THOR: RAGNAROK Review

You know those ideas that are better in conception that they ever turn out to be in actuality? The ones where the pairing of two things, like Vince Vaughn and True Detective, sound fantastic, but when the reality of it comes into being it only serves to prove that some mediums and personalities just weren't meant to be meshed? Well, for the first twenty or so minutes of the third solo Thor film I thought that might be what was happening. The idea of taking darling indie comedy director Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) and pairing him with the massive machine that is Marvel to bring their most self-serious and most dour hero into the new phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that might bridge the Shakespearian those ideas that almost felt too good to be true, you know, like Edgar Wright making a Marvel Studios film (which, it turned out, was in fact just that). It was an idea that seemed it might produce something truly singular for the long-standing MCU, but would it be too weird for Kevin Feige and the gang to really let slide? Honestly, I was waiting for the moment over the last two years when the news would break that Marvel and Waititi had to break over "creative differences" but to my pleasant surprise that day never came and today we sit here with Thor: Ragnarok, the best solo Thor movie that has been made to date, the first Thor movie that truly seems to utilize the full spectrum of the character and the world he inhabits and the never ending reaches of the cosmos he can inhabit while also upending many of the story conventions we've come to expect from our super hero epics. That is all, of course, after the rather nerve-wracking twenty or so minutes at the beginning of the film where it looked as if Waititi had bitten off more than he could chew in terms of managing a production the size of Ragnarok while also in the simple splicing together of jokes and story, of tender moments and CGI-filled natural environments where it was apparent that maybe the best choices had not been made. It's a rough start, but this only makes all that follows that much more assuring in its competency. Thor: Ragnarok is slight to be sure, but it is a ton of fun and serves up just enough freshness for the title character and his present situations that it's impossible not to throw your hands in the air and just enjoy the cheeky ride this take on the super hero genre offers.

SDCC: New Trailer for THOR: RAGNAROK Starring Chris Hemsworth

I can't say that I've necessarily ever been excited for one of the Thor movies. Curious, sure, but more than anything I've always been a bit concerned that Thor is where the Marvel universe would surely lose its vanilla footing and their time-tested formula would finally fail them. And to a certain extent this is true; I don't know that I could find anyone who might not agree Thor: The Dark World is one of the lesser if not the least of the Marvel properties released thus far (though Doctor Strange and Iron Man 2 puts up a good fight). Thor has seemingly always received the short end of the hammer when it comes to either scope or director, but Ragnarok is making up for both as not only does the subtitle hint at the time in Norse mythology when the cosmos are destroyed, but Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige have brought in filmmaker Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) who, given the previous teaser and now this fantastic trailer, has brought what seems to be a fresh start to the doomed Asgardian world. It may seem a little contradictory that the film dealing in the end of our titular characters world is also the one with the brightest color scheme and best sense of humor, but that's the main takeaway here. The trailer wastes no time in getting down to business and providing a quick synopsis of the story Ragnarok will offer as one of the first images we see is new villain Hela (Cate Blanchett) destroying the all powerful Mjölnir, Thor's hammer, along with his home world-forcing the Avenger across the universe into unknown worlds and to be imprisoned by unspecified beings that force him to participate in gladiator matches where he comes up against none other than Mark Ruffalo's Incredible Hulk. Needless to say, this things looks like it will easily take the cake for beingt he best Thor film we've ever seen as not only does the whole of the movie look good, but some of these visuals are genuinely stunning and I'm hoping that music is a sample from the score as it's not only unique, but pretty freakin' awesome. I was always slightly concerned we might get an Edgar Wright situation with Waititi, but it seems Marvel has learned a good lesson and I'm really excited and really hopeful that what we'll see on screen will be Waititi's unfiltered vision. Thor: Ragnarok also stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Jef Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Jaimie Alexander, Karl Urban, Idris Elba, Ray Stevenson, Sam Neill, and opens on November 3, 2017.

