Tim joined Tom Barnard and the crew on “The KQ Morning Show” on KQRS-FM Thursday to review the sci-fi adventure “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” Click to listen below. Then on Friday, Tim reviewed “The Rise of Skywalker” and more with Paul Douglas and Jordana Green on the “Paul and Jordana” show on WCCO-AM. The segments are brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show” on KQRS-FM, “Paul and Jordana” on WCCO Radio, “It Matters with Kelly Cordes” on WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere, and reviews streaming programming on WCCO Radio’s “Paul and Jordana” as well. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC).
In May 2011, I had the opportunity to talk with a relative newcomer to Hollywood, a nice Aussie actor named Chris Hemsworth, who would go on to star in one of the most successful film franchises of all-time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In celebration of the release of “Avengers: Endgame,” here’s that interview:
Although his appearance in “Star Trek” was brief, Chris Hemsworth’s emotionally-charged turn as Captain George Kirk in the 2009 blockbuster certainly made people take notice — including director Kenneth Branagh, who was looking for a star to anchor his film about the Norse God of Thunder.
“‘Star Trek’ actually came out when I was auditioning for ‘Thor’ — and Ken has said he had seen the film and was impressed,” Hemsworth said in a recent interview. “It was perfect timing.”
Oddly enough, Hemsworth, an Australian native, had precious little time to prepare for small, but pivotal role as the father of the iconic James T. Kirk.
“I was cast on Friday night at (director) J.J. Abrams’ office. He said ‘You got the job — you start Monday,'” Hemsworth recalled with a laugh. “I didn’t know much about what I was doing, but I left myself open and available to what I was doing and tried to find the truth in it. It was a lot of fun.”
While George Kirk was captain of his ship for 12 minutes, “Thor” definitely puts Hemsworth in command of the whole film, opening in theaters nationwide on Friday. The major difference is, while Kirk was a selfless individual who sacrificed himself for 800 others, Thor, when we first meet him, is the complete opposite: arrogant, selfish and hot-headed.
Lucky for Hemsworth, Thor’s attitude only represented his beginnings in an eventful character arc.
“That was the big incentive for me in wanting to get the part — I prefer, personally, a part that presents a lot of contrast,” Hemsworth said. “I wanted to get a part that was unpredictable because as people we’re unpredictable. You want to surprise an audience, and challenge their interpretation or views on who they think the character is. It makes the character certainly more interesting to watch, and certainly the script allowed for room to do that.”
Based on the legendary Marvel comic book series created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, “Thor” chronicles the character’s exploits in epic fashion: from his reckless ways as a powerful but petulant warrior in the mystical realm of Asgard, to his banishment to Earth by his father, King Odin (Anthony Hopkins). It’s there where Thor meets research scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and must adapt from prince to pauper if he is to live among the humans and ultimately learn humility. And it’s where he will eventually have to face the dark forces sent from his world to protect the innocent of his new home.
Chris Hemsworth and Anthony Hopkins in “Thor”
The Shakespearean factor
While there were concerns expressed by the comic book’s faithful fans with the selection of a Shakespearean director in to helm “Thor,” Hemsworth said he never had a doubt in his mind that Branagh — who’s film adaptations include The Bard’s “Hamlet,” “Henry V,” “Much Ado About Nothing” and “As You Like It” — was more than suited for the job.
“He’s kind of perfect if you think about it, with his Shakespearean background, because there’s an old English feel to this film and he knows that feel better than anyone,” Hemsworth observed. “Odin, Thor and that world pretty much represents the Royal Family with kings and queens. Thor’s journey is pretty much like ‘Henry V,’ which he did an Academy Award-nominated version of. For me, he was perfect — a resource of knowledge of the regality of that world.”
The bonus, Branagh offered in a separate interview, is that the tale of “Thor” has inherent Shakespearean qualities.
