REVIEW: LOKI - Season 2

4/5

Glorious Repurpose.

6 Episodes. Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Sophia Di Martino, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Eugene Cordero, Tara Strong, Jonathan Majors, Ke Huy Quan & Owen Wilson. Creator: Michael Waldron. On: Disney +. 

The show which remains. Even when mainstream Marvel malaise means the once hottest superhero property is getting it in the cape like...well...DC. Now, on the same day that 'The Marvels' try to fight back against all that, not to mention the 'Velvet Buzzsaw' of Zawe Ashton's Kree villain, her fiancée Tom Hiddleston brings the formidable finale of 'Loki' Season 2 on Disney + for the burdens of all our glorious purpose. And in mirroring not only the pilot of the first season perfectly, but the first 'Thor' too, this God is a monster of a hit. Blurring the divides between hero and villain like the spaghetti timelines, that similar to strands of spiderwebs are truly fantastic like a Strange day's 'Multiverse Of Madness'. Loki just looks the part like the perfect hair that Hiddleston should always keep along with that devilish smile. As the shadows of his horns play out in Shakespeare on the West End like parlour tricks, when his eyes see envy for another green day. You may miss when he suits up, looking like a British GQ man of the year, but he acts his pants off in this chapter and thread of mischievous story. Especially in a hilarious race and rage against the machine of time. He even makes a standard FedEx like jacket uniform look like the bee's knees, all the way from his rolled up sleeves, down to the creases in his pants. The MCU needs the TVA and its orange handbook. Just like its Disney like mascot of Tara Strong's Miss Minutes, who clocks in some back to the future retro fit and one scaling chime in this best Marvel TV show and cinematic product. Complete with classic cinematography and a throwback testament travelling. For all time. Always.

Loki isn't just Hiddleston's hallmark calling card now though. We still can't get over a glorious Richard E. Grant. And after season one, we fell in love with Sophia Di Martino too like the ego of this God. Any Marvel fanboy on the hero side wanting to tell Loki to go f### himself now realizes the jokes on him and he gladly would. In this season Martino mostly plays the background. Trying to get her life back and enjoying a job at a classic McDonald's which reminds us of the time the billion served like Marvel fast food joint was all that (still is, sue me. Or see Fassbender in Fincher's 'The Killer') and a bag of French fries. Martino is mesmerizing though when she comes in to play. Whether it be the counsel of a compelling and crucial conversation at a bar. Or in a stellar set-piece on a big-wheel that keeps turning in all its power for your anarchy arcade of amusement. If it isn't herself that Loki is in love with, then the romance between him and Owen Wilson's Mobius is as strong as the waves that run through your hair on a jet-ski. Sure, the 'Haunted Mansion' stars wowzer, trademark blonde locks may be gone for grey and daudry brown suits, but Wilson makes it work wonders. He's still our favourite, and in a final frame of classic close-up, that feels like something from one of the cinematic greats...it really is. Tell THAT to the cape fear of Scorsese as this show that stops everything else that's happened in this universe in its tracks kills it like the flower moon. And if that's too much to handle, how about a piece of pie that you can always trust like Thanos as Tommy Lee in 'Men In Black III'?

Key Lime in Loki green like an Easter Egg? Or how about Ke Huy Quan? As the Oscar winner brings even more out of his fanny pack to super-charge this second season that really is 'Everything Everywhere All At Once'. A true team effort with Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Wunmi Mosaku developing their characters even more in these connected stories and timelines, and Eugene Cordero getting a much deserved top-billing upgrade in screen-time, especially when he locks it down like Alcatraz. Yet in Michael Waldron's wonderful creation and collection, we all know who everyone will be talking about. He Who Remains despite the controversy surrounding 'Creed III' and 'The Harder They Fall' actor Jonathan Majors, who really did seem like the next big thing until his descent from grace under allegations of abuse. His legendary Kang villain really did conquer the underrated 'Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania' sequel, even in a world you could just flick off your shoulder like dirt. Setting up the 'Secret Wars' and all the variants of his to come that even have fans casting 'Star Wars' star John Boyega as a speak it into existence rumoured replacement. But this is Majors' moment. Innocent until proven guilty, which we hope he isn't because we don't want anymore victims of abusive behaviour hurting out there. Like Thanos on his a## of his throne, this game of God's and conquered features another back-and-forth across the desk that doesn't need to trade hands to grab you. But it's Jonathan's sweet and stuttering mad scientist soul throwback of Victor Timely that keeps in time with the idea that this actor is so versatile and our hopeful thoughts that surely someone who plays it this sincere, couldn't be so cruel off-screen. That's for the the courts before God to decide. Back to this epic episode of a fictional superhero one derived from ancient texts, there's no trick here. Tom Hiddleston is no longer the low-key best thing that happened to Marvel movies (think about it as you assemble your greatest Avengers). He's the very purpose of this whole new and ever expanding world across time. For all of us. Always. TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

Further Filming: 'Thor', 'Doctor Strange and the Multiverse Of Madness', 'Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania'.