THOR: THE DARK WORLD Review NON SPOILER

Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and the rest of the heroes and villains of the Asgard have returned for a second serving of action and adventure in Marvel Studios' THOR: THE DARK WORLD. 

Conforming with what's 'proper' this is non-spoilery. 

Like the last movie, I'm still pretty much impressed with the star power. Natalie Portman, Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, Idris Elba and Kat Dennings just to name a few are all great actors. Newcomers Zachary Levi (Chuck) and Christopher Eccleston (Dr. Who, G.I.Joe Rise of Cobra) are totally exceptional in their roles as Fandral the Dashing and Malekith the Accursed. But while the star power was good, some stars just didn't float enough. Natalie Portman and Hemsworth's romance was dry; Hiddleston's Loki was written to actually make him look like the real star of the movie. The Warriors Three and Lady Sif (Jamie Alexander) all get even shorter screen times. Finally, Hopkins as Odin was a little tired and uninspired. 

Visuals were great. It's a facelift from the last Thor movie. This is a world where people actually live in. Given that the film is directed by Game of Thrones' director Alan Taylor, it's pretty obvious that he knows how to do these kinds of things. I totally loved the feel for Asgard here. The fighting is intense which again perpetuates the word 'Hammer Time'. 

One of the greater things about THOR: THE DARK WORLD is the smarter, funnier script. Some times they obviously try to seem funny and it's 50/50. Some are just comedy gold especially the lighter scenes between the brothers Thor & Loki. 

Speaking of Loki and Thor, the cameos in this film just blew me out of the room. To avoid even sending you to spoiler territory, let's just leave it at that. 

THOR: THE DARK WORLD was never clear with it's role in the general scheme of things within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was simply a movie that was created to make more money for Marvel and create additional tension for this beautiful and savage world that Marvel created. That's my minor annoyance here but that's something I can live with. The action after all is fun and wicked and it certainly gave me more reason to forgive the movie. In fact the moment the Kronan stoneman appeared and Thor literally crumbles the damned thing, every critical thought about the film was chucked out the window. 

Fun Fact: The Stoneman was an easter egg and a reference to the first appearance of Thor, which was in JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY # 1. This was the issue where Donald Blake finds the cane that transforms into Mjolnir

Final pieces of advice, the 3D works well but it's not really going to ruin anything if you don't see it in 3D or IMAX.

VERDICT: B(-) Big in action, dull in romance, great in comedy and fanservice through and through.

Special thanks to:

Also major thanks to Walt Disney Pictures Philippines

Natalie Portman Returns as Jane Foster in "Thor: The Dark World"

Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman once more plays the esoteric astrophysicist Jane Foster in Marvel's “Thor: The Dark World.”

Jane Foster is an astrophysicist who met Thor when he was exiled to Earth by his father. The two had an intense attraction in the short time they were together, and through Jane, Thor learned the value of humility and the heroic nature of humanity. After being separated since Thor’s first visit to Earth, Jane has moved on with her life…but now finds herself pulled into Thor’s world once again by an ancient evil. Portman enthuses, “It’s really fun to get to come back and play her again. I think it’s rare to get the opportunity to play these female scientists in this kind of movie, so it’s nice to have a foil for the Super Hero!”

“Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” finds Jane Foster making big changes in her life. Portman explains, “Jane has moved, so she’s now in London, not in Santa Fe anymore. Obviously she has gone through missing Thor and also being upset at him because he didn’t come knock on her door when he was on her planet. She’s definitely been getting over that and trying to move on.”

In the course of the story, Thor and Jane do reunite and, as Portman points out, “Obviously she’s upset at first, but he quickly explains why he didn’t come say hi. He makes it up to her by saving her life and then they become this great team.”

Jane winds up spending most of her time on Asgard, Thor’s home world, where he has taken her for protection. For Portman, this fish-out-of-water scenario not only provided some comedic moments but also a chance to wear Asgardian costumes. “It was definitely new to be in the Asgard clothes and luckily I think my character should feel uncomfortable in them, so, any discomfort I had could be part of the character’s feelings as well,” notes the actress.

