Thor: The Dark World

The first Thor was a problematic film for me. I loved the actors, I loved the Jack-Kirby-perfect Asgard, but the film itself felt flat. Perhaps it was the rather disorganized plot, perhaps it was the way it followed the same strategy as films like Time Guardian and Galaxia, beginning in lush sci-fi locales but migrating to a small town to save money later on. Avengers further attached me to Hemsworth's Thor, and so I was really looking forward to seeing him get a grander, more developed outing. Thor: the Dark World does not disappoint.Once again, the source of troubles is another race of ancient magic aliens, this time the Dark Elves led by their king Malekith (Christopher Eccleston, still failing to buck that Doctor Who typecasting). The Dark Elves (who are more or less the Eldar from Warhammer 40,000 for all intents and purposes) are the longtime enemies of the Asgardians, but after an apocolyptic battle only a handful of them remain. Awakened by the coming alignment of all the worlds connected by Yggdrasil (they hyperspace network that connects all the worlds Thor and his pals hang out on) Malekith and his creepily masked flunkies set out to recover the Ether, a spooky living weapon that will blot out all light in the universe.Predictably conflict ensues. Through a series of accidents the Ether winds up living inside Thor's human sweetheart, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) where it will grow until it devours her. Defying Odin, Thor hatches a surprisingly cunning plan to dupe Malekith into removing the Ether from Foster so he can destroy the Elven leader and his weapon in one go. Things don't go so swimmingly, and it all comes down to a ludicrously silly, magnificently well-done battle across dimensions for the fate of the universe (with a tube ride through London in the middle).If, like me, you loved everything about Thor but just wanted it to be better, then this is the film for you. Thor and Foster's romance, forced and simplistic in the first movie, is played out well here. Asgard, before just a shiny setpiece, is now a well-built series of believable locations with an aged, lived-in feel to them. The Dark Elves, unlike the thuggish Frost Giants, have a technology and martial prowess that seems genuinely threatening. Baddie Eccleston does a decent enough job, although he lacks some of his scenery chewing prowess that we've seen in films like G.I. Joe and 28 Days Later. Even Foster's intern Darcy (Kat Dennings) is a tolerable comic presence this time around. And of course we get more Stellan Skarsgård, who is always fabulous.Real credit is due, however, to Tom Hiddleston as Loki. I felt sure that after two films as the big bad I'd be sick of him, but his turn as Thor's crafty, somewhat unwilling accomplice is meaty and exciting. You genuinely can't tell how much of his behavior is sincere and how much of it is buildup to some treachery- without giving too much away, even though Loki is on Thor's side in this film, he is by far a more dangerous force than Malekith. Just wait for it.Of course there are also some little tidbits thrown in at the end of the film to foreshadow future installments, which are now all but guaranteed to echo the Infinity Gauntlet storyline (as if seeing Thanos in Avengers wasn't a big enough clue). What this means for the next Avengers and other Marvel properties is anyone's guess, but color me excited as all get out.I can think of very few bad things to say about this film to counterbalance the good. Sif and the Warriors Three are still rather underused (but then Thor already has another super team) and Idris Elba's Heimdall is still solidly a supporting character (although he does fight a spaceship using parkour and stabbing, so that's pretty cool). There are also some effects that seem a little odd- a thrown boulder near the middle looks a little wobbly-fake, and in the climax Malekith grows to enormous proportions which is not really made clear until he starts fighting Thor. By and large, though, this is a very very good film, and the acting, writing and visuals are nearly above reproach.Pros:-Exactly like the first Thor only better-Boasts a big sense of scale and tension-Skilled cast elevates it above just a comic book movieCons:-A few wonky effects here and there-Lacks the memorable, bombastic theme music we've seen in other Marvel films

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Year: 2013 Rating: PG-13 Runtime: 1 HR 42 MIN Year: 2013 | Rating: PG-13 | Runtime: 1HR, 42 MIN Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 |Video Resolution: 1080P MPEG-4 MVC Audio: Eng 7.1 DTS-HD MA, Spanish Dolby 5.1 | Subtitles: English, English SDH, SpanishDirector: Alan TaylorWriters: Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Don Payne, Robert Rodat, Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack KirbyStarring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Eccleston, Jaimie Alexander, Zachary Levi, Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Idris Elba, Rene Russo, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Stellan SkarsgårdFilm Rating: ★★★☆☆Video Rating: ★★★★★3D Video Rating: ★★★★☆Audio Rating: ★★★★★Extras Rating: ★★★☆☆Overall Rating: ★★★★☆2011’s Thor obviously wasn’t the first step towards the assembling of The Avengers; the groundwork for that had been laid years earlier with Iron Man and to a lesser extent The Incredible Hulk. Thor did however make the premise of The Avengers feel a lot more tangible to moviegoers. The rest, as they say, is history. Thor was followed by Captain American which was then followed by The Avengers. As we wait for The Avengers 2, the cycle