One of the most surprising movies I've ever watched.

Rating: 9/10 (11 May 2015)

After seeing the first Thor movie, I wasn't sure how I would like this film because the first film completely blew my mind, so I thought that Thor: The Dark World wasn't going to be as good. Clearly, that wasn't the case because I found Thor: The Dark World to be an action-packed thrill ride with a lot of humor and action, but there were a few minor issues that held it back from being as good as the first one.
The film opens with an backstory about The Dark Elves and their leader, Malekith who seeks to plunge the universe into everlasting darkness by using a weapon called the Aether, but before he can carry out his plan, Odin's father, Bor, invades the Elves' home world, takes the Ather and seals it deep within the earth. We then cut to the present day where Loki is thrown in jail for his war crimes in The Avengers, while Thor is busy cleaning up the mess his half-brother has cased. Meanwhile, Dr. Jane Foster is transported to another world and is processed by the it, spending Thor to come to Earth for Jane, but Malekith has sensed the Aether and comes to Asgard looking for it, and Thor now must protect Jane and The Aether from him.
The change in directors provides a nice change of pace with Alan Taylor replacing Kenneth Branagh and typically, a change in directors proves to be a severe disadvantage to the movie like Brian Singer leaving X-men 3 and having Bertt Ratner direct, but not in this case. Taylor gives this film a feeling of depth and a much more epic size and scoop to it than the first film had and made it much more darker, but at the same time, more humorous.
Now, one might think that injecting Nose mythology with sci-fi would sound like a ludicrous idea but the way that it's added into the story really does make the movie better. The visuals, production design, costumes and overall look of the movie is fantastic and Asgard seems a lot more tangible than the first movie and we get a much larger look at the place plus we get to see other places in the 9 Realms with Svartalfheim being a deserted wilderness. While the first Thor movie certainly had some bad-ass fight sequences, I feel that Thor: The Dark World ups the ante when it comes to the action and getting to see more of Thor using Mjolnir is always wonderful to watch with the two stand-out action scenes are the battle on Vanaheim and the showdown between Thor and Malekith. The humor makes this movie much more enjoyable to watch and it's just hilarious like when Loki, Thor, and Jane are flying a spaceship out of Asgard and Thor is constantly crashing into things or when Jane slaps Loki over the events in New York.
As with all the MCU l films that I've seen already, almost all the cast in Thor: The Dark World hit the mark and seem to wear their roles like a well-made outfit: It's pretty clear that Chris Hemsworth has really matured into the character of Thor by being less arrogant and more humble but still maintaining the same level of charm and charisma he did in the first one and virtually dominates the screen. Much like Robert Downey Jr. always being Iron Man or Chris Evans always being Captain America, Hemsworth is and will always be Thor, no questions asked. Tom Hiddleson once again brings his A game when playing Loki conveying a performance that allows the viewer to see what is one of the best written movie anti-heroes ever. What makes Loki such a wonderful character is how torn he is between what his heart says and his lust for power, consistently trying to hold back the attacks of despair buzzing inside him. Continually withdrawn and devious, Hiddleson plays Loki in a way that's oddly fascinating and even though he's scheming and untrustworthy, the pain and suffering he goes though tugs at the heartstrings yet you can't help but love him, plus the scene where he's stabbed and lays dying in Thor's arms is truly one of the most emotional moments in the whole MCU. Natalie Portman returns as Dr. Jane Foster and is just as charming and attractive as he was in the first movie and the chemistry between her and Hemsworth just radiates whenever they are together on screen. Renee Russo gets to have more screen time in this film as Frigga and puts in a pretty solid performance. Anthony Hopkins is and will always be Odin and plays the role perfectly in this movie, playing the old knowledgeable father, but at the same time, being serious when need be. Jamie Alexander, Zachary Levi, Ray Stevenson and Tadanobu Asano are all good in their roles. Christopher Eccleston is effective as Malekith, but I do feel he could have been more fleshed out as a villain and his motivation left a lot to be desired. I never liked Kat Dennings as Darcy in the first film and I still found her to be even more annoying in this film. As for Stellen Skarsgard, he does overact a tad too much here, but it's not a major problem.
On the whole though, I liked Thor: The Dark World just as much as the first one. It improved on a couple of things from the first film and added a much darker story. Throw in some great action scenes, some nice romantic moments, awesome visuals and great performances and you have one awesome Marvel film. I will recommend this movie to any Marvel fan or anyone who likes comic book films and be sure to stick around for not one, but two mid-credit scenes at the end of the movie.