I've said this many, many times in past rants, but I haven't been very good at updating. School, work, and life in general tends to get in the way. Which is a shame, because there is so much to comment on in the nerd world, and there's no time for one lonely blogger to review all of it. But as of late, I'm going to try harder to update more often. I hope to have a new rant up every day for the next week, to fully capture all the aspects of the nerd world I wish to rant about. My first order of business: the Marvel Cinematic Universe keeps on expanding.
But before I tackle the more recent expansions, I need to rectify a mistake. I never got around to properly reviewing "Thor: The Dark World." Yes, I've commented on it in other articles, and even ranked it in my list of 2013 films. But that doesn't count as an in-depth review. And since I haven't actually done a full blown review of just one film in some time, I think this is as good a film as any. And since I've seen it multiple times well beyond the theatrical release date, this rant marks the return of my Retro Review series I started with my Marvel Phase I marathon.
When I first saw "Thor 2" in theaters, I found it enjoyable. Coming out of the theater, all I could think about was the first post-credits scene, where the films' MacGuffin, the Aether, was given to the Collector (from the upcoming "Guardians of the Galaxy") for safe-keeping. This same scene revealed that both the Aether and the Tesseract were Infinity Gems, finally confirming that the Infinity Gauntlet story arc with Thanos was the end game for the MCU Phases. It was an exciting prospect, to be sure. And for providing a crucial element to the ever-expanding MCU, this film has my gratitude. But aside from this promising set-up scene and some brilliant moments from the cast, repeat viewings made me see that "Thor: The Dark World" was an otherwise weak link in the MCU chain.
Now before I tear into the film, let me start with the positives. Like in the first "Thor" and "The Avengers", the greatest strength here is the relationship between Chris Hemsworth's Thor and Tom Hiddleston's Loki. Both are superb actors, Hiddleston in particular, and their time together is extraordinarily entertaining. In fact, any scene with just Loki is a treat to watch. Loki's scenes with Odin and Frigga, his brief asides with Jane, Sif, and Volstagg, and his "betrayal" of Thor to Malekith are all expertly staged.
It's truly amazing when you realize that the "Thor" and "Avengers" films have just as much character development for Loki as they do for Thor, but it makes sense once you realize their conflict forms the heart of the franchise. Their intense sibling rivalry grounds an otherwise out-of-this-world sci-fi franchise, making these "gods" feel all too human.
Not that the out-of-this-world elements are a detriment. Indeed, the mythology of the Nine Realms is what makes the "Thor" films significant from the other MCU entries. This film does explore that mythology more in-depth. The mystical Convergence bringing the Realms together was an interesting concept, if somewhat contrived, but it does make for one hell of a climax at the end when Thor portal hops through multiple realms.
Getting to spend more time in Asgard was of course a treat, since the Asgard scenes were without a doubt the best part of the first movie. Getting the director of several "Game of Thrones" episodes was a smart move, since Asgard has a more Viking feel here. It also feels more lived in, and we see more of Asgardian culture. Frigga's funeral scene was especially touching, not just for showing Asgardian funeral practices but also that it felt genuinely emotional for the characters.
Unfortunately, it's the scene that followed that highlights one of two major problems I had with this film. After the incredibly somber funeral scene, we jump to Earth to see Erik Selvig explaining his Convergence theory to mental patients. It's meant to be played for laughs, but comes off as painfully forced and tonally jarring after what we just witnessed. Jane, Erik, and Darcy all return here, and are joined by a new intern, Ian, who has no character and does absolutely nothing.
Now after Erik's expanded role in "The Avengers" and the cliffhanger with Jane at the end of "Thor", it makes sense to return to these characters. But when they are re-introduced, they aren't really given anything meaningful to do until the climax. Erik spends his time in a mental ward, Darcy and Ian just run around, and Jane gets to go to Asgard only to fall unconscious due to Aether possession.
I found myself not caring for any of these people, after realizing they ceased being interesting or even necessary following the first "Thor." The reason is simple. Thor's arc in the first film revolved around him coming to Earth. Meeting these people helped him become invested in humanity so he could learn humility. Plus, the humans had more of a point since they provided a contrast to Thor, who spent a good chunk of the film on Earth.
