![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shapinglightWent to see Thor: the Dark World last night. The first time I've been to the cinema since...well, I can't remember.
Spoilers for the film, plus for Ripper Street season 2, ep 2, and The Good Wife up to early season 3 behind cut.
First of all, I enjoyed the Thor film a lot more than I thought I would. It was utterly daft, of course, but in a way I find enjoyable - as opposed to Avengers, which is equally daft but somehow gets my back up. But then, back when I used to read the Thor comic, I much preferred it to Avengers.
Of course, it has bugger all to do with real, actual Norse mythology (the comic, weirdly, whenever it did use the original mythos, which it sometimes did, would change things for no good reason. Sif, for instance, Thor's wife in mythology, was noted for her long golden hair. But, when the character was introduced in the comics, she was Sif the Raven-haired. Weird, but then I suppose the comic already had an Asgardian female character with long blonde hair - the Enchantress, again nothing to do with the mythology - so I suppose they thought there shouldn't be another).
Oops! Went off at a tangent there - and another tangent might be to recall that when the comic decided to do the story of the Volsunga Saga, they went with Wagner's version rather than the original Norse one - if there is an original, as such, I'm not sure. Also, they once had Thor face off with the gods of the Hindu pantheon, who were portrayed as fat and unpleasant. Doesn't seem to have occurred to anyone that these gods, unlike the Norse ones, are still worshipped by millions. Bet they wouldn't do that these days.
Okay, stopping with the tangents.
The film was lots of fun, as I said, with the only bit that I didn't care for being the protracted attack of the Dark Elves on Asgard, which looked like it had escaped from Star Wars. Yawn! Loki was great, and Hiddleston and Hemsworth spark off each other in a Spike/Angel type way. I like that Hiddleston managed to put some ambiguity into his portrayal of Loki, so that, yes, he really did risk his own life to save Thor's, but on the other hand, when he said he didn't do it for their father, he really, really wasn't kidding.
And if there isn't a third Thor movie, Loki's effectively won, hasn't he? He's sneakily replaced Odin (who I can't help thinking no one much would miss) and no one has even noticed. Heh!
As with the first movie, my favourite bits were probably the interactions between Thor and Jane's 'gang' (enhanced by Darcy's intern, which is hilarious, an intern having an intern), and the juxtaposition of a larger than life character like Thor and 'normality' (even more enjoyable for me this time because it was set in London, and just for once didn't make all the Brits out to be snobby idiots). My absolute favourite scene was Thor on the Underground. Both M and I laughed out loud at that one. Loki-as-Captain-America was also very funny.
And thankfully there wasn't too much of the minor Asgardian characters, who get on my nerves (except Heimdall, because Idris Elba could never get on my nerves, and Frigga, sadly dead).
Also amusing how being comfortable with nudity seems to be the norm in the Skarsgard family.
Must say, though, I was completely thrown by that teaser scene at the end, whether for what's coming up in another franchise film, or for a possible third Thor one. I vaguely remember a comics character called the Collector, but nothing about him. It was just weird, and Sif and Volstagg looked as bewildered as I was.
As for ep 2 of Ripper Street, all the way through it, I was saying to S, they can't kill the Elephant Man, he was a real person. But they did, and apparently he died just as stated in the show (except that if someone called Shine murdered him, that's never come to light), with Doctor Treves even saying what he said about Merrick wanting to 'be like other people' and trying to sleep lying down. I liked that they brought back Anton Lesser's character from the previous series (nasty bloke!), though have to admit that I never saw Mrs Reid as the type to lose her mind, as described. I suppose it will probably turn out that she's banged up in some horrible asylum somewhere.
Good ep. The plot thickens in every way.
Finally, The Good Wife. I finished watching season 2 last week and went straight on to season 3. I love it. I can't think why I stopped watching for so long. Now wondering (and please no one spoil me) how long it'll be before Will works out that Alicia is not in love with him. Not long, I suspect. She doesn't want to talk about the fact that he inadvertently said he loved her on the phone, and she doesn't want him to meet her kids. The writing is on the wall. Good. I like Will, but he's sort of...sleazy. Alicia deserves better. Also, I don't know what it is exactly about this show, but I normally hate case-of-the-week procedurals, and in this show I find them completely fascinating.
Not a mystery really, I suppose. It's because the show's so well written and well acted.
