Trailer Tuesday - Thor: The Dark World

We are due for another year chop full of superhero films! Check out the first trailer for November's Thor: The Dark World:

This is one superhero film I am really excited to see. Not a huge fan of Thor, I found myself really enjoying the first film. And not solely because they chose the best actor to portray the title character. The story was really well done. And it also helped that Kenneth Branagh was in the director's chair. Unknown director Alan Taylor has replaced Branagh which could go either way: could be good because he isn't influenced by big budget action/sets/props like some hollywood directors (Michael Bay, I'm looking at you) or it could be bad because he really has no clue what to do with a film of this size. I'm hoping it's the former and he will have a "Joss Whedon" moment with this film.

Unlike a lot of superhero films, a sequel to 2011's Thor makes sense. There were a lot of questions left unanswered with the previous film (and subsequently 2012's epic superhero mash-up The Avengers) and a lot of story left to tell. And with a dynamic villain such as Loki (portrayed by the brilliant Tom Hiddleston), there's no telling where what we will see in this upcoming film.

The trailer doesn't follow the typical superhero film trailer format. Instead of focusing on the big fight and action scenes, we see more about the characters and the story behind them. We get to see a further look into the world of Asgard (and the worlds surrounding it) that we only caught a glimpse of in the first film. We also get to see that Thor has completely embraced his "hero" fate.

The sequel sees returns from actors Chris Hemsworth (in the title role), Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Kat Denning, Stellan Skarsgard, and Anthony Hopkins as Thor's father and King of Asgard. New to the franchise is Christopher Eccelston, who will be taking on the role of the main antagonist in this film, Malekith. I'm excited to see what he will bring to this role as he is a great actor who can take on any role.

The film is set to be released on November 8, 2013 and will unfortunately be converted to 3D post-production. Oh joy. (Have you seen Clash of the Titans? Check out our review of that mess here). 

For more information on the upcoming film, check out the official page here or the Wikipedia page and be sure to check Don't Sit Next To Us for updates!

Oz the Great and Powerful OR Oz the Good and Able

Oz the Great and Powerful
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, and Rachel Weisz
New Release Review

Well it's been almost four weeks since these Movie Geeks have been to the movies. A travesty, I know. The lack of decent films being released on top of being a busy month, March has not been kind to Don't Sit Next To Us. But, don't fret! We are back! And here is your first new release review: Oz the Great and Powerful.

Oz takes place twenty years prior to the events that take place in The Wizard of Oz where we first meet Oscar "Oz" Diggs (Franco) who is working as a small-time traveling magician. Escaping a confrontation with the circus strongman, Oscar takes off in a hot air balloon and is sucked into a tornado that takes him to the Land of Oz. After his crash landing, Oscar meets a witch named Theodora (Kunis) who believes Oscar is the wizard prophesied to overthrow the Wicked Witch who killed her father, the king of Oz. The two begin the journey towards Emerald City after Oscar jumps at the notion that he will be the new king of Oz. They share a flirtatious moment and Theodora quickly falls for Oscar, hoping that she will be his queen.
Along the way, they encounter a flying monkey named Finley (Zach Braff) who Oscar saves from a lion. Finley pledges a life debt to Oscar and becomes a trusted companion for the wizard.

When he arrives at Emerald City, Oscar meets Evanora (Weisz), Theodora's sister, who tells him that the Wicked Witch resides in the Dark Forest and can be killed by destroying her wand. Oscar and Finley go on a mission to destroy the witch so that Oscar can become King of Oz. Instead of meeting the Wicked Witch, Oscar discovers that it is Glinda the Good Witch who he was sent to kill and that Evanora is the true Wicked Witch. Reluctantly, Oscar joins forces with Glinda to stop Evanora and reclaim Oz.

I was rather indifferent about seeing this film in theatre. The storyline and the graphics definitely had me intrigued, but not enough to run to the theatre during opening weekend to see it. I happened to see it randomly and was happy with the outcome. It was enjoyable. It was a decent story with top notch 3D graphics. If it weren't for those graphics, the film would not be as fun.

This is what a 3D film should be - it enhanced the overall look of the film and it added depth, literally and figuratively. It made the audience feel like they were in the film. There are a lot of films out there that simply add the 3D effect in order to earn more revenue but definitely don't need it. This was not one of those films.

The acting was okay. Not what I expected from this cast. Franco wasn't anything special as the title character. He provided a few laughs but that's about it. It seemed like he was going through the motions with this film. But it also looked like he wasn't given much in terms of character development and depth.

The three witches (Kunis, Weisz and Williams) were very bland. Which was extremely surprising to me as all three are talented (in different ways) actresses. When they were evil, they weren't evil enough. And the film incorporates one of the most iconic evil characters in film/literature history. It definitely didn't feel that way with this portrayal of the character. Basically, I was bored while watching these characters.

Braff as the flying monkey, Finley, was decent. However, he reminded me a lot of Billy Crystal. His voice, his comedic timing, all things that Crystal has done in the past (think Monsters Inc.). Though his character was welcomed as he provided the majority of the comedy in this film.

Final Verdict: See it. It's a decent family/adventure film. It's from Disney, so you know right off the bat that it will be good to see. However, this re-imagining of the classic story of Oz is not where it should be. It is nowhere near the masterpiece that Tim Burton created with 2010's Alice in Wonderland (check out our review here). But it is an acceptable March release. Perhaps Franco's other March release, Spring Breakers provides him with a character that is more in his league and he can do more with.

Rotten Tomatoes