Film Review- "Thor: The Dark World"

Thor: The Dark World
Directed By Alan Taylor
Starring Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, and Anthony Hopkins as Odin

The God of Thunder. The Avenger with The Hammer. Thor is back in the second release from Marvel Studios this year, and what I consider, one of their best releases yet. Thor is my second favorite of the Marvel solo films, right behind Captain America. The Avengers is in a whole other class. Needless to say, I had high hopes for Thor: The Dark World, and I was not disappointed.

The film opens on Loki (Hiddleston) in chains, sent to a cushy prison cell by order of Odin (Hopkins) for all the little stunts he pulled in Thor and The Avengers. Meanwhile, a race known as The Dark Elves, led by Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), is awakened when a powerful force from long ago known as the Aether remerges. Malekith seeks out to control the Aether and destroy the Nine Realms during time of The Converge, when all nine are perfectly aligned. To make matters worse, who but Jane Foster (Portman) discovers the Aether and is infected by it. That's when Thor steps in with The Warriors Three at his side to save his lady love and, quite literally, the world. But when Malekith's forces prove too strong, Thor is forced to turn to his half-brother Loki for help. Can The God of Mischief be trusted?

First off, this is Loki's film. Tom Hiddleston steals the show in his third time in the role. The rest of the cast is just as good as they have been in the past, balancing the drama and the comedy. Chris Hemsworth is again a perfect Thor, and he and Hiddleston once again play off one another seamlessly. Stellan Skarsgard is given more comedy to work with this time around, and it pays off. The Warriors Three are given more to do this time around as well. Jamie Alexander gives a strong performance as Lady Sif. Zachary Levi replaces Josh Dallas in this film as Fandral The Dashing. It's no secret I'm a huge fan of Zac, and I have to honestly say, he does great with every minute of screen time he's given, speaking or not.

I give credit to the writers, as the script has to juggle quite a lot. You have Thor's issues with Loki, his romance with Jane Foster, and the battle with Malekith. Everything manages to balance out nicely (while at the same time leaves the audience desperately wanting more, and giving us some hints as to where a Thor 3 might go). The one problem with the film I have is Malekith. As the main antagonist, he's not that interesting. His motivations aren't that clear, he doesn't have much of a personality, and like most two-dimensional villains, he just wants to destroy the world. Luckily, having Loki back makes up for it.

Thor: The Dark World is another solid film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and again, stands out as one of their best. Funny, action-packed, and loaded with fan service (Get ready for the best cameo ever), it's a must-see this holiday season.