THOR: THE DARK WORLD

(2013) 112 Minutes, Rated PG-13

Mike's Review:  Thor: The Dark World, I thought was a lot more fun and more entertaining to watch then the first Thor. All of the characters seem to work better together and all the humor and action was equally well done.  I found myself laughing quite a bit through out this movie.  They did a good job of making the humor work and tied together a lot of the other Marvel Films. I won't go into a huge amount of detail other then to say, if you have liked any of the other countless Marvel Films then you wont be disappointed with one.

Best Scene: I thought there were a lot of good and clever scenes but the one that made me laugh out loud the loudest was when Loki took on the form of Captain America.

Mike's Rating: Must See and DVD worthy.

Bean's Review: Despite not seeing the first Thor movie or The Avengers and not reading any Thor comics, I found this move to be very interesting and entertaining.  I was able to follow the story and enjoy the development of the characters.  All of the actors did well.  Chris Hemsworth is a great choice for Thor, as are Anthony Hopkins and Rene Russo, as his parents.  The portrayal of Thor by Hemsworth enables the viewer to connect with the character.  The character of Loki, Thor’s brother, is complex.  One wants to dislike him immensely and embrace him at the same time.

The concept of a “Dark Elf” was intriguing.  Christopher Eccleston, as the lead Dark Elf, did a nice job of exuding evilness. Although, the movie was “Dark”, it was also lighthearted and quite funny when it needed to be.  The interaction between Thor and Loki was quite humorous at times.  The other comic relief portrayed by Jane’s intern, Darcy and Darcy’s intern also worked well within the plot.  Overall, one of the better “comic book” character movies.  Stay until the very end – when the lights come on in the theater.

Best Scene: when Jane covers Thor’s body with her own to protect him from the falling spaceship

Bean's Rating: full priced ticket – should be seen on the big screen.

A.C.'s Review:  Thor: The Dark World easily hammers its way into my list of top 5 movies of the year and certainly the best Marvel movie since the Avengers as Iron Man 3 was a semi misfire. There is a lot to love about this film that mixes action, comedy and even tragedy to great effect. Visually its world class with its exotic locations…some CGI and other Iceland.

As a Thor fan I was clamoring to see more of Asgard in the follow up to the 2011 original and I was not disappointed. Whereas the first film spent the majority of the film confined to the American southwest this film opens up Asgard in a big way as well as several visits to the other realms that I am familiar with from the comics. Speaking of the comics its clear that fans made the film because the stone giant Thor destroys in the opening of the film is for sure by no coincidence very similar looking to The Stone Men from Saturn that Thor fought in his very first issue in 1963.

The cast is remarkable especially Hemsworth and Hiddleston as Thor and Loki. They play very well off each other and Loki is such a great character that it’s no wonder he is a fan favorite with the movie going public. The ending ensured he will be back for Thor 3. And you couldn’t possibly find a better Odin than Anthony Hopkins. Kat Dennings is wonderful as the comic relief character Darcy that it makes me very sad her talents are being wasted in the trash CBS comedy “Two Broke Girls”.

The only complaints I have would be not enough screen time for Sif and The Warriors Three and too much screen time for the character of Dr. Eric Selvig. His antics seemed unnecessary to the film. There was enough comedy with Darcy and Loki already.

All and all I couldn’t really ask for a better and more enjoyable film. Unlike say Man Of Steel which was so dour and simply no fun…this was a fun film to spend a couple hours watching. I look forward to the return of Thor in Avengers 2 in 2015!

A.C.'s Rating:  Worth full price admission!

.

FREE BIRDS

(2013) 91 Minutes, Rated PG

Mike's Review:  A cute movie, the best turkey cartoon movie I have ever seen, but it is the only turkey cartoon movie I have seen as well.  I think over all the story was somewhat original and the voice talent was pretty good.  I liked Owen Wilson as Reggie and and Woody Harrelson as Jake, but the really cool voice was George Takei as S.T.E.V.E.  Free Birds was way better than Planes that is for sure, but not as good as Despicable Me 2

When my 4 year old daughter gave me her review on the movie she said she didn't like it when the hunters found the turkeys' home, but she did like the scene where Jake was slapping Reggie in the face, she said it was funny.

Best Scene: I liked the scene towards the end where all the Reggies came back in time. And have you heard of a Turducken?
Mike's Rating: Worth the price of the ticket.

Karyn's Review:  The story had its funny moments but to me it seems like cartoons now a days are way to violent.  Cartoons shouldn't have a body count or explosions in every other scene.  Granted the cartoons I grew up on were violent as well, but there was never any of them dying to save their families from hunters, it was Wile E. Coyote falling off a cliff.

