Thor Ragnarok review

Director: Taika Waititi
Running time: 130 minutes



Of all the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, the Thor series has been the weakest in my opinion, despite its fantasy setting that differentiates it from the others. Much of this might have been due to the relatively lacklustre action set-pieces and a love interest that fell flat. But with the love interest gone and superior action scenes, the new Thor movie is a great addition, that works just as well as a standalone.

On this occasion, Hela (Cate Blanchett), the powerful, one time leader of the Armies of Asgard is released from a prison she has been sealed inside. After losing in battle with her and getting his Hammer smashed to pieces, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is sent to the outer reaches of Space, where he lands on a planet called Sakaar, and taken prisoner by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). Leaving Hela to cruelly overthrow Asgard.

While the story is pretty much by the numbers, the villain is an improvement for a Marvel movie, Hela has a clear motivation and a menacing onscreen presence. The performance by Blanchett is subtle but deadly, it isn't the most complex of villains, but it gives the movie an urgency that the others in the series desperately lacked.

As you'd expect, it's visually stunning, the fantastical locations are well realised, the production in general is top class. The costume designs are a real delight, from memory, the last time a movie showed such a great level of detail and imagination was the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

**

The action scenes are decent without ever being exceptional, I often felt like I was watching an elaborate video game being played out, but they do their job well enough. The background soundtrack carries a lot of the heavy lifting as the special effects extravaganza explodes onscreen, sometimes it works and gives the action an extra layer of momentum, other times it's intrusive. It seems to be a new trend in modern blockbusters that I hope is the exception rather than the rule.

**

The movie is also full of laughs, far more than I expected, it works best when the comedy bounces between character interactions. This is particularly the case when Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) makes his appearance, the chemistry between him and Hemsworth gels together really well.

However, the comedy can be a bit too forced sometimes, and the overall tone is a bit jarring because of the sinister violence that hangs over everything. None of it is particularly explicit, but it was far more forceful than any other MCU movie I have seen to date.

**

Thor Ragnarok was an absolute delight that took me a little bit by surprise, it's a long way from being perfect but it's certainly one of the stronger entries in the MCU series. I'd recommend this for just about anyone, even those few people who are not fond of comic book movies. But for those taking your kids, be a little mindful of the violence that surprised even me.

Verdict 4/5

  

Marvel VS Capcom infinite: Short form review (PS4 version)

After a six year absence, and with the Marvel movies ever more popular, there really is no better time for the return of the Marvel versus Capcom series. And despite its fun and frantic gameplay mechanics, I can’t help but feel that Infinite left me a little shortchanged.

Each of the characters in the thirty fighter roster feel different to one another, they each have their own unique range of combos and special abilities to diversify the way you play. Despite its casual, arcade elements, combos are easy to learn but much harder to master.

A new inclusion to the series are the infinity stones, you get to choose from six different types before each fight. Power, mind, soul, time, space and reality. They help balance the game when you’re struggling in a fight, but they’re not too powerful to feel cheap.

Although the game plays smoothly, the combo visuals can clog up the screen, but the biggest gripe is the unfortunate absence of some of the staple fighters of the series. The most notable are the X-Men, not being able to play as Wolverine just doesn’t feel right.

The backgrounds on each of the arenas are impressive, but the presentation is lacking a bit of finesse. The character models look dull and the game lacks a distinctive art style of its predecessors.

On the whole, Infinite has the bare minimum in terms of content, with a basic Arcade mode and a rather lackluster story mode. But I think it’s testing yourself against other players online where you’ll get the most fun.

If you are a fan of fighting games, and more specifically of the other games in the series, you’ll feel right at home here.

Rating 7/10

   

Blade Runner 2049 review

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Rnnning time: 163 minutes


The original Blade Runner would comfortably fit into my top 5 movies of all time, despite its admittedly laborious pace, relatively thin story and characters, It's a masterpiece of cinema that will forever stand the test of time. So I really couldn't see the point in making a sequel when it was first announced, and feared that it would be one of a number of classics that have been brought back to life for cynical reasons. So it's to my delight that I was mistaken, not only is Blade Runner 2049 a great movie, it's a worthy sequel.

Set thirty years after the original, our story begins with K (Ryan Gosling), a Blade Runner who retires old replicants of the past. On one of his assignments he uncovers the remains of a replicant who appears to have died while giving birth. Knowing that this could change everything, he is ordered to find and kill the child.

**

Blade Runner 2049's visuals are just as immersive as its predecessor, the cityscapes and neon lights are instantly recognisable. But on this occasion the world feels even more dirty and grittier than it has previously, it's a perfect continuation from what we saw over thirty years ago, and believably feels like a return to it.

In most big budgeted blockbuster movies, CGI is generally used as either impressive wallpaper or a function of a character action. In Blade Runner 2049 the visuals are a function of the world's aesthetic, in other words, everything has a purpose to the narrative.

While the story can be a bit slow paced, I never once felt that it was a slog, it was engaging from the first minute to the last. And there's an interesting mystery at the heart of it that's easy to follow until the last moments of the third act.

If you haven't done so already I would highly recommend that you watch the original 1982 Blade Runner to get a better grasp of the movie's backstory.

Characters from the original do make an appearance, as you would have seen from the posters, Harrison Ford returns as Deckard, but much later in the story than I'd expected. In terms of the new characters, Robin Wright plays the tough lieutenant Joshi, Jared Leto is the mysterious but suspicious Niander Wallace, Ana De Armas as Joi, an advanced but commercial hologram who can be anything her owner wants her to be. And lastly, Sylvia Hoeks, who plays Luv, a deadly replicant who works for Niander Wallace.

The characters aren't fleshed out much, but they serve their purpose within the story, and the performances are decent without anyone really standing out.

**

Vangelis's soundtrack in the original was masterful and gave the movie an extra layer of depth to coincide with the visuals. The soundtrack in this is bigger in scale but less subtle and lacks a certain finesse, as electronics have replaced the saxophone. But I think this has more to do with the fact that the darker side of the world is explored even further.

**

Although I loved the movie, I can't give it a perfect score, because it does have minor problems. In fact it shares similar problems with the original but without any defining moment, and while it asks legitimate questions about consciousness and belonging, it does so only on surface level. And there's one minor plot point towards the end that comes and goes at the drop of a hat.

With that said, Blade Runner 2049 is an outstanding achievement and a science fiction movie you just have to see on the big screen. It's refreshing to see one that makes you think about it after the end credits have rolled.

4.5/5