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Thor: Review

Damon Houx — Fri, 06 May 2011 00:01:01 +0000

Thor may be the trickiest of the big Marvel characters to adapt. Both a Norse God, and an extra-terrestrial being, Thor doesn’t have the “normal person thrust into superpowers” hook – which is both good and bad. And to that end Thor is not really an origin tale, so much as a learning experience for the main character. There’s a lot to do here, on top of director Kenneth Branagh putting a big budget fantasy movie on the shoulders of Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston, both actors who – at best – had some notable supporting performances previous to this. Did they succeed?

The Players

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Writers: Don Payne, Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz (Screenplay), Mark Protosevich and J. Michael Straczynski (Story)

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Idris Elba, Rene Russo, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgard

The Plot

After nearly being crowned King of the other world Asgard, Thor (Hemsworth) is banished to Earth by his father Odin (Hopkins) until he learns some humility. There he meets Jane Foster (Portman), and falls in love. His hammer is also on Earth, but it can only be retrieved by someone who can use it correctly. Meanwhile Thor’s brother Loki (Hiddleston) is now in line to be king, but he learns some dark secrets that change who he is, and leads his father into a sleep that puts him in charge. But Loki is a bad leader, and the only thing that can save Asgard (and possibly Earth as well) is Thor.

The Good

Tom Hiddleston: Hiddleston compares his character to Iago, and what makes the film work at its best is when Hiddleston is on screen. It’s hard to get a bead on his character, in the best possible way – you keep watching him in hopes of getting a better understanding of machinations. But at the center of the character is a real person, who is lashing out in a way that is perfect for a younger, and possibly underestimated brother.
It’s Not an Origin Film: Though it is a lesson film, which in some ways is similar to the origin tale, the film spends little time showing Thor becoming Thor. He’s Thor.
The Cast: Though this leads into some of the problems, everyone is cast perfectly. Hopkins may be the only conceivable choice for Odin, Chris Hemsworth is pretty much perfect as Thor, and the supporting cast are note perfect. but…

The Bad

Talented Cast, Too Bad They Have Nothing to Do: Rene Russo is the wife of Odin, and she probably has about three lines in the film. The Warriors Three and Sif (Jamie Alexander) are in the film, and are defined by their look, or that one likes to eat a lot. Portman’s Jane Foster is sexually attracted to Thor, but other than being at the right place to meet Thor, she doesn’t have much else to do. This is the Thor and Loki show, and everyone else serve the plot to move the story forward. Only Idris Elba seems able to have a little bit of fun. The film is 114 minutes, and it’s possible that the film plays better with an additional half hour or hour of footage.
Empire Building: S.H.I.E.L.D. shows up in the film to build a tent around Thor’s Hammer, but nothing they do in the film is of any consequence, other than to give Thor someone to battle on Earth. Too much of the film is dedicated to things that are more important to the Marvel canon than the film itself. Like the last point – as Marvel has spoiled – Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye shows up in the film, but all he does is point an arrow at Thor and then disappear from the film. It’s cool if you know who Hawkeye is, but Renner has nothing to do but show up. This was fun when Sam Jackson showed up at the end of Iron Man, because it didn’t get in the way of the story, but here it’s the cinematic equivalent of standing behind a newscaster and waving.
Narratives That Are Self-Evident: The film is about how Thor got back his hammer, and the idea of a leader learning humility is a good plot, but how Thor learns humanity almost happens off screen, and the change – though apparent in the character – is not made cinematic. Something happens and Thor changes immediately. On top of that, Thor is kept from his hammer for the majority of the running time, but it’s not even a spoiler to say that he gets his hammer back. Because of that, the majority of the film is a slog when Hiddleston isn’t on screen because there’s little to latch on to, and the thing that would have made this more palatable are characters to care about. It also comes across as a cost-cutting measure, as the middle then is mostly spectacle-free.

