the scenes in Asgard and the other worlds are quite breathtaking, although not quite as stunning on a TV screen.

Performance wise, everybody did a pretty good job, newcomer Chris Hemsworth was pretty good as Thor, his voice matched the character really well and he had the physical presence too. Natalie Portman, although not at all stretched, did a decent job as Jane Foster. Tom Hiddleston was well cast as Loki, as was Anthony Hopkins as Odin. Honourable mentions go to Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig and Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis.

Over all, although I found it a little over-long and the plot was a little wordy and hard to follow in places, I pretty much enjoyed this film. Given the theatrical background of the director I can see why it ended up like this. What did surprise me was the excellent way he handled the action scenes and the special effects, which were all excellent by the way. There were enough good things about this film for me to deem it still… Recommended.

My Score: 7.0/10

IMDb Score: 7.0/10 (based on 154,789 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0800369/

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 77/100 (based on 254 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 80/100 (based on 120,032 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/thor/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Odin: You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy!
Thor: And you are an old man and a fool!
Odin: Yes... I was a fool, to think you were ready.
Loki: Father...
Odin: [to Loki] NAY!
Odin: Thor Odinson... you have betrayed the express command of your king. Through your arrogance and stupidity, you've opened these peaceful realms and innocent lives to the horror and desolation of war! You are unworthy of these realms, you're unworthy of your title, you are unworthy... of the love of those you have betrayed! I now take from you your power! In the name of my father and his father before me, I, Odin Allfather, cast you out!

Jane Foster: Describe exactly what happened to you last night.
Thor: Your ancestors called it magic...
[Thor skims through a book on Norse mythology]
Thor: ...but you call it science. I come from a land where they are one and the same.

Thor: You! What place is this? Elfheim, Nilfheim?
Darcy: [frightened, pulls out a taser] New Mexico?
Thor: You dare threaten the son of Odin with such a puny weapon...?
[Darcy tasers him]
Darcy: [to Jane] What? He was freaking me out!

Agent Cale: [staring at The Destroyer] Is that one of Stark's?
Agent Coulson: I don't know. Guy never tells me anything.

Clint Barton: Do you want me to take him down or would you rather send in more guys for him to beat up?

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://thor.marvel.com/
Trailer:

Film Review: BLACK SWAN (2010) - REVISITED

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Writers: Mark Heyman (Screenplay), Andres Heinz (Screenplay/Story) & John J. McLaughlin (Screenplay)
Running time: 108 mins (approx)

Certification (UK): 15
UK Release date: 21^st January 2011

Watched at the cinema Monday 19^th December 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I first saw this film at the cinema back in January and I was so impressed with it I decided to give it another viewing when it appeared in the TV schedules recently. I’m really glad I did as I enjoyed it even more second time around! I’ll give you my (revised) of my thoughts after this brief summary.

Young ballerina Nina Sayers has been chosen to play the lead in Swan Lake. The production’s director, Thomas Leroy, has chosen her because she can play the white Swan perfectly, but he wants her to show more passion when she dances the part of the Black Swan. As she strives to achieve this level of performance we witness quite a dramatic change in her that totally alters her personality. She also has to contend with a rival dancer, Lily, who Thomas has put as her alternate (I guess the equivalent of an understudy in a play). Add to this the decline of Beth Macintyre, an experienced dancer that Nina admired and the attentions of her overbearing mother, Erica, and you can see she has a lot to contend with. I’ll leave my brief summary there or the Spoiler Police will be after me with a crossbow again.

There is much to admire in this film, Darren Aronofsky certainly knows how to get a performance out of his cast. He also knows how to tell a story, I couldn’t fault the filmmaking; it’s great to look at, all topped off with a great performance from Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers. Also worthy of note are; Mila Kunis as Lily, Vincent Cassel as Thomas Leroy, Barbara Hershey as Erica Sayers and Winona Ryder as Beth Macintyre.

I very much like the use of music through this film; the iconic themes from Swan Lake are throughout and only add to the enjoyment of the piece. I love the way the line is blurred between reality and the dark place Nina is trying to find inside herself. Aronofsky has a very interesting filming style; you are in there with the dancers as they perform and that makes it even more exciting… particularly at the end! In fact, you literally ‘follow’ the character, Nina, all the way through the film. It’s a brilliant film with some great performances; well worth a second (or even first) look if you get the chance and one I highly recommend.

