by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor
The Mighty Thor returns! Taking place after the events of Marvel’s The Avengers, Thor returns home to Asgard with his brother Loki in chains. When an ancient evil threatens all of the realms, Thor (Chris Hemsworth – Cabin In The Woods) must set out on a Journey Into Mystery! Can the God of Thunder find a way to save the woman he loves and save the worlds that he has sworn to protect? Get ready to find out, because Thor: The Dark World hits theaters today!
Iron Man 3 showed us a traumatized Tony Stark following the Battle of New York, but Thor: The Dark World shows us the flip side of the coin in regards to Thor’s status. Thor isn’t so much focused on the aftermath of The Avengers, as he is with the ramifications of the first Thor movie (a solid decision for the writers). The God of Thunder is fighting the good fight, trying to help the different realms after the Rainbow Bridge was originally destroyed by Loki. The realms are in chaos, and evil is trying to take advantage of the lack of Asgardian supervision. With the help of the Lady Sif (Jaimie Alexander – Thor) and the Warriors Three (Ray Stevenson and Tadanobu Asano – Thor, and newly added Zachary Levi – Chuck), Thor has fought to regain control and tip the balance towards peace.
Back on Earth, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman – Star Wars Episode I-III) and Darcy (Kat Dennings – Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist) have shifted their scientific research to London. After the discovery of an anomaly (aka portal), Jane is accidentally exposed to an ancient weapon called the Aether. Her actions awaken the long dormant (and thought destroyed) Asgardian enemies, “The Dark Elves”, lead by Doctor Who himself, Christopher Eccelston. Eccelston’s Malekith gives Thor a more formidable threat this time around, as he consistently seems to be several steps ahead of our hero. When Odin himself fails to stop the threat of The Dark Elves, what chance does Thor have? Of course, help comes from the most unlikely of places, and Thor is faced with getting assistance from the one place he dreads to turn…Loki. The rest my friends, is for you to enjoy.
Following the release of Marvel’s The Avengers, many fans (mostly girls) have shifted their focus away from the God of Thunder and have instead focused more on the God of Mischief, Loki. An unprecedented amount of fangirls have become obsessed with Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, and it’s really hard to blame them. Hiddleston has an evil charm that just allows him to steal every scene. I am honestly surprised that Marvel didn’t just call this movie “Thor & Loki”. As great as he was in Thor and Marvel’s The Avengers, Hiddleston acting is even better (hard to believe) in Thor: The Dark World, and we cannot wait to see what comes next for him.
The overall plot, direction, and pacing of Thor: The Dark World is a considerable step up from the first installment in the franchise. Every character gets a chance to shine, and the audience is given a better chance to connect with the concept of the other realms. Asgard itself becomes more tangible (I like how they have Asgardian rail guns), and the threat has more weight to it. The relationships between the individual characters also feels much more fleshed out, and we get to see nuances that were lacking in the first movie. Most importantly, the characters truly act like themselves, instead of cardboard cutouts. Loki finally acts like the “God of Mischief”. The trickery is so much more apparent that his previous appearances. Thor’s title, “God of Thunder”, is blatantly apparent as well. Fandral’s ability to stay in the car, I mean boat, is also apparent (that is a Chuck joke since Zachary Levi assumed the role for this movie). Even Thor’s mom Frigga (Rene Russo) gets to have some amazing screen time in this installment. Aside from the characters though, the final battle sequence involving portals was enjoyable on so many levels. I don’t want to go into detail, but you will be on the edge of your seat.
Overall:
Thor: The Dark World takes the basic pre-established concepts from Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and allows the characters to step up their game to a whole new level. The final moments of the film will leave you in shock. Also, be sure to stay ALL THE WAY through the credits, as there are TWO different scenes.
Rating: 
ComicsOnline gives Thor: The Dark World – 4.5 out of 5 missed opportunities to yell “BY THOR’S HAMMER!”
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