The Mixed

Kenneth Branagh: As a director, Branagh lost his way quickly after the great success of Henry V, and his work with the cast is excellent, but his sense of making this exciting is using canted angles, and he doesn’t use the massive amounts of CGI in interesting ways. I think that the film had to exist in some way that sets up the characters, and the film does introduce Thor to cinema in a way that suggests he’d be a good character to follow, and has a number of great friends and foes, but it feels more like a pilot than complete narrative. Sadly, that’s how so many of these comic franchises have been going.

Overall

Not so much terrible as all set up, Marvel seems more interested in getting to The Avengers than they are in telling great stories. Thor may have been toughest to crack cinematically, but that can’t defend a very uninteresting story that offers few grace notes outside of Hiddleston’s performance.

Score: 3.5/10

Thor opens May 6.

Interview: Thor’s Actors

Damon Houx — Tue, 03 May 2011 22:15:39 +0000

For the Thor press conference we were joined by Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Jamie Alexander, and Anthony Hopkins. It was a fun chat, and the group talked about the hardships of maing a big franchise production, and the fun of being in comic book movies. For more with Hopkins, there’s another great interview. But check out the press conference…

Casting/Costumes

We heard from the last panel that Tom thought you were the hero of the movie; and two that you wanted to be Thor. Could you talk a little about that?

Tom Hiddleston: I think there are no villains in this world – there are just misunderstood heroes. And – Loki definitely – I think Loki thinks he is the hero. There’s an aspect of Loki that if you boil this film down to its barest elements, it’s about a father and two sons. And both those sons are competing for the love and affection and pride of their father, Odin. And I think there’s a deeply misguided intention within Loki. And he has a kind of a damage within him. He just goes about getting that pride in the wrong way. I didn’t actually want to be Thor, but I’m 6’2”. So like every other English speaking actor over 6 foot who’s got blonde hair, I went up for the part of Thor. But I’m not built like a house. And there’s no way in Odin’s Asgard I could have delivered what Chris has done.

Chris, could you talk about the most miserable things you did to actually get that kind of physique?

Chris Hemsworth: The most uncomfortable thing was the eating. I didn’t mind so much the working out; I’d never really lifted weights to that capacity beforehand, and – and it was certainly a whole new sort of education, for a good six months. I just don’t naturally sit at that weight, so I had to force feed myself 20 chicken breasts and rice and steak – and all very boring to the plain things. And that was the most exhausting part out of the whole film was the eating. It wasn’t the fun stuff, either. It wasn’t hamburgers and pizza and what have you.

With the physical demands of the role aside, how did you as an actor approach the mighty role of Thor? Did you look into the six hundred-plus issues of the comics, or did you pay more attention to the mythology, like the actual Norse mythology, or did you find a way to combine both? What was important to you, when taking on this role?

CH: Yeah, I started with the comic books, but I didn’t read all – however many of them – there are thousands of them, 40 or 50 years’ worth. But I certainly read enough to get a sense of who he was and the world he was from. And then I read some things on Norse mythology and this sort of fatalistic view they have that everything’s preordained and that leads the Vikings into this fearless sort of attitude in battle and with their lives. And they certainly back their opinions. And they’re not swayed easy. And that spoke volumes to me about the character. But then it was filling your head with whatever information and research you have. But on set, it was just about making it truthful and finding a simpler way that I could relate to it. Instead of thinking, “How do I play a powerful god?” it became about, as Tom said, scenes between fathers and sons and brothers. And you personalize that, and that helps ground the story, I think, for an audience. And then we can relate to it and hopefully an audience can, too.

Kat, your character held the largest comedic role throughout the film. How was that, how did you enjoy it in such a serious superhero film?

Kat Dennings: That’s the thing. I saw the film a week ago, and I hadn’t seen any of the Asgard stuff. I know when you got to our parts in Santa Fe, you felt like you were on a different film. So it didn’t feel like, “Oh, I feel like I don’t belong anywhere.” It felt like he didn’t belong, which is why it’s hilarious. Natalie and I have been friends for years so it was pretty easy. We just hung out and goofed off and were girls; and poor Stellan had to listen to us talk about boys and nail polish.