Teaser Trailer for THOR: RAGNAROK

I can't say that I've necessarily ever been excited for one of the Thor movies. Curious, sure, but more than anything I've always been a bit concerned that Thor is where the Marvel universe would surely lose its vanilla footing and their time-tested formula would finally fail them. And to a certain extent this is true; I don't know that I could find anyone who might not agree Thor: The Dark World is one of the lesser if not the least of the Marvel properties released thus far (though Iron Man 2 puts up a good fight). Thor has seemingly always received the short end of the hammer when it comes to either scope or director, but Ragnarok is seemingly making up for both as not only does the subtitle hint at the time in Norse mythology when the cosmos are destroyed, but Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige have brought in filmmaker Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) who, given the barrage of production stills we saw and now with this teaser, has brought what seems to be an air of fresh starts to the doomed Asgardian world. It may seem a little contradictory that the film dealing in the end of our titular characters world is also the one with the brightest color scheme and best sense of humor, but that's the main takeaway here. The trailer wastes no time in getting down to business and providing a quick synopsis of the story Ragnarok will offer as one of the first images we see is new villain Hela (Cate Blanchett) destroying the all powerful Mjölnir, Thor's hammer, along with his home world-forcing the Avenger across the universe into unknown worlds and to be imprisoned by unspecified beings that force him to participate in gladiator matches where he comes up against none other than Mark Ruffalo's Incredible Hulk. Needless to say, this is the first Thor film I've ever actively anticipated based on the credentials alone and this first look at actual footage does nothing but create more excitement and more hope that what we'll see on screen will be Waititi's unfiltered vision. Thor: Ragnarok also stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Jef Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Jaimie Alexander, Karl Urban, Idris Elba, Ray Stevenson, Sam Neill, and opens on November 3, 2017.

PETE'S DRAGON Review

I saw the 1977 version of Pete's Dragon numerous times throughout my childhood. I still own a DVD copy of it that sits alongside the likes of Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks on my shelf, but do I recall much of it? No, not really. I can't put my finger on why exactly nothing other than the character design of Elliot the hand-drawn dragon comes to mind, but it doesn't. Not so far as story goes anyway or what the underlying lessons of the picture might have been attempting to teach children of that generation. And so, while I have memories surrounding the original film on which this new, 2016 version directed and written by David Lowery (Ain't Them Bodies Saints) is based I don't recall the specifics of the actual movie-leaving me to wonder what about this story was worth retelling. What, if anything, might make it relevant now? On the surface it would seem that this new, updated version of Pete's Dragon is here for no other reason than for the studio to continue operating on brand recognition; remaking their older classics into new, live-action spectacles enhanced by today's digital effects. It could also be that every generation more or less needs its evil corporation cautionary tale and what better way to do that here then by positioning the adults as not necessarily bad guys, but people simply caught-up in their own agendas who happen to work for timber companies? Immediately this version of Pete's Dragon feels different than this though, there seems no hidden agenda, no sense of obligation to re-make this specific material because Disney deemed it necessary, but rather one can sense a desire to convey this story for reasons bigger than any financial gain or profit it might earn. Rather, Lowery has crafted a film that desires to get at the heart of what makes the innocence of childhood so hard to grasp, so difficult to define, and how depressing it can be that we don't understand the preciousness of that time as we're experiencing it or more harshly-when it is taken away from us and all we have to remember it by are those rose-tinted glasses that distort it in favor of the pleasantries. The 2016 Pete's Dragon is something of a love letter to those pleasant moments. To how strong the ability to believe in something greater is at an age when we don't fully understand the scope or nature of the world or the human race. The best part is that none of these ideas are overtly telegraphed in the film. The film is very much the story of what happens when a town discovers a boy living in the woods with his pet dragon, but through this it makes one feel all of the aforementioned emotions and it is in those elicited emotions the movie transcends whatever it might have originally been intended to be.