This time around, only Jane spends a significant time with Thor. The other humans hang out on Earth, but without an Asgardian there to bounce off of, their comic relief is completely unnecessary to advance the plot. I found myself questioning why we were cutting back to Earth when literally all the action was on other realms. The filmmakers had a good idea to bring Jane to Asgard. But instead of possibly exploring how she'd be a fish out of water in Thor's world, she acts like a damsel in distress and then a human MacGuffin for the rest of the film. And that's not even mentioning that she and Thor still have no chemistry together, making theirs the absolute worst romance in the MCU thus far. Sorry, Natalie Portman, but you really need to leave.
Basically, there is no real need for the humans to have this much screen time in the sequel. They helped ground Thor and his mythology in the first film, but now that everything's established, the Nine Realms and the Thor-Loki relationship is far more interesting and relatable than any of the human characters. I didn't even notice Jane unconscious for the second half, because at that point Loki was sprung from jail and his and Thor's rivalry made the film fun again. Case in point: I nearly died of laughter at Loki turning into Captain America. THAT'S how you do comic relief, Marvel.
But this also brings up my other big complaint. As great as the Thor-Loki relationship is, it completely overshadows the main conflict of the film. Marvel potentially had a great set up here with Malekith, Kurse, and the Dark Elves. The Elves themselves were super creepy, while Malekith and Kurse looked incredible. I want to give props to Kurse in particular, since not only did he have a great look, but his fight scenes with Thor were absolutely brutal and incredibly entertaining.
The problem, then, is Malekith himself. Like Mickey Rourke's Whiplash in "Iron Man 2", Marvel hired a top notch actor in Christopher Eccleston to bring a fan favorite villain to life. But Malekith is the franchise's most generic super villain yet, and it's baffling why they wanted Eccleston in the first place. Malekith's plan is to bond with the Aether and unleash it on the Nine Realms using the Convergence, thereby plunging the universe into eternal darkness. Ok, that's pretty ambitious. But the film forgets to explain WHY Malekith wants this. They boil his motivation down to "I'm evil, death to the universe!" and leave it at that.
He doesn't have the on-screen charisma or the tragic history of Loki, so Malekith comes off as your typical villain of the week instead of this potentially universe-ending threat. Since his plan has no real stakes, it doesn't justify Thor and Loki joining forces. As such, the basic premise of the film has no weight, since the circumstances behind Thor and Loki's reconciliation is forced. Again, it helps that Hemsworth and Hiddleston are great together on screen, but if their reason for being together is too shallow, then there's no gravity to the situation. Ironic, considering part of the plot involves massive reality shifts and the laws of gravity going out the window.
So despite some entertaining action scenes and performances, "Thor: The Dark World" ultimately feels too hollow to really work as a film. It does have the saving grace of ending on an awesome cliff hanger, I'll admit. Loki disguising himself as Odin, while Thor abdicates the throne to be on Earth with Jane, is a very interesting place to leave off with. And despite the clear set-up for "Thor 3", "Guardians" and the "Infinity Gauntlet", this film still tried to tell its own story. That alone puts it ahead of "Iron Man 2", but not by much.
After some thinking, I believe that the first "Thor" is actually superior to this one, for at least having a purpose for the Earth scenes and making Thor's world seem plausible. I'm not saying that I hate this film, or that it's the "Phantom Menace" of the MCU. It's still an enjoyable enough entry in the canon, bolstered largely by Hiddleston's infinite charisma as Loki. But I felt the flaws here were too large to overlook, hence this harsher review.
In terms of rank, I'd put "Thor 2" as the second worst film, beaten only by "Iron Man 2". I appreciate what this film sets up for the larger MCU canon, but it's the equivalent of a subpar issue in an otherwise fantastic ongoing comic series. You may enjoy initially reading it, and it's needed for the overall story, but there's nothing here that really stands out. I only hope that when we reach the inevitable "Thor 3", we'll have dropped the human characters, focused more on the Thor-Loki rivalry, and have a plot with actual stakes that doesn't rely on Earth as a crutch. I'd recommend introducing Surtur and adapting the Ragnarok story arc, but that's just the ramblings of a lowly comic nerd.
Also, it'd help if the other Asgardians actually got some screen time, something that hasn't been corrected from the first film. Heimdall's still a badass, and actually gets a cool action bit here, but it's something else that needs to change. Anyone would be forgiven for thinking that "Thor 2" signals the MCU going stale. Luckily, a time-lost super soldier proved them (and me) dead wrong. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" hit theaters last Friday, and now that I've seen it (and caught up with the MCU with this review), I'm ready to give my full analysis on the latest entry in the Marvel film canon.
