WGTB Reviews Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy

Marvel Studios' latest offering arrived in cinemas today, and while I'm positive many of you have already seen Guardians of the Galaxy, here's a quick review for those who haven't. It's abridged because I'm off to a wedding soon and has been divided into three categories: 1) Good, 2) Bad; and, 3) Post-Credit Scene. The two minutes at the end of the film warrant its own category because, let's face it, it has become as much a reason for going to Marvel films as the flick itself. 

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Starring: Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Vin Disel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace & Glenn Close. Directed by James Gunn. RATED: PG-13,  TIME: 122 minutes 

The Good

Marvel has nailed the CGI and this film was a treat for the visual senses. Computer generated characters Groot and Rocket Raccoon were awesome and the many space scenes were as good as any I've ever seen. The acting, for the most part, was good too with Chris Pratt being a fantastic Peter Quill and Zoe Saldana and Dave Bautista excellent in their roles of Gamora and Drax the Destroyer. That said, the best character of the film was a witty, likable and very funny Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper. The origin story of Peter Quill was also very well written and is a great example of not needing an entire film to explain the beginnings of a Marvel character. Speaking of Marvel characters, the film did feature some awesome tidbits of Marvel's extensive mythology, with the MacGuffin of the story being a key element of it.   

The Bad

While the acting and parts of the plot were good, on the whole I found the storyline to be weak and at times seemed to simply jump from one battle to the next. Don't get me wrong, I love action as much as anyone, but I really thought there could have been a little more flow between the chapters of the story. Also, parts of the dialogue seemed clunky and there was also an unnecessary amount of foul language. Not swears per se but just stuff that shouldn't be heard by the legends of kids who will come out to see Guardians. I know that sounds a little old-fashioned, but that's how I feel.

  

After-Credit Scene 

Unfortunately, I actually found it to be weak. The joy of these scenes is they hint at a future film. But the character featured in this one just didn't seem to match and to walk into the cinema hoping for something from Avengers: Age of Ultron or Ant-Man meant that you left a little disappointed.  

So although this was an enjoyable film, it wasn't as good as I hoped, nor was it as good as its been reviewed. But let me know if you think I'm completely off-base because, after all, I was a blogger who liked Green Lantern a couple years back! In the meanwhile, Guardians of the Galaxy will get 3.5/5 STARS. 

WGTB Reviews Thor: The Dark World

As 2013's comic book movies go Thor: The Dark World was the one I was most looking forward to. As a long-time Thor fan (this blog was named after a Thor splash page) and someone who enjoyed the first film very much, I figured Marvel Studios would be able to capture the same magic in the bottle they did in 2011. Which is why, even though I'm a little late with this particular review, I felt compelled to write and give an opinion of the film. You see, I was very disappointed with Dark World finding it a convoluted mess plot-wise, loaded with gratuitous and needless destruction (yes, even for a comic book movie) and weighed down by weak and disappointing female leads.

Thor: The Dark World (2013) Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Huddleston, Stellan Ksarsgard, Christopher Eccleston, Rene Russo, Jaimie Alexander and Anthony Hopkins.  RATED: PG-13,  TIME: 112 Minutes 

(spoilers)

The plot tells the story of an ancient Dark Elf named Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) who, long ago having been conquered by the Asgardians, returns to look for a key source of his power, a weapon known as the Either. Taking place in modern London and Asgard, we learn that in ages past right to the present day, the Nine Realms occasionally converge to make it easier for travel between them. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her fellow researcher Darcy (Kat Dennings) stumble into an area in the British capital where a gateway between worlds has opened and Jane is taken into one where she somehow merges with the Either. Thor shows up and takes Jane back to Asgard six hours later with the remainder of the story involving Malekith trying to get his weapon back and destroy his ancient enemies. 

To start the substantive portion of this review, let's look at the positives. The visuals of Dark World are fantastic (Asgard looks especially good) and the battle scenes were also very well done. Unfortunately, these elements could not make up for a plot that didn't make a whole lot of sense. Nobody explains why Foster acquired the Either or why all the doors between realms always happen to be exactly where the heroes need them to be, among so many other plot failings.

