Review: Thor: 'The Dark World'

PLOT: With Loki (Tom Hiddleston) safely locked away in the dungeons of Asgard, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and his warrior comrades Lady Sif (Jaimie Alexander), Volstagg (Ray Stevenson), Fendral (Zachary Levi) and Hogun (Tadanobu Asano) can set about uniting the nine realms. With their work almost complete, an ancient enemy, Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) - ruler of the Dark Elves- returns from exile to take over the realms with an ancient evil force called the Aether, which happens to be on Earth and possessing Thor’s love interest, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman).

REVIEW: I realized that repeatedly during Alan Taylor’s Thor: The Dark World. An effects-driven extension of Marvel’s expanding Cinematic Universe, this traditional sequel sidesteps the inherent Shakespearean tragedies that are supposed to sustain the franchise, and instead embraces the relatively weightless comic-book roots of the main character and his universes … for better and for worse. The result is alternately silly and spectacular, fun yet frivolous – a placeholder in an evolving superhero story that will continue to be told in subsequent Marvel movies. Buy your tickets now. 

By this point, Marvel assumes you are up to date not only with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the denizens of his celestial realms, but with the blockbusters that built up to The Dark World (most notably Joss Whedon’s The Avengers). After a brief prologue that establishes Thor’s eventual antagonist, The Dark World begins with Loki (Tom Hiddleston) on trial in Asgard for his malevolent actions in New York City. As punishment, the demigod’s surrogate father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins, sleepwalking), banishes Loki to Asgard’s sleek, stark prison for the remainder of his days. The heroic Thor isn’t able to immediately ascend to Asgard’s throne, however. Order must be restored to the Nine Realms, meaning Hemsworth and his sword-wielding sidekicks can travel on the repaired bifrost bridge to engage in conventionally choreographed battles in mystical lands like Vanaheim or Svartalfheim. They look a little like Iceland. 

Thor establishes peace, though it doesn’t last long. Back on Earth, in an effort to restore communication with her galaxy-hopping lover, astrophysicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) quite literally stumbles on the hiding spot of an ancient dark force known as the Aether. She’s immediately infected, morphed into a vessel for the demonic fluid. Jane’s unleashing of the Aether creates a much bigger problem for Thor and Asgard. The release of the dark force awakens Malekith the Accursed (Christopher Eccleston), leader of the Dark Elves, who once tried to use the Aether to poison the universe. Now that the Aether is free, he’s going to try again. 

Taylor’s background as an established television director also benefits the episodic nature of The Dark World and its place in the Marvel tapestry, in general. Because Thor takes place in the midst of Marvel’s Phase Two, it’s difficult for the film to ever succeed as a pure standalone story. Individual sequences deliver commendable comic book thrills. Thor and Loki’s escape from Asgard in a borrowed Dark Elves ship rises to a level Whedon established with The Avengers, and alone justifies the cost of a 3D ticket. But half of the action in The Dark World plays as a springboard for events that could mean more later, as when Loki deceives key characters or Thor makes deals with Odin that will direct his future relationship with Jane. 

The nagging issue of Thor: The Dark World is that significant points in the screenplay make no sense outside of the pages of a colorful comic book. Believe me, I understand it's a fool's errand nitpicking the logic of a comic book blockbuster. But Thor clumsily dances over solutions to problems that should derail the hero’s quest. Explanations exist, but they are rushed or, worse, ignored. Questions raised about the Aether, its powers, the presence of important characters and their actions waged in defense of our planet are met with head-scratching resolutions.

Still, Thor: The Dark World can’t help but feel a little familiar. Like the other non-Avengers movies, it feels like just part of a build-up to Avengers:  Age of Ultroon, rather than its own stand-alone movie. Certainly the fans will enjoy it, but with all the movies Marvel is pumping out franchise fatigue can’t help but set in a bit. Luckily, a teaser for Guardians of the Galaxy that pops up mid-way through the end credits makes it seem that the Marvel Universe may be getting a unique new addition in a few months that should shake things up a bit Until then, this new Thor will obviously tide everyone over, and even if it’s not especially memorable, it’s always enjoyable.