It’s been a long time since I have written a review. Haven’t had the chance of watching too many movies, as I have been busy binging at home. But in the last 2 weeks, I caught up with 2 Superhero capers – One, a crowd pleaser and the Other, a let down. But what makes the Marvel film break box office records and why is the DC movie such a big dud? Here’s a low down!
1)The Storyline: Thor has a relatively easy breezy storyline. It doesn’t have to introduce its main characters, they are well established and loved. On the other hand, JL has the tough task of not only introducing the heroes, but also giving them a challenging villain and the task of saving the world – all in just 2 hours. Add to the fact that it was written to be a much longer film, makes the edit clunky and obviously disjointed.
2)The Direction: While whacky Waititi, the guy who gave us ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ was part of Thor from the very beginning, DC suffered from a set back when Synder left the project midway. Even though DC got in the Avengers director ‘Joss Whedon’ to complete the film, he couldn’t save it because it’s apparent that Warner Bros weren’t aligned with Snyder’s vision. Waititi, a Kiwi making Indie films, had no idea how to make a blockbuster, so the product is a superhero film like none other; while Synder and Whedon end up making a a superhero film that’s a bit of a mess.
3)The Comedy: Waititi is a funny funny man. And Thor is hilarious. The goofy dialogues, the banter, the over the top physical comedy – everything works. Even when the chips are down, there is nothing ominous about the proceedings. You smile, even when the villain seriously maims the hero! JL tries to be funny, by adding the Avenger kind of banter, but it all seems in Wayne … I mean vain! The problem is that everything seems kinda dated. What Marvel did in 2012, seems to be repeated in 2017. You can’t help but feel that the Flash and Batman dynamic is modeled exactly on the new Superman and Iron Man dynamic. Some of the humour does work, but then Thor is on a different plane altogether!
4)The Hero Factor: While the Justice League has far bigger Comic Book Heroes, it doesn’t have the bigger Movie Star Comic Heroes. Yeah, Thor and Hulk have made massive impact on the box office and are far more bankable, while Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill are still trying to make even Batman and Superman bankable! The only redeemer is the iridescent Gal Gadot who plays Wonder Woman with such panache that you can’t help but root for her.
Add to the fact that Warner Bros have no idea what to do with this version of Batman. He is cut into a sorry figure amongst the heroes with superpowers. He neither is the genius detective he was meant to be, nor the shrewd leader he is supposed to be. That Warner Bros has made a complete mess of the Batman, is its most grievous mistake. BTW Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg make decent debuts as sidekicks, but can they pull an entire movie on their own, is yet to be seen.
5) The Villain Factor: While Thor has an extremely groovy Goddess of Death Hela played by the mesmerising Cate Blanchett with aplomb, Justice League has a half baked villain called Steppenwolf who just feels like a badly CGI'd wannabe and just like Jesse Eisenberg's useless Lex Luthor, let's the film down completely.
6)The Graphic Novel Factor: Thor isn’t in the truest terms a Graphic Novel Film. Imagine Sin City, now that’s how a comic caper should be. Marvel has actually made all its films ( barring the first Thor film) look like any other fantasy film. Hence it has a far bigger appeal. While DC and especially Synder is trying to keep that Graphic Novellish feel alive. You cannot help but feel that the vision is better but the execution isn’t. And that’s why true Graphic Novel fans will stand firmly by the DC films and say that it is much better than the critics make it feel, because it stays true to the genre.
7)Watchability (If that’s a word!) :
Thor is a crowd pleaser to the core. It is raking in the moolah and it is well deserved. Thor is extremely enjoyable, with smart characters with brilliant chemistry, good dialogues and a spectacular background score. A must watch for anyone who likes big blockbusters ( not specifically Superhero films) .. Ragnarok truly rocks– Rating 7.5/10
Justice League is a messed up Super Hero Film, which will have a far bigger appeal to genre lovers than the normal junta. I do feel that critics have been too harsh on it, but then technically it has too many flaws – from the botched up CGI job (they removed Superman's Moustache from every scene) to the messed up editing which makes the screenplay jumpy. Still watchable – Rating 4.5/10
If you have watched both the films, would love to know your take on the same. Comment, Share, Like to spread the word
1)The Storyline: Thor has a relatively easy breezy storyline. It doesn’t have to introduce its main characters, they are well established and loved. On the other hand, JL has the tough task of not only introducing the heroes, but also giving them a challenging villain and the task of saving the world – all in just 2 hours. Add to the fact that it was written to be a much longer film, makes the edit clunky and obviously disjointed.
