Rating of
3.5/4
To infinity and beyond!
memento_mori - wrote on 11/07/13
Well, after having now witnessed the direction of Alan Taylor, one thing is for sure: I'm watching Game of Thrones.
Alan Taylor's style is perfectly completed with masterful visuals and great storytelling. When I heard the director of some Game of Thrones episodes was taking over Thor, I was very skeptical, but also relieved that it wasn't Kenneth Branagh again (don't get me started on the angles in that movie).
So, I can forthwith testify to having seen one of the most beautiful superhero movies in cinemas when it came out, because Thor: The Dark World is an absolute triumph in visual effects and cinematography. Seriously. Like 'Sam and Frodo on Mount Doom' level direction. It was immaculate.
It was great to see two charismatic leads back in action again, namely Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. Their line reading was both witty and dramatic at the same time, but I think what's important is that Marvel realized the potential of such a great character as Loki. He has way more screen time here than in the first movie and his performance has reached many more depths as well.
What was also a nice thing to see was the humor, which has evolved to gradual hilarity by the Avengers, and here it is present as well.
Main praise here is really aimed at the director, because I am so stunned by what a fascinating film he has crafted, managed to flawlessly link all plot points to one another and balanced the line between action and story so well that it became a far greater time than what I initially expected it to be.
My main problems lie with the villain Malekith and the characters of Jane Foster and Darcy.
Malekith was interesting, but I didn't feel the one-minute glances over to his side of the story throughout the film were well-executed or necessary at all. He needed an entire back story for his attack and failed destruction of the realms to make actual sense. All we know is that he did he because… just because.
Natalie Portman is by far the biggest disappointment in the film, because I've been waiting two years to see this excellent, female-empowering no-nonsense scientist woman to return, and here she's just portrayed as a blundering idiot for most of the time, migrating from frame to frame looking at the pretty colors in Asgard and saying things. Her dialogue pretty much consists of bad one-liners.
And Darcy… she was still just fu*king annoying.
In conclusion, not the best Thor sequel we could have received, but one that exceeds expectations.
Taylor is a welcome entry into mainstream prominence of directors' names and most of the actors shine again in their roles, awarded much freedom and space for emotion by the great script.
If only for some character improvements… I fu*king hate Darcy.
