Tag: Cohen Holloway

Movie Review – ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ – Kiwi Fried Goodness


Directed by Taika Waititi
Written by Eric Pearson and Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost, based on the comics by Stan Lee & Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Hopkins, Benedict Cumberbatch, Taika Waititi (voice), Rachel House, Clancy Brown (voice), Tadanobu Asano, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Luke Hemsworth, Sam Neill, Cohen Holloway, Matt Damon
Soundtrack: Mark Mothersbaugh

To be honest, I’m a bit superhero-ed out right now.  I don’t think I’ll be able to get up for Justice League, or Black Panther, but I’ve got just enough in the tank to be excited for this, because it’s a known fact that the Marvel Cinematic Universe benefits from getting a little wild from time to time.

Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man: Homecoming: all a bit nutty, a bit weird, and all wonderful (and all helmed by non-“name” directors, who Marvel came to terms with before shooting); and as I well know, if you really want to get your freak on, you pass things off to Taika Waititi.

Director of such films as What We Do in the Shadows, and the criminally underrated Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Taika Waititi knows how to provide his audience with a good, fun time, without making a complete farce of things (not unlike Edgar Wright, though they are definitely not the same; growing up on opposite sides of the globe will have that effect), and Thor: Ragnarok is no exception.

This is not to say that we have a perfect film on our hands (for one thing, I’m not sure it stands up entirely on its own, which I’m something of a stickler about), but it’s definitely worth the price of admission.

The strength of Thor: Ragnarok lies largely in its tone and its humor (shocker, I know), to the point that the action bits are probably the least interesting thing about the movie.

Of course, none of this would work without quality performances (including a bit of a scene-stealer from Waititi himself).  Chris Hemsworth, if he wasn’t already, seems perfectly comfortable in his Thor suit; same for Tom Hiddleston as Loki; Cate Blanchett is clearly having a blast (and is darkly fetching); Idris Elba does fine with what little he has; Tessa Thompson makes for an interesting addition; Karl Urban brings a surprising amount of gravitas to what could easily be a throwaway role; Mark Ruffalo is Mark Ruffalo (in the same way that RDJ is RDJ); but the man himself, Jeff Goldblum, is truly the straw that stirs the drink (so much so that one of my disappointments is that he’s not in the movie more).

Thor: Ragnarok won’t work for everybody, I recognize that (I already said it wasn’t perfect); not everyone will jibe with its particular sense of humor, but, by-and-large, I think most people will experience this as the fun romp it is

After all, you don’t want to be taking all this comic book stuff too seriously now, do you?

Rating: ★★★★☆

P.S.
Of course there are stingers; why are you asking?

Movie Review – ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ – Absolutely Majestical

Written and Directed by Taika Waititi
Based on the book Wild Pork And Watercress by Barry Crump
Cast: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rhys Darby, Rima Te Wiata, Rachel House, Oscar Kightley, Cohen Holloway, Taika Waititi
Soundtrack: Lukasz Pawel Buda, Samuel Scott, & Conrad Wedde (aka “The Phoenix Foundation”)

I’m not usually one to seek out “family” movies, but sometimes I kind of stumble into them.  I suppose you could label Hunt for the Wilderpeople as such a film (although most family movies get below a PG-13 rating), but I’d much rather just refer to it as a great movie, because that’s what it is.  Along with The Nice Guys, it’s one of the best films I’ve seen so far in 2016, and it seems likely to land in the Top 5 at year’s end (not to hype it up too much).

I can’t get into the plot too much without spoiling things (and I want you to enjoy it as much as possible when you go see it), so I’ll simply say that Hunt for the Wilderpeople is the story of “bad egg” Ricky Baker and his foster “uncle” Hector “Hec” Faulkner, and their flight into the New Zealand bush in an effort to escape the wrath of Child Services.

Frankly, the main reason why I love this movie so much is because it feels like a cross-pollination of two of my favorites of the past ten years (with a Kiwi twist for good measure): Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom and Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz.  And, like those movies, Hunt for the Wilderpeople also features music in the film that’s also featured in its trailer, which is good for me because I like that sort of new wave-ish ambient synth pop stuff.

Based on the book Wild Pork And Watercress by Barry Crump, and written and directed by Taika Waititi, who has a very funny cameo as a minister who’s in way over his head (and whose last project was the critically acclaimed vampire mockumentary What We Do In The Shadows, which I also recommend), Hunt for the Wilderpeople is an intensely funny movie that’s also not afraid to deal with some real life issues, which it seems like more and more kids and family movies are steering away from, so I give it a lot of credit for not shying away.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the performances of our two lead actors: Julian Dennison and Sam Neill.  They couldn’t be more different as people, and they spend much of the movie not liking each other, but, even in those moments, there’s a certain chemistry between them that shines on the screen.  And, as many roles as Sam Neill has played in his illustrious career, I think this is the first time I’ve heard him speak in his native New Zealand tongue, so that’s fun.

Other than that, there’s not much to say, except that Hunt for the Wilderpeople is eminently enjoyable and, again, one of the best movies of the year.  If it’s playing in your vicinity, go check it out, because I can’t recommend it much more highly than that.  Whether you’re going out on a date, or going with friends, family, kids, or whoever, this is a film that works for just about everyone.

Rating: ★★★★½ (out of five)