Movie Review: Thor: The Dark World (Marvel/Disney)

Just so you know, before I even get started…this review is gonna be totally spoilerific.  So, if you have not seen the movie, then don’t read any more of this article, ok?  No hurtful comments or angry emails to the editor.  We solid?  Good.  Then lets begin…

So, Thor:  the Dark World.  Yea.  Good movie.  I was a little worried in the beginning, though.  The first 10 – 15 minutes of the movie were…a bit…iffy.  Not the Thor fighting part.  God no.  That was awesome.  I’m more talking the whole Jane Foster/portal set up thing.  I don’t mind telling you, it was a bit weak.

Weak, man.  Weak.

Look, I know it’s a comic book movie.  I’m not expecting high level set up/tie ins or anything.  But, I can only suspend my disbelief so far.  Case in point, the movie centers on some sort of portal opening up in an abandoned warehouse in the backstreets of London.  And, of course, when you find a portal, you just start tossing shit into it, right?  Because that’s what some kids and Jane Foster’s crew did.  Toss misc stuff into the portal.

Some of the items transport back to Earth as quickly as they disappeared.  Some of them?  Not so much.  Where did they go?  Where did they go? I’ll tell you.  They end up in the Dark World.  Where shortly after arriving on the portal’s scene, Jane Foster mysteriously gets sucked in and spit out to.  And while she’s in the Dark World, she even more mysteriously gets infected with the junk that the bad guys are after (does any of that even make sense?).

I’m paraphrasing of course.

Speaking of Jane Foster, is it me or is she just annoying?  Natalie Portman is a fine actress.  Intelligent.  And so pretty, it hurts your eyes at times.  But, she’s so whiney in this movie.  What gives!?!?  She’s supposed to be some astro-scientician for the love of everything that’s holy.  But she just comes across as well…I don’t know.  Annoying.  Seriously.  How could Thor want Jane Foster over Lady Sif?

Look at her.

Hang on.  One more.

Like the rest of the internets has been saying, Loki did indeed steal this movie.  In fact, one scene in particular not only helped Loki steal the movie, but…I’d even suggest, made the movie.  After freeing him from his cell, Thor and Loki, make their way through the destruction of Odin’s Palace on Asgard.  Loki, of course, instigating Thor the entire time; transforming himself (and Thor) into other people.  Just all around needling Thor.  At one point, Loki transforms himself into Captain America.  The whole scene last all but a few seconds, but not only nailed Cap, but further solidified Loki as the prankster he is.

The other part that made this movie?  Mjolnir.  Of course I say that tongue in cheek.  But, seriously.  That hammer really comes in handy.  There’s no other way to say this, so you’ll excuse me for how it sounds, but Thor really knows how to work his hammer.

The reason Loki and Mjolnir (and the rest of the cast) make the movie is because of Chris Hemsworth’s Thor.  If not for the strength of Thor’s character, Loki and the others would have nothing to work on/against.  The guy is a great Thor.

So, where does your friendly neighborhood jman put Thor:  the Dark World in the pantheon of comic book movies?  I’d say in the upper middle.  It built on 2011’s Thor, and the Avengers.  It didn’t break new ground, nor should it win any awards.  But, for a comic book movie?  Fun, it is.

Verily!

Images courtesy of:

Jane Foster on dark world:  timsfilmreviews.com

jane foster close up:  www.focusfilm.co.uk

Sif:  www.themarysue.com

Sif close:  www.desdehollywood.com

Sif:  thegeekiary.com

Mjolnir:  marvel.wikia.com

Loki thor:  www.filmthrasher.com

Thor odin:  screencrave.com

Thor in London:  www.digitalspy.co.uk