Director: Alan Taylor
Talent: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddlestone, Anthony Hopkins
Release Date: 25th October 2013
It is a certain relief in 2013 to watch a Hollywood blockbuster clock in at under two hours. That it does so while also telling a story that does not strain its own established logic, and including unnecessary yet undeniably comic vignettes such as Stellan Skarsgård jogging naked at Stonehenge, is a testament to the relative economy of Christopher L. Yost, Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus’ screenplay. The plot is standard superhero fare — sinister villain (Christopher Ecclestone’s Malekith) obtains powerful weapon, threatens Earth with it — raised by the lead performances of Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddlestone (as Thor and Loki, respectively), who have really grown into their characters and here produce an intriguing relationship dynamic. Natalie Portman’s love interest, Jane, however, is sadly underwritten. Other than a misjudged cameo by the ubiquitous Chris O’Dowd, the film rarely sets a foot wrong, and its climax is genuinely inventive. Thor: The Dark World‘s makers know not to outstay their welcome, and the result is a pleasantly entertaining alternative to the ponderousness of DC’s current output.
Words: Felipe Deakin
