Recruit A Team Of Heroes With Attitudes

Well, we've looked at all five films leading up the massive crossover film, The Avengers. The dominoes are lined up, the cogs in the machine are all aligned. We've waited four years. But is it a case of a coming together of the greats, or is there still some assembly required?

Before we get into that, let's go over the Avengers as a team in the comics: in September, 1963, Thor's arch-nemesis Loki tricks the Hulk into destroying a railroad track, which leads to Hulk's friend Rick Jones sending out a radio call seeking help, a call which Loki diverts to Thor, in the hopes of drawing him out. What Loki didn't expect was that the distress call would be answered by more heroes: Iron Man, Ant-Man and The Wasp. Together, they all defeated Loki and decided to become a team. And it took all of two issues to lose a member, in this case it was Hulk, who left because he realized his unstable personality was a source of great fear for his team mates. But a few issues later, Captain America would be found and he would become a long time member of the team. And the rest is history. A long and confusing history, especially with all the different Avenger teams.

Now, if you don't read comics and know little about them, you're probably wondering who the Hell Ant-Man and The Wasp are. Well, the answer is: they are two characters who had better appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the years to come, because they are great. But that's for another time.

For this film, our team is instead made up of Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo, the only change in actors for this film, with Lou Ferrigno providing the voice for the Hulk himself), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), brought together by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), to take on Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his alien army. Also joining the fray is Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), a high ranking S.H.I.E.L.D agent, and we also see the return of Coulson (Clark Gregg), Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), as well as more voice-work from Paul Bettany as Iron Man's AI program, JARVIS.

And... well, OK, I pretty much described the plot right there. They come together, settle their differences and they fight some bad guys.

And you know what? I love every goddamn minute of this movie. From the moment Iron Man ended, I knew this movie was going to be monumental. After five movies, the anticipation just rose even higher. Every scrap of information relating to this movie pointed to it having enough momentum to actually be the greatest Marvel movie ever, to be something that would shape how Marvel's movies would be for ages to come. And considering how this came out in the same year as the currently-the-worst-film-I've-this-year-based-on-rankings Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance, it's almost like Marvel are trying not only to wipe away their embarrassment but overcompensate.

The aspect I love the most, the key to this whole film, is the blending of the different styles from the respective films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Iron Man's solo segment before the team comes together is hilarious but also sweet, since he's spending time with Pepper. Cap's is solemn and you can tell he's just begging to get back into the action, but there's also drama as he is a man out of time and that weighs heavily upon him. Thor appears later in the film but there's a strong dramatic tone with his first few scenes, especially those with Loki. And Hulk (well, when he's Banner) is funny, but darkly so and showing how he's grown accustomed to his surroundings. As for those who didn't have their own movie, Black Widow's segment is like something out of a spy movie, and it's funny, though Hawkeye doesn't get much of a back-story, if any at all (probably my only real nitpick with the movie, but that's only if I need to have something against it. The good heavily outweighs the bad, so much that the bad is virtually non-existent).

Acting-wise, everyone carries on their role and proves yet again why they have made these roles their own. Mark Ruffalo is the exception, but only in the part about carrying on the role, since he's taking over the role. And how does he do? He may just be better than Edward Norton in this role, and that's a mean feat! He's got Banner's sense of meekness down, and his sardonic wit. And he's also the first actor to actually “play” Hulk, as in, motion capture and such and DAMN! When Hulk smashes, he REALLY smashes! As much as I loved the Hulk in his previous film, he's a sight to behold in this and for anyone who thinks he can't hack it in another sequel, you will damn well apologize right now, because this movie proves that not only does he deserve another sequel, he NEEDS it.

Cobie Smulders is the only other major new player and I have to say at this point that I LOVE How I Met Your Mother, and I consider it the best show currently on TV, and I love her character in the show. And while she's not always on screen here, I loved seeing her here and seeing just how badass she could be. Also, now she shares something with HIMYM co-stars Alyson Hannigan and Neil Patrick Harris: working with Joss Whedon (more on him later)

Coulson FINALLY gets a bigger role, and he even reveals his inner fanboy about Captain America. Yeah, that guy keeps getting awesome.

But Hiddleston... holy crap, that guy borders on scary! I think it's his smile. That damn slasher smile... it's really bad when he smiles, it means he knows something you don't. And you never want that. While he was great in Thor, he's even better here and he made for a worthy adversary.

Now, Whedon. I love the man's work. Buffy, Angel, Firefly, all classics (though I have yet to see Dollhouse, because they haven't been released on DVD down here, which pisses me off. And I just found out we're not getting a cinematic release of The Cabin In The Woods down here, it's going straight to DVD. Well, it better bloody well be soon, justice must be served!)\

But while his direction is spectacular, his best work is in the script. I kept thinking “Oh that is so Whedon!” at some of the funniest bits, since they remind me of Buffy and Angel, like the deadpan way people snark at each other, or the random humor that takes a little tension out of the scene but not so much as to undermine it, but rather to get us to relax before the drops the hammer (no pun intended).