But before I tackle the more recent expansions, I need to rectify a mistake. I never got around to properly reviewing "Thor: The Dark World." Yes, I've commented on it in other articles, and even ranked it in my list of 2013 films. But that doesn't count as an in-depth review. And since I haven't actually done a full blown review of just one film in some time, I think this is as good a film as any. And since I've seen it multiple times well beyond the theatrical release date, this rant marks the return of my Retro Review series I started with my Marvel Phase I marathon.
When I first saw "Thor 2" in theaters, I found it enjoyable. Coming out of the theater, all I could think about was the first post-credits scene, where the films' MacGuffin, the Aether, was given to the Collector (from the upcoming "Guardians of the Galaxy") for safe-keeping. This same scene revealed that both the Aether and the Tesseract were Infinity Gems, finally confirming that the Infinity Gauntlet story arc with Thanos was the end game for the MCU Phases. It was an exciting prospect, to be sure. And for providing a crucial element to the ever-expanding MCU, this film has my gratitude. But aside from this promising set-up scene and some brilliant moments from the cast, repeat viewings made me see that "Thor: The Dark World" was an otherwise weak link in the MCU chain.
Now before I tear into the film, let me start with the positives. Like in the first "Thor" and "The Avengers", the greatest strength here is the relationship between Chris Hemsworth's Thor and Tom Hiddleston's Loki. Both are superb actors, Hiddleston in particular, and their time together is extraordinarily entertaining. In fact, any scene with just Loki is a treat to watch. Loki's scenes with Odin and Frigga, his brief asides with Jane, Sif, and Volstagg, and his "betrayal" of Thor to Malekith are all expertly staged.
It's truly amazing when you realize that the "Thor" and "Avengers" films have just as much character development for Loki as they do for Thor, but it makes sense once you realize their conflict forms the heart of the franchise. Their intense sibling rivalry grounds an otherwise out-of-this-world sci-fi franchise, making these "gods" feel all too human.
Not that the out-of-this-world elements are a detriment. Indeed, the mythology of the Nine Realms is what makes the "Thor" films significant from the other MCU entries. This film does explore that mythology more in-depth. The mystical Convergence bringing the Realms together was an interesting concept, if somewhat contrived, but it does make for one hell of a climax at the end when Thor portal hops through multiple realms.
Getting to spend more time in Asgard was of course a treat, since the Asgard scenes were without a doubt the best part of the first movie. Getting the director of several "Game of Thrones" episodes was a smart move, since Asgard has a more Viking feel here. It also feels more lived in, and we see more of Asgardian culture. Frigga's funeral scene was especially touching, not just for showing Asgardian funeral practices but also that it felt genuinely emotional for the characters.
Unfortunately, it's the scene that followed that highlights one of two major problems I had with this film. After the incredibly somber funeral scene, we jump to Earth to see Erik Selvig explaining his Convergence theory to mental patients. It's meant to be played for laughs, but comes off as painfully forced and tonally jarring after what we just witnessed. Jane, Erik, and Darcy all return here, and are joined by a new intern, Ian, who has no character and does absolutely nothing.
Now after Erik's expanded role in "The Avengers" and the cliffhanger with Jane at the end of "Thor", it makes sense to return to these characters. But when they are re-introduced, they aren't really given anything meaningful to do until the climax. Erik spends his time in a mental ward, Darcy and Ian just run around, and Jane gets to go to Asgard only to fall unconscious due to Aether possession.
I found myself not caring for any of these people, after realizing they ceased being interesting or even necessary following the first "Thor." The reason is simple. Thor's arc in the first film revolved around him coming to Earth. Meeting these people helped him become invested in humanity so he could learn humility. Plus, the humans had more of a point since they provided a contrast to Thor, who spent a good chunk of the film on Earth.
This time around, only Jane spends a significant time with Thor. The other humans hang out on Earth, but without an Asgardian there to bounce off of, their comic relief is completely unnecessary to advance the plot. I found myself questioning why we were cutting back to Earth when literally all the action was on other realms. The filmmakers had a good idea to bring Jane to Asgard. But instead of possibly exploring how she'd be a fish out of water in Thor's world, she acts like a damsel in distress and then a human MacGuffin for the rest of the film. And that's not even mentioning that she and Thor still have no chemistry together, making theirs the absolute worst romance in the MCU thus far. Sorry, Natalie Portman, but you really need to leave.
