Lucasfilm and visionary director J.J. Abrams join forces to take you back again to a galaxy far, far away as “Star Wars” returns to the big screen with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Episode VII in the Star Wars Saga, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, opens in theaters December 18, 2015.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan & Abrams, features a cast including actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Andersen, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow. They will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker.
The film is being produced by Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk, and John Williams returns as the composer.
“The you in you isn’t the you you think is in you.” –Satoshi Kon
Satoshi Kon was known for many things, subjective reality, mentally broken characters, and fluid visuals. He loved using skewed perspectives and messing with the continuity, Kon loved making his audience just as confused as his characters. Kon was also known for making a darn good movie, Perfect Blue, is no exception.
Whew, alright. Perfect Blue, I can do this, I can do this. [Eighty minutes later] I can’t do this! I can’t do this!
Perfect Blue is a pretty interesting case when it comes to Kon’s Movie career. Originally set to be a live-action movie, due to an earthquake that hit the studio the budget was lowered to just an animated OVA. This was when Satoshi Kon was brought on. Kon and Murai (the screenwriter) decided they could do better than the book and was basically given free reign on how they change the story. Due to Otomo being a “Special Advisor” (whatever that means) the budget was raised to a full animated movie.
Animated in 1997 by Madhouse, Perfect Blue marks the true beginning of Kon’s directorial career. In the film you see many themes and styles that we’ve come to recognize as Kon’s. Chief among these are editing style, smoothly cutting from scene to scene, subjective reality, and the theme of the ‘Male Gaze.’
This is a freakin’ confusing movie. Much more so than Kon’s other works, even Paranoia Agent or Paprika. The reason being is that this movie is designed to confuse you. It’s calibrated to have you change opinions every ten minutes. Whereas Kon expects you to understand Paprika and Paranoia Agent. As proof of this, I wrote notes about my thoughts on Perfect Blue while watching it for the second time, and my ideas were all over the place. It’ll be at the bottom the article for you to check out.
But if that isn’t enough to convince you, Satoshi Kon himself said in an interview that he was unsatisfied with the ending of Perfect Blue, and wished he could have made it more confusing… thank goodness he didn’t. It’s hard enough as it is.
Perfect Blue is not supposed to be fully understood. No matter how many times you view this film, it won’t get any easier to understand. Perfect Blue is designed to force you to come up with your own conclusions, your own theories. Similar to the ending of Inception, but with the entire second half. The reason Kon said he didn’t find it all that confusing, was because the continuity is not something that can be pieced together easily, if at all. Mima couldn’t make sense of her life or what was truly going on, so to pull us into her head, neither can we.
It’s hard to come up with an exhaustive writing on the themes of the movie, or how the characters have developed. Even after just finishing the movie it feels like a blur. But that is all intentional, Perfect Blue is Satoshi Kon’s most subjective movie. It’s up to us to make sense of things. It’s up to us to discover the themes. It’s up to you. That is why, I’ll leave it to you. But if you wish to see what I thought, just scroll a little lower. But I warn you, I’m not entirely sure or anything yet. I haven’t come to my own conclusion yet, and I doubt I ever will. But that just adds to my Perfect Blue watching experience.
Kon loved challenging his viewers to make sense of what’s happening, and consider their own perspectives, his movies may seem cynical and pessimistic, but underneath there lies a layer of vain hope. “With feelings of gratitude for all that is good in this world, I put down my pen. Now excuse me, I have to go.” –Satoshi Kon
Watching Notes:
The movie opens up with the “Power-rangers” and then some crowd chatter before going backstage where we see CHAM in chaos. Mima runs on stage and title sequence.
After title sequence we see Mima on a train, listening to her song, while staring at her own reflection. This is an important theme of the movie, either self-image (how you see yourself) or the reflection is a fake mima, of which there are a few.
