On-going to the cinema I wasn’t expecting much, seeing as the first Thor movie was rather average, the acting wasn’t amazing and the narrative was extremely predictable. However, after Avengers Assemble in 2012 some of my faith was restored in Thor, for me at least, and I vowed to see the next movie (as I have with all the other Marvel films). Thor: The Dark World was better. Granted it wasn’t the most amazing action/super hero film I have ever laid eyes on (It wasn’t even the best of the Marvel set), but it was miles ahead of its prequel. Although I will try my best to review without spoilers, if you really don’t want too much info I wouldn’t read on.
It seemed from social networking sites that most viewers main fault with the film was that Chris Hemsworth (Thor) only had one topless scene (which if I am honest added nothing to the film for me). I would argue that the most annoying part in the film was placed in the passivity of the female characters. Not to go all feminist on you, it is just insanely frustrating watching another film in which you know one woman will die, one is helpless, one is there for comical purposes and the other, although she has a sword and looks tough, achieves nothing (other than fancying Thor who she can’t have anyway – she is the jealous one). Natalie Portman’s (Jane Foster) performance was far from exceptional, although for some of the film she is all sciencey and does appear to be helping Thor out in the final scenes. However, she does spend most of the time fainting and laying down because she is a puny human.
At one point I did forget what film I was watching. There were loss of limbs, a sketchy sci-fi background, and Natalie Portman was hanging about, so I may have drifted into the final battle of Revenge of the Sith and forgotten that I daydream too much thinking about intertextuality in films (sometimes I think 6 years studying Media may have ruined life for me). Not all of the film was bad; in fact Tom Hiddleston (Loki) looked great… the action sequences were much bigger and more exciting, but I am not sure how many times in the Thor series they can convince me that Loki is good and then evil again. Although the film doesn’t stand quite on its own, I would say it is easy to watch and understand if you haven’t seen the first film or the Avengers movie. They refer to what happened in New York so much, you pretty much get the gist that it was something seriously bad, and the rest of the narrative is all explained and contained in the film: a significant improvement by far.
Written by Sophie Cohen
The Verse