Basically, there is no real need for the humans to have this much screen time in the sequel. They helped ground Thor and his mythology in the first film, but now that everything's established, the Nine Realms and the Thor-Loki relationship is far more interesting and relatable than any of the human characters. I didn't even notice Jane unconscious for the second half, because at that point Loki was sprung from jail and his and Thor's rivalry made the film fun again. Case in point: I nearly died of laughter at Loki turning into Captain America. THAT'S how you do comic relief, Marvel.
But this also brings up my other big complaint. As great as the Thor-Loki relationship is, it completely overshadows the main conflict of the film. Marvel potentially had a great set up here with Malekith, Kurse, and the Dark Elves. The Elves themselves were super creepy, while Malekith and Kurse looked incredible. I want to give props to Kurse in particular, since not only did he have a great look, but his fight scenes with Thor were absolutely brutal and incredibly entertaining.
The problem, then, is Malekith himself. Like Mickey Rourke's Whiplash in "Iron Man 2", Marvel hired a top notch actor in Christopher Eccleston to bring a fan favorite villain to life. But Malekith is the franchise's most generic super villain yet, and it's baffling why they wanted Eccleston in the first place. Malekith's plan is to bond with the Aether and unleash it on the Nine Realms using the Convergence, thereby plunging the universe into eternal darkness. Ok, that's pretty ambitious. But the film forgets to explain WHY Malekith wants this. They boil his motivation down to "I'm evil, death to the universe!" and leave it at that.
He doesn't have the on-screen charisma or the tragic history of Loki, so Malekith comes off as your typical villain of the week instead of this potentially universe-ending threat. Since his plan has no real stakes, it doesn't justify Thor and Loki joining forces. As such, the basic premise of the film has no weight, since the circumstances behind Thor and Loki's reconciliation is forced. Again, it helps that Hemsworth and Hiddleston are great together on screen, but if their reason for being together is too shallow, then there's no gravity to the situation. Ironic, considering part of the plot involves massive reality shifts and the laws of gravity going out the window.
So despite some entertaining action scenes and performances, "Thor: The Dark World" ultimately feels too hollow to really work as a film. It does have the saving grace of ending on an awesome cliff hanger, I'll admit. Loki disguising himself as Odin, while Thor abdicates the throne to be on Earth with Jane, is a very interesting place to leave off with. And despite the clear set-up for "Thor 3", "Guardians" and the "Infinity Gauntlet", this film still tried to tell its own story. That alone puts it ahead of "Iron Man 2", but not by much.
After some thinking, I believe that the first "Thor" is actually superior to this one, for at least having a purpose for the Earth scenes and making Thor's world seem plausible. I'm not saying that I hate this film, or that it's the "Phantom Menace" of the MCU. It's still an enjoyable enough entry in the canon, bolstered largely by Hiddleston's infinite charisma as Loki. But I felt the flaws here were too large to overlook, hence this harsher review.
In terms of rank, I'd put "Thor 2" as the second worst film, beaten only by "Iron Man 2". I appreciate what this film sets up for the larger MCU canon, but it's the equivalent of a subpar issue in an otherwise fantastic ongoing comic series. You may enjoy initially reading it, and it's needed for the overall story, but there's nothing here that really stands out. I only hope that when we reach the inevitable "Thor 3", we'll have dropped the human characters, focused more on the Thor-Loki rivalry, and have a plot with actual stakes that doesn't rely on Earth as a crutch. I'd recommend introducing Surtur and adapting the Ragnarok story arc, but that's just the ramblings of a lowly comic nerd.
Also, it'd help if the other Asgardians actually got some screen time, something that hasn't been corrected from the first film. Heimdall's still a badass, and actually gets a cool action bit here, but it's something else that needs to change. Anyone would be forgiven for thinking that "Thor 2" signals the MCU going stale. Luckily, a time-lost super soldier proved them (and me) dead wrong. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" hit theaters last Friday, and now that I've seen it (and caught up with the MCU with this review), I'm ready to give my full analysis on the latest entry in the Marvel film canon.
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