PREEMPTIVE EDIT: I fixed Tom Bombadil's name, so don't fret you Bombadiliacs. Just be glad I didn't cut his part out entirely.
I'VE BEEN MAKING AN ASS OF MYSELF EDIT: I should have been paying more attention to getting the correct title for the movie. Interesting enough, I did get it right the last time I referred to the movie's full title.
The big move studios are in the middle of a period of transition, one that we haven't seen since the death of the old studio systems in the late 60s and early 70s. The implosion of the DVD market, thanks mostly to the proliferation of Netflix and other streaming services, has left the large companies that own them looking for the next viable business model. For right now, this appears to be chasing the markets abroad. This international focus can be thanked for plenty of the ills of movies today, especially the emphasis of recycling of plots and franchises over developing new stories. Remember this when you watch the fourth reboot of Spiderman in 2019, the six part Adventures of Tom Bombadil series in 2021-2026, and the four hour, $1 billion dollar movie based upon "Hungry, Hungry Hippos" in 2022*.
Despite the depressing state of the studio productions** these days, there is one bright shining light. Marvel, one of the flagship brands of the now even more gigantic Disney, seems to have found a formula that is both profitable and creative. While DC has had troubles making profitable (or watchable) films out of their characters that aren't Batman, Marvel has done well with their current set of films centered around Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America***. They've made inspired picks for their directors, especially in picking Joss Whedon to thread the needle on The Avengers, a movie that could have very easily toppled over under lesser hands.
Although nowhere near as great as The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World was very enjoyable. Like its predecessor, it succeeds by leaning into the ridiculous operatic bombast of its main characters. Also like the first film, it keeps that bombast from overheating by not taking itself too seriously. I wouldn't say they tread new ground, as many of the elements from the first movie are found here as well. Anthony Hopkins chews scenery as Odin, Rene Russo and Idirs Elba actually get to do things this time, and Tom Hiddleston schemes and plays tricks as Loki, and Chris Hemsworth crashes around smashing stuff with his magic hammer, all the while learning the sacrifice that is required of leaders. Kat Dennings cracks wise as the audience surrogate, and Stellan Skarsgård walks around doing science, his pants optional. Natalie Portman gives another spirited performance, proving that she can act in green screen fests, provided she's not given a walking piece of styrofoam to work with****. She's also the best dressed scientist this side of Gallifrey.
Speaking of Doctors (sort of ), I realize I didn't say much about the villain, the dark elf Malakeith (played by an unrecognizable Christopher Eccleston). The biggest reason for this is because he's a pretty standard supervillain. Like many of them, he wants to use a dark force (in this case dark energy known as the Aether) to restore a status quo that suited him far better than the one we kind of like. He has a big mean sidekick, he kills some characters we may care about, and he has a bitching ramp walkout of doom that would make The Monarch jealous. I'm pretty sure you can fill in the blanks from there. Much more intriguing is the little reveal at the end of the film, something I assume sets up the next installment in the franchise.
Between Thor: The Dark World and Iron Man 3, it was a pretty good year for Marvel. Neither film was without flaws, but both were certainly entertaining. The trailer for the next film in the series, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, looked interesting enough, and Guardians of the Galaxy, something I know little to nothing about, looks like it could either be the greatest thing ever, or a massive trainwreck*****.
Verdict: Recommend (See it in a theater if you get a chance, otherwise certainly watch it when it comes out for home consumption)
*Directed by Michael Bay, of course
**This qualification is intentional. There are still plenty films being made by independent studios from across the world.
***Poor, poor Hulk. The best that people seem to say about his movie is that it was better than the Ang Lee one. Fortunately, a third time was the charm, as Mark Ruffalo makes a great Bruce Banner/Hulk
****And I'm the blog's resident prequel apologist.
*****SPOILER: The mid credits sequence sets up this film, with a scene involving Benecio Del Toro as The Collector. That probably means something to somebody. The after credits scene, like The Avengers, is a nice little button on the movie that I will not spoil here.
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