Thor Ragnarok*

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Thievius, Apr 10, 2017.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Jeff Kent

    Jeff Kent Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mt. Kisco, NY
    The Mark Mothersbaugh score is fun too.
     
    Chris DeVoe, Maurice and Zoot Marimba like this.
  2. Purple Jim

    Purple Jim Senior Member

    Location:
    Bretagne
    Yes, I felt that too. In another scene he said "I pissed off" or something and it just sounded wrong.
     
    R. Cat Conrad and Zoot Marimba like this.
  3. The Revealer

    The Revealer Forum Status: Paused Indefinitely

    Location:
    On The Road Again
    I really looked forward to this based on all the positives in advance and especially in this thread. I'll just say, without going too deep, that I thought it was pretty mediocre. Hardly 'awesome.' I don't mind the humor. I just thought that there was very little real story in there. Some elements were good. I liked the way Odin fit in to this one. But the Thor/Loki relationship has no suspense for me. Hela throwing swords was lame and uncovering the 'real' history of Asgard was just all infodump that bored me. All she needed to takeover Asgard was to show up. Scourge was a waste of screen time in every instance. Sakaar scenes were baloney. Enjoyed the Hulk v. Thor fight. I always like seeing Idris Alba and thought Heimdall's connection with Thor wherever he is reeks of plot copout. So many things happened too easily. To me, these Marvel films have plateaued at a level of childishness and overall mediocrity. I offer this counterpoint to the mostly positive reviews here in case anyone else feels the same.

    I'm just catching up with the 'Netflix' shows. Daredevil and Jessica Jones seasons one are so freaking satisfying and have the real taste of Marvel to me. Whereas, Agents of Shield on ABC I find less compelling though pretty entertaining. Basically, the bigger the target audience, the less satisfying the venture. That pretty much fits my profile. Take it for what you will.
     
    Scott222C, Vidiot and DreadPikathulhu like this.
  4. candyflip69

    candyflip69 What's good?!

    Location:
    Melb, AUSTRALIA
    Same in our theater on Saturday night. To a person, they were in stitches.
    This one is obviously connecting with a good cross-section of audiences.
     
    Zoot Marimba and misterbozz like this.
  5. Jeff Kent

    Jeff Kent Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mt. Kisco, NY
    You can pick it apart, but you can't deny that it's just plain fun.
     
  6. The Revealer

    The Revealer Forum Status: Paused Indefinitely

    Location:
    On The Road Again
    I'm okay with you feeling that way. I didn't feel that way. This didn't have the same impact on me as the GotG films. I get that they were going for that, but I was really put off in several ways and did not have that much fun. Enjoyed some scenes. I don't want to 'pick it apart.' Not looking for that. Just happened that way while I was watching. So, 'denied' from this pov.
     
  7. mBen989

    mBen989 Senior Member

    Location:
    Scranton, PA
    For those interested, here's my friend's review.

     
  8. aussievinyl

    aussievinyl Appreciator Of Creative Expression

    I enjoyed it very much. When the character with the NZ accent appeared, I lost it. I was also very happy to see an NZ director doing his thing, as I’ve bought and enjoyed his other films. Maybe I should call it a comedy featuring a Marvel character, which seems weird, but also accurate. It will be part of our collection soon. Just when you may be burned out on these types of films, a really good one comes along to remind you it’s meant to be fun. I almost feel like going again just because I can, which says a lot.
     
