Film Review: Thor

Thor. Rated M (action violence). 111 minutes. Directed by Kenneth Branagh. Screenplay by Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz and Don Payne.

Marvel Comics devotees have, justifiably, been waiting patiently for someone to get the big-screen adaptation of their beloved superheros’ worlds and adventures absolutely right. Iron Man (2008) was great fun (mostly due to Robert Downey Jnr’s wonderful tilt at the title role), while The Incredible Hulk (2008, starring Edward Norton) and the uninspiring Iron Man 2 (2010) sit uneasily in the back catalogue of ‘here’s what it looks like when we try too hard’ efforts.

Thor, on the other hand, is a spectacular achievement – boasting an ensemble of spirited performances (led by Australian-born Chris Hemsworth’s, pictured, star turn in the title role), Haris Zambarloukos’s (Mamma Mia!) ravishing cinematography, Bo Welch’s (Batman Returns, Edward Scissorhands) consummate production design and Patrick Doyle’s (Eragon, Nanny McPhee) thunderingly perfect score.

Mr Branagh (who staked his claim in Hollywood way back in 1989 with his magnificent take on Shakespeare’s Henry V) might, at first glance, have been a peculiar choice to helm a superhero’s adventure – but it takes about five minutes of screen time to realise that nothing could be further from the truth. As Thor, his brother Loki (a perfect Tom Hiddleston) and their father Odin (Anthony Hopkins, more at home than he has been in some his recent outings) debate the rights and privileges of succession, war and responsibility, it is clear that the stakes at play here are purely Shakespearian.

Brimming with supreme confidence, unexpected humour and magnificent visual effects (of which the Bifrost Bridge that connects the Universal Nine Realms to each other is an absolute highpoint) – Thor is the kind of film that has the power to convert the superhero cynic to the franchise once and for all.

This review was commissioned by the Geraldton Newspaper Group.

Film Review: Sucker Punch

Sucker Punch. Rated M (frequent action violence and mature themes). 109 minutes. Directed by Zack Snyder. Screenplay by Zack Snyder and Steve Shibuya.

From the moment Sucker Punch begins, we know we are in tricky territory. ‘Baby Doll’ (Emily Browning) and her younger sister are living under the tyrannical rule of their step-father who delights in terrifying and abusing them. When her attempt to bring an end to the horrific cycle of domestic abuse goes horribly wrong, we are catapulted into a sinister world where nothing is as it seems – and where fantastic imaginings of other-worldly adventures are the only possible means of escape.

The premise suits Snyder’s (300, Watchmen) undeniably brilliant skills as a master creator of evocative (and often dazzling) visual spectacle like a glove. Snyder also reaps the considerable benefits of working with his team of frequent collaborators including Larry Fong (cinematography), William Hoy (editing) and Michael Wilkinson (costume design) – each of whom have obviously relished the opportunity to respond magnificently to the director’s vision. Rick Carter’s (Avatar, War of the Worlds, Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump) lavish production design creates the perfect big-screen environments within which the story unfolds – and it is impossible not to admire the pure, unbridled power of creativity on show.

Yet without the combined powerhouse performances from Snyder’s exceptional cast, one is left with the distinct impression that this film could easily be dismissed as an indulgent Charlie’s Angels meets Terminator-inspired hybrid. Australian-born Ms Browning is astonishingly good in the complex and multi-layered leading role, while Jena Malone (as Rocket), Abbie Cornish (Sweet Pea), Jamie Chung (Amber), Carla Gugino (as dance teacher Vera Gorski) and an unrecognisable Vanessa Hudgens (Blondie) ensure that the stakes are raised even higher with their superbly committed performances.

While it suffers from occasional lapses in pace and pop-psychology earnestness that would make Freud turn in his grave – Sucker Punch is absolutely guaranteed to have you discussing its considerable merits for hours, if not days, afterwards. Love it, or hate it – you won’t forget it in a hurry.

This review was commissioned by the Geraldton Newspaper Group.

Film Review: Just Go With It

Just Go With It. Rated M (sexual references). 116 minutes. Directed by Dennis Dugan. Screenplay by Allan Loeb and Timothy Dowling.

If this light, breezy and entirely predictable romantic comedy proves one thing, it’s that Nicole Kidman is a wonderfully entertaining comedienne (something the actress has previously proved beyond reasonable doubt in 1995’s delightful To Die For). Ms Kidman literally lights up the screen when her character ‘Devlin Adams’ makes a very welcome (if long overdue) arrival at exactly the moment where we might have been wondering how much longer we’re going to be expected to pay attention to it all.

The goings-on surrounding the bubbly Ms Kidman’s fabulous performance involve plastic surgeon Danny (Adam Sandler) and the relationship with his assistant Katherine (Jennifer Aniston). When Danny falls in love with the stunning Palmer (Brooklyn Decker), he has to pull out all the stops when she insists on meeting his soon-to-be-divorced wife and the two children to whom he is apparently devoted. Single-mom Katherine is bribed into playing the role of the ex-wife, while her two children (played with great enthusiasm by youngsters Bailee Madison and Griffin Gluck) are reluctantly cast in the roles of their pretend offspring. And so the fun and games begin.

Ms Aniston and Mr Sandler are right at home in this genre, and the sequences where Aniston reaps the retail-inspired benefits of the masquerade are great fun. A handful of the role-playing sequences are also modestly entertaining – none more so than Aniston’s arrival (filmed in slow-motion) for the trio’s first lunch meeting (pictured above).

And while Dugan (Sandler’s frequent collaborator) keeps it all moving along neatly, Just Go With It benefits mostly from its stunning Hawaii-based locations, the occasional chuckle, and Ms Kidman. Ultimately, it’s a drama and charisma-free, undemanding 116 minutes of harmless, engaging distraction – which in some cases, is precisely the reason we go to the cinema in the first place.

This review was commissioned by the Geraldton Newspaper Group.