Thor: The Dark World Review

The Avenger's franchise has made so much money it's ridiculous. Starting with Iron Man back in 2008, the series has racked up almost seven billion dollars. But when it was originally announced that a several movies were to be released more the legendary comic books, more than a few people were nervous. Up to that point only a small handful of superhero movies actually worked. Fortunately the first movie in the series, Iron Man, was met with extremely positive reviews. Over the next three years we received a few more Marvel movies other than Iron Man, but they were never quite as good. The Incredible Hulk and Captain America were both very enjoyable movies and can stand on their own, but unlike Iron Man they seemed more as time filler until the Avengers; and then there was Thor. Watching the trailer back in 2011, it looked ridiculous and just another way for Marvel to make money. To my surprise it turned out to be the best Marvel movie since the original Iron Man. Contributed mostly to likable characters and over the top action, Thor impressed and has become a franchise favorite by a lot of people. After two years we finally get a sequel; and while many thought it would be good, it still has a lot to live up to in the wake of 2012's The Avenger's. Fortunately, Thor: The Dark World picks up where its predecessor left off and continues to impress. Taking place a year or so after the events of the Avenger's movie, Thor has fully accepted his role as the protector of Asgard and the nine realms. He doesn't take this role because he wants to, but because it serves as a distraction from his true love Jane Foster back on earth. At this same time, Jane has traveled to England to observe some unexplainable anomalies. While investigating, she is transported to an unknown location off planet where some sort of substance attacks her and she passes out. A few hours later she wakes up back on Earth to be greeted by Thor. Jane seems to be exerting some sort of magical force, so Thor takes her back to Asgard to be examined. It's discovered that the substance is known as the Aether, an ancient weapon controlled by a race known as the Dark Elves who were thought to have been extinct but in reality were hiding away; and when the Aether attacked Jane, the Dark Elves were alerted to its position and attack Asgard. After a devastating battle Thor believes that the only viable action is to take Jane and the Aether far away from Asgard, lour the Dark Eves out of hiding, and destroy both them and the Aether. Unfortunately Asgard was placed under lock down after the attack and there's no way out. So Thor has to team up with an unlikely ally, his brother Loki, to get them out of Asgard. While not ideal, Thor knows it’s their only option to defeat this ancient enemy. Right off the bat I want to say I loved this movie and I think it's one of the best installments in the Avenger's franchise; and I think The Dark World is even better than the first Thor. The movie stars Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Natalie Portman (Jane), and Tom Hiddleston (Loki). By this point Hemsworth has proved his worth as this character, what Robert Downey Jr. is to Iron Man Hemsworth is to Thor. Portman does an adequate job as Jane Foster; I've just always felt Jane isn't a very good character so I don't put a lot of blame on Portman. Just like in the Avenger's, Tom Hiddleston steals the show. He plays Loki perfectly and by this point you can't imagine anyone else playing him. I'd also like to mention Kat Dennings is in the movie, for some reason. Her character just never made sense, she acts as pointless comic relieve. It's not Denning's fault, it's just a bad character. From the beginning of the movie you instantly notice that its visual effect have had a big jump forward since the previous movies (which often had some lackluster effects). There are also a lot more fight scenes in this movie and are a lot cooler than in the first. One problem that constantly bothered me throughout the movie was the number of jokes in it. While most of the jokes are funny, there are too many and are put at some pretty odd moments. Multiple times they'll throw a joke in the middle of a fight scene. I had a similar problem with Iron Man 3; the writers need to remember these are action movies and not comedies. Unquestionably the biggest problem with the movie would be the main antagonist, he's uninteresting. There is nothing special or significant about him that makes him stand out, and after a movie like the Avenger's where Loki was so awesome I thought they would have put more effort into making a good villain. While it's by no means a perfect superhero movie, Thor: The Dark World manages to be one of the best and most enjoyable movies in the Avenger's franchise. If you didn't like the first movie, there's a pretty good chance you won't like this one either. But if you did or you're just looking for a fun action movie, Thor: The Dark World fits the bill. 

Pros: Awesome fight scenes, Chris Hemsworth does a great job as Thor, Tom Hiddleston steals the show as Loki, big jump in visual effects quality.

Cons: Use of too many unnecessary and oddly placed jokes, uninteresting and unimpressive villain, Kat Dennings Character isn't needed.

3.5/5 Stars