We cut back and forth between Mima on stage and her everyday life. Showing us a clear distinction between these lifestyles, something that will be contrasted by Mima’s personal life being interfered by her professional one.
We already begin to see the smooth cuts Satoshi Kon is known for. It’s been with him throughout his major directing career, his style of directing was something we didn’t see in Magnetic Rose because he wasn’t directing it.
Four minutes in we have a cut that goes straight from Mima’s chest to her back. This is almost definitely foreshadowing her reliance on sexual content to keep afloat later on, and the rape, both of them.
Right in the beginning we have a, in this case group of, super big fans disrupting Mima’s professional performance, just like the threats we’ll be getting later.
Rumi is really fighting for her singing… just saying…
Five minutes and we’ve met the stalker. What thematic purpose does he have? How much of everything is he really responsible for?
With the hand shot of Mima from the Stalker’s perspective, it’s already established that he objectifies her. The previous group of fans disrupt this… could this signify that the Stalker plays a different role than the group of fans???
Mima’s singing voice sounds nothing like her normal voice.
The lyrics to Mima’s last song is TOTALLY symbolic of her leaving CHAM!
Mima’s Room was started before the show… definitely done by Rumi.
“Bye bye, Mima the Pop Idol” is a really freaky line of dialogue if you’ve seen Perfect Blue before.
That breathy call was supposed to seem like Stalker, but it sounded more… ‘feminine’
This movie most shows its age when Mima is confused about the internet
It’s interesting the two main characters of ‘Double Bind’ slip into character immediately, when Mima get’s lost in her own.
Stalker is on set! I repeat! Stalker is on set!
On ‘Double Bind’ we don’t know who the killer is… just like in Perfect Blue
Rumi looks visibly uncomfortable with Mima not being a Pop Idol… just saying…
Idiot, opening mail that isn’t yours??? Baka
The letter bomb is either from Stalker (supposedly on set) or Rumi (looked uncomfortable when the letter was mentioned)
Rumi used to be an Idol herself??? That’s… suspicious… just saying…
Rumi doesn’t seem too phased by the letter bomb
Of course Rumi belittles it as “A prank”
Rumi’s goal seems to be to mentally disturb Mima, the letter bomb, introducing her to Mima’s Room, and possibly the fax???
The May 12th entry confirms is has to be Rumi
Kinda surprising a primetime show like ‘Double Bind’ has nudity.
Nudity on the POSTER TOO? Japan is crazy…
Stalker seems happy to save ‘Mima-rin’
Stalker definitely killed one of the fans at the beginning “The hit-and-run”
This is where the reality stuff gets complicated…
Mima’s character changes personalities when raped… perhaps real Mima too? It is a scary event, real or not.
CHAM Mima will come out.
Perhaps is this rape this is the cause of the whole Dopple-Mima, the time she fights it off is when she regains herself? Will look out for it.
Stalker is on set! I repeat! Stalker is on set!
Yikes, that is uncomfortable.
At least the guy is sorry.
Wow, that is even more uncomfortable.
Rumi really hates this… it’s ruined any chance of returning to being a Pop Idol… just saying…
Mima seems pretty unfazed by the rape scene. I guess Rumi handled it the worst.
OKAY! WHO KILLED THE FISH! I WILL MURDER THEM UNTIL THEY’RE DEAD! Seriously… that’s just mean.
Fish death means more to Mima than being (fake) raped.
I guess Mima really IS a good actress if she held her emotions in until now.
Yep, as soon as rape was involved, Idol-Mima has appeared.
The fish aren’t dead? Wow, Mima was really affected by that scene. “I see dead people, I mean fish, I see dead fish.”
That scene… showed Stalker writing on Mima’s Room? But.. I thought… Rumi…
These idol fans are pretty obsessed with innocence.
Okay… I can see Stalker writing this. But he must have an amazing ear to have heard the May 12th entry.
Idol-Mima is a combination of Mima’s inner want to be an idol again, and everyone else’s (Rumi and Stalker most notably) desire for that as well.
