First Impressions: "Thor: The Dark World" + "Gravity" (2013)

   On Wednesday, I went up to Dublin to see Keane live from Berlin, a show that was being broadcast to over five hundred cinemas worldwide. As a huge Keane fan myself, how could I miss it? :) Since I had so much free time during the trip, I also went to see a couple more movies while I was on it.
   But before I start talking about them, there's one particular trailer I want to address: the Walking with Dinosaurs movie. Wow! It looks terrible! As if the idea of a movie based on the show wasn't shaky enough already, the dinosaurs actually talk! I mean, you don't see their mouths moving or anything, but you hear them speaking to each other in voiceover. I can't even begin to explain how appalled I was! All I could do was think in dismay, "They're not going to do that in the actual movie, are they?" Why couldn't it be like the show, a documentary that simply portrayed them as animals in their natural habitat, accompanied by a narrator? You can still present it as a narrative story; just don't give the animals voices! Terrible idea!
   Anyway…

   In Thor: The Dark World, the ancient race of Dark Elves are reawakened when their ultimate weapon, the Aether, finds a host body in Jane Foster, forcing Thor to team up with his convicted brother Loki to escape Asgard and confront them.
   I liked the first Thor, but did think it was a tad uneven. So I may be in a minority on this, but I actually enjoyed this sequel even more. It's more focused and more consistent.
   Even as the movie started, however, I didn't think I'd come to that conclusion. Though the first act is often laugh-out-loud funny, tone-wise it feels like a typical lesser sequel. But as it progresses, it keeps building on top of itself at a seemingly constant rate, to the point where I was on the edge of my seat during the climax – helped all the more by the concept of hopping through portals! :)
   On the whole, I was very much satisfied with it. The only nitpicks I can think of are so minor and far between. For one thing, I really can't stand the character of Darcy: annoying as all hell! And maybe it's just because I'd read about it in advance, but Anthony Hopkins seemed very unenthusiastic.
   But most of my nitpicks are ultimately negligible. This is a standard blockbuster in many ways, but with enough wit and enough focus on its simple premise to keep it consistently entertaining, and its sense of momentum is almost perfect.
   My rating: 85%.

   And Gravity follows Dr Ryan Stone after her shuttle is destroyed by satellite debris, leaving her stranded and drifting in orbit.
   I ignored all the hype surrounding this movie, intending to go in with neutral expectations. And… it was pretty good. :)
   I can see why James Cameron declared it the best space movie he's ever seen, because it perfectly nails the illusion of being in space. The way they simulate zero-gravity is utterly convincing – even down to the little details like tears and flames. Also, naturally, they keep in mind that there's nothing to carry sound. Even when there are explosions in the background, they're completely silent.
   This flawless recreation of space only enhances the inherent desperation of the story, too. At first Sandra Bullock came off to me as pretty wooden, but I found myself progressively feeling for the character more and more as she succumbs to loneliness and the pressures of the danger she's in.
   But (and I never in my life thought I'd say this!) what really makes this movie stand out is the 3D. I saw it in IMAX, and I could go on forever about how well it suits the format! I do have to wonder how well it's going to hold up on the small screen, though.
   Still, on its own terms, this is a good, solid thriller whose single greatest strength is how well it captures its atmosphere. So my conclusion is: not quite a five-star rating, but close. :)
   My rating: 85%.