On Thor 2: An improvement from the first Thor which isn't saying much, but I enjoyed it. I have always liked how the Marvel Cinematic Universe films have comedic beats that work especially after the over dour, super serious Man of Steel. Iron Man 3 is still a better film, but Robert Downey Jr. and Shane Black have a great report after Kiss Kiss Bang Bang so it's hard to fault Thor for not having that advantage. One of the unique things about this film, and I will try to explain without giving any spoilers, is its introduction to movie goers of the "weird" direction Marvel's films are going to take going forward to ramp up for The Avenges v. Thanos/Infinity Gauntlet. A particular sequence in the film serves to really introduce this, but… I have said too much.
One thing I was wondering as I left the theater was accessibility of these films going forward for the general public. Fiege and co have really worked to turn these adaptations into a greater serialized universe. I deeply admire this ambition and wish Iger would take note of this as he learns all the wrong lessons from their success. However, as time goes on, it may become harder for audiences to latch onto these films because many people will say "I haven't seen Thor or Iron Man or Cap, I won't know what's going on". While Marvel has learned to make films that are both part of a greater universe and still stand alone, they have a lot of ground to cover and I worry future films may get too plotly, like Iron Man 2. Of course the other issue here is Iger and the sharp pencil boys wanting every Marvel film to make a billion dollars. Guardians of the Galaxy is going to be the weirdest comic book adaptation ever attempted as a tent pole. In the mean time, I sure bet Iger is happy they no longer have to sacrifice a percentage of the gross to Paramount!
Cap 2's trailer was pretty awesome though.
Spirit, what does Thor need to make, ballpark, to get into the black?