Portman also feels that the scale of the sets harkens back to a different era of filmmaking. She comments, “It’s really like the old days of cinema. The sets are incredible and you walk on to set and you think ‘wow, we’re making a movie’. The scope is just so grand. It’s fun to be on that kind of set and see the craftsmanship that goes into it.”

She was likewise delighted to be working with director Alan Taylor, commenting, “Alan is really incredible. He’s really made this film so epic and is also very dead on with all the character moments. He doesn’t do a lot of takes, but knows really specifically what he wants and gives helpful notes.”



Opening across the Philippines on Oct. 30 in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D, 2D and regular theaters, Marvel's “Thor: The Dark World” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.

Unconfirmed Thor: The Dark World Post-Credit Spoilers

Two unconfirmed spoilers for the post-credits of Marvel Studios' "Thor: The Dark World".

This was collected from Brainfreeze.be thru Comicbook.com (so if it fucks up, I'm not the instigator hehehe).

POST CREDIT SCENE 1:

Involves Lady Sif and Volstagg returning this 'aether' to the Intergalactic museum where we get to meet this guy...

Yeah, apparently Marvel snuck in an appearance of Benicio Del Toro as "The Collector". This is basically a tie-up to next year's "Guardians of the Galaxy". Del Toro's Collector then utters the words "One down, five to go". There's a subtle reference to the six Infinity Gems which Marvel seems hellbent on doing past the MCU Phase three.

POST CREDIT SCENE 2:

Will focus on the lovestory between Thor Odinson and Jane Foster back on Earth. According to the plot, the reunited lovers go for a passionate kiss but is disrupted by an Asgardian beast tearing through London.

Must be a BILGESNIPE

THOR: THE DARK WORLD opens October 30.

Thor Battles to Save the Nine Realms in "The Dark World"

From Marvel Studios comes the highly anticipated “Thor: The Dark World,” continuing the big screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that pre-dates the universe itself.

In the aftermath of Marvel’s “Thor” and “Marvel’s The Avengers,” Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos...but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Based on the ever-popular comic book series, Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor with Academy Award® winner Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, award-winning Stellan Skarsgård as Selvig, Idris Elba as Heimdall, Christopher Eccleston as Malekith, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Algrim, Kat Dennings as Darcy, Ray Stevenson as Volstagg, Zachary Levi as Fandral, Tadanobu Asano as Hogun, Jaimie Alexander as Sif with Rene Russo as Frigga and Academy Award® winner Anthony Hopkins as Odin.

Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” is directed by Alan Taylor from a story by Don Payne and Robert Rodat and a screenplay by Christopher L. Yost and Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely and is produced by Kevin Feige, p.g.a.

In 1962, the now-legendary duo of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced “The Mighty Thor” to readers of Marvel Comics, unleashing a new era of action-adventure with their take on the hammer-wielding Norse god. Despite the Nordic-sounding names, the story was rooted in familiar, universal conflicts that have driven human drama since the beginning of time: a son impatient to prove his worth to his father; a lethally resentful brother; and a woman who helps a man see the world anew.

After the global cinematic success of Marvel’s “Thor,” the filmmakers reached once more into a rich archive of Norse mythology and comic book history for Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World.” The movie paints an adventure of the most epic and spectacular proportions. Again drawing on universal and familiar themes, the film pits duty and family allegiance against personal aspiration and love. It sees a nation in conflict with an enemy long thought to be dead, but who now threatens the very existence of the universe.

At the end of “Marvel’s The Avengers,” Thor’s adopted brother Loki is taken back to Asgard by Thor as a prisoner, after trying to take over the world. From this starting point, producer Kevin Feige, executive producer Craig Kyle, the screenwriters and a large team at Marvel sat down to look at where Thor’s story should go next. Screenwriter Christopher L. Yost explains, “We really wanted to look at how you could escalate the story personally for him and push things to the next level in terms of conflict.”

Director Alan Taylor, describing Thor’s journey, says, “In the first film, we saw Thor go from being an impetuous prince to taking his first steps towards maturing and growing up, and in our film that life story continues. He’s moving closer to actually claiming the kind of power that comes with Odin. He’s becoming not just a man, but potentially a king as well. In this story, as Thor matures and deepens, he has to give some things up and suffer.”

