Movie Review - Thor: The Dark World (2013)

It has become de rigueur in some circles to lament the "comic-book movie's Hollywood hegemony" and the diminishing marginal returns of the superhero industrial complex. I write in support of that movement, not to bury it.

And while the endless lineup of Supermen, Wolverines, and Avengers by the bucketful cascade  across our screens unleashing unfathomable destruction on major cities and then tidily cleaning up by movie's end, there is something to be said for the sort of escapist charm that the Marvel franchise has seemingly perfected - big-name stars, endless green screen, a plot that holds together with gum and shoestring and banter clever enough to give the appearance of wit. The trend is continued in a smooth and efficient divertissement that takes us from Asgard from Norse mythology to the halls of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. (It is nice, for a change, to see a 2nd-tier city be the one ravaged by extra-terrestrial invaders - and in fairness, with the main villain seeking to extinguish the universe from existence, offering the home of Greenwich Mean Time in exchange seems a fair trade.)




It's hard to muster up the energy to care strongly for any of the characters when you know there will be an inevitable sequel just down the pike. (Though Tom Hiddleston as Loki again makes the most out of limited screen time and is one of the most compelling characters in the Marvel cinematic canon to date.) But the striking thing is that in the midst of the flash and quasi-scientific garble of the modern superhero, at their core, these stories have compelling elements! The approval of parents, sibling dynamics, the meaning of duty - all are interesting plot lines that don't require a $200 million special effects budget to explore. And even with all the crashing, time-travelling, and CGI-created breath, there remains an elevation of the heroic virtues, such as fortitude, self-sacrifice, a desire for justice, and friendship.

Simplistic though these tales of superhuman strength and travel between worlds may be, they serve as modern day fairy tales, replete with fantastical coincidences and terrible beasties. At the very least - or perhaps, at the most - they are examples of what we want our children to be - brave, compassionate, willing to sacrifice for others. And I'm not sure where else a secular 13-year-old boy of today are getting an example of what it means to use their strength and potential for the service of others. But please, could we find less destructive and computer-enhanced ways to showcase these virtues before we all have to sit through Hulk 5: The Return of Hulk's Revenge?

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