Every Rose Has It's Thor

Review: Thor: The Dark World

I can't help but wonder here at the start how many critics have titled their review "A Thunderous Good Time" or "Thor Hammers Out a Hit". I love a good pun, but that's often the hardest part about writing a review - coming up with a good, unused title!

Making a sequel to a hit film (like Thor or The Avengers) is, I imagine, much harder than simply watching that film and then telling other people your opinion; the most difficult bit obviously being able to create a movie which exceeds - or at least matches - the first film. Examples of sequels falling short of their predecessors come out almost every other weekend. I'm sure you can think of a couple right now, off the top of your head. Go ahead; name a few...

Uh huh... Yep.. Oh, I hadn't thought of that one...

See? We all know this is the case, which is why it can be such a pleasant revelation when a sequel is actually engaging and entertaining. Is Thor: The Dark World such a surprise? My answer is: well, pretty much. Allow me to explain.

Thor 2 essentially takes everything the first film did well and makes those things even better. This is particularly true concerning the visuals. I couldn't help but think that director Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones) was silently auditioning to direct one of the new, upcoming Star Wars films.

 The sequences on Asgard looked great and even included a thrilling spaceship battle. The character designs, too, were detailed and, in the case of villains Malekith and Kurse, even menacing.

The Dark World also improved upon the action sequences of the first film. Thor actually seemed in danger during these scenes, which effectively added to the tension of the film. The final battle utilized a unique world-teleporting concept which made the fight especially interesting. And speaking of the ending, I could tell a provocative plot twist in the film's final moments truly invested the audience - myself included - in looking forward to the next Thor film. The movie was additionally really funny, with jokes coming in every couple minutes at the very least.

However, Thor 2 does little to improve upon areas in which its predecessor was equally mediocre. The story itself was so played out; an ancient alien race the Asgardians defeated in eons past returns to exact revenge upon the universe. The plot eventually begins to individualize itself, but the first 30 minutes or so feel exactly like the first film and so many other sci-fi and fantasy movies before it. I also had a bit of a problem with all the humor. Most of the time it was quite effective, but when it came in the midst of some serious action scenes, the comedy took me out of the moment. Also, the classic love triangle between Thor, Jane Foster, and Sif is, once more, only hinted at when it could actually be an interesting internal conflict for an immortal in love with a mortal.

In terms of acting, Chris Hemsworth (Rush) is serviceable at the titular hero, but suffers from playing a role without much of a personality. Tom Hiddleston (The Deep Blue Sea), on the other hand, is given greater character development to work with and for this reason continues to be much more interesting than his on-screen brother. Natalie Portman (Black Swan) continues to be mournfully underused, although Rene Russo (In the Line of Fire) gets the opportunity to more fully flesh out her role as Frigga, wife of Odin.

Overall, the film is a strong entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it suffers from many of the thorns of the first film, it elevates itself beyond mediocrity with its striking visuals, exciting action, and clever wit. Plus, it is always exciting to see how the Avengers franchise is moving forward.

The Final Word: 3.5/4 - Go buy a ticket.

Also, this is a real thing...