Idol-Mima’s existence stems from the Rape scene and the stubbornness of ‘Mimi-rin’s’ fans
Gosh, the music in the scene paired with the visuals of Idol-Mima hopping streetlights is sooo chilling. Love it!
Ahh, the first murder. This is almost definitely Stalker, but it still could be Rumi…
“Was stabbed umpteen times” What? Umpteen times?? What does that even mean???
Mima is smothering her feelings about showing her body by showing her body…
Everyone can see Idol-Mima???
Stalker can’t stand other people seeing Mima naked… or does he want it all for himself…
Perhaps Stalker, or Me-mania, isn’t running Mima’s Room? Yeah, I think so.
Right there, “There is no way illusions can come to life.” That answers the riddle! It’s all Rumi either doing the things, or convincing Stalker to! I wish it stayed this easy.
Did Mima get run over by Stalker? Or is this a dream? It’s a dream? Right? Right?
What if… perhaps… just maybe… Rumi and Stalker are related??? Their faces look pretty familiar, at least the eyes do.
So it was all a day-dream from Mima! Ah, how confusing.
Oh, so Mima’s just getting time mixed up now.
Yesterday!? Then why is the news spouting the same story?
Yep, okay. I got it now. In real life, Mima’s illusion is Idol-Mima, who possesses Stalker and Rumi. In Double Bind, Mima’s illusion is a security guard (much like Stalker) that possesses Rumi.
That was a reference to Opus! Cooool.
Yeah, Rumi is the one killing the photographer guy, we’re just seeing Mima’s illusion. Unless Mima’s doing it, and her illusion is possessing her! Probably not.
But Mima has the evidence so… she really did to it?
I really hope this scene is just a clever nod by the screenwriter to Mima’s actual life, and not a hint that perhaps Double Bind is real life, and the ‘real life’ is just a show. I really hope so.
This is Stalker finally doing what he promised Idol-Mima almost twenty minutes ago! Geez Stalker, get your act together.
But now Stalker admits to killing the other two??? Ugh
Stalker isn’t… natural. He didn’t flinch when Mima threw stuff at him, and his head didn’t move at all when she hammered him. Pretty sure he’s just one of her illusions.
Wait that was filming? But filming is done already! a;lsdhj;aosh b;oahg s This is so confusing!!!
Okay, definitely not filming. Whew, that’s not an aspect of confusion anymore.
What Rumi said there, “Back to Mima’s Room.” That is a worrisome line.
This… is not Mima’s real room, it’s too clean and perfect, completely unlike when we last saw it. Weird…
Aaand the fishes are dead again. Great.
Aaand the other producer guy’s dead. Great.
Aaand Stalker’s dead. Great.
Geez, what kind of fish are these? Lazarus fish?
Yep, different room. It was clean, the fish are in a different place. And Mima never had a train outside her window.
AND the Rumi twist is revealed! Bum bum BUUUUUUMMM!
Confirmed: Rumi is running Mima’s Room, and emailed Stalker as Mima.
Confirmed: Rumi killed the others, or at least told Stalker what weapon to use.
Now these fish are dead for real. Right?
Wow that’s a sharp umbrella.
Wow, that image of Idol-Mima standing in front of a moving truck, thinking it’s a crowd… that’s really good.
Okay so I’m going to be referring to Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans as Gundam IBO from now on. Its short and makes the title not seem so breathy. With that out-of-the-way I can start talking about how much I loved this episode. I think it was some kind of destiny that I was to be covering this show and Comet Lucifer at the same time. It seems everything that Comet Lucifer is seeming to lack Gundam IBO manages to execute almost perfectly. If you don’t know what I’m talking about with Comet Lucifer check out my disappointed episode three review here. So safe to say after a disappointing article on how much Comet Lucifer was “so-so” I’m really excited to write on how great Gundam IBO is going. So let’s get into it.