My score: 8.7/10

IMDb Score: 8.3/10 (based on 192,436 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0947798/

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 87/100 (based on 261 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 86/100 (based on 116,116 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/black_swan_2010/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[first lines]
Nina Sayers: I had the craziest dream last night. I was dancing the White Swan.

Nina: I just want to be perfect.

Thomas Leroy: The only person standing in your way is you.

Thomas Leroy: I got a little homework assignment for you. Go home and touch yourself. Live a little.

Lily: How about I dance the Black Swan for you?

[last lines]
Nina Sayers: I was perfect...

LINKS:
Official Site: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/blackswan/
Trailer:

Film Review: GARDEN STATE (2004)

Writer/Director: Zach Braff
Running time: 102 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
UK Release date: 10^th December 2004

Watched on Sky+ Monday 12^th September 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I really did not no much about this film before seeing it, well, I probably did know that Zach Braff (of TV’s ‘Scrubs’ fame) both wrote and directed it. I watched it on a recommendation from someone on Rotten Tomatoes, sorry, I can’t remember who, but rest assured, it’s another one crossed off ‘The List’. I found it very interesting, a little surreal in places, quite enjoyable, but in the end, not as fulfilling as I had expected. I’ll explain more after this brief summary.

Andrew Largeman, a failed actor has had to return to the small town he grew up after the sudden death of his mother. He has anxiety problems and usually takes quite a lot of medication, but he has left all that behind in L.A. He runs into quite a few of his old friends from school, primarily Mark, Dave and Kenny, and they all hang out together, go to parties and the like. During a visit to a doctor, Andrew meets Sam and they immediately hit it off. He gives her a lift home and they end up spending the next few days together. This seems to bring Andrew back to life, but it’s nearing the time he has to leave… I’ll stop there or the Spoiler Police will have me bang to rights! And I don’t want that.

I must first say the film has a cracking soundtrack, there are some great tunes throughout. All the performances were very good; Zach Braff as Andrew Largeman, Natalie Portman, who I thought was excellent, as Sam, Peter Sarsgaard as Mark, Alex Burns as Dave, Michael Weston as Kenny, Ian Holm as Andrew’s father, Gideon Largeman. Finally a mention for a brief appearance from Jim Parsons (‘The Big Bang Theory’) as Tim.

The film has a very muted feel to it which was fine at first, it allowed for small pieces of comic genius to flower, but after a while I began to find it a little depressing. Braff plays Largeman so downbeat from the beginning that by the end when you’re supposed to be uplifted, you’re still down somewhere near the floor. Don’t get me wrong, there are many things to admire about this film and I did enjoy several aspects of it. I think I’ll have to see it again sometime to appreciate it properly but for now… Recommended (but only just).

My Score: 6.6/10.

IMDb Score: 7.8/10 (based on 104,531 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0333766/

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86/100 (based on 185 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/garden_state/

 

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

 FAVOURITE QUOTES:

Sam: Hey, I recognize you.
Andrew Largeman: Oh, did you go to Columbia High?
Sam: No, not from high school, from TV. Didn't you play the retarded quarterback?
Andrew Largeman: Yeah.
Sam: Are you really retarded?
Andrew Largeman: No.
Sam: Ooh, great job man! I really thought you were retarded. I mean, you're better than that Corky kid and he's actually retarded. If there was a retarded Oscar you would win, hands down, kick his ass!

Titembay: Someone has been pissing on my Gamecube and I'm about to close the case.

LINKS:
Trailer:

Film Review: THOR (2011)

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Running Time: 114 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Drama/Action/Adventure
UK Release Date: 27th April 2011

Watched at the Cinema Saturday 7th May 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I had heard one or two good things about this one before seeing it and so I was looking forward to a nice afternoon’s entertainment on a wet Saturday in Yorkshire. It was good, but didn’t quite live up to my initial expectations. Instead, I got something with a lot more humour than expected and a lot more drama too, but I guess when you’re dealing with the Gods, drama is obligatory.

