Thor: The Dark World

Since seeing Ant-Man and Captain America: Civil War in the last month my anal retentive side demanded that I see the one MCU film I hadn't yet seen: Thor: The Dark World, which is the second outing for the God of Thunder, released in 2013. It is overwrought silliness, with the very existence of the universe at stake, of course, but is palatable enough.

As we pick up the story here, Loki the trickster (Tom Hiddleston) is locked away for unleashing an alien invasion on Earth, which was seen in the first Avengers' film. But dark things are afoot, literally, as a Dark Elf named Malekith, whom was thought long dead, seeks an all powerful weapon, called Aether, which he wants to use at the "convergance," or the alignment of the nine realms. Got all that?

The Aether ends up, in a great cinematic coincidence, inside the body of Jane Porter (Natalie Portman), who is Thor's human love. Thor takes her to Asgard, but Malekith senses the Aether and opens a can of whoop-ass on the Asgardians. Odin, Thor's father and the "allfather," (played with great swagger by Anthony Hopkins) wants to fight the Dark Elves, come what may, but Thor has a plan that would rely on the trust of Loki.

Again, this is not to be taken seriously for one minute, but it is great fun. There are minor pleasures here, such as Idris Elba as Helmdall, the watcher who sees all, and Kat Dennings is wonderful comic relief as Portman's assistant. Also returning is Stellan Skarsgard as a scientist arrested for running around Stonehenge naked.

As usual with MCU films, there's hints at's what to come, and lots of reference to something called the Tessaract--I forget what that is and what it does. And not to spoil things, but apparently Loki is as tough to kill off as the Joker.

Now that I'm all caught up I'll have to wait for Dr. Strange this fall.