Episode Summary
Orga makes quick work of 1st squad by drugging them and forcing them to either leave or be subordinate. It takes a few murders from Mikazuki to realize how serious they are and almost everyone leaves. Orga learns that they are nearly broke and need to pick up funds quickly if they want to keep their newly managed business afloat.
Meanwhile the old guy from Gallanhorn comes back to request a duel. Mikazuki agrees with Kudelia’s life sort of on the line. Mikazuki wins and kills the man still showing no emotion what-so-ever. Kudelia finally realizes that there is something she can do to help. So she re-hires the newly formed “Iron Flower” to escort her on her diplomatic mission.
Episode Thoughts
Everything is moving very smoothly. While it may seem like nothing is really happening, it’s not that the characters aren’t trying. They just need time to get back on their feet. With the nice character developments helping to pick up the slow parts of the story though it doesn’t seem slow.
Gundam IBO, for the most part, does a really good job developing the character through the story instead of just exposition dumps. This is most noticeable in these slow episodes where even though things seem to be slow the characters are helping us get through these times. In turn this will help us care for the characters more later, plus we are growing to understand the characters better. It’s so simple but so many shows fail at this, so its noticeable when a show not only does it well but exceeds expectations. Which it is doing for me.
Honestly I still think Mikazuki is a messed up character. Although now as I see him more for how the show frames him, I’m starting to at least understand what the show is trying to say with a character like him. Basically I think what it boils down to is that Mikazuki is indeed a bad person. I don’t think the show is really justifying his actions or championing how he is so cold towards killing someone. More so, I think its showing how perception changes with whatever environment you are in. To all of Mikazuki’s friends he’s a hero and a good person looking out for his friends. Put that aside and he’s still a ruthless killer with barely a purpose. Given his circumstances he’s a good person but that’s not really the way it should be, and I think the show is acknowledging this. The only other evidence I have to back this up is the correlation I draw with Kudelia. Her whole thing is that she doesn’t perceive things the way Mikazuki and Orga do. She has a perception of the way people should act, but sees these kids and has to come to the realization that not everyone gets what they deserve. She doesn’t blame them for it though, she’s trying to understand them and trying to help them in the new environment she finds herself in. Her goal is to make a better life for the people of Mars so children don’t end up like Orga and Mikazuki. Its making a clear statement that life shouldn’t be like this.
Speaking of Kudelia, her character is still a little on the fence. While she was bumbling around figuring out what to do, she decides to just cook, as if it’s just something she would instinctively do as a woman. Maybe she just wanted to help out but knowing Gundam, I don’t know. Still I do enjoy that she came to a conclusion at the end of the episode and has her resolve back. But unless she jumps into a mobile suit I don’t think she’ll be doing much. Maybe at the end she’ll be able to have a big speech to sort of encapsulate everything the show is trying to say.
Orga on the other hand has sort of been settled already. His character is simple and easy to understand. That’s good though, because it gives us a good foundation to build off of. Given his position now he’ll have to make some important decisions that will most certainly reveal things about his character. Knowing him fairly well early on will help drive those future character developments home. Right now all we know is that he has extreme faith in Mikazuki (who wouldn’t though) and will do anything to ensure a better life for his friends.
I know I didn’t really talk about the mobile suit fight at the end of the episode, but at this point I think the mech battles are just the icing on the cake as far as this show is concerned. Besides what would I say about they other than “they were cool”. So unless there is some drop in quality or something that just amazes me I won’t be talking about them much.
Safe to say that Gundam IBO is progressing better than any Gundam that I’ve ever seen. Its managing everything nicely and not missing any beats in story or character. I know this phrase has jinxed me before but this could be the best anime of the season (besides One Punch Man). Surely a Gundam for everyone.
Tickets have gone live everywhere for The Force Awakens. You can go to places like Fandango right now and order your tickets for The Force Awakens. I went ahead and included the link to the Fandango page.
