"Thor: The Dark World" (2013)
Phase Two is a lot like Phase One at this point. Time to give the Avengers that had solo flicks a sequel to that solo flick leading up to a new Avengers movie. Rinse, repeat. I can understand why Marvel initially went this route. They had these stars contracted. This is all still really new. Why rock the boat at this point, when they will definitely start doing that very soon.
Iron Man got his threequel and now it's time for the God of Thunder to get his. Director Kenneth Branagh decided sit this one out so Alan Taylor took over. Don't be surprised if his name doesn't ring any bells, aside from this movie, the only other movie he directed of note is "Terminator: Genisys" and the jury's out on whether that was of note. Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgard, Rene Russo, Jamie Alexander and Anthony Hopkins returned. They were joined by the Ninth Doctor himself, Christopher Eccleston and Mr. Eko from "Lost," Adewale Akkinuoye. Zachary Levi replaced Josh Dallas as Fandral since he couldn't get out his duties filming "Once Upon a Time." "Thor: The Dark World" premiered on November 8, 2013.
"Thor: The Dark World" is regarded as the worst MCU movie and there are some things that back that up. It does have the lowest rating on Rotten Tomatoes at 66%. "The Incredible Hulk" is nipping at its heels with 67%. Calling "Thor: The Dark World" the worst MCU movie doesn't necessarily mean that the movie is terrible. It's not terrible and it's certainly watchable. Even if the plot makes almost zero sense, the character work is great and it does introduce the second of the Infinity Stones.
Let's start with the good things. As with most Marvel movies, the characterization is on point. Hemsworth is really coming into his own as Thor. They leaned into the comedic aspects of the character in "Marvel's The Avengers" and they are continuing that trend in this. Rene Russo reprises her role as Thor and Loki's mother, Frigga, and it's a lot bigger than it was in the original. It's especially nice to see Frigga's relationship with Loki. She loves her adopted son deeply and you get the feeling that Loki's redemption aligns with Frigga's love for him. Frigga is also a badass. Her fight scene is great and I wondered when I watched this if Nicole Kidman's fight scene "Aquaman" was inspired by this. It's a bummer that she gets killed midway through the movie.
Tom Hiddleston continues to be the MVP of the "Thor" films. We get to see new sides to Loki in "The Dark World." He's more than just a trickster. His depression after Frigga's death gives his character more depth, but that doesn't mean that he's mopey the whole film. The scene after Thor springs Loki from prison and they are walking down the hall while Loki shape shifts is one of my favorite scenes. Kudos to also to Chris Evans for really playing that up.
The main problem with "Thor The Dark World" is the plot. So, Thor is cleaning up things in the Nine Realms after the Bifrost was destroyed and as that's happening the Convergence, an alignment of the Nine Realms, is also getting ready to occur. This alignment causes portals to sprout up in odd places, including on Earth, where, as chance would have it, Jane Foster falls through it and is possessed by the Aether, which is actual the Reality Infinity Stone. The Aether awakens Malekith and the rest of the Dark Elves who were all thought to have been destroyed by Bor, Odin's father, when they attempted to use the Aether to return the universe to its pre-Big Bang state.
Whew. Ya got all that? The plot of this movie is so convoluted that you'd think it'd be exciting, but it really isn't. It doesn't make a lot of sense and the novelty of things falling through these different portals loses it's luster after a while. Malekith continues the trend of lackluster MCU villains. There's some potential here, but he kind of fades into the background, to the point that when he'd show up on screen, I'd have to think to remember what he was even there for.
Then there's Jane Foster. Poor Natalie Portman. She gets a little more to do in this movie and at least gets to visit Asgard, but for most of the movie she's really just a damsel in distress and is barely present in the movie's final moments. It's not a huge shock she decided to peace out after this movie.
I really wanted to see more innovative worlds in the movie. It's great that they go to a couple but neither is visually appealing. It's a bummer. I would have liked to see a little more imagination.
"Thor: The Dark World" does set up some interesting threads for future "Thor" films to pick up on, the biggest one being Loki masquerading as Odin and ruling Asgard. The Aether is revealed to be the Reality Infinity Stone when Sif and Volstagg give it to the Collector for safekeeping. This doubles as a little tease for the upcoming "Guardians of the Galaxy."
The blu-ray of "Thor: The Dark World" also contains the Marvel One-Shot, "All Hail the King." This focuses on the pseudo-Mandarin, Trevor Slattery. Slattery is still riding high on his fifteen minutes of fame and is living large in prison. He's interviewed for a documentary by Jackson Norris, where he talks about his time prior to taking on the mantle of the fake Mandarin, including a failed CBS television pilot. During this interview, Slattery learns that some people aren't too happy that he impersonated the Mandarin, specifically the actual Ten Rings Terrorist organization. It turns out that Norris is there to break Slattery out so he can meet the real Mandarin.