Spoilers for the film, plus for Ripper Street season 2, ep 2, and The Good Wife up to early season 3 behind cut.
First of all, I enjoyed the Thor film a lot more than I thought I would. It was utterly daft, of course, but in a way I find enjoyable - as opposed to Avengers, which is equally daft but somehow gets my back up. But then, back when I used to read the Thor comic, I much preferred it to Avengers.
Of course, it has bugger all to do with real, actual Norse mythology (the comic, weirdly, whenever it did use the original mythos, which it sometimes did, would change things for no good reason. Sif, for instance, Thor's wife in mythology, was noted for her long golden hair. But, when the character was introduced in the comics, she was Sif the Raven-haired. Weird, but then I suppose the comic already had an Asgardian female character with long blonde hair - the Enchantress, again nothing to do with the mythology - so I suppose they thought there shouldn't be another).
Oops! Went off at a tangent there - and another tangent might be to recall that when the comic decided to do the story of the Volsunga Saga, they went with Wagner's version rather than the original Norse one - if there is an original, as such, I'm not sure. Also, they once had Thor face off with the gods of the Hindu pantheon, who were portrayed as fat and unpleasant. Doesn't seem to have occurred to anyone that these gods, unlike the Norse ones, are still worshipped by millions. Bet they wouldn't do that these days.
Okay, stopping with the tangents.
The film was lots of fun, as I said, with the only bit that I didn't care for being the protracted attack of the Dark Elves on Asgard, which looked like it had escaped from Star Wars. Yawn! Loki was great, and Hiddleston and Hemsworth spark off each other in a Spike/Angel type way. I like that Hiddleston managed to put some ambiguity into his portrayal of Loki, so that, yes, he really did risk his own life to save Thor's, but on the other hand, when he said he didn't do it for their father, he really, really wasn't kidding.
And if there isn't a third Thor movie, Loki's effectively won, hasn't he? He's sneakily replaced Odin (who I can't help thinking no one much would miss) and no one has even noticed. Heh!
As with the first movie, my favourite bits were probably the interactions between Thor and Jane's 'gang' (enhanced by Darcy's intern, which is hilarious, an intern having an intern), and the juxtaposition of a larger than life character like Thor and 'normality' (even more enjoyable for me this time because it was set in London, and just for once didn't make all the Brits out to be snobby idiots). My absolute favourite scene was Thor on the Underground. Both M and I laughed out loud at that one. Loki-as-Captain-America was also very funny.
And thankfully there wasn't too much of the minor Asgardian characters, who get on my nerves (except Heimdall, because Idris Elba could never get on my nerves, and Frigga, sadly dead).
Also amusing how being comfortable with nudity seems to be the norm in the Skarsgard family.
Must say, though, I was completely thrown by that teaser scene at the end, whether for what's coming up in another franchise film, or for a possible third Thor one. I vaguely remember a comics character called the Collector, but nothing about him. It was just weird, and Sif and Volstagg looked as bewildered as I was.
As for ep 2 of Ripper Street, all the way through it, I was saying to S, they can't kill the Elephant Man, he was a real person. But they did, and apparently he died just as stated in the show (except that if someone called Shine murdered him, that's never come to light), with Doctor Treves even saying what he said about Merrick wanting to 'be like other people' and trying to sleep lying down. I liked that they brought back Anton Lesser's character from the previous series (nasty bloke!), though have to admit that I never saw Mrs Reid as the type to lose her mind, as described. I suppose it will probably turn out that she's banged up in some horrible asylum somewhere.
Good ep. The plot thickens in every way.
Finally, The Good Wife. I finished watching season 2 last week and went straight on to season 3. I love it. I can't think why I stopped watching for so long. Now wondering (and please no one spoil me) how long it'll be before Will works out that Alicia is not in love with him. Not long, I suspect. She doesn't want to talk about the fact that he inadvertently said he loved her on the phone, and she doesn't want him to meet her kids. The writing is on the wall. Good. I like Will, but he's sort of...sleazy. Alicia deserves better. Also, I don't know what it is exactly about this show, but I normally hate case-of-the-week procedurals, and in this show I find them completely fascinating.
Not a mystery really, I suppose. It's because the show's so well written and well acted.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2013-11-07 04:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-08 10:00 am (UTC)Do you mean in the 'shipping sense?
