THOR

March 28, 2012 (DVD)

It’s no secret that I love movie adaptations of comic books, but I’m not one to see any and every superhero flick. Unless the heroes truly appeal to me (such as Superman, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and The Dark Knight), I’m not one to rush out and see every single comic movie that gets made (or remade). There really needs to be some kind of draw, whether that be a fun story (Iron Man) or, more likely, the addition of actors I enjoy (Hulk). With Thor, there really wasn’t too much of a draw on any count. I didn’t know Chris Hemsworth as an actor – although I later realized that he played the role of Captain Kirk’s father in the Star Trek reboot by J.J. Abrams, and I had been so impressed by his performance that I actually looked up his name in the credits… only to forget it entirely by the time Thor came along. I also didn’t have any interest in a story about the God of Thunder and his “magical” hammer. A hammer? It just didn’t appeal. And everyone I knew who saw Thor when it was released had said it was a mostly awful film, including my twelve-year-old nephew, and when a pre-teen says a comic movie is terrible, I believe it to be worse than the worst. So I never really intended to ever watch Thor.

Yet, this year is the release of the Avengers movie, and I knew that the character of Thor was part of that team. I also knew that all of the origin movies regarding those superheroes had been designed to lead right into The Avengers. And when it comes to movies that like, I really do want to have all the information. I hate the idea of missing the little jokes and winks and nudges that will surely be included just because I don’t know the backstories. So I bit the bullet this week and watched Thor under the guise of getting all the facts, and also because I just find Chris Hemsworth kinda darlin’. Interestingly, that’s all it took for me to really enjoy the movie.

Thor is not a good movie, but it’s also not as horrible as I imagined. It’s told in equal measure on two planets, Earth and Thor’s home world of Asgard, with Thor being banished to Earth while a war begins in his homeland. I enjoyed seeing the two arcs play side-by-side and found the stories on Asgard to be much more enjoyable than the ones on Earth. That’s likely because I’m a sucker for special effects and really cool artistry, and the realm of Asgard has that in abundance. It also far greater villains than those in the Earth story, and that goes a long way toward my enjoyment. Still, what I truly loved about the movie was Hemsworth’s performance. He played the entire film with great joy and abandon. Even when Thor was brought low by humility, Hemsworth seemed to have a twinkle in his eye that said, “Look at me! Dude, I’m playing a superhero!” It was like watching a boy with new toys, and I found it utterly charming, making the movie a great lot of fun to watch.

Ultimately, I’m happy to know the story of Thor but I’m more excited to see him take up his place among the Avengers. I’m also thrilled that Hemsworth has been “discovered” by Hollywood now and will get more opportunities to grow his talent. I’m especially excited for his involvement in the remake of Red Dawn, coming later this year. He has taken up the role of Jed, originated by Patrick Swayze, and I honestly can’t think of anyone better suited for it. What Thor has done for me is place a new actor on my radar and prepare me for a much-anticipated project. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a big win!

Oh, and also… that magic hammer is insanely awesome! Who knew?!?

movie stills via IMDB

REAL STEEL

March 12, 2012 (DVD)

Real Steel is one of those movies that I intended to see in theaters and tried several times to get there but just never quite made it. And after that, time just kept moving and I prioritized other titles over it. But finally, earlier this month, I remembered how much I wanted to see it and made it happen. There’s not a single thing about the premise of the film that would discourage me: rock’em sock’em robots, father-son relationship story, plus Hugh Jackman with just a bit of an edge. How could it go wrong?

It just so happened that Dyl Pickle was spending a Spring Break night with me before I had to return Real Steel to the DVD kiosk, and I was thrilled to learn that it would be mostly appropriate for him to watch with me. I thought he’d love the robots and the bot-boxing, and I hoped that the slower moments of drama would be short so that D didn’t get bored. So we watched this movie together. D was into it pretty well at first, but around the midway point he started getting bored enough to want to do some “art.” I made up for his lesser enthusiasm by bouncing in my seat a lot and punching the air along with the bots. D had to repeatedly tell me that it was “just a movie” and that I shouldn’t be imitating what was happening on screen. Ha! He’ll learn, as we see more grown-up films together, that I’m very interactive in my movie-watching! With Real Steel, I was totally lost in the rock’em sock’em!

