My Top 10 - Spoiler-Free Reasons to See Thor 2

I just saw Thor 2 with my mom today, and it was definitely worth watching. It seems to be getting some lukewarm responses, but honestly if we're this deep in the Marvel movies it's inevitable that a few won't be as good as others.

Still, I think it's a worthwhile watch for anyone who has enjoyed the superhero movies thus far, and here's why:

10. The 3D isn't offensive
I hate 3D. Moviemakers have two choices when it comes to 3D - either integrate it in to a 2D movie with minimal effect after about 20 minutes, or have annoying moments where things look like they're flying at you, but then it looks really stupid on DVD. By the end of it I could barely tell Thor 2 was in 3D, and I think that's a very good thing.

9. A shining support cast
We get to see more interesting moments starring Thor's warrior buddies, as well as Jane Foster's science team. They (rightfully) served little purpose in the first movie, but it was awesome to see so many people get their 5 minutes in the spotlight during some really good action and story scenes.

8. Natalie Portman isn't awful
I've never really had a vendetta with an actor. And to Portman's credit she does land some roles with crappy writing behind them. Still, any movie starring her always makes my shoulders slump because she rarely plays a role that isn't annoying. Despite her having screen time as more than a love interest, I thought she did a great job and never once wished they'd just use a broom with a voiceover instead of her.

7. To be continued
Not that anyone would expect a solo Avengers movie to close its storyline any time soon (though I haven't seen Iron Man 3), but I really want to see Thor 3. I imagine the ending will be causing a lot of speculation on Thor's next adventure, and I think it's well earned.

6. Humor done right
These movies are always action movies with a dash of humor because in the grand scheme of things, we're dealing with people who throw shields and wear capes like it's cool. Still, the humor can often fall flat (I'm looking at you, Agents of SHIELD). In Thor 2 I never once found myself groaning at a forced joke that sounded ripped right out of a piece of teen fiction about a sarcastic young boy with gumption.

5. Hammer time
Thor is a pretty straightforward character. Him swing hammer real good and make the zap-zap. The Avengers showed unique ways he could use these powers, but without a whole bunch of other powers flying around it can be hard to make his fight scenes be more than slugfests. I think almost every fight scene had him using a new move we hadn't seen before, and I would argue that Mjolnir was far more impressive than his actual lightning powers.

4. Original story idea
Iron Man 2 felt like more of the same, which is why I'm in no rush to see the third. Thor could have easily just been more people threatening a small town on Earth, but the story itself has only the smallest ties to the original film.

3. Loki
This may be my favorite showing of Loki. While he's not as central as he may have been in Thor or the Avengers, his scenes always remind me why so many people love him.

2. It goes to 11
The first movie suffered from the usual slow pace of an origin story. The fight scene at the end was okay, but definitely not something worth rewatching. Thor 2 turns everything up in terms of action, story, originality, character depth, destruction... overall it's a huge improvement over the original, and there isn't a hint of trepidation that we saw in the original.

1. More Thor lore
I love when a book, movie, or game really digs deep in to its own history. The Marvel universe has lots of planets, lots of special items, and lots of unique characters to explore. I haven't been a huge fan of the Tesseract story that we've been dealing with between all the movies, and I loved that this movie didn't feel beholden to the rest of the movies to keep it going. While Thor 2 is obviously part of the Avengers series, it really digs in to the Asgardian lore and shows us just how cool Thor's fiction can be. If I didn't think Thor was such a ridiculous character in the comics I'd be tempted to read up on him.


So there it is. It's hard to say too much without spoiling anything, but if you're on the fence then I'd highly recommend seeing it. You aren't missing anything in 2D, and it's definitely a worthwhile addition to the ongoing story of the Avengers and its members.


See you tomorrow!

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