Thor

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A sibling rivalry for the throne of the realm of Asgard causes Thor (Chris Hemsworth) to be banished to Earth, where he wreaks havoc as a mortal until he is mature enough to wield powers.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings, Clark Gregg, Idris Elba, Colm Feore, Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Josh Dallas, Jaimie Alexander, Rene Russo

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If you're not up on the mythology, it becomes very difficult to follow what they're talking about and what they're doing at a certain point. Unfortunately, that certain point is the climax of the film, where it would've been really nice to know why the choices being made were supposed to be good ones.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: All the funny parts are in the trailer below.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Sadly, the ending is an unsatisfying cliffhanger. So, no, you won't cry. Furthermore, I'm pretty sure that saving your conclusion for the sequel, or for that matter, The Avengers, is an arrogant move, because it presupposed that I'm going to pay another $16 to see your next movie in obligatory 3D. This is especially ironic when you consider that the lesson of the film is "don't be arrogant." So it ends up not only being poor storytelling, but it also proves that the filmmakers don't even believe in the moral they're pushing.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Asgard is almost as beautiful a place as Pandora, with a name that sounds like some kind of chastity belt for your butt.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: That Chris Hemsworth is going places. He has an amazing presence in movie, although I'm not sure if it's from acting, or the fact that he's been c.g.i.netically enhanced to look like he's towering over everybody he stands next to that's not an Ice Giant.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Most impressive is the lighting which gives three distinct looks between Asgard, Jotunheim, and Earth.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's a strange mix of fantasy and reality, that only slightly works thanks to an off the cuff mention of Tony Stark, by Iron Man's own crossover-casting S.H.I.E.L.D agent, Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg).

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: If you can stand to sit through 7 long minutes of credits accompanied by boring Foo Foo Fighters music, you will get to see yet another teaser leading up to The Avengers... Which is building up to be the most anticipated blockbuster of all time.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Thor Trailer

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The Fighter

(Guest Review by Valerie)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Based on a true story, The Fighter is not as much about boxing as it is about the journey and struggles of Micky Ward, and his brother, Dicky Ecklund, as boxers, sons, brothers, and town heroes.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Mickey O’Keefe,
Jack McGee, Jenna Lamia, Frank Renzulli

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Even if, like me, your first thought is, “Not another boxing movie,” you do not want to miss this one. While there are some graphic fight scenes, it is really about family, and if you have one, or even just a group of friends that are like one, you will relate to this story.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Mostly as a coping mechanism.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you’re a sucker for personal transformations that DON’T involve beauty
makeovers, you have a shot at some tears.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: You mean, other than “Most Likely to Harm the Lowell, MA Tourist Industry, While Doing Wonders for its Crack Industry?” Actually, it's already up for four well-deserved SAG awards, as well as some Golden Globes, and it will likely be nominated for some Oscars, too.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Consistently great. They thoroughly convinced me never to go to Lowell, MA, if I'm determined to avoid the types of people these performances are advertising. I don't mean to sound like a snob, but even the ones with decent personalities have no sense of style!

Q: How is the Directing?

A: David O. Russell does a great job of making you feel totally anxious and claustrophobic whenever the family is in the shot. It rang pretty realistic to me. After all, I may or may not be related to Monique.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Surprisingly nuanced, given that it’s just “another boxing movie.” The moments
of epiphany and transformation could have easily been very trite, but are instead kept fresh with writing that truly captures the duality of situations.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Fighter Trailer

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Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An orphan gets plucked from the streets and made a prince in the Persian Empire. But when he grows up, he gets framed as a traitor by someone trying to steal a magical dagger, in order to gain power in the kingdom.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, Richard Coyle, Toby Kebbell, Gisli Orn Garoarsson, Steve Toussaint, Reece Ritchie

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. There is something very strange about trying to figure out what this movie wants to be. It requires too much suspension of disbelief for adults, but is possibly too mature and convoluted for kids. The special effects and warfare style are jarringly modern, despite the fact that the story and weapons are from the 500s B.C.... But I'm pretty sure that's the kind of confused mess you're gonna get when you try to make a movie about the Ancient Persian Empire that's based on a video game.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The special effect that shows the time shifting might. Especially when you consider that a committee of people sat around for days-- possibly months-- planning what it was going to look like. Ha! Losers.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Brotherhood is a beautiful thing. And the more refined version of this movie might have got ya', but by the time this version gets around to that stuff, you're not taking it seriously enough to let it touch you. It's a lot like some dates I've been on.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Cleanest Shower-less Sand-Dwellers Ever! Even the dirty people look like they've recently encountered soap and water. And if you're royalty, forget it, even blood can't stick to you!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: There's something about Jake Gyllenhaal, where even when his muscles are bulging and covered in dust, he still looks like he was plucked right out of modern times. I think it's his snarky know-it-all smile. Diametrically opposed to that, I am always amazed at how Alfred Molina manages to slip into any role, in any place, and any time period, in such a way that most people still have no idea who he is, despite the fact that he's in nearly 50% of all Oscar nominated movies, and 70% of all blockbusters.*

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The special effects are distracting and confusing, both in their workmanship and in the choice to use them so obviously for acrobatics that should've been made to look like they had actually been accomplished.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story has some good twists, which might seem vaguely clever if the dialogue didn't spell it all out for you in excruciatingly on the nose exposition. But you know where I could have used a little on the nose exposition? In the explanation of why this character can survive deadly jumps and scale walls and single-handedly defeat whole armies. Does he have superpowers? Or is he a regular man, as the narration tries to imply? What's his deal and how did he get that way?

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: *The percentages in the Acting section are completely made-up by me, and only based on my own personal observation of how brilliant Molina is at both acting and picking parts in commercial movies as well as indies that cause him to blow your mind without ever noticing that the dad in An Education is the same guy who played Doc Ock in Spiderman 2.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/prince-of-persia-the-sands-of-time/30387/trailers

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Defiance

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: : Based on a true story, four Jewish brother escape to the Belarusian forest during World War II, and go on to help 1200 people survive the war there, with them.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, George McKay, Mark Feuerstein, Mia Wasikoska, Mark Margolis, Alexa Davalos

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! Watching these people build a community in the forest, where they must hunt and gather to survive, as they themselves are hunted and gathered by the Nazis, seems like it should be more inspiring than this story’s telling turns out to be. And it clocks in at an audacious 2 hours and 20 minutes because the beginning and the middle have extraneous scenes. Maybe you’d do better to read the book it’s based on.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Intellectual Jews have been known for their senses of humor since long before Woody Allen came on the scene. Unfortunately, in this film, the intellects are the side characters. Meanwhile, the main brothers couldn’t possibly take themselves more seriously.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No. And a story like this one should. Had it been told properly, it even would.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The Golden Globes threw it a bone for the score. But of the 4 World War II movies I’ve seen this month, this one is the least compelling.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: If is often hard to understand what these British and American actors are saying with their fake Polish accents, but thankfully, sometimes they speak in their character’s native tongue, forcing the use of subtitles, which are easier to follow than the supposed English they profess to speak. Their Polish sounds pretty good though. (Disclaimer: they could be speaking Russian for all I know.)

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I truly don’t understand why it has to be so incredibly long. And I’m not giving anything away by telling you that it’s one of those movies that ends with writing on the screen to tell you what happens to everyone after the movie ends… So if you’re going to do that anyway, why not end the movie sooner?

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The characters are boring and two-dimensional, and somehow manage to avoid winning you over, even as they are saving their people from annihilation. And an emotional spine needs to rely on more than just our preexisting knowledge of the horrors of the Holocaust.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/defiance/30166/trailers

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