STAR TREK BEYOND Review

Having never been a Star Trek fan it is difficult to gauge where the new series of films lands when it comes to understanding how much it draws on what made the original series and other features so endearing and loved by so many. With Star Trek Beyond, the third film in the re-booted series and the first not directed by J.J. Abrams, it finally feels like (to an outsider, at least) that this new set of films has found its footing. While I have thoroughly enjoyed the previous two Abrams films they have very much been in the vein of attempting to re-establish the brand and telling the origin of what became the legendary crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise on the Gene Roddenberry series that ran for eighty episodes beginning in 1966. This was all necessary, of course, though Into Darkness certainly could have come more into its own rather than once again feeling like an assembling of parts, but as an introduction to this world and these characters the 2009 version is almost flawless save for some third act story elements that cause the film to trip at the finish line. In saying that this third film has found its footing is to say that it finally feels these characters know who they are and are more assured in their roles (both in the actors playing them and the characters themselves). Much of this has come from being almost three years into a five year mission thus giving us our first glimpse of this newly assembled band of actors in these iconic roles in the midst of actually exploring uncharted areas of the galaxy. It seems, at least from my non-seasoned perspective, that Star Trek Beyond is the film Star Trek fans have likely been waiting on since the credits rolled on that 2009 re-introduction. Written by Simon Pegg and his writing partner Doug Jung (who has at the same time both a minor and major role in the film) and directed by Justin Lin (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift all the way through Fast & Furious 6) Star Trek Beyond is full throttle entertainment from beginning to end, packing in a contained and straightforward action narrative into an evenly paced two hours with interesting character dynamics abounding and even some slight philosophical meanderings to wonder about in the process. In essence, Star Trek Beyond does an exemplary job of compiling every facet a movie such as this should contain and executes them without question or hesitation-the only downfall to this being there isn't anything necessarily unexpected about what we receive. It's hard to fault a film for accomplishing the job it sets out to do and Beyond fills its sci-fi action/adventure quota with ease, but this lack of anything fresh or unique to make it stand apart or on its own is also what keeps it from being anything more than your solid summer blockbuster.

New Trailer, Poster, & Pictures for Disney's PETE'S DRAGON Re-make

Somewhat flying (no pun intended) under the radar this summer, but definitely among one of the films I'm most excited to see this year is director David Lowery's (Ain't Them Bodies Saints) re-make of the beloved 1977 Disney film, Pete's Dragon. Very much mixing animation and live-action the same way the original did, but this time with CGI rather than hand-drawn animation, this re-imagining looks absolutely stunning. As we glimpsed in the teaser trailer earlier this year there is something almost mythic about the tone in which Lowery seems to be implementing. With this new, full trailer that tone is amplified even more as we get our first real look at the titular dragon as well as a better glimpse of the narrative arc the film will take and the antagonist in the form of Karl Urban that will be threatening to capitalize on the fact there is a real-life dragon living in the nearby woods. More than anything though, it is the striking cinematography (Lowery once again teaming with cinematographer Bojan Bazelli) that stands out in this trailer. The look and feel of the film seem to have been firmly understood by the entire production as this looks to be the result of a singular vision. Whether it be the shots of Elliot flying through the magic hour clouds or emerging from a cave in a fog dampened forest-there looks to be magic in every frame. While I'm still somewhat cautious about the fully CGI Elliot there is much to like on display here and I can only hope the final product makes good use of what all this production clearly has going for it. Pete's Dragon stars Oakes Fegley, Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Wes Bentley, Oona Laurence and opens on August 12th, 2016.

Full Trailer for STAR TREK BEYOND

Apparently there were a few folks who weren't too pleased with the first glimpse of the latest Star Trek film we received back in December. I didn't realize I guess as I thought it was a fine enough teaser to let audiences know the movie was coming as well as get it in front of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. That's all it really was anyway, being it was still eight months out from release at that point-a short teaser cobbling together what completed footage they had to notify the masses that would be seeing Star Wars that a new Star Trek movie on the horizon. Five months later though, and we've hardly heard or seen anything else about this third film in the new trilogy. That changes today as last night Paramount held an event in Los Angeles where it not only premiered a new trailer but announced that the world premiere of the film will take place at San Diego Comic-Con on July 20th with the world’s first outdoor IMAX screening complete with a live orchestra. All of that sounds good and exciting (though I'm interested if critics will have a chance to screen the film more than two days prior to the films wide release), but I was generally excited for the film anyway given Simon Pegg co-wrote the script with Doug Jung and Fast & Furious helmer Justin Lin was taking over for J.J. Abrams. On top of all that, this second full-length trailer makes the film out to be nothing short of terrific. This is a full-fledged glimpse of what the story concerning Chris Pine's Captain Kirk and his crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise entails this time around. I'm sure we'll here complaints about how Lin and his team hid minority actors like Idris Elba and Sofia Boutella under pounds of make-up, but if the characters work (and Elba certainly seems to be intimidating here) I'm not sure that should matter. Regardless, I'm really excited for the movie and can't wait to see it. Star Trek Beyond also stars Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, and opens on July 22nd, 2016.