repeats and we’re treated to individual superhero films again, now up… Thor: The Dark World.The “God of Thunder” Thor must stop the Dark Elves, a dangerous and ancient race from obtaining the Aether, a substance capable of destroying Asgard, Earth and the rest of the universe. With the help of Jane Foster and his treacherous brother Loki, Thor puts into action a daring plan to save the universe and banish the Elves forever.Most of the cast of the original Thor returns. The main exception being the minor role of Fandral; originally portrayed by Josh Dallas he was replaced by Chuck’s Zachary Levi. Chris Hemsworth slips back into the role that made him a household name almost effortlessly and continues to be ferocious and charming. Coming as no surprise Tom Hiddleston continues to be a scene stealer despite his character being "locked up" for most of the film.Other Thor actors, namely Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgård, Anthony Hopkins, Jamie Alexander and Ray Stevenson put in inspired performances even with their limited screen time. Natalie Portman's performance is a little harder to diagnose; reportedly she was unhappy when original director Patty Jenkins left the project and was contractually compelled to appear in the film. Perhaps I'm reading too much into the reported dispute but I didn't feel she had as much enthusiasm for this project as the original.While those appearing in front of the camera mostly stay the same the talent behind the scenes has changed dramatically. Gone are writers Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz and Don Wayne and director Kenneth Branagh. The writing staff consists of five writers; Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Don Payne, and Robert Rodat while the directing duties have fallen to Alan Taylor. Mostly known for his TV work Taylor does have experience directing features but it's his background on the small screen that sets him up for success as he shows finesse in handling the film's more personal moments.Finding the right balance between drama and humor can be a difficult tightrope to walk but for the most part Thor handles it quite well... up until the third act. Then, at the most inopportune time some issues regarding the film's balance and tone start to derail The Dark World and rob it of its sense of urgency and danger. It's not a deal breaking problem but it does hold the film back from having a truly memorable climax.Thor: The Dark World has been given two Blu-ray releases; a standard 2D release and a 3D version which also includes the 2D version on a separate disc. The 3D version also includes a digital copy.The 2D presentation is flawless. Black levels are inky, the color palette is vibrant (on Asgard especially) and flesh tones are natural and lifelike. Detail consistently wows; everything from the fine stubble of Thor’s beard to minute costume textures are clearly visible. I couldn’t find a single negative quality to nitpick about the 2D transfer, it’s simply outstanding.The 3D version of the film isn’t quite as successful as its 2D counterpart. Brightly lit scenes look fantastic; there’s little to no crosstalk, colors still pop and there’s very little drop off in terms of detail. Much of the 3D effect doesn’t always “jump” out of the screen, instead it’s used to create a greater sense of depth. That may disappoint some viewers but I prefer 3D to be used like a scalpel and not an ax. The transfer runs into some trouble during the numerous dark or dimly lit scenes. The 3D effect just doesn’t pop as much and you may find yourself struggling more to digest what you’re looking at. With that said, even at its worst The Dark World’s 3D presentation is equal to or better than that of the first Thor’s 3D Blu-ray.There should be no complaints about the well balanced and aggressive DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track. Dialogue is always crisp and intelligible, the surrounds provide plenty of ambient noise and when needed some appropriate directional effects, and Brian Tyler’s score is well balanced. This is nothing short of what you’d expect from one of Marvel’s signature cinematic properties.Special features range from the mundane to the extraordinary. The signature special feature is the Marvel One Shot: All Hail the King fourteen minute long short film starring Ben Kingsley from Iron Man 3. It's a fun little companion piece that gives a little insight to one of the most intriguing side characters of the Marvel universe. You'll also find a commentary with director Alan Taylor, cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, and actor Tom Hiddleston; the track is a bit dry but is informative. The thirty-two minute long documentary A Brother's Journey: Thor & Loki explores the casting, performances, stories and relationship between the hero and villain. Wrapping things up is a some short featurette about the Brian Tyler's score, eight minutes of deleted or extended scenes, a first look at Captain America: The Winter Soldier and a short gag reel. Most of the extras are merely okay but the All Hail the King short improves the whole package.The greatest thing that can be said about Thor: The Dark World is that it doesn't suffer from “sequelitis” like so many other sequels in recent years. By avoiding the same fate of other recent sequels like Iron Man 2 and Star Trek: Into Darkness this film sets up the Thor franchise for continued success and keeps the Marvel movie machine moving full speed ahead. The 2D & 3D transfers are top notch as is the DTS audio track, that in addition to the above average special features makes Thor: The Dark World an easy to recommend Blu-ray.