Thor: Ragnarok review

THOR: RAGNAROK:

THIS NEON-LIT COSMIC ADVENTURE SHOWS THE GOD OF THUNDER AT HIS MIGHTIEST!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

MARVEL STUDIOS

(From left to right) Heimdall, Valkyrie, Hela, Thor, the Hulk, Loki, Grandmaster, and Odin in Thor: Ragnarok

            I’m convinced Marvel can take the campy space adventure tone that made Guardians of the Galaxy an unexpected hit and make it work with all their heroes. That’s where Thor: Ragnarok comes in, the third film starring Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek, The Cabin in the Woods, Rush) as the mighty God of Thunder, Thor, seventeenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the first Thor movie to not feature Natalie Portman, Stellen Skarsgård, and Kat Dennings.

            In the director’s chair this time is Taika Waititi (Boy, What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) who manages to take a world originally brought to life massively by Kenneth Branagh in the first film and adds a sci-fi space adventure tone to it resulting in quite possibly the best Thor movie ever…and also the best Hulk movie we’ve had so far. Who would have thought a director of mostly independent films could outshine Kenneth Branagh and Alan Taylor with the world of the Gods?

            After the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor (Hemsworth) has been imprisoned on the other side of the universe and his mighty hammer was destroyed by the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett-The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Aviator, Cinderella (2015)) out for vengeance on the realm of Asgard. Thor must race against time to get back to Asgard before Hela unleashes Ragnarok, the destruction of his home world and end of Asgardian civilization.

            Along the way he ends up in a gladiatorial battle and is pitted against his old Avenger friend, Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo-13 Going on 30, Zodiac, Spotlight) and encounters the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum-The Fly, Jurassic Park, Independence Day), one of the Elders of the Universe who rules the planet Sakaar where Thor battles the Hulk, and forms yet another partnership with his adopted brother and nemesis, Loki (Tom Hiddleston-War Horse, Crimson Peak, Kong: Skull Island) in hopes to save his home from Hela’s wrath.

            The film also stars Tessa Thompson (Veronica Mars, Creed, Westworld) as Valkyrie, Karl Urban (The Chronicles of Riddick, Star Trek, Dredd) as Skurge, Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs, Hitchcock, Transformers: The Last Knight) as Odin, Idris Elba (Prometheus, Pacific Rim, The Jungle Book (2016)) as Heimdall, Tadanobu Asano (Parasyte, Harmonium, Silence) as Hogun, Ray Stevenson (Punisher: War Zone, The Book of Eli, The Divergent Series) as Volstagg, and Zachary Levi (Chuck, Tangled, Tangled: The Series) as Fandral, Rachel House (Boy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Moana) as Topaz, and Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, The Hobbit trilogy, The Imitation Game) as Doctor Strange.

            Overall, Thor: Ragnarok is a rare time where the third installment of a trilogy ends up being the best, much like last year’s Captain America: Civil War. It’s a refreshing change of pace and tone with the 80s-metal cover art design/sci-fi campy space tone mixed with Norse mythology and it surprisingly works really well, in fact I’m shocked there wasn’t a single Guardians of the Galaxy reference thrown in there because if there was any movie to perfectly connect them into the Infinity War, it would have been this film.

            The action is exhilarating and in your face even when you’re not watching on IMAX or 3D and the way it’s balanced with humor is what I consider near perfection. I’m talking as fun as the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and easily the best treatment of Thor I’ve seen in terms of film.

            Chris Hemsworth despite being Natalie Portman-less in this film still keeps the charm going as Thor, Tom Hiddleston still makes the bad girls scream in the theater as Loki, and this movie has quite possibly given me the best Jeff Goldblum performance I’ve ever seen. Cate Blanchett dominates as Hela and not only does she want to destroy Asgard but she steals every minute whenever she’s on-screen and it’s clear Blanchett was having the time of her life as the character, one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s best villains and if Aku from Samurai Jack and Rita Repulsa from Power Rangers had a baby, this is what you'd get.

            I also appreciate how the movie doesn’t take itself that seriously, it feels very self-aware of how ridiculous and over-the-top it is, the jokes range from goofy to legitimately funny, and the production design is so colorful and neon it really gives Guardians of the Galaxy a run for their money, not every superhero movie needs to be like The Dark Knight, you don’t need to be edgy and dark, sometimes you can make something corny and fun and make it work just as much.

            This could quite possibly fit in my Top 10 Marvel Movies, maybe even Top 5, Thor: Ragnarok is a blast of high-octane space fun with no “I Am Groots” required. Forget Thor: The Dark World, Ragnarok is the true Thor sequel and it’d be very “shocking” if it ends up flopping financially.