Hugh Jackman is terrific as a deadbeat dad forced to find a relationship with his pre-teen son, and watching him in the boxing scenes (where he performed the punches and footwork for a robot to mimic in the ring) made me greatly desire to see him in a human boxing role. Sure, he’ll get beaten to a pulp, but Jackman had such great finesse in Steel that I just really want to see him take that into the ring himself. The boy who played his son, Dakota Goyo, also gave a very strong performance, and his scenes with the bot named Atom (which his character rescued and restored from a scrap heap) were the very best moments of the film. Not since WALL·E have I had such great affection for a machine! But Atom was an incredible character in his own right. Which is what makes Real Steel such a success, I believe. The robots had as much personality as any human in the film, and sometimes even more, and that made for an exciting viewing experience that was deepened by a tremendous amount of goodness and heart. Even with a few “mild” expletives, Real Steel is truly a family film, and it’s becoming more and more difficult to find those from Hollywood these days.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

March 26, 2012 (DVD)

 

My first response upon learning there would be yet another Planet of the Apes film was, “Why?!? Have we not suffered enough?” I could never find any love for the original film with Charlton Heston nor the seemingly endless franchise it created, and even when I tried to give the concept a chance through a modern retelling I was subjected to the debacle of a tedious reboot starring Mark Wahlberg. It’s not the idea of it, either – I actually adore the idea of a society where primates have evolved into human-like creatures and now have majority rule – but I’ve never been able to get past the hokey presentation of the stories. A new origin story just didn’t appeal to me. But then I saw the first trailers for last year’s offering, and something about it fascinated me anyway. I couldn’t quite get the images out of my mind, and when it became a surprise hit, I decided to put it on my rental list and wait for the day when I was ready to give it another chance. Imagine my shock when Rise of the Planet of the Apes, with James Franco (of all people) as the lead actor, turned out to be far beyond anything I would ever expect.

Rise of the Apes succeeds for one huge reason: motion-capture animation of a performance by Andy Serkis. Serkis definitely proved his talent for motion-capture with his creation of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and then again with his portrayal of King Kong in Peter Jackson’s remake. I’m quick to embrace any digital character that is based on Serkis’s acting because I know it will add enormous value to a film. Giving him, what I consider, the lead role in Rise was a genius move that immediately elevated the production. I think that’s what stuck with me in the previews: the tender, lifelike quality of the digitally-rendered chimpanzee who would become the leader of a rebellion of apes. It didn’t sell me on the movie, but it certainly became my primary reason for being interested at all. What I never expected was to find such love for this ape named Caesar, nor to be overwhelmed with so much sympathy that I rooted for his rise against humanity. That, I believe, is the triumph of this latest film.

Rise is definitely a popcorn flick, full of raucous action and big stunts, but the performance by Serkis as Caesar places a tender heart into the film and carries it beyond anything that has come before in the franchise. I loved the use of a science experiment (for a very personal medical reason) as the origin story for the apes’ evolution, and I loved that the story gave itself plenty of time to show a “natural” transformation for Caesar from highly intelligent chimp raised in a human home environment to alpha leader of a primate rebellion against their human oppressors, all the while learning to speak(!) in the process. When Caesar utters his first human words, I was completely shocked and excited and bought every single utterance as if it was the most natural thing in the world. I would not have embraced that had the movie not been crafted so well as to provide a true journey for Caesar.

This movie really is the story of Caesar, eventual leader of the apes who come to rule over humans, and the tale is surprisingly moving. I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but I’m ready for a new Apes franchise that continues Caesar’s story. So long as Andy Serkis is allowed to portray the apes, I’m completely and totally on board.

movie stills via IMDB

WARRIOR :: Oscar Ritual 2012

February 5, 2012 — DVD

Nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Nick Nolte)

I first heard of Warrior in the middle of 2011 and immediately knew that I’d want to see it. I have no interest in mixed martial arts, boxing, or any other kind of fighting sport, but I’m a huge fan of both Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy, and I knew that their involvement will elevate any film. When the previews began appearing for the movie I saw that it wasn’t really a film about MMA but a story about two brothers who happen to face each other in the cage. What I didn’t know is just how powerful the drama would be. And that really did make for a better viewing experience.

