Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Score: 5 / 5

Easily the best of the Thor movies and perhaps the funniest installment in the MCU yet, Thor: Ragnarok is the opposite of the end of the world. Its visual attention to comic book style, bright and lurid colors, and absurd imagery provide a feast to view. More importantly, the film boasts fresh humor -- thanks be, no doubt, to director Taika Waititi -- that reveals character and propels the story while making for a bizarre, buddy-comedy that also happens to be about superheroes.

While searching for Infinity Stones to no avail (a quest he embarked upon after Age of Ultron), Thor has run afoul of a fire demon who prophesies the apocalypse, Ragnarok, and reveals that Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is missing. Upon vanquishing his foe and returning to Asgard, Thor confronts Loki (who had been posing as Odin since The Dark World while the Nine Realms fell into disarray) and the two search for Odin on earth. In a hilarious little scene, Doctor Strange sends them to Norway, where Odin reveals his imminent death. His firstborn, Hela (a deliciously campy Cate Blanchett), is freed from her prison by his passing, and she appears in gothic glory as the goddess of death before destroying Thor's hammer and casting both Thor and Loki into the void of space as she travels to Asgard.

The rest of the plot is largely inconsequential. Heroes do heroic things, villains do villainous things, and just about everyone delivers killer punchlines. Thor ends up on the waste planet Sakaar, lorded over by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum doing the Jeff Goldblum thing, in a bluish getup like that of Benicio del Toro in Guardians of the Galaxy; the two are related somehow, if I remember my lore) who forces him to become a gladiator. After fighting the Hulk ("I know him! He's a friend from work!") and getting roundly smashed (Loki takes particular joy when Hulk tosses Thor as a rag doll, à la Loki's abuse in The Avengers), the two plan to escape back to Asgard and stop Hela. Why stop her? Well -- and here's where the film is strangely serious -- Hela's mission is to expand the colonial Asgard empire. She seeks cosmic domination, as though nine realms were nothing, and her giddy lust for power manifests as ruthless, wanton violence against her inferiors. The film does not shy away from implicating Odin in this imperial horror, and Hela's subtext is clearly to spread her master race across the universe. It's a subtle shift from mindless destruction to designed genocide; an incredibly timely portrait of the evils of supremacy and the privileged few who not only allow it to happen but are complicit in its ravages. In these moments, the film hits surprisingly close to home, especially given the ties to Nordic culture and religion often claimed by white supremacists.

But that social commentary is only a small part of the film, though I'd argue the most important. Some more fun if messy plot happens. Badass Valkyrie 142 (Tessa Thompson, who we will need more of, please-and-thank-you) joins the team, along with two other gladiators Korg and Miek (Korg is voiced by Waititi, Miek is silent and just as funny). They start a rebellion and commandeer a ship or two and do a lot of fighting along the way. Eventually they return to Asgard and stop Hela and Skurge (Karl Urban, in a sadly small role) from annihilating the citizens and Heimdall (Idris Elba). Then the Big Battle commences, and I'll let you watch the rest. Just know there's a giant wolf, a fire demon, a sacrifice, an eyeball, and a lot of smashing.

As a comedy, Ragnarok is stunning. Who knew Chris Hemsworth's secret skill was pitch-perfect comic delivery? As a superhero movie, it is no less impressive. Considering the amazing Civil War, I wasn't sure MCU could out-do itself, but lo, and behold the spectacle here! Of course it's all pretty absurd, but then this is a movie about gods and aliens, not billionaires and science projects. The tone aptly fits the material, and this movie's self-referential jabs reveal its refusal to take itself too seriously. Consider Thor's repeated efforts to calm Hulk by using Black Widow's "sun's getting real low" line, which obviously don't work coming from the earnest god of thunder.

Then again, this movie sets up some really interesting ideas moving forward. After two years of Hulk taking over Bruce Banner's (Mark Ruffalo) body, Banner fears that if Hulk emerges again, Banner will never come back. The climax features Banner letting Hulk rage, and we are left wondering if that was Mark Ruffalo's exit from the franchise. Also, (SPOILER ALERT) the destruction of Asgard and exodus of its people suggests that Thor will reign as king and set up a new home in Norway. Just as I was wondering if that is something we're going to see in a future film, the mid-credits scene happens, in which a larger spaceship intercepts their earthbound ship. What is happening? We just don't know yet.

IMDb: Thor: Ragnarok

Pete's Dragon (2016)

Score: 4.5 / 5

Disney's on a bit of a winning streak, and this one is just the latest jewel in its crown. A nostalgic bit of magic, the film reminds us of a time when "Disney movies" meant something, when as a kid I would look at the beautiful Disney VHS cases at rental stores and eagerly look forward to the color and lights, feel the kindness and joy of characters, and feel empowered and affirmed. Sure, I can now recognize some serious ideological flaws in even the oldest Disney classics. But that doesn't necessarily mean I don't still feel a tingle of joy when I consider re-viewing Sleeping Beauty or Snow White. It's that kind of magic Disney is bringing back to its films, but now they (mostly) have stronger, better messages. Look at the purpose and power of Judy Hopps, the feminist and queer dynamics of Queen Elsa, the autonomy of Mowgli, the community of care and love around Dory, and the honest consequences of wishes and actions in Into the Woods. Disney still has its missteps (as in the colossal waste of time and energy of the Cinderella remake), but by and large they are still decent exercises in filmmaking, and they surely bring joy to some.

