Tag: Marvel Cinematic Universe

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Fantasy & Sci-fi

Thor – You’ve Been Expecting It, Haven’t You?

Frankly speaking, the best 3D viewing experience thus far.  I was about to give up on 3D technology wondering why I would want to spend extra dollars to watch a show with color less than vivid, edges at times blurry.  Thor has restored my faith on 3D movies.  They have done right this time.

I vaguely remember some of the audiences upon watching the promotional clip at the end of Iron Man 2 screamed “Thor!”  It was a hammer discovered on a dessert.  Now that I have watched Thor, the hammer is called Mjolnir.  And my geek-o-meter in the universe of Marvel has just shot up by one knot.  At the end of this movie, there too was another promotional clip.  This time, the audiences screamed “Avenger!”  I have been watching Avenger’s promotional clips for what seems like ages.  I wonder when Avenger will be out.

Thor is the god of thunder (played by Hemsworth), cast down from his celestial realm to our world due to some classic family politics.  The fantasy realm is a beauty to look at, especially with those 3D glasses.  And to help us to connect to to these celestial beings, we have Natalie Portman and her two science team members who witness Thor falling from the sky.  The encounters between them are lighthearted and hilarious.  And it was fun to see Natalie and her girl friend swooning towards Chris Hemsorth’s look and body.  Gosh, I so want to have a body like that!

Girlfriends (or love subjects?) of the superheroes are usually quite useless or powerless in the stories.  Thor is no exception.  I really wish that something could have happened between Thor and that warrior princess lookalike character.  If I was the story writer, I would find a way, one way or another, to let the girl wields some massive power towards the end, to save the dude who saves the world or to save the world herself.  Better still, sacrifice herself in the process.

I like it that in Thor, the story flips between the celestial realm and our present realm.  I am unsure if there will be a sequel.  Judging at the positive reception, I reckon there should be one.

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Fantasy & Sci-fi Movie Reviews

Iron Man 2 Bled My Ears

Normally, I love watching movies at Cathay’s cinemas.  Unfortunately, the Digital 4K version at Cinelesiure bled my ears.  I found it hard to enjoy the movie when the volume is so high.  The low frequency vibration was impressive though.  My entire body shook as Iron Man and the pursuing enemies fly low underneath the highway.  That vibration, those powerful sub-woofer speakers behind the screen.

I remember loving the first installment.  As for “Iron Man 2”, I suppose the beginning is OK.  Maybe because I love F1?  The racing track in Monaco looks authentic.  I remember that famous tunnel.  The ending chapter is comparatively exciting.  Finally, some actions.  Some real good action (two men in iron suit fighting over I-don’t-know-what doesn’t count, does it?).  If you don’t know how red flag in F1 works or how large a particle accelerator is, you probably buy into those far fetched moments.  But still, someone can punch in a pass code, enters into Tony Stark’s laboratory, “borrow” one Iron Man suit like someone walking into a friend’s bedroom and borrows a shirt from the wardrobe – Wow.  How about in “Iron Man” when Tony has to learn how to use the Iron Man suit when in “Iron Man 2”, anyone could just step into the suit, bypass the security (which I presume there is some sort of artificial intelligent?) and fly off with it like a pro?

If I was the filmmaker, I would humbly change two things in “Iron Man 2”.  The palladium in the arc reactor that supposes to keep Tony alive is slowly killing him.  Robert Downey Jr. is one talented actor.  Give him the script to expose the emotional vulnerability of Iron Man, the positive change in attitude towards those who love him.  And if the theme of the movie is about the passing of knowledge from one generation to another as the hero and villain come face to face, develop the story of the previous generation as it should be.  Give us the texture of what the battle is all about.  It is hard to love or hate any characters in “Iron Man 2” as it stands.

On the more positive note, the presence of Samuel L. Jackson and Don Cheadle dwarf the rest of the casting.  I love this pair of actors.  The combat scene of Scarlet Johansson is satisfying to the eyes.  I can picture her staring in a Matrix kind of movie.  The special effect looks great too.  Like “Iron Man”, this second installment has a small bonus clip at the end of the credits.  A very short clip that perhaps doesn’t say much if you are not familiar with the comic.

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Action & Thriller Movie Reviews

The Incredible Hulk – Reload

It’s been a crazy time at work these days so I wanted some solid entertainment.  For the lack of choices, I proposed watching “The Incredible Hulk” to my Movie Review Squad and unanimously, both TK and Cynthia loved my choice because of Edward Norton.

Edward Norton as the Hulk?!  What happens to my Hector of Troy?!

OK, I will get to that in just a moment.  I must admit that I am not really a big fan of the concept of Hulk.  However, I am a big fan of Edward Norton and Liv Taylor (the casting of Arwen of LOTR was another surprise to me).

It is hard not to compare “The Incredible Hulk” with “Iron Man”.  Both are recent superhero films that contain a battle between two relatively huge mechanical beings in “Iron Man” and two equally huge greenish blob of beings in “The Incredible Hulk”.  I would say although Edward Norton is a brilliant actor, Robert Downey Jr. has put more heart into the story.  And it is hard not to compare this film with “The Hulk” (2003) as well.  Let’s not debate if Ang Lee has done a better job or the French director Louis Leterrier has because it is a matter of a personal preference between art and entertainment.  I personally would think Eric Bana (Hector of Troy) has put more angst into the character.  After all, we are not suppose to make the Hulk angry, are we?