The story of Beasts Of No Nation isn’t exclusively Idris Elba’s portrayal of the charismatic commandant, it’s the performance of first time actor Abraham Attah. Attah is Agu, a village boy whose family is murdered and he becomes a child soldier, and Attah approaches the part with such passion, realism, and commitment to the story that it elevates the whole picture to the next level. This performance is unlike any performance in 2015 and that is why today Abraham Attah is the front-runner for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Let’s break this down even further.
1)Passion – In doing research for this article, it came as quite a shock that Abraham Attah was acting in his first feature length film. Watching Attah on screen was like watching a conductor lead a symphony of emotions scene after scene. It was as if the audience had a ring-side seat to Agu’s life being smashed into a million pieces. Abraham showed great presence on screen as he ever so slowly morphed from an innocent young boy to a bloodthirsty solider. Maybe working with Idris Elba brought out the best in him?
2) Realism – We often read about actors researching roles before they take on a part. Matthew McConaughey researched many of the issues surrounding AIDS and proper treatment before emaciating himself and taking on his Academy Award Winning role in Dallas Buyers Club. Having the proper background knowledge allows for a more authentic portrayal. Abraham Attah didn’t need to research his role because he’s from that region of the world. Instead of worrying about research, he was able to just throw himself into the role. The result was a jaw dropping performance by a child who’s never been on camera before. It just emphasizes the pure talent Attah possesses.
3) Commitment to the Story- Abraham Attah performance in Beasts Of No Nation is a master-class in commitment to a story line. The love that Agu has for his family is evident from the start, as slowly he has to endure heartbreak after heartbreak. It’s that love that transforms it into a cauldron of rage that allows Agu to go from a simple boy, to a conflicted soldier, and to a murderer of men. From the first second Beasts of No Nation starts, Attah is all in and he doesn’t relent which contributed to the countless magical moments that Attah has on screen.
And so we begin our 51 episode journey through my favorite show of all time. The show, titled Glass Mask, is about Maya Kitajima’s journey to stardom by means of plays, movies, and television. I hope you all have seen the first episode, if you haven’t the link to the show will be at the bottom of this article, and every Glass Mask article to follow. I strongly urge you to watch the show along with me, I’m super excited at the idea of re-watching the show I fell in love with so many years ago, and hope you can join me.
But now, to the actual show, the first episode was pretty… normal. There wasn’t anything super unique or fascinating about the premise. The first episode didn’t deconstruct any conventions of anime, nor did it provide a super interesting setting, neither did it leave us on a major cliffhanger of sorts. In fact, the entire show doesn’t seem to have anything special going for it, it’s practically a by-the-numbers shoujo. But it has something few shows can lay claim to, especially the amount Glass Mask has. This is Magic.
Now I believe that there are a few things needed for a story to cross over from ‘good’ to ‘great.’ The major components would be characters and plot. It’s nigh impossible for a ‘great’ show to lack in either characters or plot. But it is possible, there are ‘great’ shows that may lack in plot, but more than make up for it in characters (Shirobako, Time of Eve), and the reverse is true as well (Death Note, Ghost in the Shell). But for any ‘great’ story, another component is needed. It isn’t anything quantifiable, nothing that can be measured through normal means. This is Magic, the Magic of a story. When a story feels Magical, that’s how you know you’ve stumbled upon a ‘great’ story.
I think the best example of this are the classic Disney movies like Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, and Fantasia. These movies don’t have fleshed out characters or an amazing plot, but they have Magic. The best stories have Magic along with characters and plot, other examples from Disney would be Beauty and the Beast, The Incredibles, and The Lion King. This is a bit of a tangent, but I do believe it’s relevant to Glass Mask. Why? Because Glass Mask is the most Magical story I’ve seen so far.