And, of course, no-one in the Marvel films has yet to explain why the Norse gods are real while the Greco-Roman, Egyptian, Japanese, Hindu, etc. pantheons are not or why the regions that originated the Norse gods have yet to be mentioned. I know filming in Oslo or Reykjavik might be cost prohibitive (and this point is somewhat tangential) but I'm really starting to get frustrated that the peoples who worshipped Thor, Odin, et al, are not mentioned in these films. Just a throw-away line about how the doorways to the Nine Realms of the ancient alien God-Heroes was once located in Scandinavia would do the trick. But I digress...

I found the real issue with Dark World is how plot takes a back-seat to gratuitous violence and destruction with no real point. Let me be clear: action scenes that drive the story forward are good and necessary for action films. But in Dark World we watch the Royal Naval College, one of the most spectacular locales in London get destroyed, but I still can't understand why except they needed a nice place to wreck. The 'all-star' nature of 2012's Avengers lent itself to the cataclysmic events of Manhattan being torn apart, but Dark World, like its summer cousin Man of Steel, didn't need so much violence to make the point. So I need to ask: has destroying large metropolitan areas become the pro forma climax of comic book films? Perhaps. But I think it's the wrong way to go. Both Marvel's and DC's characters are great and deserve writers who treat them as such. 

This magnificent structure, the Royal Navel College (now the University of Greenwich), was destroyed in Thor: The Dark World. It remains one of your humble blogger's favourite areas of London. 

I also found the female lead characters weak. Yes, there were some of the funny one-liners we now expect from Marvel’s movies and Kat Denning offered some comic relief that levitated the story. But Jane Foster was feeble and this is especially odd considering Natalie Portman is one of Hollywood's most intelligent and self-assured actors. Unfortunately, in Dark World, while not being devoid of strength, Foster comes across as a needy weakling who is hung-up on Thor. An example of this is seen early when, upon meeting Thor for the first time in two years, Foster slaps him in the face and seconds later appears hopelessly in love with him and starts talking about how she cried when he left. Also, Sif (Jaimie Alexander) while given a prominent position in the movie poster and subsequent marketing of the film, is a tertiary character at best and hardly the presence she is in the Marvel comic universe. Indeed, the strongest female character is Thor's mother, Frigga, Queen of Asgard and she dies mid way through the film. 

Consistent readers of this blog will know that I hate panning films. But I needed a cathartic release after this recent offering by Marvel Studios. If you think I'm off-base or missed something please leave a comment and I'll reply when I can. Things have been busy on this end, so I haven't been as frequent with the blog as I would like. But thank you never-the-less for reading and please keep visiting. The visuals save Thor: The Dark World but it still only gets a 2/5 STARS overall.

WGTB talks Iron Man 3 & Community

Like the previous two Iron Man and Avengers films, Iron Man 3 (released May 3rd) stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark, the billionaire industrial magnate turned superhero who's called upon to once again save the United States. This time, he squares off against the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) and his squad of biologically enhanced goons who have been augmented by the Extremis program, itself created by a scientific organization headed by Aldrich Killian (Guy Pierce). Gwyneth Paltrow reprises her role as Stark Industries chief and Tony's love interest, Pepper Potts while Jon Favreau and Don Cheadle return as Iron Man friends and allies, Happy Hogan and James Rhodes.  

Iron Man 3 stars Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau & Ben Kingsley. Directed by Shane Black. 130 minutes

Being a generally positive reviewer, I’ll begin with the visuals, which were in a word: stunning. There's a scene you’ve probably seen on TV where Iron Man saves people falling out of Air Force One and seeing this in 3D was simply breathtaking. As someone who has never exited a plane that wasn’t grounded, I have to say this is probably the closest I’ll ever come to skydiving. Other technological aspects of the film, including Iron Man's new armour and the climactic battle at the end were equally amazing, with a special note going to the various models of Iron Man suits which were awesome escapist fare for any comic book reader. 

