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Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
2013 | Action, Sci-Fi
The second Thor movie is a visual representation of the word "meh". It has all the right ingredients, but somehow manages to fall flat.

The general plot is an issue. It's not a terrible narrative, but it's the kind of bloated fantasy stuff you would find in an early 2000s superhero movie, not a franchise that is eight films in and includes The Avengers.
The only purpose it serves in the grand scheme of things is the introduction of another Infinity Stone. Other than that it's just stuffed with exposition and kind of bland.
Another issue is, you guess it, the villain. Malekith isn't necessarily a bad choice for the movies antagonist, but his execution feels inconsequential and boring. Christopher Eccleston does the best with what he has but the stakes never feel high with this guy, although I do enjoy his comic- accurate appearance from the halfway mark.

Visually, The Dark World looks great. The CGI is pretty decent, the locations such as Asgard are just as well realised as the first film. Returning cast members include Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgรฅrd, Rene Russo, Kat Dennings, Idris Elba and Natalie Portman, as well as the always awesome Chris Hemsworth. Nothing wrong here, although I do feel that Lady Sif and The Warriors Three are wasted this time around.

The final set piece is pretty damn entertaining to be fair, and borders on suitable comic-book absurdity at points. The attack on Asgard by the Dark Elves is also pretty thrilling, but everything else is a little so so.

I still like Thor: The Dark World for what it's worth, it's just a little by the numbers and uninspired, and is probably my least favourite of the MCU movies to date.
  
Werewolf By Night (2022)
Werewolf By Night (2022)
2022 | Action, Adventure, Horror
The latest offering from Marvel Studios has arrived and it is a change of pace for the studio as it delves into the darker side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Werewolf By Night is a visually appealing tale that lovingly plays homage to the classic Black and White horror movies of old yet infuses modern content and a touch of humor.

When a group of Monster Hunters is assembled at Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader, the assembled guests are tasked to compete against one another to find a relic and oh yes, content with a deadly monster in the maze as well.

The hunters are informed that they are fair game for one another and the combination of competition and survival promises danger and deadly encounters along the way.

Things are not as they seem as one of the hunters named Jack Russell (Gael Garcia Bernal) has a dark secret or two and when he ends up working with Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly), things get very interesting and deadly.

The show is deeply-enjoyable and makes me wish that this was a series versus a special but I would think that audiences will see some of the characters again in the future. There is a bit more violence than one might expect from the MCU but due to the Black and White filming, it is not as graphic as it could be but still might be more than some younger fans would expect.

Composer Michael Giacchino has done an amazing job with the show as the pacing is solid, the characters are interesting, and the visuals capture the enduring nostalgia of the bygone classics.

I enjoyed the special from start to finish and should be an enjoyable experience not only for Marvel fans but for horror fans everywhere.

 

Look for it on Disney+ on December 7th.
  
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David McK (3422 KP) rated The Dark Knight (2008) in Movies

Jun 23, 2019 (Updated Jul 23, 2024)  
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight (2008)
2008 | Action, Crime
Summmer 2008: at the time of writing this, now 11 years ago (edit: now 16), and the cinematic landscape was rather different - the MCU was only just starting off (with Iron Man), and superheroes in the cinema were not as commonplace as they are today ( to the best of my memory).

While Christopher No.an had effectively rebooted perhaps DCs most famous character in Batman Begins, that film had (deliberately, IMO) kept the focus pretty much on Bruce Wayne/Batman rather than on his mos famous foes, ending with a deliberate tease of the introduction of the Joker.

And what an introduction he gets in this.

As portrayed by Heath Ledger (whose untimely death no doubt helped stoke the interest for this movie: his last full screen role), this Joker is very different than Jack Nicholson's 1989 portrayal. It's a definite magnetic tour de force from the actor, sure, although (personally) I've never really viewed the character as a Joker so much as as a genius psychopath.

"I'm an agent of chaos" he says at one point. "I'm a dog chasing a car. I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it". And that, to me, is what is missing from the character-as-written.

