Thor, the dark world and the lousy story

One of the films regarded as the worst of the MCU and rightly so, it's pretty damn bad, for everyone, but Loki, although we do get a bit more of Thor's friends in Asgard like Sif and the Warriors Three.

The writers could have found a better way to address Thor's love and the transfer of the reality "stone".

Kenneth Branagh should have been left in charge of the world of Thor, he just understands the classics.

This film just feels uncomfortable from moment one to the end.  The over use of humor is really obvious and just makes it worse.  There is no real focus to the film at all, it's just handling a few points to move them on for the rest of the MCU.

Then there is the subtitling for the elves speech is just annoying for this kind of film, it's not a historical epic, it's a super hero film.  I'm guessing that Branagh left because he wanted to bring the script back to something more sane.

With a weak villain and a very weak script, the forced humor only adds to how bad it all is, and Marvel would foolishly up the "humor" in Thor's other adventures, taking away from the core of the character.

One of the better parts of the film, is the connection between Thor's mother Frigga, and Jane Foster, we should have gotten more of them together, but she gives her life to protect Foster.  Killing off Frigga was a huge mistake for all of it, especially for such and insanely weak story.  The short interactions between Russo and Hopkins were very good.  "It's only because I worry over you, that you have survived this long." great stuff.

Thor enlists the aid of his half-brother Loki to help him against the dark elves and Loki sacrifices himself in the battle (or so we think), and in the end Thor tells his father of Loki's sacrifice, only for us to find out that Loki is alive and has replaced Odin.  If this story had been told from the perspective of Loki, it would have been far better.

I consider, Howard The Duck, to be of greater value to the overall Marvel Universe than I do this sad film, Iron Man 3 might have been bad, but it's still worlds above this one.  Sad that I had to review two of the worst in a row, but that's how Marvel set the timeline. 

Next up : SHIELD and the Winter Soldier ... yes, you read that correctly... 

 

MRM: The band is finally together, The Avengers

The buildup of the MCU Phase 1 came to a head in this groundbreaking film, that brought these heroes together to fight against the invading army of ... Loki, well sort of.

In the very first scene we learn that the villain isn't really the main villain, just someone doing his bidding.

Nick Fury shows up at SHIELD HQ to find the teseract has been "misbehaving" as we're reintroduced to Dr Selvig (from Thor) and Hawkeye  who points out that the teseract is a door and that doors open from both directions, which it quickly does, and Loki starts blowing things up, as well as taking Selvig and Hawkeye as his "personal flying monkeys"... no worries, Cap gets the reference.... or does later... 

One of the more important scenes that a lot of people might overlook is when Nick is speaking to the "shodowy committee" and we see that they are just bureaucrats and don't really get what should/needs to be done, but still people in a position of power that can cause problems.

The recruitment scenes are good, get the job done, but (other than Nat & Banner) really don't have a lot of emotion.  Bringing Cap & Banner onto the Carrier is good stuff, seeing Cap have to pay off his $10 bet with Fury is great bit between "old soldiers".

Thor is drawn in just in his search for Loki, but they make up for that in an really well written scene between Thor and Coulson on the Helicarrier.  Helmsworth should have been on an episode or two of, Agents of SHIELD, maybe a two parter with he and Coulson working, just the two of them, good matchup of characters.

Arguably the best scene in the film is the confrontation scene in the Helicarriers lab, when Loki's influence is affecting all of them, and stirring the pot.

"The world is filling up with people who can't be matched." is one of the phrases that Nick uses to justify more movies about hero's that are already there before The Avengers.  Who else is Nick talking about?  This is probably the biggest hole that they never really address.

This is also when we get that great scene between Cap & Stark when Cap challenges, "Big man in a suit of armor, take that off, what are you?"  But also in that scene, Stark shows his latent hate for Cap by calling him "you're a laboratory experiment Rogers, everything special about you came out of a bottle." which anyone knows, that's really the least of Cap, but they put it in to pump up the Star character and tone down Cap.  The scene didn't achieve what it should but did some of what they wanted, even if it was bad for the story.