In a way, “The Incredible Hulk” has two parts to it: the drama and the computer generated coupled with motion captured actions.  The drama may not be as memorable as I wish it to be but I love those special effects with a capital L.  So realistic, so full of energy.  Is it just me as I feel that the Hulk is a bit smaller than the previous film.  Now, those stretchable pants make sense.  Also, one scene did remind me of the film “King Kong”.  Perhaps the metaphor of “the beast within a man and the one true love who is able to tame it” is a popular one.

Again, like “Iron Man”, “The Incredible Hulk” comes with a bunch of in-film advertisements.  The one I recognize and can remember are: Norton 360 (how appropriate), SanDisk, Panasonic Lumix camera (I think), and Cynthia picked up the Givenchy cosmetics. Some advertisements I question the relevancy to the plot.  After the show, Cynthia has the urge to buy some Givenchy products.  Uh-huh … I think that works in some sense.

Unlike “Iron Man”, the stealer scene is not being put after the end credits.  And there is a high possibility that the Hulk will be featured in the upcoming film “The Avengers”.

Cynthia and TK both enjoyed the film.  I still miss my Hector of Troy.  But that’s all good to have different opinions within the squad.  Certainly this reloaded version has more lively scripts and a more likeable green monster.

And it is meaner and angrier than Shrek.

Categories
Fantasy & Sci-fi Movie Reviews

Iron Man – Quite Possibly My Favorite Superhero

For the short attention span readers of my site, if you wish to watch a tiny extra clip of the movie that most people may miss, defy the urge to leave the theatre when the end credits start rolling.  Stay till the very end for a tiny reward.  Now, that’s all you need to know.  Go book the movie and enjoy because I know you want to.

Singaporean viewers (or Asians in general) don’t seem to have the patience to stay for the end credits.  We are in such a hurry to go somewhere else.  Same thing happens for the concerts.  Even before the cheering is over, some will start to leave the seats.  (And dare I say same thing happens in Churches as well?)  In UK and France – where I spent quite some time there watching movies – most audience sit back and stay till the very end of the show.  I do enjoy this “unwinding” process – to listen to the theme songs, to pick up some trivia, or even to find out who sing or play a particular song, and to be reassured that no animals were harmed during the filming process.  If you have already invested 2 hours watching “Iron Man”, what’s another 5 to 10 minutes to you?

I had no clue what “Iron Man” is as I seldom read Western comic books.  Turns out that Iron Man is not as far fetched as some other superheroes nor the story is as stupid as: now I wear my spectacles so you can’t recognise me.  In fact, what I really like is that the main character Tony Stark makes no effort to hide who he is, or what he does.

Nearly all whom I talked to were (or still are?) unhappy with the casting.  Why Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow?  Gwyneth Paltrow only has a small part to play in this first installment of a trilogy so I wouldn’t want to over-analyse on “Why Gwyneth?”.  I personally think she fits quite well comic-book-wise as the blonde slender assistant who is efficient and sort of indifference to her billionaire boss’s rather colorful dating life.  I mean, I can so see her living inside a comic book.

But why Robert Downey Jr.?  As an audience, I have this love and hate relationship with Downey Jr.  I first noticed him in my favorite TV drama Ally McBeal.  Love his acting performance and that particular scene when he played the piano and sang – still lives vividly in my mind.  He did release an album that he wrote and I was tempted to buy (maybe I shall).  I hate that such a talented actor and musician’s career has to be interrupted by his lapses due to substance abuse.  This history of substance abuse, I believe, is also one of the reason why he is chosen as the Iron Man – a plot that will unfold in this trilogy.

Iron Man/Tony Stark does have a somewhat complex character mix.  A billionaire who carries himself well in front of the public media, a charmer to the ladies, a humorous geek (or technology freak, I mean genius), and a very tough guy – with or without his Iron Man suit.  To me, Robert Downey Jr. scores well in all departments.  From what I read, he has added his personal touch to carry the character well beyond the scripts given with added humors.

Special effects are stunningly and realistically beautiful.  From the holographic computer screens (reminds me of the film “Minority Report”), to that sickly detailed Iron Man suit that has equally sick animated moving parts, to the flying motion, explosion, and hand going into the human body (how?!) – all these effects and more guarantee to make you go wow.  “Iron Man” has tons of in-film advertisements as well such as Audi, LG, and even Bvlgari.  The same S$500,000 car that Tony Stark drives is the exact same model (and color I think) as the one now on display right in front of the UOB Centre in Singapore.

The world audience is raving about “Iron Man”.  You may too.  I am eager to see what the other two installments will be like.  Perhaps Tony Stark and his assistance Pepper finally falls in love in the next episode and he dies saving the world (or Pepper) in the last episode?  We shall see.

PS. Daredevil is quite possibly another superhero of my favorite.