Review - Thor: The Dark World (2013)

At the Theater - "Thor: The Dark World" -  A rare sequel that's considerably better than it's predecessor (Thor 2011), Thor: The Dark World is a fun, grandiose Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi/Fantasy film with a cool old-fashioned vibe- it's a regal spectacle where potential viewers can actually see and appreciate where the money went.  It's admittedly a bit overplotted and short on character development in a few areas, though I was willing to forgive these sins because of how remindful in tone and scope particular extended sequences were to the Original Star Wars Trilogy, with certain other positive elements (namely the production and costume designs) reminiscent of the Lord of the Rings films. 

Kenneth Branagh's 2011 film introducing us to The God Of Thunder in cinematic form was one of the legitimately funnier films featuring a Marvel character, though it was marred by an uneven narrative, choppy editing and some of the most amateurish camerawork (it was the framing that bothered me the most) of any of the larger-budgeted superhero films I've ever seen. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston co-stole the film, essentially hoisting the experience a couple of notches above mediocrity with their inherent charisma and charm, respectively. 

Director Alan Taylor (several episodes of HBO's Game of Thrones) takes over the reigns in confident fashion and provides a considerable boost in overall quality- the film features a more substantial narrative, excellent cinematography and a number of  impressive set pieces. The elaborate battle/action sequences are plentiful and satisfyingly coherent while a healthy sprinkling of humor throughout breaks up the seriousness quite nicely.  I will admit that the climactic battle scene, involving a series of dimensional portal jumps, starts to dip it's toe into overkill but regroups just before becoming wearisome.

Hemsworth (Rush) remains in fine form here as a commanding presence with a host of star qualities that should keep him popular and busy for ages.  I wish a bit more time had been set aside for the Aussie actor to flex his acting chops, perhaps a couple of extra scenes in which he continues to court Natalie Portman's (The Professional) "Jane Foster" would have been sufficient.  Portman's character was missing from The Avengers film last year and I think they should have made up for lost time...

Portman's once again rather pleasant in returning as the Earthbound astrophysicist and Thor's love interest.  The Oscar-winning actress is given a bit more to do throughout this go 'round, though I still can't shake the feeling that our titular hero may have chosen the wrong young lady to focus his affections on; Jamie Alexander's (The Last Stand) "Sif" shouldn't remain relegated to fleeting scenes as a brawling sister-in-arms and a late night drinking buddy... she's just too damned hot for that!

Tom Hiddleston (War Horse) is as captivating as ever as the conniving "Loki"- being held in an Asgardian prison for the chaos he created on Earth in 2012's The Avengers, his character has obviously grown into a fan favorite and there's no doubt we'll be seeing Hiddleston in this role for quite some time to come, possibly even headlining a stand-alone spin-off at some point. Audiences can look forward to seeing the English actor in Jim Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) as his next project, though that particular release may not find a wide release in theaters. He will be featured prominently in Guillermo Del Toro's Crimson Peak, but fans will have to wait until mid 2015 for that film.

Christopher Eccleston's Dark Elf "Malekith" is the revenge-minded antagonist aiming to plunge the Universe into darkness with a gaseous, crimson substance called the Aether-  Eccleston supplies a solid adversarial presence with the material he's given, though the screenwriters should have spent more time fleshing him out and beefing up his dialogue.  Eccleston is a talented sort that's played his share of villains before, but he's rarely found suitable, well-written roles that truly showcase his capabilities- watch Shallow Grave or 28 Days Later for evidence of just how talented he is.

Other cast members returning from the first film include Anthony Hopkins as "Odin" and Rene Russo (The Thomas Crown Affair) as "Frigga" (Thor's Father and Mother, respectively), Idris Elba (Pacific Rim) as the all-seeing guardian sentry, "Heimdall", Kat Dennings (CBS's Two Broke Girls) as Jane Foster's assistant, "Darcy", Ray Stevenson (Punisher: War Zone) as the portly "Volstagg", Tadanobu Asano (Ichi the Killer) as "Hogun" and Stellan Skarsgard (Ronin) as "Dr. Erik Selvig".  Zachary Levi (NBC's Chuck) steps in to replace Josh Dallas as the dashing "Fandral".

Adewale Akkinuoye-Agbaje (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra) provides the foundation for the hulking, horned henchman, "Kurse"- he's a delightfully ugly mother f*cker that gives our hammerin' hero an epic tussle that should give most comic-book fans a nerdgasm.  Kudos to the filmmakers for a cool creature design brought to awesome, tangible life by a performer in a suit and mask and excellent practical makeup effects.

Expect the obligatory Stan Lee cameo along with a brief bit featuring Chris Evans as Cap (courtesy of Loki's trickery).  It was cool to see Chris O'Dowd pop up in a couple of scenes- even if he's just a setup for a convenient plot device used late in the film.

Once again, the fates of billions (and that's just on Earth) are at stake and there's no sight of any of the other Avengers in support during the climactic battle, nor does any member of S.H.I.E.L.D. (I guess their Agents were too busy off making a shitty T.V. show) ever pop up- it's a problem that every post-Avengers stand-alone superhero movie in Marvel's stable will face from here on out and it bothered me that the issue, as in Iron Man 3, wasn't even addressed with one snippet of dialogue.  Dammit, it's a plot hole/lapse in logic and I don't think I'll ever get over it...

Fans might want to stay for two tacked-on scenes-  one comes a few minutes after the credits start rolling (I wasn't impressed), while another pops up at the very end (slight, but funny).  I enjoyed Thor: The Dark World quite a bit and would go so far as to say it's the best Superhero film of 2013, edging out my previous favorite, The Wolverine.  It's very good stuff and comes...

...Highly Recommended-

Thor: The Dark World - 8.5 out of 10

Director: Alan Taylor
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Eccleston, Jaimie Alexander, Zachary Levi, Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Idris Elba, Rene Russo, Adewale Akkinuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgard and Chris O'Dowd
Running Time: 112 minutes
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some suggestive content

FWIW-

Thor- 7.5 out of 10

And concerning the other films featuring members of Marvel's The Avengers...


Iron Man - 8.5
Iron Man 2 - 8.0
Iron Man 3 - 6.5
Captain America: The First Avenger - 8.5
Hulk - 5.0
The Incredible Hulk - 6.5
The Avengers - 9.0