The scene is interrupted by Hawkeye's attack on the Helicarrier.  Banner and Romanov fall to a lower level where Banner does his "party trick" and the Hulk is loose on the carrier, just as Loki wanted.  The ensuing battle on board splits the team up with Hulk and Thor knocked off but Hawkeye is brought back with a little smack to the coconut.

This also leads to the tragic loss of Agent Phil Coulson (yeah, I know 😉) as Loki stabs him in the back.  Fury uses the incident to motivate the team, and while in deep thought over what happened, Stark gets a revelation... "son of a b*tch", and he knows where Loki is heading.

Another great scene is the dialogue between Loki & Stark, sorry Tony, the threatening... it's a scene where we see Stark playing with Loki's emotions about Thor and then a final line about Coulson.  But in here we also get to see the real Iron Man, the nuts & bolts Iron Man instead of that nanotech nonsense.

The battle in New York is outrageous and a great climax for this phase of the MCU, but we see another issue when Cap lands on a police car and tells some police what he needs, the officer looks at him and says, "why should I take orders from you?".... IT'S CAPTAIN FREAKIN' AMERICA... so we have to see him smash some aliens for one minor laugh in the script, not a cool thing.

During the battle, here comes the shadowy committee again, bureaucrats making fool decisions for a fight they aren't part of and don't get, and Nick trying to tell them how foolish they are.  We see them again at the end of the film, where Nick pretty much brushes them off, too bad he couldn't do that earlier.  We get hints at this committee but overall in the MCU, they really never make a difference either way from here out.  One has to wonder, how many were on our side and how many were Hydra.  Looking back now, that committee seems like it was pretty useless in the MCU.

An end credit scene finally shows us Thanos, which was pretty cool but it was a bit obvious to begin with, studios let too much slip out before films are released, or many put the whole story into their trailers, not great filmmaking. 

In the end, Nick's plan worked, but was it by design or did he get lucky with the Avengers?  Did they get along because they could or because they had to?  We see some of that answer in a great, and simple, post credit scene of the crew having schwarma (I don't know what it is, but I wanna try it).

The film gets 🌟🌟🌟 and a half stars out of five, it was great to see the team together, the fight is good, but overall the film doesn't hit as hard as it could have.

 

MRM : Thor, the best of Phase 1 MCU

 

The coming-of-age story of a petulant boy who is headstrong, proud, vain, arrogant, petty, foolish, greedy and likes to start fights so that people will sing the songs of his victories… that old chestnut…

Did I mention this coming-of-age story is really about a man from another world?  Did I mention this world is seen as Asgard, the fabled dream world of the gods of the Norse? 

Did I mention that the boy isn’t really a boy, he’s a man, nearly 1,500 years old, with god like strength and a hammer that could take down a skyscraper?  Did I forget to mention it’s the legendary God of Thunder, Thor?  But still, a coming-of-age film about a young man who needs to be what it’s like to sacrifice for others.

It’s got a great supporting cast, from two worlds, to help Thor become the man he’s supposed to be.

Odin is just plain fed-up with Thor’s pompous behavior, if he’s not bragging about his “victories in war”, even if it was just a fight that he picked, or he’s whining about how he knows better and should be making more decisions for Asgard and more.  So, before he goes into the Odin-sleep, he banishes Thor and takes his hammer so that it must be earned, wielded by a man worthy of it’s “power”, the power of Thor, and sends them both to Midgard (Earth), separately.

During a battle with the frost giants, Loki notices something strange about when he is touched by them, when he gets back to Asgard he questions Odin to his origins and learns the truth that he's not Odin's blood son.  During their argument, Odin slips into slumber.

As Thor is on earth, having to deal with life here, without his hammer and powers, Odin sleeps and Thor’s brother Loki, assumes part of the thrown, his dark heart wanting to take over Asgard for himself.  He acts like a complete pain in the @$$ for quite a while.

SHIELD comes in and takes "collects" all of the work of Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and her associates, Darcy (Kat Dennings) & Professor Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) who becomes a major part of the Avengers saga.