To create the conflict, the filmmakers give Thor a worthy adversary—the villainous Malekith. Introduced in June 1984 in issue #344 of Thor, Malekith is leader of the dark elves, who inhabit Svartalfheim, one of the Nine Realms. After waging war with the Nine Realms, and being defeated by Asgard, the dark elves were considered to be extinct. But Malekith put his planet and the surviving dark elves into hibernation for many thousands of years, until a calculated time when he was ready to avenge the universe and turn light once more into darkness. Malekith and the dark elves will prove to be formidable enemies with a violent and personal history with Asgard.

In creating “Thor: The Dark World,” Marvel filmmakers worked diligently to respect the film’s origins and the legions of comic book fans it spawned and worked carefully to endear and excite not only those fans but fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well.

Opening across the Philippines on Oct. 30 in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D, 2D and regular theaters, “Thor: The Dark World” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.

Thor: The Dark World" Fun Facts

Get to know the fun trivia surrounding the making of Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” from director Alan Taylor (TV's “Game of Thrones”) and starring Chris Hemsworth as the god of Thunder.

Marvel's “Thor: The Dark World” continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the nine realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel's “Thor” and “Marvel's The Avengers,” Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos ... but an ancient race, led by the vengeful Malekith, returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

• More of the Nine Realms are introduced in the film, offering a better understanding of the history and complexities of Thor’s universe. The Nine Realms are taken from Norse mythology and refer to the nine worlds that are supported by Yggdrasil, an immense ash tree, central to Norse cosmology. Asgard is depicted at the top and Earth, known as Midgard, in the middle. In the original “Thor,” Yggdrasil was established as a cosmic structure formed by a series of interwoven wormholes linking the nine worlds (Realms) together.

• The Medina/streets of Asgard set is the biggest set ever built for a Marvel film. One can actually walk around the streets of Asgard and see the shops, the pubs and the training ground.

• An aerial camera crew flew to the Dettifoss waterfall in Iceland (Europe’s most powerful waterfall) to film the cascading waters from every angle so that the waterfalls ringing Asgard could be rendered realistically by the computers to replicate the world.



• Filming in Iceland involved remote locations where the crew had to drive for hours from the airport just to get to their hotels. Then, to get to the fields of volcanic ash that stood in for The Dark World, they drove for up to two hours more.

• There were about 30 hammers made for Thor of various weights for different uses. The master hammer is made from aluminum but it is replicated in different materials and weights, including a “soft” stunt version. Of the 30, five versions are used most often, including the “lit hammer,” that emits light when lightning strikes.



• The design of Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer, was changed from the version Thor wielded in “Marvel’s The Avengers.” The new hammer has more of a sense of history and age to it and its grip is more aligned to the hammer used in “Thor.”

• The inscription on Thor’s hammer, written in Norse runes, translates to: “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.”

• Thor and Odin each have one look in costuming, but Thor needs 15 sets of his costume as he does so many stunts and action scenes. Odin has about 6repeats of his costume.

• David White, the designer of the dark elves and the prosthetic effects designed and created 40 suits for the dark elves, utilizing 100 technicians over a 3 ½month period. The off-world look was derived from diverse ethnic and tribal elements.

• The stunt men and extras playing the dark elves had to go through a training period where they practiced standing tall and proud since the dark elves are envisioned to be a noble people. Prosthetics designer David White helped out too by designing the helmet so that the eye line was slightly pulled down, forcing the actors to tilt their heads slightly up and back, which gave them a very proud, strong feel.



• Both Christopher Eccleston and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who play the dark elves Malekith and Algrim, respectively, had to memorize their dialogue written in an elven language that was created specifically for the film.

• The film shot between October and December 2012 at Pinewood Shepperton Film Studios in England, with key locations in London—Greenwich, Wembley, Borough Market and Hayes—and Stonehenge in Wiltshire. For the look of the dark elves’ world, Svartalfheim, the filmmakers chose Iceland for its black, volcanic landscapes.

