Nanny McPhee.
The kids are bad, Nanny comes in like Mary Poppins and makes it all better. This is a pretty generic movie with magic and annoying kids, but for some stupid reason I loved it!
I don’t know what it is, but it was just a really fun movie! I think in my old age I am getting soft! I liked the kids and really liked Nanny McPhee. I love that she gets better looking as you grow to like her (something that is true in life too) and when you need her and don’t want her, she stays and when you want her, but don’t need her she leaves.
Great children’s movie for kids and kids at heart!
4/5
J-Man.
Thor.
Thor stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, and it also has Frost Giants, Sif, Heimdall, and the Warriors Three. So there is a lot of characters in this film!
Thor is banished to Midgard (Earth) because he disobeyed Odin (his father) and must learn humility. After he learns it, he can go back – I hope that’s not a spoiler, as it’s pretty obvious! In any case, the opening of this film, directed by Kenneth Branagh, shows Thor, Loki, Sif and the Warriors Three attacking the Frost Giants (Asgard’s mortal enemies), and this part is easily the best in the movie. That entire 15 mins in the beginning is so awesome. If the entire movie was in Asgard, this would be 5 stars without question.
Of course Thor has to be banished, so we get almost an hour of him on Earth with no powers. He can still fight, cause he’s a big guy but he doesn’t have Mjolnir (his hammer), but what can you do. The cool thing is that no one can pick up the hammer, including Thor, unless they are worthy. So S.H.I.E.L.D. ends up building it’s base AROUND the hammer, but before that, we get a fun little Excalibur type montage of random people trying to lift it! At one point a trucker tries to yank it out with his truck (cameo by Stan the man Lee).
So Thor is banished and meets 3 people, Jane Foster (from the comics – but she is a scientist here) and 2 others. The annoying facebook girl, who only had 3 annoying lines, so actually wasn’t too bad, and the older man of the group, who knows about Norse Mythology and thinks Thor is a wack-job.
These parts are intertwined with Loki doing his thing on Asgard. So this hour is tolerable, since we get a lot of Asgard stuff with Loki.
So there is this hour where Thor is banished, and before you get all pissed off, let me assure you that in the comics Thor was also banished to Earth and while there he was trapped in the human form of Donald Blake, so at least in this movie he is still Thor (Hemsworth) and they have toned down his Shakespearian speak – a wise choice as they sort of over-used it in the comics, but he still says cool old English words, which I liked. And I have to say that Hemsworth was just great in this role. I mean I really believed he was the Marvel Universe Thor. Also, Loki was very accurate to the comics, and frankly was the best thing in this movie.
Loki was done so well in fact that I would have to say he is one of the top comic book character adaptations! His scheming and ultimate plan is so wicked, that you wont see it coming. You think you know what he is planning but you don’t! I am so happy that he is the villain in Avengers.
The action was great too! You could see it all, and the fights were pretty darn cool – although slightly short for me, but still awesome. The Destroyer Armor is SICK!!!!!!!!!! And Asgard itself is a wonder of fantasy and technology. I also love the portrayal of Bifrost – the Rainbow Bridget that connects the worlds. It’s a clear energy bridge that is guarded by Heimdall (who is in the top 3 best things about this movie!), and when you get transported you see a rainbow energy effect. A great way to visualize this, as I never got how Bifrost would actually physically work.
So bottom line, this movie is wicked. I have collected Thor comics for a long time, and I have also read a lot of Norse Mythology (I always wear Thor’s Mjolnir symbol around my neck) and Kenneth Branagh has really brought this to life with great results.
You see Kenneth is a FILM MAKER and story teller. He researches the character and comes up with wicked stuff, like using the Warriors Three – they were great! And he totally nailed Thor and Loki, plus he made the mortal stuff cool too! BTW – I loved the Donald Blake reference – WHICH NO ONE in the theatre got, but whatever, people just don’t know older comics.
When you do a comic book movie, you better get a good film maker, Donner, Branagh, or get a fan, Raimi, don’t get Bryan Singer who made one good movie that was a drama and had a trick ending (without which would have produced an average movie). Lets get some talent working on these films.
Oh, I feel I should mention my only problem with this movie – it’s a major one to me, Thor only wears his helmet for ONE MINUTE in the beginning. Loki wears his horns a lot and every time he fights he has them. I would expect Thor to wear his battle helmet! I mean Hemsworth actually looked cool in the helmet, which makes it baffling as to why he didn’t just always wear it when fighting. And you could see his face and stuff, not like Iron Man and Spiderman (who sometimes thing they look better without their masks) Whatever, it’s a major thing for me, since it’s part of who Thor is!
There is also a cameo and stuff in the end credits, so don’t check out early on this one. And the cameo which is so stupid I wont even mention it, if you know nothing about comics you wont get it anyway, so forget about it.
