That Shelf sat down with the new big screen incarnation of The Incredible Hulk, Mark Ruffalo, just before the release of the long anticipated Marvel epic The Avengers about working on such a big scale with director Joss Whedon and his adventures in motion capture.
I realize I'm about a week late for the start of the month, but I just bought a baby bulldog, so when you have your own poop factory to take care of, feel free to criticize. Lots to like this month: a summer tentpole, a B movie starring Roy Batty; even a Terrence Malick sighting. Perhaps even more incredible is that someone hired Mel Gibson for something.
I should preface this review with one caveat: I've never read or watched ”” or heard of Thor at all, really ”” before seeing the film. As you can probably guess from the preceding sentence, I don't even know what format of text or media from which its story originates. Colour me uneducated and largely incurious. Instead of attempting to hide this gaping hole in my nerd credentials, I'm sure that highlighting my lack of Thor knowledge will make for a pretty interesting review.
I didn’t know it until I saw it, but I have been waiting for a summer movie like Thor for a long time. It is fun, far more fun than any comic adaptation I have seen in years. Its director brings to it a distantiation that allows for investment in the fun of it all: the outrageous narration, exaggerated and impossible action sequences, and actors who can just let go and enjoy the ride without any pressure while still maintaining their integrity and talent. This, my friends, is what a summer movie should be: exciting, clever, comedic, and a joyride.