For the actors who played as Guardians – was it more challenging or more fun to wrap your mouth and your mind around the film’s mock heroic middle English? And as a follow-up for Mr. Elba, how much of a pleasure was it to not have to do a fake American accent?

Jamie Alexander: I had a good time. It was fun learning the accent and training for the film and goofing off with these buttheads. We all trained together, prior to shooting. And it made for a good time.

Idris Elba: One of the challenges for the script and the story and now the audience is that you have these two huge worlds, but they’re equally as well thought out, well written. And Kenneth wanted us to all have a sort of uniform sound. Even though you do say mock English, it was set in that world, but exactly “not English,” which is what I was told. And yeah, fake American accents? Try some Asgard, you know what I mean?

Sir Tony had mentioned facetiously that the costume really does the work for you. But I’m just wondering for the other actors that were in elaborate costumes and the eye gear and things, how does that inform your character, in terms of creating and becoming that person? Or is it just, you’re pretending?

TH: The costumes are incredibly heavy, and if you got up in the morning and you wear a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and some flip-flops, it’s a signal that you might be going to the beach. And if you get up in the morning and you wear a breast plate and a back plate and a cape, and a pair of golden Satanic horns on your head, it’s quite clear that you’re doing something else. We were so helped by not just the costumes, but by the beautiful sets built by Bo Welch, the production designer. You’ve got no furniture to lean on and no props to busy your performance. So there has to be a kind of simplicity, too. The costumes make you stand straighter. And when you’re in big set – it’s like being in a neo-classical museum, and if you go up to the Getty, you have a sense of the size of the place, and that just does stuff to the way you stand.

CH: With Kenneth, one of my biggest notes for me was “just let the costume do it,” because I had this huge helmet on my head and couldn’t hardly see. And Kenneth would just say, “Don’t worry. Just live in it, and just stay as still as you can and just let the costume and the opulence of where I was – my bridge, which is beautiful – do the work.” And the script, of course.

Future Projects/ The Avengers

Loki’s such a great villain because he is so relatable and dimensional, and you don’t really know if he’s right or if he’s wrong, or what he’s feeling or thinking. So when you guys were crafting this, was it with a trajectory towards The Avengers, and are we gonna continue to see Loki as that kind of a character in The Avengers, or is it gonna be a little more diametrical?

TH: I took the character that I saw in the comics. Loki is a master of magic. And he is – in the Marvel universe- the agent of chaos. And his superpower is his intelligence, if you like. He’s a shape shifter; and it’s his ability to stay ten steps ahead of everybody else. So Ken and Chris and Tony and I all talked about having those layers in a way that he’s someone with a fierce intelligence, but also a very damaged heart. I think a red dot will form on my forehead if I give any more information about Loki and The Avengers. All I can tell you is that Loki will be in The Avengers. And it’ll take more than the man to my right to stop me this time.

Regarding the Avengers, you guys play very larger-than-life roles in this film. You’re going into a movie with four or five other larger-than-life characters. So what’s the biggest challenge that you guys see, in combining all these archetypal heroes and villains into this one film?

TH: I think the thing that looks like a challenge is actually the reason it’ll work, as in how can one movie contain so many different flavors and colors and characters. Joss Whedon has made that his strength. And the conflict between each of them will be something that will be expanded on, I think. Would you say?

CH: Yeah, sure. Also, we don’t balance all the other characters. That’s just the writer and Joss Whedon, who’s the writer–director, his job is to navigate that. We come in and do our bit. And that’s all you can concern yourself with. But I definitely think it’ll be an interesting combination. And as Tom said, why it will work is that conflict in those larger than life characters and egos clashing, I think it’ll – there’ll be some great tension there.

Since we now know that Tom secretly wants to be Thor, is there another character in the Marvel canon that anybody would like to take on?