This is a One Shot that could have lasting ramifications for the MCU. A big gripe about "Iron Man 3," which as you know I don't agree with, was how the film handled the Mandarin. So, this kind of feels like a retroactive fixing of that or way to appease those vocal fans who weren't super into it. It's great to learn there is an actual Mandarin leading the Ten Rings, but with no word on an "Iron Man 4," it's hard to know if this will ever mean anything in the future. It's still a great one-shot and anytime I get to spend with Ben Kingsley's Slattery is a treat. Sam Rockwell reprising his role Justin Hammer from "Iron Man 2" is just icing on the felonious cake.
Next up, you guessed it, Captain America gets his own sequel with "The Winter Soldier."
What do you all think? Does "The Dark World" get a bad rep? Is it better than it gets credit for? Is it your favorite MCU film? If it is, I'd love to hear why you love it so much in the comments.
Iron Man got his threequel and now it's time for the God of Thunder to get his. Director Kenneth Branagh decided sit this one out so Alan Taylor took over. Don't be surprised if his name doesn't ring any bells, aside from this movie, the only other movie he directed of note is "Terminator: Genisys" and the jury's out on whether that was of note. Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgard, Rene Russo, Jamie Alexander and Anthony Hopkins returned. They were joined by the Ninth Doctor himself, Christopher Eccleston and Mr. Eko from "Lost," Adewale Akkinuoye. Zachary Levi replaced Josh Dallas as Fandral since he couldn't get out his duties filming "Once Upon a Time." "Thor: The Dark World" premiered on November 8, 2013.
"Thor: The Dark World" is regarded as the worst MCU movie and there are some things that back that up. It does have the lowest rating on Rotten Tomatoes at 66%. "The Incredible Hulk" is nipping at its heels with 67%. Calling "Thor: The Dark World" the worst MCU movie doesn't necessarily mean that the movie is terrible. It's not terrible and it's certainly watchable. Even if the plot makes almost zero sense, the character work is great and it does introduce the second of the Infinity Stones.
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| Brothers. |
Tom Hiddleston continues to be the MVP of the "Thor" films. We get to see new sides to Loki in "The Dark World." He's more than just a trickster. His depression after Frigga's death gives his character more depth, but that doesn't mean that he's mopey the whole film. The scene after Thor springs Loki from prison and they are walking down the hall while Loki shape shifts is one of my favorite scenes. Kudos to also to Chris Evans for really playing that up.
The main problem with "Thor The Dark World" is the plot. So, Thor is cleaning up things in the Nine Realms after the Bifrost was destroyed and as that's happening the Convergence, an alignment of the Nine Realms, is also getting ready to occur. This alignment causes portals to sprout up in odd places, including on Earth, where, as chance would have it, Jane Foster falls through it and is possessed by the Aether, which is actual the Reality Infinity Stone. The Aether awakens Malekith and the rest of the Dark Elves who were all thought to have been destroyed by Bor, Odin's father, when they attempted to use the Aether to return the universe to its pre-Big Bang state.
Whew. Ya got all that? The plot of this movie is so convoluted that you'd think it'd be exciting, but it really isn't. It doesn't make a lot of sense and the novelty of things falling through these different portals loses it's luster after a while. Malekith continues the trend of lackluster MCU villains. There's some potential here, but he kind of fades into the background, to the point that when he'd show up on screen, I'd have to think to remember what he was even there for.
Then there's Jane Foster. Poor Natalie Portman. She gets a little more to do in this movie and at least gets to visit Asgard, but for most of the movie she's really just a damsel in distress and is barely present in the movie's final moments. It's not a huge shock she decided to peace out after this movie.
I really wanted to see more innovative worlds in the movie. It's great that they go to a couple but neither is visually appealing. It's a bummer. I would have liked to see a little more imagination.
"Thor: The Dark World" does set up some interesting threads for future "Thor" films to pick up on, the biggest one being Loki masquerading as Odin and ruling Asgard. The Aether is revealed to be the Reality Infinity Stone when Sif and Volstagg give it to the Collector for safekeeping. This doubles as a little tease for the upcoming "Guardians of the Galaxy."
 |
| "The Mandarin" |
This is a One Shot that could have lasting ramifications for the MCU. A big gripe about "Iron Man 3," which as you know I don't agree with, was how the film handled the Mandarin. So, this kind of feels like a retroactive fixing of that or way to appease those vocal fans who weren't super into it. It's great to learn there is an actual Mandarin leading the Ten Rings, but with no word on an "Iron Man 4," it's hard to know if this will ever mean anything in the future. It's still a great one-shot and anytime I get to spend with Ben Kingsley's Slattery is a treat. Sam Rockwell reprising his role Justin Hammer from "Iron Man 2" is just icing on the felonious cake.
Next up, you guessed it, Captain America gets his own sequel with "The Winter Soldier."
What do you all think? Does "The Dark World" get a bad rep? Is it better than it gets credit for? Is it your favorite MCU film? If it is, I'd love to hear why you love it so much in the comments.
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