Due to how much affection Glass Mask has forced me to give, it was impossible to watch the first episode with fresh eyes, but I wanted to see what the perspective of someone new to the show. So I watched the first episode with two others, Jordan, a friend of mine, and my nine-year-old sister. I wanted to confirm that I wasn’t alone in loving this show.
Jordan started off a little skeptical, he knew I loved this show so I’m sure he pulled his punches at first. During the first five or so minutes he would say things like, “This is poorly directed, I mean it’s good, but poorly directed.” About halfway through he revised his previous statement, “This show is really good, the music, the characters, the directing.” At this point, I knew he was getting sucked in. By the time the ending began to play all Jordan did was rant about how good it was. He couldn’t elaborate on why is was good, it just was. Jordan had seen the Magic.
My sister, being nine and all, didn’t comment on the quality of the directing, but just watched. I could tell she was a little bored at first, the beginning is slow after all. But as the episode went on she began asking questions, she was curious about the story, she was invested in it. At cue of credits rolling her first question was, “Can we watch another episode?” My sister had seen the Magic.
Magic isn’t the only thing Glass Mask has, as the show progresses the characters will continue to develop. The characters are one of my favorite aspects of the show. They’re just great, but I’ll save that for when they begin to grow.
Another amazing component of Glass Mask is the music, many shows have great music, but few have a soundtrack that so perfectly fits the tone, feel, and Magic of the show. I cannot tell you just how much I love the OST and opening (something I’ll analysis in detail later on). In fact, while you continue reading this rant about the first episode disguised as an article, please play to video below, it’ll enhance the experience.
(I want you to think this article is “Impressive”)
But enough about the various aspects of the show… what about the episode itself? It starts off with Maya working with her mother at the Chinese restaurant. It’s quickly established that Maya is pretty useless at this place, always taking too long or messing things up. This is contrasted by the end of the episode where she is the only productive one, doing everything because of her theater related goal. In the first episode Sugiko is a jerk and bully to Maya, constantly belittling her and making false promises (you let go of that ticket on purpose!!!). This is contrasted by… actually, nothing. Sugiko just is a jerk and we pretty much never see her again (good riddance).
This episode also reveals a lot about Maya and her soon-to-come acting skills. We’ve seen her ability to ‘slip’ into character, this is shown primarily in the park scene, though it is also referenced when Maya tells a coworker why she loves movies. We also see just how in-depth her characters get, the moment Tsukikage (the creepy lady in the park) really noticed Maya was when she laughed. Laughing as your character is a pretty hard task, especially while constantly switching characters (trust me, I know first hand). We also see how she captivates the audience, this is also from the park scene, you can tell just how invested the kids are in the story Maya was telling. She doesn’t become “The Stage Storm” for nothing (Minor spoiler… sorry). Additionally we see her memorization, the park scene, and her passion for anything acting related, shown throughout the entire second half of the first episode.
Finally, this episode sets up the three major characters of the show, Maya, Hayami, and Ayumi, while also showing us how their relationship will play out (anyone who’s seen the entire show will know what I’m talking about).
And that’s it! What did you think about the first episode of Glass Mask, will you continue watching (you better say yes), and isn’t Maya just adorable? Let me know your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below!
You can watch Glass Mask for yourself legally for free at Crunchyroll.
Apparently there is a hashtag floating around Twitter that would like you to boycott Star Wars: The Force Awakens due to the anti-white propaganda in the film.
My one question to all the racists out there, if Earth is not in the Star Wars universe, how can you think this is anti-white propaganda? Luke Skywalker is not Anglo-Saxon white. He’s a freaking alien you idiot! The film takes place in a galaxy, far, far, away.
Once again we are reminded that there is still a ton of hate out in the world and it is our job as nerds to shut it down. Retweet the image below to drowned out the hate.
The shooting at ZombiCon in Fort Myers, Florida left one man dead and five other people wounded.
Detectives have been canvassing the area for witnesses, authorities said, asking anyone with information on what happened to call the Fort Myers police.