I do get not getting that, btw. To me, they have a Spike/Angel AtS season 5 love/hate bromance-y vibe.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-08 07:54 pm (UTC)oh also! if you like icons, I forgot to pimp out smallbatchicons and iconthat to you! you should definitely watch them. Along with comicbook_icons :D
no subject
Date: 2013-11-08 09:02 pm (UTC)I think the incest thing is get-around-able (just about), in that they aren't actual siblings, but foster brothers.
But as I say, I don't 'ship them. I just enjoy the snarky bromance aspect.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-08 09:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-08 10:16 pm (UTC)I think you shouldn't worry about it, though, or to qualify that, worry that you might believe something that's at odds with what you want to believe you believe. It will sort itself out, I'm sure.
But yes, re: Thor and Loki, though they refer to each other as stepbrothers all the time, that's actually not true (and goes to show the ignorance of Stan Lee, I guess, back in the 1960s). They don't share a parent. Loki is adopted.
Anyway, the film is good fun, and for me, not all the enjoyment comes from the Thor/Loki thing. I enjoy Thor's relationship with Jane too. I like that Jane's a physicist and that she has this gang of misfits that look up to her as leader. It's certainly different from Jane in the comics, who started off back in the 60s as nurse to Thor's original alter-ego, Dr Donald Blake, and was all oh, doctor, you're wonderful! and 1960s, because...well, it was the 1960s.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-08 10:36 pm (UTC)Oh, Jane! I've missed her!
no subject
Date: 2013-11-11 05:24 pm (UTC)You don't happen to have seen some nice Thor/Loki, or Thor/Jane icons have you?
no subject
Date: 2013-11-12 09:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-13 03:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-06 01:00 pm (UTC)I'd never even heard of the bloody character before so god only knows why they chose him.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-06 01:08 pm (UTC)Oh. That's disappointing. No intention of seeing that one. Don't know anything about the characters and don't care either.
Well, as I said, if there isn't another Thor movie, Loki's just...won.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-06 02:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-06 02:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-06 03:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-06 04:17 pm (UTC)Must admit, though, the ep with Eddy Izzard early in season 3 struck a few false notes for me. Something that is usually so slick and enjoyable suddenly felt...clunky.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-06 05:55 pm (UTC)I am so glad you said this, because all through that scene I was racking my brain because I couldn't remember any of it happening. Mind you, I can only just remember he had a wife at all so I would hardly claim to be on top of the on-going plot.
I thought this week was better. I knew Merrick died like that but I was expecting it to be a set up and for our heroes to spring out of a cupboard before he actually died (because I thought everyone would know how Merrick died so it seemed such an obvious telegraph). So a shock when he was actually dead.
I like Hal from Being Human as the new DC. Also the scenes in the Nat Hist museum looked lovely.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-07 01:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-06 11:24 pm (UTC)Oh good to know. Will definitely rent. And yes, I have to agree, I've enjoyed the single hero flicks, such as Thor, better than The Avengers.
2. Good Wife
Agree - I love this series, and it just gets better. It's not really a procedural, by the fifth season - it becomes quite serialized. At this point - it's almost pure serial.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-07 01:18 pm (UTC)Plus, the amusing fact that unlike many way, way better films, Thor scrapes through the Bechdel test. :)
Definitely worth watching once anyway.
no subject
Date: 2013-12-04 11:06 pm (UTC)Hee! I love the Spike/Angel comparison - that might be why I just LOVE them so much (that and in all the publicity stuff, it looks like they both really like each other a lot, which is sorta heartwarming :D)
I do think Loki genuinely risked his life to save Jane AND Thor (like he was about to be sucked into that vortex thingie until Thor saved him, right?) And dying can't have been part of whatever plan he had - he seems more like an opportunist to me, who is able to improvise on the fly, so maybe when he didn't REALLY die, he decided to go back to Asgard - not so much that he deliberately faked his death. So I basically thought that "I didn't do it for him" meant he'd done it for Frigga and revenge and yes, for Thor too.
no subject
Date: 2013-12-05 01:35 pm (UTC)And I do love the fact that Loki-as-Odin's speech to Thor was the nicest, kindest 'Odin' had ever been to him. Of course Loki loves Thor. It doesn't mean he won't take every opportunity to run rings around him for his own ends.