THOR: THE DARK WORLD review by Ronnie Malik – more Marvel movie fun

THOR: THE DARK WORLD review by Ronnie Malik – more Marvel movie fun

Thor The Dark World - Poster - 002

THOR: THE DARK WORLD

Director: Alan Taylor

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Eccleston, Zachary Levi, Jaimie Alexander, Idris Elba, Rene Russo, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgård, Johnathan Howard, Ray Stevenson

Rating: B+

Nine realms, of which the planet earth is one, will become perfectly aligned somewhere in the near future to create the ideal conditions for an evil alien to unleash a nasty red gas called The Aether. The one who possesses The Aether can create darkness across the universe and cause the destruction of worlds across the vastness of space. The force of the gassy super weapon will give its owner all the power to rule over other less fortunate races. This is the back drop for the Marvel/Disney film THOR: THE DARK WORLD.

We find out early on the history behind the brewing threat to the universe through a narrative at the beginning of the film. Thousands of years ago a race known as The Dark Elves was ruled by the insidious and cruel Malekith who was determined to use The Aether to rule. The noble and brave Asgardians go to war with the pale faced pointy eared aggressors on their dark and desolate planet. The Elves are defeated and the Asgardians hide The Aether in a remote location no one would think to search in order to uncover the weapon of mass destruction.

Fast forward to present day when Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), a lovely astrophysicist and lady love of Thor, discovers strange readings on one of her electronic gizmos and is convinced Thor is returning to earth after a two year absence. Jane, along with her sidekicks Darcy (Kat Dennings) and Ian (Johnathan Howard), venture out to an abandoned warehouse in London to track down the signals being received from outer space and to see if she can find Thor. It is during Jane’s mission to find her long lost love that she accidentally stumbles upon the hidden Aether and is injected with the powerful gas that will kill her if not removed from her body.

Thor gets the word from Heimdall (Idris Elba) that his sweetheart is in trouble. He rushes to earth, grabs the girl, and takes her back to Asgard to find a cure for the poison inhabiting her body. Meanwhile the leader of the Elves and his army are awakened from thousands of years sleep just by the mere active presence of the weapon. Malekith starts a war with the Asgardians so that he can steal back the power source. In an effort to defeat the invaders entering into his home planet, Thor must enlist the help of his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who has been languishing away in prison for past treachery.

As the story unfolds we are sent back and forth into different worlds that are quite pleasing to the eye and create visual interest in the movie. Asgard, with its sparkling bridges and golden buildings, is an amazing site and in great contrast to the dry gray desert-like planet that the Elves inhabit. Earth is also thrown in and shots of London do not distract from the story. The set designs are elaborate and the action sequences shot in the different surroundings create a fresh interesting canvas for the film. There are amazing CGI effects that move at the speed of light but are still sharp and clear to catch. Don’t be surprised if you have yourself saying “wow – how cool would it be to really do that?!”

Hollywood veterans Anthony Hopkins and Rene Russo reprise their roles as Thor’s parents. Hopkins has a God-like presence on the screen as the king of Asgard and Russo displays bravery and grace as the queen defending her home and her family. Natalie Portman is given a lot more to do in this film than in the first installment of Thor and she is much stronger in this film as her character is given a chance to really develop. Portman pulls off the nervous girlfriend meeting the parents nicely while still coming across as a science wiz as she figures out how to stop earth from being destroyed by alien invaders. Stellan Skarsgård comes back as the nutty scientist Dr. Erik Selvig and provides for several good laughs through the film. Rounding out the supporting cast are Idris Ella, Jaimie Alexander, Zachary Levi and Ray Stevenson all playing Thor’s trusted and loyal motley crew.

The muscle infused Chris Hemsworth is a big strong, handsome and likable superhero, but is somewhat stereotypical and unfortunately is not given any unique quirky personality traits like those given to Robert Downey Jr. when he plays Iron Man. So he comes off a bit dull at times because there is just nothing special about our main character. Hopefully going forward the filmmakers will add a little more life into Thor making him more memorable. Christopher Eccleston does great as the wicked alien leader wanting to rule the universe but even his character is not given enough depth to make him really threatening.

The real scene stealer in this movie is Tom Hiddleston. His portrayal of Thor’s corrupt and power hungry brother gives the tale the biggest punch. Hiddleston gets some of the best one-liners in the movie that he delivers with precision and gusto, making his character’s wit seem very natural. The complexity of the sibling rivalry and what motivates Loki gives this outing a delicious gritty feel, and you just can’t wait to see where the alliance between two unlikely partners will lead.

THOR: THE DARK WORLD does a great job giving over-the-top explanations for strange anomalies in such a way as to make the far-fetched very believable. Overall this latest comic book installment is just a great time at the movies. It is full of action, adventure, and just enough humor to keep moviegoers entertained. And – just a side note – if you want an extra surprise stay in your seats while the credits roll.

THOR: THE DARK WORLD is set to hit 2D and 3D theaters on November 8, 2013.

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