Well, folks, we've come to the end of the line. This has been a long, exhausting, but fun and- I hope ultimately- rewarding adventure of my own. The only way I was ever going to break out of my sense of complacency, and get moving on with what I eventually want to do with myself, was to start writing again. I needed some kind of structure, some kind of goal to instill a sense of discipline in myself. Soon, the idea for this endeavor sprung to mind. I figured it would be something I would enjoy writing about for an extended period of time. Truth be told, I was hoping I would find my voice while this project progressed, but it appears that's going to take more work. Also, I was hoping to mention the films that didn't get a theatrical release, as well as two franchises, Men in Black and Kick-Ass, which were based on titles published by Marvel imprints. Unfortunately, I ran out of time. Still, my main goal was accomplished. At least from this point on, I can face my future with a stronger resolve and confidence in developing my skills. Before that, though, we've got one more Marvel movie to look at, and that is...
Chris Hemsworth is back as the mighty God of Thunder. He and his buddies, Lady Sif and The Warriors Three are finished do-gooding across the Nine Realms and head back to Asgard to be merry. However, danger is afoot back on Earth, as Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) stumbles on an ancient alien weapon that infects her. Those aliens happen to be The Dark Elves, led by Malekith, the Accursed (played by Christopher Eccleston), and Jane's infection awakens them from banishment. Thor returns to Earth to bring Jane to Asgard to help her, but Malekith and his Dark Elves launch an attack, seeking the weapon, and delivering a crushing blow. To avenge this assault on Asgard, Thor is forced to align with his mischievous brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in order to find a way to defeat the Dark Elves.
I was hoping, after his exile on Earth in the first film, that Thor's second solo movie would see him venture into other worlds in the Nine Realms. I was expecting Thor: The Dark World to be a film totally immersed in the fantastical, making it a welcome throwback to the days of The Dark Crystal and Krull. Sadly, Marvel Studios settled with a backwards-thinking approach to The Dark World that is both shocking and disappointing.
The Dark World takes a lot of time to get going, but guess where a lot of that time is spent? On Earth. With Jane and her friends from the first Thor (played by Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings). And what we have to sit through before Jane leaves Earth is the stuff of tired sitcoms. To annoy us further, Chris O'Dowd has a cameo. However, once the adventure takes off, it is nothing short of awe-inspiring. The Asgardian cast is a solid group, especially Hiddles, who seems to be really relishing in the role of Loki in his third outing.
Another major weakness of the film is the villian department. Eccleston's role is really lacking. I'm not saying every Marvel adversary needs to be Loki, but an actor like Eccleston should have more to play with that what he's been given here.
Thor: The Dark World has a wealth of fantasy adventure to be in awe of, but it also makes the audience work unnecessarily hard to get it. Having already spent a lot of time getting to know Thor on a human level in the first picture, it's puzzling why Marvel chose to assume fans wouldn't be on board for a completely far-off journey. That's not post-Avengers Marvel Studios to me. That sounds more like the same chicken-shit, "keep-things-grounded" approach to most of the superhero movies made in the 00s, and it has me feeling nervous about how cosmic this summer's Guardians of the Galaxy will truly be. Marvel got to where they are by shooting for the moon. They should know the fans are ready to see what else lies beyond.
Thor: The Dark World
3 1/2 out of 5 Cap Shields
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