I don't really remember the original -- with the notable exceptions of Mickey Rooney, absurd musical numbers, and the trippy cartoon beast itself -- but I do remember distinctly not liking it. I was, you might imagine, a little hesitant to go see this remake. Thankfully my worries were proven unnecessary.

Pete's Dragon hits all its marks. It's a totally safe and sweet PG adventure, a rollicking coming-of-age dramedy with some light action, some familiar drama, and a whole lotta heart. It's one of those movies dripping with sentiment that actually works. A pretty thin film, full of breathtaking special effects and wonderful vision, simple and straightforward, never promising more than it gives and relishing the smallest of moments just long enough for us to take everything in. Director David Lowery (Ain't Them Bodies Saints) and cinematographer Bojan Bazelli (The Ring, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Hairspray, Burlesque) imbue the film with a mythic quality that starts small and builds to a charming if safe climax, all while keeping the action controlled and measured. While the effects are massive, there's no overkill; whereas the original was hallucinatory and vivid, everything here is grounded and detailed realistically, including the dragon itself. Furry and green, it emotes perhaps more than any of the actors.

That's not to say the actors aren't on their game, though the script only gives a couple of them anything to work with. Little Oakes Fegley is a wonder to watch and a joy to behold as he commands the screen in every shot. Bryce Dallas Howard is the other joy here, delivering a turn as loving mother and motherly guardian of the Pacific Northwest forest. Robert Redford pops in for a few scenes as the grandfatherly narrator, and both Wes Bentley and Karl Urban run around with appropriate and contrasting energies.

The greater joys for me lie in the production itself. Besides the visual magic, Lowery's screenplay refocuses the story, simplifying the plot and making a clear case for environmentalism. He also continues a trend we've seen in Boyhood and Room, allowing a boy to mature before our eyes, while surrounding him with an amazing mother figure. The music by Daniel Hart is primarily folksy, helping the mythic presentation along, while strengthening major themes of family and home. Home may be where the heart is, but it's also a place in the world, a place in time, and the place with the people we love. Pete finds a home in the forest with Elliott the dragon, he also finds home with his surrogate family in town; Elliott ultimately finds his own home, farther away from "civilization" that ravages the land and his species.

Pete's Dragon is a lovely little meditation on all these and more, and a simple joy to watch. In a summer of films that are largely disappointments, that's a pretty great thing to say.

IMDb: Pete's Dragon

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Score: 3.5 / 5

Finally, the summer blockbuster we've been waiting for. Tarzan failed miserably, and the last good major flicks were from Marvel. In a hot season this devoid of decent action movies, just about anything might have done the trick. And while the newest Star Trek certainly delivers in all the crucial ways, it also leaves me feeling a bit underwhelmed.

As someone who has never seen anything Trek-related besides these reboot films, I may not speak with the most authority on these matters. I've heard that the film works best with its nostalgic, retro vibes and its pervasive senses of joy, humor, and adventure. We get more of the Spock-Kirk-McCoy bromance, the Spock-Uhura drama, and some nice insight into Sulu and Scott. This picture, far more than the first or second installments, fulfills the franchise's promise for exploration, adventure, and wonder. All fun, all the time. I totally get that. It's a rapturous fantasy, dazzling and wondrous in scope, layered with hue upon hue, vibrant and explosive, original and utterly absorbing.

The mind-numbing CGI and whirling cinematography through amazing alien worlds do their trick too: distraction. I've heard it argued both ways, and convincingly, but after the emotional and intellectual power-punches of the first two, this film really lets its heart take a break. Perhaps that was the smart decision, as the emotional climax of Into Darkness was so intense. But even what could be character-building arcs here are sacrificed in favor of blatant gags and quirky one-liners. The revved action sequences and heated style render the more sentimental dialogue tepid at best. And maybe that's okay for what amounts to a placeholder film in a franchise as extensive as this. But I just spent the time thinking and typing all this out to say that I'm just not sure, which may suggest the filmmakers weren't sure either, either in conception or execution. My bet is on the latter. Why? Because even some basic plot devices are illogical and filled with holes. I know I missed some, too, because of the frenetic pace of the film, but one that really pissed me off occurred when Scotty tells the captain that the dilapidated spaceship is impossible to fix, and in the next scene everything is fine and they're blasting off.

And that's to say nothing of the action sequences themselves, which are occasionally stupid and usually incoherent. They're a hell of a lot of fun, but I had trouble lining up placements and even location. Not that it even mattered most of the time; the film is so full of salvific coincidence and that it's hard to care much how our heroes escape or succeed because we innately know they will. Important plot pieces just click into place as they are needed with little or no explanation beyond screenwriting laziness.

For all that, though, it's a hell of a picture, and loads of fun. I'd watch it again, and be happy the whole time. It certainly whetted my appetite for another rollicking adventure. Tempered, I might add, by remembering that Anton Yelchin won't be there. Rest in peace.

IMDb: Star Trek Beyond