Thor: The Dark World [4K UHD]

Packaged good and excellent condition

Marvel Studios appears to have another bona fide hit on their hands in the seventh-feature film of it’s superhero franchise, and the second of Phase 2, in THOR: THE DARK WORLD. Sequels are a delicate proposition with the inevitable comparisons to the films that have come before. Fans continue to look for the next Godfather 2 or The Empire Strikes Back, and hope they don’t receive another Ghostbusters 2. Expectations (especially in this era of social media) can crush a film before it is even released - I’m looking at you Star Wars Episode VII. All that being noted, Thor: The Dark World is another fine chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Marvel-newcomer Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones), the story continues the emotional journey of the would-be Asgardian king as Thor continues to be torn between two worlds and family obligations. Chris Hemsworth once again brings the right mixture of seriousness, fun and larger-than-life persona that Thor is - not an easy trick to pull off. I would challenge this role may be even more difficult than playing the Man of Steel. The Dark World opens catching the audience up with post-Avengers consequences for Loki (Tom Hiddleston by the way is once again delightful as the Prince of Lies and Marvel should really consider giving him a solo go at it because he is that good), while also setting up the story of the dark elves and their leader, Malekith (with a strong performance by Christopher Eccleston). Besides our returning-Asgardian cast of Odin, Heimdall, Sif and The Warriors Three (although sadly they had less to do this time around), we also catch up with Jane Foster, Eric Selvig and Darcy. Avoiding all the traps of a sequel, we find our trio in new roles this time around. The best of the three is the madness in which envelopes Selvig after “having a God in his head”. It’s nice to see some real consequences to the characters from the events of the previous films, however viewers jumping in for the first time would definitely not be lost. Speaking of consequences, there are some “oh no they didn’t” moments with characters that audience members won’t see coming, especially a terrific sequence with Thor, Loki and Malekith. Fans of Walt Simonson’s seminal run on The Mighty Thor will not be disappointed, and there are quite a few easter egg moments, including an all-too brief cameo appearance by Thor’s first antagonist from the pages of Journey Into Mystery #103. The post title scene does not disappoint and sets up Guardians of the Galaxy as well as potentially Avengers 3. Most of the action takes place on Asgard and other worlds of the nine realms, with the movie’s climax coming on Earth, which once again takes center stage. However, the heart of Thor: The Dark World is Thor’s split loyalties and the ultimate decision he needs to make, and just wait until the movie’s final scene on Asgard - cue Thor 3. Thor: The Dark World should not disappoint.

This was a very enjoyable entry into the Marvel Universe Mythos. The actors are very good; Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth are just fine, thank you - their chemistry works well and if not quite Bogey and McCall well at least Powell and Loy. And, oh my, Tom Hiddleston, while he didn't quite steal the show his protrayal of Loki shows why actors love playing villains - they are just so much fun. And Stan Lee's cameo was a hoot. Actually the whole durn cast was pretty right on for me. Jamie Alexander as Sif didn't get enough screen time, nor did Idris Alba as Baldur, just to mention two. To adequately praise the individual cast members would require listing the entire cast. The production is what we've come to expect of Marvel, loud and explosive with new colors being invented every scene it seems. Asgard looks a lot like the Kirby-esque goth I remember from reading the comics as a kid, yet it also seemed more functional, like a real, breathing city that you'd actually want to visit. There are aspects of the storyline that are a little outre, but hey, it's essentially a motion comic and suspension of disbelief is mandatory when you buy the ticket. As much as I did dislike some of the plot elements I didn't dislike them all that much and they were internally consistent enough to not be too annoying. But the real story is the relationship between Thor and Loki and that story is so satisfying. But then again, the story between Thor and Loki has ALWAYS been the real story, even in the original myths. And Tom Hiddleston is such a satisfying Loki. Look at me, I'm going all fanboy here. Sheesh. So, Yah, watch this. It's 112 minutes well spent.

