Review: Thor

        The Avengers was a movie unlike any other. It connected five films in one epic tale of derring do, and it did so surprisingly well. Aside from perhaps Nolan's The Dark Knight, The Avengers is the best superhero movie ever made. It's unfortunate that the films that preceded it were not quite as amazing. The first Iron Man was a triumph, the second one would've been terrible if not for Robert Downey Jr., Captain America was entertaining, but lacking in substance, I haven't seen Incredible Hulk with either Eric Bana or Edward Norton, but from what I've heard, that's for the best. Which brings me to Thor. I like Thor in the Marvel Comics, the old-timey way he talks sets him apart from other characters in the Marvel universe, lending him a certain charm. His hammer Mjolnir is also really cool as it gives him the ability to fly as well as bust skulls. Chris Hemsworth does a decent job bringing across the things I like about Thor from the comics, and he certainly looks the part, but a weak script brought this movie down.

Review: The Avengers

     Joss Whedon used to belong to the nerds. As the creator, director and main writer of the shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Whedon developed a devoted fan base of nerds. I'm not sure why it has taken this long for Hollywood executives to see the large market appeal of this fantastic writer. He handles emotion very well, and his creative plots always contain just the right amount of humor. The Avengers is Whedon's big budget debut, and it shows real promise for his career as a movie director in the future. I think the biggest key to Whedon's success with The Avengers is that he is a director who is passionate about the source material. When Martin Campbell directed Green Lantern in 2011, it flopped because the characters were handled poorly by a director with no appreciation for Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, most of Campbell's films beforehand were sleeker action movies like Casino Royale and The Legend of Zorro, not exactly typical nerdfare. It's a shame that what seems like an obvious principle in choosing a director for a movie is so often overlooked, but Whedon's familiarity with the Avengers Comics and the Marvel Universe make this movie a success.