• Before sending helicopters to film over historic Greenwich, England, on a quiet Sunday morning, the location crew dropped 4,000 letters in the area: 2,000 on one side of the river and 2,000 on the other side of the river, explaining to the residents what was going to be happening.

• Filming at the famous Stonehenge historical site proved to be a challenge. After finally getting permission from English Heritage, the filmmakers found out that there were lots of rules and regulations associated with filming there. They could only be in amongst the stones outside of the normal visiting hours. So shooting had to take place early in the morning before opening, which only gave the film crew about three hours before they had to pull back for wider shots once the stones were opened to the public. Being a heritage site, no one was allowed to touch the stones or walk on any stones, so a lot of logistics had to be applied to the filming there.

Opening across the Philippines on Oct. 30 in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D, 2D and regular theaters, “Thor: The Dark World” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.

New Thor: The Dark World Posters Featuring Odin and Loki

Two new posters for the upcoming Marvel Studios film "Thor: The Dark World" has been released featuring the All-Father Odin and the god of mischief, Loki.

The new poster features LOKI played by Tom Hiddleston posed as if he just broke out of his prison cell. Meanwhile the Odin poster features Anthony Hopkins together with his two ravens, which I presume is named Hugin and Munin.

If you remember in Avengers these two ravens were present during the big three way fight between Captain America, Thor and Iron Man. They were the visual representatives of Odin actually watching Thor's supposed apprehension of Loki who at the time was wanted for letting Laufey and his team to enter Asgard during the Odinsleep. (Seriously, watch that scene from the Avengers).

Check out the hi-res versions below:





And thus a million ovaries explode from that Loki poster.

THOR: THE DARK WORLD will be shown locally thru Walt Disney Studios Philippines and opens October 30, nationwide.

Source [LINK]

Additional Posters for THOR: THE DARK WORLD

Marvel Studios has released a pair of new promotional posters for THOR: THE DARK WORLD focusing on the main baddie Malekith as well as a nod to the budding love story between god of thunder THOR and Jane Foster.

Check out the two posters in hi-res below plus the hi-res version of the banner I featured above.







Thor: The Dark World will be opening here in the Philippines on October 30 and stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, Idris Elba, Jamie Alexander, Ray Stevenson, Kat Dennings, Zachary Levi, Christopher Eccleston and Tadanobu Asano. The film will be directed by Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor.

Thor: The Dark World" Hammers Into IMAX 3D Starting Oct 30

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 15, 2013 -- IMAX Corporation and Marvel Entertainment, a division of The Walt Disney Company, today announced that Marvel's “Thor: The Dark World,” starring Chris Hemsworth, will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® 3D format and released into IMAX® 3D theatres internationally (including the Philippines) beginning Oct. 30.

Chris Hemsworth has played Thor, the god of Thunder in two highly successful Marvel films, 2011's “Thor” and 2012's “Marvel's The Avengers,” which collectively grossed nearly $2 billion at the global box office. In this latest adventure, Academy Award® winners Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins will also reprise their roles, as will Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgard, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Jaimie Alexander and Rene Russo. Alan Taylor (TV's “Game of Thrones”) will direct from a story by Don Payne and Robert Rodat, and a screenplay by Christopher L. Yost and Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely.

"Like all the dynamic Marvel characters, Thor has developed a massive global following, and we look forward to moviegoers experiencing this highly anticipated next chapter in IMAX 3D," said Greg Foster, CEO of IMAX Entertainment and Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. "We're excited to continue to build on our flourishing partnership with Marvel and Disney with this iconic property."

"All the nine realms will be stunningly displayed when `Thor: The Dark World' arrives in IMAX 3D," said Dave Hollis, Executive Vice President, Theatrical Exhibition Sales and Distribution, The Walt Disney Studios. "We continue to have great success with IMAX and are thrilled to once again work with them to bring the Marvel Universe to life in this premium format."

