Marvel Returns to the Gods

After getting a taste of the hinted Avengers Initiative in 2008’s Iron Man, audiences were rewarded for their patient four-year wait with the much-anticipated superhero crossover, Marvel’s The Avengers.  Now, much like Thor’s hammer, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is in full swing as we progress through Phase Two, with more big story threads coming into play and each entry helping the MCU in becoming a lot more rich as each comic-book mythology continues to expand.

With most of the characters having been introduced throughout Phase One, these solo outings can now focus on adding more to each hero's world and contribute new characters.  Even though Iron Man 3 didn't reach the dramatic heights it could have with its material (Remember that weird plot twist?), it looks like Phase Two has picked up the thrills with the return of the god of thunder.

Directed by Game of Thrones veteran Alan Taylor, Thor: The Dark World takes a bigger approach to Thor’s mythology as it delves more into Asgard and the rest of the Nine Realms.  Although a few aspects of the story fall short of the grand settings they’re placed upon, the film is still a fitting chapter in the Marvel canon.

Two years after the events of the first film, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is remaining dedicated to protecting the Nine Realms; his half-brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), has been imprisoned for the destruction he brought to Earth, and scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is in London, studying an astrophysical phenomenon.  When her discovery transports her to an unknown world and she becomes infected with a mysterious substance called the “Aether,” Thor returns to Earth to bring her to Asgard to find a way to separate her from the unearthly parasite.  

They find out that the Aether’s release has awakened an ancient enemy of Asgard, known as the Dark Elves, led by Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), who plan to use the rare alignment of the Nine Realms and the Aether’s power to plunge the universe into darkness.  Thor soon realizes that, if he wants to vanquish this threat, he must recruit Loki for help.

Chris Hemsworth continues to show why he deserves to be Thor.  He brings considerable godly authority to the part, but still manages to infuse it with a sense of fun, the kind of high-spirited fun that many of the Marvel films have delivered.

Just like in the original Thor and The Avengers, Tom Hiddleston’s performance as Loki is devilishly fun, and it’s because of this that his character is the best villain in the MCU, so far.  Hiddleston portrays him as a truly sympathetic villain, wanting to be as admired as his half-brother, but wanting the king’s throne even more.  He could very well be one of the most emotionally-complicated characters that Marvel has brought to the screen.  As a plus, he gets some of the film’s funniest lines.  

Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is given much more to work with for the sequel, seeing as he was bedridden for a majority of the original.  When you have an actor like Hopkins playing the ruler of Asgard, you want to see him display the power and kingship that you know Hopkins can convey to this godlike character, and he certainly brings it.

As a villain, Malekith isn't particularly well-developed, and up until the big finale, we only see him for a couple of minutes at a time.  His minions actually get more screen time than he does.  That’s a shame because it seems like there are small traces of what could have been a better performance if his character was given more to do, other than stand around, look menacing and utter bits of dialogue here and there.

The story also builds more on the relationships within Thor’s family.  In the movie, mostly in the beginning, we see more of the adoptive father-son relationship between Loki and Odin, where Odin is disgusted with Loki for the crimes he has committed.  There is also, however, a scene between Loki and his adoptive mother, Frigga (Rene Russo), a character who’s featured more prominently in this installment.  We see how Frigga is the parent who truly understands how Loki is feeling, and her presence emanates a feeling of gentle motherhood.  This sequel also has more time shared with Thor and Loki in scenes that build the tension, both serious and comical, between the two. 

The screenplay by Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely strikes more of a balance between the settings of Earth and the other Nine Realms, especially Asgard, compared to the first film where Earth was the main setting.  With the cinematography by Kramer Morgenthau, there is an abundance of attractive storybook imagery, thanks to an expanded view of Asgard.  

This deeper look into Asgard allows the story to explore more of Thor's home and the secondary characters.  Besides Odin and Frigga, a few other characters who are given bigger roles in this sequel are tough warrior Sif (Jaimie Alexander) and sentry Heimdall (Idris Elba).  There is also a supremely entertaining cameo from another character in the MCU.

