Thor: The Dark World

The first Thor was a problematic film for me. I loved the actors, I loved the Jack-Kirby-perfect Asgard, but the film itself felt flat. Perhaps it was the rather disorganized plot, perhaps it was the way it followed the same strategy as films like Time Guardian and Galaxia, beginning in lush sci-fi locales but migrating to a small town to save money later on. Avengers further attached me to Hemsworth's Thor, and so I was really looking forward to seeing him get a grander, more developed outing. Thor: the Dark World does not disappoint.Once again, the source of troubles is another race of ancient magic aliens, this time the Dark Elves led by their king Malekith (Christopher Eccleston, still failing to buck that Doctor Who typecasting). The Dark Elves (who are more or less the Eldar from Warhammer 40,000 for all intents and purposes) are the longtime enemies of the Asgardians, but after an apocolyptic battle only a handful of them remain. Awakened by the coming alignment of all the worlds connected by Yggdrasil (they hyperspace network that connects all the worlds Thor and his pals hang out on) Malekith and his creepily masked flunkies set out to recover the Ether, a spooky living weapon that will blot out all light in the universe.Predictably conflict ensues. Through a series of accidents the Ether winds up living inside Thor's human sweetheart, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) where it will grow until it devours her. Defying Odin, Thor hatches a surprisingly cunning plan to dupe Malekith into removing the Ether from Foster so he can destroy the Elven leader and his weapon in one go. Things don't go so swimmingly, and it all comes down to a ludicrously silly, magnificently well-done battle across dimensions for the fate of the universe (with a tube ride through London in the middle).If, like me, you loved everything about Thor but just wanted it to be better, then this is the film for you. Thor and Foster's romance, forced and simplistic in the first movie, is played out well here. Asgard, before just a shiny setpiece, is now a well-built series of believable locations with an aged, lived-in feel to them. The Dark Elves, unlike the thuggish Frost Giants, have a technology and martial prowess that seems genuinely threatening. Baddie Eccleston does a decent enough job, although he lacks some of his scenery chewing prowess that we've seen in films like G.I. Joe and 28 Days Later. Even Foster's intern Darcy (Kat Dennings) is a tolerable comic presence this time around. And of course we get more Stellan Skarsgård, who is always fabulous.Real credit is due, however, to Tom Hiddleston as Loki. I felt sure that after two films as the big bad I'd be sick of him, but his turn as Thor's crafty, somewhat unwilling accomplice is meaty and exciting. You genuinely can't tell how much of his behavior is sincere and how much of it is buildup to some treachery- without giving too much away, even though Loki is on Thor's side in this film, he is by far a more dangerous force than Malekith. Just wait for it.Of course there are also some little tidbits thrown in at the end of the film to foreshadow future installments, which are now all but guaranteed to echo the Infinity Gauntlet storyline (as if seeing Thanos in Avengers wasn't a big enough clue). What this means for the next Avengers and other Marvel properties is anyone's guess, but color me excited as all get out.I can think of very few bad things to say about this film to counterbalance the good. Sif and the Warriors Three are still rather underused (but then Thor already has another super team) and Idris Elba's Heimdall is still solidly a supporting character (although he does fight a spaceship using parkour and stabbing, so that's pretty cool). There are also some effects that seem a little odd- a thrown boulder near the middle looks a little wobbly-fake, and in the climax Malekith grows to enormous proportions which is not really made clear until he starts fighting Thor. By and large, though, this is a very very good film, and the acting, writing and visuals are nearly above reproach.Pros:-Exactly like the first Thor only better-Boasts a big sense of scale and tension-Skilled cast elevates it above just a comic book movieCons:-A few wonky effects here and there-Lacks the memorable, bombastic theme music we've seen in other Marvel films

Marvel Studios appears to have another bona fide hit on their hands in the seventh-feature film of it’s superhero franchise, and the second of Phase 2, in THOR: THE DARK WORLD.Sequels are a delicate proposition with the inevitable comparisons to the films that have come before. Fans continue to look for the next Godfather 2 or The Empire Strikes Back, and hope they don’t receive another Ghostbusters 2. Expectations (especially in this era of social media) can crush a film before it is even released - I’m looking at you Star Wars Episode VII.All that being noted, Thor: The Dark World is another fine chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Marvel-newcomer Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones), the story continues the emotional journey of the would-be Asgardian king as Thor continues to be torn between two worlds and family obligations. Chris Hemsworth once again brings the right mixture of seriousness, fun and larger-than-life persona that Thor is - not an easy trick to pull off. I would challenge this role may be even more difficult than playing the Man of Steel.The Dark World opens catching the audience up with post-Avengers consequences for Loki (Tom Hiddleston by the way is once again delightful as the Prince of Lies and Marvel should really consider giving him a solo go at it because he is that good), while also setting up the story of the dark elves and their leader, Malekith (with a strong performance by Christopher Eccleston).Besides our returning-Asgardian cast of Odin, Heimdall, Sif and The Warriors Three (although sadly they had less to do this time around), we also catch up with Jane Foster, Eric Selvig and Darcy. Avoiding all the traps of a sequel, we find our trio in new roles this time around. The best of the three is the madness in which envelopes Selvig after “having a God in his head”. It’s nice to see some real consequences to the characters from the events of the previous films, however viewers jumping in for the first time would definitely not be lost.Speaking of consequences, there are some “oh no they didn’t” moments with characters that audience members won’t see coming, especially a terrific sequence with Thor, Loki and Malekith.Fans of Walt Simonson’s seminal run on The Mighty Thor will not be disappointed, and there are quite a few easter egg moments, including an all-too brief cameo appearance by Thor’s first antagonist from the pages of Journey Into Mystery #103. The post title scene does not disappoint and sets up Guardians of the Galaxy as well as potentially Avengers 3.Most of the action takes place on Asgard and other worlds of the nine realms, with the movie’s climax coming on Earth, which once again takes center stage. However, the heart of Thor: The Dark World is Thor’s split loyalties and the ultimate decision he needs to make, and just wait until the movie’s final scene on Asgard - cue Thor 3. Thor: The Dark World should not disappoint.

This was just before the Marvel Clowns took over this series. It is well done, lot's of action, a great story, and you won't turn away. It doesn;t become part comedy as in the later movies, and tells the story. One of my favorite Marvel Universe stories before politics entered their writing