Sunday I saw Thor: The Dark World and it was good fun for me. Now, I guess I can't give a detailed critique as I'm not a comic book reader and don't know the history tied to this particular story...but I can say I enjoyed it (despite, mistakingly, reading some bad reviews prior to seeing it). And let me just say, though I know it's not emphatically his story, Loki has garnered more of my affections in this installment. (Still I loved when he got his behind handed to him by the Hulk in The Avengers!!!)
It's worth mentioning that with movies such as these I expect only three things:
1. Epic battles
2. Wonderfully nefarious villains we love to hate
and
3. Razzle-Dazzle in the special effects realm
The fact that I also thought it was visually visceral, humorous, not overly predictable and had some fun surprises are just added bonuses. Was it as good as the first Thor installment? Eh, are sequels ever better than the originals? No. (but I would argue that Lethal Weapon 3 was better than Lethal Weapon 2, but not better than one...but in general, No.) However, if I leave the theater with any of the following...
1. A smile on my face
2. A renewed fire to write more
3. A wish I was a superhero
...Then it was a good time for me. I don't expect stellar acting, overly complex character arcs or great emotional attachments to those same characters in fun movies like these (though some deliver all of that in addition to the three basic expectations). I do, nevertheless, expect all those things and none of the above on movies like....
...Mandela: Long Road to Freedom...which I saw at a screening at the AFI Film fest Sunday night...and it delivered as expected. The acting was authentic and satisfying. The story shed light on the lives of the great Nelson and Winnie Mandela, and the complexities they faced as they fought the apartheid machine of South Africa. Visually it made me feel as if I was actually in Africa, with it's warm, crisp hues and break-taking sceneries. It also helped me identify with the plight of the South Africans with the visual parallels drawn between the disparities of the different communities. The supporting cast and community songs were all South African only helping convey a credible bio-pic.
And I left the theater with both #1 and #2 from the list above. The added bonus from this screening...both Idris Elba and Naomi Harris were in attendance. That tall drink of water and his petite counter part brought extra smiles to my face that night. A small perk of this crazy adventure I'm on! (Not to mention sometimes getting to see films before they're released...so go see this one when it comes out later this month.)
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