In any case, this is a must must see and own, and oh yeah don’t you DARE SEE THIS IN 3D.
It was the worst 3D I ever saw in my life, and I am ashamed I paid for it. In fact, this movie has now made me realize that the ONLY tolerable 3D is IMAX 3D.
Otherwise I will not see anything else in 3D.
4.5/5 (I reserve the right to make this 5/5 after I get over the helmet thing)
J-Man.
Gamera: Super Monster.
I actually watched 2 Gamera's on Monday, so it was a double Monster Movie Monday!
The Showa era comes to an end with this movie. Basically this movie is just highlights of all the other films in the series. Gamera fights everyone, but its all reused footage from all the other movies. So depending on what you think of that, its either 5 stars or zero. I mean if you own all the other movies, then this is pointless, unless you want to show people highlights of all the movies, in which case, this would be the best of the bunch.
The story surrounding the old footage is new, and is about 3 super women aliens (complete with tights and capes – soon to be cubes). They are hiding on Earth and the evil aliens want to kill them. First they want to destroy Earth though by sending all the monsters that Gamera fought before to kill everyone.
So the last 40 mins is all old footage of the fights with a bookend final shot of the super woman aliens surviving and Gamera sacrificing himself to destroy the evil aliens.
An end of an era.
Next up, the Heisei Gamera series reboots the continuity and ups the effects budget!!
5/5
J-Man.
Gamera VS Zigra.
Monster Movie Monday’s Gamera continues with the second last Gamera film in the Showa Era.
This one is the worst of the series as nothing happens for 45 mins. Aliens attack again and let loose Zigra – a giant metal fish. He looks awesome! As a kid I loved him enough to even draw pictures of him (I still have the pics I drew of him from my first day at high school). But when he shows up, the fight is like 2 mins then he is gone again until the last 10 mins of the film when Zigra finally comes back to fight.
The budget must have been cut large, cause the battles in most Gamera movies, although are much shorter than in Godzilla, are still pretty good, but this fight was lame. Anyway, I still love it and it’s 5 stars – so take that.
I told you that all Giant Monster movies are 5/5 except Cloverfield.
5/5
J-Man.
Friday Trilogy.
Friday, Next Friday and Friday After Next.
I consumed this series over this past weekend starting with and on Friday. The first film features Craig (Ice Cube) and Smokey (Chris Tucker) as 2 guys sitting on their front porch after Craig gets fired (on his day off no less).
Think Jay and Silent Bob, only not as crude, and Craig speaks. This movie was just hilarious all the way. The supporting characters are a riot and Chris Tucker is basically in his best roll as a stoner with nothing to do but rag on people.
Tiny Zeus Lister makes an appearance as Deebo – local bully and Craig’s Father has to be one of the funniest characters of all time. This movie was brilliant. A must own.
Next Friday continues but has no Chris Tucker. This was a BIG mistake. Craig on his own isn’t enough. Sure the father is back and provides laughs, and Craig’s uncle is a riot too, but there just isn’t enough going on. Plus in the first one, they were just hanging out and stuff happened, here they are more mobile so they are seeking out adventure, which is ok, but not as funny.
It was an ok movie, but disappointing after a brilliant part one.
3/5
Friday After Next – same as Next. They are too mobile and not as funny. No Chris Tucker, but the Father and Uncle are back.
Some laughs, not enough to compare to part 1.
3/5
J-Man.
Barton Fink.
Classic Cohen Brothers film with one of my fave actors – John Turturro.
He plays a writer who has just written a very successful play and now Hollywood is calling him. So he shows up at the Hollywood studio and is told he is to write a Wrestling movie. He knows nothing about wrestling and is forced to come up with something in a weeks time.
From that point on the movie is a bit slow (typical Cohen Bros) but it was very well done. At the half way point there is a twist that turns the movie into a David Lynch style flick where everything becomes surreal/dreamlike. But in any case, this is a MUST see if you are a writer!
4/5
J-Man.
Mr and Mrs Smith.
The Hitchcock comedy about a husband and wife that learn their marriage is invalid after 3 years.
Early that day Mr Smith told his wife that if he had to do over again, he probably wouldn’t marry. It’s nothing against her, but he wanted more freedom. Of course that same day he learns his marriage is invalid, but he decides to marry her again anyway, as he loved her. So he is going to surprise her with the question after he has some fun with her. What he finds is that she doesn’t want to marry him!
The rest of the movie is a funny episode of Three’s Company. She finds a man and he gets jealous, he tries to go out with a girl, but it’s ruined etc. It all works out in the end and it was a fun movie!
Not your typical Hitchcock, but still good!
3/5
J-Man.