Alongside Ledger, Aaron Eckhart also puts in a brilliant turn as Harvey Dent, completely blowing Tommy Lee Jones portrayal of the same character (in Batman Forever) out of the water. It's a far more realistic interpretation of what drives Dent to become Two-face, with some frightenly realistic effects.

And, finally, it may be a small thing: but in this Batman gets and operates (briefly) out of Gotham city, making his world seem more 'real' as a result.
  
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Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Thor: Ragnarok (2017) in Movies

Jun 10, 2019 (Updated Jun 10, 2019)  
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
2017 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Utterly preposterous
Thor is arguably one of Marvelโ€™s strongest characters. Played by the superb Chris Hemsworth since 2011, the God of thunder is one of the MCUs most popular assets.

Itโ€™s unfortunate then that heโ€™s been lambasted with the weakest solo films of the entire series, the son of Odin really has deserved much better.

Thorโ€™s inception in the first of his three solo outings was a competent if unremarkable origins story and the less said about Thor: The Dark World, which remains the poorest film of the entire MCU, the better. Now, just in time for Infinity War,Thor: Ragnarok rolls into cinemas. But does it do its leading man justice?Imprisoned on the other side of the universe, the mighty Thor (Hemsworth) finds himself in a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against the Hulk (Bruce Banner), his former ally and fellow Avenger. Thorโ€™s quest for survival leads him in a race against time to prevent the all-powerful goddess of death, Hela, (Cate Blanchett) from destroying his home world and the Asgardian civilisation.

This third film for our mighty Avenger is really something. A film more akin to Guardians of the Galaxy than its overly stuffy predecessors. Director Taika Waititi in his first big-budget feature has managed what many had thought was impossible, heโ€™s given Thor a rather brilliant movie.

But how? Well, heโ€™s realised what no-one else has. The premise surrounding our titular hero is utterly ridiculous. Rather than shy away from that and create something serious, heโ€™s embraced it with humour, music and my goodness, a lot of colour.

If you thought Guardians of the Galaxy used every colour on the spectrum, you ainโ€™t seen nothing yet. Thor: Ragnarok is quite something to watch. From the gold-tipped spears of Asgard that glisten like never before, to the trash-topped planet of Sakaar, everything is dripping in colour.

โ€œCasting Goldblum in the role of an immortal game-player really is an inspired choice.โ€
Speaking of Sakaar, it contains one of the MCUs best new additions: Jeff Goldbum. Sorry, I mean the Grandmaster. Casting Goldblum in the role of an immortal game-player really is an inspired choice. The 65-year-old legend has made a career on playing himself and it works exceptionally well here. His improvisation is absolutely spot on.

Ragnarok throws up a few other surprises too. One being that Chris Hemsworth is absolutely hilarious. He and Tom Hiddleston bounce off each other incredibly well and we see real chemistry โ€“ the chemistry that should have been evident from the start. Cate Blanchett also turns the cheese up to 11 as the latest throwaway Marvel villain, Hela.

She fares better than the majority of Marvel villains and is certainly more interesting than Christopher Eccelstonโ€™s, Malekith, but they never quite make the impact that the scriptwriters were clearly looking for. Nevertheless, Blanchett is excellent.

Thankfully, Thor: Ragnarok doesnโ€™t suffer from the absence of Natalie Portmanโ€™s dull Jane Foster, and though she is referenced early on, newcomer Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie provides a fitting replacement and possible future love-interest for our intrepid hero.

Unfortunately, itโ€™s not all good news. Surprisingly the first 30 minutes feel incredibly rushed as numerous loose storylines are brought together and the improvised nature of the script lends itself to a little too much humour. Yes, we get it, Marvel films are funny, but this should not be at the expense of the more emotional sequences that the movie tries to put across.

Nevertheless, Thor: Ragnarok is a resounding success, created by a man who clearly has a passion for this corner of the MCU. He manages to make an absolutely preposterous film โ€“ and thatโ€™s exactly how Thor should be. Take a bow Mr. Waititi.

