T H O R
THE DARK WORLD
Thor: The Dark World brings Chris Hemsworth back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with an even bigger boom than its predecessor. Picking up off of where The Avengers left off, we get to see what Thor has been up to since New York. He's been cleaning up the Nine Realms and establishing himself as a good king after his father Odin passes.
Meanwhile, darkness is a-brewing. Malekith is a Dark Elf who wants to return to a time
where there was absolutely no light, and to do so, he needs the Aether (aka the Reality Stone). And coincidentally, it inhabits Jane Foster's body. So Thor needs to get the Aether out of Jane's body and beat Malekith, all while making sure the Nine Realms don't fall into complete darkness.
One of the most interesting aspects of this movie is the role of the supporting characters. They're not there simply to smile and wave and cower in fear until the hero does his job. They each have something they can do to contribute to saving the Nine Realms, and they join Team Thor. Their roster: Dr. Erik Selvig (who has continued down a scientific path making him seem like an absolute lunatic), Darcy (who is still Jane's intern, but now has her own intern), Loki (who's been locked up for the past year thanks to his actions in The Avengers), Sif and the Asgard crew, and Heimdall.
Jane, after foolishly touching the Aether thanks to a dimensional rift caused by "The Convergence" of the Nine Realms, is brought back to Asgard by Thor in order to figure out why Heimdall couldn't see her, because Thor wanted to do his daily stalker check up on his girlfriend. The
Asgardians can do nothing about the Aether, and before much more can be said about that, Malekith attacks and Odin's wife protects Jane until the death. Jane is taken away, and Thor decides to go after Malekith with the help of Loki.
While they're getting out of Asgard, Loki thinks it's a good idea to shape-shift into some of Thor's friends, including Captain America!
It's a nice touch of humor before the big brawling action goes down. With Loki's help and sacrifice, Thor gets Jane back, but the Aether is set free and in the hands of Malekith. So Thor and Jane go back to Earth and find Selvig and Darcy, and devise a strategy that can use the power of the Convergence to their advantage.
They figure out that the epicenter for the entire thing is in Washington, D.C., and go there to prepare for Malekith's arrival. Thor confronts the Dark Elf, and after a rather eventful brawl, the Convergence passes with Avenger-esque destruction, and Malekith is defeated.
Thor returns to Asgard to notify his father that Loki died in their battle against Malekith, and to also say that he does not want the throne, saying "I'd rather be a good man than a great king." Understanding that Thor will not take the throne no matter what, Odin says he cannot give his son a
blessing, but if he were proud of the man his son had become, "even that I could not say. Go."
Thor thanks Odin and leaves, and before the screen cuts out, Odin turns into Loki (or rather Loki turns back to himself) and says "No, thank you."
Leaving us on a thread only to be picked up by Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: The Dark World is a successful, witty, and entertaining continuation of the story Marvel Studios seeks to tell as they enter Phase Two of a plan we as viewers could only dream of.
Ratings:
Family Friendliness - 7.5/9 Realms (8/10) Marvel continues to deliver a fun and action-packed movie with minimal, if any, blood. There is a scene with Dr. Erik Selvig running around naked in a field, but it is pixelated out. Nonetheless, you can tell he is not properly clothed.
Storyline - 8.5/10 Dark Elves The story seems to feed a little off of The Avengers with the idea of an alien race seeking universal domination, although the characters involved are inspired by Norse mythology and of course Marvel comics. Not overly complicated, but not a mindless movie, The Dark World delivers an interesting story unique to its titular protagonist.
Story-Action Balance - 9/10 Thrones Despite all of the fighting and violence that breaks out due to Malekith's evil plan, there is a fair amount of story-driven screen time. The action that ensues is intense and gripping, but it isn't overkill to the point where you become desensitized to it. Any punch thrown is a meaningful one, and the duration of back-and-forth blows is appropriate.
