Gee, Jennifer, what did you think of the new Thor movie? I guess it is obvious that I loved it. It had one jarring moment that probably only bothered me so I won’t discuss it. Overall the movie was amazing. It did a great job of adding on to the story started in the Avengers movie. The dialogue was so pithy and sarcastic that I was laughing out loud. The bad guy was really evil (unlike the bad guy in Iron Man 3.) The romance was schmaltzy but I expected that so I wasn’t disappointed. I thought it was better than the first Thor movie because we already knew the characters and didn’t have to be reintroduced to them. Renee Russo should win the award for best mother ever. I could go on and on so I’ll stop.

Really though, if you are looking for a well-paced, witty, action adventure movie filled with great-looking actors (I only mention that because there were several groups of older women in the audience and I don’t think they were huge Marvel fans) then go see Thor: The Dark World. It is escapism at its best and I think we all need to escape more often. Happiness squared.

Goofy Gift Idea: If you have a child (of any age) in your life who loves Thor or Marvel you can get some fun Christmas gifts at disneystore.com. They will be having some great sales around Black Friday.

Image from Disney Parks Blog

Thor is once again in the theaters. I haven’t seen it yet, but I can’t wait to. I like Iron Man more than Thor, but this movie is an extension of The Avengers which I thought was awesome and I don’t want to miss the rest of the story.

For those of you who are Thor fans you can now meet the Nordic god at Innoventions in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. This is also the home of Iron Man Tech. If Disney keeps this up they’ll have to rename Innoventions Shield HQ (and how cool would that be!) Before you meet Thor you can see props from the movies, Asgardian treasures brought to Earth for your viewing pleasure. You then pass through the Bifrost (if you don’t know what that is watch the first Thor movie) and meet Thor in all his godly glory.

I think this sounds like fun. I have a limited knowledge of Thor, but this is not your average meet and greet. You can talk to Thor and ask him questions. I’d ask him who his favorite Disney character was. You also have a chance to lift his hammer. I doubt I’d be able to do this since the Incredible Hulk couldn’t lift it, but it would be fun to try. The best part would be getting your picture taken with him. I’d do a cool Avengers pose (even though I learned at Iron Man Tech that I will never be a cool Avenger).

For more information check out this video from touringplans.com. They say the line is really long so I suggest showing up early if you want to meet Thor and still spend time in the rest of the park. I did the same thing for Iron Man Tech and only waited for fifteen minutes. You’ve been warned.

I was glad that Disney bought Marvel and wondered how they were going to incorporate the characters into the parks. I think they are doing a fine job. I hope Captain America and Hawkeye join Shield HG, I mean Innoventions, soon. Happiness squared.

Goofy Craft: For those of you who love Thor but can’t make it to Disneyland you can have fun with these printables from spoonful.com. I like the wings you can add to your hat. Perfect for when you are having a tough day at school or work and want some godly power.

I admit I  love action TV shows but along with great action I like a good storyline, characters that I can bond with, and complex bad guys. This show had it all. I was impressed with the quality of the special effects. I thought the dialogue was witty and really brought the characters to life. I won’t spoil anything but the bad guys were so complex I spent a lot of time trying to decide whether a character really was good or bad. How often do you watch a show that makes you think? I loved that I changed my mind about certain characters over and over. It means the show has room to grow.

The best part for me was Agent Coulson. This is an ensemble show so everyone got their part, but this group of agents wouldn’t exist except for Agent Coulson. He has a lot of secrets that I think will come to light in later shows, but he is the glue and his attitude and beliefs glued me to the screen. I liked the moral message of the show and now that I know that Agent Coulson really is the star I’ll be back for more.

Okay, enough of me gushing. If you have not seen this show and want to know what it was  about I suggest reading this great post at thedisneyblog.com. If you love Agent Coulson as much as I do then you will love this interview from Disney Insider. And if you want to watch the show, but missed it last Tuesday than head over to hulu.com. You can see if for free as many times as you want. I recommend watching The Avengers first if you haven’t seen it a thousand times already. (I plead guilty to that.)

Disney does a lot of creative things, but they are not always a hit. I don’t know if the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will make it in the long run, but I know that they started with a bang and I can’t wait for the next episode. Happiness squared.