Great action/ adventure movie... easily recommended for simply being a fun and entertaining flick. Although I am not a diehard comic fan, this superhero movie certainly rates as one of the better ones. Plenty of action, good humor and some great visual effects combine for a quality ride through our world, Thor's world and the Dark World. Actors provide adequate, if not above average performances, and Loki's character is certainly one to watch for. I particularly enjoyed Loki's role in that one can simply call him out as a conniving brother ... but, then again, you can almost come to like him.Almost... by no stretch is he Mr. Niceguy - like Captain America -however, he does show hints of some redeeming qualities in this latest Thor flick. The final action sequences are very entertaining ... with portals between worlds appearing at the most convenient places and times ... however some of the best surprises come at the very end and during the credits. Overall, this movie is a solid 4 stars ... almost 4.5. Along with being an entertaining flick, one can draw many comparisons between this movie, "Star Trek Into the Darkness" and "Star Wars" movies. 1. The battle depicted in Thor's opening scenes can draw comparisons to a Star Wars battle scene. 2. Loki and Kahn share similar holding cells. Both are reluctantly released to help fight a common enemy. 3. Both Loki and Kahn show hints of redeeming qualities, but return to their evil roots by the movie's end. 4. Natalie Portmman's characters in Thor and Star Wars are both brought to a palace for protection during a battle. Furthermore, one is protected by use of a hologram, the other uses a physical double. 5. The final battle scenes have an enemy spacecraft landing or crashing into a large city on Earth with the enemy emerging from the ship to do the final fight. 6. A heroine or love interest helps to save the good guy in the end (Thor and Star Trek). Many more comparisons can be made between the three films. Definitely a candidate for a multi-film mashup or the making of an entertaining game amongst viewers!

I primarily bought this for my sound system at the house. Was impressed, but felt movies like the Avengers and Iron Man 3 had better audio. I didn't expect this to be a mind blowing film but was good enough for me to enjoy it multiple times and will probably have a Marvel Marathon eventually. Beyond that, the film was good enough to watch the following day and will watched again a 3rd time in less than week of owning it. The story was decent, sound was great, but visuals felt to dark. I understand its "Thor the dark world" but felt the film had a dark screen over it. Its still highly detailed on blu ray, just scenes that should have been brighter had a dark tinge to it. Not a defect of the bluray disk. The movie was just shot darker. Actions scenes are well done and I actually liked it a lot regardless of anything negative sounding in my review. In my opinion, better than Iron Man 3 but not as over the top as The Avengers. The story is easy to follow and there is a hidden preview when watching the credits like most Marvel films when you see the Collector getting a hold of an Infinity Gem. The acting is good as well. I only found Janes assistant (the woman, not Ian the male) as annoying. Beyond that, everyone else did a good job.

The first Thor was a problematic film for me. I loved the actors, I loved the Jack-Kirby-perfect Asgard, but the film itself felt flat. Perhaps it was the rather disorganized plot, perhaps it was the way it followed the same strategy as films like Time Guardian and Galaxia, beginning in lush sci-fi locales but migrating to a small town to save money later on. Avengers further attached me to Hemsworth's Thor, and so I was really looking forward to seeing him get a grander, more developed outing. Thor: the Dark World does not disappoint. Once again, the source of troubles is another race of ancient magic aliens, this time the Dark Elves led by their king Malekith (Christopher Eccleston, still failing to buck that Doctor Who typecasting). The Dark Elves (who are more or less the Eldar from Warhammer 40,000 for all intents and purposes) are the longtime enemies of the Asgardians, but after an apocolyptic battle only a handful of them remain. Awakened by the coming alignment of all the worlds connected by Yggdrasil (they hyperspace network that connects all the worlds Thor and his pals hang out on) Malekith and his creepily masked flunkies set out to recover the Ether, a spooky living weapon that will blot out all light in the universe. Predictably conflict ensues. Through a series of accidents the Ether winds up living inside Thor's human sweetheart, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) where it will grow until it devours her. Defying Odin, Thor hatches a surprisingly cunning plan to dupe Malekith into removing the Ether from Foster so he can destroy the Elven leader and his weapon in one go. Things don't go so swimmingly, and it all comes down to a ludicrously silly, magnificently well-done battle across dimensions for the fate of the universe (with a tube ride through London in the middle). If, like me, you loved everything about Thor but just wanted it to be better, then this is the film for you. Thor and Foster's romance, forced and simplistic in the first movie, is played out well here. Asgard, before just a shiny setpiece, is now a well-built series of believable locations with an aged, lived-in feel to them. The Dark Elves, unlike the thuggish Frost Giants, have a technology and martial prowess that seems genuinely threatening. Baddie Eccleston does a decent enough job, although he lacks some of his scenery chewing prowess that we've seen in films like G.I. Joe and 28 Days Later. Even Foster's intern Darcy (Kat Dennings) is a tolerable comic presence this time around. And of course we get more Stellan Skarsgård, who is always fabulous. Real credit is due, however, to Tom Hiddleston as Loki. I felt sure that after two films as the big bad I'd be sick of him, but his turn as Thor's crafty, somewhat unwilling accomplice is meaty and exciting. You genuinely can't tell how much of his behavior is sincere and how much of it is buildup to some treachery- without giving too much away, even though Loki is on Thor's side in this film, he is by far a more dangerous force than Malekith. Just wait for it. Of course there are also some little tidbits thrown in at the end of the film to foreshadow future installments, which are now all but guaranteed to echo the Infinity Gauntlet storyline (as if seeing Thanos in Avengers wasn't a big enough clue). What this means for the next Avengers and other Marvel properties is anyone's guess, but color me excited as all get out. I can think of very few bad things to say about this film to counterbalance the good. Sif and the Warriors Three are still rather underused (but then Thor already has another super team) and Idris Elba's Heimdall is still solidly a supporting character (although he does fight a spaceship using parkour and stabbing, so that's pretty cool). There are also some effects that seem a little odd- a thrown boulder near the middle looks a little wobbly-fake, and in the climax Malekith grows to enormous proportions which is not really made clear until he starts fighting Thor. By and large, though, this is a very very good film, and the acting, writing and visuals are nearly above reproach. Pros: -Exactly like the first Thor only better -Boasts a big sense of scale and tension -Skilled cast elevates it above just a comic book movie Cons: -A few wonky effects here and there -Lacks the memorable, bombastic theme music we've seen in other Marvel films

This was just before the Marvel Clowns took over this series. It is well done, lot's of action, a great story, and you won't turn away. It doesn;t become part comedy as in the later movies, and tells the story. One of my favorite Marvel Universe stories before politics entered their writing

I have one confession to make and something to get off my chest before I start my review: I LOVE THOR, nothing against Captain America or Hulk or Iron Man but I find there's a wonderful purity to this character. He's not a poster boy like Steve Rogers, not a brilliant self obsessed billionaire like Stark, he takes the world as it is and does what he can to keep the peace. Almost like a universal godly enforcer of sorts. What I need to get off my chest is that one of the things that makes Thor so much fun to watch is that you have a universe to play with and no shortage of villains/perils to be encountered then systematically overcome. The sequel to Thor has a variety of elements in play from the first film yet there is more gravity and everything feels more fleshed out. The chemistry between Thor and Jane Foster is wonderfully done yet doesn't steal the show from the seriousness of the situation. Thor's comrades are also given more freedom and plausibility. Loki for once, doesn't steal the show but you see what I've been wanting to see brought forth, a villain who challenges Loki's brilliance and savagery in a death in the family. Loki's triumph in the end is not one born of malicious trickery but rather a tempered understanding of power. As a Hemsworth fan, I have to say he has the same ability as the late Patrick Swayze to carry the most unlikely of successful films.