Why I Saw It: I find the Marvel universe to be one of the most fascinating properties in the movie industry.
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, as I said with Rush, is a movie star. He still feels second tier in this, although I think a lot of that has to do with the character. It's nice to see Natalie Portman in this universe but this character is a little slight, don't you think. She's a scientist, has a little sass, but is mostly just lovesick woman in this. It would be nice for her to be a little more interesting. Tom Hiddleston is as effective as ever as Loki. Personally, I don't quite get why that character is so beloved. Everything people love about him is there though. Thanks to 2 Broke Girls, I forget how funny Kat Dennings is. Her comedic relief is some of the best in the Marvel series. There's too many others to name. I can assure you that this is the highest profile cast of any of the Marvel movies and none of them hurt the movie in the slightest.
Plot: Thor saves the world from certain destruction. Oh, I'm sorry, should I have started that with "spoiler alert"? This is a pretty big story. With all the world hopping, this plays more like Green Lantern* than Iron Man or Captain America. In this case, Thor is battling some group of evil Elves who want revenge on Asgard, I think. Portman's Jane Foster coincidentally ends up with some ancient weapon that puts her right in the middle of this. Honestly, the narrative could've done a much better job explaining the stakes and the context. It's all kept afloat by some good action sequences and healthy sprinkling in of jokes.
*I'm guessing. Still haven't see that one.
Elephant in the Room: How's phase 2 looking after this? I think the ambition of Marvel is wonderful. They are looking for a depth of universe that is almost unparalleled. I'm not comic expert, but The Dark World seems to be much closer to the direction of the Marvel movies than Iron Man 3 and I'm not ready yet to say if I like that or not. The Dark World certainly plays less like a movie in the Post-Avengers world. There's references to SHIELD but there's really no reason why they aren't there. In general, it's hard for me to see why, beyond contractual negotiations, we wouldn't see anyone else from the team. This is a very isolated movie in that respect. It's just Thor, much like Iron Man 3 is just Iron Man. It's hard for me to fathom why this world isn't more filled with these characters. Perhaps that's just me.
To Sum Things Up:
Through two movies, I'm still looking for something in Marvel's Phase 2 to really excite me. I had a feeling I'd have to wait for the next Captain America since he's the only one who stays in the thick of the SHIELD world and it appears that was a correct assumption. This is an entertaining enough superhero movie. There's nothing to set it apart. It doesn't have a particular wit like Iron Man or rage like Hulk. It doesn't look exceptionally great (Man of Steel) or aim for some deeper themes (The Dark Knight). It's pretty much exactly what I expect from it and not much else. Wow, that makes it sound like I didn't enjoy the movie. I did. I didn't love it though.
Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend
No comments:
Post a Comment