Thor: The Dark World (2013)

So it's pretty crazy that four years ago this was one of the first movies I ever reviewed. Nice to come back to it, so here we go with the new PoC format for reviews! Please note, I'm writing these as if I had just seen the movies.

T   H   O   R

THE DARK WORLD

                  Thor: The Dark World brings Chris Hemsworth back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with an even bigger boom than its predecessor. Picking up off of where The Avengers left off, we get to see what Thor has been up to since New York. He's been cleaning up the Nine Realms and establishing himself as a good king after his father Odin passes.
                  Meanwhile, darkness is a-brewing. Malekith is a Dark Elf who wants to return to a time

where there was absolutely no light, and to do so, he needs the Aether (aka the Reality Stone). And coincidentally, it inhabits Jane Foster's body. So Thor needs to get the Aether out of Jane's body and beat Malekith, all while making sure the Nine Realms don't fall into complete darkness.
                  One of the most interesting aspects of this movie is the role of the supporting characters. They're not there simply to smile and wave and cower in fear until the hero does his job. They each have something they can do to contribute to saving the Nine Realms, and they join Team Thor. Their roster: Dr. Erik Selvig (who has continued down a scientific path making him seem like an absolute lunatic), Darcy (who is still Jane's intern, but now has her own intern), Loki (who's been locked up for the past year thanks to his actions in The Avengers), Sif and the Asgard crew, and Heimdall.
                  Jane, after foolishly touching the Aether thanks to a dimensional rift caused by "The Convergence" of the Nine Realms, is brought back to Asgard by Thor in order to figure out why Heimdall couldn't see her, because Thor wanted to do his daily stalker check up on his girlfriend. The

Asgardians can do nothing about the Aether, and before much more can be said about that, Malekith attacks and Odin's wife protects Jane until the death. Jane is taken away, and Thor decides to go after Malekith with the help of Loki.
                  While they're getting out of Asgard, Loki thinks it's a good idea to shape-shift into some of Thor's friends, including Captain America!
                  It's a nice touch of humor before the big brawling action goes down. With Loki's help and sacrifice, Thor gets Jane back, but the Aether is set free and in the hands of Malekith. So Thor and Jane go back to Earth and find Selvig and Darcy, and devise a strategy that can use the power of the Convergence to their advantage.
                  They figure out that the epicenter for the entire thing is in Washington, D.C., and go there to prepare for Malekith's arrival. Thor confronts the Dark Elf, and after a rather eventful brawl, the Convergence passes with Avenger-esque destruction, and Malekith is defeated.
                  Thor returns to Asgard to notify his father that Loki died in their battle against Malekith, and to also say that he does not want the throne, saying "I'd rather be a good man than a great king." Understanding that Thor will not take the throne no matter what, Odin says he cannot give his son a

blessing, but if he were proud of the man his son had become, "even that I could not say. Go."
                  Thor thanks Odin and leaves, and before the screen cuts out, Odin turns into Loki (or rather Loki turns back to himself) and says "No, thank you."



                  Leaving us on a thread only to be picked up by Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: The Dark World is a successful, witty, and entertaining continuation of the story Marvel Studios seeks to tell as they enter Phase Two of a plan we as viewers could only dream of.

Ratings:
Family Friendliness - 7.5/9 Realms (8/10) Marvel continues to deliver a fun and action-packed movie with minimal, if any, blood. There is a scene with Dr. Erik Selvig running around naked in a field, but it is pixelated out. Nonetheless, you can tell he is not properly clothed.
Storyline - 8.5/10 Dark Elves The story seems to feed a little off of The Avengers with the idea of an alien race seeking universal domination, although the characters involved are inspired by Norse mythology and of course Marvel comics. Not overly complicated, but not a mindless movie, The Dark World delivers an interesting story unique to its titular protagonist.
Story-Action Balance - 9/10 Thrones Despite all of the fighting and violence that breaks out due to Malekith's evil plan, there is a fair amount of story-driven screen time. The action that ensues is intense and gripping, but it isn't overkill to the point where you become desensitized to it. Any punch thrown is a meaningful one, and the duration of back-and-forth blows is appropriate.
Overall - 8.5/10 Hammers


Bibliography:
"Thor: The Dark World Thor and Jane" <http://wiproo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Thor-2-The-Dark-World-Official-Photo-Thor-and-Jane-Kiss-Asgard.jpg>
"Thor: The Dark World Captain America cameo" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oieI1UOEe4>
"Thor: The Dark World Malekith" <https://www.popoptiq.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Thor-The-Dark-World-Malekith.jpg>
"Thor: The Dark World Loki in Odin's Throne" <http://24.media.tumblr.com/e7f70b6d9475512b86fc9b320fe5a807/tumblr_mvyoygYo5q1shrn3uo2_500.gif>

The Mummy (2017)

Alrighty folks, sorry for the lack of activity, but here we go with the new review! I understand that I'm quite behind, but please understand that I'm busy making new videos for y'all, too! Hang in there!

T  H  E

M    U    M    M    Y

                  Tom Cruise stars as Nick Morton, a military operative who is a high-key treasure hunter. Where he's stationed, it's crowded with enemies. He and his buddy Sergeant Vail are on their own, and Nick wants to go into the enemy-infested area to look for some loot. Vail doesn't like it, but Nick assures him, "It'll be quick. In 'n out."