We begin with Thor arriving on Earth and immediately being run over by a vehicle owned by storm chaser, Jane Foster. We then get some explanation of how he ended up there… this is quite long and involved, but necessary. In Asgard Thor was war-like and hot headed and, prompted by his brother, Loki, he had defied his father, Odin, and his actions almost caused a war. So Odin took Thor’s powers and banished him to Earth. He also sent his hammer with the proviso that it could only be held by someone worthy. Back with Thor, Jane is interested in the ‘storm’ that brought him to Earth and offers to help him find his hammer if he will tell her about it. Unfortunately, by the time they get to where it’s landed, agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. are already there. Back in Asgard Odin falls into a deep sleep and Loki takes over as king, he has his reasons, but I’m not going to tell you what they are here. Believing Thor to be a greater threat to him, he sends the Guardian, a great warrior entity, to destroy him and all those who would oppose it. Can Thor find the humility his father desires to see in him and regain his powers? Will he get the girl at least? All these questions and more are answered in the film… I’m not telling you here.

As I said at the beginning, there is an awful lot of humour in this film, a lot more than I expected. Of course, Stan Lee gets his little cameo… it wouldn’t be the same without him. Unfortunately, I found the plot very complicated and there was an awful lot of dialogue explaining everything which tended to get in the way of the story. Having said that, the visuals are quite stunning, the scenes in Asgard and the other worlds are quite breathtaking.

Performance wise, everybody did a pretty good job, newcomer Chris Hemsworth was pretty good as Thor, his voice matched the character really well and he had the physical presence too. Natalie Portman, although not at all stretched, did a decent job as Jane Foster. Tom Hiddleston was well cast as Loki, as was Anthony Hopkins as Odin. Honourable mentions go to Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig and Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis.

Over all, although I found it a little long and the plot was a little wordy and hard to follow in places, I pretty much enjoyed this film. One teenager was heard to announce to the audience as he was leaving the cinema that he thought it was ‘shit’, but I’m not going to listen to this budding ‘critic’. There were enough good things about this film to make me want to watch it again sometime… maybe not for a while, but it certainly wasn’t ‘shit’… Recommended.

My Score: 7.4/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0800369/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/thor/
Official Site: http://thor.marvel.com/
Trailer:

Film Review: BROTHERS (2009)

Director: Jim Sheridan
Running Time: 101 Minutes
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama
UK Release Date: 22^nd January 2010

Watched on Sky+ Tuesday 29^th March 2011

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is another film that got quite a bit of attention from the critics when it first came out. Given the fact that they generally know a bit more about film than I do, I decided to give it a try when it appeared in the TV schedules. Based on a Danish film of the same name that came out in 2004, it is, at times a very gripping and, at the same time, a very touching story of two brothers. I found it pretty good, not least for one stand-out performance, but more of that later. Here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please help fix the kitchen while I write the next paragraph).

Sam Cahill is a Captain in the Marines; he has a wife, Grace, and two young daughters, Isabelle and Maggie. At the beginning of the film he is about to deploy to Afghanistan. At the same time his brother, Tommy is just getting out of Jail. Their father, Hank, is a Viet Nam vet and makes it clear that he disapproves of the way Tommy has lead his life. Sam goes off to Afghanistan and Grace and the girls go about their normal lives. Tommy turns up every now and then, but Grace doesn’t really like him. Then the news comes that Sam is dead and Grace is devastated. Tommy, feeling guilty spends more and more time with her and the girls and they become quite attached to him. <<SPOILER ALERT>> Little do they know, but Sam is alive and being held captive in the mountains of Afghanistan. Eventually he is rescued, after suffering at the hands of his captors and being forced to do things he would rather forget, Will he be able to live with his wife and family again? Will they be able to live with him having thought him dead? Well, I guess I’d better not tell you or the Spoiler Police will be after me.

This is a really well made film with, surprisingly, a great musical score; it really stunned me how good it was! I’m not sure on the setting, but it looked, and felt, very cold. Performance wise, well, by far the best performance came from Tobey Maguire as Capt. Sam Cahill, he really pulled all the stops out and went way up in my estimation. Both Jake Gyllenhaal as Tommy Cahill and Natalie Portman as Grace Cahill were also very good. It was nice to see Sam Shepard as Hank Cahill and Mare Winningham as Elsie Cahill. Finally, a special mention for Bailee Madison as Isabelle Cahill and Taylor Geare as Maggie Cahill, both young actresses were very good also.

I was quite surprised just how good this film was. I was prepared for a bitter wordy drama all about feelings and bitterness. Yes, those things were there, but not in the way I expected. I found it much more watchable than I thought it would be and that’s credit to the filmmakers and the actors involved. It’s quite a tricky subject to cover and I thought they did a pretty good job… Recommended.

