Here are some assorted photos of Tom Hiddleston this week, outside of The One Show in London and outside of BBC Radio 2. Tom has been doing full-throttle promotional work for Kong: Skull Island all week, although there aren’t that many headlines thus far from his interviews. Still, it’s always nice to see new photos of Tom!
As for Monkey Movie: Tom Hiddleston’s Napalm Memories, some reviews are coming out and they’re pretty good. The Hollywood Reporter gave it a rave review, with a lot of praise devoted to director Jordan Vogt-Roberts knowing that this should be a fun popcorn movie not some kind of big-C commentary. Entertainment Weekly seemed to like it as well, and so did Uproxx, who called it “ridiculous fun.”
What else? During Tom’s visit to Radio 1 this week, he was asked to provide live commentary on the live-stream of April the Giraffe’s pregnancy and incipient birth of a baby giraffe. Tom obliged.
It's taking the world by storm…
Now @twhiddleston beautifully narrates the thrilling #AprilTheGiraffe journey with @grimmers 🌎😭 pic.twitter.com/LvHOuQ9Lys
— BBC Radio1 Breakfast (@R1Breakfast) March 1, 2017
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.
Tom looks nice in these photos. I hadn’t really planned to see K:SI, but Tom, Brie, Samuel L., CCR, …. Maybe.
I’m too boggle-eyed at today’s princely thread to retain the energy to be mean about LEGS. But he really needs a new pose. And I love giraffes. They do mega fighting. And I must find the clip of the giraffe fight to watch it again. The next marauding monkey movie should be a marauding giraffe movie. Let’s refresh the genre.
Comment virtually a non sequitur. Sorry.
You should provide commentary for the giraffe live-stream. “April contentedly chews her breakfast and reviews the post-birth Hollywood options. Will she sign with Weight Watchers and teach the world to lose the baby weight the giraffe way? Will she star in the remake Orson Wells classic War of the Worlds? And what to do about Oliver? Is he really quite enough for her now that she’s famous? Perhaps she’ll call off the wedding.”
Monkey Movie Promotion featuring Brie’s Celestial Orbs – are they real or are they implants? continues.
I think radio dj’s put considerable time into thinking of things to have him narrate but it is better than asking him about Bond or asking for impressions, both of which happened during this same interview.
Variety gave The Monkey Movie a stonking (stole word from Sixer) review and Entertainment Weekly liked it too
Stonking is an excellent word. I say it’s cultural exchange, not theft.
What is the opposite of stonking? Sixlet Major would say it is duff. Everything is duff if he doesn’t like it. Minor says pants.
I have to to adopt “pants” Can you give me an example?
Pants is a slang word for anything bad, so um… “I don’t like monkey movies; they’re all pants.” My two also say uggz, which I think originated in ugly but now just means generally bad… I think!
Scots:
Stonking = Braw
Bad (in that context) = Bowffin’
I need some light entertainment from this thread as it’s been a difficult few weeks from which I’m only just emerging.
Sixer, ought I to check out the princely post?
It depends what mood you’re in, Dippit. It’s a bit tendentious!
I checked it out – made something of a silly contribution and left.
I’m in a just been through bipolar hell and back so in a somewhat f*ck it mood.
Ah man, that’s tough. You want to be in an eff it mood, you go ahead.
Dippit hearing the expression Braw gave me severe Oor Wille/Broons nostalgia.
Happy days.
Goan yersel, Shelly.
I’m from near Dundee.
Lol Dippit I’m not a Scot myself. Our elderley Scots neighbours on our estate, had a clearout when their kids grew up and moved out, and gave us all their old Broons and Oor Willie annuals.
What a revelation, we even started referring to my Aunts caravan in Ramsgate as the But’n’ Ben.
I shall now go and sit on my upturned bucket.
I’ve started saying “safe” a lot (meaning good). I don’t know why. I’m just on a whole 90s retro train right now.
@spiderpig……Wicked.
I’ll probably see the movie. It sounds like it’s good, and he’s in it. I love looking at Tom Hiddleston Hello Darling online. The pictures of him are sexy and the quotes are funny, sweet, and sexy
This voice over was pretty funny. UK critics were vicious about SI. Ours seem to like it. The other huge difference is the US critics do not focus on Tom or Brie so much. As one critic said, “who goes to SI for the characters.” One lukewarm review suggested that The Rock should have played Tom’s part. I died laughing at the thought of them showing up for the same auditions. Now I love Dwayne Johnson, and according to interviews, so does Hiddleston.
Come to think of it, I am not in love with Brie Larson – I find she has no expression and shark-like fixating eyes. Disclaimer: I have the Room dvd but haven’t watched it yet.
