Director: Alan Taylor
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Christopher Eccleston, Idris Elba
Rating: Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some suggestive content
Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.
Initial Reaction:
"Thor: The Dark World" has a lot riding on it. After the success of "Marvel's The Avengers" last year Marvel's last two outings "Iron Man 3" and "Agents of SHIELD" have both received mixed reception among the general public. When the first trailer for "Thor: The Dark World" came out I had mixed feelings. Thor is easily my least favorite character of Marvel Cinematic Universe mainly because I find it hard to get intrigued in the story of a Greek god despite how good Chris Hemsworth is in the role. The film did look better than "Thor" and I mainly just get excited for anything out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and why "Thor: The Dark World" definitely had problems mainly in story the film was enjoyable action blockbuster and another solid delivery from Marvel.
"Thor: The Dark World" has a lot riding on it. After the success of "Marvel's The Avengers" last year Marvel's last two outings "Iron Man 3" and "Agents of SHIELD" have both received mixed reception among the general public. When the first trailer for "Thor: The Dark World" came out I had mixed feelings. Thor is easily my least favorite character of Marvel Cinematic Universe mainly because I find it hard to get intrigued in the story of a Greek god despite how good Chris Hemsworth is in the role. The film did look better than "Thor" and I mainly just get excited for anything out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and why "Thor: The Dark World" definitely had problems mainly in story the film was enjoyable action blockbuster and another solid delivery from Marvel.
Plot (3/5):
You know you have an over stuffed plot when you have to have three people explain what is going on in the first ten minutes of the plot and still be confused of just what the main purpose of the film is. One thing I still have problems with in these Thor movies is the human characters (Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgard) continue to drag down the film. The humor falls flat most of the time and is tried so much throughout the film. I know with Thor you need to have a balance to attract both comic book readers and average movie goers but it just has no purpose in the film. If they could find a logical reason for them to be in the film it would be fine like in the first film but it just feels force in this one. When the story is on Asgard and features the main threat in Malekith the story picks up. Why I wasn't totally sold on Malekith as a villain he did a good job as posing a threat to the characters and I felt more of a force from him then past villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Guy Pearce in "Iron Man 3"). The film goes from a casual watch to an action pack thrill ride once Tom Hiddleston comes on the scene as Loki. Hiddleston continues to prove that he is right up there with Robert Downey Jr. as the best actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His interactions with Hemsworth are just so entertaining and helps elevate an alright plot. The third act of the film features a good action scene and delivered the type of actoin scenes I expect out of a Thor movie. Why the plot was a little overdone at times and the human characters dragged the film out, the story still proved to be engaging enough based solely on the performance of Tom Hiddleston.
You know you have an over stuffed plot when you have to have three people explain what is going on in the first ten minutes of the plot and still be confused of just what the main purpose of the film is. One thing I still have problems with in these Thor movies is the human characters (Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgard) continue to drag down the film. The humor falls flat most of the time and is tried so much throughout the film. I know with Thor you need to have a balance to attract both comic book readers and average movie goers but it just has no purpose in the film. If they could find a logical reason for them to be in the film it would be fine like in the first film but it just feels force in this one. When the story is on Asgard and features the main threat in Malekith the story picks up. Why I wasn't totally sold on Malekith as a villain he did a good job as posing a threat to the characters and I felt more of a force from him then past villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Guy Pearce in "Iron Man 3"). The film goes from a casual watch to an action pack thrill ride once Tom Hiddleston comes on the scene as Loki. Hiddleston continues to prove that he is right up there with Robert Downey Jr. as the best actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His interactions with Hemsworth are just so entertaining and helps elevate an alright plot. The third act of the film features a good action scene and delivered the type of actoin scenes I expect out of a Thor movie. Why the plot was a little overdone at times and the human characters dragged the film out, the story still proved to be engaging enough based solely on the performance of Tom Hiddleston.
