Blogfromthebarn

Movie reviews, Spring special offer, two for the price of one
Fantasy double bill, Thor and Pirates of the Carib, the Fourth.


Thor - a surprise for those expecting the life-story of Miss Aherd

I'm fairly sure that I wouldn't want to spend an evening in the company of Kenneth Branagh. There, I said it. I'm not sure why, there's just something about him that doesn't appeal but I do have to admit the lad can make a damn fine movie.
I was initially sceptical about Thor, like the aforementioned Ken, he was never one of my favourites. As comic book heroes, go I always lumped Thor with characters like the Hulk and the Thing, dependent on brute force and lacking the elegance and subtlety of Batman, Green Lantern or the Silver Surfer.

I was reluctantly swayed by a couple of positive reviews and I'm now very glad that her ladyship and I girded our heroic loins, polished our breastplates and battled the frost giants of Camberley to make it to the multiplex. I'm not going to bang on about the special effects, or the well structured story, or the over the top-ness of those playing the Asgardians, let's face it, this is a story that cries out for 'over the top', but the engaging part of the film is some fine performances, from Natalie Portman, as the very understated love interest, by Stellan Skarsård as 'the explainer of all things Nordic' and crucially from Chris Hemsworth as Thor, presumably chosen for his looks, (the ladies seemed impressed), he nuances the classic tale of fallen ego, discovery of humility, self deprecating humour, and inevitable redemption very, very nicely.

Skaal for a frostbitten haiku

Frost giants and wars
For better or for Norse, Thor
Wins the day, of course...

and a brief excursion to the neverending pirate saga - Pirates of the Caribean Four - on Stranger tides

The fourth instalment in this never-ending story swaps Ian Mcshane for Bill Nighy as chief baddy, swaps Penelope Cruz for Kiera Knightley, (an enormous improvement) and drops Orlando Bloom (no great loss, sorry ladies) from the team.

The movie is of course absolutely dependent on Johnny Depp's predictable but engaging performance to make it watchable.


Apart from that this is a really easy film to critique.

Did you like Pirates of the Carribean 1?
Did you like Pirates of the Carribean 2?
Did you like Pirates of the Carribean 3?
Then you'll almost certainly like this one ...




A haiku from the high seas, why ever not?

What kind of pirate
'spite penchant for violence, leaves
Cruz on an island?


Thankee shipmates...

posted by Stuffy @ 7:00 pm