Technicality finds its happy medium with comic book storytelling

Rating: 9/10 (14 November 2013)

It has been 2 years since the New York incident and wars are raging all across the nine realms. Asgardian warriors have the onus of restoring order and warding off all evil. Meanwhile back on Earth, Jane Foster has accidentally unleashed an ancient weapon of the Dark Elves that resurrects their race, threatening the very existence of the Universe. The Norse God of Thunder has a mighty force to reckon with and will need the assistance of his deceitful brother Loki. Thor must prevent the world from falling into darkness before the imminent convergence of all realms. With most of the events unfolding upon Asgard, some fantastic special effects were obvious devices to be used by the celebrated TV director Alan Taylor whose most recent works include several memorable episodes of Game of Thrones, Mad Men & Sopranos. 'Thor: The Dark World' is undeniably an exciting superhero epic that outdoes its predecessor and establishes Chris Hemsworth as a worthy Avenger.
While the Asgardians police the realms and keep trouble away from their homeland, Thor's ambivalence is highlighted. On one hand, he has a role in protecting Midgard as an Avenger and being closer to Jane Foster and on the other, the responsibility of being the King of Asgard in the near future. As Jane accidentally becomes the host for the dark power Aether on Earth, Thor decides to bring her to Asgard. Darkness then draws onto itself and the resurrected Malekith (Christopher Eccleston – Who?) attacks the might of Asgard itself causing terror and despair. Thor must now seek the assistance of whom he wouldn't trust at all but retribution, has common enemies. Together with Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor must prevent Malekith from unleashing darkness upon the world before the convergence of all nine realms occurs. The common plane of this rare alignment falls in Greenwich, which then serves as the final battleground for an epic clash between Thor and the forces of the Dark Elves.
At his third outing as the God of Thunder, Chris Hemsworth is more convincing and iconic than ever before. He effectively manages distinct relationships in this sequel, between his father, his conniving brother and his love, Jane. With more humor, action and evil, Hemsworth does a mighty job with his hammer. Natalie Portman has a better role that is suited to her talent and at Asgard, she feels just at home as she was on Naboo as Queen Amidala. Anthony Hopkins might look weary of playing Old Odin but his voice and persona still make him the most suitable King. The show stealer however, is Tom Hiddleston as Loki. His comic timing and charm simply add to his character's dishonest nature. The untrustworthy Loki is turning out to be the most lovable villain and that simply asserts how well Hiddleston plays the part.
Alan Taylor's comprehensive background with major TV series does enable him to blend in several elements of the story in a fast paced, eventful and exciting movie of less than 2 hours. A seemingly uncomplicated plot does yet provide the grip and thrill. With some exemplary visual effects that not only showcase the fantastic realm of Asgard in vivid light and colors but also showcase the epic destruction in Greenwich, Taylor makes remarkable use of technologies to enhance the story's appeal. The best part is, he directs the screenplay in a seamless manner that keeps the audience engaged with the pace so the film isn't heavily reliant on its visuals but is merely aided by it in its storytelling. That is precisely how such superhero movies should be made. The cinematography is excellent even with simple scenes such as Thor's arrival upon Earth, London's aerial view and the action on desolate landscapes of other realms. The background score has the epic tone and sustains the darkness associated with the film's evil.
Technicality finds its happy medium with comic book storytelling and Taylor deserves credit for enhancing Thor's presence in the Marvel world. As Malekith's evil grows with the power of Aether, Thor's strength increases with his loved ones around him. His definitive stance for Midgard's well being and for his love, Jane Foster will establish him as an Avenger and protector of all realms. Meanwhile, Loki's wile ways shall keep us entertained with the brilliant Tom Hiddleston. Thor: The Dark World isn't ground-breaking but it does everything right for a superhero movie and that, is the simple reason you should spend that money. Oh, and to watch the scene where Thor sheds his cloak, jumps off the balcony, catches the incoming mjölnir and flies away. Epic.

8.688 on a scale of 1-10.