“The Marvel treatment of the Norse myth to attain, achieve and aspire to a god-like quality in themselves, whatever that might be — piece of mind or generosity of spirit — and reassessing what that means,” Branagh said. “That dichotomy, that paradox, that tension — between god and man, man aspiring to be god-like, and gods dealing to be human-like — is a kind of tension and exploration of the inner-life of a character that is very Shakespearean. ”
“I think in both cases, with a Shakespeare play like ‘Henry V’ and with a tale like ‘Thor,’ all of that is wrapped up adventure tale,” Branagh added. “That’s where those two intersect.”
Building the perfect Thor
While Hemsworth said he benefited from being in the company of Branagh, as well as such acting stalwarts as Hopkins, Portman, Stellan Skarsgard and Tom Hiddleston (who plays Thor’s conniving brother, Loki), it was entirely up to 6-foot-3 performer to when it came to building Thor’s massive, sculpted body.
“It took a good five or sixth months of force-feeding myself buckets of protein, and then spending six or seven days a week in the gym,” Hemsworth said. “I’ve always been pretty active and played a lot of sports, but I’ve never lifted weights, so this was a whole new thing for me. My body didn’t set well with that weight, eating tons and tons.”
And, as Hemsworth found, the regimen didn’t stop when filming began. After all, he had to be ripped when it came time for removing his shirt (and see Portman’s and co-star Kat Dennings’ jaws drop collectively).
“I had to keep up with it because the shirtless scene was about three-quarters through the shoot,” Hemsworth said. “It meant at the end of a 16-hour day, I’d have to get into the gym. It was very exhausting. It was a good thing that I was prepared for it all.”
Chris Hemsworth in “Thor”
For the time being, Hemsworth, 27, said the workouts will continue, thanks to his role in writer-director Joss Whedon’s Marvel superhero ensemble extravaganza “The Avengers,” which is set for a May 4, 2012, release. Thor and Loki will be featured in the film, along with several other Marvel legends including Ironman (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo)/The Incredible Hulk (voice of Lou Ferrigno).
Hemsworth, naturally, couldn’t provide any plot details of the film, but assured his turn in the film will be much more than a cameo.
“The film certainly is the next step for Thor, and I was impressed how Joss managed to bring all these characters together and give them and equal sort of story and time,” Hemsworth said. “It’s going to be quite an iconic moment to see all those superheroes on screen together.”
Plus, being on the film will give Hemsworth another chance to snag Thor’s thunderous hammer — formally known as his Mjolnir — since he didn’t get to keep the prop from the first time around.
“They didn’t offer me one so I had every intention of just stealing it — so I missed my opportunity, unfortunately and came away hammerless,” Hemsworth joked. “In ‘The Avengers’ I’ll try getting another one.”
If they see Hemsworth driving off with a weighed down trunk, though, he’s sure to get busted.
“Security will strip me down and take it back,” Hemsworth said, laughing.
But hey, at least he’ll get to embarrass them with his ripped body.
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for The KQ92 Morning Show,” “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC), WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere.
Spoiler alert: This article highlights some key scenes in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”
If the success of writer-director Rian Johnson’s worldwide blockbuster “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” proves anything, it shows that if you have the passion, a person who works hard enough can someday venture not only to the pinnacle of his craft, but in some instance, to a galaxy far, far away.
For Johnson, his work for four years on the eighth film in the Skywalker family saga was born of the wonder inspired by the first “Star Wars” trilogy when he was young. He shared that passion in an incredible gesture the night before the first “Last Jedi” panel at “Star Wars” Celebration in Orlando, Florida, in April, in an unprecedented move, Johnson made an unscheduled appearance where hundreds of fans were camping out overnight for a spot to see the panel and the first trailer for film, meeting with each fan there individually. As it turns out, those one-on-one meetings proved to be one of the pivotal moments of Johnson’s entire “Star Wars” adventure.
“There were two parts to this whole experience. There was making the actual film and then there’s putting the film out there to the world — and that second part at Celebration was such a highlight and almost like a turning point for me,” Johnson recalled in a phone conversation Tuesday from Los Angeles.
“Coming into Celebration I was a little nervous. I was scared to go up on stage and scared of judgment. I was scared about what people were going to say about this ‘new guy’ making this movie,” Johnson said. “So, going out that night and just meeting fans face-to-face made me realize, ‘This is me. This is us. This what I’ve been since I was a kid. This isn’t some big, scary mass of folks, this is just the same type of ‘Star Wars’ fan as I have been since a kid.’ Everyone was so kind and so wonderful, that the next day when I got up on stage in front of all of them, I felt like I was standing in front of a huge group of friends.”
