TrollHunter and Warrior

This evening I watched two movies I've been looking forward to seeing: TrollHunter (no, the lack of a space is not a typo) and Warrior. I have to say, all things considered I'm pleased with what I've seen. So I decided I'd write up a couple quick movie reviews, since that's what I'm in the mood to do.

TROLLHUNTER

TrollHunter is yet another found footage monster movie. Where it differs from something like Cloverfield, though, is in its oddly comical flair and its deeply ingrained cultural identity. That is to say, its Norwegian-ness is so integral to the film's execution and effectiveness that I shudder to think of what the planned American remake will look like. Sterilized beyond all reason, no doubt. As for the "comical" part, aside from the behavior of the characters themselves (which has a very authentic, unscripted quality), several of the trolls provide a degree of amusement just by their appearance. On the whole, it can't quite seem to decide whether it's meant to be fantasy, horror, or comedy. The blend plays out well, though, and overall it makes for fun viewing. In any case, it should come as no surprise to anybody who regularly reads my blog that I thoroughly enjoyed the film, given my love for "found footage", fantasy creatures, and all things Scandinavian.

WARRIOR

Warrior is, as I'm sure you can guess just by looking at the trailer, yet another hyper-clichéd fight movie à la Rocky. In fact, the warring brothers angle it brings into play seems dangerously close to The Fighter as well. Granted, this is MMA instead of boxing, but the basic idea translates pretty easily. Being a tad generic and predictable, though, doesn't stop Warrior from being fun to watch. The three central actors (Nick Nolte, Joel Edgerton, and Tom Hardy) are really what make the entire thing worth watching. All three actors take characters that could easily be generic, cookie-cutter drama fodder and make them interesting and effective. Tom Hardy is especially great to watch, as he pulls off his dark, intense, scary-as-hell character perfectly. I have to admit, I was disappointed that they went the generic easy route with the ending, but they made it work okay I guess. Besides, as I was walking out of the theater, I wasn't thinking about who won the big fight. I was thinking about how awesome it's going to be watching Tom Hardy play Bane next year.