Viewed in
2013
Formats
Movie theater.
Premise
In the sequel, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) must rely on imprisoned traitor-brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to defeat an ancient enemy.
Loved
Miljnor on coat rack scene, Hiddleston.
Liked
Dazzling set designs and costumes, funny side characters, charming "physics".
Disliked
Lack of character development, forgettable villain.
Thoughts
On paper, this sequel shouldn't have worked. But like its predecessor, this was extremely underrated.
No offense to Hemsworth's Himalayan pectorals, but the God of Thunder character has simply never been compelling. The film makers wisely surrounded him with a diverse, quirky lot. Hemsworth's excellent foil performance to these screwballs got good mileage out of his incongruous fit on Earth. Ironically, the best scene was actually a solo act, in which Thor oddly sets his gargantuan hammer on a coat rack. Even as I typed this, I chuckled. Easily one of the biggest laughs of the year.
As expected, Hiddleston chewed the scenery with smarmy gusto. Even Natalie Portman got some funny moments, especially when she met Thor's family. While she got stuck playing the damsel in distress, the writers thankfully found a way to let her contribute to the final fight in a non-patronizing way. The lovely Kat Dennings was wise-crackingly entertaining as usual. I'm a big Chris O'Dowd fan, so imagine my surprise to see him with a small part, and get some very comical moments.
From a visual aesthetic, not only was it full of good-looking men and women, but so was their surroundings. Every square inch of Asgard was covered with regal armor or majestic sets/CGI.
One of the most amusing parts of the movie was the wormholes. Pretty much any "Portal movie" joke was fair game, as physics shenanigans ran amok throughout the film, and played a hugely entertaining role in the climactic battle.
Despite most of the characters being extremely fun to watch, it didn't hide the fact that this movie lacked character development. Also, as a big Doctor Who fan, I was disappointed that poor Chris Eccleston got stuck behind layers of prosthetics/CGI and a blah antagonist writing. Also, was it me or did the first credits Easter Egg play in a different frame rate?
It's rare that a movie succeeds without a "charming" lead. Thor: The Dark World did, thanks to an army of goofy sidekicks and movie physics, and an under-the-radar performance by Hemsworth.