The IMAX release of Marvel's “Thor: The Dark World” will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX 3D Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

Marvel's “Thor: The Dark World” continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the nine realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel's “Thor” and “Marvel's The Avengers,” Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos ... but an ancient race, led by the vengeful Malekith, returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Thor: The Dark World Trailer 2 Spells War

The second trailer for Marvel Studios' THOR: THE DARK WORLD has been unleashed and it definitely set the tone for the new movie directed by Alan Taylor.

Also here's the full poster for the film which will star Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, Kat Dennings, Idris Elba and Christopher Eccleston.

click to enlarge

Aaaannnnd here's the new trailer...



So the last part is actually a throwback to the very first issue of Thor (yes, the one where Donald Blake discovers mjolnir, turns into Thor and foils and alien invasion of stone men)...

Synopsis: In the aftermath of Marvel’s "Thor" and "Marvel’s The Avengers," Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos...but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano, and Jaimie Alexander with Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” is directed by Alan Taylor, produced by Kevin Feige, from a story by Don Payne and screenplay by Christopher Yost and Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely and is based on Marvel’s classic Super Hero Thor, who first appeared in the comic book “Journey into Mystery “ #83 in August, 1962.

“Thor: The Dark World” is presented by Marvel Studios. The executive producers are Alan Fine, Nigel Gostelow, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso and Craig Kyle. The film releases October 30, 2013, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Spoiler Heavy Discussion on Thor: The Dark World

The new trailer for Thor: The Dark World from Marvel Studios has been released and I'm looking to discuss the different scenes from the movie.

Be ready though as I'm going to relate the actual scenes from the trailer to the spoilery stuff that's already been released/ published/ shared months and weeks before today. If you don't want that maybe you can check out my recap/ highlight for Game of Thrones S3E3 instead. Highlight and screencaps after the cut.

Marvel Launches "Thor: The Dark World" Trailer

Marvel Studios has just unleashed the teaser trailer of “Thor: The Dark World” which can now be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRXOzk18-AU.

Marvel’s "Thor: The Dark World" continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger (Chris Hemsworth) as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself.

Thor Brings Natalie Portman's Jane Foster to Asgard in New Stills for Thor 2

Two things that gets hardcore confirmation based on the new stills that appeared for Thor: The Dark World, which also got it's first poster a few days ago.

Number 1: Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) are fighting together. It doesn't mean that they're on good terms, but that reportedly they are doing this (the whole fighting Dark Elves together) because Malekith made it personal for both of them. Also it looks like Loki's in a dilemma on whether or not he wants forgiveness and redemption or looking for the perfect moment to slither away from Thor's gaze and return to Midgard. 

More after the cut.

Chris Hemsworth is Ready for Battle in New Thor: The Dark World Poster

Chris Hemsworth reprises his role as Thor Odinson for Marvel Studios' "Thor: The Dark World" and shows that he is indeed ready to spill dark elf blood in this new poster.

It's a far cry from the unofficial teaser poster that was leaked online a few months ago, yes, the Thor 2 poster that looked like something from Tron.

Here's the synopsis:

Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel’s Thor and Marvel’s The Avengers, Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos…but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Comparing Notes between Thor The Dark World and Tron Posters

The new teaser poster for "Thor: The Dark World" has suddenly appeared on the interwebs. This is what it looks like: 

It got me thinking "Where have I seen this before?"

Production Begins for Thor Dark World

Chris Hemsworth is back for more hammer bashing as god of thunder Thor in Thor : Dark World. As you can see production has already begun and it seems like the first scene they take is one that features a battle between the Asgardians and the Uruk-Hai.

A Kat Dennings Gallery to Celebrate her Return in Thor 2

Kat Dennings has been confirmed to return to Thor 2. She reprises her role as Darcy Lewis who acts as an assistant to Natalie Portman's Jane Foster. To celebrate, here's a gallery of the beautiful Kat Dennings.

Geek Review: Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace in 3D

An admittedly geeky review of Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace in 3D starring Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd and more directed by George Lucas.

Star Wars Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace in 3D Starts Next Week

A little reminder fanboys, February 9 will be the official opening day for the re-released 3D version of Star Wars Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace.

The film will star Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor and Ray Park as Darth Maul.