                  Next thing you know, they're being shot at, and Vail is freaking out. He gets so worked up that he calls in an airstrike, and the tangos leave almost immediately after getting bombarded. One of the shots from the airstrike opens an enormous hole in the ground, and it reveals a mummy-looking statue. You can guess where the mummy is.

                  Now, I didn't mention the beginning before this particular sequence because I want it to be a surprise for you folks. It's the new mummy's origin story, and it's actually quite interesting. It's unique to Ahmanet and who her character is developed to be.

                  Okay, anyway, Nick's superior comes onto the scene along with Jenny Halsey, an archaeologist. Apparently, Nick and Jenny have a history, one as soon as the evening before. The backstory explained here is awkwardly dropped in front of Nick's superior, and it feels out of place in the whole unraveling of things. But watching the rest of the film, there's really no other place they could have done it. I kind of wish the two didn't know each other before this encounter, but it's whatever.

                  They dig up the sarcophagus, and as they're doing so, Jenny is examining the grave. She makes a bunch of ominous realizations (out loud thank god) about how the set up of the chamber is not anything good. The statues looking like Anubis are facing inwards, not outwards, meaning that they are guarding the individual from leaving, not from anything coming in.

                  The other thing is that there's a pool of mercury covering the sarcophagus, which is being

suspended by four poles held down by enormous rocks that act as a sort of pulley device. Mercury is significant because that's what the Egyptians believed could restrict the powers of darkness. Kind of like Dracula and silver.

                  And finally, there's no treasures inside the tomb. This is symbolic of no preparation for the afterlife. So whatever this person of nobility (hence the personal tomb) did, it was nothing good. And that's also why it's so far from Egypt itself. It's actually located in Mesopotamia, present-day Iraq. In other words, the Egyptians wanted nothing to do with this force of evil. So it's gotta be pretty bad. Of course it is, otherwise there wouldn't be a movie, right?

                  From there, I think you can deduce what happens. The only riddle you'll really have to solve is how Tom Cruise is alive for the remainder of the movie since he dies in the plane crash. So go and see it!

T  H  E

M    U    M    M    Y

Ratings:

Family Friendliness - 8/10 Sarcophagi The film is suprisingly family-friendly. I mean, don't gemme wrong, the mummies themselves are pretty scary. They're almost zombie-like, which kind of irked me because it felt like a World War Z-esque film. Nonetheless, there's hardly, if any, swearing, no nudity, and only a few scenes of intense violence and scary images.

Story line - 8/10 Mummies Alright, the story was there, no doubt. And since it was acting as a springboard into Warner Brother's "Dark Universe", it was good in that respect. It was interesting and unique, and I believe the writers did a fantastic job.

Compared to "The Mummy (1999)" - 6/10 Monsters DO NOT GET ME WRONG, this was a good movie on its own. But literally everyone has seen the 1999 version of an ancient Egyptian god come to life and terrorize the planet, so it's hard to live up to the precedent that film set. Had I never seen Brendan Fraser's incarnation of the movie, I would have loved this one so much more. But here's the reason why this 2017 version didn't live up: character development.

                  As a standalone reboot of the franchise we all know and love starring Brendan Fraser, it was kind of a disappointment. Each character, no matter how minor in the original Mummy, had something that defined them and made you understand them. That way, when they died, you felt bad! Even if they were being jerks to Rick! In this version of The Mummy, you felt no pity for those who

died. You were only attached to Nick and Jenny, and they were overall stale characters.

                  Also, if you compare Imhotep and Ahmanet, I believe Imhotep is a better mummy. Not because he's more badass or anything. Here's why: background. Imhotep was driven by love to summon the dark arts. So his rage came from something that was pure, and that made his story tragic. I pitied Imhotep, even though I knew he had to go.

                  Ahmanet was driven by rage from the get-go. There's nothing behind that except greed. So I don't really pity her because she was just being a selfish and whiny baby because she couldn't get the throne. AND she was so pissed about the throne being taken from her that she KILLED A BABY!!! How messed up d'you have to be to kill a baby? You've gotta have a screw loose or something. I don't think even Imhotep would have done that.

Story Action Balance - 7/10 Buses There was a lotta lotta action, and I don't think there was enough build up to the mummy's grand reveal to make her scary as much as Imhotep was scary in the original Mummy. Then again, that's my nostalgic self looking for something to live up to Brendan Fraser. Unfortunately, you can't look at this movie that way.

Overall - 7/10 Stars Personally, I think this is a generous rating. But I try to be generous with films as much as I can. I hope you can forgive this film more than I have, and I haven't even completely expressed my distaste for this movie so as to give you folks a chance to watch it. So please lower your expectations and give it a chance guys.

Bibliography:

"The Mummy 2017 Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjHgzkQM2Sg>

"The Mummy 2017 Ahmanet" <http://static1.squarespace.com/static/51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de/51ce6099e4b0d911b4489b79/5844d42e2e69cf1ae470f990/1481003478427/full-trailer-for-tom-cruises-the-mummy-welcomes-you-to-the-world-of-gods-and-monsters-social.jpg?format=1000w>

"The Mummy 2017 Nick Morton" <https://3w46os2x1jd34c87yk1vvkvh-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Mummy-images-2-600x395.jpg>

"The Mummy 1999 Wallpaper" <http://cdn.wallpapersafari.com/63/52/nAg6UW.jpg>