Hiddleston needs great direction to be good (Swinton said that Jim Jarmush had to keep asking him not to smile when they did Only Lovers Left Alive together) or to play a character like himself, poshy self-satisfied but sweet man.
The Rock certainly seens to have more stamina and personality than any of these two.
All due respect to the Rock, he has not tackled Shakespeare. Maybe in the future.
I have no recollection of Brie before Room and I popped it in the player with reservations. But she was great and won me over. Try it.
I will, thanks @SusanneToo. I love being wrong in this case.
@third ginger I may have gone a bit far… 😉 but he has more energy for this kind of role: action hero.
Brie Larson was amazing in that movie. But the boy was even better. Trust me, the movie ROOM was one of the best movies I have ever watched over the years. You won’t stop thinking about this movie. Incredible.
@Me, little Jacob Tremblay was amazing
The Guardian’s review was brutal.
But some of the comments underneath are quite interesting.
What did Bradshaw expect – Shakespeare?
Peter Bradshaw (The Guardian) gave it a one star and seemed appalled by the Monkey movie.
I saw that. It has 81% on our Rotten Tomatoes. Some portion of the US audience uses that as a guide because it’s based on a variety of reviews.
Dang it I had not intention of watching this but now I am curious. Is it good, is it bad, is it lost in translation?!
Metacritic’s on 62%, heavily weighed down by the misery guts Grauniad review.
Looking at the spread of reviews, I’d say it’s a film you’ll love if it’s the genre you like, a film you’ll hate if it’s the genre you hate and a film you’ll neither be offended by nor love to bits if you’re an average viewer. And, if you are a fan of LEGS, you probably won’t think it his best work but you won’t cringe and wish he hadn’t done it either.
I’m honestly not sure about the none-cringing part. I cringed at the trailers already, and I’m normally fine with Hiddleston’s acting. He’s not exactly an action hero.
I just hope his character dies and he doesn’t have to do Godzilla vs. Kong.
@Nanny to the Rescue (ex Croc)
I just watched the trailer – why do you guys MAKE me do this?! And it is cringe inducing @Sixer… It’s like he made a mistake and is playing the wrong film.
It is a film about King Kong and giant beastie monsters. The star of the film is Kong; the cast is superfluous. They are just there to react, scream, run, and die as beastie food or be rescued. No plot is necessary. And several of the reviews have said the cast is too large to keep track of; they barely mention John Ortiz, Jason Mitchell or Thomas Mann. The actors even acknowledge in interviews that Kong is the star with jokes about him being a diva.
It is a big, old-fashioned monster movie and it looks like a lot of fun if you like beastie monster fights with people getting trapped between them.
OK, I guess I should have added the disclaimer that I’m no fan of King Kong or monster movies and that Hiddleston trying to be tough wasn’t the only cringey thing about the trailers. There were (to me unfunny) attampts of humour and Jackson & Goodman trying to be cartoonishly doomsdayish.
Anyways, I’ll sit this one out. Perhaps I’ll rent it later on. Unless hubby wats to go see it for the fun 3D ride.
But as said in the prevous thread: I am glad the reviews are mostly positive and I hope it does well in the theatres. I don’t wish another flop on Hiddleston (although success or failure of this film really has nothing to do with him).
@Lightpurple
What? There is no such thing as just a film with beastie monsters and little humans running away from them. Have you read the threads about The Beauty and the Beast… lol?
Seriously, even or maybe expecially those kinds of films need engaged, good likeable actors and a certain wit and intelligence of the world behind them. Like Fantastic Beasts, which was, well, fantastic.
Nanny, but then we would never see Hiddleston and Olsen aka TOOOOOOOOOM, together again. That would be sad.
@Me: How about Loki and Scarlet Witch? I’d love that!
Does this Kong share the universe with THAT Godzilla? Don’t they happen in different decades? So I guess you couldn’t see Hiddleston and Olsen together anyway.
Nanny, see I don’t know which trailer you watched, but I saw at least two that were spliced together very well and showed beautiful cinematography as well as good sound and music track. I also say one (different edit) that featured TH more and a few clips I wasn’t sure how well suited he would be. So I’ve seen some thrilling, breathtaking trailers and a couple cast trailers showing a more basic monster flick script. In short there’s maybe something in it for (most ?) everyone.
I said on the earlier thread I think the Guardian had made their minds up before seeing it -the snob value.
Maybe.
But Bradshaw’s take on it made me giggle: “only de-evolution can explain this zestless mashup”.
I often disagree with him but he sometimes makes me laugh.
