Thor and Green Lantern: Double Review

Yes, I'm doing a double review; two for the price of one. First I want to talk about the Thor movie that made major record sellouts across the country and earned raving reviews. Mine is really no different. If you haven't seen Thor yet and it's not longer in the theater near you, you've missed out. You need to see this movie. It's brilliantly made with fantastic special effects and views that make Asgard worthy of... well... ASGARD. The Ice giants looked awesome, the battle scenes were all incredible. One of the feelings I look for when I go to a comic related movie is that I am definitely looking at the character in question. I want to feel like "Oh Yeah! That's definitely Spider-man, Cap, Thor" or who ever I went to see. Thor delivered that in spades. Props to giving Hawkeye a speaking part for the short time he was in the movie. Even that felt very accurate. Loki was diabolical too, big props on that. When you see it, remember to wait through the credits for the teaser at the end. One of the villains is suggested for the Avengers movie and it promises to be awesome already. I saw a hint of TWO villains in it.. how about you?

Now the only problem I had, and it really didn't bother me that much, was Odin's eye. The movie makes it look like he lost it in combat with the giants. Even the comics continuity, however, follows the original legend that Odin gave his eye in payment for ultimate wisdom. The eye is never specified in legend, but most often drawn as his left eye. In the movie it's his right eye. Now, because it doesn't specify, they could claim that he went in search of ultimate wisdom because of the war with the giants (that still wouldn't be accurate though). Legend says his gaining the wisdom happened before those wars. But it's not something that made me dislike the movie in any way. It's just technical fact jargon that I happen to know. If that's all I could find "wrong" then they did a fantastical job. And they did.

Now, let's take a look at the new Green Lantern Fast Forces pack. I have to say that this is a well made set that does allow for new players to get involved quickly and easily. Points are carefully set to make for quick team building in even hundreds. It even says so right on the back of the package. All six together make a nice even 600 points, so you can pit two sets against each other right off the bat, or make two 300 point teams out of one. That's instant game play with map and dice included. For all it has in the package, meant for new players, there's just one thing missing.

A RULEBOOK, PEOPLE! Seriously? No rules of any kind? Hang on a second. You have a great marketing strategy to get new players by using venues like Toys R Us, Target, Walmart, etc.... and there's NOTHING that says HOW TO PLAY? OOPS! Were we assuming that the only people who would buy know someone in heroclix? That would be folly if so. People may buy this set out of interest in the movie... then go, "This is cool, but what do I do with it?". People who are in the game aren't going to care, but there's a lost connection, lost opportunity for those who get this to get started as the package suggests: "Fast forces are the quickest way for you to get in the game".

The figures look pretty cool and click nicely. I only had to fix two of them and they were very minor fixes. Plastic quality.. a little cheaper than most, but usable. Hal's head doesn't seem quite right, that angle in mass production makes him look like he broke his neck. Modders could make a heck of a zombie out of Hal in this set!

Still, I suggest picking up this set, because it's way cool and has Kilowog and Tomar Re. You can't get those two without shelling out some bucks for the originals. Enjoy some clicking today with Green Lantern, we are!