Thor: The Dark World Review
RYAN: I liked this better than the first one because I actually liked this one. The first one not so much. Coming off The Avengers, I’m jiving more with this character. Part of what I disliked so much in the first one – muddled with mythology, this one is gets to the plot a lot faster. And while it still has uber-cheesy humor, which irritated me at the beginning, I eventually got into and and it was funny. This is a superhero movie but also a comedy.
KIM: It is. The audience was bursting out with laughter quite a bit. I always liked the first one more than you. I didn’t see it initially in the theater. I saw it on DVD at home, right before going to see The Avengers and I really liked it – mythology and all.
RYAN: There’s some mythology set up in this one too, but it’s so much quicker, I could tolerate it. They get into the action and Natalie Portman right away and I liked Kat Dennings – but Loki is such a strong character. Tom Hiddleston is so compelling and such a scene stealer. He just rips our attention on screen. He’s so unusual and cool.
KIM: He’s brilliant. He came out of nowhere in the first one and I love him.
RYAN: He just draws your focus in every scene. And Chris Hemsworth as Thor – the only complaint I have is there’s only one shot with his shirt off. We could have used some more Thorness in that department.
KIM: He is an extremely well built man. I enjoyed the story a lot. The effect were really good but not the 3D.
RYAN: Certainly not the best 3D we’ve seen this year and nowhere near as good as in The Avengers. Many people were rumbling about that when exiting the screening.
KIM: I really enjoyed the cast. Kat pulls off those one liners really well and Stellan Skarsgard is comical.
RYAN: It’s super cheesy humor but it really did play better in this one than in the first. I don’t like Thor as a superhero as much as I like Iron Man or Superman, but for a Thor movie, I did enjoy this one.
KIM: Yeah he’s well known enough now because of The Avengers but before that he might have only been known to the comic-conners like myself. He’s not the biggest superhero like Spider-Man, Batman, Superman…
RYAN: There wasn’t a Thor TV series growing up. But this story moves pretty well. It kept me guessing and surprised me a few times.
KIM: It’s an interesting story. I came into the screening really tired tonight but it held my attention the whole time. I was afraid I might doze a little bit but didn’t at all.
RYAN: Oscar winner Natalie Portman is really good. She’s so beautiful and probably hotter than any real life scientist but she has to be to draw the affections of Thor. I enjoyed her. And I also was happy to see Rene Russo here. She looks gorge and it’s rare seeing a woman of a certain age kicking butt like she does in this movie.
KIM: Girl’s got the moves. It takes you back to the Lethal Weapon days.
RYAN: Why isn’t she in more movies!
KIM: It was good seeing her again.
RYAN: And then there’s an actor who looks and sounds so much like Anthony Hopkins…
KIM: (laughs) It is Anthony Hopkins.
RYAN: I know! He’s more vital in this than I’ve seen him recently.
KIM: There was one moment where I actually jumped.
RYAN: Especially going with the lighthearted vibe working in this movie when that moment happens it is quite a jump. I like that balance with the action.
KIM: I feel like they tried to work the same vibe as The Avengers with comedy then action.
RYAN: Yes but this isn’t as good as the sensibility of Joss Whedon, you know.
KIM: Right.
RYAN: All the people on Thor’s planet look very Beowulf medieval.
KIM: For a species way more advanced than we are, they do look medieval.
RYAN: There’s a good build up and climax, true to the form of these Marvel movies. Good effects. An Avenger pops up in a brilliant cameo moment and of course, stay during the credits for an extra scene that drops a clue for the next Marvel film.
