Film: Thor: The Dark World
Released:Nov. 8
Studio: Marvel Studios
Grade: B
With the Bifrost destroyed, the nine realms have fallen into chaos, and it falls on the Mighty Avenger to restore the peace he is sworn to uphold.
Thor: The Dark World picks up where Thor and The Avengers left off; Loki (Tom Hiddleston,Out of Darkness) is being brought back to Asgard to pay for his crimes, and Thor (Chris Hemsworth, Rush) is battling to save the realms from falling further into chaos.
As peace is restored, an ancient enemy named Malekith (Christopher Eccleston,Emily) reawakens and threatens to plunge the nine realms into total darkness, which he attempted to do many millennia before - until Thor's grandfather stopped him.
Pitted against an enemy that neither Odin nor Asgard can withstand, Thor must risk everything to stop the dark elf before the universe is extinguished.
Generic plot aside, Thor: The Dark World, directed by Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones), is everything that fans of Marvel's movie universe have come to expect and builds upon the enjoyable foundation of the first Thor film.
Thor was packed with whit, humor, charm and action, but between the mythological and fantastical was a film filled with family drama and memorable characters. The Dark World is no different.
From the large battles at the film's onset to the climactic clash between Thor and Malekith at the film's conclusion, The Dark World is packed with action from start to finish.
Between armor-clad warriors and dark elves whose weaponry seems out of this world, even by Asgardian standards, action in The Dark World is as enjoyable as it is fantastical.
Though the film's many battles aren't anything viewers familiar with science fiction haven't seen before, they remain pleasant to watch and continue to develop the fantastical world of Thor and Marvel's universes.
When it isn't an action movie or suffering from some pacing and plot issues, the film has some truly phenomenal moments that exceed Thor in their emotional weight and ability to draw the viewer inward, all of which are carried to new heights and depth by the film's exceptional cast.
After a sluggish start, a majority of the film is spent further exploring Thor and Loki, revealing aspects of the characters that viewers have never seen before.
In the past, Thor was overconfident and arrogant, nearly starting a war to put the frost giants back in their place, but this film finds the character at ends with the kingly position he has always wanted. Realizing there are limits to what a king can do, Thor's conviction and determination drives the character as he deals with the difference between what he wants and what is expected of him.
In the presence of Jane Foster, (Natalie Portman, Illusions and Mirrors) who emotionally and romantically ties Thor to Earth, Thor becomes a much more emotionally nuanced character, furthering the range that viewers have already seen from the character in Thor and The Avengers.
Loki, however, is just as mischievous as ever, still hungry for power and waiting for his chance to sit on the thrown. But The Dark World takes the character to an unprecedented emotional low; seeing a disheveled Loki on the floor of his destroyed cell is one of the many moments in which Hiddleston truly shines, bringing a depth and nuance to the character that is exacting and captivating.
Unlike previous films involving the character, The Dark World makes great use of Loki's eye for deception, providing the audience with a few surprises before he pulls off an easily predictable twist, which only adds to the magnetic draw the character has when he is on screen.
Aside from Thor, Loki and Jane, the film is packed with an outstanding supporting cast that brings some much needed levity to the film while maintaining its tone and making the experience more enjoyable as a whole. Some characters are underused, but others like Darcy (Kat Denning, Day One) - Jane's assistant - are given just enough screen time to make their performance memorable and important to the film.
Filled with humor, action and some astounding performances, Thor: The Dark World is another solid movie in the Marvel Studios lineup. Though it builds on the strengths of the first Thor film and ends on some exciting possibilities for future titles featuring the Mighty Avenger, there isn't very much within the film that feels as unique as the original Thor did a few years ago. Nonetheless, the film is every bit the action-packed adventure viewers likely expect.
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