First Trailer for Disney's PETE'S DRAGON Remake

There are several reasons to be excited for Disney's remake of their 1977 children's movie that featured a hand drawn dragon. Naturally, this time the animation of the dragon will be a little more computer generated, but this is the least of the reasons to be excited about why this remake even exists. In fact, that this remake only looks to re-animate the dragon in more "realistic" fashion while potentially failing to fill it with as much heart as the hand drawn '77 version is probably one of the bigger marks against it. Instead, what gives hope for this re-imagining of sorts is the director at the helm and the assurance that his mystical tone and visual flair are very much intact in this first trailer. Coming off of indie darling Ain't Them Bodies Saints it seems something of a daring choice for Disney to go with David Lowery on this big budget, special effects summer blockbuster. Still, I appreciate it and feel that Lowery would not have come on to the project if he didn't feel he could do something special with it. While I liked his previous effort fine enough as a whole, his eye for striking visuals is indisputable and he managed the pacing and mood of the film in a way that a seasoned filmmaker would. Because of this, I can't help but anticipate what type of feeling he will bring to this newest incarnation of this story about a boy and his dragon. Also of note, and I don't know if it's been taken from somewhere else, is the soundtrack that plays in the trailer. If it's a glimpse of the films score it absolutely compliments the visual tone and if not, then it's still a perfectly cut trailer. Pete's Dragon stars Oakes Fegley, Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Oona Laurence and opens on August 12th, 2016.

First Trailer for STAR TREK BEYOND

The Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer barrage wouldn't be complete without a look at the latest from J.J. Abrams previous franchise that also started with Star. And so naturally, we now have a quick minute and a half sizzle reel of footage from the latest adventure of the Enterprise crew this time around directed by Justin Lin (Fast & Furious 3-6). Co-written by Simon Pegg (who looks to have given himself a more substantial part) the film is said to follow Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the rest of the crew after they get stranded on a strange alien planet, but little more is known of the actual plot. What we can glean from this first look though is that director Lin will bring to this franchise what he seemingly excelled at in the Fast films and that is a ton of action. The majority of the audience for Star Trek Into Darkness was split on really enjoying the popcorn entertainment value of it all while the diehard fans essentially hated the re-writing it did of Wrath of Khan. While I'm not a diehard trekkie I was able to more or less enjoy Abrams second installment with zero qualms. With Lin at the helm and Pegg replacing original screenwriter Roberto Orci (who was originally hired to direct), John D. Payne, and Patrick McKay it seems as if Paramount is keen on changing the direction of where this franchise was headed by giving it a full makeover in the creative department. As much as I really loved Abrams 2009 film and enjoyed Into Darkness I'm really optimistic and hopeful for what new energy Lin might bring to this property and the idea that it will be fueled more by the tone set in this trailer. Star Trek Beyond also stars Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Joe Taslim, Sofia Boutella, Idris Elba,and opens on July 22, 2016.

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Review

When I walked into 2009's Star Trek I'd never seen anything prior that had anything to do with the beloved television series and the several movies it spawned. I grew up a child of the 90's and was first introduced to Star Wars and simply stuck with it as by that point Trek had grown into the Patrick Stewart/Next Generation series that was by all accounts, beyond me. Still, walking into J.J. Abrams re-booted take on the Trek franchise with no idea what to expect, no pre-conceived notions of the characters, or any idea what the story might revolve around I was pleasantly surprised to learn how accessible it was and how much I enjoyed it. I didn't know if the original series had ever taken the time to tell the origins of the crew that made up the Enterprise but I assumed if they had it was not to the depth this film did. That due to this it would be extremely exciting for fans of the original series to be able to see some of their favorite characters in the younger stages of their lives and for those that were new to the world it would serve as a fitting introduction to everyone. Between that film and the now second installment in Abrams series, Star Trek Into Darkness, I still have yet to dig into anything more that exists in the Star Trek canon. In many ways it simply feels like too daunting a task to try and catch up on nearly fifty years of material while on the other hand I wanted to be able to experience these films made in my day and age as fresh experiences with no notion of what should happen and why, but instead a willingness to see where these new adventures take us and maybe catch up on the backstory sometime down the road where it will be just as fascinating for me to see where these characters eventually go as it was for long time fans to see where they came from. So, this is not a review from a guy who caught all of the references or understood all of the inside jokes that likely took place, but instead I offer the point of view of someone who very much enjoyed the 2009 film and was eagerly awaiting (and hoping) the sequel would follow the series' main proclamation of going boldly where no man has gone before.