2)The Direction: While whacky Waititi, the guy who gave us ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ was part of Thor from the very beginning, DC suffered from a set back when Synder left the project midway. Even though DC got in the Avengers director ‘Joss Whedon’ to complete the film, he couldn’t save it because it’s apparent that Warner Bros weren’t aligned with Snyder’s vision. Waititi, a Kiwi making Indie films, had no idea how to make a blockbuster, so the product is a superhero film like none other; while Synder and Whedon end up making a a superhero film that’s a bit of a mess.
3)The Comedy: Waititi is a funny funny man. And Thor is hilarious. The goofy dialogues, the banter, the over the top physical comedy – everything works. Even when the chips are down, there is nothing ominous about the proceedings. You smile, even when the villain seriously maims the hero! JL tries to be funny, by adding the Avenger kind of banter, but it all seems in Wayne … I mean vain! The problem is that everything seems kinda dated. What Marvel did in 2012, seems to be repeated in 2017. You can’t help but feel that the Flash and Batman dynamic is modeled exactly on the new Superman and Iron Man dynamic. Some of the humour does work, but then Thor is on a different plane altogether!
4)The Hero Factor: While the Justice League has far bigger Comic Book Heroes, it doesn’t have the bigger Movie Star Comic Heroes. Yeah, Thor and Hulk have made massive impact on the box office and are far more bankable, while Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill are still trying to make even Batman and Superman bankable! The only redeemer is the iridescent Gal Gadot who plays Wonder Woman with such panache that you can’t help but root for her.
Add to the fact that Warner Bros have no idea what to do with this version of Batman. He is cut into a sorry figure amongst the heroes with superpowers. He neither is the genius detective he was meant to be, nor the shrewd leader he is supposed to be. That Warner Bros has made a complete mess of the Batman, is its most grievous mistake. BTW Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg make decent debuts as sidekicks, but can they pull an entire movie on their own, is yet to be seen.
5) The Villain Factor: While Thor has an extremely groovy Goddess of Death Hela played by the mesmerising Cate Blanchett with aplomb, Justice League has a half baked villain called Steppenwolf who just feels like a badly CGI'd wannabe and just like Jesse Eisenberg's useless Lex Luthor, let's the film down completely.
6)The Graphic Novel Factor: Thor isn’t in the truest terms a Graphic Novel Film. Imagine Sin City, now that’s how a comic caper should be. Marvel has actually made all its films ( barring the first Thor film) look like any other fantasy film. Hence it has a far bigger appeal. While DC and especially Synder is trying to keep that Graphic Novellish feel alive. You cannot help but feel that the vision is better but the execution isn’t. And that’s why true Graphic Novel fans will stand firmly by the DC films and say that it is much better than the critics make it feel, because it stays true to the genre.
7)Watchability (If that’s a word!) :
Thor is a crowd pleaser to the core. It is raking in the moolah and it is well deserved. Thor is extremely enjoyable, with smart characters with brilliant chemistry, good dialogues and a spectacular background score. A must watch for anyone who likes big blockbusters ( not specifically Superhero films) .. Ragnarok truly rocks– Rating 7.5/10
Justice League is a messed up Super Hero Film, which will have a far bigger appeal to genre lovers than the normal junta. I do feel that critics have been too harsh on it, but then technically it has too many flaws – from the botched up CGI job (they removed Superman's Moustache from every scene) to the messed up editing which makes the screenplay jumpy. Still watchable – Rating 4.5/10
If you have watched both the films, would love to know your take on the same. Comment, Share, Like to spread the word
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