Best Scene:  When S.T.E.V.E. was replaying Jake's time travel trip to Jenny.
Karyn's Rating:  Matinee

ENDER'S GAME

(2013) 114 Minutes, Rated PG-13

Mike's Review:  I never read the book(s) and didn't even know it was based on a book until after seeing the movie.  Overall it was an interesting story, it kept my interest for the two hours and I generally liked it up until the last 10 minutes when all was reveled and maybe the aliens were just trying to communicate when they supposedly killed millions upon millions of people when they first came to earth 50 years prior to Ender's battle. The ending really left a sour note for me.  I like my super battle "humans versus creatures" type of movies more like Starship Troopers (1997)...clear cut and to the point...kill all the bugs.  And for the chosen one to be more like Neo in the The Matrix (1999) or The Last Starfighter.(1984).  If it wasn't for the wishy-washey ending this movie would have gotten a much higher rating from me.

Best Scene: The final Zero G fight scene was cool.

Mike's Rating: In between full price and matinee price ticket..

Bean's Review:  The mission is to destroy a supposedly deadly alien race before it takes over the world.  This story was interesting, not for its constant simulated battle scenes and endless war games, which became quite boring, but for the psychological complexity of the characters.  Ender Wiggens, played well by Asa Butterfield, is the teenage prodigy that will save earth from the aliens.  Harrison Ford’s character of Colonel Hyrum Graff of the International Military is Ender’s mentor. 

As the story delves into the psyche of Ender and Graff, you begin to question who is the real enemy?  Colonel Graff and the military or the alien race?  The interplay between Ender and the game he plays which reveals his confusion and his torn loyalty was unique.  It also gives a hint of the ending.

Best Scene: when the alien reveals itself to Ender

Bean's Rating: DVD – not much interest in seeing it again

PARKLAND

(2013) 93 Minutes, Rated PG-13

A.C.’s Review:  A TALE OF TWO CONTRAST Part 1 - I recently viewed two movies that are the polar opposite of one and other in terms of storytelling but share the same style in that they both are vying to be a serious adult oriented movie. First up Parkland.

 

Is a retelling of the weekend in Dallas when JFK was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald who was later gunned down by Jack Ruby. The alleged focal point is on the Doctors at Parkland Memorial Hospital and their attempts to save the president. After he dies they pretty much exit the story until later when tasked to save Oswald but that scene is a blip on the radar. So the film was pretty much left with a gaggle of interchangeable secret service men and Abraham Zupruder and the events surrounding his sale of the film to LIFE magazine.

The characters are little more than stick figures whose names, despite initial subtitles, did not stick. The only memorable performance is by James Badge Dale whose sympathetic portrayal of Oswald’s brother is the heart of the film as we are shown his horror at what his brother has done and how it will forever taint the Oswald name.

Best Scene:  The Secret Service refusing to let the Dallas coroner perform an autopsy on JFK at gunpoint thus condemning history to endless speculation of which direction the bullets came from…the book depository building or the Grassy Knoll.

A.C.’s Rating:  It’s a fine DVD rental but perhaps not worth full price. Matinee maybe.

THE COUNSELOR

(2013) 117 Minutes, Rated R

A.C.’s Review:  A TALE OF TWO CONTRAST Part 2 - I recently viewed two movies that are the polar opposite of one and other in terms of storytelling but share the same style in that they both are vying to be a serious adult oriented movie. First up was Parkland.and the next is The Counselor.

 

Starring Michael Fassbender and Cameron Diaz is a strangely paced film that does the opposite direction from Parkland…the characters are given too much development in that there are endless scenes of conversations between the characters that are supposedly enriching their character. Some of it was so over the top like the opening scene is literally five minutes long of Fassbender and Penelope Cruz having a conversation during a graphic sex scene under white sheets that leaves the audience wondering if someone switched the reels with something from the back room at the video store. Later on Brad Pitt’s; character gives an overlong description of a murder weapon that can choke a person to death while severing their jugular…is anyone surprised later when Pitt is murdered with the exact same weapon? Still later yet we have the leader of a Mexican drug cartel waxing philosophy to the Counselor as to why he must kill the lawyers girlfriend Penelope Cruz.  The stuff Diaz has to say and do including a sensual performance on the windshield of a Jaguar has to be seen to be believed.

After endless scenes of very meaningless conversation the plot of the movie finally becomes clear but literally it’s in the last 45 minutes or less when things start finally picking up and even then I had to consult the internet to find a summary of the plot to help me understand what I just saw.

Best Scene: (Barely) A shootout between two of Cameron’s bad guys and the Mexican drug cartel.

A.C.’s Rating:  A confused miss-mash not even worthy of DVD rental. If it’s on cable late some night check it out but don’t pay.

.

 .