Thor: The Dark World
Directed by Alan Taylor
Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Christopher Eccleston, Anthony Hopkins, Jamie Alexander, Zachary Levi, Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Idris Elba, and Rene Russo.
Backstory
Phase II of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is in full swing. It got off to a great start with Iron Man 3 this summer, but now it’s time for a return to Aasgard and the world of Thor. I was watching a YouTube critic not too long ago who said that, while a lot of superhero films are either great or terrible, Thor was the first one that was “Meh…OK.” It would be interesting to see more of Aasgard and the more fantasy elements of the Marvel Universe, so I was game for our Thor sequel. Does it continue the first film’s reputation of being “Meh…OK”?
Plot
It’s been two years since Thor was forced to destroy the mystical bridge that linked Aasgard to the other realms. Once it was rebuilt, Thor spent a lot of time journeying to those realms to restore law and order. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Thor’s love Jane Foster is trying to move on with her life, but her heart still belongs to Thor. While investigating some spatial anomalies, Jane comes into contact with a mystical substance known as the Aether, which is coveted by Malekith and his Dark Elves in order to plunge the universe back into darkness and rule all once again. With Jane knowing the secrets of the Aether, Thor returns to Earth to protect Jane from Malekith. But things soon take a drastic turn, and Thor must form a dangerous alliance with his brother Loki to save Jane and the universe. Will Thor save Jane? Can Loki be trusted?
What I Liked
Like the first film, this is unexpectedly funny in some places, as Thor experiences a little bit of culture shock as to how we do things on Earth. And it’s been great seeing the character of Thor evolve, and how his experiences in the first film and The Avengers have humbled him and made him a more responsible leader. And the same goes for Hiddleston as Loki, as we finally get more of a sense as to what drives him. In fact, the Thor/Loki relationship is kind of the core of this film, as we see Thor once again desperately reaching out to his brother, hoping for a chance at redeeming him.
What I Didn’t Like
Well, to be honest, Natalie Portman doesn’t get much to do as Jane Foster this time out. She kind of wavers between damsel in distress and McGuffin. Same goes for the villain Malekith, who is just there to be evil and stuff.
Final Assessment
Like the first one…meh, it’s OK. It’s fun, you’ll laugh, you’ll be thrilled, it’s a pretty solid superhero adventure.