Looking to improve off the success of the first Thor film, Thor: The Dark World takes shape as a more fast paced action packed adventure that is ultimately superior in many areas when compared to its predecessor. If you have seen any Marvel movies prior to this one, you probably would not classify any of them as a "comedy". However Thor: The Dark World proves to easily be the most humorous marvel movie to date and is marked by a developing story arc that focuses on Thor and his troubled relationship with his father Odin and his brother Loki that ultimately becomes the central plot point despite the movie being advertised as having a central villain named Malekith. Forget that guy, and just enjoy the scenes that feature Loki and Thor in conversation, conflict, and battle; and you will really like this movie.
Verdict: Yeah i'd pay 8 bucks for that (See it)
If any of you do not know, Marvel studios (who is owned by Disney) has an ongoing cinematic universe of sorts that is at the height of its popularity right now. The movies they have cranked out, starting with The Incredible Hulk, have all been superb in my opinion. The movies to their credit include IronMan 1/2/3, Captain America, Thor, and the Avengers. Now anyone with knowledge about these films know that the characters in each individual film exist in the same universe and in the same world. In other words, the events that happened in IronMan directly impacted the stories of the Thor and Captain America movies as well. No individual film stands alone; they are all connected in some way or fashion. Why am I telling you this? Disney owns the movie world right now. They own the rights to the most profitable franchise of today (Marvel) and tomorrow(Star Wars). The way they have created this chain of movies has really benefited us as fans, as we inevitably become connected to these characters upon watching them age and mature right before our very eyes. Of the initial string of Marvel movies, my two favorite were the first IronMan and the first Thor. I thought Thor had the best visuals, and was arguably the funniest. Seeing the Norse god try and adapt to life in a rural new Mexico town was very comical to say the least. In short, I really loved the first Thor movie and was still expecting improvement as I went in to watch the sequel. To answer the first question, was Thor: The Dark World better than the original Thor? Yes it was. To me, Thor: The Dark World was exactly what I wanted to see from Marvel going forward: Improvement. IronMan 3 was a great movie, but it was lacking in certain areas that made it fall a bit short of the original. Thor: The Dark World on the other hand had better acting, dialogue, visuals, and humor then the first Thor movie. Before I get into what I enjoyed about the movie, there were a couple areas of weakness I need to address. First, the main villain in the movie, Malekith, was easily the weakest part of this movie. His backstory and motivation for wanting to destroy the universe- I really could care less about. I could not connect to anything he was saying, and was bored every time he was talking. The second problem of the film is really an issue I have with the Thor series as a whole. Natalie Portmans character Jane Foster is really annoying. Im sorry, but I was secretly hoping that she was going to die in this movie. That sounds bad, but I do NOT want Thor to be worrying about any particular person when the world is in jeopardy. If I wanted to see a good love story, I would not pop in my blu ray copy of the Avengers; lets just say that. In the Avengers, they simply mention to Thor that his girl is safe and that is it, and in return we have a bad ass Thor and an awesome movie. Sure I understand her role in the movie as she was the host to that mystic power that Malekith wanted, but they still could have had her killed at the end in my opinion. Still as long as they keep characters like her, and even Pepper Pots out of the Avengers movies: then I can tolerate their roles in the individual movies. The Avengers should be focused on the main heroes; not Jane Foster, not Pepper Pots, not even James Rhodes(War Machine). With that said, there were a lot more things that this movie does well than bad. The most striking aspect of this movie is its almost effortless humor. There were a lot of funny scenes in the first Thor, but the sequel was packed with hilarious humor throughout the entire film. That part where Thor hangs his hammer on the coat rack was absolutely priceless. Literally LOL'd. Also the visuals were improved tremendously, and we got to spend a lot more time in Asgard this time around. The escape from Asgard sequence with Thor and Loki was awesome, and featured some great banter between the two brothers. But what this movie boils down to is the developing relationship between Thor and Loki. Sure we had Malekith in there to help serve the plot, but Loki was the true antagonist in this one. He is easily the fan favorite, and stole every scene he was in. To some extent, Loki is more popular amongst the fans to Thor himself. His overall charm and demeanor just makes him a very dynamic character. One minute you think you have him pegged, and then he totally shocks you and does the complete opposite of what you expected. I personally love characters that have more to them then meets the eye, and Loki is a prime example of what that is. On the surface you might think he hates Thor and wants him dead, but deep down I believe he actually has deep affection towards him; and that personal struggle within him plays a large role in what leads him to become evil. To sum it up, Marvel knows that the most interesting and popular character relationship they have is the one between Thor and Loki, and they in turn made that a very large part of this movie. Overall I was very happy with this film, and had a great experience both times I saw it. If you enjoy some witty dialogue, breathtaking visuals, or a dynamic relationship between a father and his two sons; then Thor: The Dark World may just be the film for you.
Rating: 7.5/10
Thanks for reading my review of Thor: The Dark World! I appreciate the ongoing support, and wouldn't be able to keep going if I knew that no one was reading. Stay tuned tomorrow as I will post another movie review and maybe a top 10 list of my most anticipated movies of 2014. Thanks again, and until next time: have a great night.
- Big D
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