Movie review: 'Thor: The Dark World' is a mighty sequel

In “Thor: The Dark World”, we are introduced to the malevolent machinations of Malekith (Christopher Eccleston, known to genre fans as the ninth protagonist of TV’s “Doctor Who”), a Dark Elf whose Kursed forces were defeated untold centuries ago by Thor’s grandfather. The source of Malekith’s power was the Aether, a weapon of dark energy with the potential to destroy the galaxy. Unbeknownst to the denizens of Asgard, Malekith and his followers survived their defeat and are back to settle the score, spurred on by a rare celestial event wreaking havoc with known physics and the accidental re-discovery of the Aether.

Upon viewing “The Dark World”, viewers may notice something that they won’t necessarily be able to put their finger on unless intimately familiar with its predecessor. Put simply, from the skirmishes that open the film to the golden halls of Asgard, the realms that make up the known (Marvel) universe beyond Earth have been given a makeover that furnishes them with a – for lack of a better word—tangibility—that was missing in the first film.
 
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the living daylights out of the grandeur and pseudo-Shakespearian intrigue that Kenneth Branagh assembled for our favorite thunder god’s (played here for the third time by “Star Trek” and “Rush’s” Chris Hemsworth) initial outing, but that film’s version of Asgard, handsomely-designed as it was, was always stagey, and never really struck one as a place where anyone actually lived; whenever the camera pulled back from the physical sets, we would be treated to yet another near-antiseptic CGI rendering that could have come from any number of video games (Or maybe they just forgot to animate people into half the shots?).
 
How much of this was due to Branagh’s traditional Shakespearean background or a conscious decision on the part of the filmmaker is debatable. But there is no denying that 2011’s “Thor” did a brilliant job of introducing moviegoers to the larger, quasi-mystical aspects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that fed not only the subsequent superheroic smorgasbord of “The Avengers,” but also films yet to come.
 
Reworked visuals notwithstanding, “The Dark World’s” plot is somewhat lacking, consisting of little beyond Malekith’s quest to engulf the universe in darkness and Loki being prosecuted for his role in the Chitauri invasion of New York. While it is cute to see scenes like Jane trying to go on a date, equal time could have been spent showing how the bridge between worlds, the Bifrost, was repaired, especially after such a big deal was made about it being destroyed in the first film, ostensibly separating the star-crossed lovers forever (if I was Jane Foster, I’d slap Thor, too).

Thankfully, the cast and crew bring such exuberance to their respective parts that such quibbles are easily overlooked. As the lead, Hemsworth is more visibly at ease in the role that made him famous, projecting just the right combination of confidence and arrogance that makes him credible whether the script calls for him to wield Mjolnir in battle or lounge about Asgard in an ill-advised poncho.

However, whatever impression Hemsworth makes, it is Tom Hiddleston (“War Horse”) who once again steals the show as fan-favorite villain Loki, Thor’s perennially scheming half-brother. Silky of voice and coif, we first encounter Loki here being made to atone for his actions in “The Avengers.” When circumstances dictate that the two align their talents to take on a common foe, their relationship evolves from one of bitter sibling rivalry to one of squabbling road trip companions and, somehow, Hiddleston and Hemsworth are able to make it work.

Of the secondary cast, Eccleston’s villain has little do but growl and be resentful. Having decidedly more fun is the returning cast, which is almost uniformly excellent, from Anthony Hopkins (“The Silence of the Lambs”) and Rene Russo (“The Thomas Crown Affair”) as Thor’s parents, to Kat Dennings’ (TV’s “2 Broke Girls”) lovable ditzy Darcy and Stellan Skarsgård’s slightly insane Dr. Erik Selvig (“Mamma Mia”). Along for the ride once again are Jamie Alexander (TV’s “Kyle XY”) as Lady Sif, and the always-excellent Idris Elba (“Pacific Rim”) as Heimdall. Watch out for cameos from Chris O’ Dowd (TV’s “The IT Crowd”), Alice Krige (“Star Trek: First Contact”) and Benicio Del Toro (“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”).

In all, “Thor: The Dark World” is a comic book movie that wears its four-color heritage on its sleeve and, with tongue firmly in cheek and an eye on continuity, makes for an infinitely fun romp that bodes well for subsequent entries in the Marvel Cinematic canon.

Note: In case anyone reading this isn’t familiar with the drill when it comes to these movies by now, please do stay all the way through to the end of the credits. — VC, GMA News


Mikhail Lecaros is a professional magazine editor and freelance writer. The views expressed in this article are solely his own.