    Zoot Marimba likes this.
  9. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Well, I saw the movie and I'll give my review of the film, but first, since this is a sequel I should probably say what I thought of the first two, and the two Hulk movies since this is as close to a Hulk movie as we'll get anytime soon.
    • Thor: I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It wasn't Iron Man, but it was better than Iron Man 2(which I didn't hate as much as most did) and The Incredible Hulk (which I will get to in three bullet points), and though it clearly exists to set up the Avengers, it still makes for a solid film, I liked the cast, I liked Thor and Loki's arcs, had some pretty solid action. A nice starting place, a good foundation to build upon, and opens up the universe farther than we previously thought (even if they throw in a bunch of scientific jargon to justify there being a Norse god).
    • Thor:The Dark World: Ummmm, I will say I like elements of this film. I think Hemsworth, Hiddelston, and Hopkins deliver, they're easily the best parts of the film, but the film feels very weak as a whole, very, very paper thin story, the worst villain the MCU has offered (and that's saying something), just no presence at all, I mean, I barely recalled his name or appearance, I had to look it up. And whereas I liked the humans in the first film, they really drag this one down. Overall, mediocre.
    • Hulk: Quite a bit has been said about this one, hasn't there? Really one of the most uniquely bad comic book films of all time. Ok, I will get the pros out of the way: I like Sam Elliott as Ross, Nick Nolte was cool, there are some potentially interesting ideas, but man are they not pulled off well. You have the dumb ass editing style, which is just distracting, and doesn't even match the tone of the film, which tries Going for dark, brooding, and grounded. Rule of thumb: if that's the tone you're going for, don't throw things like this: in the middle of your film. And also, while I like the idea of going More for the psychology of the Hulk and Bruce Banner, problem is they don't make Banner all that interesting, he has almost no personality. It's like how Man of Steel spouted all this exposition but spent so little time actually developing it's Superman, that I can't really careabout him. Not a good movie, move on.
    • The Incredible Hulk: It's okay. I mean, it's better than the Ang Lee film, but that's not saying much. It's competent, it's watchable, it's...adequate. The Adequate Hulk if you will. I mean, the action is adequate, the cast is adequate, you get what I'm saying. Maybe worth a rent, and I can't say I regret seeing it, but it wasn't worth theater ticket prices. So, not horrible, not great, it's okay.
    And now my review of the movie, let's see, where do I begin? First off, yes, it is a fun movie, and the humor is Top notch. That said, it can get serious when it needs to, I mean, it is Ragnarok after all. And rarely if ever has Immigrant Song sounded more awesome than the opening scene where we see Thor fighting off all these creatures, and goddamn is it so great seeing this as I feel like I'm truly getting a taste of the Thor of legend. And his and Hulk's battle is so awesome, not only is it so great seeing Puny God get a payoff, but just seeing these two really duke it out, and you're on the edge of your seat in anticipation. And, holy shot, Hulk is actually speaking. I mean, yes, he had one or two lines in previous films, but this is the first time we are actually hearing carry a conversation. And I loved Korg, such a fun character, as well as the Grnadmaster, who has this kind of affable, eager-to-please party host vibe to him, but isn't really all there. And there's Doctor Strange's cameo, which was so awesome. I enjoy Thor and Loki's relationship as always, and I'll go more into that in the spoilers section. It was cool seeing Heimdall as always, though I wasn't terribly pleased at killing of the Warriors Three or Sif's absence(yes I know her actress was committed to another film, but still), and it just reminded me of how we never really got to know them in the films, and it doesn't hold quite as much weight as it should, which was also a problem with Frigga's death in the second film, and most MCU deaths in general: they either come back to life or they weren't fleshed out or developed enough for it to have an impact, and as a result,
    Yondu's
