The Losers (2010)

Swing and a miss: it doesn’t get a hit but it sure tries hard. This mostly makes it all the more painful to watch (see the spastic “look how cool this movie is” editing and busy soundtrack), but occasionally it makes some contact (see Evans’ comic relief, especially his “Don’t Stop Believin'” moment). The well-paced action-adventure plot at its core keeps it watchable, but only barely, thanks to its generally unpleasant visual style, female exploitation, terrible SFX, and awful cheesy villain.

3

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Thor is imprisoned on the planet Sakaar, and must race against time to return to Asgard and stop Ragnarök, the destruction of his world, which is at the hands of the powerful and ruthless villain Hela. (IMDb)

Thor is released from his cheesy-golden-Viking realm (“Asgard is not a place, it’s a people”) to super fun results: Hemsworth oozes goofy charm (“No, I won. Easily”) and serves as a solid lead for the fast-paced script. An eclectic supporting cast (the amiable Kiwi Korg and goofy Grandmaster are comedy gold-blum), fun cameos, a suitably intimidating villain, and just the right amount of trope subversions (see the opening scene) amidst the serious moments (see Loki’s final catch) fill it out.

8.5/10 (Amazing)

 

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

When Dr. Jane Foster gets cursed with a powerful entity known as the Aether, Thor is heralded of the cosmic event known as the Convergence and the genocidal Dark Elves. (IMDb)

Another predictable plot with a still insufferably lame Jane in the still mostly cheesy CGI fantasy land of Asgard (the funeral scene being a beautiful exception) is iced with enough good stuff to elevate it above its predecessor. There’s better self-aware humour (see the hammer hang on the coat rack; Thor on the subway), a pretty cool–if far-fetched–final action sequence, and engaging relational development between Thor and Loki (regrettably reversed during a stupid final-seconds twist).

6.5/10 (Alright)

– #20 of 22 in my ranked list of Marvel Cinematic Universe films

 

Thor (2011)

The powerful but arrogant god Thor is cast out of Asgard to live amongst humans in Midgard (Earth), where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders. (IMDb)

It’s a little hard to get past the two wildly contrasting worlds, especially when the futuristic-space-viking one is saturated with CGI and cheesy costumes (though Elba’s gatekeeper intrigues). Story-wise, a decent arrogant-hero-humbled premise headed by the charming hunk Hemsworth (the supporting characters are largely forgettable) is weighed down by a cliche jealous brother/father’s approval sub-plot in space and a dull romance on earth (Portman’s strong scientist Jane feels cheapened here).

6.5/10 (Alright)

 

Zootopia (2016)

In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a conspiracy. (IMDb)

A solid buddy-cop detective tale provides a convenient basis for a thorough and engaging exploration of the vibrant Zootopia–a modern city cleverly contorted to house anthropomorphic animals of all kinds (the DMZ sloths, Mr. Big, and the nude commune were three hilarious highlights)–which, in turn, was the perfect setting for a pointed discussion (heavy-handed at times) on racial stereotyping and discrimination. An imaginative and well voiced and animated film with a good–if not nuanced–message.

7.5/10 (Really Good)

Pacific Rim (2013)

As a war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures wages on, a former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in a desperate effort to save the world from the apocalypse. (IMDb)

The film does a good job at getting you immersed in its future world, with engaging plot-speak (aside from an eye-roll-inducing speech before the final battle) and great and huge alien vs. robot fight/destruction sequences throughout. Unfortunately, none of the human characters are particularly interesting–with the exception of the comedy-relief scientists–and the plot also feels thin, but with its entertaining action and slick setting, the movie is still an exciting and fun watch.

6.5/10 (Alright)