JA: Oh, I have one – X-23. Yeah.

CH: Loki.

TH: Keep the – yeah, the horn in the family. The horns are all yours, Man. Yeah.

IE: I think I’d like a stab at Luke Cage at some point.

KD: I’m just thrilled that I’m still in Thor. I can’t believe I didn’t get cut.

Brothers/Joking Around

Could you talk about the dynamic between yourselves as actors, vying for the attention of Sir Anthony Hopkins, as well as the brotherly dynamic that went from brotherhood to rivalry, and so much as to the bloody nose one of you received on set from said rivalry.

CH: I nearly caught Tom talking about having breakfast with Tony at one point. And I said, “What? He’s having breakfast and I’m not?” But Tony said it, that it’s much easier to like someone on screen if you actually like them off screen. It’s just a more enjoyable ride. And we got along and came into this at the same point in our careers, with the same sort of enthusiasm and love for these types of films. And just had a great time doing it. Yeah, and you either have chemistry with someone, or you don’t. And thankfully, I think it was there, and so to play brothers was, it was easy and fun.

TH: It’s quite literally a bromance. Right, it’s the bro – the bro aspect of the word is for real. But Chris is absolutely right. I can’t imagine having to go to sort of the emotional extremity that we both have to go to if we actually didn’t like each other. It’d be just horrendous to go to work. And I think the fact that we get along makes it easier to just egg each other on, and between takes, we’d raise each other’s game. We had a really, really good time. Also, there are so many things that went wrong, accidents that make you laugh. And it’s such a huge journey. We both spent two years of our lives working on this film, and it’s nice that there’s somebody else who’s alongside. Like Chris had a few drinks at the wrap party, and was hanging out the window on the way back to the hotel, saying -

CH: That’s not true. You’re ruining my career right there.

TH: Sorry. He said to me before we went up to our rooms, he was like, “You’re the only one who understands me.”

CH: I have no idea what I was talking about. Yeah.

TH: But in terms of vying for the attention of Tony, Tony was amazing. And I haven’t actually said this on record, but whenever we had our days working with Tony, he would just regale us with stories of when he was a young actor and starting out in “The Lion in Winter” with Peter O’Toole and Katherine Hepburn. I’ll never forget that story you told about Katherine Hepburn saying, “Stop acting, Tony. You’ve got a good face; you’ve got a good voice. You’ve got a good body. Stop acting.”

Anthony Hopkins: She said, “May I talk to your mama?” And I said, “Yeah.” She says, “Don’t act; you don’t need to act. Watch Spencer Tracy.” I said, “Oh, okay.” It was good advice. But she was a – she was good. Yeah.

TH: And actually, then, then we did the scene in the vault, where Loki finds the sort of, the big, dark secret of his personal history. I think after the first couple of takes, Tony leaned across and said, “Have you got a good agent?” And I said, I said, “Yes, I – I think – I think so.” And he said, “You’re going to need it.”

AH: Obviously, I love to have a laugh. I like to tease people. Ken is part of that as well. I said, “Is he gonna play it like that?” He said, “Yeah.” He said to all the young actors. “Is that the way you’re gonna play it? It’s your career.”

CH: I remember that, being on set with Tom, our first day with, with Tony. And, and going through the rehearsal, and Tony giving us that reaction. “Is that how you’re gonna do it?” And going… “He’s kidding, right?”

TH: But then there was something he said, when we were walking down towards the casket and I said – and he said, “Can I tell you something, Tom?” And I went, “Absolutely. Say it up straight. Tell me, tell me anything.” And he said, “You’re doing this very strange thing with your wrists.”

TH: “Oh, my god, what am I doing?” And he said, “You – you’re just – it looks a little bit camp. Maybe you can butch it up a bit.”

Thor opens May 6. Check it out.