 

Unfortunately, the positivity of this review ends there as the rest of the film was lacklustre and on the whole disappointing. Frankly, there were just too many plot holes and silly subplots to contain my suspension of disbelief and by mid-film I was waiting for the next battle because I had lost interest in the story. With regard to the actors, I also found their characters seemed tired and played-out to the point where they were just going through the motions to get a third film done. I know that's the Hollywood thing these days – a trilogy per character – but here it just seemed forced to the point where it was no longer necessary. I know this seems harsh, especially because Robert Downey, Jr. was so good in The Avengers and that film was fantastic. But here he just seemed fatigued and no amount of (admittedly) great action was enough to salvage a sub par performance or a stretched and pockmarked story. I hate giving bad reviews on this blog, but in this case the best I can do is 2.5/5 STARS.    

Community RENEWED! 

Somewhat tangentially but likely of note to many readers of this blog, last night we learned Community, NBC’s quirky single camera comedy was picked up for a fifth season. Being in the UK the past few years, I was a late convert to the show, but have since taken up the cause of Greendale with a relentless fervor. Suffice it to say, I was very pleased to hear this news. 

With Chevy Chase off the show and Joel McHale's character graduated, might we see an addition or two to the core cast of Community next year? Pictured here are Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi), Troy Barnes (Donald Glover), Ben Chang (Ken Jeong), Britta Perry (Gillian Jacobs), Shirley Bennett (Yvette Nicole Brown) & Annie Edison (Alison Brie). Photo from Community's Google+ site.

And while I’m certain the line-up will change as former regular Chevy Chase left the show in November 2012 and Joel McHale’s character graduated from Greendale at the end of Season 4, the core of the group is taking an Astronomy class together which means the same fun and (regularly) geek-themed antics we’ve come to love from the show. If you’re not familiar with Community, think of it as Arrested Development in a 90210 setting with a smattering of The Big Bang Theory thrown in for good measure. Except it's so much better than TBBT, that I can't for the life of me understand why it loses in the ratings battle. But that's for another blog...

WGTB Reviews The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

There's always something risky when you see a beloved book turned into a film. I first read The Hobbit when I was eleven years old and it very quickly led me to reading Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and the rest of J.R.R. Tolkien's works. I still count him as my favourite author and when Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films came out over a decade ago, I'll admit I was a little skeptical about how it was going to be done. I've since come to appreciate the LOTR trilogy of films and walked into The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey with the guarded optimism that I've acquired over the past decade. 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett & Christoper Lee. RATED: PG-13,  TIME: 169 Minutes 

(Warning: Some Spoilers Below)

Like Peter Jackson’s LOTR trilogy, this film draws upon the larger Legendarium of Tolkien and is not just an interpretation of The Hobbit. There are some subtle but noticeable changes made to the story in order to drive the the plot forward, but for the most part it sticks to the earlier part of the 1937 novel, albeit with some Dwarven back story from the The Unfinished Tales and Lord of the Rings appendices. The story begins with grandiose introduction to the story of the Lonely Mountain dwarves, then proceeds to the Shire, where we are introduced to an aged Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) talking to fellow LOTR alumni Elijah Wood (as Frodo Baggins). From there Bilbo tells the story of his adventure sixty years earlier where he set off (here played by a much younger Martin Freeman) with Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), Gandalf the Grey (Sir Ian McKellen) and a company of dwarves. Along the way the group encounters trolls, orcs, (somewhat) friendly elves and Gollum. As their are two more films coming, I won’t say where exactly it ends, but you can probably get the idea from this description.

Sir Ian McKellen is back as Gandalf the wizard. In this scene he inspects his new sword Glamdring.

For the most part I enjoyed the film. There were a few additions to drive the plot forward that the purist in me felt unnecessary, but this was not too distracting. Much was said about the higher filming speed used by Jackson for this trilogy, but I can honestly say that this didn’t give me the dizzies it seems to have some other reviewers. The flight in the Goblin cave did seem a little longer than necessary -- at times taking on a Star Wars II factory scene feel -- but there was no headache or obviously fake prosthetic to speak of. One of the more active scenes featuring Radagast the Brown (Sylvester McCoy) moved chunkily in places but the effects on the whole were good. And New Zealand, as always, was stunningly beautiful.    