Thank You for Your Service review

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE:

AN INTENSE BUT THOUGHT-PROVOKING LOOK AT THE HORRIFYING EMOTIONAL IMPACTS OF SOLDIERS AT WAR!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND DREAMWORKS PICTURES

Miles Teller in Thank You for Your Service

            I find it humorous that last week I reviewed Only the Brave, a drama starring Miles Teller (The Spectacular Now, Whiplash, Only the Brave) only to immediately follow it up with another one. Seriously was that intentional to release the war-drama, Thank You for Your Service one week after Teller’s firefighter drama, Only the Brave?

            American Sniper writer, Jason Hall makes his directorial debut with the film, Thank You for Your Service based on the non-fiction book of the same name by David Finkel, and inspired by the true story of U.S. soldiers trying to adjust to civilian life after returning from Iraq. It’s always refreshing to watch a war-themed movie and not have the actual war be the main focus, this is not your Spielberg-ified Saving Private Ryan or overblown Michael Bay 13 Hours, this is a well-intended film that honors those whose lives were lost at war and analyzes the horrific emotional impacts the war may have on a soldier after returning to his/her everyday life.

            So, seeing how I was pretty much blown away by Only the Brave last week I figured it would make sense to watch another Miles Teller drama afterwards. That and the reviews for Jigsaw and Suburbicon ranged from mixed to negative but I might give you guys a Jigsaw review later on.

            Anyway, Thank You for Your Service is a very solid film, I don’t think it’s quite as good as Only the Brave but nevertheless it delivers the intensity and emotion that the impacts of war have on people. Add a talented cast with solid chemistry, a thought-provoking script, and even a sense of mystery and horror and you got quite an experience in the war-drama genre.

            The film follows a group of U.S. soldiers, Staff Sergeant Adam Schumann (Teller), Specialist Tausolo “Solo” Aieti (Beulah Koale-Shortland Street, One Thousand Ropes, Hawaii Five-0), Will Waller (Joe Cole-Peaky Blinders, Green Room, Secret in Their Eyes), and Michael Adam Emory (Scott Haze-Midnight Special, Between Us, Only the Brave) returning from war in Iraq who struggle to integrate back to their families and civilian lives. One of them has a wife and two children to look after, another is looking for employment and benefits, one is suffering from PTSD, and one is looking for his wife and daughter who supposedly ditched him when he went into service but living with the memory of the war threatens to destroy them long after they’ve left the battlefield.

            The film also stars Haley Bennett (The Equalizer, The Magnificent Seven (2016), The Girl on the Train) as Adam’s wife, Saskia Schumann, Amy Schumer (Inside Amy Schumer, Trainwreck, Snatched) as Amanda Doster, Brad Beyer (Third Watch, Jericho, 42) as Sergeant First Class James Doster, Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones) as Alea, Omar Dorsey (The Blind Side, Django Unchained, Selma) as Dante, and Kate Lyn Sheil (You’re Next, House of Cards, Brigsby Bear) as Bell.

            Overall, Thank You for Your Service is a well-intended tribute to the real-life people who went to fight in Iraq and a rare instance where the intensity of the movie isn’t even during the war but rather the aftermath and how soldiers adjust to coming back to society after all this violence. It’s quite fascinating and an interesting depiction of people traumatized by war flashbacks and the lead actors really sell it.

            Miles Teller keeps knocking it out of the park with his acting to the point where I pretty much forgot he was involved in the awkward and dull Fantastic Four reboot. Every time he’s on-screen he just owns the moment and he’s not made out to be some kind of hero, they allow him to make mistakes and have flaws which makes him more identifiable and relatable as a character, it’s no Whiplash but his performance works very well.

            But who really surprised me was Beulah Koale as Solo, every time he experiences a war flashback he flips out and goes into this violent rage thinking that he’s back in the war to the point where he starts taking ecstasy and gets roped into doing jobs for a gang. It’s horrifying and sad at the same time and Koale really gives it his all in his performance.

            Thank You for Your Service is a war-drama that will hit the feels in every sense, inspire, and make you learn more about how much a war can impact a soldier even long after it’s over. It’s no Saving Private Ryan or Full Metal Jacket and maybe that’s for the best, war movies that aren’t overblown with explosions, bullets, and carnage don’t come along often and this is a good one to look at.

Only the Brave review

ONLY THE BRAVE:

JOSH BROLIN, MILES TELLER, AND JEFF BRIDGES HEAT THINGS UP!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

COLUMBIA PICTURES

Miles Teller and an elite crew of firefighters battling the Yarnell Hill Fire in Only the Brave

            Who would have thought the director of Tron: Legacy and Oblivion did a better job directing a firefighter drama than Ron Howard (Backdraft is still great FYI!)? I can go on record and say Only the Brave is director, Joseph Kosinski’s (Tron: Legacy, Oblivion) best movie so far.