First Full-Length Trailer for RIDDICK

With Fast & Furious 6 opening in just over a week Universal Pictures has also decided to release the first full length trailer for Vin Diesel's other, albeit much less mainstream, franchise simply titled Riddick. I have not seen Pitch Black or The Chronicles of Riddick and have never really had any interest in doing so, but thought I might if this latest film looked interesting enough. Unfortunately, this nearly three minute trailer makes the film look like a video game adaptation more than anything else and though it doesn't give much away in terms of plot it all comes across rather standard even if it does seem accessible for those of us who haven't seen the first two films. Just looking through the IMDB pages for each film reveals that the same director has been at the helm for each which lends a credible sense to the trilogy, but the only actor besides Diesel who's continued from part two to three is the always reliable Karl Urban (as far as I can tell anyway). The special effects look rather cheap at times and the synopsis likely makes this sound better than it will turn out to be, but I'm intrigued by the sci-fi aspect of the films and no matter how hard one might try, it is hard to deny the charisma of Diesel in any role, even if he is playing the antihero. The first two films must have worked for some reason though and so I won't count Riddick out yet, but I hope the remainder of the marketing is more compelling as I want to like these films, but just haven't had the interest piqued as of yet. The film also stars Katee Sackhoff, David Bautista, Jordi Mollà, Matt Nable, Bokeem Woodbine, Raoul Trujillo, and Nolan Gerard Funk. Riddick opens in traditional and IMAX theaters on September 6th. Hit the jump to check out the trailer.

First 9 Minutes of STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS

I didn't get the chance to see the 9-minute Star Trek Into Darkness prologue before my first screening of The Hobbit because I chose to see it in 48 frames per second rather than IMAX and in Arkansas you have to make those kind of choices. I was able to follow up with this preview of J.J. Abrams follow-up to his 2009 re-imagining of the Star Trek universe this past week though. Before seeing Abrams original film I was never attracted to the Kirk and Spock property. Never had I laid eyes upon a single episode or one of the prior films. I was always more of a Star Wars fan as a kid and always thought myself too late to catch up by the time I heard Hollywood was going to produce a new vision of it. For that reason I was thankful Abrams made a film that was apparently appeasing to the long time fans while catering to the newly ordained that would no doubt become fans. After experiencing that film it was hard not to become a fan but I have yet to go back and explore any more of the universe. Mainly for the reason that there seems to be so much and also for the fact my first introduction was a fresh take, a starting over if you will and so in many ways it seemed unnecessary to visit a different incarnation of these characters. I may decide at some point, when I have an abundance of time to take a look back on what I'm missing out on, but for the time being I'm sticking with this universe and enjoying it. This limited pool of knowledge does limit me to not picking up on what might have been clues within the first 9 minutes of the new film, but nonetheless I enjoyed the hell out of it and it truly offers everything you could want from 9 minutes of movie.

Seeing as the prologue has now been running for a week the rest of this article will discuss impressions from the footage. If you want to avoid spoilers or have not seen the prologue yet you have officially been warned. If not, go ahead and hit the jump...

NEW Teaser Trailer for STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS

With the release of the 9-minute prologue in front of The Hobbit this weekend a brand new trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness has surfaced and supplies a first look at more of the Enterprise crew in this sequel to the mega-successful 2009 film. Back at the helm is J.J. Abrams and the villain for which he has enlisted this go around has been under much speculation as of late. Well known British actor Benedict Cumberbatch is portraying the baddie who as of now is being called John Harrison though this name apparently has no meaning in the Star Trek universe. I am not a devoted fan of the series and never watched a single episode of the original or its many incarnations. My first exposure to these characters and to this world was in fact Abrams 2009 film and so, despite my history with the world, I am very excited to see the only version I know of this continue. The new trailer carries a more somber tone and features a voice over from Pike (Bruce Greenwood) that seems to be a speech he is giving to Kirk (Chris Pine). From here the trailer unleashes quick cuts of the multitude of action this film will no doubt contain. Is Cumberbatch playing Khan? Have you seen the prologue? What did you think? Be sure to let us know in the comments below. The film also stars Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Simon Pegg, Alice Eve, Peter Weller, and Noel Clarke and opens in 3D and IMAX 3D on May 17, 2013.