Reviewed: Thor [2011]

Thor [2011]

12A - 114mins - Action/Adventure/Drama - 27th April 2011

Been a while since my last review. I blame work and other such inconveniences for what it's worth but anyway on with the reviews, this time in the form of another Marvel comic book hero.

The Marvel comic book creation is unleashed into the movie world which is growing desperately thin on new and original pieces of work. In recent years Marvel (Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man) has given us from average to good but never great with the best of them tending to arrive from the first movie of the series with the new superhero (Hulk is emphatically excluded from this sweeping generalisation). Thor, as the first of many summer superhero movies (including the next Marvel adaptation- Captain America: The First Avenger) could have headed either way.

Thor is about, if you haven't already gathered from the title, Thor (Chris Hemsworth)- the god of thunder. After an ancient war against the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), king of the Aesir forges a truce between the two races which last until the day Thor is due to be crowned King. During the coronation ceremony, several Frost Giants break into Asgard. In retribution Thor goes against his father's will and leads an assault on them bringing about a war in the process. Odin banishes Thor to Earth stripping him of his powers opening the door for his brother Leki to take control.

Arriving on Earth, Thor soon runs into astrophysicist Jane (Natalie Portman) and her colleagues who are unbeknownst to them studying the effects that Thor has caused in the sky. Without his super powers and trusty hammer Thor must learn to adapt to his new surroundings and try to discover a way to return home.

As in most of the Marvel movies, comedy is woven into the plot to keep the movie going and Thor achieves this well. Most of this is derived from Thor as he copes with his new surroundings a makes for some funny moments. Portman, the love interest, is smitten from the first time she sees Thor which she creates excellently right from the off.

In keeping with the swords and hammers over guns, I liked when the modern day sniper was called into the action and instead of picking up his trusty rifle opted of a compound bow. For those less aware of the Marvel world, that character is Hawkeye and a subtle nudge in the direction of The Avengers film due for release next spring. Along with a Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D reference the movie keeps in line with other Marvel productions by intertwining them together but in a subtle and refined way. Hopefully The Avengers can live up to the expectations they are building!

I found Thor to be better than I though it was going to be with good acting performances especially from newcomer Hemsworth and a good balance between action, comedy and drama to keep me entertained for the whole 2 hours. If you do go and see this at the cinema, which I would recommend, then make sure to stay until after the credits have finished rolling for some bonus footage.

Rating: B-

Next up I will review Grizzly Rage. [my review] I'll let the trailer do the talking but suffice to say it's gonna be a good... bonus marks to those who can keep a straight face!

Farm
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Reviewed: The Kids Are All Right [2010]

The Kids Are All Right [2010]

15 - 106mins - Comedy/Drama - 29th October 2010

The Kids Are All Right is predominantly a drama first and a comedy second. It follows a lesbian couple Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic (Annette Bening) and their two children Joni (Mia Wasikowski) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson). Both of the kids were conceived with the aid of a sperm donor. When Joni turned 18 she has the right to find out who the donor is but is not interested. Her brother however is and convinces her to get in touch and they meet up with Paul played by Mark Ruffalo in order to feed their curiosity.

Paul, a down to earth relaxed man takes all of this in his stride and begins to bond with his children. This is all done without the mum's knowledge until Laser reveals that they have been to see him. This obviously affects them and with Jules and Nic being 2 very different characters the extent of this is proportional. Nic is a lot stricter and controlling in life so is very wary of Paul whilst Jules, although initially cautious is a lot more accepting. Paul's intrusion then sets up the rest of the plot.

The acting in this film is unsurprisingly good considering the cast involved but the film falls down with its content whereby the actors have to make the best of a script that does not live up to its potential. Several situations arise but it feels as if Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg the writers opt for the easy path and lead us away from the potentially juicy scenes only to leave us with slightly comical and less in depth replacements.

