Thor: The Dark World

  It's time to gear up yet again for the Marvel Universe.  Thor is back and this time better than ever.  While the first Thor may have been lackluster in many eyes, Thor:  The Dark World makes up for that.   Which isn't that hard, mind you.  It's not that Thor was a bad movie.  But the creators have now had two movies to see what their strengths are.  
  Asgard comes to life and looks as inhabitable as any location on Earth.  It's touched upon a couple of times in the movie, but the visual really sends it home.  These are not benevolent gods that simply watch over mankind.  They are people too, that simply live much longer and are more powerful.
  Loki also returns and he steals the show.  Tom Hiddleston revels as the trickster god.  He dances through the plot never sure what side of the line he is on.
  The only real gripe is the ending being very Hollywood.  Which isn't really a problem, just a "I've seen this before," complaint.
  The cast also shines with surprisingly Natalie Portman being the weakest link.  It's sad to see so many great actors in minor roles.  Though they did give Idris Elba a larger part of the story from the original.  if only we could see more of Thor's cast in the other Marvel movies.
  Also, don't forget to hang around through the credits.  Marvel continues to lay down the seeds for future movies, possibly Avengers 3?
  Check it out in theaters.  Go ahead and save yourself a few bucks and op for 2D.  There is nothing special for 3D.

4/5 stars.

Machete Kills

    I'm torn.  What Machete Kills loses in charm compared to its previous film/trailer, it gains in its ridiculously awesome-ness and its characters.  The story certainly isn't what you'd expect.  This is a movie you really have to just let go, and enjoy the ride.
    There are times that Machete Kills forgets that it is parading crappy films and becomes one itself.  I blame it mostly on HD standards.  The film looks too clean for what it should be.  It should be grainy and dirty, not crisp like a made-for-tv movie.  It creates the wrong feel for the movies.
    The plot revels in its own chaos.  Machete becomes the man who can not die, literally.  We're even teased for the third Machete film that this film begins to build toward.
    The break out though is the character, El Cameleon.  After his debut scene you'll be wanting more.
    Hunt this movie down at the dollar theater.

3/5 stars

Gravity

     Gravity is a treat.  It's rare that a film will come out with not only an excitable plot, but characters you want to cheer for.  You'll be on the edge of your seats while Sandra Bullock and George Clooney try to make it to safety.
     I'd also be amiss not to mention the special effects.  They are some of the best to date.  Space travel plays really well into the 3D effects.  If there is any time to go see a movie in 3D it's Gravity.

5/5 stars

Marvel Movie Marathon

      

    Agents of Shield has made it two episodes so far, Iron Man 3 is out on DVD, and Thor: The Dark World will be released in a month.  It's now that time now that you look back and say, "I want to get caught up on everything again."
      But how do you do it?  I know, I know.  Most of you guys are saying to yourself, "But Dane!  You just watch the movies in order of their released date."
      Well, sit back, and let me argue that you're wrong.  There are a couple of problems with watching a Marvel Marathon by release date, and the biggest nuisance is The Incredible Hulk.
      Hulk is the red headed step child of the Marvel Universe.  It came out too early to really have any real connection to The Avengers, unlike Iron Man 2 and beyond, but it still tried to be a part of the whole thing.  Because of that, Hulk can get shuffled around a bit.  Add to that, that Captain America took place in the 1940's, it also has some wiggle room.
      So let's take a look at this new order for a Marvel Movie Marathon.

     Iron Man:  The first movie should begin the whole thing.  It's only right.  Plus, we begin in a world that hasn't changed much.  Tony Stark creates his Iron Man suit and the world hasn't caught up yet.  Plus we meet for the first time, S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury, and the Avengers Initiative.
   
     Iron Man 2:  This continues the idea of escalation.  During IM2 the world is up in arms about Tony being the most powerful man in the world, and nobody can match it.  Stark is of course cocky about that, and is soon put in his place by Whiplash.  What also follows is Nick Fury officially bringing in Tony Stark as a consultant on the Avengers Initiative.  This movie also brings to light Howard Stark, the world's fair and the tesseract.
 
     Captain America:  Now, we're jumping around.  We've just seen the world start to discover new powers, but it wasn't always like that.  During WWII, the world was on the brink of destruction due to Hydra, and America had a secret weapon of their own, a super soldier known as Captain America.  Here we get a taste of the norse gods, the super soldier serum, and we set the stage for the tesseract in later films.

     The Incredible Hulk:  Back to the present.  Hulk's biggest connection to any of the Marvel movies was to Captain America due to references of the super soldier serum.  Hulk also takes places during the events of IM2.  So technically speaking we haven't lost any future time of the Marvel timeline.  Plus, the end credits have Stark confronting General Ross about a team he's putting together.  Up until the end of IM2, Stark would not have been doing that.

    Thor:  The theme of escalation continues.  The world is catching up to greater powers, and just in time.  Thor has landed.  The Red Skull was said to worship other gods.  Now, it's time to meet them.  The world is hit with aliens, and Loki is brought to the forefront.  Finally at the end credits, it's revealed the tesseract is in the hands of S.H.I.E.L.D.

