“Thor: The Dark World”: On Blonde Gods and Hammers

The Leadup to Thor: the Dark World

 So after a disappointing post-Avengers experience in “Iron Man 3,” I’m stuck looking to “Thor: The Dark World” to deliver. But with the trend of Avengers sequels getting progressively worse, and the original movie being fantastically okay, my hopes are a little less than high. 

The trailer shows Earth’s invasion by a dark force, and it’s up to Thor and friends to stop him. The trailer clearly shows the return of Loki (Yes!) as well as a bunch of Thor’s friends whose names I don’t know. The trailer also includes the obligatory Thor not wearing a shirt shot, random civilians getting killed over and over, and Thor kissing Natalie Portman. Oh joy.

Only one problem: I hate Thor.

Thor isn’t even close to being my favorite Avenger, as his boring character makes him less than entertaining to watch. He is practically indestructible, which makes every fight scene he is in a complete bore. Of course he’s going to win! He’s a god! This marks a sharp contrast to heroes like Iron Man, who’s suit can break, or the Hulk, whose anger makes him hard to control. Thor’s biggest weakness is that he has an ego.

That’s not to say that Chris Hemsworth, the actor who plays Thor, is a bad actor, though he’s definitely not the best. It’s just that his talents are being wasted on a part that makes Raliegh Beckett from “Pacific Rim” look like a deep character. Hemsworth’s costar, Tom Hiddleston, on the other hand, was great in both “Thor” and “The Avengers.” Hiddleston’s character, Loki, Thor’s adopted brother, is a clever and manipulative villain with a plan to rule the world. His backstabbing provides an excellent complement to Thor’s excessive use of brutal force… and yelling.  To be honest, Loki was the best part of “Thor,” and I’m happy he seems to be making a comeback in the sequel. Maybe there’s still hope.

But the problem still remains that “Thor” needs to do more than smack some monsters with his hammer. There needs to be a deeper plot, something that make Thor’s fight more than just a contest of physical strength.  “Thor” wasn’t a good movie because it was just Thor waving Mjolnir around and yelling. There wasn’t a psychological battle, like in “Iron Man,” where Tony Stark needs to change from a annoying playboy to a superhero. The only way Thor has changed is that he’s decided that humans are worth protecting. 

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