Overall - 8.5/10 Hammers
Bibliography:
"Thor: The Dark World Thor and Jane" <http://wiproo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Thor-2-The-Dark-World-Official-Photo-Thor-and-Jane-Kiss-Asgard.jpg>
"Thor: The Dark World Captain America cameo" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oieI1UOEe4>
"Thor: The Dark World Malekith" <https://www.popoptiq.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Thor-The-Dark-World-Malekith.jpg>
"Thor: The Dark World Loki in Odin's Throne" <http://24.media.tumblr.com/e7f70b6d9475512b86fc9b320fe5a807/tumblr_mvyoygYo5q1shrn3uo2_500.gif>
Meanwhile, darkness is a-brewing. Malekith is a Dark Elf who wants to return to a time
One of the most interesting aspects of this movie is the role of the supporting characters. They're not there simply to smile and wave and cower in fear until the hero does his job. They each have something they can do to contribute to saving the Nine Realms, and they join Team Thor. Their roster: Dr. Erik Selvig (who has continued down a scientific path making him seem like an absolute lunatic), Darcy (who is still Jane's intern, but now has her own intern), Loki (who's been locked up for the past year thanks to his actions in The Avengers), Sif and the Asgard crew, and Heimdall.
Jane, after foolishly touching the Aether thanks to a dimensional rift caused by "The Convergence" of the Nine Realms, is brought back to Asgard by Thor in order to figure out why Heimdall couldn't see her, because Thor wanted to do his daily stalker check up on his girlfriend. The
While they're getting out of Asgard, Loki thinks it's a good idea to shape-shift into some of Thor's friends, including Captain America!
It's a nice touch of humor before the big brawling action goes down. With Loki's help and sacrifice, Thor gets Jane back, but the Aether is set free and in the hands of Malekith. So Thor and Jane go back to Earth and find Selvig and Darcy, and devise a strategy that can use the power of the Convergence to their advantage.
They figure out that the epicenter for the entire thing is in Washington, D.C., and go there to prepare for Malekith's arrival. Thor confronts the Dark Elf, and after a rather eventful brawl, the Convergence passes with Avenger-esque destruction, and Malekith is defeated.
Thor returns to Asgard to notify his father that Loki died in their battle against Malekith, and to also say that he does not want the throne, saying "I'd rather be a good man than a great king." Understanding that Thor will not take the throne no matter what, Odin says he cannot give his son a
Thor thanks Odin and leaves, and before the screen cuts out, Odin turns into Loki (or rather Loki turns back to himself) and says "No, thank you."
Leaving us on a thread only to be picked up by Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: The Dark World is a successful, witty, and entertaining continuation of the story Marvel Studios seeks to tell as they enter Phase Two of a plan we as viewers could only dream of.
Ratings:
Family Friendliness - 7.5/9 Realms (8/10) Marvel continues to deliver a fun and action-packed movie with minimal, if any, blood. There is a scene with Dr. Erik Selvig running around naked in a field, but it is pixelated out. Nonetheless, you can tell he is not properly clothed.
Storyline - 8.5/10 Dark Elves The story seems to feed a little off of The Avengers with the idea of an alien race seeking universal domination, although the characters involved are inspired by Norse mythology and of course Marvel comics. Not overly complicated, but not a mindless movie, The Dark World delivers an interesting story unique to its titular protagonist.
Story-Action Balance - 9/10 Thrones Despite all of the fighting and violence that breaks out due to Malekith's evil plan, there is a fair amount of story-driven screen time. The action that ensues is intense and gripping, but it isn't overkill to the point where you become desensitized to it. Any punch thrown is a meaningful one, and the duration of back-and-forth blows is appropriate.
Overall - 8.5/10 Hammers
Bibliography:
"Thor: The Dark World Thor and Jane" <http://wiproo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Thor-2-The-Dark-World-Official-Photo-Thor-and-Jane-Kiss-Asgard.jpg>
"Thor: The Dark World Captain America cameo" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oieI1UOEe4>
"Thor: The Dark World Malekith" <https://www.popoptiq.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Thor-The-Dark-World-Malekith.jpg>
"Thor: The Dark World Loki in Odin's Throne" <http://24.media.tumblr.com/e7f70b6d9475512b86fc9b320fe5a807/tumblr_mvyoygYo5q1shrn3uo2_500.gif>