Directed by Alan Taylor
Expectations: Moderate, but these Marvel movies are pure fun for me.
Well, they’ve done it again. These Marvel movies continue to impress, and while Thor: The Dark World is definitely not a great film, it’s a rip-roaring good fantasy film filled to the brim with excitement, thrills and all kinds of cosmic shit. I’m surprised how hard they went into the fantasy realm for this film; the intro felt like a sort of sci-fi influenced version of the Lord of the Rings films. Consequently, Thor: The Dark World is chock full of stuff to excite every nerd in the audience. That’s probably what surprises me the most about these Marvel films. They’re relentlessly nerdy, yet they are also some of the most popular mainstream movies of the last few years. The nerd paradigm is truly upon us; the weak have inherited the Earth!
Thor: The Dark World centers around the Convergence, a celestial event that only happens every few thousand years. It aligns the Nine Realms, and makes the borders between these realms thin, allowing people to pass through them. The last time this happened the Dark Elves tried to plunge the Nine Realms into a neverending darkness but Odin’s father Bor was able to defeat them. The elves’ ultimate weapon was the Aethor, a powerful, shape-changing fluid, but instead of destroying it, Isildur Bor decides to lock it away in some dark recess of the Nine Realms. See… Thor: The Dark World is in full-on nerd mode.
If you’re enjoying where the Marvel universe films have been heading, Thor: The Dark World is another success sure to entertain. And mega-nerds like myself will enjoy the first post-credits scene that gives us the first definitive glimpse at where Marvel is most likely taking the films. I won’t spoil it, but if they do what I’m thinking and pull it off, it’s going to be cosmic and incredible. I can’t wait! Thor: The Dark World is prime fantasy entertainment. Put your nerd hat on and enjoy!