Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

10/10

Starring

Chris Hemsworth

Tom Hiddleston

Cate Blanchett

Tessa Thompson

Mark Ruffalo

Directed by Taika Waititi

Thor: Ragnarok doesn’t fail to please from the very first scene, where Thor is trapped and delivers a monologue. It’s more fun than the other Thor movies, and this train ride stops at every comedic station, making it one of the funniest movies of 2017—not just the funniest superhero movie. But if you’re worried that a movie, especially one about such deep characters, shouldn’t be all laughs, Disney has you covered—the action scenes are epic. The battle between Thor and Hulk, and the finale where Thor masters his powers to take on Hela’s army of the undead, are both must-see moments.

The movie has its dark moments too, with many lives lost after the introduction of Hela, the Goddess of Death. In every way, Disney and Marvel have mastered the art of making a movie that’s suitable for everyone to enjoy.

Thor: Ragnarok is the sequel to Thor (2011) and Thor: The Dark World (2013), and it’s the seventeenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It’s set two years after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).

Here’s the movie summary: In Asgard, the prophecy of Ragnarok (the end of all things) begins to unfold. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is trying to prevent his nightmares of Ragnarok from coming true, unaware that his actions are actually steps toward fulfilling the prophecy.

When Thor returns to Asgard, he finds Loki (Tom Hiddleston) posing as Odin through shape-shifting. Thor, well aware of his brother’s tricks, exposes him, and their search for Odin leads them to Doctor Strange. Strange takes them to Norway, where Odin is dying. Odin warns his sons that his death will release Hela (Cate Blanchett), his firstborn and the Goddess of Death, who will bring about the end of Asgard.

No sooner does Odin’s life force fade than Hela arrives. A mistake by Loki allows her to reach Asgard, while he and Thor are stranded on another planet. Now, Thor must find a way back to Asgard to save his people from Hela’s annihilation. To do this, he teams up with Hulk, who’s also on the planet, a Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson)—the last surviving Valkyrie from Asgard—and his brother Loki.

The movie’s plot draws from different storylines, including a little adaptation from Planet Hulk. Hulk’s inclusion changes the ending of the last Avengers movie, where he was last seen flying off in a Quinjet at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).

I really enjoyed this movie, but I can see how some might feel the humor and action overshadow character development and plot depth. I agree that the story feels predictable, and Thor’s growth and motivations don’t get enough focus, making his arc feel a bit flat. 

I personally felt the absence of Beta Ray Bill while watching the movie. I’ve been hoping for his inclusion, and I’m crossing my fingers that a fourth Thor movie will bring him into the mix.

This is another Disney/Marvel masterpiece that’s doing well both critically and commercially. Go see it—it’s absolutely worth it.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

7/10

Starring

Colin Firth

Julianne Moore

Taron Egerton

Mark Strong

Halle Berry

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

Kingsman: The Golden Circle was, boy oh boy, long. Over two hours of events that all lead to the ending you’d expect. And, like the first movie, Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), it includes an additional death that makes you wonder why the writers are so hell-bent on killing off beloved characters in this franchise.

Before diving into the plot of this exciting movie, I recall writing the review for Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and mentioning that it wasn’t impossible for the writers to bring characters back from the dead. They proved this by using a special gel to resurrect Colin Firth’s character, Harry Hart. His return was a welcome addition to a movie that starts with a bang and maintains its excitement for about 75% of its runtime.

This time, the movie focuses on drugs. Poppy Adams (Julianne Moore), a drug baron, wants drugs to be legalized. Her plans are being thwarted by the Kingsman, so she decides to take out the entire organization. However, Eggsy / Galahad (Taron Egerton) and Merlin (Mark Strong) survive and follow the Doomsday Protocol—a contingency plan for when the secret service is compromised. This leads them to the Statesman, an American counterpart to the Kingsman, posing as a bourbon whiskey distillery in Kentucky.

There, they discover that Harry survived Valentine’s gunshot from a year earlier but is suffering from amnesia. With the help of their American allies, the surviving Kingsman must find a way to stop Poppy before she kills millions.

I enjoyed the movie very much and was pleasantly surprised. While we didn’t have the memorable villain Samuel L. Jackson from the first film, we got a quirky, cannibal-like antagonist in Julianne Moore.

One downside of this production was the introduction of many new characters, all A-list actors, as members of the Statesman. The movie didn’t need so many big names, especially since the focus eventually shifts back to the original trio from the first Kingsman. I guess the producers wanted to ensure there were enough familiar faces to draw audiences in. That to me is making so many reasons to lose focus on the main plot, as every character has its own place.

