Running Time: 112
minutes; Cast: Chris Hemsworth,
Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins; Direction: Alan Taylor; Story:
based on Stan Lee’s character; Screenplay:
Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely; Cinematography: Kramer Morgenthau; Editing: Dan
Lenetal, Wyatt Smith; Music: Brian Tyler; Producers: Kevin Feige; Genre: Action-Adventure, Sci-Fi,; Location:
Asgard, London; Distributor: Walt
Disney Pictures
Technical Assessment:
3.5
Moral Assessment: 3.5
Rating: V14
Thor: The Dark World opens with the Bor,
grandfather of Thor, vanquishing Malekith (Eccleston) and the Dark Elves after
they attempted to return the universe into a state of darkness using a force
called the Aether. Bor’s army defeats the Dark Elves and hides the Aether on
earth. Malekith sacrifices his
people so he and a few chosen can escape and hibernate until the force is found
again. The present times takes place 2 years after the events in the movies The
Avenger and the first installment of Thor. Jane Foster (Portman), still trying
to find a way to get in touch with Thor (Hemsworth), discovers and is possessed
by the Aether and is temporarily transported from one realm to another. Thor
brings Foster to Asgard when he realizes that she is infected with an unearthly
substance. Malekith awakens and attacks Asgard to retrieve the Aether. Unable
to defeat the forces of the Dark Elves and realizing Asgard is left defenceless
should it be attacked again, Thor enlists the help of Loki (Hiddleston) to take
Foster out of Asgard and trick the Dark Elves into removing the Aether from her
body. Working against time, Thor must make tough choices to trust his adoptive
brother, remove the Aether from Jane before it consumes her and save the
universe from destruction.
Thor: The Dark World develops rationally but jams
in too much gibber of technical and fictional information that makes it a
little hard to keep up with sometimes. Performance-wise, the movie is average
because Hemsworth’s Thor is a lot tamer and less interesting now while
Hiddleston has managed to give a different attack and more amusing on his Loki
while Portman’s portrayal is bland and helpless as is her character’s
personality. Only Hopkins and Skarsgard have consistently strong enough
personalities to shine through their characters. Undeniably, the movie delivers
the action and fantasy with several spoonsful of explosions, destruction and
high speed combat scenes - some unnecessary although quite fascinating.
Society places a lot of pressure on people
believing that honor and power ultimately define his person. Thor realizes that
his mission, and therefore his real self, is to choose to be the defender of
the Nine Realms instead of its ruler. When he understood and accepted that all
his gifts and powers are for the service of others did he finally (and
hopefully) find meaning in his existence. In this power-hungry fast-paced
world, Thor invites us to find same epiphany and embrace this the same way as
he did. Service and sacrifice define a man’s character and worth more than his
power and authority. No wonder, Loki – who is so obsessed with being crowned
King of Azgard – is constantly angry, restless and feeling empty.
