Action, art, heroes and villains galore – if you are looking for a fantastic movie adventure Thor: The Dark World will take you there! Those who have been far more diligent than this not particularly humble writer in the pursuit of comics may have their own take on this film, but as one who has merely lackadaisically followed the Marvell series on film (haven’t seen The Incredible Hulk, and I could confess some other shameful stuff here, but I won’t), I really enjoyed this one, finding it far more fun than Kenneth Branagh’s Thor (2011). I can’t believe I just wrote that, but it’s true, and not just because the sight of Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) wet, bare, torso in the film’s first few minutes sent me into a daze.
Bare torsos (and did I mention rippling muscles?) notwithstanding, there’s a lot to be said for Thor: The Dark World. The plot structure of Thor was classic: the hero finds and defines his path. Just on the brink of ascending the throne to succeed dad Odin (Anthony Hopkins), Thor arrogantly ignores solid parental advice. After his confrontation with Laufey, leader of the Frost Giants, destroys the truce between Asgard and Jotunheim, Odin strips Thor of his powers and hammer Mjölnir, setting him on his way to Earth and deeper understanding.
Here’s the thing: Were any of you really worried about Thor’s arrogance? I wasn’t. The trajectory of Thor’s self-discovery was fairly predictable and straightforward, with the additional downside that for much of the movie he was stripped of his powers – really, where is the appeal in that? I realize that he caused a war, yet in fantasy the finer points of necessary war vs. unnecessary war are not always obvious or crucial to the plot. In this respect, my own guidelines are simple: fantasy wars can be pretty cool, real wars – not. Thor was a nice, all too human story, with some cool effects, but without any real suspense or excitement.
Excitement abounds in Thor: The Dark World, with its far more intricate plot and sumptuous visuals. Much of the first Thor film took place on Earth, which is a fine planet as planets go, but this film spends a lot of time in the other Nine Realms, all far more fascinating. It’s a wild ride for the imagination, this is the kind of film that makes wearing those clunky 3D glasses worthwhile.
We’re seeing a little less talk and a lot more action from Thor throughout, and that, my dear reader, is what this hero of mythic proportions does best. Even better, on the diabolical side there is the benefit of not one, but two, separate, distinct evil-doers, each with his own dark plot line, not to mention the red, swirling mass that is the Aether, an ultimate weapon that cannot be destroyed!
Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), leader of an ancient race of Dark Elves is eager to plunge all Nine Realms in darkness, a quest which leads to exquisitely rendered havoc. Yet far more enticing is shape-shifter and trickster extraordinaire Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Hiddleston is deliciously duplicitous in this role, and director Alan Taylor makes the most of the affinity between the cinematic medium and Loki’s defining characteristics. Translation: don’t believe everything you see.
When the action does move to Earth, a lot of wacky things happen that are fun to watch. Also fun to watch is Kat Dennings as Darcy, the luscious Jane Foster’s (Natalie Portman) eternal intern. Chris O’Dowd has a small, yet memorable role, contributing to the film’s perfectly off-balance code of genre: life on Earth is funny, everywhere else it’s epic.
Thor: The Dark World (USA, 2013, 120 min, English with Hebrew subtitles)
Directed by Alan Taylor; screenplay by Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely; Story by Don Payne, Robert Rodat; Based on Thor by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby; Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Rene Russo.
