"Thor: The Dark World" Review

After the super-sized disappointments that were Iron Man 3 and Man of Steel, my once-pristine faith in comic book movies has been severely tarnished. So it’s no wonder that I felt a splitting headache when I watched the first preview for Thor: The Dark World earlier this year.

All I saw was another chance for Hollywood to hammer audiences in the noggin with a cataclysmic, metropolis-leveling climax and a greater concern for the special effects budget than the story or characters.

That being said, Marvel has succeeded twice in bringing the God of Thunder to the big screen: once in his first solo adventure and again for the Avengers team-up. But in such a year where the blockbuster theme seems to be style over substance, why risk seeing if three’s company?

With all due respect to the late John Ritter, I think Thor kicks a bit more ass.

I say that because the Asgardian is now 3-for-3 with Thor: The Dark World - a loose science fiction/fantasy epic bolstered by the charismatic performances of Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston and a screenplay full of some of the funniest, most clever gags in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

That said, Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor brings a diminished sense of awe compared to Kenneth Branaugh’s 2011 film. The initial fly-over reveal of Asgard feels less exciting here than it did then, despite strong visuals overall.

Thor: The Dark World picks up in the midst of a cosmic “convergence,” in which each of the Nine Realms of the universe become perfectly aligned. Malekith (Christopher Eccleston, given precious little to do but scowl under layers of B-movie makeup), the leader of a race known as the Dark Elves, sees the convergence as a chance to cloak the entire universe in darkness. To do that, Malekith must recover the “Aether” – a powerful weapon that looks like a giant, floating spill of Cabernet. Conveniently, the plot thickens when Thor’s scientist girlfriend, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), unwittingly becomes host to the Aether, making the consequences more dire and personal for the God of Thunder.

Are your eyes getting heavy yet?

If the story sounds far-fetched, that’s because it is, even by Marvel’s standards. What makes it so enjoyable, however, is the voracious pacing and clever humor that scribes Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely and Chris Yost lend to the story. The film never seems to take itself too seriously, which is refreshing for a blockbuster as monumental as this.

Give most of the credit to Tom Hiddleston, whose Loki once again steals the show.

Now condemned for his actions in The Avengers, Loki seems as conflicted and crafty as ever. That smirking façade lets audiences know that sinister gears are always turning inside Loki’s head. This makes him, arguably, the most dynamic character in the Marvel canon thus far.

I like the way Chris Orr put it in “The Atlantic” – “Hiddleston’s Loki is a hero for the antiheroic age of Don Draper and Walter White."  That's why I believe audiences love him to the point of clamoring for Loki’s own spin-off movie.

As for Hemsworth, he brings a larger-than-life charisma, not just to Thor, but to every role he plays. That type of talent screams big-screen success. He embraces the role of Thor in such a way that makes it impossible to imagine anyone else playing the part. 

In the end, Thor: The Dark World falters with a slightly generic plot but still managers to hammer its recent super-powered competitors on the strength of charismatic performances and a fun script that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Don't miss it this weekend, and don't forget to stay for the credits.

8/10