Bifrost Finery: The Red Carpet Experience (Almost)

November 25, 2013

“I don’t say this often (or ever actually), but, I want a reason to wear a fancy dress.” That’s how it started.

I try not to post too many things on Facebook that I think might be superfluous or uninteresting to anyone but me. I’ve de-friended people for posting cartoons depicting rape as a joke, and I’ve done it to people updating the status of their farts, so I try to remain self-aware. I’ll admit it, I’m guilty of vague-booking once in a while, but I began dialing it back about a month ago, after finding this Venn diagram that put it into perspective for me. So imagine how supremely bored I had to be to post about wanting to wear a fancy dress. I thought, surely no one gives a crap. Surprisingly, several people did.

People who have known me since high school liked the status, probably because I’ve been anti-dress my entire life. People I’ve known less than a month – including one that I’d never formally met – were ready to get down and dress up. The Thor, the merrier. I suggested eating at a fast food joint and seeing Thor 2. Why? Because the majority of us shared the commonality of being comic book fans. And you know what? It worked [cue maniacal laughter and tenting of fingers.]

Just like that, the event Bifrost Finery was born. If you’ve ever attended a comic convention, you’ve probably noticed the horde of people dressed up as their favorite character, and the other horde sporting some type of nerdy apparel. Some people whisper their nerdiness, others broadcast it. We’re the broadcasting kind. I’ve always suspected that us con types are really just itching for any reason to dress up, despite being jeans and t-shirt kind of people.

Dress up, and don't keep it Lo-ki... — Dress up, and don’t keep it Lo-ki…

Our geeky band of eight donned our best “Thormal” wear and met at Panda Express to talk shop and stuff our faces with nom-tastic carbs. After a short stint in the theater’s arcade, we took a moment to pose with the movie’s star, Chris Hemsworth (his poster at any rate.) Everywhere we went we drew stares. Most of them were accompanied with smiles, yet no one asked us what the occasion was. The point ladies and gents? You never really need a reason to dress up. Just act the part.

On to the review! Beyond this line lie minor spoilage.

Thor 2: The Dark World is a power-house of stunning visuals; however, it suffers from being the middle child of its franchise along with having its hands tied by not being able to rock the continuity boat in the Marvel movie universe. An ancient evil hell-bent on bringing about an end to the world (pick something) is no new concept, nor is the overdone relationship between Thor and Jane. It heavily mirrors Superman and Lois Lane, as Jane gets into trouble and Thor has to rescue her, while she still remains the ever-spunky heroine. The supernatural protagonist falling for a human is old hat by now. I’m a Superman/Wonder Woman fan and likewise am a Thor/Sif advocate.

Unsurprisingly, the supporting character Loki (Tom Hiddleston) stole the show, his wide acting range truly showcased in a twisting fashion. My suggestion to the studios: whatever Hiddleston wants, pay it. Movie goers all agree that they will throw money at the screen to see that man sneer.

Other highlights of the movie were provided by cameos from Chris Evans, Benicio Del Toro, and Chris O’Doud with a surprising performance by Rene Russo, who proves she is more than just a woman behind the throne. Frigga is a true warrior queen worthy of Valhalla. In fact, all of the females in the movie hold their own rather well, portraying strong balanced characters, save Portman who is rescued repeatedly.

Go for the expansive vistas, the amazing CG animation, go for the one scene where Hemsworth is shirtless if that’s your bag, but do go see it. It wasn’t Thorrible by any means, but it also wasn’t as breathtaking as I’d hoped. It was a placeholder to bridge the last movie with the next one, which will tackle the Infinity Gems. So brush up on your Marvel lore, and sit through both end scenes! Overall I’d call the evening Thorgasmic. You should try it sometime.

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