Like any self-respecting juggernaut, the Marvel franchise continues to draw avid crowds and add to its ever-expanding canon of movies. In the latest addition to a growing collection of blockbusters, Australian actor Chris Hemsworth returns as the eponymous hammer wielding Norse demi-god, in the sequel Thor: The Dark World.
Having brought peace to the galaxy (some might say after having resorted to fairly heavy-handed means), Thor is now due to follow in his father’s footsteps and take over as King of Asgard. But an old enemy (bearing an uncanny resemblance to evil Teletubbies) resurfaces to spoil the party.
Serendipitously (well, it was always going to happen wasn’t it?), this enemy causes Thor to be reunited with his astrophysicist love, Jane (Natalie Portman), and now he must not only battle to defeat his enemy, but find a way to save his true love, Earth and the universe, all at the same time.
He must also battle to win over Jane’s doubting heart. Still upset by being left in the ether while Thor was off saving other races (how selfish, right?), Jane has struggled to move on from her superhero love, and is cautious to avoid having her heart broken once more. It’s an odd pairing (and equally offbeat chemistry), but it kind of works, and it wouldn’t be a superhero flick without a gorgeous love interest.
If the good folk behind the Marvel universe have a sense of humour, then the godly figure of Thor would provide the perfect vehicle. Perhaps the most difficult superhero to find relevance in the modern era (after all, he enunciates with Shakespearean gravitas and throws a large hammer), this edition of Thor brims with self-deprecation and cutting wit—I’m just not sure it was all intended.
A bit of a rollick and certainly not for the über-serious, Thor: The Dark World offers a good dose of superhero fun. Admittedly, without an ounce of originality or any attempt at the filmic heights scaled in The Avengers—but, that’s ok.
Don’t forget to stay ‘til the very end of the credits for an added reward.
Directed by: Alan Taylor
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins
Rating: M
Runtime: 112mins
Release Date: 31 October
Reviewer rating: 3/5
Thor The Dark World Film Review by Keeva Stratton