            The film is based on the true story about the elite crew of firefighters who battled the Yarnell Hill Fire in June 2013. And damn, did they knock this movie out of the park? This is one of the most powerful and inspiring films I’ve seen in a long time, it captures intensity and dramatic elements without losing its heart and moral of family and doesn’t go into full-blown Hollywood spectacle mode like several other films based on real-life events.

            Yes, it does have a very expensive-looking shot of a bear on fire running towards the viewer and a lot of the fire sequences do look very Hollywood blockbuster-ish but the film packs a lot of story and character and results in more substance than style. Listen Michael Bay, you can still burn and blow things up but have a strong narrative and actual characters at the same time.

            The film follows the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a local firefighter unit that through hope, determination, sacrifice, and the urge to protect their families, neighborhood, and country become one of the most elite firefighting teams in the country. The team consists of Eric “Supe” Marsh (Josh Brolin-True Grit, Men in Black 3, Marvel Cinematic Universe), Brendan “Donut” McDonough (Miles Teller-The Spectacular Now, Whiplash, War Dogs), Jesse Steed (James Badge Dale-The Departed, The Grey, Flight), Chris MacKenzie (Taylor Kitsch-Snakes on a Plane, Friday Night Lights, Lone Survivor), Travis Turbyfill (Geoff Stults-D.E.B.S., Wedding Crashers, J. Edgar), Andrew Ashcraft (Alex Russell-Carrie (2013), Unbroken, Blood in the Water), Scott Norris (Thad Luckinbill-The Young and the Restless, The Good Lie, Sicario), Wade Parker (Ben Hardy-EastEnders, X-Men: Apocalypse, Mary Shelley), and Clayton Whitted (Scott Haze-CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Midnight Special, The Vault) who risk their lives every day to protect their country and especially their loved ones by instead of running away from danger they run towards it and watch over our lives and everything we hold dear.

            With the support of Duane Steinbrink (Jeff Bridges-Tron, The Big Lebowski, Iron Man, who previously worked with Kosinski and Brolin on Tron: Legacy (Kosinski) and True Grit (2010) (Brolin)), Eric’s wife, Amanda Marsh (Jennifer Connelly-Labyrinth, Requiem for a Dream, A Beautiful Mind), Duane’s wife, Marvel Steinbrink (Andie MacDowell-Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Groundhog Day, Magic Mike XXL), and Brendan’s ex-wife, Natalie Johnson (Natalie Hall-All My Children, Pretty Little Liars, Star-Crossed) this team of firefighters will learn the importance of family and teamwork, prepare, and protect their loved ones by battling the Yarnell Hill Fire of June 2013 and coming out as national heroes.

            Overall, Only the Brave does everything a great drama should do especially when it’s based on an actual event, have a powerful story that understands the reality of the event, well-developed characters with believable acting, and hits the emotions and make the people watching care. The performances by the lead actors especially Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, and Jeff Bridges are amazing and they sell it so well that you almost forget that they’re acting, also on a side note this is the best I’ve seen Taylor Hirsch so far and hopefully he’ll get better acting roles in the future, the guy’s come a long way since the critical and financial flop, John Carter.

            Josh Brolin, Jeff Bridges, and Jennifer Connelly have become cinema darlings when it came to their acting and there’s no exception here. Brolin as the leader of the firefighters obviously that works well, Jeff Bridges as the wildland division chief of the city of Prescott who is partially responsible for creating the Hotshots and plays Ghost Riders in the Sky in a bar works to a tease since Bridges has rocked a guitar before with Crazy Heart, and Jennifer Connelly despite being a supporting role doesn’t slack off and continues to make an impression every time she’s on-screen, and even Miles Teller is following in their footsteps and already becoming a new classic film icon star.

            The movie tackles the importance of sacrifice, being dedicated to your work, and family in all the right ways without getting hammy and forced and the actors nail every moment. At first it feels like a typical team of misfits who don’t get along but as the movie progresses a strong brotherhood with a near-perfect blend of fun chemistry between the characters, thrills, and tragedy and those who are familiar with the actual event already know how this movie ends.

            Only the Brave honors the Granite Mountain Hotshots and a gripping drama that’ll hopefully gain some Oscar attention later on this year. It’s a powerful experience and a touching tribute to a group of men who risked their lives to save the people they loved, it’s like the Hacksaw Ridge of firefighter dramas and if Ron Howard popularized the genre with Backdraft then Joseph Kosinski perfected it here, it shines just as bright as the fire that inspired it.