My biggest problem with this Hobbit film ties to one of my favourite moments in the LOTR trilogy. You may remember the scene with Gandalf and Frodo in Moria during The Fellowship of the Ring when they discover Gollum has been following them. Frodo remarks how it was a pity that Bilbo didn’t kill him when he had the chance. The wizard responded.

In The Hobbit the encounter between Gollum and Bilbo is protrayed well, but there was a problem. After Bilbo won (stole) the Ring, he was soon in a position to kill Gollum. This was well done, with Howard Shore’s music working perfectly with the internal debate registered in Martin Freeman’s eyes and the pitiable nature of Smeagol. I’ll admit my own eyes welled up watching. This is one of the most important moments in the entire history of Middle-earth and is what makes Hobbits truly great. Unfortunately, prior to this scene Jackson added a few lines of dialogue that detracted from Bilbo’s true nature and that really bothered me.  

See, earlier in the film there was an exchange between Gandalf and Bilbo where Gandalf speaks about mercy, violence and wisdom. Unfortunately, I found this really took away from Bilbo’s greatness and lessened him as a character in the film. Hobbits are the paragone of humble greatness in Tolkien's works, because they've always been able to make these type of realizations on their own: often while awash in a maelstrom of chaos or evil. That is Frodo, Samwise, Pippin and Merry in LOTR and Bilbo in The Hobbit. This virtue was lost in this film and it really came across that Bilbo's decision to spare Gollum was wisdom from Gandalf.  

That said, despite some flaws in characterization it was an entertaining afternoon of cinematic entertainment and I did think it was a good film. Howard Shore's soundtrack was simply outstanding, and despite some technological overkill in places, it was enjoyable and I'm maintaining my guarded optimism about the upcoming two we'll see in 2013. 3.5/5 STARS

And Hulk...SMASH: A Review of Avengers

Director: Joss Whedon

Starring: Robert Downey, Jr. Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston & Samuel L. Jackson

I wonder when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the first Avengers comic in the early 1960s, if they had any idea that one day their characters would be featured in a massive feature film that is projected to make hundreds of millions of dollars. Or that some of the world’s biggest movie stars would don the guises of their creations. I doubt they did but fortunately for Stan Lee, he has been able to see his creations one the silver screen. But because Jack Kirby didn't, he passing away in 1994, I've decided to sprinkle this review with artwork from the original comic Avengers #4 (March 1964) which featured Captain America joining the team. Kirby drew this book and is consired a legend in the comic medium and because of this I'm happy to give him the praise he deserves -- including this opportunity. 

Iron Man and Thor in Marvel's Avengers #4 (March 1964)

But let’s get on to the film. I will not be spoiling here, so if you've seen the trailer you should be fine.

  

WOW. Just wow. It’s a fantastic movie! And while I know I've been a little too easy on some films in the past (see my Green Lantern review -- what was I thinking?!?) this one deserves to be called fantastic and really is worthy of the hype its received. With regard to the characters and actors: as enemies go Loki (Tom Hiddleston) was a good in his role as the Machiavellian leader/puppet of the alien invaders and other stars including Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), and Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye) were great, with special praise going to Renner who, along with the prop department, was able to take an ancient yet potentially mundane weapon (bow and arrow) and turned it into the realistic tool of a top secret agent. Chris Evans contiues to make a good 'Greatest Generation' Captain America and Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow) was the strong female lead this testosterone charged film needed. But of the all-star cast, Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner) and Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark) stole the show.  Ruffalo because he played the conflicted genius that is Bruce Banner so well and Downing Jr. because he is Tony Stark and was all of the sardonic, playboy brainiac we've come to know and love over the course of this superhero film franchise.

From Marvel's Avengers #4 (March 1964)

But as we all know a film cannot live on acting alone – it also requires decent plot cohesion that can be difficult when there is so much back story to cover. But in this case it worked. It may have seemed slightly crowded at the beginning of the film, but by the middle act, when everything was going south for the Avengers, you see the team start coming together and are already hungry for the sequel. By the final battle scene where Captain America takes command, you really get the sense it's working. Iron Man and Thor remain themselves yet accept orders from the Captain and in the Hulk we we get to see why comic books have been written about how he's one of the most the powerful characters in the Marvel Universe. Indeed, the scene where Captain America gives the orders in my mind captured the essence of the film perfectly and still counts as only the second best in the film. The top honour goes to the final scene when we get to see what's in store for us next time. That scene had me smiling and fist-pumping all the way home. 

