Thor (2011)

I took the plunge of not putting myself through the squinty-fiddley torture of wearing 3D glasses and went and saw Thor in 2D. I really don't know why I waited so long. Oh yeah... I'm a sucker. Marvel are a really great force in Hollywood movies at the moment. They have a pretty great pedigree of turning out these great big hulking epics, year-in-year out. Okay, the ones made at Fox are pretty sucky but well pretty much every movie made by Fox is. Exceedingly better are the recent slate of in-house productions made by Marvel themselves and then are given back to studios like Paramount and Universal to distribute. It incredibly unusual for movies to be made like this, it's like the idea of JK Rowling paying to make a Harry Potter movie herself. She could probably afford to do that too... That said it's incredibly risky putting your own money up and I'm certain that has a positive affect on the writing and direction of these movies.
I guess the most curious thing about Thor is that it was directed by Kenneth Branagh but that's one of the strokes of genius, they do at Marvel- they get strong personalities to work on their movies like him and Justin Theroux who wrote Iron Man 2 and they're making the 3rd with Shane Black. It's good becuase these guys are not used to working in the comic book medium and that means it keeps the production line, fresh.
Thor is great example of this. It's completely different stylistically from Iron Man, obviously more fantasy-orientated. Branagh approaches the fantasy stuff in a very operatic way, where everyone bellows their lines and takes this comic book hero and turns into a broad fantasy environment like a Lord of The Rings. It's an entertaining story of the bratty Thor, spoilt and entitled who is banished to Earth by his pops, Odin and brother Loki starts setting his own sights on ruling. Meanwhile on Earth, a group of New Mexico scientists are trying to figure out who this Thor is and where he came from... Chris Hemsworth is lovely as this boisterous he-managed and the sort of stuff you're supposed to hate in movies like fish-outta-water humor, is fine because he comes across so well. Anthony Hopkins gets to shout and wear and eye-patch. Tom Hiddleson is actually really good playing a tricky character like Loki, who's equal parts spiteful and empathetic. I'm glad Ray Stevenson and Idris Elba are successful in this movie, Stevenson in particular, channelling Brian Blessed is great fun and a complete departure from what he usually does. We also get a sneak introduction to someone intergral to The Avengers movie, halfway through the movie. The girls inc. Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings don't get much to do but then they are girls and as such do smell. That's kinda the tone- this is the kinda stuff that 8-12yo boys love.  And though, I'm no Whedonite - I'm sure his The Avengers will be great not only but mainly because of the Ruffalo playing the Hulk. Think about it- Ruffalo riffing with Robert Downey Jr. Even I can bust out a fan-boy squee for that....

I watched Thor (2011) at the cinema.
My 2011 in Movies will return with Read My Lips (2001)...

Legacy: Black Ops (2010)

Idris Elba. How many chances can only give you? I'm running out of ways to apologise to myself for watching this shot that ain't you being Stringer Bell in The Wire. In a way it wouldn't be so bad if you hadn't been so prolific since The Wire.
I feel like a bad parent; I've supported you despite letting me down. The best thing that you've been in since was that Fatal Attraction Beyonce movie and all you did was pose and be stoic like you were modelling for the cover of Jet magazine. I'll concede that your copy show Luther was gleefully dumb but not your finest hour.
If this continues i'm gonna be left with the conclusion available- that it was all downhill to The Wire writing staff and nothing to do with you.
Article 13th in this damning condemnation is Legacy: Black Ops. Which is like a shittier redux of The Manchurian Candidate than the Denzel version, which itself was 8417 Shit Street, Shittington, Surrey. First off its budget. Not in the delightful 'lets-put-on-a-show' way but the 'no effort-why sweat the details' way. Which is not to say that writer/director Thomas Ikemi isn't interested in making a visually interesting film but I don't know of you can make a film about Black Ops soldiers set in a dingy room. Maybe you can, but this guy can't.
The acting is alright I guess. Clarke Peters (Lester Fremon from The Wire) pops up but I once you get over that reunion there's nothing else to hang your hat on.  Elba isn't horrible playing this unsettled grizzly Gump grunt but I'd love to know why he wanted to produce this catastrophe? The script is half baked and where it isn't- it's stolen from other better films. It sad to be so negative about it.  But it's too boring to be exciting, too nonsensical to care. I'll tell you what it reminded me of a bad theatre-to-tv adaptation; like where the actors are acting for theatre instead of tv and the sets are unconvincing and everybody seems a bit too intense and shouty.  I'll bet it never even occurred to Ikimi to try his piece out like that. Maybe cos he was afraid of the immediate reaction.  Like I say I don't like tagging on independent film but this is a no.  Bad Idris Elba.
Oh yeah. Your Twitter is shit too...

I watched Legacy: Black Ops (2010) on BluRay via LoveFilm
My 2011 in Movies will return with The Outlaw (1943)