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Thor, a review by Dragonfire

I went to see Thor a few days ago.  I really enjoyed the movie and think it is definitely worth seeing.  It is one of the better comic book type movies I've seen.  Marvel is doing a good job with these movies.

I didn't know much about the character before seeing the movie.  I did some research after seeing the movie and found out that the comic book version of Thor is based on Thor from Norse mythology.  I think some of the mythology stuff is in the movie - though I'm not familiar with that either.  The few things I read after seeing the movie make it seem like that stuff made it into the movie as well.  There is a decent origin story that shares some history of the character and how he ends up on Earth.  Some of the movie takes place in Asgard and some takes place on Earth. 

There are some cool special effects in some scenes that don't distract from the story, which I think is good.  The story is pretty strong and makes for a very interesting and entertaining story.  Yes some of what happens isn't that believable, but that doesn't bother me because the movie is so entertaining.  Asgard looks really good.  The movie is showing in 3D.  I did end up seeing the 3D version just because of the timing of the showings and when I was able to see the movie.  The 3D really didn't add anything and I don't think there was a need for it to be in 3D.  I think it was just another case of the studio or producers or someone wanting to be able to charge more for the tickets.  I don't mind 3D, and I've seen a few movies in which I thought the 3D was done well.  There wasn't anything special about the 3D in this one.

The characters are interesting and the cast does a really good job with their parts.  Chris Hemsworth is really good as Thor.  He looks like he could be as strong as Thor is supposed to be without looking like a weightlifter.  He also looks good the time or two when he has his shirt off.

I really enjoyed Thor.  It builds on the previous Marvel movies and is laying a bit more groundwork for the Avengers movie.  It is definitely worth watching and I will be adding this to my collection once it comes out.


Thor

(From Thor on May 16th, 2011)

Kukushka, a review by Danae Cassandra

Where We Are:  Russia
wikipedia

What We Watched:


Kukushka (The Cuckoo)
Year of Release:  2002
Directed By:  Aleksandr Rogozhkin
Starring:  Anni-Kristiina Juuso, Viktor Bychkov, Ville Haapasalo
Genres:  Drama, Comedy, War

Overview:
September 1944, in a land torn apart by war, a Finnish sniper is labeled a coward by his compatriots; as punishment, he is nailed to a rock and left to his own devices. Not long after, a disgraced Russian Captain, en route to his court martial, is injured in an accident. Both men are about to find out how they have one thing in common. Wounded and emotionally tortured, they are taken in by Anni, a young, resourceful war widow, who offers shelter to one while nursing the other back to health. None of them understands the others' languages, but it doesn't seem to matter. Isolated, the three unlikely roommates - a Finn, a Russian and a Lapp - overcome both comic and tragic misunderstandings to form a passionate three-way...relationship. Because after a day of hard work on Anni's farm, who needs words?

My Thoughts:
I must say, I'm glad Mom insisted we watch this one out of our Russian films.  We really enjoyed this film.  It has a stark kind of beauty to it, especially the landscape once the focus gets to Anni's farm by the lake.  It's also a powerful anti-war film.  In the featurette on the making of the film, Haapasalo talks about how once you get to know someone you can't go to war against them, for you see them as a human being just like yourself.  The film has the same message, in the eventual friendship between Ivan and Veikko.  That friendship, and their mutual friendships with Anni, however, are only so deep.  Though they find a way to communicate without language, and do come to understand each other to a certain degree, their relationships would have been much deeper and much stronger than they became.  The film really emphasized to me the fundamental importance of language in human relationships.  The language barrier led to several very humourous parts of the film, especially the sequence between Ivan and Anni about the mushrooms, but it was also the biggest tragedy between all of them.  Of course, had they been able to communicate we might not have gotten another valuable point the film tries to make - that one should not judge someone so quickly.  Ivan believes Veikko to be a fascist, when Veikko is trying to tell him that the war is over for him and all he wants is to go home and live in peace.

Ultimately, this is a film that promotes the idea that love, friendship, pleasure, and life are really what is important and what are really worth striving for.  The only thing I wasn't happy with was the ending.
I think I understand why the director chose to end it as he did though.  A wonderful film, though, and recommended.

Bechdel Test:  Fail

Overall: 3.75/5

(From Around the World in 86 Movies on September 2nd, 2013)

Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon, a review by Tom

18. Five by Five (2000-04-25)
Writer: Jim Kouf (Writer)
Director: James A. Contner
Cast: David Boreanaz (Angel), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndam-Pryce), Julie Benz (Darla), Christian Kane (Lindsey McDonald), Thomas Burr (Lee Mercer), Tyler Christopher (Bret Folger), Stephanie Romanov (Lilah Morgan), Eliza Dushku (Faith), Rainbow Borden (Gangbanger), Francis Fallon (Dick), Adrienne Janic (Attractive Girl), Rodrick Fox (Assistant DA), Thor Edgell (Romanian Man), Jennifer Slimko (Romanian Woman)

It's always fun to see Faith again. I always liked this episode. Only this time I found, that her turn to Angel at the end was coming to suddenly.

Rating:

(From Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon on July 11th, 2009)