Warrior is an outstanding film. Not only do Edgerton and Hardy bring incredibly moving performances, but the entire cast is equally impressive. Frank Grillo is a (surprising) standout as Edgerton’s trainer, and Jennifer Morrison gives a strong performance as his wife, but it is Nick Nolte who shines above the rest of the supporting cast. As the father of Brendan and Tommy Conlon (Edgerton and Hardy, respectively), Nolte is a man fighting to find forgiveness from his sons and repair relationships that he destroyed a lifetime ago. I’ve never seen Nolte give such a subtle performance as he does as Paddy Conlon, and had I not heard his name before seeing the film I might have mistaken him for someone else. It’s a career performance, to be sure, and one that anchors the film. Paddy’s failures as a father served to define the lives of his sons, and in their adulthood both Brendan and Tommy are walking reminders of how parents affect their children long after those children are on their own. In Brendan, Edgerton displays the depth of character that forgiveness and resolve can bring, while Hardy, as Tommy, shows what a powerful drug anger and hatred can be in a person’s soul. And yet, in all three Conlon men there is regret and brokenness, and that is the true power of this story.

The setting of cage fighting is a perfect stage for the drama of Warrior, and every scene is presented with an eye toward the explosive finale – a grand prix tournament in Atlantic City. Despite my lack of interest in the sport, I found myself rooting for the brothers and cheering (loudly!) throughout the fight scenes. I marveled at the sheer power of Tommy’s punches, and I was once again amazed at how completely Hardy inhabits every character he takes on. With Brendan I sat on the literal edge of my seat and balled up my hands in suspense as he (the underdog) struggled to win his bouts, and by the time the final moments of the film arrived I was as exhausted in my living room as I would have been in the audience of a live match. That’s great filmmaking! If there is a film comparison to be made to Warrior, it’s most certainly Rocky. Warrior is just as good as that 1976 Oscar winner, and its fight scenes are perhaps even better. I was impressed with every moment of this film, and I highly recommend it to anyone, regardless of their interest in sports. Warrior should not be seen as an MMA film but as a great piece of drama with layers and layers of heart.

THE EXPENDABLES

December 31, 2010 (Pay-Per-View)

The Expendables is the perfect kind of summer popcorn flick so I’m not quite sure why I waited so long to finally watch it. I had planned to see it right away… the appeal of all those 80s stars in one giant, explosive movie! But then I heard that Bruce and Arnold had minor roles (more like cameos, even), and Mickey was terrific but had just a few scenes. Which left me with a group of men I’d never heard of (Terry Crews? Randy Couture?) or just plain didn’t care for (hello, Eric Roberts! hello, Stone Cold what’s-your-name!). I opted to wait, but even as I let the time slip by until the DVD release my mind kept returning to the movie. It just has such great appeal for me! Dolph Lundgren alone — and back in a movie that would actually be shown in a cinema! — was enough. Stallone, though, is better and better as he mellows with age but never quite loses his magnitude. I could go on and on with reasons I wanted to see this movie, but very few people in my life really understand. It’s those invisible strings at work again.

Finally watching the movie tonight was all the fun I expected and a rousing kick in the head, as well. I can’t recall a movie with so much gunplay, so many explosions, so much hand-to-hand combat that also featured undercurrents of great wit and humanity. Until I began to watch I also didn’t know that Stallone directed the film, but I could see his touch in every scene. I admit that the major players were all much more interesting than I expected some of them to be, and I now have a genuine interest in Jason Statham (who always surprises me, though I immediately forget about him when the films end) and a new respect for Steve Austin. And Mickey Rourke… he’s a revelation, once again. I hope his career stays on the upswing so he can play these kinds of characters that reveal layers you just don’t expect. Of course, I want my Lundgren back, too. The Expendables proved to be an interesting character study of men with something to say, and though it was carried through the film beneath bullets and breaking bones and more than a few exploding heads, it was undeniable and given the appropriate amount of attention. I felt I got to know the men who comprised this elite team of specialists, and in the end I really wanted to know them all even better.

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image via Internet Movie Database, linked to source