Thor: The Dark World ★ ★ ★ 1/2
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgård
Directed by: Alan Taylor
Running time: 112 minutes Rating: PG
Playing at: Empire Kanata (now called Landmark 24 Kanata), Empire Orléans (now called Landmark 10 Orléans), Empire Ottawa (now called Landmark 7 Ottawa), Coliseum, Galeries Aylmer, Gatineau 9, SilverCity, South Keys, StarCité, Barrhaven
While your eyes may glaze over during the introduction that delves into the world of dark elves and ancient battles between pagan deities, there's good reason to stay awake for this goofy, explosive and oddly warm-hearted yarn that knits a cold story of family dysfunction with matinee spectacle. Granted, the opening scene looks more like a dreary return to the bloated digital tableaus of Peter Jackson as it sets up the big dilemma via an epic battle between elves and Asgardians, but don't let all the ginger beards and creepy fantasy face masks put you off.
There's a weapon of mass destruction called the Aether - a sickly red cloud that permeates the flesh and infuses it with special power, and whoever possesses this special poison can win any war, or conquer any world, which is why Thor's grandfather hid the weapon in a world far, far away.
Yet, for some mysterious reason, the Aether is stirring and it's wreaking havoc on Earth.
Holes in the time-space continuum are beginning to appear, which pulls us back into familiar territory when we're reintroduced to Thor (Chris Hemsworth) - the hammer-wielding hero with big muscles and a villainous little brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston).
Thor and his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) know they have to intercede to make sure the Aether doesn't end up in the wrong hands, but there's an evil elf standing in their way, not to mention the vengeanceobsessed Loki, Thor's perpetually jealous adopted sibling.
The rivalry between the two sons is solid Shakespearean content and thanks to Hopkins, who turns Odin into a Marvel-inspired version of King Lear, every golden thread of classical sentiment reaches the 3D frame intact.
Ironically, comic book adaptations desperately need this heavy, serious, weight of the world content to work. Without it, they simply float away on a raft of insanity and resemble psychotic hallucinations - or in this case, a page from the Ikea catalogue.
Comic book heroes need to take themselves deathly seriously, and even with that incessant sparkle in his sea blue eyes, Hemsworth is every bit as earnest as he needs to be as he reprises his hammer for a third whack at Thor.
The actor is clearly comfortable in the part at this point, and he's able to give the big galoot some charming details in this go-round. One of the sweeter moments comes when Thor is back on Earth and reunited with his true love, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) - a physicist looking into the anomalies surrounding the Aether.
He walks into an apartment, and after a moment of hesitation, hangs his beloved Mjolnir (the hammer) on a coat hook.
The moment is fleeting and completely goofy, but it does more than bring a second of humour to the mix.
It highlights the difference in scale between human beings and the gods, and how
we often get lost in the blur of pettiness instead of focusing on the big picture.
As human beings, we live short little existences that seem important to us, but are inconsequential to the gods. Gods don't understand our puny and pathetic motives, but in that one gesture, Thor suggests he's trying to respect the human scale.
After all, he's in love with a human woman, and if he can whittle his manly mettle down to size, he may be able to consummate his love for the fair lady.
Portman proves surprisingly plucky as the intrepid doctor. The Black Swan star shelves the high drama but keeps the high cheekbones as she squares off against several supernatural enemies. She even manages to host the
Aether inside her body, ensuring we get just enough shots of Portman writhing in space to keep the fanboys happy.
Combined with another standout comic performance from Kat Dennings as Portman's sidekick, Stellan Skarsgård as a genius scientist sans trousers and Idris Elba as the otherworldly guardian of Asgard in yellow contacts, and everything about this new Thor movie falls together quite nicely.
Yet, the jewel in the whole Thor franchise is Loki, the bruised and beaten god who just wants to get his turn on the throne. Thanks to Hiddleston's depth, we get all the oily darkness required for a successful turn as a powermonger with a thirst for payback.
In one creepy roll of his
baleful eyes, Loki erases all the Dudley Do-Right dullness of Thor and pushes him to the edge of his envelope.
For a superhero movie to tackle the concept of personal integrity is almost revolutionary because it's the one thing we don't question. We aren't taught to doubt Superman's goodness or Captain America's patriotic commitment, they are inherent to their identity.
Thor's director Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones) understood we need more than digital spectacle and 3D effects to keep us interested. We need drama based in human conflict and emotional jealousy to really bang the gong, and thanks to Mjolnir and his manly master, this movie gets hammered in all the right ways. source: "http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Movie+review+Thor+Dark+World+with+video/9141377/story.html"