I was most disappointed with the ending which as with other scenes tries to wrap up proceedings and leaves the viewer with a sense of injustice that nothing more is going to be made of the plot. Whilst The Kids Are All Right is an acceptable film, it could have been so much more.

If you like your acting performances (with Wasikowski leading the line) and want an enjoyable plot that has a few moments to appreciate then go and see this otherwise it's probably not worth it. A more light-hearted through and through comedy approach to a similar story can be achieved by watching the film The Switch which involves a woman's best friend changing his sperm for the sperm donors whilst in a drunken state.

Rating: C+

Next I treat you with the latest comic book creation to come out of Hollywood in the form of Thor. [my review]

Farm
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Reviewed: Insidious [2011]

Insidious [2011]

15 - 103mins - Fantasy/Horror/Thriller - 29th April 2011

Now if there is one thing that freaks me out most in movies it is horrors that involve children in any way. So when I sat down to watch a movie from the guys and gals that have given us Paranormal Activity revolving around the story of a possessed child, well lets just say I had my diaper at the ready!

Insidious follows a textbook family, the parents- Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) that have it all as they move into their new suburban house with their 3 beautiful children. However all is not as it seems as one of their sons, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), after slipping off a ladder while exploring in the attic falls into a coma. Strange things then begin to happen as objects move, mysterious voices are heard and you catch things in the corner of your eye. After this activity drives them from their new home they enlist the help of a paranormal psychic Elise (Lin Shaye) and the horrifying truth becomes evident. It is not the house but Dalton that is haunted!

As with most horror movies, I find they only tend to scare me until I know what I'm up against ie. keep the monster hidden and let the suspense/not knowing get me grabbing for my cushion. This movie was similar in that respect with the majority of the scares coming in the first two thirds before it began to fall away slightly. This was more than enough though and will give you the jumps that you are looking for if you decide to go and see it.

Considering what the trailer gives us, I was quite surprised that it took so long to get to the realisation that it was in fact the boy that was possessed rather than where they were living. It is a good 50 minutes to an hour before this is realised which irked me somewhat.

The inclusion of the two bickering paranormal activity assistants was a well thought out idea as it gave a break from trying to scare you, injecting a bit of comedy into the fray and enabled the audience to be lulled into a more relaxed state so that when the next scare came you were off guard and less than ready for it.

Apart from the scary evil entities, horrors are made or broken by the music or lack thereof that accompanies the suspense and the cinematography. Insidious does not disappoint. The music leads to the creation of an intense tension that stays with you throughout most of the movie and lingers after it finishes and the cinematography is also top notch.

Insidious does serve up moments of actual horror that had me keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary several hours after the film had finished. It is a far cry from James Wan (director) and Leigh Whannell (writer) other collaborations of the Saw series and despite using a tried and tested framework, they made the movie original. It will probably be one of the better horror movies that's released this year but then again, I doubt there will be much competition.

Rating: B-

Next up I bring you the comedy drama The Kids Are Alright. Cast your eyes downwards for the trailer.

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @ FAbFilms

Reviewed: The King Of Kong- A Fistful Of Quarters [2007]

The King Of Kong- A Fistful Of Quarters [2007]

12A - 79mins - Documentary/Sport - 6th June 2008

This appealed to me on two levels. First off I was drawn in by the old school arcade games but secondly and more importantly this movie has a great story to tell that does go so much deeper than video games. This film is about 2 men as they fight for the right for the top score on Donkey Kong. Just thought I'd mention this now but you DO NOT have to be a fan of or even care about video games to enjoy this movie.

Billy Mitchell is the prodigal child- the shining icon of the sport, I dare not say hobby in fear of offending any fanatical arcade enthusiasts who might be reading. Back in the early 1980's he held the high score records for Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr, BurgerTime?!? and was the first person ever to achieve a perfect score on Pac-Man. In 1999 he was proclaimed the Video Game Player of the Century so he knows what he is doing and isn't modest about it. There was a point in the movie when he told the film crew to guess what his three character high score name was and I was a little surprised when I found out it wasn't 'GOD' although his answer is nearly as good.