Daydream Nation Trailer Features Kat Dennings, No Sonic Youth

Damon Houx — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 23:33:34 +0000

In one of the rare instances of an actor working hard (or a picture being delayed) Daydream Nation - which stars Kat Dennings – will open on May 6, the same day as Thor, which also stars Kat Dennings. Can the world have too much Kat Dennings? Can it have too much of her at once? Anchor Bay’s film – which also stars Josh Lucas - is due out on DVD and Blu-ray two weeks later, so Daydream Nation seems to be hitting theaters for contractual obligation. Take a look at the trailer…

It’s a reasonable premise for a film – new girl sleeps around, questions morality, etc. – one that worked well for Easy A, and is something that could make for a compelling narrative. But the tagline in the trailer “Juno by David Lynch” suggests that this is going to go much darker places than the trailer suggests. Then again the title of the film would seem to be taken from a Sonic Youth song, and the trailer features no Sonic youth, so this could very much be a bait and switch trailer.

This could be the year for Dennings that she breaks out, though it’s hard to think that her role in Thor will be much more than comic relief. And perhaps after Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, Dennings had her moment at becoming an A-lister. She’s been passed by Emma Stone, it seems.

Which Kat Dennings film are you more excited for this or Thor?

Thor Experiences American Hospitality in New Clip

Damon Houx — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:14:25 +0000

Kenneth Brannagh‘s Thor is almost a month away – it opens May 6 - and that means we’re going to be hit with the deluge of more and more clips, TV spots and publicity in the build up, starting now. Chris Hemsworth stars as the titular character, along with Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba, and Kat Dennings. The first clip from the film has been made available. Check it out.

This is an expansion of footage that’s already been on line, in that we’ve seen Thor on the ground before. Now that it’s in context, that this film looks to be dicey is no longer up for question. With the dutch angles, and the tasering, this clip either feels out of context or – perhaps – what we should be expecting from this project.

Then again, this doesn’t have any special effects in it, and with the time crunch that comes with big special effects movies perhaps they wanted something that was completely done. And this has been the way for a while now, many effects shots in bug budget movies are worked on right up until prints have to be delivered to theaters.

Arguably a single clip is not enough to get the feel of a movie of this scale, and it seems silly to judge a film like this on a one minute dialogue-heavy sequence. But if this is the tone of the comedy throughout, and this is their first foot forward…

The main question is Kenneth Branagh. His first film – 1989′s Henry V - suggested a world-beating talent. Subsequent efforts (like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein among others) proved that he wasn’t. This could be his triumphant return to big budget film making if it works. If it works.

Are you sold on Thor?

Comic-Con 2010: The Cast of Thor Speaks!

Krystal Clark — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:30:41 +0000

After months of waiting, we finally got to sit down and have a chat with the cast of Marvel’s next theatrical release, Thor. The film will be directed by Kenneth Branagh and stars Australian native Chris Hemsworth as the title character. He’s a relative newcomer who’ll be supported by several veteran actors like Anthony Hopkins who plays his father Odin. At the official Comic-Con press junket a lot of the main talent from the film were in attendance including Branagh, Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings, Clark Gregg, and even Marvel Chief Kevin Feige got in on the action. You can listen to the interviews below…

Hemsworth, Hiddleston, and Gregg all did their round table interviews alone while Portman was paired with Dennings and Branagh with Feige. They were asked a variety of questions including how it feels to be a part of Marvel’s ambitious Avengers project. Hemsworth spoke about what he does and doesn’t know about the team-up film and how he feels working opposite such a huge ensemble cast.

Director Branagh elaborated on his vision of Thor and how he tackled the story the same way he would a Shakespearean play. And Dennings was on hand to clue us in on exactly who it is she plays in the movie. Her character Darcy isn’t in the comics and we’ve been in the dark as to what it is she really does.

Chris Hemsworth Interview:

Tom Hiddleston Interview:

Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Fiege Interview:

Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings Interview:

Clark Gregg Interview:

Further Reading:

What do you think of what the cast of Thor had to say?

