Smell the Movies
Smell the TV
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
| Year: | 2013 | |
| Country of origin: | USA | |
| Director: | Alan Taylor | |
| Genre: |
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| Starring: | Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Eccleston, Rene Russo, Idris Elba | |
| Rating: | 4/5 | |
| IMDB link: | http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1981115/ | |
| Tagline: | No tagline | |
| Favourite line: | “How do I get to Greenwich?" | |
Eighteen months after The Avengers hit, Marvel Phase Two is well under way and so, by all the Gods of Thunder, following the deeply disappointing Iron Man 3, here comes Thor, wielding his mighty weapon.
The plot:
A timeless time ago, an ancient foe named Malekith (Eccleston) sought to wreak darkness upon the Nine Realms.
Vanquished by Odin's father, Bor, Malekith was thought long dead.
Present day, and the planets are due to align in an event known as Convergence, as they do once every 5,000 years and, when the alignment comes, the gaps between the realms become blurred, allowing darkness to seep into the universe once more.
Malekith stirs, feeling the touch of Aether, a sinister substance with mysterious powers and, with his awakening, so too comes a dark yearning for vengeance and power
Loki (Hiddleston), Thor's evil sibling, is locked away in Asgard's jail, destined to spend the rest of his life a prisoner.
When Malekith strikes, even the power of Odin (Hopkins) and Thor (Hemsworth) combined may not be enough, so Loki bides his time.
Back on Earth, Jane Foster (Portman) still pines for Thor and, when her scientific equipment begins to give off strange readings, it's only a matter of time before her big, blond God shows up.
And, when Malekith turns his attentions Earthwards, surely only a God can prevent complete ruination of the planet, and all who dwell thereon.
Plot-wise, this is pretty baffling, but really it can be boiled down to 'evil man plans way to gain ultimate power, good man tries to stop him'. Sure, along the way we get extra shenanigans; Sibling rivalry, as Loki and Thor banter relentlessly, each secretly respecting the other, despite the outward shows of bravado; Romance, as Jane and Thor are reunited; Betrayal, as Loki turns on Thor at a pivotal moment.
It's multi-faceted, and in no way dumb, despite the lashings of explosions and buildings being smashed into pieces.
There's humour, too, with several genuine laugh out loud moments, something all too few out-and-out comedies achieve, so it's commendable in what is ostensibly an action film, but it should come as no real surprise, as this is simply a continuation of the quality of script from the first movie.
But what really sets this out as the strongest of the Marvel franchises is the talent on display. Academy award winners, nominees, proper thesps and even a former Dr. Who rub shoulders, each given ample screen time, none hogging the show, lending this the feel of a genuine ensemble piece, the like of which is usually reserved for the small screen, not the cinema, and it's a joy to see.
With a cliff-hanger ending, and more than enough plot threads left dangling to leave us craving more, roll on Thor 3 come 2016 or so.
Thoroughly enjoyable stuff.
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