THOR: THE DARK WORLD
Wait, I mean--
THOR: THE DARK WORLD
Better.
Watching this movie, I could practically feel the fangirls writing fanfiction about Thor and Loki.
Thor: The Dark World is both more of what I loved from the first Thor (which wasn't really much, as I wasn't a fan of it) and a lot of what I love about Game of Thrones, all tossed together, and turned into what the first film should have been.
Thor: The Dark World begins with the story of Malekith, with some of the most LOTR exposition I've seen in a while. But Lord of the Rings this is not, as Thor: The Dark World quickly becomes what feels like a Star Wars (The Asgardians have LASERS!), Game of Thrones (no duh, Alan Taylor directed it) and of course, The Avengers. There is a true variety of genres in this film, and it feels like multiple people directed. It can get very inconsistent and muddled, where at times, it feels like you're watching a lost clip from the Star Wars movies, then a scene filled with drama that was ripped straight out of Game of Thrones, and then, back on Earth with some really well written and witty dialogue (which I am 99% sure Joss Whedon wrote).
However, Thor: The Dark World's true purpose is just to give audiences a fun two hours that they can just watch fly by while having a blast. For the first half of the film, I made the mistake of turning my brain on, and then I realized that I was having way too much fun with the film to think. Despite this even, there are still some genuinely unexpected twists in the film that elevated the story beyond being nothing more than an excuse to get the characters from Fight Scene A to Fight Scene B. The story isn't paper thin, but it's not a David Goyer or Christopher Nolen penned one either. And unlike Iron Man 3, this film actually moves the overall plot of the Marvel Universe forward, so stay tuned for those after credits scenes folks!
As usual, Tom Hiddleston absolutely steals the SHOW as Loki, working in some of the film's best scenes. However, thanks to some snappy dialogue and actors and actresses that completely sell it and have fun with their roles, it doesn't die down whenever the God of Tricks isn't on screen. I particularly enjoyed Zachary Levi as Fandral (who does an excellent job taking over from Josh Dallas), Jamie Alexander as Sif who's a complete badass, and even Kat Dennings as Darcy, who actually made me chuckle quite a bit. And a shout out to Stellan Skarsgard, who reprises his role as Erik Selvig, who has gone completely insane and... Well, I'm just going to say Anthony Hopkins in Red 2 doesn't even hold a candle to this guy. The only character I didn't really warm up to was Christopher Eccleston (THE MOTHAFRIGGIN DOCTOR) as Malekith, though I can't really blame him, he wasn't really given much to work with in the beginning.
The film's action sequences are some of the best this year. The action has almost everything your inner 10 year old would love (except for giant robots, go see Pacific Rim). There are airship battles that would be right at home in a sci-fi film, large scale battles (more Game of Thrones influence), and close combat with superpowers.
The humor in this film works really well also. Just like the Avengers, it has just enough to keep the movie from becoming a Christopher Nolan brood fest, but it never goes overboard, like with Iron Man 3. Oh yeah, and there is a gut bustingly funny cameo about halfway through the movie so...
While there were flaws I found with Thor: The Dark World, it was some of the most fun I've at the movies since 2 Guns earlier this year. While this definitely isn't Gravity or Man of Steel, this film is mega enjoyable, and you will not regret watching it.
VERDICT: 3.75/5
+ Great cast
+ Stellan Skarsgard... What the hell, man
+ Tom Hiddleston, of course
+ Tons of fanservice for comic fans
+ Variety of action setpieces
+ Great balance of humor and seriousness
- Malekith isn't a very exciting villain
- Inconsistent tone with the film
- (not really a complaint) Since when did the Asgardians have Star Wars tech?