As in other Marvel films, there are plenty of humorous bits.  While some of the jokes hit the mark, some of them fall flat and distract from the action.  There also could have been a little less of Darcy Lewis’ (Kat Dennings) character.  

In terms of the subplot concerning the romance between Thor and Jane, while it does raise the stakes, it can feel somewhat needless at times.  In the portion of the film when Jane is on Asgard and is walking with Thor, there is a brief moment when she passes Sif, and the two have a stare-down for a few seconds; in an earlier scene, Sif has a one-to-one discussion with Thor, and you get the sense that she might have feelings for him, and I was worried that the movie would throw in a needless love triangle.  Thankfully, it didn’t.

In true Marvel fashion, there is a mid-credits scene that sets up a future installment for later in Phase Two, and this segment also includes some hints of what’s to come in Phase Three.  Without giving much away, the scene involves an Oscar-winning actor in what looks like will be one of the most enjoyable performances of 2014 cinema.

Director Alan Taylor has helmed several episodes of Game of Thrones, so he's an appropriate choice to direct this sequel, seeing as he has experience in dealing with stories that are driven by elements of fantasy and myth.  He has an eye for the grandiosity of the Asgardian scenery and for the mythology behind it.

Now that Thor has brought superhero excitement once again to the MCU and his second solo adventure has concluded, it’s time to bring on Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

 Final grade: B

When Searching for the Truth, You Might Not Like What You Find

Chan-wook Park’s 2003 revenge thriller from South Korea, Oldboy, which is based on the manga by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya, is a movie that if you see only one foreign film in your life, this must be one that you consider.  It’s dark, brooding and unsettling, and it’s a grim portrait of what people would do for payback, a cinematic plummet into a madness from which an exit seems impossible. 

I knew about the upcoming Americanized retelling when I watched Park’s film for the first time last year, and afterwards, it was difficult to imagine any director being able to match its intensity.  While watching the new version, however, my doubt became smaller and smaller as the film proceeded.

Directed by Spike Lee, this film is not a shot-for-shot remake, but rather a worthy reimagining of this disturbing tale of revenge.  Lee does tribute to the original by placing nods from that film in certain areas, but this new version is its own movie and is distinguishable from Park’s.

While stumbling home one night after having too much to drink, Joe Doucett (Josh Brolin) wakes up to find himself in a strange motel room.  He soon realizes that his room is actually a prison cell, with a television being his only access to what’s happening in the outside world.  He doesn’t have any idea of why he’s there or who’s holding him there, nor does he know for how long he will be there.  

Twenty years later, he awakens inside a trunk in the middle of a field, not having a clue as to why he was released.  With the help of a mysterious girl named Marie (Elizabeth Olsen), Joe sets out to uncover the identity of his captor and the reason behind his imprisonment.

Josh Brolin and Min-sik Choi (the protagonist, Oh Dae-su, from the original) present different interpretations of the character.  Choi's performance was more emotionally raw, whereas Brolin is a gruff, rough-and-tough fighter, even more so than Choi’s interpretation.  The fighting that Brolin’s character does is is so skillful and brutal, he could be a candidate for the next Expendables film.  The negative, however, is that he can sometimes come off as cold and unsympathetic because of his violent persona.  As far as the film’s conclusion goes, the way Choi reacts to the big reveal is a total gut-punch that’s hard to shake off, whereas Brolin, although obviously disgusted, doesn’t exactly reach the heights of horrific realization that Choi accomplished.

Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Marie, is the American counterpart to the role of Mi-do, which was played by Hye-jeong Kang in the South Korean version.  Just like Kang, Olsen presents her character as a highly mature individual, exhibiting someone who carries a warmth and caring nature about her as she attempts to help Joe.

Sharlto Copley's Adrian Pryce, however, is the one who nearly strolls away with the show.  While doing so, he continues to exemplify that he is one of the best recent imports for American cinema (he's a native of South Africa).  Although Ji-tae Yu’s portrayal of the villain in the original (the name of whom was Lee Woo-jin) was chilling and quietly sinister, Copley's interpretation is much more threatening.  With his slicked-back hair, spiffy wardrobe, accent and creatively-cut facial hair, he has all the makings of a James Bond villain.  