I especially like the seen as Agent Phil Coulson watches Thor try to retrieve Mjolnir and fails, it's one of the most powerful scenes of the early MCU.

Selvig rescues Thor from SHIELD by claiming he's a physicist with mental problems, calling him Dr. Donald Blake (a reference to Thor's alter-ego in the comics).

In the meantime, Lady Sif (Jaimie Alexander) and the Warriors Three travel to Midgard (Earth) in search of their missing friend.  Loki visits Thor and tells him that Odin has died and that his mother has also banished him from his home.  Watching this scene it's hard to believe that he eventually turns to the good guys side.

Loki sends Odin's mighty Destroyer to finally finish off Thor and his friends so he can take complete control.

Eventually Thor is put to the ultimate test to save his new friends on earth, including his love, Jane Foster and has to sacrifice himself to save them, but in that, earning his place as God Of Thunder and the return of his hammer, Mjolnir.  It's an emotional scene and it moves you, it makes you believe. 

We find out later that this battle in a small town has a huge impact on others in the Marvel Universe, namely Nick Fury and SHIELD, it's what they use as an excuse to make weapons from the tesseract.

The post credit scene of Erik Selvig and Nick Fury is good and really leaves a good tease for Loki's return, but is still pretty small compared to many of the other post credits.

This film is easily the best telling and example of Thor, with Kenneth Branagh directing, it went the way it should, unlike later when they go for the small minded comedy.  This is how Thor should be depicted.

Overall the film gets 🌟🌟🌟🌟 and a half out of five.  Because it took you to the realm of the comic book, like Aquaman or Wonder Woman, it made it feel like a comic book hero come to life.  The balance of the scenes from Earth to Asgard is great, Branagh did an exceptional job.

Deadpool Meets The Mask

 It’s not just the movie we NEED it’s the movie we DESERVE! 

A whacked out Wednesday with a film idea that just can't be passed up or ignored....

With a title out of a 50’s drive-in monster flick, the meeting of Deadpool and The Mask would be unbelievable and, if done right, could gross more $$$ than any other EVER!

Getting Ryan Reynolds as the worlds favorite Merc and Jim Carrey as the comic book like Mask would be an absolute riot, in more ways than one.

As the Marvel Multiverse starts to overlap, Wade has been hunting bad guys in Russia and has just walked out of a convenience store with an arm full of chimichangas just outside of Chernobyl.  After downing them far too fast he feels himself being ripped through the multiverse, but something goes wrong, as the nuclear snack foods have a bad reaction with him being a mutant, a thunderous fart blasts him off course and into the world of Stanly Ipkiss and, The Mask.

Even if it's just an extended weekend of these two anti-heroes going through the universe of The Mask, having to deal with a regular assortment of criminals and Stanly's landlady, Mrs Peenman, it would be an absolute scream for audiences as these two comedy masters whip out improv lines that the FX department has to keep up with, that might even be one of the jokes in the film (come on guys, try to keep up).

And then there is the post credit scene of Wade in the Marvel Universe.... 

Marvel & DC World Conquerors: the Good, the Bad and the Terrifying

 

When talking about the super villains of our favorite comic books, certain ones give off certain vibes that are very specific to that character.  The Joker is the embodiment of sociopath/psychopath, his vibe is just terrifying because you don’t know if he’s going to play with you, or for how long before killing you.  The Kingpin is a different kind of fear, because he’s a crime boss, but on a global scale, the average person is less than nothing to him.  On a grander scale than that, is Galactus, we’re literally less than insects to him, he simply wants to consume the planet and move on.

I want to talk about six of the real would-be World Conquerors, the ones who actively seek to take the world for themselves, the whole damn thing, and control it, long term. 

First up is Asgard's God of Mischief, Loki, Odin's adopted son and constant thorn in the side of Thor and... well, almost everyone in the Marvel Universe.