Yes, but 90% of the comments on Bradshaw’s one star rating are berating him and his review. Apparently he’s known for doing this to big budget, pop corn HW movies. The majority opinion is that had he given it at least two or three stars, his criticism would have been more creditable. Just slamming a genre movie with a one star cause you’re comparing it to high art films or similar is too dismissive. Repeatedly comments were like this: “PB gives one star, sounds like fun” or “. . .OK, I’ll go see it then”. Hahaha
Cranberry, he is also regularly slashed for liking other blockbusters. The comments section of the Guardian is not like this one. There are a lot of reactionary trolls in there who can be quite vicious.
@Slowsnow, well I read through all of the comments and like I said most of them were generally in agreement. I really didn’t see any “vicious” trolls at all. In fact most all were well behaved, and several were very thoughtful in their criticism of Bradshaw’s review. It seems like many of them were regular readers and familiar with PB. That’s what I took away.
@Cranberry
I am a long time reader of his reviews (and others in the Guardian) and if the things you read were nice, that’s a first for me. They are usually snarky. If he likes blockbusters it’s because he likes them, if he doesn’t he’s considered a snob. The guy cannot win.
I am usually not in tune with him but I think he is usually interesting.
And you said that 90% were berating him and now you say most of them are in agreement. It’s late here – bed time – so I may be misunderstanding. Apologies of that’s so.
Anyhoo, I’ll read the comments tomorrow. Now I’m curious!
@slowsnow, Sorry, I was trying to say 90% of comments were in agreement with each other about Bradshaw being snobby. Yes a lot of comments were snarky, but I don’t remember any of them being “vicious”, and some where quite respectful I thought.
About 80% on rotten tomatoes now, should be fun.
The Hollywood Reporter raved but seem kind of dismissive of poor Hiddles. “Tim” Hiddleston? The “nominal handsome male lead”? They’re dismissive of all the humans except Riley, but given everything that’s gone on I had to feel for poor sad “Tim”. 😉
Critics love him as Loki [check out reviews for the second Thor movie] and in any indie film. US tv critics fell all over themselves for the NIGHT MANAGER. No one seems to want him crossing into action hero territory. And fair is fair. If he does not pull it off, so be it. Most accurate review I read compared him to Leslie Howard. I will call on Spidey to see if she agrees.
Thank you, I’m flattered that you seek my opinion. 😊?
I do agree. I think he is more suited to parts that require cerebral acting, if that makes sense. The one part of TNM that I liked least was when he was fighting Corkie. Having said that he did well as Coriolanus. Possibly he is more suited generally to theatre work, despite how good he undoubtedly was as Loki. And yes, I can see the comparison with Leslie Howard.
Horses for courses in a way – I can’t honestly ever see Chris Hemsworth doing Shakespeare!
Thanks, Spidey. I like to think Hiddleston will have a long career and try all sorts of things. I hope I live to see him on Broadway.
Agree, Spidey. I laugh every time I watch that TNM scene- and the one where Jack Lyndon stages the fight in the bar. AND the one from HR fighting over the paint can in the supermarket.
I adore him and know I’ll get called out for being sexist, but I’m a girl and Tommy punches like one.
He does seem to do better wielding a sword, however.
#notsorry
@ MI6 – is wielding a sword a euphemism? 😉
Yes his sword wielding in Coriolanus was great, even if it did break the night Damien Lewis went to see it!
Spidey: 😈😘
You know me too well.
@ MI6 Yep.
Spot the special skills:
https://www.rada.ac.uk/profiles?aos=acting&yr=2005&fn=tom&sn=hiddleston
The TNM fight scenes were a bummer. For someone who prides himself on his research, I’m surprised Tom didn’t do more to embody Pine’s background as a soldier. To be fair, every time I see a fight on a British TV show, I laugh at how bad the fight scenes are, most British actors (with a few exceptions) aren’t very good at throwing – or taking – a punch. And don’t get me started on how they handle guns if the situation ever calls for it. On the other hand, American actors usually suck at swordplay and horse riding, so I suppose everyone concentrates on the skills that will be most useful in their particular market.
Leslie Howard is a good comparison. Although I think he’s got more sexiness if you factor in his Loki. I think TH has the ability to go darker or do the villain better. Did LH ever play the baddie?
See I think TNM is wear Tom got off track. It was a bin endeavor for him because he was also an exec. producer. In an article he described all the obstacles and filming time crunches and decisions that he had to make and collaborations regarding the production process on top of the acting and character preparations. It was obviously a large, costly production with beautiful film work, but I think TH was in over his head with everything. He should have been focusing more on acting only, perhaps finding an experienced acting coach/adviser in regards to how to develop different genre and archetype styles so that he could cross over into mainstream roles more organically rather than going the high profile route that requires a lot of promoting and $.
