Thor Review

Thor, the latest Marvel Comics adaption, is a big-budget film feature that has blockbuster hit written all over it, but ultimately, it fails to stand out of the crowd. Helmed by Kenneth Branagh, whose efforts of note include Shakespeare adaptations Henry V and Hamlet, one would expect a film with more focus on plot and character development, but sadly, both are lacking in Thor. The latest of the Avengers to have his own film, Thor joins Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and the upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger in a series of films that will culminate with the release of The Avengers in the summer of 2012. Taking most of its inspiration from Norse mythology, the source material is not as widely known or well-read as Spiderman and X-Men or other Marvel Comics, and that could play to this film’s advantage as an entirely new mythology can be introduced to an audience unfamiliar with the story. 

The basic storyline is simple enough: The young and impulsive Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is about to be crowned the new King of Asgard in place of his aging father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), but the coronation is interrupted after the realm is infiltrated by Frost Giants. Thor decides to retaliate, but his actions upset the fragile state of affairs between the realms of Asgard and Jutunheim, home of the Frost Giants. Odin decides to teach his son a lesson and banishes Thor to Earth while also taking away his hammer “Mjolnir”, the source of all of his powers. Odin then decrees that only the worthy can possess the powers of the hammer. There are a number of differences from the comic book origin story and the one in the film. In the comic book, Thor is banished to Earth without the knowledge of his origin as a God or of the powers of the hammer he once possessed, but for the film’s purposes, this plot point was not retained. Forsaken and abandoned, Thor embarks on a journey to get his powers back and he immediately finds himself crossing paths with scientist and researcher Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and sure enough, they immediately become smitten with each other. Clark Gregg reprises his role as Agent Coulson from the Iron Man movies and he initially stands in the way of Thor’s attempts to reprise his hammer. Thor’s younger brother Loki, whose maneuverings behind the scenes may have had more than a small part in influencing those events, immediately begins to take advantage of the situation, but Thor’s trusty band of warriors begin to suspect foul play.

There are no memorable performances in Thor, but the cast is adequate enough for what the film requires. Chris Hemsworth is a good casting choice and looks the part as Thor, and he possesses the raw volatility and charisma that perfectly capture the essence of the character.  Natalie Portman, coming off her Oscar-winning performance in Black Swan, is disappointingly unexciting and uninspired as scientist Jane Foster in a role without a hint of originality. Anthony Hopkins has perfected the role of the aging mentor in recent years, and is fitting in his small yet important role as Odin, King of Asgard and Loki and Thor’s father. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is one of the more interesting characters in this film. Playing second fiddle to Thor his entire life, Loki struggles to find his own purpose and is troubled with feelings of being different for as long as he can remember.

Thor is essentially a story of self-discovery and the journey into manhood. Stuck on Earth without his powers, Thor must learn to abandon the recklessness and arrogance of his former self and assume the responsibilities required to become King of Asgard and protector of the well-being of the nine realms. Along the way, he begins to fall in love with Foster, and by the end, he begins to understand the sacrifices he must make as King. The sibling rivalry between Thor and Loki is the key central relationship in this film, and in the end, all that they both strive for is their father’s approval. Both brothers choose drastically divergent paths to do so, and those two paths collide numerous times throughout the movie. There are humorous moments interspersed throughout that keep the general tone light-hearted, with characters such as Darcy (Kat Dennings), Foster’s research assistant, primarily hanging around for comic relief. The plot itself has many interesting Shakespearean elements to it but that remains more or less unexplored and unexamined with action and explosions ruling the day. There actually is very little eye popping action in the film and besides one or two major sequences, that element is surprisingly relatively low key.

All in all, Thor is a satisfactory crowd-pleaser designed to entertain at a superficial level but the strength of the back story makes one wonder what could have been done if a darker and more mature approach had been applied.

B-

Trailer:

Movie info:

Runtime: 115 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgard

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Screenplay: Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, Don Payne

Cinematography: Haris Zambarloukos

Distributed by: Paramount Pictures

Hobo with a Shotgun Review

WARNING: SPOILERS

Originally conceived in 2007 by Canadian filmmaker Jason Eisener as a two minute long entry for a “Grindhouse” trailer contest, Hobo with a Shotgun is a reminder of what a movie should be: entertaining. It’s definitely not going to win any awards and it’s definitely not for everyone, but for those looking for over the top action and tongue in cheek humour, the ludicrous and violent world of Hobo with a Shotgun is the perfect example of cinematic escapism. 

Starring Dutch actor Rutger Hauer (of Blade Runner fame), we find him here as an old, slightly senile, slightly unhinged homeless person who’s been downtrodden and disrespected his entire life. We witness the horrors of Hope Town through the eyes of the Hobo, and we are introduced to the main villains of the film early on, and they are all suitably twisted and evil. The Drake (Brian Downey) and his two sons Ivan (Nick Bateman) and Slick (Gregory Smith) are all murderous sociopaths, and together, they control Hope Town with fear and intimidation, and when that isn’t enough, with violence. The imagery in this movie is, as expected, graphic, and to viewers unaccustomed to such fare, quite shocking. Some of the foul people the Hobo runs into include a rapist police officer, a man who pays homeless people to fight each other and torture themselves in front of a camera, and a paedophile in a Santa Claus costume. Rip and Grinder, henchmen of Drake’s who are collectively known as the Plague, are two of the most violent and sadistic characters ever conceived on film. Nothing appears to be taboo in this film and no one is safe, not even women or school buses full of children.

The Hobo is torn between staying uninvolved and pursuing his dream of mowing lawns one day and standing up and fighting back to avenge all the citizens whose lives the Drake and his sons have destroyed. Eventually, the Hobo can’t just stand aside and watch, and with his shotgun and prostitute Abby along for the ride, he embarks on a bloody journey of retribution that can only end in one way. There is some basic social commentary on the pros and cons of vigilantism and the necessity to stand up for what’s right when no one else will that manifests itself throughout  the film, but there’s always a self-parodying undertone throughout; this movie clearly does not take itself too seriously. There are also a number of intentionally hilarious scenes and lines from this film that bring another layer of entertainment to the viewer, most of them playing on the clichés and stereotypes of the genre and B-movies in general.

The main cast of Hobo with a Shotgun does its job well for the most part. Rutger Hauer is simply excellent in a surprisingly emotional performance as a Hobo whose experiences have forced him to become cynical and disillusioned with the cruelty of the world. His naive attempts to hold on to hope and save Abby and himself from their harsh realities are oddly touching. All the villains are appropriately sinister and demented, and Gregory Smith, who some might  recognize as the former star of teen drama Everwood, impresses the most as Slick, the favourite and heir of the Drake’s two sons, as he takes on a surprisingly different role for someone with his track record. There is also a brief cameo appearance of George Stroumboulopoulos, a well known Canadian TV personality, as a news anchor who meets his demise at the hands of Ivan and Slick.

Although the film begins to drag and wear out its welcome towards the end, it does a better job than most in toeing the line between graphic absurdity and valid entertainment. For what it is, the low budget Hobo with a Shotgun is a surprisingly well done homage that perfectly captures the outrageous camp style and over the top melodrama of the genre, and Jason Eisener displays potential of a bright future with this film.

B-

Trailer:

Original Trailer:

Movie info:

Runtime: 86 minutes

Certification: R

Cast: Rutger Hauer, Brian Downey, Molly Dunsworth, Gregory Smith, Nick Bateman

Director: Jason Eisener

Screenplay: John Davies, Jason Eisener, Rob Cotterill

Cinematography: Karim Hussain

Distributed by: Alliance Films (Canada), Magnet Releasing (USA)