The God of Thunder Strikes Again.

Rating: 7/10 (16 December 2013)

Thor was not the easiest hero for Marvel to bring to the big screen. His mythical roots and overwhelming power never made him the most popular character out there. That all changed with 2011's Thor, and even more so in The Avengers. There definitely are stumbles along the way, but Thor: The Dark World gives another solid solo outing for The God of Thunder.
As the second entry in Phase 2 of Marvel's Cinematic Universe (MCU), Thor: The Dark World is restricted to telling a story that will fit into the MCU, but that doesn't hold back the story one bit in this solo adventure. In fact, in ways you don't fully see until the very end, this movie undoubtedly pushes the entire MCU forward in high gear. The plot focuses around the Aether, an ancient weapon hidden by Asgardians thousands of years ago from a race of Dark Elves and their leader Malekith, who has since returned in pursuit of the Aether and Thor must stop him from consuming the universe in darkness. The plot is interesting and involving, but the pacing is a little all over the place, bouncing between a Lord of the Rings in space vibe to the fish out of water comedic tones on Earth. The narrative has some twists, turns and plenty of humor throughout the whole film, but sometimes things just fall out of place. The Nine Realms were also not expanded on as much as I had hoped, giving a lesser sense to the greater cosmos that exist in Thor's universe, but the film's scale still feels large enough to satisfy.
Yet even more entertaining than the main plot, is the subplot created between Thor and his fan favorite brother Loki, now a prisoner of Asgard. This subplot almost takes the form of a villain redemption arc, and it is stellar to say the least. At many points in the film, it almost seemed as though Loki was the star of the show.
With each new release in the MCU comes an expectation for high-level action scenes and breathtaking CGI. The Dark World succeeds in delivering both of these in the movie, and in top form as well. Large scale battles with ancient sci-fi tech make for some wonderful CGI and entertaining action sequences. Thor himself is not under powered nor is he over-powered, thus creating a hero who is a blast to watch in action, but also has his short comings against a powerful enemy. All in all, the action lives up to the expectations you'd expect from a MCU flick.
The aforementioned enemy is Malekith, and along side him his army of Dark Elves and the powerful, Hulk-like Kursed who provides Thor with a re-incarnation of his Avengers tilt with the green machine. Malekith, played by Christopher Eccleston, is a pretty poor villain. Dark and evil yes, and that's the main issue, he's utterly one dimensional and unfortunately underdeveloped, as many MCU seem to be, not getting the chance to really evolve into a movie-changing baddie. Yes there are some moments of entertaining action featuring Malekith, but it can't bring him to a level of a top tier villain, and it hurts the film as a whole.
The vast majority of the cast from the first Thor returns for the sequel, and mostly still in top form. Chris Hemsworth still proves that he his the perfect man to play Thor, while the supporting cast is very strong. Tom Hiddleston once again puts on a performance that captures him the essence of a lead role, cementing himself as one of the best characters in the MCU. Natalie Portman returns to portray love interest Jane Foster, a less than admirable performance while Anthony Hopkins provides some awesome star power as Odin. These names are just a few that have important roles in the movie, and the wonderful performance by most of the cast gives the characters depth, and in turn are exciting to watch.
Since 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been pumping out pure entertainment for hardcore and casual fans alike. There's no denying that this film has some problems with a lack of some character development, and sporadic instances of feeling too small, but Thor: The Dark World continues on Marvel's triumphant path by delivering a fun, flashy and entertaining movie with solid acting and action plentiful enough to keep the movie from ever coming to a complete halt. With a mid-credits scene that teases some potentially major plans for the MCU, this terrific Phase 2 entry seems to be just the beginning for what's to come from the ever-growing world of Marvel heroes.
7.5/10