THOR THE DARK WORLD REVIEW

About The Movie:

In Thor: The Dark World, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and his Asgardian forces have kept busy attempting to bring order to the nine realms – after they were thrown into warring chaos following the destruction of the Bifröst (in Thor) and Loki’s invasion of New York (in Avengers).

In her efforts to reunite with Thor, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) discovers an ancient (and extremely powerful) weapon, the Ather, which subsequently awakens one of Asgard’s most dangerous foes, Malekith, along with his Dark Elf army. Informed of Jane’s troubles by the Asgardian sentry Heimdall (Idris Elba), Thor returns to Earth to find and protect his love – setting off a series of events that force the God of Thunder into a desperate partnership to save Jane and rid the realms of Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) before the villain unleashes destruction upon the cosmos.

What Is Good/Bad About The Movie:

Anyone who didn’t respond to the fish-out-of-water story from the original movie will find Hemsworth’s Thor is significantly more commanding this round. While the character is still at the heart of some humorous moments, The Dark World‘s Thor is a hardened – as well as battle-worn – leader, focused on protecting the people he loves at any cost, and no longer concerned with personal glory. A more resolute Thor means that the Avenger is also more heroic – with some downright kick-butt action moments that showcase his powers (not just his strength) and his iconic hammer. As a result, the movie’s climax is much more exhilarating (and downright inventive) than its predecessor.

Even though Lady Sif (Jaimie Alexander) and the Warriors Three aren’t given quite as much to do this time, The Dark World nonetheless utilizes several returning supporting characters – most notably Jane Foster (Portman) and Heimdall (Elba), who are both much more active and instrumental in the sequel. Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård), and newcomer “intern to the intern,” Ian Boothby (Jonathan Howard) once again handle comedy relief and exposition duty. Dennings nails her timing even in moments of tension, elevating the previously one-note Darcy character into one of The Dark World‘s most enjoyable inclusion

Unfortunately, in the middle of the delicate balancing act, most of the new additions (especially antagonist Malekith and his Dark Elves) remain underdeveloped. The Dark Elves significantly up the ante from Thor’s first solo adventure, resulting in a number of thrilling (and visually stunning) action beats; however, compared to the quasi-Shakespearean story of sibling rivalry, alienation, and betrayal that fueled Loki as Thor 1‘s antagonist, Malekith is little more than an “evil leader” trope. Despite the best efforts of Dr. Who star Christopher Eccleston, Malekith –  as well as his right-hand monster, Kurse (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) – fall short of being round and captivating villains, instead relegated to spouting exposition and platitudes before turning into hyper-charged punching bags for Thor and Mjölnir.

Luckily, Loki picks up a lot of the slack, as Tom Hiddleston once again plays the fan-favorite trickster with a smart mix of humor, charm, menace, and moral ambiguity. Providing Loki with an adequate story arc and substantial screen time probably contributed to The Dark World‘s thinly-drawn Dark Elves, but most moviegoers will likely agree that Taylor made the right call, since Hiddleston’s scenes are often the most interesting, entertaining (not to mention most emotional) in the film. The Thor-Loki-Odin power struggle and meditations on what it takes to be a good king were some of the best moments in Thor 1 - and The Dark World sustains (and even builds-upon) these ideas with fresh developments.

In the end, Thor: The Dark World succeeds at building on the Thor (and Avengers) foundation to offer a bigger and more exciting adventure for Marvel’s God of Thunder.

Overall Grade: A-