Captain America getting back in Avengers #4 (March 1964)

So there you go: a short, gushing exam-time review of Avengers. All in all, it was great escapist fare for both Fanboys and laypersons alike. Those of us who know comics and their back stories will really enjoy it (especially the final scene!) but if you’re bringing along a girlfriend, sibling, friend or parent they’ll enjoy the action, drama and humour too. Oh, and comics fans, if I haven`t already made this clear: stay in your seats! The final scene has everything you`ve been hoping for.

4.5/5 Stars

A Kid From Brooklyn: A Review of Captain America: The First Avenger

Director: Joe Johnston

Starring: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Stanley Tucci

Few comic book heroes are as recognizable as Captain America. He is the Superman of the Marvel Universe and the embodiment of the ‘average Joe turned superhero’ idea. Even as a proud Canadian with a deep understanding of the historic love/dislike neuroses Canada has with the United States, WGTB could only ever look upon Captain America as the great hero he is. Indeed, the idea of Captain America and the ‘flag draped defender’ is so universal that we need only look at his followers: Captain Britain, Captain Canuck, Guardian/Vindicator, Liberty Belle, etc. to see the mass appeal.

(From Marvel's The Avengers Vol. 1 #25, 1966)

Which probably explains why the latest instalment of Marvel Studio’s continuum, Captain America: The First Avenger has been so widely anticipated. Not only does it put one of comic book's true stars on the silver screen, it also commences the great tie-together that started with The Incredible Hulk in 2008 and will culminate with the Avengers in 2012. The movie, directed by Joe Johnston and starring Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones and Hugo Weaving is a well adapted take on the comic and is a fun, World War II focused comic fantasy story. Think Indiana Jones meets Saving Private Ryan meets X-Men and you got the idea.

(From Marvel's The Avengers Vol. 1 #25, 1966)

The plot is both action-packed and true to the original Joe Simon/Jack Kirby classic. Steve Rogers, a scrawny Brooklyn kid wants to join the war effort but doesn’t have the physical capacity to do so. After yet another try, he has a serendipitous encounter with the German-born inventor and US government official, Dr. Abraham Erskine, which allows him to join a top secret program headed up by crusty Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones). Phillips is unimpressed with Rogers, but Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) and Dr. Erskine eventually secede in getting him to be the first ‘Super-Soldier’. Of course, Scrawny Steve becomes that super-man, but not before the program is destroyed by an agent of ‘Hydra’, Hitler’s special research division, led by Johann Schmidt a.k.a. Red Skull, who like his leader, has an affinity for the occult and mysterious. Schmidt has been busy building Hydra into an extra-national terrorist organization and has used a mysterious Norse tesseract to power Hydra’s high-tech weapons.

It’s a good movie – energetic and exciting and it does the great job at giving us a World War II story in a comic book package. The CGI graphics are reasonably good (and not too distracting) and the futuristic-looking period props are really cool. Chris Evan’s makes a good showing as Captain America -- which was a worry after the uninspired Fantastic Four pictures -- and scattered one-liners (especially by Tommy Lee Jones) got the crowd laughing throughout. Briton Hayley Atwell is slightly distracting with her English accent and US Army uniform (this was even jested about in the film) but she gives a strong performance and is successful where both Natalie Portman (Thor) and Blake Lively (Green Lantern) were not: at providing an equal and strong female lead to match her superhero opposite. Stanley Tucci was both witty and smart and a very good reminder that not all Germans stood with Hitler in the dark days of the 1930s and 1940s. Hugo Weaving’s Red Skull makeup and costuming were good, but WGTB is getting tired of seeing him in the same villain/mean-spirited roles and some creative casting would have been better.