Spidey: “full, clean drivers licence.” Hmmm.
Good for Jaguar commercials, I guess.
And the combat. He is a riot.
Pretty funny stuff. Thanks for the best laugh of the day 😀
@Cranberry, TNM put him off track for what? He scored an Emmy nomination and won a Golden Globe for acting in TNM. You might not think it his best work but Emmy voters and HFPA had no problem
Well, Jetlagged, as a fourteen year vet with two tours in Iraq under my belt, I have to say everytime I see him with a non-edged weapon in the trailers he is handling it exactly as he should. Now, all those Army boys with their jacked up, unfastened brain buckets drive me a little up the wall–but that is another story.
To be fair it’s extremely rare to see an on screen punch up that is even close to realistic.
In real life blokes don’t dance around each other poking and jabbing like professional boxers or politely standing back waiting for their mate to finish before taking a pop at the hero.
Real life tear ups are more about scuffling, grabbing, gouging, biting and landing the occasional lucky punch, while trying to get your opponant to the floor for a kicking.
But yes Tom’s tough guy efforts in TNM were a bit poor even by on screen standards. I didn’t care though because he is proper lush, as someone from the west country might say.
Shelley – I caught myself saying, “Where’s ‘e to?” instead of “Where is it?” the other day. It’s taken a decade, but I’m finally adopting the lingo. They’ll stop calling me grockle soon!
You are correct about fighting. It’s always more wrestling than boxing IRL.
@totallybiased – *waves enthusiastically* I’m glad an expert thinks his technique looks authentic, it felt a little off to me somehow but since I’ve only ever seen action-movie soldiering, I confess my opinion has no basis in reality whatsoever.
I did love the interview Tom gave where he said the bar-fight advice he got from the military expert was to just walk away. That made me laugh, I guess the folks with truly scary skills don’t feel the need to prove they are the biggest badass in any given room.
Hey @Lightpurple – Basically I meant that he went off track in regards to focusing on acting and finding roles that are better suited to him or more interesting that Pine. TNM was more high profile and got him more exposure and recognition in the industry, but I don’t think it was the most complimentary role for developing his talent. Because it’s a downplayed role within the plot, it requires a more stereotypical “type” actor imo.
It was lovely to see him in lush production, and on looks alone I have no complaints with TNM. But I feel TH does better in more overstated roles at this point especially since he tends to go subtle anyway. I know his philosophy he learned at RADA is to challenge himself and take on roles that are not his strong suits, that are not in his comfort zone, but as an actor trying to get established into mainstream, I think it’s better he stick with his strengths and only vary from them in smaller projects.
Still I go back an forth on this cause this “ideal” approach can take a long time to flourish, and results are never a guarantee no matter how talented you are. This business wants youth and marketability as well as talent which requires sacrifices and risk taking when an opportunity arises. So I understand TH stepping up his profile while he’s still in his 30’s and while he has large, global, internet fandom, but I still think he has to focus more on acting especially if it’s high profile project. But if he does the high-profile roles, he should stay away from over committing himself with extra responsibilities and instead get an acting coach/character collaborator.
@Lightpurple- last sentence meant to say: “more high-profile role types that are Not in his wheelhouse, he should . . . .”
Sorry again LP – I also want to clarify that I consider his “strengths” to be a good range of roles like charismatic Hank in I Saw The Light, the understated Lang in High Rise, and whimsically sexy Prince Hal. Basically not just Loki.
He called her Alice…..
He is such a do-goody that he seemed incredibly sad to have called the giraffe Alice.
Poor sod.
He must be constantly asking is this going to be a meme? Are my internet girlfriends gonna make fun of me again?
I swear this one made me laugh so hard that everyone stared at me as if I was a maniac. Thanks for this. Btw, what the eff should anyone say about his performance in SI? Geez, it is a movie about King Kong, not a guy who is ill and about to die in a minute. Give the guy a break. If you liked jurassic world with that annoying woman who kept running in high heels (wtf?!) then I am sure everyone will enjoy Hiddleston with a gun. Hiddleston over Pratt all the time. Sorry. And reviews keep ass kissing every Marvel movie and I hated the second part of the Avengers and the third part of Captain America.
He obviously knows a number of giraffes.
😂😂
Well he knows Gwen Christie!
Sorry!