Copley effortlessly conveys how dedicated and twisted his character is to carrying out his revenge, and yet, he’s charismatic at times, and has the appearance of what the devil might look like in human form.  The versatility of the character allows Copley to successfully go from fits of rage to unsettling calm, and just as Pryce is absorbed in his plan, Copley is absorbed in his role.

One memorable sequence from the original that Spike Lee's retelling keeps is the brutal and beautifully choreographed fight in the prison hallway.  Lee, however, not to make it exactly like the original, adds his own alteration.  Similar to the original, he films it all in one long take with Sean Bobbitt's cinematography, but instead of having the whole fight take place on one floor in the prison, it's staged to go from one level to the one below it.

The effect of having this scene in one take is to heighten the sensation of the physical toll this is taking on John, and for how long he has to be in this fight.  This few-minutes-long, uninterrupted shot allows for the viewer to stick by John as he’s being battered and returning the hits, giving us a clearer sense of what he has to go through in order to rescue his daughter. 

Speaking of the cinematography, there is also the use of high-angle shots, and they create a somewhat disorienting feel, a sense of vertigo as we’re positioned above the action.  Two of the moments in which this type of shot appears are pivotal: right before John is imprisoned, and when he’s released.  This method of shot composition helps to emphasize the strange nature of the events surrounding the main character.    

The set design by Sharon Seymour helps to further understand the characters, especially Adrian.  There’s a scene in the film where, after enjoying a swim in his apartment’s pool, he retreats to the spacious living room.  Here, the viewer has a perfect example of the set design emphasizing the nature of the character who’s occupying that space, with this particular piece of set design echoing what was done in the original.  The living room of his apartment has some walls that are made up of windows that nearly have floor-to-ceiling length, as well as a huge television that allows Adrian to watch his prey.

This setting compliments Adrian’s prying sensibilities.  He’s always watching the main character and having unsettling access to everything he does.  Similar to movies like Saw, with their morally-unhinged and voyeuristic antagonists, Adrian fits that mold, taking seemingly innocent victims and shoving them to the edge.

Mark Protosevich’s screenplay faithfully follows the beats of the original, while also succeeding in not making the film feel like an unnecessary rehash for American audiences.  Just like how the original supplied flashbacks to the connection between the characters of Oh Dae-su and Lee Woo-jin, this remake provides flashbacks as well between the two opposing individuals, but these add some interesting and disturbing differences from the original.

In his narrative, Protosevich takes out some scenes from the original and adds some that are completely new, like the first 10 minutes that go deep into Joe’s personality and family life.  While doing justice to the original, Protosevich still takes the risk of bringing the story in his own direction for his approach, and it’s a risk that fully pays off.

Those who have seen the original know that Adrian has a troubled past, but by the time the full reason for his motives are brought out and the big reveal arrives, it’s a little more twisted than that of the original.  In the case of the original, it’s much more uncomfortable to watch once you have knowledge of the twist ending, and it’s the same with the Americanized retelling, if you have seen the original as well.      

What’s respectable about Spike Lee’s Oldboy is that, although he amps up the violence in certain scenes, he doesn’t have it descend into it being glorified.  This is a tale of revenge, and the protagonist does what he has to do to get through to the villain, and the grim nature of the story calls for some degree of brutality.  There’s a reason for the violence, and Lee understands that.  

Lee captures the significantly dark tone of the original, particularly in the revenge scenes, the prison scenes and, of course, the infamous conclusion.  Even if you already know the twist ending, the uncomfortable visuals he uses and the tension he builds between the characters is enough to get you as nervous as you were the first time you experienced the original and were wondering what was going to happen.  If you haven’t seen the original, you will be just as nervous during the build-up, maybe more so.  Lee has made a movie in which he shows his dedication to the fans of the original, while also making a movie for those who are unfamiliar with the story.   

Oldboy will take you to some dark places, but just like Joe in his quest to find the truth, you won’t find closure until you find answers.

Final grade: A-