Authorities are asking anyone with information on the shooting or who may have cell phone footage helpful to the investigation to call the Fort Myers police at 239-321-7700 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.
ZombiCon was in its ninth year and expected 20,000 people to attend the convention.
The organizers of Zombicon, Pushing DaiZies, Inc. are deeply saddened by the news of what happened within the footprint…
Who doesn’t want to watch vampires and zombies fight aliens in a comedy action-flick!?
In Freaks of Nature, we welcome you to Dillford, where three days ago, everything was peaceful and business as usual: the vampires were at the top of the social order, the zombies were at the bottom, and the humans were getting along in the middle. But this delicate balance was ripped apart when the alien apocalypse arrived in Dillford and put an end to all the harmony. Now it’s humans vs. vampires vs. zombies in all-out, blood-sucking, brain-eating, vamp-staking mortal combat – and all of them are on the run from the aliens. It is up to three teenagers – one human, one vampire, and one zombie – to team up, figure out how to get rid of the interplanetary visitors, and try to restore order to this “normal” little town.
Freaks of Nature stars Mackenzie Davis, Ed Westwick, Vanessa Hudgens, Keegan-Michael Key, Joan Cusack, Bob Odenkirk, Denis Leary, and Cerina Vincent.
The Robbie Pickering directed film will be in theaters on October 30.
Over the past week, it was rumored and then subsequently confirmed by Variety that Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk will be teaming up Chris Hemsworth’s Thor in Marvel’s upcoming Thor: Ragnarok. This has led to much speculation. What threat is so big that The God of Thunder would need The Green Goliath at his side to conquer? The Norse mythology Thor is based on contains several creatures that could give Thor and Hulk a run for their money and in this editorial, we take a look at 10 of those monsters who should appear in Ragnarok.
HONORABLE MENTION
RAGNAROK
Despite the films title most certainly referring to the Norse end of days event, there does exist a character by the name of Ragnarok in Marvel comics. A creation of Tony Stark during the “Civil War” event, Ragnarok is a cyborg clone of the real Thor and is famously known for killing Goliath during the same event.His power set pretty makes him a bizarro Thor and it would be great to see The Hulk and Thor fighting essentially another Thor. While his creation was referenced with a one-liner in Avengers: Age Of Ultron, it is highly unlikely that he would be one of the monsters to be encountered by the duo.
10. JORMUNGANDR
The Jormungandr, also known as the ‘Serpent of Midgard’ is Thor’s arch nemesis in Norse mythology. Jormungandr is also an integral part of the Ragnarok as he is set to be the final monster Thor has to defeat to save the world. With his ties to Midgard, it stands to reason why Hulk could be involved. Jormungandr is a big enough threat to warrant a team up of two of Marvel’s best. And to see them teaming up to fight this creature would make for great cinema.
9. FENRIR
While this beast has more ties to Odin and Loki in the Norse Ragnarok myth, it would certainly make for a great cinematic experience. It is a monstrous wolf that is prophesied to kill Odin. A being powerful enough to kill Odin would certainly be a great match for Thor and Hulk to go against. In the mythology, it is Loki’s son but that could easily be changed into a creation of the faux king of Asgard to go against Thor and Hulk when they discover his treachery.
8. FIRE JOTNAR
The Jotunn are the giants of Norse mythology. We have already encountered a race of them in the Frost Giants of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the set piece involving Thor and the Warriors Three fighting them is undoubtedly one of the best parts of the first Thor movie. Another variety of these creatures, the Fire Jotnar resides in Muspelheim ruled by the Fire Jotunn, Surtr. With the rumors of Hulk’s involvement in Thor: Ragnarok came the scoop that Thor and The Hulk will be venturing into a new realm which is neither Midgard nor Asgard. Muspelheim could be this realm with the fire Jotnar serving as the monstrous fodder Thor and The Hulk have to fight through.