Like what you read? For more fun, check out our top stories from Comic-Con…

Comic-Con 2010: Thor Footage First Look!

Brendan Walsh — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:19:35 +0000

***Update: Thor Comic-Con Trailer Online Now – Watch It here.***

Today at Marvel’s Thor panel, they presented the audience with what is almost certainly going to be the full theatrical trailer. Since we’re not allowed to show you the footage, it being exclusive to Comic-Con and all, I’d like to do my best to describe it to you. Check it out, after the jump…

Spoilers! Beware!

The trailer begins in an underground cell as Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) interrogates an unseen suspect. “You made my men, some of the most highly trained professionals in the world look like a bunch of minimum wage mall cops.” As he says all this, there are flashes of soldiers being beaten, in the night rain. He continues, “It takes someone of similar training to do that to them. Why don’t you tell me where you learned to do that…Afghanistan? Pakistan? No, you strike me more as the soldier of fortune type. Who are you?” The suspect looks up, revealing a glaring Chris Hemsworth, as our hero, Thor.

We then find ourselves in outer space, traveling through the galaxy, until we end up in Odin’s hall, as he reprimands his son. “I have sacrificed much to achieve peace, he says. So too must a new generation sacrifice to maintain that peace. Responsibility! Duty! Honor! These are not mere virtues to which we must aspire. They are essential to every soldier, to every king. Thor, Odin’s son, through your arrogance and stupidity, you have opened these peaceful realms and innocent lives to the horror and devastation of war. You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy.” Thor spits back, “You are an old man and a fool!” Odin replies, “Yes, I was a fool to think you were ready.”

Loki leans in to interject. “Father…”

“HEY!” Odin stops him. Back at Thor, he says “I now take from you your power. In the name of my father, and his father before him, I cast you out!” Thor screams and we travel through a wormhole, landing in the desert. “Oh no, this is Earth, isn’t it.” He says as he opens his eyes glaring up at Natalie Portman who finds him.

We are introduced to the film’s ladies, who are wary of him. He takes his shirt off and changes into normal clothes, and Kat Dennings says, “For a crazy homeless guy, he’s pretty cut.”

Over shots of Thor and Miss Portman, we hear him say, “Here you call it magic…when you can explain it you call it science. Where I come from, they are one and the same.” She asks him, “Who are you?” He tells her, “The answers you seek shall be yours once I reclaim what’s mine.” We then see him struggling to lift his hammer, Mjolnir, out of the stone in which it’s embedded.

Back in Asgard, Odin is dying. Frigga (Rene Russo) stands over him and says, “The line of succession falls to you. Asgard is yours.” Loki, wearing his helmet, smiles wickedly.

Back on Earth, Thor says, “For the first time in my life, I don’t know what to do.” A woman’s voice says, “His fate is in his own hands now.”

After a pause, we see S.H.I.E.L.D. agents gathered in the desert, staring at a giant armored metal being: The Destroyer. “Is that one of Stark’s?”An agent asks. “I don’t know. That guy never tells me anything,” Coulson says. He addresses The Destroyer, “Hello. You are in possession of unauthorized weaponry. Please identify yourself.” The Destroyers face opens up to reveal nothing but fire. “Here we go,” Coulson says. The Destroyer then blasts all the cars, and as the battle begins, smash cut to the title logo.

END SPOILERS
THIS LOOKS AWESOME! Thor comes out May 6, 2011.

Further Reading:

Like what you read? For more fun, check out our top stories from Comic-Con…

Defendor: Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:00:34 +0000

It’s time for the little guy to stand up for what’s right! This week in theaters Woody Harrelson appears on the big screen as Defendor, a guy willing to risk his own life, takeshis marbles and lime juice to the streets and attempt to defend the city from evil in the ultimate battles of Defendor vs. Captain Industry. Much like the lead character, this film has a lot of heart and isn’t afraid to take risks.