    death is the most tragic largely by default. But no matter, let's move on. As far as the main villain goes, Hela is good, though slightly weaker compared to the other Phase Three villains like
    Ego, Mordo
    , Vulture, or even Zemo. I do also feel that o of the more interesting aspects of her character should've gotten a little more focus That said, I did like her and Cate Blanchett was entertaining. And though he has less screen time than in the last two films, Anthony Hopkins delivers as always, and he really gives Odin a certain weight as he should. And now we come to spoilers:
    When Thor outs Loki as impersonating Odin (and of course it's hilarious seeing Anthony be Loki), we finally learn what became of Odin after the events of The Dark World: he was put in a retirement home. Even though we were left to wonder if Loki had killed Odin, the director chose not to go that route so that the audience could still side with Loki, and to be honest, this doesn't feel totally out of character for Loki. Keep in mind, for much of his life, he has tried to win Odin's love, and while Loki had no hesitation in disposing of Laufey, his biological father, its clear that as complex and difficult as his and Odin's relationship is, there is love there, and as Hela points out when he tries negotiating out of the conflict, he does indeed take from Odin. When they find Odin, he reveals that his time is coming, and that Hela is in fact his true first born. She was initially Odin's Weapon and executioner, but she grew increasingly dangerous and power hungry, and so he ultimately vanished. Though he had been able to keep her at bay, his impending death means he can no longer do so, and Thor and Loki will ultimately have to take her on without their help. They get separated before finally meeting up again on Grandmaster's planet, and after they prepare to escape, Thor, no longer falling for Loki's tricks, bugs him with a taser chip that was used on him earlier and laments that their relationship seems beyond repair and that Loki could've been much more than the God of Mischief, that he has never truly grown. When the revolutionists prepare to escape, Loki takes up as their leader, and you don't quite know what he's going to do. When Thor finally arrives on Asgard, he confronts Hela, who in some ways is a dark reflection of Thor: She was the first born, showed great promise and potential, built up, and grew prideful and eager to fight. But how it ended for both is the key difference: whereas Thor went under character development and grew humble and benevolent, Hela just grew worse over time and ultimately was willing to hurt anything and anyone for her means. She is also somewhat similar to Loki: both black haired and in green, both grew to resent Odin over time, and both swore to take over the thrown. But how they go about it is the key difference: whereas Loki relied on cunning and trickery, Hela is much more direct and forceful in her methods. And since we never hear anything about her mother, if she even had a mother figure, you have to wonder if there were any positive figures in her life. After all, this was back in Orin's warmongering days, and he probably wasn't a father to her so much as ruler, and without anyone else offering any kind of love or care, you can sort of see why she would turn out worse than Thor or even Loki, which really says something. Her dark turn could very well be what caused Odin to turn a new leaf and become a more benevolent king, and for his philosophy "A wise king never seeks out war, but he must be prepared for it". While of course it's necessary to be ready when the call comes, he has also seen the ultimate dangers of a trigger happy attitude, and how destructive and reckless it is. It also sheds a new light on his disappointment at how Thor turned out at the beginning of the first film: he's afraid of Thor turning out like Hela. Admittedly a lot of these observations are inferrences on my part, as Again, these things are somewhat glossed over in the film.
    Near the end, Loki ends up coming back and not only helping the Asgardians evacuate, but helps defeat Hela by igniting Ragnarok. Rather or not this new leaf sticks is up in the air, but it could certainly be interesting to see where this leads, particularly in Infinity Wars.
    Overall, despite some nitpicks, this was a great treat, definitely something I'll get on Blu Ray, and certainly the best Thor film.
     
