When Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), presumed dead leader of the Dark Elves, returns to procure the powerful Aether and take over the nine realms, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) must do all that he can to save the universe once again. However, when the Dark Elves prove to be far more powerful than Thor had believed, he must recruit his maniacal brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to reclaim peace. While Malekith threatens the universe the Aether threatens Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), the woman who stole Thor’s heart. Thor: The Dark World is the story of Thor as he faces a threat greater than he has ever before. As time runs out for Jane and the rest of the world, Thor will be forced to make impossible decisions, testing him like never before.
The biggest issue with Thor was that the slew of writers, and director Kenneth Branagh, struggled to include comedy in the same fashion that previous Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films had. While comedy isn’t the primary focus of superhero films, the MCU has developed an algorithm that beautifully combines drama, comedy, and action to create incredibly pleasing films. The main characters in every other film possess some semblance of humor that not only allows them to be more relatable, but permits the films in which they take part to move forward smoothly and in a way that resonates with viewers. Failing to include this in Thor was one of the many reasons that it was unable to triumph in the same fashion as its MCU counterparts. Thor himself flirted with the ability to relate to viewers through humor, but was ultimately unsuccessful as he, like the rest of the film, was void of humor. Thor: The Dark World, while it still veered somewhat from the usual MCU methods, attempted to rectify this glaring issue from the first installment. As the film progresses and the writers, along with director Alan Taylor, attempt to infuse Thor with humor, that humor feels misplaced, underwhelming, and out of character. These attempts at humor, while appreciated, fail to impress as I believe Taylor and the writers had hoped.
Many refer to Thor: The Dark World as the worst of the MCU films. I’ve heard talk of the story being unconvincing, the characters unrelatable, and the film as a whole terribly unimpressive. While this film is certainly not the best of the MCU, and not even the best of Thor’s current trilogy, it does feel like a step in the right direction in comparison to its predecessor. The story present in Thor: The Dark World feels more engaging and better developed and I truly believe that the emotion involved in Thor’s story is far more engrossing than it was in Thor. As Thor: The Dark World progresses and the world around the titular character faces struggles it seems that everything he is fighting for takes a much more significant toll on him and that resonates with viewers.
In the year 1910 the famed J.R.R. Tolkien began constructing a new language, Elvish. As time went on various writers began using the unique and well-developed language for entities of their own. This feat is nothing short of astounding, and the fact that the world continues to use his creation is just as impressive. One of the most incredible aspects of Thor: The Dark World is that the writers not only took what Tolkien had produced, they altered it and made it their own. During the production of this film the variation of Tolkien’s Elvish, Shiväisith–the language of the Dark Elves–was created. It’s impressive the time and effort that must have gone into developing this language. This is a testament to how dedicated the crew is to their craft and to Thor: The Dark World.
The acting in the MCU is nothing short of splendid, as nearly every actor possesses the ability to convey emotion and envelop viewers in the alternate realities that live within this cinematic universe. The successful acting carries over into Thor: The Dark World with Anthony Hopkins (Odin), Kat Dennings (Darcy Lewis), and Jaimie Alexander (Sif) being brilliant in their respective roles. While he is often referenced as one the world’s favorite characters, I believe that Hiddleston deserves even more credit than he has previously received. Hiddleston’s Loki transitions from dark and evil to lighthearted and comedic at the drop of a hat, and without Hiddleston this character would have fallen flat.
Thor: The Dark World takes a massive step in the right direction and begins to right the ship that had taken off in wonky fashion back in 2011 with Thor. Humor has a more prominent presence (even if the attempted comedy with Thor fails), the story is far more developed, the characters grow into something more relatable, and the direction feels more fluid and complete. Even in the darkness present in Thor: The Dark World there manages to be levity, creating a beautiful juxtaposition that drives the film home. Again, this is a step in the right direction and the boost that the Thor franchise needed.
Directed by Alan Taylor.
Written by Christopher L. Yost, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Don Payne, Robert Rodat, Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby, & Walter Simonson.
Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Eccleston, Jaimie Alexander, Zachary Levi, Ray Stevenon, Tadanobu Asano, Idris Elba, Rene Russo, Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgård, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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