Josh Wilding Reviews: THOR: THE DARK WORLD; "Another Tick In The Win Column For Marvel"
Thor: The Dark World currently has an 80% score on Rotten Tomatoes, so it's clear that the majority of reviews have so far been extremely positive. Well, as you may have guessed from the title, this is another! Hit the jump for my spoiler-free verdict of Alan Taylor's take on the God of Thunder!
While it may not have a particularly strong start (despite the very cool new Marvel Studios logo it opens with), Thor: The Dark World soon finds its feet and proves itself to be just as good as both the first movie and this summer's Iron Man 3. Many didn't appreciate the focus on humour in the latter, but it arguably DID work for a character like Tony Stark. Would the same sort of tone work for Thor? No, and director Alan Taylor thankfully finds the right balance with only one or two major laughs - at entirely appropriate moments - and the odd few humorous scenes scattered throughout. These in no way detract from the strong drama and story, instead helping to lighten the tension and keep things flowing nicely without the movie ever getting too ridiculously dark.
With no disrespect meant to Thor director Kenneth Branagh, Taylor's take on the God of Thunder and Asgard feels like what the last movie SHOULD have been. The world just feels more real now and far less sterile than before; hiring the Game of Thrones director was a smart decision and he also has an extremely impressive handle on action scenes (battles with both Kurse and Malekith are superb), despite working with the biggest budget of his career here. If he does go on to helm Terminator 5, that's yet another franchise which will be in VERY good hands. Talking of effects, the CGI is flawless in the movie (apart from maybe one or two green screen moments in Asgard), and Thor: The Dark World will without a doubt be featured in countless lists of people counting down the most epic comic book movie fight scenes.
In terms of performances, it's hard to fault the movie. I hated Kat Dennings' super-annoying Darcy in the Thor, but she's actually rather endearing here. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston's chemistry is as electric as ever, and the scenes they share are as pure gold as they have been in the past. There's just enough of Loki here for us to neither get sick of him or for the spotlight to be taken from the title character. I'm not a Doctor Who fan, so I was by no means overjoyed when they cast Christopher Eccleston as Malekith. Some may criticize him for being "one-dimensional", etc., but that's just unnecessary pretentiousness talking. He has a simple and understandable goal - like almost all comic book villains - and makes it personal for Thor along the way. Sure, he won't ever be remembered as one of the all-time greats, but he's effective and frightening enough here, while it's also a solid performance from Eccleston. The supporting cast are all brilliant, although Stellan Skarsgård's Erik Selvig feels totally wasted. The Warriors Three and Sif don't get an awful lot of screen time, but there's really no need for more than what they have, and when they are present they're a lot of fun!
Thor: The Dark World may not be the perfect movie, but it's without a doubt the perfect Thor movie, just as many argued that Man of Steel was the perfect Superman movie. It delivers on an emotional level, a dramatic one and to a much lesser extent, a comedic one too (without ever becoming an action-comedy, a la Iron Man 3). Among its highlights are perhaps the greatest cameo in a Marvel movie EVER and an ending which will leaving you praying to Odin that one of their unannounced 2016 movies is a third Thor. I hate 3D, but this is actually a really good transfer (miles ahead of both The Avengers and Iron Man 3), while it looks great in IMAX despite not being filmed in the format. Be sure to stick around right until the end too for a VERY interesting look at what's to come!
Another tick in the win column for Marvel Studios, Thor: The Dark World is a must-see. 
Marvel’s "Thor: The Dark World" continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel’s "Thor" and "Marvel’s The Avengers," Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos…but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.
STARRING:
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
Tom Hiddleston as Loki
Anthony Hopkins as Odin
Natalie Portman as Jane Foster
Zachary Levi as Fandral
Ray Stevenson as Volstagg
Tadanobu Asano as Hogun
Jaimie Alexander as Sif
Idris Elba as Heimdall
Christopher Eccleston as Malekith
RELEASE DATE: November 8th, 2013
DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and...
[MORE]
ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.