Movie Review: Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Written by Anthony Sargon
After the massive success of "The Avengers", expectations are understandably going to be sky-high for any future Marvel movie. The studio needs to work twice as hard to make sure that their films deliver explosive action while also raising the stakes for our heroes. While "Thor: The Dark World" definitely delivers a lot of fun and spectacle, it doesn't necessarily take the franchise to the next level.
When an ancient weapon known as the Aether makes an appearance after being hidden for eons, Dark Elf Malekith is awakened with a single goal; to find the Aether and use it to bring eternal darkness to the universe. Only Thor can put a stop to Malekith's plot, but he'll need help from a certain someone if he wishes to succeed; Loki.
Directed by Alan Taylor, (Game of Thrones), "The Dark World" feels more grand and epic than the original. The action sequences are great, and Taylor's experience with "Game of Thrones" has had an obvious impact on the quality of the action. It's also great to be done with the character's origin, which now allows us to explore the nine realms and see more of that universe.
Chris Hemsworth is back as the God of Thunder, and he's as great as ever in the role. It's nice to see that the character has grown since "The Avengers", and he's not the same Thor he once was. Natalie Portman is very solid as Jane once again, and she actually provides a lot of laughs in her fish-out-of-water scenes on Asgard. Anthony Hopkins is still a great Odin, and Idris Elba gets slightly more to do as Heimdall, and he's a badass as always. To no one's surprise, though, Tom Hiddleston walks away with the movie as Loki, and further establishes how important Loki is in keeping the "Thor" franchise interesting.
My biggest complaint about the movie is the fact that intimate scenes between Thor, Loki, and Odin have lost a lot of their luster. The previous Thor film was directed by Kenneth Branagh, who has had a lot of experience directing and starring in William Shakespeare adaptations. That led to some amazingly heartfelt moments between the characters, and it sometimes felt like watching an intense play. By losing Branagh, the film loses a bit of its emotional core. But like I mentioned above, the action has gotten considerably better.
I was also slightly disappointed with the villain, Malekith. While Christopher Eccleston does an OK job as the evil Dark Elf, the character isn't given much to do and is ultimately pretty forgettable. He looks and sounds like a badass, but we just don't see him doing much to feel threatened by him.
Anthony's Verdict
Despite these few shortcomings, "Thor: The Dark World" is still supremely entertaining. It's funny, it's epic, and it's more Marvel movie goodness.
Numerical Score: 7.5/10
Read the Original post on A Geek's Blog
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