Of course, there were big differences between Johnson and the “Star Wars” faithful: He had the gargantuan task of making a film that would fit within the framework of the sprawling story writer-director George Lucas created 40 years ago. That’s not to say Johnson, 44, didn’t have his share of surreal moments on the set, like bossing Mark Hamill, aka Luke Skywalker, around.
Well, maybe “bossing Mark Hamill around” isn’t the right way to put it.
“To be fair, nobody ever bosses Mark Hamill around. Good luck with that,” Johnson said, laughing. “But I formed a great working relationship with Mark and collaborated with him on this part. But yes, on any single day of the past four years of my life, I can stick my finger down on the calendar and say, ‘On this day was a surreal experience.’ For someone who grew up as a kid on ‘Star Wars’ and it being their world, everything from getting to work with Mark and Carrie Fisher to getting to film on the Millennium Falcon set … You name it, there were just so many instances that it was hard not to have flashes of, ‘Oh, my God, this is really happening.’
“But then those flashes happen, and you get to work, and you get to start to tell a living, breathing story, which is ultimately the goal,” Johnson added. “The purpose of the film is not to showcase all this stuff from your youth, but to tell a story that’s alive right now with these characters and take each one of them seriously as characters.”
In the first film in the new “Star Wars” trilogy, director J.J. Abrams’ “The Force Awakens” dealt with the introduction of new characters and caught up with legacy characters like General Leia (Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford). The telling of Luke’s story, for the most part, rested on Johnson’s shoulders. Fans only briefly saw Luke in the last minute of “The Force Awakens.” Rey (Daisy Ridley) finally locates the legendary Jedi master on an island on the remote planet of Ahch-To, where she presents to him his old lightsaber.
But in a genius spin to show just how Luke’s story evolved in “The Last Jedi,” the grizzled Luke flips the hilt over his shoulder in a move that no one could have possibly seen coming. It was the first of many unexpected moments in the film, even though Johnson says his flip move, so to speak, makes complete sense in the context of the character’s overall storyline.
“For me, it doesn’t start with wanting to do something unexpected or surprising. It’s always a nice thing when you can get that, but for me, that moment with Luke was inevitable,” Johnson said. “It’s wonderful that it plays like a surprise, but given where he’s at in ‘The Force Awakens,’ even though he’s exiled on this island, even though he’s taken himself out of the fight, you realize there must be a reason he’s doing this. I started out by figuring out where the character had to be at in this movie, and it all added up to him being in a place where it would have made no sense at all if we had gotten exactly what we all wanted — which was him firing up the lightsaber and saying, ‘Let’s go kill the bad guys.’ So, the surprise for me is always best when it’s a bi-product of really trying to honestly find he most interesting place to take these characters.”
To date, “The Last Jedi” has made more than $1.2 billion in theaters worldwide and is quickly honing on a place in the top 10 highest-grossing films, globally, of all time. And while “The Last Jedi” is extremely popular, it hasn’t stopped some fans from being vocal with their criticism of the film, including how Johnson dealt with Luke’s fate.
Since Johnson is such a huge fan of “Star Wars,” it does cause him moments of introspection, but ultimately, he said, the best course to take as a filmmaker is to stay true to his vision to see the story evolve — especially since he’ll be involved in the “Star Wars” universe again as the writer and director of the first film in a brand-new trilogy.
“Having been on the internet, I can say the vast majority of feedback I’ve gotten from fans has been ecstatic and on the same level of the critics,” Johnson said. “There are fans who don’t like it and there are fans who absolutely love it. That’s because it’s a ‘Star Wars’ movie. Having been a ‘Star Wars’ fan myself for the past 40 years, (the discussion about the film) is something I’m acutely aware of. If you make a ‘Star Wars’ movie and put some soul into it and give it some life, that means you’re going to have to make choices that inevitably are going to please some fans and not please others.”
