THORific Thursday

Okay, you’ll have to pardon the cheesy title, but you see, I have a very good excuse: on the same evening that our Minnesota Vikings managed to eke out only their second win of the season, I–along with my family plus four college students–watched the Norse demi-god lead Asgard to victory. To be more specific, we went to the 11:00 pm showing of Thor: The Dark World last night (November 7) and didn’t get home till about 2:00 in the morning. Fatigue can make a person a little loopy. But hey, it could have been worse–I could have titled this post THORific THORsday instead.

But goofy titles aside, there was nothing goofy about the movie. No, it likely won’t win any Oscars, but that’s not what movie watching is about for me and my family. When I view movies, I’m not looking for intellectual stimulation or to solve deep philosophical questions; I want to be entertained. And that’s exactly what Thor: The Dark World did. It was an evening of pure fun.

First of all, previews of X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier–all seen in 3D that didn’t distract but lent amazing depth to the scenery–got the audience in the proper mood. Then it was time for Thor, and it did not disappoint.

The show had intense action, dashes of humor, the requisite scene with a shirtless Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and even several eye-wiping moments. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) stole the show with his duplicity. You didn’t know whether to trust him or not, or even know what was real and what was an illusion. Hiddleston plays evil with aplomb.

To cap the movie off, the ending was superb which prompted applause from the appreciative audience. And like all the movies in the Marvel universe, it  has post credit scenes (make certain you stay for both) that make you laugh, and hunger for the next Marvel movie. My kids could tell you which one that is …

But, to be truthful, while the movie was great fun, and the popcorn was delicious, the best part of the evening was spending time with my family. How many parents can brag that their 21, 19, and 17 year old children still like spending time with them? And my daughter brought four college friends to join us.

Note all the Marvel T-shirts, plus a Thor doll, and an Avengers popcorn bucket. Yes, we come prepared!

I realize these times will become less frequent as the kids go off on their own, so I cherish moments like last night–THORific Thursday–and thank God for the gift of family.