(From Marvel's Captain Amerca Vol.1 #409, 1992)

That said, Captain America: The First Avenger is the best of the comic book movies we have seen this summer and will probably be the highest grossing. It’s a fun action flick for comic fans and non-fans alike, and while it so obviously sets up next year’s Avengers, it does so in energetic fashion. WGTB would like to strenuously remind you to stay in your seats until the end credits finish and is already looking forward to reviewing the Avengers film next year when we get to see...

(From Marvel's The Avengers Vol. 1 #45, 1967)

4/5 Stars

From Showcase to Showtime: A Review of Green Lantern

Director: Martin Campbell

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong

The year of the comic book movie continued this weekend with Green Lantern, the third major comic book film to debut and the first from the DC Comics/Warner Brothers stable. Green Lantern tells the story of test pilot Hal Jordan, who is chosen by a dying alien to take his power ring and become the guardian of Sector 2814 for the Green Lantern Corps, a group of green-clad intergalactic peacekeepers who defend the universe from fear, manifested by the colour yellow.

Green Lantern has a fascinating history. Rebooted and re-envisioned as a modern comic book in Showcase #22 (Oct 1959) the first Green Lantern existed between 1940 and 1949 as a mystical wizard-like crime fighter. This Lantern, did not survive the near death of the superhero genre, and unlike the DC triumvirate of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman was eventually cancelled.

A decade later things would change as the popular comic genres of horror and crime began invoking of ire of politicians, while simultaneously, the earliest baby-boomers started to earn disposable incomes with paper routes. The success of Showcase #4 (Oct 1956) which rebooted Flash sealed the deal, and in late 1959 the new Green Lantern was born.

And what a Lantern it was! Hal Jordan was the perfect superhero for the dawning space age. As bold and courageous as he was charming with the ladies, he was exactly what every Cold-War era American boy wanted to be. His comics were always popular, and this helped ensure not only the dominance of the superhero genre, but its merger with science-fiction. Green Lantern would get his own magazine in summer 1960, and while never reaching the stratospheric heights of Batman or Superman, a loyal readership would ensure Green Lantern stayed in the highest echelon of DC’s second tier.

(Hal Jordan meets Abin Sur in Showcase #22 - October 1959 - reprinted 1992)

(Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris in Showcase #22 - October 1959 - reprinted 1992)

Because of this, it is no surprise that Green Lantern is the third superhero DC film after Superman and Batman.* Improvements in movie-making technology, along with an extensive and sequel-ready back story, also makes Green Lantern a franchise-ready prospect if the current film is successful.

And WGTB hopes it is. It’s a good film and a very entertaining two hours. Ryan Reynolds, plays a near-perfect Hal Jordan for 2011, superficially confident yet driven by demons of familial failure. Having not seen Reynolds in many previous roles, and knowing a lot were in goofy romantic comedies or as secondary characters, WGTB was sceptical at the casting. Happily, he does the role justice and the occasional annoying line (“I know, eh?!?”) is overshadowed by well executed emotion in demanding situations. (“Green Lantern’s MIGHT!!!”). Hal Jordan becomes Green Lantern not because he is perfect, but because he has the potential to be a great hero and Reynolds demonstrates this well.

The villains of this film are good too. Parallax is menacing, in the way Galatcus should have been in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Peter Saarsgard was good although, more could have been done with the Hector Hammond character and it was difficult knowing exactly who the main baddy was at times. Some of the back story involving Saarsgard’s, Reynolds’ and Blake Lively’s character seemed a little contrived, but that happens when you need to invent entire myths in less than two hours. Blake Lively was good as Carol Ferris although she didn’t exactly capture the girl-next-door thing the director was obviously going for. WGTB does not understand the casting of Tim Robbins as Senator Hammond and thinks having such an ironically cast superstar was distracting.

The special effects were extensive and very well done. The alien life forms looked as authentic as fictional aliens can and the Oa landscapes and aloof Guardians were remarkable. Temuera Morrison made a much better Abin Sur than he did a Boba Fett, and Michael Clarke Duncan was fun and effective as Kilowog. Geoffrey Rush, voicing Tomar-Re, was a great guide through the Green Lantern mythos, but the best cast character has to be Mark Strong as Sinestro. He was awesome and WGTB looks forward to seeing him as the principal villain in the sequel. Oh, and like Marvel films, WGTB advises you to stay in your seat until the credits stop rolling!

