Rage on the Movies: Priest

A priest (Paul Bettany) disobeys church law to track down the vampires who kidnapped his niece.It is as simple as that, not complicated at all. The only complication with this movie was setting it up for the audience. It is an apocalyptic tale of man versus vampire. After the obligatory action opening scene to grab the audience's attention, a graphic animation plays out to set the scene. The animation is full of promise that the movie will be gory and blood-filled. The movie delivers on that promise. It is also jam packed with special effects and action sequences. However, the action sequences seem a bit forced and the special effects are reminiscent of the Matrix movies. The plot is somewhat rehashed. It is about a bruiting good guy simultaneously fighting against the establishment and the forces of evil. Along the way he picks up two sidekicks that offer nothing to the plot other than a distraction. This movie is a club sandwich of special effects layered between three slices of action. If you are looking for the excitement and thrill of Ironman or even Thor, you won't get it here. But if you like slaying vampires, fight scenes, explosions and stimulating visual effects, this is your movie. I rate it 3 stars out of 5…wait until it comes out on video

Rage on the Movies: Thor

When the warrior Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard for his arrogance, he is sent to Earth to live among humans. Falling in love with scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), he learns some much-needed lessons, and his newfound strength comes into play as a villain from his homeland sends dark forces toward Earth.


I really didn’t expect much from this movie. Frankly, I thought the superhero genre in the movies was fading after Iron Man II. But I must say this movie was a pleasant surprise. I am not much of a Marvel Comics Fan, so I knew little about Thor, which I think was an advantage. I watched the movie, learning as it played. It was full of adventure, special effects and humor. Chris Harmsworth did an excellent job bringing the Nordic god to life. The character’s arrogance was overpowering. So the audience loved it when Thor was taken down a notch or two by normal humans with their puny little gadgets. I never warmed up to Natalie Portman’s character. Jane Foster is one of those women that can give you a headache. She is so driven, to the point of stupid. Kate Dennings as Darcy Lewis was the real gem of the picture. Additionally, Tom Heddleston as Loki gave a sparkling performance. We see his transformation better than we see Thor’s transformation. The action was exciting, grand and worth watching in 3D. The storyline was good, but had dry spots.

For a superhero movie, I give it 4.5 stars.