Thor: The Dark World stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christopher Eccleston, Tom Hiddleston, and Anthony Hopkins. Directed by Alan Taylor.
Iron Man 3 may have officially kickstarted Phase Two on the pathway to the much anticipated Avengers sequel, it may be Thor: The Dark World, that gives off a good impression that the next tier of films in this shared Marvel continuity is ready to pick up steam.
[Hit the jump for full review]
The nine realms of Yydrassil have been in turmoil since the initial destruction of the Bifrost has kept our Asgardian superhero (Hemsworth) busy as the galactic mystical enforcer of the peace; but Thor's devotion to serve his subjects seems to be at odds with the devotion for his mortal love, Jane Foster (Portman), whom remains on Earth trying to adjust to life after Thor's departure. Fate brings the two together when Jane stumbles across an ancient superweapon of the Dark Elves; lost after a conflict between the Elves and Asgard that sent their leader Malekith (Eccleston) packing into exile. Sensing the weapon's arousal after hidden for millennia -- and now embedded within inside Jane -- Malekith returns to reclaim the weapon and purge the universe into eternal darkness. Thor brings Jane back with him to Asgard in hopes to extract the weapon dubbed Aether to keep her from harm, only to find the Dark Elves already knocking at the gates of Asgard. Havoc is wreaked, uneasy allegiances are forged, insurmountable risks are taken; all for saving the world, within some lighthearted humor for good measure. Intense stuff, and damn, it's pretty damn good. Not Avengers good, but it's the closest since the first Iron Man.
The Dark World's scale benefits from a more realized universe that the previous film sadly glanced over. The art direction of the film is to be commended to making Asgard and the other mystical elements in the feel like a living, breathing world -- taking aesthetic cues from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The design of the Dark Elves is also impressive, from the haunting guises of the footsoldiers, the beautiful grotesqueness of the hideously transformed Kursed juggernauts, to Malekith himself.
It's also good to see that much of the supporting roles from the first Thor film are given more to do, second time around -- with a few exceptions. Hiddleston is charming as usual with the trickster Loki, and it's obvious he's having too much fun with the role. Stellan Sarsgard as Eric Sulvik has an awkward development of dipping into the downright eccentric; it's funny until you've seen the same streaking bit at least twice throughout the film's run time. What is a bit disappointing is the build up that the film has for the warrior goddess Sif (Jamie Alexander), teasing a possible love triangle between herself, Thor, and Jane -- chances are this is likely setting the scenario up for the inevitable sequel.
The Bottom Line:
The Dark World is a massive step from it's serviceable processor; everything in scale, energy, and enthusiasm. The return of the God of Thunder could not be more welcoming.
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