Overall, it’s a great movie, and I hope it makes enough money for a third installment. That said, I hope the producers don’t make the next one quite as long.

The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)

The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)

5/10

Starring

Geena Davis

Samuel L. Jackson

Directed by Renny Harlin

The Long Kiss Goodnight is a total waste of energy, enthusiasm, and script. The movie lacks the punch and plot to make it matter. When I saw it at a younger age, I wasn’t bothered by things like plot, subplots, or screenplay. Back then, direction and performance didn’t matter—all that counted was the number of explosions and gunshots the movie had to offer. I’m glad those days are behind me. This movie for me as a child was like my first introduction into espionage.

When you consider the amount of talent and money that went into making this movie, you’ll likely agree it was a colossal waste. Geena Davis wasn’t at her best here, and her “badass spy lady” look was just an appalling sight.

The Long Kiss Goodnight is about a woman who wakes up pregnant with no memory of who she is, how she got there, or how she became pregnant. She starts a new life as a teacher, enters a relationship, and raises her daughter in a stable home. Over the years, she hires multiple private investigators to help uncover her past, but as time passes, she loses interest—until one PI stumbles upon something significant.

This discovery leads them down a trail that reveals she was once a spy and assassin for the U.S. government. The reason she lost her memory and how she became pregnant is what the entire movie revolves around—and if you haven’t seen this movie before (especially as a younger viewer), it’s a plot and twist you’ll have to endure.

The whole amnesia angle, spliced with her rediscovery of her past, has a drawback. Unlike movies or books like The Bourne Identity, where the character pieces together their life bit by bit to make sense of their present, this movie hits you with everything at once. The constant switching between her roles as a mom and a badass spy is more irritating than entertaining. It feels unreal and hard to digest. It would’ve been better if her skills came back to her naturally, like habits, rather than feeling like she was having a mental breakdown every time.

The Long Kiss Goodnight was neither a commercial success at the box office nor a critical darling. However, over time, the movie has gained a lot of lip service, especially in the 1990s. There were talks of a possible sequel, but it never got off the ground.

 

The Client (1994)

The Client (1994)

7/10

Starring

Susan Sarandon

Tommy Lee Jones

Directed by Joel Schumacher

After watching Thelma and Louise, I knew my day wasn’t over until I saw The Client again. This is a movie that cemented Susan Sarandon in my memory as a great actress. It’s one of her best films, alongside Dead Man Walking (1995), Thelma and Louise (1991), and Stepmom (1998) (not in that order). In this movie, she plays a role that suits her perfectly—she has to earn a child’s trust and then use that trust to save the child and his family’s life.

Based on John Grisham’s novel of the same name, the movie also stars veteran actor Tommy Lee Jones. It earned Susan Sarandon another nomination for Best Actress at the Academy Awards (in her career, she’s been nominated five times and won once for Dead Man Walking). For her performance in this movie as a mother figure and a caring lawyer, she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Here’s how the movie plays out: A young family—a mother and her two sons—lives in a trailer. While the mother is at work, the boys go to play in the woods. Near a stream, a car pulls up. The driver doesn’t see the boys, but they see him. They watch as he gets out of the car, sticks a hose in the exhaust, and gets back in with the hose leading into the car window, hoping the fumes will kill him.

The eldest boy, Mark, tries to stop the man by pulling out the hose. This leads to the man catching him, dragging him into the car, and punching him. The man then starts spilling his guts about why he wants to kill himself—it’s because he knows the location of a dead body.

Mark eventually gets the upper hand and escapes, but the driver later commits suicide. Now, the FBI is all over Mark, as evidence shows he was in the car. They want to know where the body is buried, but Mark claims he doesn’t know.

Fearing for his life, Mark seeks out a lawyer, Reggie Love (Susan Sarandon). She takes his case for a dollar, and throughout the process, her motherly instincts kick in. She struggles to balance being there for the young man as a caretaker and representing him as his lawyer.

The Client is a great legal thriller from the ’90s, one that many will forever cherish. I believe you’ll enjoy this flick, whether you’re seeing it again or for the first time. 

I need to add that the movie leans heavily on familiar courtroom drama tropes, so it feels predictable at times. Some scenes drag a bit too long, which slows the pacing. Plus, the courtroom drama takes a backseat to the emotional dynamic between Mark and Reggie. While that relationship is engaging, it leaves the legal aspects feeling a bit thin. All that said, it is still a great courtroom drama, so go look for it on the streamers.