Thor: The Dark World Review
The answer to that question is yes, for the most part. Thor: The Dark World provides the same exhilarating action and witty humor that the MCU has heavily supplied during its existence. However, I can't help but feel that
there were some opportunities at least partially missed.
Chris Hemsworth reprises his role as Thor Odinson, and he's as good as ever. I'm not sure there are many actors that could play the role as well as Hemsworth. You have to be able to speak in a way us normal humans don't normally (i.e., from the first film, "This mortal form has grown weak...I need sustenance!"), but you also have to portray someone that has become fairly familiar with culture on Earth. It's a difficult line between the two styles to walk on, but Hemsworth does it with ease. Natalie Portman reprises her role as Jane Foster. Her performance was solid, and I'm glad the writers have taken the time over the course of two Thor movies to develop the relationship between Thor and Jane. It certainly pays dividends in the believability aspect of their relationship, something that needs to be good when we're talking about a Norse god loving a human. I give the writers props for that.
Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings have returned as Jane's friends and co-workers. They help provide some moments of comic relief, and do a solid job in the serious parts, too.
As you know from the trailer, Loki is in this as well. Tom Hiddleston is as pleasantly villainous as ever. He truly is the perfect actor to play the role, and Loki is one of the best parts of the film. Once he joins the fray, the movie picks up considerably.
The special effects in the film are impressive. I'd go as far as to say they were the best yet from the franchise. They explored Asgard more fully than they did in the first Thor movie, and the city is quite spectacular to look at. The action is great as well. The battle scenes were thrilling, some of them on a truly epic scale. I enjoyed the fight scenes very much.
One of the things I loved about the first film was the culture clash between Earth and Asgard. There's something very enjoyable to it, and this movie provides more of it.
All that being said, I didn't think Thor: The Dark World lived up to its full potential. One aspect I thought could have been better was the main villain, Malekith. Barring some mandatory plot exposition in the beginning, he wasn't on screen all that much. When he was on screen, I found him underwhelming. I was much more interested in the scenes with Loki, which were arguably too few in number, than the ones with Malekith. That would have been fine had Loki been the main villain. But, he wasn't. This franchise has given me reason to expect more from its antagonists, so I was left unsatisfied in that regard.
One other thing I didn't particularly care for, then I'll end my rant, was the story itself. I just feel like we've seen this 'Stop the bad guy from getting this item and ending the world' storyline a lot. I would have liked something fresh to liven it up. Without that remedy, I found myself predicting the end a quarter of the way into the film. It isn't a fatal flaw, but it certainly took away from the experience.
Conclusion
Thor: The Dark World is as action-packed and witty as its predecessors, and features good performances all-around that keep it entertaining throughout. It contains a few insufficient facets, but is nonetheless a worthy addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Rating: 8/10
Age suggestion: 10+
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