This film has a decidedly different tone than Christopher Nolan’s Batman series and isn’t afraid to have some old fashioned comic book fun. That said, it is serious enough to satisfy the regular movie goer, and has an uplifting end message for everyone. Obvious plot holes, such as missile-laden jets in hangers, can be overlooked because of a strong overall story, and the effects and acting brings it together in a fitting tribute to such an important comic.

4/5 Stars

* Wonder Woman is proving very difficult to translate to a live action medium.

"Well, I guess that’s worth a look": A Review of THOR

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman

We have to admit: WGTB had been looking forward to THOR for a long, long time. Remember the leaked Comic-Con trailer? Amazing. It set the bar high and that was a good thing. Also, knowing Kenneth Branagh was directing was good too. We certainly believed a veteran Shakespearean performer might be just the person to take this comic book movie to the silver screen. Well, this past Sunday, WGTB took time to see the film and here are our thoughts.

(Warning: Spoilers Below)

Thor is primarily about the relationships between three gods: the namesake, his brother Loki, and their father, Odin. From the beginning it is clear they are competing – not just for their father’s love, but his kingdom too. When they grow up, Thor is the warrior everyone respects and appears to be the heir-apparent. When subterfuge from the ancient enemy creates a stir, however, Thor and his friends disobey Odin’s orders of non-violence and take the fight to the enemy’s realm. When this goes badly, Odin exiles Thor to Earth, where he starts his voyage back to redemption. While on earth he meets a beautiful and intelligent woman, makes new allies, and sets the stage for a later return.

Notwithstanding some obvious plot holes such as non-punishment for Thor’s accomplices, or the strange fact that Norse gods seem to steer clear of Northern Europe and enjoy sunning themselves in New Mexico, WGTB would recommend this film.

The Norse visuals, including the costumes, are stunning and surpass the standard set by other comic book films. Asgard looks amazing and the cosmos as viewed from it is was remarkable. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for what should have been a much easier task – the New Mexico town. These have an underwhelming ‘back-lot’ look and resembles a 1912 Ghost Town (albeit with obvious product-placements and corporate billboards) rather than a modern American city. If this was a directorial homage to Westerns, then perhaps Branagh can be forgiven. However, WGTB does not think so.

The acting was acceptable too. Chris Hemsworth (Thor) was able to carry the film; Anthony Hopkins (Odin) was worth seeing; as was Colm Feore as the menacing Laufey, King of the Frost Giants. It might have been due to fatigue, but Natalie Portman (Jane Foster) seemed flat and one dimensional. Stellan Skarsgård (Erik Selvig) was great (as usual) and the hint towards his future involvement in the Avengers franchaise was welcome. WGTB could have done completely without the silly antics of Kat Denning’s character -- not because she’s a bad actress, but simply because the attempt at comic relief was unnecessary. Tom Hiddleston, however, was WGTB’s clear favourite and was a very capable Loki, so obviously taking Branagh’s expertise with Shakespeare’s Iago, and making the trickster of the comic-books in a menacing, manipulative yet sympathetic villan. WGTB really thinks the new Loki works and agrees with this direction. Simply put, the movie could not have been pulled off with just a ‘God of Mischief’ as the principal antagonist -- it just wouldn’t have held the audience.

Marvel Studios also included those elements that the Fanboys crave and that was fun. We had our first encounter with Hawkeye and possibility even Luke Cage. The post-credit scene was great too, and we finally don’t have to wait a year to see what happens. Oh, and for those of you who don’t know – NEVER LEAVE A MARVEL FILM UNTIL THE END OF THE CREDITS. They always sneak in one final scene. So did it work? Yes, it was a good but not excellent movie and WGTB would give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. It has set up a likable Thor for the 2012 Avengers film, but will leave Robert Downey Jr. and possibly even Chris Evans in the driver’s seat for that one – which is a good thing. Thor is showing in cinemas across the UK now and will start showing in North American theatres on May 6th.