7. GARMR
Another wolflike creature, Garmr guards the gates of Hel and has been associated with Ragnarok in Norse myth. Garmr’s howl is said to precede the coming of Ragnarok so depending on how close to the mythology Marvel adheres to, we might see a version of the monster in the film. It would serve a great opener to the film if a raging Hulk somehow finds himself at the gates of Hel, fights the monster and as it dies, lets out a final howl which will ring through all nine realms signaling the beginning of the end. The Thor films have done well in this department with all their openings used to set up the film with great action scenes and effects.
6. GULLINBURSTI
Gullinbursti is a fierce Boar created by Eitri and Brokkr as a gift to Freyr who is a figurehead in the Ragnarok myth. while this creature by itself would pose a minimal threat to Thor and Hulk, an army of Gullinbursti is certain to even the odds and make for a visually stunning battle.
5. NIDHOGGR
Nidhoggr is a dragon in Norse mythology that lives in the bottom of the World Tree (Yggdrasil) which connects all nine realms. Thor drew the world tree for Jane in the first film and it wouldn’t be far fetched for him and Hulk to have to go to the roots of Yggdrasil in their quest to end Ragnarok. The Nidhoggr has an appetite for dead flesh and chews on the dead bodies of those guilty of murder, adultery, and oath breaking. The visualization of its lair alone will be breathtaking if done right. And a fight to the death against a team of Thor and the Jade Giant will be a sight to behold.
4. FROST GIANTS
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Most fans agree that the sequences with the Frost Giants of Jotunnheim were among the best parts of the first Thor film. They were a great threat, looked insanely cool and had the best fight set piece in the film. The last time we saw them, Loki had attempted to destroy them and they will definitely be holding a grudge against Asgardians. Since the Jotunn are a big part of Ragnarok, it would make for a great fight if Thor and Hulk ran into these bunch during their adventure. It would be the first time since The Incredible Hulk where fans will get to see Hulk going toe to toe with another creature as big as himself and another chance to see Thor unleash the true devastating power of Mjolnir.
3. KRONANS
We saw Thor take out a Kronan in Thor: The Dark World. So this confirms the existence of that race in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Hulk has history with a Kronan named Korg in the Planet Hulk storyline and as nod to that (Marvel has said they have no plans of ever doing that story in live action), it would be great to see Thor and Hulk encounter a group of these rock monsters led by Korg himself for good measure. And this time, there should be a real fight that is absolutely nothing like one hit kill that we had in the previous film. Fans will forgive the plot hole if we get a real visually appealing slugfest.
2. GEIRROD
Here’s another monster who has ties to Loki. In Norse mythology, this giant captures Loki and in exchange for his freedom, Loki agrees to lead Thor into a trap where Geirrod can kill the god of Thunder. This could be another way to introduce the Hulk into Thor’s world. Loki, still masquerading as the All-Father could send Thor into this trap where he will to his surprise find Hulk being held captive by Geirrod. He could then free the Green Goliath and together they will defeat the monster. Regardless of how he is used in the story, Geirrod going against Thor and Hulk would be a great opener for their team up, not to mention the visual effects for this sequence, if done right, could be an amazing sight to see. It will also be a fight where we will see the Hulk able to cut loose and go berserk.
1. SURTUR
This one is almost a no-brainer is most likely going to happen. Surtur is the Fire Jotunn ruler of Muspelheim. In the comics, it is told that Loki will free Surtur and other enemies of Asgard to bring about Ragnarok, the end of days. He is over 1000ft in height, possess a magical giant flaming sword and his strength far surpasses that of Thor. Which will make the team up with Hulk a necessity to defeat Surtur. This is a fight sequence that should only be rivaled by the final showdown between the Avengers and Thanos.
Thor: Ragnarok is directed by Taika Waititi and stars Chris Hemsworth. The film will destroy theaters on November 3, 2017.