Goofy Tip: I’ll be talking about Iron Man Tech at Innoventions on another post, but if you are visiting Disneyland be sure to visit this round building in Tomorrowland. They are giving away free posters that have Iron Man 3 on one side and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on the other. I’ll let you choose which side you display. (Agent Coulson!!!)

The trailer for the newest Thor movie has been released and now I can’t wait for this movie. Click here to see the trailer thanks to The Disney Blog. I was talking about Thor with a friend who knows ten thousand time more stuff about Marvel than I do and he said this movie was going to be successful because it was about one bad guy trying to destroy the universe. Because it has such a straightforward plot more time can be spend on character development and amazingly witty dialogue. If the trailer is any hint, the dialogue is going to be the best part of this movie. If you saw The Avengers you know what I mean.

So take a break this Friday and check out the trailer for Thor: The Dark World. Then go watch the first Thor movie and The Avengers so you are caught up on the plot. Or do it because they are fun movies and it’s a great way to spend the weekend. Happiness squared.

Goofy Tip: There is some debate as to whether the Marvel characters should come to the Disney Parks. I don’t think I want them walking down Main Street, U.S.A., but it would be cool to have them in Disney California Adventure or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Of course Iron Man has infiltrated Disneyland’s Tomorrowland and that worked out well. Now you can see Captain America on the cruise ship the Disney Magic. I think this is a great idea although I would worry that some supervillian would be visiting the ship, too. Nothing good ever happens in the movies when that happens.

In true “change anything you want in the Marvel Universe” style Agent Coulson is not dead and he is going to be in charge of a new group of heroes in a TV show coming to ABC on September 24th. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has the potential to be awesome or disastrous but I don’t care. I will watch for Agent Coulson and hope that the rest of the cast can make it work.

Have you heard of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Do you think it will be a hit or a miss? If you want to know more about this show check out The Disney Blog for more details.

I have huge doubts, but I also know I’ll be figuring out a way to watch it. This might be hard since I don’t have TV but this is one show I don’t want to miss. Happiness squared.

Goofy Movie: I don’t often talk about Marvel, except for Iron Man who I adore, and before Disney bought Marvel I didn’t pay attention to the franchise at all. But if you are wondering who Agent Coulson is, I recommend you watch Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, and The Avengers. He only has cameos but he steals the show.

I never see movies on opening night, but I bought my tickets early for Iron Man 3. That being said my review will be honest and unbiased and I will keep the gushing to a minimum (unless it truly deserves it.) Okay, on with the review.

Well, I think I am so numb that I won’t be gushing a lot. Maybe after I have thought about it for a month. This movie was…I think I am speechless. I am trying to describe this movie without spoiling it and I find I don’t know what to say.

I guess the first question would be, “Is it worth watching?” Oh yeah. It is a roller coaster of a movie, but well worth seeing in the theater. I am so glad I made the effort to see it opening night. That was cool. Iron Man 3 is a great action film full of twists and turns. Some of the smaller characters have bigger roles which is great and the overall story keeps you on the edge of your seat. I spent a lot of time with my hand over my mouth to keep from crying out in surprise or shock. (I even cried for a moment.)

It would seem I do know what to say. This is a great movie. If I could describe the unease I feel I would say that it lacked that comic book feel. It was one more “fight the terrorist” film. My husband said he loved that part of it. I always feel that superhero action films should be a chance to escape from everyday evil. Give me aliens, bad gods, or mad scientists gone wrong.

Now I know that most people are going to disagree with me. That’s cool. I still think this is an awesome movie and I recommend watching it. I just personally would have liked the bad guy to have had different motivation behind his actions. It left me feeling numb when I would have preferred to leave the theater feeling uplifted. Happiness squared.

Goofy Tip: Disney and other film companies have been doing this for so long that I thought all movie goers knew about it, but a few people still left as soon as the movie ended so I want to let everyone in on the secret. Don’t rush out of the theater at the beginning of the credits. Stay until the very end and you will be rewarded with an extra bit of film. I won’t tell you what happens after the credits in Iron Man 3, all I can say is it is well worth it. Stay calm and watch on.