For example, in one scene, Tony's hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D's database and spouting off all sorts of information, and one thing he says (very matter of factly) “And that guy's playing Galaga and thinks no one can see him”. A few minutes later, we watch as a guy switches his screen back to a game of Galaga. Priceless.

Or this, I love this exchange:
Thor: He's my brother
Black Widow: He killed 80 people in 2 days
Thor: He's adopted

The timing of that, I couldn't help but crack up.

But I can't share my favourite scene for fear of spoilers. I will say this much: despite Iron Man being the funniest character within the movie, Hulk wins with the laugh-your-arse-off moment for the entire affair. It's towards the end. You'll know it when you see it, even though it's in that third act that Hulk gets even funnier.

And the action... oh Lord, is it ever sweet. There's gunplay, sorcery, tech, projectiles and good ol' fashioned fisticuffs. Sure, the battle at the end (not a spoiler, you so know there was going to be a huge one) is epic, and doesn't overstay its welcome, but it's the fight between Thor, Cap and Iron Man that I love the most. Egos clashing, power flowing, the darkness around them, the intensity, it's magic. Especially the end of it.

I could go on all day about it but since it's not out in America at the time of writing, it would be disrespectful of me to do so, since I'd run the risk of spoilers. But I'd like to end on this closing statement:

Everyone that was involved in this movie: you're not leaving. You will damn well come back and do a sequel, no ifs, ands or buts. I know most of you are under contract anyway, which is great, but the rest I don't know about. I know Joss has been offered the chance to direct again should it arise but it's obviously early days. Nevertheless, you can't leave. You all created magic with this film. I was never bored, never insulted and I now consider this the greatest Marvel movie ever.

Whether or not it will be the best movie of the year remains to be seen. As much as this film is an outstanding triumph, the Caped Crusader's next (and last for the live action interim) is its biggest threat. And Nolan always has a trump card. That being said, The Avengers has raised the bar for crossovers and team-up movies. Even if the Justice League movie gets off the ground, it will not be able to beat this. Marvel crafted this to perfection, taking it's time, letting things build up and putting in little clues here and there as to what was coming next. It resulted in a massive pay-off, one that will never be replicated, not until the next time this team is together.

Take all the time you need to, Marvel. You rewarded our patience and we'll happily wait again. Easily 4.5/5, richly deserved.

Well, that wraps up this week devoted to the Avenger film and its tie-in's. Hope you enjoy this movie as much as I did. And a little tip: once the credits roll, it begins with a montage of close-ups of the character's costumes and such, listing the actors for each respective character. After this, the traditional post-credits scene plays, hinting at what's to come (and my jaw dropped at the reveal of the figure who had their back turned to the audience for that scene). So, after that, you can leave if you wish, since there's nothing else after the next set of credits (yes, I stuck around, on the off chance there was some kind of teaser for Iron Man 3) but on the plus side, I got to hear a bitchin' new song from Soundgarden, called Live To Rise. I must have this song. And I will.

So, next week, got something big and special planned, and something completely different from what I've done before. But I won't be saying a thing until next week.

Men Are From Asgard, Women Are From Midgard

(Please note: the following blog was originally posted on my old blog Why Yes I Am Quite Random, Why Do You Ask?, a blog I can no longer access for some unknown reason. This is being put at the start of each blog I'm uploading, in case anyone comes across the blog and accuses me of plagiarism. This is explained further in my introduction blog.

The following was originally posted on Saturday, December 10th, 2011 at 8:53 pm)

 

So, we reach the last of the comic book movie trilogy for films of 2011. It's been a good year for comic book movies, live action and animated. Now, in my last two blogs, I've already looked at two of Marvel's live action releases and for this one, I look at the remaining (though first released) Marvel movie and another from the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Thor.

So, does it tell tales of great battle and conquest or is this all a myth we should regard as nonsense? I think we all know the answer to that but let's get to it, shall we?

Brief history of Thor: he made his debut in the comic Journey Into Mystery, a sci-fi/fantasy anthology title, in issue 83, which was published in 1962. Much like Detective Comics and Batman, Thor would later take over the comic. Unlike Batman, the comic was renamed for the main character. Thor was created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, partially as a challenge to create someone stronger than the Incredible Hulk, which they did by creating a god.

While perhaps not as well known as his Marvel compatriots, it can be argued that if DC's “Trinity” is made up of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman then Marvel's is Captain America, Iron Man and Thor, due to how much they've been through together and how much they value each other in their lives.

Now, onto the film adaptation. And insert standard disclaimer about spoilers and such.