A little tip โ€“ there are two end credit sequences waiting for you. Youโ€™re welcome.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/10/26/thor-ragnarok-review/
  
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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Venom (2018) in Movies

Oct 4, 2018 (Updated Oct 4, 2018)  
Venom (2018)
Venom (2018)
2018 | Action, Sci-Fi
Unexpectedly fun and comical (1 more)
Tom Hardy
Wasn't up to MCU standard (0 more)
This Is The Movie That Everyone Hates?
Contains spoilers, click to show
I have to be honest, I was not on-board with this film going in at all. I wasn't interested in a Spiderman-less Spiderman universe and the trailers didn't exactly sell me on it either. It looked like they were messing with the origin of Venom too much and the action set pieces didn't look too impressive. Then there was the fact that the review embargo was only lifted a day before the movie's release, then there were the terrible reviews. Suffice to say I went into this with a morbid curiosity expecting a total mess.

However, I am happy to report that this movie actually really pleasantly surprised me and I had a ton of fun watching Venom.

When I heard that Tom Hardy was playing Eddie Brock, I was really gutted because I think that he would have been the perfect choice for the MCU's Wolverine. I also thought that this was going to be a mistake in terms of Hardy's career; out of all of the superhero movies he could have been a part of, he chose Venom? I was happy to be proven wrong, Hardy was great in both his role as Eddie Brock and as Venom. He was funny, scary and heartfelt at all the right moments and looked like he was having a good time playing the character.

This movie did remind me a lot of Upgrade, which was also a Sci-fi movie released this year with a protagonist who gains a voice in his head and extraordinary powers that he doesn't have any control over. Coincidentally Tom Hardy also looks strikingly similar to the actor in Upgrade, Logan-Marshall Green. If I had to compare the two movies, I personally preferred Upgrade, but I had a lot of fun with both of them.

And that's the best thing about this movie, it is fun. Sure, it's not a comic book accurate Venom origin and it's not connected to the MCU's Spiderman and it's not up to snuff compared to the recent entries in the MCU, but it is a ton of fun to watch this violent alien join forces with a witty, down on his luck reporter and wreak havoc.

I'm going to drop a few spoilers going forward, so if you have yet to see the movie, you should probably click away now.

The thing that was really bothering me during the opening of the movie was; why is this story taking place in San Francisco? Eddie Brock is a New Yorker, not a San Franciscan. Then they addressed that issue and explained that he had moved away from New York. It was only a brief, throwaway line, but they didn't have to bother including it and I appreciate that they did.

I also really enjoyed the brief appearance of She-Venom. Sure, the odds that this Symbiote that rejects almost every human host that it comes into contact with, just happens to bond perfectly with this couple, is a bit of a stretch. However, this is a comic book movie with aliens, so I'm willing to accept a few stretches in the movie's logic.

Lastly I like the fact that they teased Carnage in the post credits tease and I am glad that they got Woody Harrelson to play him, he is one of my favourite actors... but my God he looked really dumb in that red wig, like almost parody bad.

Overall, although I had extremely low expectations going into Venom, it exceeded them by a great deal. Sure, it's not Infinity War and it's not even Spiderman: Homecoming, but it is a lot of fun and there is definitely a good amount of enjoyment to be had in Venom.
  
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
2013 | Action, Sci-Fi
Thor and loki team up Chris Hemsworth as Thor Tom Hiddleston as loki Final action sequence was creative (0 more)
Malekith is possibly the worst MCU villain Thor and Jane's romance Boring plot Darcy aka Dar Dar binks Selvigs's stone henge moment (0 more)
"i didn't do it for him"
I was hoping to see something in The Dark World that I had missed the previous two viewings...something to help me enjoy this a bit more. Unfortunately, I hadn't missed anything. This is a drag.

