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)...

A Perfect Getaway (2009)

I decided to watch A Perfect Getaway today because i'm a lil hungover and i need some lightweight, undemanding fare. Can't watch Atom Egoyan films everyday. The main draw here would be the director/writer David Twohy. He made Pitch Black (2000), which is a great slice of wierd sci-fi thiller and put Vin Diesel on the map. They also made a quasi-sequel The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), which is FUHHHGGIN AWFUL. It's like Vin Diesel walked on the set of Dungeons and Dragons and they decided to keep him in the film cos Vin Diesel was a big deal at the time. Anyway, since i know A Perfect Getaway is very similar in theme (people killing each other on a desolate locale) to Pitch Black, this should should play to Twohy's strength...

This story is essentially a murder mystery. Not in the Sunday night ITV or Murder She Wrote sense- No, in this story the protagonists (Milla Jovovich and Steve Zahn) on their honeymoon in Hawaii are told there is another couple who are killing couples on the island. They come in contact with Chris Hemsworth & Marley Shelton and Timothy Olyphant & Kiele Sanchez, so basically in this murder mystery the implication is, it's one of these two couples, instead of, say 5 suspects with motives.

Before I lay into the HUGE problem with the film (It's a Biggie), in the interest of parity- A Perfect Getaway is plenty exciting and thrilling (I watched it on a laptop and it still translated.) but really that's the only decent card in it's hand. 

The writing really stinks- there's this terrible running meta-gag where characters are discussing screen-writing devices like 'red-herrings'- it just annoyingly takes you out of the film.

The film's Waterloo, it's Alamo is the massive gaping hole it leaves in the reveal of the murderers. To be fair even after that, the film is still exciting and you're still curious to see how it's going to play out (if only to see how Twohy is gonna MacGuyver his way outta this one...) but David Twohy... I understand, mate. You thought, what's the least obvious conclusion this film could have? BUT the problem, Dave, is that you would need the MOST amazing explanation to land it satisfactorily and reveal of the murderers in A Perfect Getaway, doesn't remotely come close to making sense. It's not like 'they did it? i could have sworn it would be...'- No, this just confounds everything that came before it. I mean the film stops and they explain what happened but it is in no way satisfactory. I suppose you guessed who it is, haven't you? I've spoiled it haven't i?

Well, just count yourself lucky- you didn't waste 90mins on this film.

I'm sorry Dave. That was a bit strong. I apologise; like i said it's entertaining and exciting but with your last 30mins, you took everything from the 1st hr and said well... well you probably said 'Oh this will really fuck with audience- they won't know what's going on!' You're right Dave, but sadly they won't care either.

I watched A Perfect Getaway on LoveFilm Online - http://bit.ly/hl07Bl

My 2011 in Movies will return with Wall-E (2008)...