My Score: 7.5/10

LINKS:
(RT=Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0765010/
RT Page: TBA – the site is currently suffering difficulties (FOR A CHANGE!)
Official Site: http://www.brothersfilm.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi596444185/

Film Review: BLACK SWAN (2010)

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Running time: 108 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

UK Release date: 21st January 2011

Watched at the cinema Friday 28th November 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Having heard many good things about this film I thought it was about time I checked it out. At first I wasn’t too sure, but as the drama unfolded, I really got into the story and found myself transfixed by the end. But more of my thoughts later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters please wait in the wings while I write the next paragraph).

Young ballerina Nina Sayers has been chosen to play the lead in Swan Lake. The production’s director, Thomas Leroy, has chosen her because she can play the white Swan perfectly, but he wants her to show more passion when she dances the part of the Black Swan. As she strives to achieve this level of performance we witness quite a dramatic change in her that totally alters her personality. She also has to contend with a rival dancer, Lily, who Thomas has put as her alternate (I guess the equivalent of an understudy in a play). Add to this the decline of Beth Macintyre, an experienced dancer that Nina admired and the attentions of her overbearing mother, Erica, and you can see she has a lot to contend with. Not wishing to give too much away, I’ll leave my brief summary there.

There is much to admire in this film, Darren Aronofsky certainly knows how to get a performance out of his cast. He also knows how to tell a story, I couldn’t fault the filmmaking; it’s great to look at, all topped off with a great performance from Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers. Also worthy of note are; Mila Kunis as Lily, Vincent Cassel as Thomas Leroy, Barbara Hershey as Erica Sayers and Winona Ryder as Beth Macintyre.

I very much like the use of music through this film; the themes from Swan Lake are throughout and only add to the enjoyment of the piece. I love the way the line is blurred between reality and the dark place Nina is trying to find inside herself. All this is brilliantly done, but I have just one problem, I find it very hard to find any likable characters in this film. Although I found myself rooting for Nina at the end, I never really found her character particularly likable. Having said that, it’s still a brilliant film with some great performances and one I highly recommend.

My score: 8.3/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0947798/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/black_swan_2010/
Official Site: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/blackswan/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3985807385/

Film Review: LÉON (a.k.a. THE PROFESSIONAL) (1994)

Writer/Director: Luc Besson
Running time: 105 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

UK release date: 3rd February 1995

Watched on DVD Tuesday 27th July 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

As this is my 100th film of the year I decided I would watch one of my all-time favourites. I have not seen Leon in quite a few years and so it was nice to become reacquainted with this classic. It’s not perfect, I know, but, to me, it will always be one of Luc Besson’s best.

Leon is a loner and a hit-man; he lives in an apartment in New York next door to the twelve year old Mathilda and her family. He gets his work from Italian mob boss, Tony. Mathilda’s father is into some shady drug dealings that land him in trouble with the rather psychotic Stansfield and his gang. She is out getting groceries when Stansfield calls and shoots her entire family. On returning she takes refuge in Leon’s apartment. Despite initial reservations, Leon takes her in and they move to a hotel. Mathilda swears revenge on the killers, mainly because one of the victims was her four-year-old brother. She asks Leon to teach her to do what he does for a living. Leon teaches her the basics and the pair grows closer as they learn to live with each other. Mathilda teaches him to read and he begins to not feel quite so lonely any more. On a visit to her former home Mathilda learns just who Stansfield is and what he does for a living. This is where things really get interesting, and this is where I will end my short synopsis.

This is a really well made film with a great soundtrack, there are a couple of songs, but the original score is great. As with all the Luc Besson films I’ve seen there is always an element of humour in the main characters and this is no different. Tremendous performances from both Jean Reno as Leon and Natalie Portman as Mathilda. Gary Oldman is his usual ‘over the top’ self as the psychotic Stansfield and Danny Aiello is also very good as Tony.

I really engaged with the characters of Leon and Mathilda. You really believe that what they feel for each other is true. There is always a certain sense of style about a Luc Besson film, something I have not seen in the films of any other director. As I said at the beginning, this film is not perfect, but it will always be one of my favourites. It still stands up fifteen years after its release. For me: always recommended.

My score: 8.5/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0110413/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi2744254745/