A much stronger entry into the Avengers universe than both Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Iron Man 3

Rating: 6/10 (30 October 2013)

Firstly I would like to say I am a big fan of the modern day marvel films. However, I was extremely disappointed with Iron Man 3 it lost its focus half way through with one of the most ridiculously executed twists I have ever seen. Thankfully Thor:The Dark World gets these right. There are many moments throughout the film where it looks like it is set in one direction and then it completely changes course and this makes it extremely entertaining to watch.
Apart from questionable performances from Anthony Hopkins (who is one my favourite actors) and Christopher Eccleston, the performances are excellent. Chris Hemsworth has never been better as the God of Thunder but it is Tom Hiddlestone's performance as Loki which steals the show. He is without doubt a joy to watch on screen and always demands attention as it is never quite clear what it is he is about to do. It is this unpredictability that undermines the true villain Malekith who is fairly weak in comparison.
Now the story. The story is fairly basic; ancient evil after an evil power source which can destroy the universe etc. But it is the way in which it unfolds which is so captivating. With many fairly shocking moments which drive the story to a more darker road. This brings about my only complaint on how the actual story is told. There are several moments where the story is quite emotionally driven and these scenes are the highlights of the film. Yet after each seen they jump straight to comedy elements and it just doesn't seem natural all the time. Don't get me wrong the comedic parts are some of the best (the Captain America scene was incredibly funny) it is just too much of a drastic change. All in all this is a must watch for fans of Marvel. It is better than the first in my opinion and much better than Iron Man 3.