TRAVIS BYRAM'S MOVIE REVIEWS

"Iron Man 3" has left me with a bitter aftertaste since early May, so my expectations for the sequel to 2011's "Thor" were not the highest. Before the "Iron Man" threequel "Thor" had previously been my least enjoyed Marvel, and it wasn't even a bad flick. I didn't enjoy Thor's extremely cocky attitude (RDJ played it off much better in the original "Iron Man" with that smart alack snark) Natalie Portman's sidekick Darcy (played by the usually funny Kat Dennings) and a general lack of enjoyment. So I imagine this is how the meeting went at Marvel, to vamp up Thor's already improved image post-"Avengers:" MARVEL: So none of you liked Kat Dennings' character right? WORLD: NO. MARVEL: She was annoying and added nearly no purpose to the film? WORLD: YES. MARVEL: So what you're saying is you want her back in the sequel? WORLD: NOOO! MARVEL: Right. Silly suggestion. You're saying ...

Thanks to the perpetual Santa Claus that is Netflix, I've been able to see movies I've missed over the summer (or that didn't look all too great to me) and rent them. I've got still quite the catch up to do, with "Pacific Rim," "Monsters U" and "Into Darkness" on the list, but I thought I'd cap it off with something cheery: the zombie apocalypse. (This is more of a filler post since the movies I'm ecstatic about seeing; "Nebraska," "Catching Fire," "American Hustle," "Desolation of Smaug," etc. will be coming out late in the year. Also expect plenty of awards coverage!) Director Marc Foster has quite the filmography already: Oscar winners like "Finding Neverland" and "Monster's Ball," indies like "Machine Gun Preacher" and, of course, what he may never be able to live down, the oft-mocked 22nd Bond installment "Quantum of Solace." My only Bond film...

Like one of last year's strongest movies, "Argo," "Captain Phillps" for sure takes some liberties to its story, including the titular character's heroic actions. The real crew of the hijacked Maersk Alabama and comparisons between this film and the real Phillips' autobiographical account of the whole tale have made that clear. While it is important to realize these distinctions, it's my job to review what's been presented before me. And wow, what a picture to be presented before me. Told in a similar strategy used to tell his severely more bleak "United 93," Paul Greengrass shows the relationships between the attacker and the victim. Instead of focusing simply on Hanks' character, an easy tactic since he's the biggest living actor, he also shines light on the disparity of the Somalian community that houses many, including four angry, confused and money-starved soon-to-be pirates. An additional four are brought along as well, b...