In the far-off realm of Asgard, Odin (Anthony Hopkins) has banished his son, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) for breaking a truce between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. Thor ends up on Earth (or Midgard as it is known to the Asgardians) and meets Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), who are eager to learn about him and where he came from. However, all Thor cares about is finding his hammer, Moljnir, and getting back to Asgard. And in Asgard itself, Thor's brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has ascended to the throne after a weakened Odin is forced to slumber and is planning to prove himself worthy to Odin by annihilating Jotunheim once and for all.

I'd say my favourite thing of this movie is how serious the treatment of the material is. Now, being a long time comic fan, I've seen all sorts of weird things in comics (the Silver Age practically breathed on the weird stuff). I've seen Jimmy Olsen get weird powers (though that occurred more than the sun rising, really); twin clones of Hitler; Spider-Man and Wolverine having their minds swapped by Jean Grey (Ultimate Universe but still); Batman and Superman taking on vampires and werewolves; robot bears vs. cyber gorillas. The list goes on. But some of those are niche titles or Elseworlds, so only people really eager to get into comics will explore such options. Trying to sell someone who's never read comics or a casual reader on something like Thor might take some doing. And even then, a lot of people might be put off by the fact that most of Thor's language is reminiscent of Shakespere or Arthurian days. Hell, even the Ultimate Universe version has some complications (“Well, me MIGHT be a god OR he's a mental patient who THINKS he's the God Of Thunder, we don't know!”) As such, people might not take it seriously, which would translate to a campy film in the wrong hands. Some actors might see a script like this and think you're supposed to ham it up, act all boisterous and and basically embody BRIAN BLESSED (yes, that is supposed to be in caps. Don't ask me why, it's like an internet rule or something). Hell, at one point, BRIAN BLESSED was supposed to be Odin.

But in Thor, it's not the case at all. Everything is treated seriously when it's meant to be serious, while putting in some well timed humor. The mythology of Thor and Asgard is not treated as some silly faraway make believe land, it's another realm of awe and wonder. The dialogue is true to the comic while delivered in a straightforward manner.

In fact, my favourite part of the movie involves an excellent line delivery from Anthony Hopkins (who is absolutely wonderful in this). It's the scene in which Thor, after having attacked Jotunheim after being forbidden by Odin. For his arrogant nature, Odin strips Thor of his power and exiles him to one of the other realms. The line: “I now take from you, your power! In the name of my father, and his father before, I, Odin Allfather, cast you out!”

The backing music, the effects, the confined space, it all makes a wonderful scene, followed by Thor's descent to Earth.

Before going further, I want to say I was extremely impressed with Chris Hemsworth's performance as Thor. He doesn't play him as a berserker or a bloodthirsty individual, there is a compassion to his performance and even when he's playing the character as arrogant, he doesn't slide too far into unlikeable territory, if he even goes there.

Going back to the topic of taking itself seriously, Thor's time on Earth isn't entirely played for laughs either and I really appreciated that. It's a different spin on the “fish out of water” story, the one in which a person arrives in an unfamiliar location/time frame and acts so weirdly and no one picks up on it. Besides the occasional difference of culture (this is where the film's humor lies and does so effectively, like Thor expressing his enjoyment of his beverage by smashing a mug and demanding another or when he and Dr. Selvig go drinking), Thor takes his situation pretty well and doesn't (usually) run off half-cocked and getting into all sorts of trouble.

Helping that situation is how Jane Foster deals with it and Natalie Portman plays her as being very sweet, eager and smart, all strengths Natalie knows how to play by now. She and Chris have great chemistry and their relationship shows the two of them learning about each other while simultaneously teaching the other. I don't know if this will be developed on in The Avengers, but I certainly hope to see more of their romance in Thor 2.

One thing I definitely hope to see more of in The Avengers is how Thor and Loki play off each other. Tom Hiddleston plays Loki with great sympathy and his development from overlooked brother to main threat of Asgard is well developed. Even his plan doesn't seem 100% villainous.

The action is spectacular too, almost every confrontation with the Frost Giants is a sight to behold and towards the end, when Thor regains his hammer and takes on a being known as the Destroyer, it's some damn impressive fighting. But the best action sequence of all is Thor taking on members of SHIELD in the rain, in an attempt to recover Moljnir (the hammer) and just being so damn effective (also helping the scene is the cameo of Hawkeye, who will hopefully be given much more to do in The Avengers)

Speaking of cameos, one final note: Stan Lee has had cameos in plenty of Marvel movies and a lot of them are really funny (like in Iron Man) but this has to be his absolute best so far: he plays “Stan The Man”, a pick-up truck driver who attempts to use his own vehicle to lift Moljnir out of the ground, after it fell to Earth through Odin's intervention. And it nearly takes the whole truck apart. Lee's only line is “Did it work?”, and that just slays me every time.

So, despite being outshone by Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor is a solid film that I happily award 4/5 to.

So, thus ends my week of comic book movie reviews. I hope you've enjoyed them, and there will be more to come, but onto a new theme next week.