Thor: The Dark World

Released: 2013

Directed By: Alan Taylor

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman

Certificate: 12A

Reviewed By: Darryl Griffiths

With its ‘hopping’ between the fantastical grandeur of the mythical world of Asgard and its hammer-swinging hero in need of a horse whilst parading around the slightly more modest confines of Earth, 2011’s ‘Thor’ under the heavy influence of Shakespearean die-hard Kenneth Branagh, proved efficient in nailing the cinematic interpretation of arguably the trickiest Avenger to adapt for the big screen. Rocking the wavy Loreal-advert worthy blonde locks once more, Chris Hemsworth returns as the Norse God of Thunder as Marvel ploughs on with ‘Phase Two’ and dealing with the individual repercussions of ‘The Avengers’ action-packed New York-based antics.

‘The Dark World’ gets underway with the devilishly conniving Loki (Tom Hiddleston) imprisoned for his brand of criminal warfare, as Thor (Hemsworth) basks in the glow of bringing peace to his beloved homeland, much to the delight of his all knowing father and King of Asgard Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Impressed by such displays of courage, Odin believes Thor is his natural successor to the throne much to the prolonged dismay of his underhanded brother. Unfortunately for the eye-patched senior of the piece, our hero remains more determined to be reunited with a darling Earthling instead.

Continuing to bring unprecedented strain and meaning to the ‘long-distance relationship’, astrophysicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) remains bemused at the lack of contact from Thor. A greater threat lurks fittingly in the darkness however, as a mysterious race called the Dark Elves led by Christopher Eccleston’s Malekith are on the hunt for a powerful energy source by the name of the Aether. Cue much scientific jargon about anomalies, alignment of the Nine Realms and convergence to drive home the intended villainy, leaving Thor resorting to desperate tactics to prevent such destruction.

Hardly a far cry from his duties on TV sensation ‘Game Of Thrones’ tonally, director Alan Taylor proves a seamless fit for a sequel entrusted with upping the ante in both visual splendour and humour. The thrilling, breakneck-paced action shifts with ease between a refreshing grit instilled and befitting of Taylor’s body of work to date that was clearly absent in its predecessor, along with the impressive scale and stylistics of a space-opera, particularly in the film’s mid-section which bears a striking resemblance visually to the ‘Star Wars’ films.

The stakes may be cranked up, but the pitch-perfect wit of its charismatic protagonists is rarely sacrificed and often slyly creeps into the set-pieces. In another fine showcase of the dysfunction of their relationship, Hemsworth’s Thor and Hiddleston’s Loki’s camaraderie is a sheer joy to watch. Assured as ever in the role, Hemsworth remains a powerhouse in the action stakes whilst cheekily understated in delivering the zingy one-liners. Complimenting the relentless hamming up of his on-screen brother, Hiddleston retains the tag of ‘show-stealer’ here whilst surprisingly and subtly hinting at the emotional angst that lingers inside him.

Ably assisting in providing the ‘funny’ and expanding on their initial roles, Kat Denning’s goofball assistant Darcy and Stellan Skarsgard’s embracing of the ‘mad scientist’ stereotype make their mark, whilst Natalie Portman’s feisty return as love interest Jane just avoids being confined to the background. The one drawback is the addition of Christopher Eccleston’s Malekith, whom for all his lofty intentions and impressive look, is an ultimately tame and generic adversary.

The audacious finale despite some impeccable editing, may suffer from being a tad too convoluted for its own good. Yet ‘Thor: The Dark World’ is a relentlessly entertaining and fun-filled follow-up, which surpasses our hero’s first solo adventure in almost every department.

Thor-some.