4 things that could have made Thor better.

Now I know what you're saying... "It was a good movie!" And I agree. I quite enjoyed it. But as a fan, there's always that one little thing, that wasted opportunity that just ticked me off (notice I didn't say 'piss me off' because, again, I liked the movie).

So, with that said...
Let the nitpicking begin!


1- We needed more of:
Yes, there were couple of characters that needed more screen time, whether it be because they needed more of a build, or simply because they were just screen stealers.

The prime example here is obviously Loki. I'm not complaining about what he did, or how he was portrayed. We just needed more of him. Maybe an extra visit to Thor on Earth or something, just to drive the "I'm a dick" point home. This becomes an even bigger issue when you think that Loki is the rumored villain for the upcoming Avengers flick.

Then we have the case of Heimdall, who really just steals every scene he's in. A great blend of writing and performance (and an awesome giant fucking sword) kept you hoping he'd just show up again just for a second.

Honorable mention: That asian guy with the raspy voice. He was just fun to watch. And he sounded funny.

2- We needed less of:
Natalie Portman. That's right, the Jane Foster character is totally forgettable. This can be blamed on the Hollywood-ness of it all. To these people, the romance needs to be there almost as bad as the shirtless scene. In all honesty, all the character did was make googly eyes at Thor the whole movie. I would have much preferred to see more of Kat Dennings, at least she had some humor to her.

3- A better post-credits thingy:
I might be stingy with that one, just to keep it spoiler-less.
Marvel movies in recent years have become famous for making people sit through the credits. But on this occasion I was slightly disappointed. Not that it was bad. But it just wasn't up to the standards that recent Marvel flicks have set. Iron Man still sticks out as the best post-credits scene, and as much as a tie-in as this must be to the Avengers plot, this is still the weakest.

4- It needed one more song...
And here is where I get to rage... Because even if it was during the end credits, we got to hear Black Sabbath's Iron Man during Iron Man... And it was awesome. Everyone in the theater was rocking out as the credits started. It was just a great way to close off a great movie. I would have even thrown it in when he was wearing the suit for the first time, just for the hell of it.

Now we fast forward to Thor, and I'm thinking to myself... "What awesome song are we going to get to pump us up in the movie?" I said it jokingly, because I knew what I wanted. It had to be there, there's no way it isn't.

Halfway through it we get Walk by the Foo Fighters. And I will admit, it brought a smile to my face. You all know I love that band. But that's not what I was waiting for. I expected it during the end credits. And then, they gave me Walk again.

Now, I ask you, my readers... If Iron Man had Iron Man... Shouldn't Thor have God Of Thunder by Kiss?! Just listen to it...

We would have been pumped! I feel Marvel has done me an injustice. I might even say that I wrote this whole article just to get to that point. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley should feel robbed of their birthright.

Fine, I might be pushing it a bit (just a bit!). But it really would have been great. Maybe in the sequel.

One last thing... *pats self on back for not making one single Asgard joke*. Ok, I'm good.

Old men swaying back and forth: Chiko's Ozzy and KISS concert review

I've dreaded writing this... Well, half of this.

Okay okay, Loz is right... Ozzy was disappointing. But not because of the music. Yeah, the setlist was hit & miss, and his voice faltered a few times. But I honestly think that we could have lived with that... Had he played for another hour or so.

It just felt like we got a second hand treatment. After reading about how awesome his tour of the states with Slash (spelled with an SH at the end) was going, and then getting what we could call half a show here, it just leaves a bad taste in your mouth. On top of that, paying full price and getting no opening band left the audience with an hour and a half performance at best.

I mean seriously... We were treated like such a second class show that we weren't even mentioned on the back of the official tour shirts.

I also agree with Loz that Gus G is still rather stiff. I like his style, but he still seems like an outsider to the group. But I do believe that it's only a matter of time before that gets fixed, give it until his second album with Ozz, and he should be fine. Need proof? Zakk's first album with Ozz was No Rest for the Wicked (meh), which was followed by No More Tears (wow). Get it?

Not much I can say about the rest of the band. They're good. We did find the drum solo rather tedious after ten minutes or so (I wish I was kidding).

Aside from all that, the sense of disappointment when the lights came back on was almost suffocating. I can simply say that the best thing I took from that concert was being able to say that I've seen Ozzy live. Yay me.
5/10

Now, on the other hand...

Two weeks later we had KISS, a band known for their live show. There's no way they'd disappoint us. And they didn't

They call themselves "The Hottest Band on Earth"... and with all the pyro they throw around I'll believe them. Just thinking that they stand that close to so much fire every night makes me feel bad for those old bastards. But damn, can they put on a show.

The show was spectacular, the audience was totally immersed in the experience. KISS isn't exactly the most musically proficient band, but they don't need to be. They're fun to watch and they put on a true spectacle.

Again, Puerto Rico wasn't on the shirts. But in this case, because the show was so great, it didn't hurt as much.

The one thing I might gripe about is the fact that they missed some songs. They could have cut out something from the new album and played God Gave Rock & Roll to You or God of Thunder... But that's just me nitpicking.

Note to self: Buy guitars with reflective backs that shoot fire. It's a great idea.
8/10