Leezy's Movie Reviews

The film did give us this though.

That was a bit of a WTF? when the movie was announced. The expressionless wonder Kirsten Stewart is supposed to be the fairest of them all in a film with Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth? Yeeaahh…no.

#489/#40 Snow White and the Huntsman

When Snow White (Kristen Stewart) manages to escapes from years of captivity under her evil stepmother, Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron), the Queen sends the huntsman Eric (Chris Hemsworth) after her. Once he meets her however, the huntsman changing allegiance and together, with the seven dwarves, the pair begins building an army to take down the evil Queen.

Underwhelming is probably the best word to describe Snow White and the Huntsman. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the movie but there’s nothing about it which makes me think I’ll even remember it 3 months from now. It’s heavily stylised, but not distractingly so, and it tells the Snow White story well, while adding a couple of new elements to proceedings, but nothing you wouldn’t think to see in any other entry into the medieval fantasy genre.

The cast aren’t exactly pushing the boat out either. Hemsworth is fine as the huntsman but he’s super generic. He’s a likeable actor and makes you empathise with the huntsman’s past/arc but it really could have been any relevant action actor and the same effect would have been achieved. Theron, on the other hand, is too much the other way. In some scenes she’s a very menacing and effective Queen only to turn around and become a pantomime villain screaming her head off and over pronouncing every other syllable. I see what she was going for but it’s way to over the top.

Surprisingly Stewart is the most effective of the main cast. I mean she’s playing a damaged, socially inept shut in who’s attempting to interact with people for the first time in years while being pale and looking attractive so it is pretty much right in her wheel house, but for the majority of the movie I totally believed she was the damaged, yet determined Snow White. Her ‘I’m now fantasy Jesus let’s go kill the Queen’ speech went down about as well as Keira Knightley’s did in the 3rd Pirates movie but you’ve really got to have a certain type of presence for that ever to work.

I wasn’t expecting a whole lot from this to begin with, and it is probably the most interesting retelling of Snow White we’ve had for a while, but on the whole it just felt lackluster and I can’t work up enough energy to care one way or the other about this movie. It’ll kill a couple of hours but don’t expect more than standard fantasy fare. 2.5/5

Wilhelm Scream #38

#352/#69 The Avengers/Avengers Assemble

When Earth comes under threat from alien invasion, Earth’s mightiest heroes, the Avengers, must band together. Comprised of Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) this team has to deal with Thor’s trickster brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his army of minions. 

I’m finding it very hard not to just geek out and say ‘Seriously, just go see this film now. 5/5’. You can believe all the hype; this film is actually just that good. Regardless of whether or not you’ve seen all or none of the other films building up to the avengers, you’re probably going to enjoy this film anyway. It helps that the other films have come out by assuming you already know about these characters, letting it get right into the story and the action right away, but it does take the time for some small introductions given that a lot of the different members of the team itself have never met.

Downey is just pitch perfect in this film as Tony Stark once again. He was always good but when you give him Joss Whedon dialogue and direction it’s on a whole other level. Evans and Hemsworth both slip back into their roles effortlessly. Maybe not the most interesting members of the Avengers but filling their roles well. As the only newcomer, Ruffalo was always the giant question mark in this film but he is as good as, if not better than, Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/the Hulk. There’s something about him that just makes you believe his barely contained anger as well as his melancholy about the whole thing.

Additionally, Renner and Johansson were much better in this that they were in their previous support roles in Iron Man 2/Thor. Johansson didn’t have a purpose for being in IM2 other than one fight scene and Renner amounted to a little more than a cameo in Thor. In this they are fleshed out and given more personality. Putting a kickass female character in the hands of Whedon again can never be a bad thing and he makes the Black Widow feel more like a real person rather than just the token girl of the team.

Lastly, someone who I think will be overlooked by a lot of people upon first watch, is Hiddleston as Loki. He has to hold his own against 6 other actors while still coming across as menacing to the audience and he pulls it off spectacularly. He’s one of the best villains I’ve seen in a film in a long time. His presence, his motivation, his continued back story from Thor and that wonderful shit-eating grin just made him the perfect bad guy for the Avengers to have to face. While I loved every performance in this film, I honestly think his was my favourite of the lot.

Add on top of this some amazing action scenes, some wonderful in team fights and an actually worthwhile reason for all of these superheros to come together and you begin to see why I might be fanboying out a little in this review. So as I began this; Seriously just go and see this film now. 5/5.

#338/#55 Thor

(Rewatch)

Original Review

I enjoyed this film a little more upon rewatch. There was no 3D to bother me this time so the action scenes seemed less muddled and generally better to watch. It did its job for getting me psyched up for the avenger next week but overall I still think it was just an okay story with a lot of good character performances in it.

Hawkeye’s appearance makes much more sense in context however. That whole scene confused me to no end on my initial viewing. 3/5

#119 Thor

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is about to obtain the throne of Asgard when some Frost Giants break in and try to retake their source of power which Odin (Anthony Hopkins) took from them in the last war. Mad, Thor attacks their home world against Odin’s orders and begins war once more. For his stupidity, Thor is banished to Earth where he must prove himself worthy before being allowed back to his realm and control of his magic hammer, Mjollnir.

Usually superhero films either fall into the very good category (i.e. The Dark Knight, Iron Man, X men) or they fall into the very bad category (i.e. Ghost Rider, Daredevil, Elektra). It’s almost odd to have one which falls so squarely in the middle between the two. This is where Thor lands however.

All of the actors are really well cast and good in their respective roles. Hemsworth is a strong main character, Hopkins a good elderly adviser (as he should having played the same role for the last 10 years) and Tom Hiddleston is good as the lamentable villain Loki (as we are shown the rationale behind his motives). The humans (Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings) weren’t really given that much to do but Stellan Skarsgard as the older scientist and Idris Elba as the gate keeper are probably the most interesting characters overall just because they’re a little cooler and gets a couple of good comedic lines. All of Thor’s friends are really pointless.

The story is very basic and almost paint by numbers. I wouldn’t call it boring but its just been done a hundred times before so you know which character is going to do what and when.

The fight sequences are ok but there are a lot of really close up CGI fights which (and I’m not sure if this was just because I saw it in 3d) were very like the transformers fight scenes. A lot of moving parts and the overall feeling of something happening but looking really crap. The static visuals of Asgard were in complete contrast to this however. They were fantastic and really helped to build the idea of a different world.

It also peaks a little early in terms of action having the big Frost Giant battle early on so that when we finally get to the giant robot battle (during which all I could think of was The Day The Earth Stood Still) you’re left feeling unimpressed.

If it weren’t for the actors all working so well I don’t think it would have been a strong enough film for the amount of hype being put around it. Seeing as they are however, it brings it up to just ok but I definitely felt it was the weakest of all the avenger films so far (even behind the Incredible Hulk).

Meh is pretty much how I would describe this film if I could only give a one word review. Not bad but nothing that great about it either. 3/5