    Pete Puma and Tree of Life like this.
  10. DreadPikathulhu

    DreadPikathulhu Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    I was disappointed in this one. Went in with high expectations but it felt like a Hulk stand-alone film and a Thor stand-alone film stuck together. It would have worked better for me as two separate movies.
     
    Simon A and The Revealer like this.
  11. candyflip69

    candyflip69 What's good?!

    Location:
    Melb, AUSTRALIA
    Has anyone mentioned the Matt Damon 'bad actor' cameo yet?
    We should.
    Hilarious.... :)
     
    Zoot Marimba likes this.
  12. Jim B.

    Jim B. Senior Member

    Location:
    UK
    Nice review. I am puzzled though - you put spoiler boxes in for films out a while back but spoil the plot of this film by saying things like the Warriors 3 die and the Doctor Strange cameo?
     
    Zoot Marimba likes this.
  13. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    I didn't think they were something to spoiler mark at the time, since neither one affects the plot significantly. But I guess I was wrong :shrug:
     
  14. Jim B.

    Jim B. Senior Member

    Location:
    UK
    Spoilers are not just plot points, imo. It can be those little things that surprise you in a film which is better off not knowing in advance as it ruins the surprise. Like cameos etc. For example they play a piece of music with one scene that made me smile greatly, but I wouldn't spoil that for anyone else by saying what it is. Only refer to it is vague terms so someone else who has seen the film knows.
     
    Zoot Marimba likes this.
  15. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    I completely agree with this. I don't think it was a terrible movie, but it was yet another one of these big action/adventure epics that just meandered all over the place and had real pacing problems: boring spots, padded sections, followed by occasionally interesting moments. I also felt like the humor was forced, like they finished the script and then hired three gag writers to jam in a joke about every 6 paragraphs. I liked Chris Hemsworth quite a bit and thought he did well, but it just felt very, very uneven to me. And the visual effects were haaaaarible, some of the worst composites I've seen in years in a major Hollywood film. I noted the end credits listed 16 visual effects companies, which is never a good sign. There was some really, really sloppy technical work here and there, like lower-than-TV-quality crap. I was very surprised. This review hits on several of these points:

    Thor: Ragnarok Review: Funny, But A Structural Mess And Lacking Heart

    Very hard to argue with that -- I enjoyed Daredevil and Jessica Jones as well. Great looking, fast-paced, lots of twists and turns, solid acting. Very good, particularly for TV.
     
  16. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Ah. Sorry folks!
     
  17. Jeff Kent

    Jeff Kent Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mt. Kisco, NY
    I guess it depends on your expectations. I'm no comic expert, so I had no expectations there. I was just looking to be entertained. I can certainly see where one might be disappointed.
     
    The Revealer and Zoot Marimba like this.
  18. Jeff Kent

    Jeff Kent Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mt. Kisco, NY
    That's exactly what it felt like, in retrospect. I found the funny parts better than the serious parts, therefore waited for the serious parts to be over to get back to the funny.
     
    vince likes this.
  19. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    "We're Only In It For The FUNNY"!!!
     
    Jeff Kent likes this.
  20. kouzie

    kouzie Forum Resident

    Location:
    Batavia, IL
    I was just saying this exact same thing this morning to some co-workers. There are a few shots where the CGI looked like bad green screen. That large dog-like creature was one of the worst effects I've seen in a movie like this in ages.

    And it wasn't even the CGI. There's one scene where Loki falls (without spoiling anything, but when he "fell for 30 minutes"). It was like you could still see the stuntman harness wires.

    That all being said, the bad effects won't stop one dollar from being made as a result.
     
    smilin ed and Vidiot like this.
  21. gabacabriel

    gabacabriel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bristol, UK
    Haven't seen this yet, so can't comment on this film per se - but I've been saying for some time that these movies are becoming increasingly 'computer game-y' in their aesthetic (Guardians Vol. 2 also suffered with this) - like they've abandoned the idea of making the vfx photo-real and instead have gone for an amped-up, stylised, over-saturated visual palette.

    Some of this may deliberate - the source material is comic books, after all - but I suspect a bigger issue may be the fact that they are simply churning out these films so quickly that some of the vfx perhaps feel a bit....unfinished.
     
    smilin ed likes this.
  22. Purple Jim

    Purple Jim Senior Member

    Location:
    Bretagne
    Yup. In fact it's so bonkers, it's close to being a "Not Brand Echh" movie!:D:nyah:

    [​IMG]
     
    The Revealer and Vidiot like this.
  23. 5th-beatle

    5th-beatle Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brazil
    I didn't notice him in this film. Would you please remind me of his scene? Feel free to use spoiler tags, if necessary.
     
    Zoot Marimba likes this.
  24. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    The play where Loki's "death" is played out-Loki was Matt Damon.
     
    5th-beatle likes this.
  25. 5th-beatle

    5th-beatle Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brazil
    I'll check it out again once the BD is released. Thanks!
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine