Now that I've had a day to really think about it....here are my ramblings...
I really liked it... a lot. A little spoilerish from here on out...
I liked how Taylor really opened up the other realms...gave Asgard an opulent, yet lived in feel. The other realms were pretty distinctive too. The whole battle during the convergence at the end was clever, and coherent, design-wise and story-wise...that could've been a confusing mess, but Taylor and his editors did a good job....
One thing that kept coming to my attention during this movie was how we're really starting to hit a bit of an overload with this kind of thing (these fantasy world-building adventure pics)...the design ideas are starting to overlap and call out to one another, intentionally or not. Sometimes it can be kinda cool...but it's a fine line and it's almost like the art directors are running out of ways to present these fantastical places to us. I was seeing visual nods from things as far back as "Zardoz" and the "80s "Flash Gordon" and "Krull" right up to more current fare like Jackon's "Rings" movies and this summer's "MOS". Again...I'm not knocking it...it's just getting awful similar looking out there in fantasy land, no matter how well rendered...
But back to this movie...if the Marvel folk have proven anything with this string of movies, it's all about the casting...especially the leads. Like Downey and Evans with Iron Man and Captain America respectively, Hemsworth simply owns this role now...he IS Thor. He's really comfortable playing this larger-than-life character...never making a joke out of it...with a great level of charisma, strength and warmth. It helps that the script takes the character through a good progression. He has a good chemistry with all of the other characters, yes, including Jane.
A lot of folks have been knocking Portman in this...hauling out the ole' "wooden" talk and no chemistry...I'm not seeing that. I thought Portman was fine....actually better this time around...even she seemed more comfortable with more to do. I really liked her (brief) scenes with Russo (who really made the most of her time on screen in this). In fact, come to think of it...how cool was it to have this kind of movie feature not one or two, but three (well, four if you count the annoying Darci...more on that in a minute) strong, distinctive female characters that are more to the proceedings than just someone in distress or to just stand with the man? We have a scientist. a warrior, a ruler...all strong, interesting and still very feminine. It really helped make the movie feel more substantial.
Now that Darci...here was the only thing that felt shoe-horned into the proceedings. Inject the "Laverne & Shirley" wannabee Sitcom Star in liberal doses of "wackiness" and laughs are sure to follow. Um, no...a little of her goes a long way and if anything, her schtick will prove even more grating with subsequent viewings.
Now Mr. Hiddleston....like Hemsworth, this role is his...not just a "one note "villain"...he's really taken the character and fleshed it out with motivations and expressions that are really a treat to watch....here he has created a true, memorable performance that is award-worthy....but of course, Jotunheim will thaw before that happens...
Now as for those now-standard end credit scenes....I wish they had switched them around....had the Thor one first (in mid-credits) and the GOTG tease at the very end.
Now comes the next big risk....Captain America:Winter Soldier looks like it could be "it" for the more "Earth" -bound, less "fantasy-driven" movies we're going to see from the Marvel folk...."Guardians" (and presumably "Avengers:AOU") are looking like they'll be strongly embracing the more fantastic elements of their comic sources....it'll be interesting see if they can bring the audiences that have been going to these movies so far along for the ride....I'll be there!
haven't been able to watch it yet! I'm missing all the fun!
