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drSmock
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- Review count2
- Helpfulness votes1
- First reviewDecember 18, 2009
- Last reviewMay 6, 2011
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4
drSmock's Reviews
Overall rating
3
/
5
Consider Waiting for DVD
PostedMay 6, 2011
drSmock
from Indianapolis, IN
For die-hard fans of the Avengers comics this movie may well be a must-see, as it has many good qualities: the acting is good, the special effects are amazing, and at least some of the characters are interesting enough to make me want to learn more about. For the average movie-goer, however, there are many aspects of the movie which may suggest that you wait for the dollar theaters, or for DVD rental.
One such quality is the gross under-usage of 3-D cinematography. 3-D special effects in this movie are prevalent mostly in the title and end credits, and are scant at best in the meat of the film. It could in fact have been shot entirely in 2-D with little to no quality loss -- the ending sequence wouldn't be as flashy, but at least the ticket prices wouldn't be unnecessarily high.
Another aspect of the film that may cause one to pause is that the writers/directors seemed to trade slapstick humor for storytelling. Despite what other reviewers on this site claim, the storytelling falls far short of previous films such as Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. In one section of the film, for example, Thor is continually hit by cars and physically overwhelmed by humans in order to demonstrate how weak he is from losing his powers. What reeks about this is that, less than ten minutes later, Thor is throwing around special ops personnel as if they are rag dolls, making the character itself inconsistent.
Perhaps the worst violation of storytelling, however, is the complete lack of Thor's development over time. At the beginning of the film he is headstrong and cocksure, completely confident in and reliant upon his powers. Once these are taken away, he maintains this attitude, which would ideally build us up to see his true falling. When the moment finally comes, though, we only see a brief reaction of him sulking; and although Thor tells us he is confused and lost for the first time in his life, we never see any actions to support this claim.
When I saw Iron Man for the first time, I was scared for Tony Stark when Obadiah Stein tore out the miniature arc reactor which was keeping him alive. I was actually frightened that the character would die because of the storytelling elements which supported and built up to that event. Such story elements are not present in Thor. When Thor tells us that he is lost and confused, because sufficient support has not been given for that statement, I do not feel his sense of disorientation: I have no care whatsoever for the character at a time when I should be empathizing.
Following from this idea is his complete lack of a relationship with the citizens of a local town. When Thor first enters the town, he treats its people as if they are slaves. The very next interaction we see between him and the townspeople shows Thor as the "lawful good" paladin trying to usher them out of harm's way. At no point do we see how this sympathetic outlook and drive to protect them forms: where there should be further interactions between him and the townspeople which change his apathy to sympathy, there is nothing. We are expected to just "believe" in his sudden character change with no explanation of how it came to be.
In the end, Thor is a film I would rate as a 7 out of 10. It can be enjoyable if you are a fan of the comics, or are easily entertained. But if you are looking for good storytelling or an experience as phenomenal as previous films in the franchise, you may well be let down. If you have the slightest question about whether to see this film in theaters -- about whether to spend your hard-earned money on a family outing -- I would recommend saying "no." This film is simply not worth the cost.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
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5
The Avatar Experience
PostedDecember 18, 2009
drSmock
from Indianapolis, IN
From the perspective of the average movie-goer, Avatar may well have it all: a solid story, compelling characters, gorgeous environments, and jaw-dropping cinematography. But, for those who will actually consider ideas expressed by the film, the experience will be no less than inspiring.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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