Directing (3.5/5):
Alan Taylor proved to be a great choice for "Thor: The Dark World" based on his directing style of "Game of Thrones." The action scenes were done so well and were really intense and even the CGI didn't look bloated like in most special effects heavy movies. He also moved the story at a somewhat good pace. As good as he was at directing action scenes he proved to have a little trouble in talking scenes. He had a hard time of keeping us intrigued with what was going on screen (excpet for Loki) and it did get boring at some points. With this being his first feature length directing debut I can definitely see him improving on this when he takes on "Terminator" in 2015.
Alan Taylor proved to be a great choice for "Thor: The Dark World" based on his directing style of "Game of Thrones." The action scenes were done so well and were really intense and even the CGI didn't look bloated like in most special effects heavy movies. He also moved the story at a somewhat good pace. As good as he was at directing action scenes he proved to have a little trouble in talking scenes. He had a hard time of keeping us intrigued with what was going on screen (excpet for Loki) and it did get boring at some points. With this being his first feature length directing debut I can definitely see him improving on this when he takes on "Terminator" in 2015.
Acting (3.25/5):
All the actors from the first film returned in their roles and for the most part all of them do good. Hemsworth isn't asked to do to much as Thor as he continues to do what made him so charming and enjoyable in the first Thor film and in the avengers movie. As I continue to state what makes this film is Hiddleston. Hiddleston was born to play Loki, he can make a film like this watchable just on his acting alone. Where a lot of humor in the film felt forced, his felt natural and in character. He also brought the best out of Hemsworth who was more enjoyable to watch with Hiddleston. The rest of the asgardian cast was good (Hopkins, Russo, Elba, and Alexander) and didn't get a lot to do but were fine in the role they played in the plot. The newest addition to the cast was Christopher Eccleston as Malekith. I thought he was good did what was asked of him. He want go down as a memorable comic book villain but he served his purpose for the film even though I still didn't get his overall plan. The human characters (sigh) are so boring. All these actors have proven good in other roles but these characters are just forced. No purpose in plot and take away from the story when they are on screen. The best human character was Chris O' Dowd who has a small cameo as a guy dating Natalie Portman at the beginning of the film. He was the only human character that felt natural.
All the actors from the first film returned in their roles and for the most part all of them do good. Hemsworth isn't asked to do to much as Thor as he continues to do what made him so charming and enjoyable in the first Thor film and in the avengers movie. As I continue to state what makes this film is Hiddleston. Hiddleston was born to play Loki, he can make a film like this watchable just on his acting alone. Where a lot of humor in the film felt forced, his felt natural and in character. He also brought the best out of Hemsworth who was more enjoyable to watch with Hiddleston. The rest of the asgardian cast was good (Hopkins, Russo, Elba, and Alexander) and didn't get a lot to do but were fine in the role they played in the plot. The newest addition to the cast was Christopher Eccleston as Malekith. I thought he was good did what was asked of him. He want go down as a memorable comic book villain but he served his purpose for the film even though I still didn't get his overall plan. The human characters (sigh) are so boring. All these actors have proven good in other roles but these characters are just forced. No purpose in plot and take away from the story when they are on screen. The best human character was Chris O' Dowd who has a small cameo as a guy dating Natalie Portman at the beginning of the film. He was the only human character that felt natural.
Replay Ability/ Recommendation (3/5):
Overall if you are a fan of comic book films you will like 'Thor: The Dark World." I don't see the film having the mainstream crossover appeal of "Iron Man" and "Avengers." The film just drags a lot and if you are not a comic book fan you are going to have a hard time going through the film. The film still proves to be an enjoyable action film with great performances from its lead characters. This film series just has a hard time nailing down a story and leaves the question that should be on everyone's mind. WHERE ARE THE AVENGERS WHEN ALL THIS IS GOING ON?
Overall if you are a fan of comic book films you will like 'Thor: The Dark World." I don't see the film having the mainstream crossover appeal of "Iron Man" and "Avengers." The film just drags a lot and if you are not a comic book fan you are going to have a hard time going through the film. The film still proves to be an enjoyable action film with great performances from its lead characters. This film series just has a hard time nailing down a story and leaves the question that should be on everyone's mind. WHERE ARE THE AVENGERS WHEN ALL THIS IS GOING ON?
FINAL GRADE: (3.2/5)(B)(Matinee)
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