Thor: The Dark World [Movie Review]

This was originally supposed to go up on Weds, then again on Friday. But I've been busy - it is the bloody holidays after all. Happy Festivus! Superb Saturnalia! Or whatever...

So this movie has been out a while, it just took me a long time to get to the theater to see it. I told a friend who lives way out of town that I'd go see it with him. I waited to see it with him, and finally we went.

Luke's mother and Kirk's father... its like bad fanfiction.

I rather enjoyed enjoyed the first Thor, and made sure to re-watch it before hand. I never like entering a movie without watching the precursor films, if there are any. I also watched the Avengers, which was a good move. Didn't watch the Iron Man films or Captain America, I could not watch all of them in a day. The good news, the two movies I re-watched were the most important to watch before hand.

4 out of 5 Stars.

I had another reason to see the movie. Nab one of those excellent Cinemark refillable drink cups. Popcorn is not my friend, so I ignored the bucket of refill-ability. 

I do not really feel likes spoiling much of the plot. The start is simple. Long ago, before the Universe existed (If you just took a double take, don't worry, that phrase seems pretty empty of meaning to me too), there existed a race of Dark Elves that lived in the darkness. They hate the universe of light and so harnessed a weapon to destroy it and return it to darkness. The army of Asgard defeats them, of course.

There that is your beginning.

The ninth has never looked so elfin.

Why pine for a mortal when there is a goddess nearby?

If you've seen the Avengers and Thor, then you've got a solid background for the other events. Thor went home, the Bifrost was broken, he couldn't return. Somehow the Asgardians can still travel between the realms even if its broken... don't ask me, I do not know the details behind the Marvel Universe.

Come, my Elves, We fight in the Time War! Death to Daleks!

However Thor still came to Earth after Loki started playing in Dr. Selvig's head. Loki has stealon the Tesseract (Infinity Stone) from SHIELD, and has promised to use it to help some aliens invade Earth (or at least New York). Thor joins the pummel-the-Loki party that eventually becomes the Avengers.

Ok. I'm going to stop with my attempt to decipher the Marvel Universe. I'll just say that I enjoy the interconnected nature of the films. It's fun, like an old serial. 

I really enjoy the Thor films, and I'm uncertain whether I like the first or the second better. I absolutely love the way the Asgardians often seem to be acting in a Shakespearean play, even if the other actors are acting in a normal movie. This is not all that suprising since I've seen Tom Hiddleston in the Hollow Crown, a four part mini series covering the plays of Richard II, Henry IV part 1 and part 2, and Henry V. He's good, and he's playing opposite of Jeremy Irons in the Hollow Crown. The Shakespearean heritage is solid.

The cast of Thor 2 is as good as before, with a few new faces including Christopher Eccleston as the main villain. The story is fun and pretty good (once you just move past the entire 'Before the Universe' bit), there are moments of humor, the action is strong, and once again the set design is for the most part stunningly beautiful. You can completely accept Asgard as a realm of the gods. I love the magnificence of it.

It was definitely worth paying matinee price, and as the movie is probably headed for the cheap theaters, the one or two dollar ones, it is well worth dropping a few singles to see this if you have yet to.
 

I am the coolest character, and I read. I am badass.