@me agree with everything. And don’t worry fan boys hated aou too. Said ultron was a lame villain. The hype after first avengers lead the success of those later movie, im3 is one of the worst marvel movie. Looks like marvel suffering from proper villain. No one is being able to dethrone Loki. In mcu he is still the best. After ultron I never bothered watching ca3
No one, at least over here, will be seeing this movie for either Tom or Brie Larson. I call Tom my “pretend son” and even I am not under the illusion that he makes or breaks this movie. I do hope it makes money because that is how they keep score in LA LA LAND [unless you win an Oscar.]
He looks about 46 not 36. Not sure what he does in his spare time but dude needs to chill.
Still young enough to be my son.
+1 and he doesn’t look anything like 46
@ Sarah. I think you are comparing him to a “Hollywood” 36 year old, who has been botoxed and tightened into an unnaturally smooth mask. Probably hair pieces in there too (or maybe there really is a disportionate number of men in Hollywood who never seem to have thinning hair. Hmmmm).
I will take a real 36 year old face over fake “look 30 forever” face any day of the week. I hope Tom never tweaks his face and ruins it (or ends up looking as fake as everyone else in Hollywood).
Me too squirrel, botoxed, filler’ed men with suspiciously dark hair don’t do it for me.
I hope we never go the American route with our actors, be they men or women. I think it’s much better to see real people on screen.
I mean, I agree in one way that LEGS is unlikely to age “well”. He’s in danger with the hairline and he’s got that fine skin that won’t take the passing of the years without showing it. But is that a bad thing? Why? What’s wrong with being 40? 50? Attractiveness is about a lot more than plastic interventions, I think.
Amen, Sixer and Squirrel!! Here here.
I’d rather real over fake any day.
And I like his scar. Makes him not quite so perfect.
I prefer my men a little roughed up.
I don’t think he looks 36. Maybe a little older,but not 46. Many men get better looking as they age, he’ll be one of them. He’s definitely handsome and sexy!
For those who comment on the suede shoes
http://www.gq.com/story/tom-hiddleston-aquatalia-boots
“I just love that people online are really harassing him to get some new shoes, but he doesn’t give a shit. ”
Haha, good for you Tom. It’s like when somebody nags you to do something and you dig your heels (no pun intended) and carry on regardless.
@spidey ah I remember a commenter saying regarding his shoe mocking- if someone made fun of her outfit or shoes she would have wore it every single day just to rub it on their faces.
I think tom is doing the same. kudos to him for holding his ground. 😀
Haha. That article is spot on. I also loved this one….
http://www.gq.com/story/tom-hiddleston-gucci-suit-kong-red-carpet
I like his shoes. And I love his suits even more. Specially when they are not black.
To go through three pairs of shoes in one year, either they fall apart easily or he is really hard on shoes.
@Lightpurple, well, as we’ve seen, he does appear to wear them EVERY day and they are a lightish color suede. I would imagine they are not so much ragged from physically falling apart so much as irreparably grubby looking. He does seem to go out and about in them and London rain, dirty streets, etc, it wouldn’t take long for them to start looking ratty, even with cleanings.
I am relieved to know that he’s gone through 3 pairs and that he hasn’t been wearing the same pair of shoes almost incessantly (at least when out in public) for the last year +). I actually like them and got to see them up close and in person when I saw him at a Q&A for I saw the Light. I imagine they were the originals 😉
Whose always saying Tom has multiple copies of all his clothes and shoes? You called it.
ME! You will have to believe me now. 😆
Wishing you well, Dippit
ETA: And I don’t know why this landed way down here
Man, that boy has some looonngggg feets.
😉
@ milibil Behave yourself!
@spidey behaving is imposible :p
I didn’t actually say how you should behave yourself. I’ll leave the choice up to you! 😉
@milibili – you know what they say: “Big feet . . . . big shoes.”
@seesittellsit yep def big shoes… 😀
who cares what homans do on the island. just give me some monkey fight with skull crawlers. or giant sticky spiders.
Skull Island still at 83% on RT
yay!
tom’s in mexico now.
@Sixer, pictures floating around with a large sombrero in Mexico. For you!
Will I need eye bleach?
I’m just in from the allotment and a bloody great spider ran right over my hand when I wasn’t even wearing gloves. This is enough scarifying for one day!
No, it is just silly. So very, very sorry about the crawly monster. Here’s some fudge to help you recover. All the interviews about filming Kong include talks of dangerous spiders so he could probably empathize with you while holding your affected hand and wearing the silly large sombrero to make you laugh.
who handed him the frigging sombrero? also the skull was cool.
Good sport. Eternal nerd.
Yes because if he refuses to take it/ wear it he gets called out for that!
Now that you have the hat, Tom, please perform the Mexican hat dance with me.