Having grown up in the fan base, Johnson said, he knows that not being able to please everybody is always going to be the case.
“What you need to do as a filmmaker, and this is what Lucas did and all the filmmaker approaching these new movies need to do, is to tell a personal story,” Johnson said. “You have to tell it the way it feels right to you (within the ‘Star Wars’ universe). You have to tap into what that is and you have to trust that. The moment you start second-guessing that, you’re dead in the water, and you’re going to make something that is guarded, dishonest and manipulative, and all the wrong things.
“So, I love hearing the discussion among the fans. I love hearing how the movie connected with people and it’s interesting to hear people’s complaints about it,” Johnson added. “It all adds into the big soup that is the reaction fans have to any new piece of anything that is ‘Star Wars.'”
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for The KQ92 Morning Show,” “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC), “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere.
“10 Cloverfield Lane” (PG-13) 3 1/2 stars (out of four)
Producer J.J. Abrams has successfully pulled a fast one over moviegoers once again with the brilliantly-conceived and marketed “10 Cloverfield Lane,” another underground (quite literally, in this case), super-secret movie project that came out of nowhere with a mysterious trailer two months back. Coming out eight years after his equally brilliant found footage horror thriller “Cloverfield,” “10 Cloverfield Lane” could hardly be considered a sequel. There are some similarities, though, however, slight, that will have film sleuths mulling over the whether the films are distant cousins. Perhaps through more “Cloverfield” chapters, somehow we’ll find that they tie together when all is said and done.
John Goodman gives a career performance as Howard, an extreme survivalist in the Deep South who is convinced that the world has come under attack, but is not sure how. Before he locked himself into his airtight bunker underneath his barn, he rescued, or so he says, a distraught woman, Michelle (an excellent Mary Elizabeth Winstead) woman who crashed her car as she fled her apartment after breaking up with her boyfriend (Bradley Cooper supplies the voice of the beau in a phone call). Waking up, chained to a wall in one of the bunker’s cells, Michelle is apparently being held captive for her own good because if she escapes her confines, she faces certain death with the polluted air outside. Also trapped down below is Emmett (an impressive John Gallagher Jr.), who helped Howard build the bunker when he realized the attack was underway.
Questioning Howard’s sanity – his theories range from a chemical attack, invasion by Russians or maybe even Martians – Michelle and Emmett struggle with their seemingly few options. On one hand, the bunker is stocked with years of supplies and they could live comfortably, only worrying about Howard’s instability and clues of his lurid past; or they could tempt finding a way to escape, even though there’s evidence outside to back up Howard’s theories of an attack.
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There’s no question Abrams is a genius shepherding young filmmakers through these lower-budgeted projects, and for the second film in a row (Matt Reeves expertly directed the first “Cloverfield”), the filmmaker has found an extremely talented director in Dan Trachtenberg, who creates a claustrophobic atmosphere throughout.
Staged about 80 percent of the time in the bunker, Trachtenberg creates an indelible slow-burn with “10 Cloverfield Lane,” as the tension – only broken occasionally by Gallagher’s well-placed comic relief – ratchets up in an unnerving manner throughout the film. The film has no predictable outcome and leaves you guessing throughout. Is Howard suffering some sort of paranoid psychosis and holding his captives for something more sinister? Is the air really contaminated outside, and why? Are there monsters outside? Is Howard the monster, or merely is he someone who is slightly off-kilter? The possibilities are endless until the last act of the film reveals the truth, which for obvious reasons, can’t be explained her.
One of modern film’s best character actors, Goodman steals the show in “10 Cloverfield Lane,” going places he’s never gone to in his career with the explosively unpredictable Howard. Of course, we all knew he could be funny, and he’s certainly had a his fair share delivering in dramatic roles. But “10 Cloverfield Lane” displays Goodman in an entirely new light. It’s great to see an actor of his stature, especially at this point in his career, willing to take risks instead of doing the same, old stereotypical roles for a paycheck. He may not be the model citizen of “10 Cloverfield Lane,” but he’s perfect person to dwell in the unpredictable world of “Cloverfield.”
Original Interviews, Reviews & More By Tim Lammers