Where do I start with the flaws? A lot of characters are criminally underutilised including Jane Foster, Erik Selvig, Odin, Heimdall and perhaps most important, the main antagonist, Malekith. I like the idea of the Dark Elves being used here but the execution is terribly flawed. It doesn't help that the likes of Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins are seemingly coasting here; the former with literally no chemistry with her love interest. Although the latter's sheer presence helps boost scenes he is in, even if he isn't trying. The other issue is this whole film is essentially flashes of brilliance drowning in a sea of mediocrity. Every now and then we get a cool scene involving Loki or Thor will crack a joke or there will be a cool action sequence but then that 5 minutes is followed by 20 minutes of characters having little to do. It's criminally boring.

I bet you can all guess the good...Chris Hemsworth who plays Thor and Tom Hiddleston who plays Loki. These two are the stars (obviously) and if it wasn't for them, this would probably get only one star. I mean, I like Thor's friends but they don't get much screentime in this. I like the look of Asgard but the story that accompanies it is boring.

It's a shame that two great lead characters are wasted by weak writing and unmotivated performances from some other cast members.
  
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
2019 | Sci-Fi, Thriller
Endgame or endlame?
#avengersendgame is a fitting, risk taking & satisfying conclusion to the #marvel #infinitysaga that treats every cherished character with the fan service, #love & respect they deserve. #Endgame is a great well made film that has lulls but delivers on all its #superhero promises. As it goes I did enjoy #Infinitywar more but AE is the more human, heartfelt, emotionally powerful, ambitious, meaningful & maturer film. A complete #nostalgia fest from start to end #avengers4 is not just a love letter to all your favourite characters its a tribute to cinema itself & how films become timeless in our hearts & minds. #Beautiful references to classic films are effortlessly intertwined here from #Terminator to #starwars, Indiana Jones, #aliens & even Casablanca its so magical & a great reminder of how warm & important film is to our lives #inspiring & moving us as people. As the stakes are now at the highest everyone has stepped up their acting game with poweful perfomances from everyone. Cgi is truly increadible (hulks face ?) & a fantastic technical achievement. Tone is bleak/morbid & a good chunk of the runtime is dialog heavy character building which may really test lesser fans/kids patience. Endgame takes these films in a darker direction too with its themes of loss & grieving explored really well. Theres great depth too which helps spark some great questions about the human psyche/spirit & what drives/motivates us to push on during our lowest & most desperate times (also how sacrifice, selfishness & the need to be #happy can weigh/take an exausting toll on our #mentalheath). #Thanos owns here & I found him extremely likable with great motives, interesting theories & memorable dialog. Action delivers eventually with badass memorable set pieces too. Endgame wraps things up nicely & its done with such passion/love for all its source material & characters that as a fan its hard not to enjoy it. A slow/long film with a fitting end that feels human, respectful & satisfying. Endgame proves #hope really is the strongest super power of them all. #mcu #avengers #comic #stanlee #spiderman #captainmarvel #captainamerica #blackpanther #comicon #thor #ironman #marvelstudios
  
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
2018 | Action, Sci-Fi
Very entertaining and funny (5 more)
The title Characters have great chemistry
The villain is once again relateable
Nods to possible future plans particularly with Scott Lang's daughter. If u read the comics and saw this movie u know that they set her up so hard to be what she is in the comics and u never know a what the future may hold
Luis kills it again with his comic relief and so does his pals
Stick around for the credits scenes like with all other marvel movies
Not very necessary to and in the MCU but brings up some things that may be important to the universe moving forward especially with avengers 4 on the horizon (2 more)
The side villain wasn't very great but not bad
It's a true sequel nothing else to say
Not necessary but fun movie
Contains spoilers, click to show
Ok so elephant in the room this movie didn't have to happen and I wouldve been fine either way but I enjoyed it nonetheless and it was a very fun movie especially after the movie we had before it and it was like a tissue we needed. And also this takes place during the event that was infinity war so take note of that.

Almost everyone is great in this movie with the exception of The side villain...he wasn't great but wasn't terrible as long as the guy who's playing hims last name is not Grace I'm fine.

Also while it's not necessary in the universe but it brings up points about future possibilities of the universe going forward especially with avengers 4 coming next year and yeah this movie does not impact the universe in any major way except for the credits scene.

