This second Thor movie--and one of the countless Marvel flicks in recent years--is very gripping and features amazing performances, especially from Natalie Portman, whose role is much different than in the Star Wars prequels, and Kat Dennings. Fans of comic book films expect action, adventure, and heroism, and they get plenty of that here. Thor himself is as likable and gentlemanly as ever, and the various villains are utterly despicable, which is kind of the point. The ending knocked my socks off. As superhero fantasies go, this is probably among the best I've seen, not to mention the cleanest; while there's plenty of violence, it isn't graphic, kissing and one stray remark is about as sexual as it gets, and profanity is kept to a minimum...for a "PG-13," anyway. If you enjoyed the first Thor flick and the other films featuring the Avengers, this is for you. Just be sure you stay tuned after the credits.
Content Concerns:
Sex: Kissing, sometimes passionate; a stray remark about infidelity. 3/5
Nudity: A man is seen naked twice in a news broadcast; his private anatomy is pixelated, however. 3/5
Language: Two or three uses each of the d-word and h-word; one usage of the s-word combined with "holy," and another near usage of the same expression. 3/5
Violence: As you'd expect, this movie is rife with battle scenes and action sequences. Several characters are killed or nearly killed by being impaled, squashed, etc. Buildings are destroyed. All of this is done without blood or gore, though. 2/5
Drugs: Alcohol is drank and referenced. 4/5
Frightening/Intense Scenes: Along with the violence, some of the otherworldly creatures are rather scary, and there is some emotional intensity after two different characters' deaths. 1/5
Other: While not exactly negative, characters speaking in an alien language with English subtitles may cause problems for those with reading disabilities. 4/5
Score: 4/5
Cute for what it was. It was a bit repetitive, but I still enjoyed it. The animation, as usual, was fabulous.
Like many kids of my generation, I grew up watching Disney productions on television and VHS tape...but I was always more partial to the live-action flicks. My favorites were George of the Jungle, Flubber, and My Favorite Martian, not Aladdin, The Lion King, or Beauty and the Beast. Lately, the House of Mouse has decided to go back to its roots by recreating their beloved animated classics in live action form, and, I have to say, this one was done very well. The special effects were excellent, the performances outstanding--especially by Helena Bonham Carter, whose role here was much different than in the Harry Potter flicks--and the story kept me interested, even though we all know how it ends. Better yet, an ethnically diverse cast and a stronger heroine made this an improvement on the original. All in all, great stuff.
Content Concerns: I won't do my usual listing; all I'll say is that, as you might expect, the makers kept things pretty clean here. No sex; no profanity, save for one misuse of the Lord's name; violence is limited to comedic pratfalls; all in all, usual Disney fare. The one exception is the wardrobe: Cinderella and other women wear low-cut outfits throughout. That's the only negative aspect of the film, really; it's a shame it had to be included.
Score: 4/5
While I appreciate the message this movie has, it's hard to get past the poor production values. The acting is terrible, the filming is shoddy, and there's so much narration from the title character, I felt like I was listening to an audiobook. Whatever happened to "show, don't tell"? Even the closed captions were full of mistakes. Fans of Christian cinema can do much better than this; it's not quite the mess that C Me Dance was, but it's pretty close.
Not quite what I was expecting. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2015/08/movie-review-garage-sale-mystery.html
Amazing animation, and wonderful action sequences...but rather intense for a "PG" film:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/movie-review-iron-man-and-hulk-heroes.html
This movie may be old school, but it isn't a classic. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/12/quickie-movie-review-one-magic-christmas.html
Prepare to be surprised...
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/12/quickie-movie-review-expelled-no.html
An independently produced gem. For more, read my review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/12/quickie-movie-review-secrets-in-snow.html
Sorry, Nickelodeon, but you messed up big time with this one. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/11/quickie-movie-review-fred-movie.html
My first holiday movie of the season...and I didn't like it one bit. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/11/quickie-movie-review-holiday-engagement.html
The Old Testament book comes to life in this Pure Flix film. For more, see my review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/11/quickie-movie-review-book-of-daniel.html
A TV episode masquerading as a movie. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/11/quickie-movie-review-batman-superman.html
Could a movie like this be any good? Depends on how you look at it. For more, see my review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/11/quickie-movie-review-s-club-7-seeing.html
A great movie for the young...or young at heart. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/11/quickie-movie-review-space-warriors.html
A modern day Joseph story...with a heart that shines brightly:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/movie-review-seasons-of-gray.html
I think we all know who wins:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/movie-review-girl-vs-monster.html
This sequel ramps things up, in more ways than one. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/movie-review-revelation-road-2-sea-of.html
A unsettling portrait of an all-too likely future for our planet:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/movie-review-divergent.html
Good production values...but a poor plot. For more, read the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/09/movie-review-revelation-road-beginning.html
Enjoyable and fun, but a bit intense for the kiddies. For more, read the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/09/movie-review-ace-of-hearts.html
An old-school example of Christian cinema:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/09/movie-review-caught.html
Not Big Idea's best work. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/09/video-review-veggietales-tomato-sawyer.html
A Disney Channel movie...without the Disney Channel. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/08/movie-review-alice-upside-down.html
Another great product from Big Idea. For more, read my review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/08/dvd-review-sheerluck-holmes-and-golden.html
A tour de force, and a wonder to behold. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/09/movie-review-hunger-games-catching-fire.html
A rollicking, kid-friendly action/adventure yarn. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/08/movie-review-adventurer-curse-of-midas.html
Better than usual for a Christian film. For more, see my review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/08/movie-review-abels-field.html
Surprisingly good for a direct-to-video sequel. For more, read the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/07/movie-review-inspector-gadget-2.html
Better than I expected it to be...but still not all that great. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/07/movie-review-new-world-order.html
