Thor: The Dark World

Chris Hemsworth gets his hammer out and gives it a good polish, oo steady on. This time he is a little more well rounded as a human being/god and is a very sensible one at that. Tom Hiddlestone is still a bit of a bellend but is in prison now so he can just shut the hell up. Natalie portman is back on the scene but decides its good old London she wants to hang around in doing science and wotnot with one of the two broke girls. Chris thinks its about time he went to see Natalie who isn't best pleased about the hole New York Avengers and not taking the time to even drop her a text, ultimately though she can't stay mad at those abs. Whilst this is going on Christopher Ecclestone has big ears and an army and wants to turn all the lights off in the multiversey thing that Anthony Hopkins looks after. This does not go down well with the hammer wielding one who sets about hitting anything with pointy ears very hard and trusting too much in his ne'er do well brother. Oh and Renew Russo is there a bit aswell.

Superhero films rock, end of, and recently they have been very very good. The first of the Thor films was one of these good superhero films and the second is just as good if not better. Thor and his family and friends are now well established and are given a little more breathing room to expand within the universe they preside. We learn a bit more about Sif and her feelings towards Thor, we learn about the motivations and relationships between Loki and his family and Natalie's character shows a bit more of her personality. The story is a good one and flows very nicely and the action sequences are suitably over the top with bags of hammer smashing nonsense. Not only is the action good but in true marvel style they pepper the film with comedy moments that do not feel out of place and if anything add to the experience. If marvel keep this level of film making I will be a very happy boy, all they need now is to stop making that nonsense agents of shield and life will be right.

Verdict: 4.5/5

Mud

Two teenage boys in America like to go out on their little boat looking for things. Once out they find a bigger boat stuck in a tree that has a man living in it. That man is Matthew McConahuey?, McConnahey?, McConauhey?, I dunno, and he has done some bad bad things and is hiding out. The boys befriend Matthew and start getting food and other things for him whilst he waits for Reece Witherspoon to show up. The boys then potter about living their lives and collecting boat parts and we learn lots about both them and the naughty things Matthew has been up to.

Much to my surprise Matthew is actually starting to become not only a good actor but a brilliant one. It seemed to start with the great film Killer Joe in which he played a psychotic hitman and does not slow down in this. He is outstanding in this almost to the point where he is unrecognisable and plays the title character with a complex mix of emotions that make him hard to read and figure out. That being said the film is as much about the two boys as it is mud and both of them again are brilliant. Their friendship is explored and also their individual feelings towards mud and the decisions they make regarding him and their lives in general. This makes it a coming of age story as much as it is a full on drama. The support cast are also on top form and not a single person lets the side down. The story is as engaging as you are going to get and you really feel for all concerned as the film progresses. I must admit I was slightly bored in the middle as like myself it began to sag a little around the midriff but on the whole I thought it was great. Well done Matthew, well done.

Verdict: 4.5/5