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Rant and Rave: ‘Thor—The Dark World’

thor the dark world poster
Image courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

If heavy rains and thunderstorms have been affecting your area, then that could only mean one thing. Thor is back. Directed by Alan Taylor, this action-adventure based on Stan Lee’s brainchild will leave fans of Marvel movies going bananas.

In this sequel to Marvel’s 2011 film Thor, the Norse god of thunder (Chris Hemsworth) battles the Dark Elves, an ancient race hell bent on plunging the nine realms into total darkness, in a desperate attempt to save not only Midgard (that’s Earth to Nordic folk) but his home, Asgard, as well.

Breaking down the movie, it certainly has its strong points. The Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) was once again excellent. From the city of Asgard to the transportation sequences up to the big battle scenes, everything was beautifully designed. It almost seemed that they could be real. Almost.

The star-studded cast was able to put together one heck of a performance. While most of the cast returns to bring life to one of Marvel’s most beloved comics, new faces join this repertoire of godly proportions, such as Christopher Eccleston, who plays the main antagonist Malekith; and Zachary Levi, who replaces Josh Dallas as Fandral, one of Thor’s mighty companions

The lines were delivered well and with clarity. The actors looked as if they lived the lives of the characters they were playing. Chris Hemsworth could really pass off as a real life Norseman (well, without the mythical hammer Mjolnir and the cape or course)!

The screenplay was commendable. Writers Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus and Stephen Mcfeely were able to keep the feel of the story consistent with the first installment. The emotion, humor and, of course, the Nordic aura was delivered well in the lines of many of the characters.

In usual Marvel fashion, comedy seemed to be very prevalent throughout the whole film. From sarcastic comments to slapstick to another appearance by Stan Lee (be vigilant!), it never fails to make audiences chuckle amidst the action and drama.

One big component to all Marvel movies are the action scenes that bring to life comic book characters without the need for those “Pow!”, “Smash!”, “Smack!” and “Bam!” phrases seen in comic books. Thor: The Dark World gave nothing less than what was expected. The film was packed with these scenes, with the beginning resembling The Lord of the Rings franchise.

Going straight to the point, some parts of the plot were confusing. Now, this is very difficult to explain without giving away some major spoilers but in a nutshell, the story needs to be followed very carefully so as not to be able to get lost or bored.

As you watch the movie, there is one question that would be nice to ponder and that is “Whose movie is this really?”, because it really didn’t look like Thor’s movie and in all honesty, it looks like it better be renamed “Loki: The Dark World”. Loki was given so much screen time for the sequel that it validates the question. There is no doubt that Hiddleston’s Loki was amazing, whether it was his performance in the Thor movies or in The Avengers. However, it did seem that Loki was given a bigger part to play in the movie (no spoilers will be given, don’t worry!). You’ll have to see the film to understand what is meant here.

In totality, the best that can be said about Thor: The Dark World is that it is a good movie, nothing more than that. Nothing will take away the fact that it is indeed a Marvel movie and that it will get millions in the box office but many elements seemed lacking. If you are looking for something that will make your eyes bleed from the awesome special effects or if you are a fan of heroes dressed in Viking garb, then this movie will have you bouncing off the cinema walls, but if not, it may still be a good idea to watch it, as it is after all, as what has been repeated over and over, a movie by Marvel (or go watch Captain Phillips, learning about important events is entertaining too).

A piece of friendly advice, stay until the very end of the credits. You won’t regret it.

Rating: 3.0/4.0
Roy Loyola Jr.

By Roy Loyola Jr.

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