   Avengers:  Aliens have attacked and they keep on coming.  Loki makes his return.  And the world will never be the same.  


Enjoy your marathon.

The Family

         Robert De Niro returns to the mobster genre as Giovanni Manzoni or Fred Blake in The Family.  He and his family have been in witness protection for years after Manzoni turned in his fellow mobsters.  Now they travel the world due to various incidents the family causes as they try to stay out of sight from their new enemies.
        The Family possesses a wonderful set of characters and moments, but ultimately falls short of the bill.  The plot begins to drag int he middle and relies too heavily on coincidence to not only get the family in trouble, but to also help them escape their problems.  It's dry and dark humor the entire way through.  Don't expect to laugh out loud in the theater, but don't be surprised when one choice word brings a smile to your face.
      Check out The Family when it reaches the dollar theater.

3/5 Stars

Is it worth it all?

      I've been away for a week on vacation to Europe.  A few of those days were spent in Paris.  The Louvre was a must do on the list.  I later began to re-think that decision.

      As evident from the start of the grand museum, the Mona Lisa is one of the biggest attractions.  Signs are posted every twenty feet directing you to the destination.  It's difficult to miss, even in the giant maze they have built.  You finally arrive at the room, and the words start coming into your brain, "Is it worth it all?"

      Is this really a mob of fans I have to fight through to see the Mona Lisa?  Have they dreamed of the moment they got to see the Mona Lisa up close (or within fifteen feet)?  Or are they doing it just to say they saw it?

     Like many things in pop culture, the idea of the Mona Lisa has grown far better than the painting.  It's no longer about seeing the painting for yourself.  It's about fighting through the crowd, earning that front row spot.  

     The grueling crowd allows little movement.  A handful of people will even get to second base by the time you make it to the front and back.  And it's all for the glory of taking a picture.  Again, "Is that worth it all?"

     I've seen the Mona Lisa hundreds of times.  Heck, I saw it a dozen times on my walk to the room.  The only difference in image quality was... this one was less?  It's the original.  I get it.  But in the day and age of copy and paste where does original really fit in?  

     Popularity has killed the museum experience.  So many paintings are lost because there is no space to simply soak in what you are looking at.  The crowds rumble in your ear, body heat warms the entire area, and every second somebody is having their picture taken in front of the picture you want to look at.  

     If you ever get the chance at a museum, find paintings you've never heard of before.  Discover something new.  Don't struggle against the crowds because the popular painting is around.  Take a look at it sure, but don't forget that there are hundreds of works of art that can tickle your fancy, and with some luck there will be fewer people so you can actually enjoy yourself.  Discovering art is meant to evoke wonderful emotions in yourself, not make you want to rip somebody's camera out of their hand because they smell when their arm is lifted.

    Never be afraid to look at the less beaten paths in art.  You may find something you like.

p.s. one of my favorites of the day.  The Monkey Painter by Alexandre Gabriel-Decamps

Riddick

                      The Furyan is back in his third installment (fourth if you want to count the animated movie, Dark Fury [heck, five or six if you want to count the games as well]).  This time around they'r ditching the Chronicles part and going just for the simple title, Riddick.  It's a bold effort that ultimately was left lacking.

                      Vin Diesel and company have cerntainly learned from their mistakes from the second film Chronicles of Riddick.  They've instead returned to the simpler formula that Pitch Black had involving a series of survivors against the darkness of the planet they are on.  

                      This isn't the same planet.  Riddick takes place shortly after Chronicles left off.  The Necromongers have abandoned their new ruler to die on this lonely planet.  Riddick then lives in solitude on this planet for possibly years.   The time table is visible through a dog he adopts as a puppy.  It grows up between scenes.

                     After all this time, Riddick finally realizes true danger is coming in the shape of a storm.  Creatures are swarming within the rain.  He now has to find a way off.  Ridick makes his presence known and the bounty hunters are on the way.  It becomes bounty hunter versus bounty hunter versus Riddick in a dash to the spaceship with vicious aliens surrounding them.  

                     The opening starts off slow.  It's Riddick alone on a planet with a few animals.  A tiny flashback breaks it up showing us what happened before the film that lead him to near death.  It's a lovely scene of man versus nature, but it's not what you'd expect from a rated R action movie.  

                    Finally the movie picks up once the bounty hunters arrive.  Riddick is up to his old tricks, killing and getting into everybody's head.  

                    Then the action starts and it dies down quickly.  The monsters despite being the entire trailer are only in the second half of the film.  They aren't the crutch of the story they are just an obstacle.  The heart of the story is Riddick being hunted by the bounty hunter, Johns.  A name that might be familiar to Riddick fans.  But what attention the middle of the movie gathered is all lost as Riddick deals with his enemies unspectacularly.  

                     It's a strong film without a story to hold it up.  Maybe they'll do better with another one.  

3/5 stars