Lets take a look at why this film rises above the rest…

The Players:

Director/Writer: Peter Stebbings
Cast: Woody Harrelson, Kat Dennings, Elias Koteas, Sandra Oh, Elias Koteas
Music: John Rowley
Cinematography: David Greene

The Plot:

The film is a dramedy about a man named Arthur Poppington (Harrelson) who decides to become a superhero to help those in need. He fights against Captain Industry who he blames for the death of his mother and while on his journey for revenge, he meets and befriends a young prostitute (Dennings) who helps him along the way for crack.

The Good:

The Idea: Every film starts with an idea and grows from there. There was something about this film, its characters and the way that it was put together that feel very genuine. From the heart of the story about a struggling man who by all means should want to hate the world, but instead simply wants to make the world a better place to the way that it’s presented, there is something very simple and endearing about this film that makes you appreciate it and look past some minor faux pas.
The Dark Tone: Yes it’s a comedy (or dramaedy), but unlike some films of this genre which like to walk the line and never go too deep into either side, it’s not afraid to be brutally honest and go to really dark when needed. Even when a scene is humorous there is always a dark underlying current that can always be felt and rises up whenever needed. It’s a brave choice but well pulled off.
Woody Harrelson: There are very few actors that can act as crazy as him and yet come off as relate-able. Adding to the genuine quality that I mentioned earlier is a beautiful performance by Harrelson who is able to show both the humor and the depth of his character without ever looking like he’s trying.

The Bad:

Pacing: The film did have some moments that dragged a bit. While playing with the dark tone, sometimes is would become a bit too dreary and had trouble regaining its comedic momentum. That being said, this was only the case for a few moments and for the most part is balanced both sides very nicely.
Too Much Crack: It’s great that Kat Dennings went full crack-whore on us and she does a great job in the film, but (someone please correct me if I’m wrong) she’s ALWAYS sucking on her pipe. Doesn’t one normally take a few hits and then enjoy the high? And if a crackhead really takes that many hits wouldn’t that take a LOT of crack? Because she wasn’t supposed to have that much. Although I can’t really fault her on this, because I don’t really know the answer… I need some help, can anyone give me some insight on how much crack-heads sucks on their crack pipes? (I feel like I just wrote the start of a knock, knock joke)

Overall:

The film was an enjoyable twist from the norm and well put together. It’s not a film that will change your life, but it definitely will leave you with a sense of fulfillment walking out of the theater.

Rating: 7.5/10

Defendor will be in theaters February 26th.

Second Defendor Movie Trailer

Anet Hovhanesian — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:39:48 +0000

Peter Stebbings‘ newest creation, Defendor, starring Woody Harrelson and Kat Dennings has a new trailer for your viewing pleasure. As we’ve seen before, the fun part of this film is that the superhero film about a man who has no super powers and unlike Batman, no money to afford any cool gadgets, he has to reply on lime juice and marbles. The film centers around three characters: an everyday guy, Arthur Poppington, who comes to believe he’s a superhero, his psychiatrist, and the teenager prostitute he befriends.

In a world without hope, Poppington changes into a vigilante super-hero of his own making, “Defendor” in order to save the day. The only problem is that the Defendor only has courage to work with while trying to protect the city’s innocents and he might be insane. Sounds like the perfect role for Harrelson! Check out the trailer below…

The film will be released in a few theaters beginning February 26th before being released on DVD on April 30th.

What do you think of the trailer?

Kat Dennings Cast in Thor?

Krystal Clark — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:18:34 +0000

If you thought the cast for Marvel’s upcoming movie Thor had already approached its actor quota, you were wrong. Over at MTV co-star Natalie Portman revealed that Kat Dennings from Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist will also star in the film, but the biggest question is as who?

Portman was interviewed by the site and spoke about her role as Jane Foster and somehow slipped up about Kat Dennings involvement.

“Well I’m really excited,” Portman told MTV News. “Kat Dennings is going to be in it with me and she’s a good friend and an amazing actress, so I’m looking forward to that.”