Steve Wiebe, the unknown contender, comes across as a very down to earth and amicable chap in his quest for the high score crown. Life has dealt Steve an unfair hand as despite being extremely talented in sports, music and work he became injured, never found his big break and was laid off as a Boeing engineer (he now works as a school teacher). So your already siding with Steve and this only becomes stronger when you get to know Billy and the hostile network he builds up around Steve to try and discredit his high scores.

During the movie you can't help but smirk with the seriousness that they take their arcade games but then again you have to respect them for being able to achieve these scores that you and I are never going to even come close to achieving.

It was especially well produced and I liked the way in which there seemed to be minimal involvement from the documentary makers. If they did ask any questions then it was edited out and it make the whole story seem less contrived. Although there were interviews during the movie, it felt as if a film crew had just pitched up and were following everyone around rather than being intrusive. No doubt there has been some editing to alter the story but every movie does this.

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when I put this on but I really got into it as the makers create suspense, anticipation and drama out of something that really shouldn't have made that much of an impact on me. After all it is essentially about a video game but you, like me, will find yourself rooting for Steve in this emotional roller coaster. It's not only an exceptional documentary but a exceptional movie as well!

Rating: A

Next up, I try and scare you with Insidious [my review].

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @ FAbFilms

Reviewed: Hanna [2011]

Hanna [2011]

12A - 111mins - Action/Adventure/Mystery - 6th May 2011

Hanna is not only the story of a girl who you would definitely not like to meet down a dark alley but also one of discovery as she learns to live in the real world away from the restrictions and rigorous regime that her father has bestowed upon her.

The story begins in the forests near the Arctic Circle where Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) lives with her ex-agent father Erik (Eric Bana) in solitude, hunting the animals and being trained by her father for a greater purpose that is kept from us. After they activate a homing beacon, US marines flock to their house where they can locate only Hanna. They take her in for questioning to a top secret base in order to discover the whereabouts of her father but find that Hanna will only speak to Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett) the head of the operations (with her own agenda), who she knows by name.

This is where we discover first hand the true potential of Hanna as she executes Marissa's double and the guards around her before attempting her escape from the compound. The movie follows her story as she then flees the scene in order to reunite with her father. All the while she is being tracked down by the warped and slightly crazed Isaacs (Tom Hollander).

As the movie develops you can't help but feel somewhat sorry for her as all she has ever known is the confines of her father's house and the encyclopedic knowledge that she has been taught as a bedtime story rather than the fairytales that other children are given. In some ways this is a coming of age story just from a slightly different angle than the norm as she adapts to a world that she finds alien and confusing.

Cinematography is hectic with the picture cutting, chopping and changing during fight scenes and supported by dramatic music (given to us by The Chemical Brothers) that adds to the action splendidly. This is then contrasted by long scenes that are shot with no cutting whatsoever which really allows for the tempo of the movie to help dictate the franticness of the action when it arrives. Locations, like the camera work, varies greatly as one moment you are in the wild in the Arctic or a desert before being transported to the urban landscape as a metropolitan city or a city from the developing world.

Things that did not quite work for me were the occasional plot holes and slightly unrealistic/unbelievable scenarios that kept popping up- can you grab the underside of a truck moving at 50 mph and still hold on because I know I can't, the poor Texan accent put on by Blanchett who I would have expected better from and I also would have enjoyed just a bit more action during the movie.

All in all Hanna is an enjoyable little action adventure that will please on most fronts. In essence it is replicating one of the Bourne trilogy with a 16 year old girl and is not as explosive and action packed as some might expect but Ronan's performance along with a mysterious undertone that parallels the story make it worth the watch.

Rating: B

Next I'm giving you a documentary to look at that most will not have heard of. The King Of Kong- A Fistful Of Quarters [my review] follows a man and his attempt to break the arcade game Donkey Kong world record. Have a gander below.

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @ FAbFilms