Overall I had fun with it. do u need to watch it to get ready for avengers 4?
that's up to you, but it's a great movie either way
  
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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated JFK (1991) in Movies

Sep 20, 2020 (Updated Nov 26, 2020)  
JFK (1991)
JFK (1991)
1991 | Drama, History, Thriller
"๐˜•๐˜ฐ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ข๐˜ด ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ข๐˜ด ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ช๐˜ฎ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ต๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ต. ๐˜๐˜ต'๐˜ด ๐˜ถ๐˜ฑ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ."
                            

Jesus Christ. Back when conspiracy theories were good, now all it takes is a shitty, debunked, and obviously phony Facebook meme to get people to believe 5G causes coronavirus or whatever stupid shit Trump retweets from hate groups this week. On the other hand you have this seemingly never-ending and soul-stirring barrage of lies, cover-ups, threats, deaths/suicides/murders, extensively planned attacks, and general anguish which still plays more truthful and earnest than most things that come out of the CIA, White House, and/or FBI. Not a single word wasted, crams more exhilaration into a group of people talking at a dinner table than the vast majority of MCU 'action' scenes - and the meticulous, airtight extent of the writing is nothing less than utterly flooring. As a result of the beyond exceptional jam-packed conspiracy narrative I can't say any of these characters are that compelling in their own regard (even though the cast is an unforgettable all-timer of screen legends), but given the end result it's a fair tradeoff for the type of movie that bangs around in your head like a rubber bullet after watching it. Feverish, hot-blooded, commanding provocation - even made *my* ass paranoid. The final thirty minutes of - essentially - one long courtroom speech shouldn't work in theory; but not only is it thrilling as can be (and *that* moment just pierces your mortal soul), but it offers some of Costner's finest work throughout his entire career as an actor. Imagine this coming out and still getting shit like ๐˜—๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฌ๐˜ญ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ, ๐˜‰๐˜ฐ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฃ๐˜บ, and ๐˜’๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜’๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ๐˜บ - would have loved to have been there for the ensuing shitstorm this caused back in its day, must have been legendary. So great that it *actually* caused a big deal change in government legislation immediately upon release.
  
Rocket: The Blue River Score
Rocket: The Blue River Score
Al Ewing | 2017 | Comics & Graphic Novels, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have to confess: I went into this one with low expectations, largely due to trying to read the previous Rocket outing, Matthew Rosenberg's ROCKET RACCOON: GROUNDED! That book was just depressing as hell, and every character in it just felt wholly out-of-character, as if Rosenberg no flarking clue as to who the characters actually were and how they were SUPPOSED to behave! Fortunately, my pre-"low expectations" were ill-placed, as Trash Panda's outing was as far from the depressing wreck that Rosenberg churned out!

Yes, first and foremost, it was a Rocket Raccoon story, but it was also so much more. It felt not unlike SMOKIN' ACES or SNATCH...only on another planet, with aliens and an augmented raccoon! Writer Al Ewing is clearly a fan of pulp noir novels, and it shows throughout. Ah, if only Marvel would realize what a great film this mini would make!

If you like the wise-cracking, sometimes edgy wit of RR - basically, the RR of the MCU - then this is a book for you! Rocket has a great scheme in here, as well as some good intentions, all of which amounts to a double-cross and an ending that effectively resolves everything with a somewhat bittersweet ending. Bravo, Mr. Ewing! I truly hope Marvel lets him helm another RR solo mini!

And, if that does happen, allowed for another Ewing-helmed outing with RR, I hope that brings along artist Adam Gorham and colorist Michael Garland. Those two brought this fun li'l space heist to life ever so well! I was a big fan of Sara Pichelli's GOTG art for Rocket, but as good as she was, I feel these two were just as good, if not better! Definitely artists (and colorists) to keep an eye out for!

End of the day, you could do a whole lot worse that reading ROCKET: THE BLUE RIVE SCORE. *cough* CIVIL WAR II *cough* Bendis' ALL-NEW X-MEN run *cough cough*