There aren’t that many female characters in the Thor universe so the possibilities aren’t endless to who Dennings could play. The primary female roles are already taken with Portman and Jaimie Alexander as Sif. Both women play important parts in Thor’s life, so Dennings must be on board as a supporting or female villain of some sort.

Out of the few female characters left from the comic, Dennings could play Enchantress or Valkyrie. Enchantress seems more likely because Valkyrie is literally the female version of Thor. We’ll find out who’s playing who when the film starts production early next year.

Thor hits theaters on May 20, 2011.

Who do you think Kat Dennings could play in Thor?

Rebecca Hall Joins Liars A-E

Laura Aguirre — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 01:50:45 +0000

Rebecca Hall has been cast as the lead in Richard Linklater‘s comedy Liars A-E. According to Empire Online, Hall will play a woman who takes a road trip with a friend (Kat Dennings) during the Obama inauguration to collect what is rightfully hers — items from her ex-boyfriends.

The plot includes a historical-twist which can always be fun, but if thats not enough to draw you in, Hall’s resume sure will. The actresses past projects include Starter for 10, which served as an impressive debut, and a lead role in Woody Allen‘s Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination.

Also on Hall’s resume is the film adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. The film has done overseas and was recently released in the UK on September 9th. Although Hall’s character is small in the book, she plays an important role in the story, because her actions influence her husband Lord Henry Wotton’s (Colin Firth) decisions. The U.S. release date has not, but hopefully we’ll get to see it sooner than later.

At the moment Hall is filming the romantic comedy, The Town alongside Ben Affleck, Jon Hamm, and Jeremy Renner.

What do you think of Hall’s new role?

Official Defendor Movie Trailer

Krystal Clark — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:50:19 +0000

A trailer has just been released for the upcoming Woody Harrelson dramedy, Defendor. The film centers on a man named Arthur Poppington (Harrelson) who decides to become a superhero to help those in need. He duct tapes the letter D across his chest and attempts to fight crime in his spare time. We’ve previously posted some photos from the film, which looked both sad and hilarious at the same time.

I’m officially ready to view the trailer and watch the Defendor in action…

Defendor will make its debut at this year’s Toronto Film Festival, and is directed by Peter Stebbings. It co-stars Kat Denning’s from Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist as Arthur’s prostitute friend, and Michael Kelly from Zack Snyder‘s Dawn of the Dead. You can also catch a glimpse of Sandra Oh from ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy as his therapist. A lot of talented people fill up this cast, so the script must have something good going for it.

My favorite part of the trailer features Elias Koteas. He will forever have a special place in my heart after playing Casey Jones in the live action version of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He’s such a treat to watch.

What do you think of the first trailer for Defendor?

Woody Harrelson Defendor Photos

Krystal Clark — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:45:33 +0000

When I saw these photos I literally laughed out loud. Woody Harrelson stars as the title character in the upcoming film, Defendor. It’s a dramedy that centers on a man named Arthur Poppington (Harrelson) who decides to become a superhero to help those in need. He duct tapes the letter D across his chest and attempts to fight crime in his spare time. Sure he sounds insane, but at least his costume is economically efficient.

Check out photos from Defendor after the jump…

Images courtesy of /Film.

Every superhero needs and arch enemy and his is Captain Industry. He blames the drug and weapons dealer for the unfortunate death of his mother, and he wants them to suffer! While on his journey for revenge, he meets and befriends a young prostitute played by Kat Dennings (Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist). Defendor will make it’s debut at this year’s Toronto Film Festival, and is directed by Peter Stebbings. This movie looks so funny, yet so sad. I think that’s the whole point.

What do you think of Woody Harrelson in Defendor?

ScreenCrave.com » Kat Dennings

Thor: Review

The Players

The Plot

The Good

The Bad

The Mixed

Overall

Score: 3.5/10

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The Good:

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Rating: 7.5/10

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