We saw what Loki did in the movies when he took over Asgard and moved Odin off to retirement, he built himself statues, had plays about himself ... but this is a very watered down version of him, a "kinder, gentler Loki".  The one from the comics and folklore is hardly watered down, he's cruel and very spiteful, towards almost anyone.  His rule would be a terrible one, filled with a lot of misery, and yes, statues to himself.  Loki is obsessed with ruling others, being the center of attention and would make for a pretty miserable world.  He's on the first of this list because his would be a rule by temperament, his swaying moods would make the world afraid of their shadow and what the infantile ruler would proclaim next.  He's certainly not the worst on this list, but he's far from the best.

Next up, we have Mongul, the ruler (used to be ruler, I can't keep up) of, WarWorld, a planet that all is set out for his pleasure and amusement, especially the battles, which he does in an arena like atmosphere, a bit like in ancient Rome, but far more vast, as he likes everyone fighting to build him up more competitors for his "games".  More than once he has tried to come to earth to take control and turn us into his own play thing.  As a ruler it would be pretty damn miserable but at least many would be safe if for that they are harmless drones (workers providing food or other duties), but it would be a brutal and bloody world for sure.  Like Loki, he really lacks the maturity to really rule, it's all about his amusement.

Thanos, the mad titan, his goal to wipe out half of life in the universe, and then just walk away, as long as the universe is grateful for his generous gift.  A genocidal madman, Thanos craves appreciation for what he see's as his being kind to the beings of the universe, determined to "set balance".  In the comics he's a bit more of a dictator, wanting to be able to command the universe at will.  He's a danger to all because, even without the Infinity Gauntlet, he's still one of the more powerful and deadly beings in the universe, with incredible fighting and combat skills, his pure strength matching even the Hulk.  The good thing about him, is after he see's his "dream" become real, he'd leave what's left of life alone.  Lucky for the survivors but not for the ones he destroys.

Easily the most terrifying one on the list, Darkseid only wants conquest, the very definition of a tyrant, his Omega Beams make him almost unstoppable.  Possessing incredible power he doesn't have the raw amount of combat experience that Thanos has, and has become a bit reliant on others to do his fighting and dirty work, but he can do that, when all he need do is think about who he wishes to slay and his Omega Beams would do the rest.  This would be the most miserable existence as he see's it as his duty to break the will of ALL his subjects, he lives for their suffering and considers it mercy simply to allow them to exist under his heel.  He surrounds himself with those who are the cruelest and most savage to keep his subjects under his constant sorrow and pain.

Back to a would-be world conqueror led by ego, brilliant genius Lex Luthor believes himself to be entitled to rule the world because of his ego & wealth.  Luthor see's it as his place in the universe to rule the earth, solely based on his belief that he deserves it.  Luthor's genius and obsession have warped his mind and soul to the point that his morals revolve only around what he wants.   In both comics and animation we've seen him become President of the United States and each time, his ego and obsession & jealousy over destroying Superman override all his decisions.  In his head, Luthor can't understand why the world doesn't worship his brilliance, many times he comes off looking like a completely spoiled and petulant child.

Finally we come to, Victor Von Doom, also well known as, Doctor Doom, the ruler of Latveria and one of the greatest villains in comic book history.  Doom is the kind of ruling genius that Luthor wishes he was.  Not only does he have the power of his brilliance and armor, his intellect might be superior to that of people like Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne, he is a man who is truly, "burdened with knowledge", far too much for his own good.  Doom is also a master of the mystic arts to the degree of almost being an equal to Steven Strange or maybe even Dr Fate.  Each time he encounters a powerful universal force, he manages to find a way to defeat them or take their power, he's done so against both Galactus and the Beyonder (Secret Wars).  It often takes a great collection of heroes to stop his plans.  Out of this list, he would probably be the most benevolant of those listed, once he has total control, that is.  While he would have the statues in honor of him, he lacks Loki's immaturity and Luthor's ego.  One of his greatest gifts has nothing to do with super or magic powers, his patience, willing to wait for an opportunity that most would not.  Doom has earned his reputation and what ego he has, he will study and explore any aspect of knowledge to gain the power he wants.  It's honestly a wonder that he hasn't accomplished his plans at some point in the Marvel Universe.