If Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the ‘70s conspiracy thriller of the Marvel films, Thor: The Dark World is the syndicated action show. A good comparison is Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, which frequently brought the title character into a fight with a giant monster. The creature would shout “HERCULES! I WILL DEFEAT YOU!” and then laugh maniacally. This would not end well for the monster, and Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) would add a clever quip after securing another win.
There’s an eerily similar moment near the start of the Thor sequel. The powerful hero is battling to secure the Nine Realms and faces a giant stone alien called a Kronan. The monster dwarfs Thor, but all it takes is a fast hammer swing to end the fight. The other enemies quickly disperse, and it’s played for a laugh. I expect that at least one of the film’s three young screen writers grew up watching Sorbo as Hercules.
This example reminds us how different this sequel feels than many prior Marvel films. We’ve moved further into fantasy with malevolent forces, dark elves, and otherworldly enemies. If any character fits in that world, it’s definitely Thor. Asgard is pretty far away from Earth in terms of its look and characters. The costumes wouldn’t be out of place in your neighborhood Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
A Familiar Conflict
Later in the story, the evil Dark Elves invade Asgard, and their vessels try to reach the stronghold. Despite higher production values, this sequence has a similar feeling to a siege in Stargate Atlantis. A tenuous shield protects the base, and the heroes can do very little against the overwhelming forces of the faceless enemies. I bring up these examples because there’s an inherent silliness within both Thor films.
While the first grounded the story with the “fish out of water” comedy and love story on Earth, its sequel focuses more on the fantasy aspects. The 10-year-old in me loves the idea of a Krull-like fantasy trip for Thor and Loki (Tom Hiddleston), but it feels out of place in the same universe as Captain America and Iron Man. That doesn’t mean it isn’t as worthy (all require a suspension of disbelief), but there are larger hurdles to overcome with accepting the silliness.
I hadn’t watched Thor: The Dark World since its original release, and I couldn’t remember much about my reaction. It has a larger scale than the first movie, but it’s also strangely boring. Even when evil forces arrive in London, the stakes don’t feel high. That doesn’t mean we need a larger threat to Earth. Instead, this conflict isn’t as engaging and keeps us at a distance. There’s a lot of CGI, and the emotional content doesn’t land.
Call The Doctor
Another character actor has arrived to control Asgard. Colm Feore was the angry frost giant king last time, and Chrstopher Eccleston becomes the more dangerous Dark Elf Malekith in this adventure. He’s barely recognizable behind make-up and has little to do with the character. Malekith’s plans also threaten Earth and Jane Watson (Natalie Portman), so the stakes are higher for the stoic hero. She’s been invaded by the Aether, a powerful shiny red parasite that risks more than Jane’s life.
With few options left, Thor needs his imprisoned brother to access the Dark World and save the universe. Loki’s biting wit masks a continued anger towards his brother and father, and it’s only a matter of time before he makes his move. Tom Hiddleston continues to shine in this breakout role, even with lesser material. He’s having so much fun as Loki.
A Deceptively Simple Story
With its $170 million budget, this sequel tells a more ambitious story. The strange part is how simple it really is. Familiar faces like Sif, Heimdall, and Odin get a few scenes, but they’re mostly bit players supporting Thor. There are complicated gravitational fields and other scientific phenomena, yet it all comes down to whether the hero can battle through the chaos and take down the villain.
There’s nothing wrong with using a classic story; the challenge is making it seem relevant when few surprises happen. It makes the fireworks feel like a smokescreen once the story comes together. The cast keeps the right attitude and has fun, particularly Hiddleston, Kat Dennings, and Stellan Skarsgård. However, they can only mask so much with their charms.
The final fight includes fun touches mostly relating to jumping across dimensions. Thor and Malakith are flying through the sky and land in various locales, with comic results. The massive alien ships dropping into London also deliver some impressive shots. Both examples mask what’s a fairly generic third act, though.
Familiar Character Types
Marvel films come from comic books that are essentially male-dominated, and the movies tend to follow that model. Thor: The Dark World has determined female characters that are progressive on the surface. Watson is a scientist and extremely intelligent, and Sif is a powerful warrior that can hold her own. However, concerns arrive because they still fall into the normal character types of many films.
Watson’s role in the story is to be a passive victim of the Aether. She may punch out a few people, but she’s the classic damsel in distress. Her role at the end is to wait on Earth for Thor to come back and rekindle their romance. In a similar way, Sif’s hardened exterior masks a love for her fellow Asgardian warrior. She’s an interesting character, but the least engaging part is her interest in Thor.
The Infinity Stones Take Shape
I’ve enjoyed the MCU films during this rewatch in some way, though we’re starting to see more shakiness from a creative standpoint. Thor: The Dark World is not one of their stronger efforts, but more exciting films are on the horizon. I cannot wait to catch up with the next group of MCU releases!
Before we close out this film, Benicio Del Toro has entered the building! During the mid-credits scene, Sif and Volstagg deliver the Aether to The Collector. Since the Tesseract is already in Asgard, they want the other stone far away from it. The Aether is also known as the Reality Stone and will play a key role in the MCU. I enjoyed the menace from Del Toro, who creeps me out when he says “one down, five to go“. This cannot be good.
The final scene depicts Thor’s return to Earth and reunion with Jane Foster. It’s a strange moment because it’s so brief, though it does give the couple a happy ending. There’s also a fun gag with a monster getting stranded on Earth along with Thor. It trots off screen as it fades to black. We’ll see a lot more jokes in this vein during the next Thor film, and that’s a good thing.
Favorites – Thor: The Dark World
Despite my overall thoughts about this sequel, there are still highlights. The actors make the best of the material, and that leads to fun moments. It’s not a disaster, and there are still worthy contenders that didn’t make the cut. Let’s take a look at some positive examples!
- Scene(s): Thor stares down a massive Kronan and takes out the monster with a single blow.
- Character: Loki (were you expecting someone else?)
- Shot: Malekith’s massive ship lands inside London during the finale.
- Action Scene: Evil forces break into Asgard and seek the Aether.
- Surprise: Chris Evans gives a fun cameo when Loki mimics Captain America while talking with Thor.
Rankings
It was a close race, but I’m proud to announce that Iron Man 2 is no longer at the bottom of my rankings. That movie is messy but has more of a pulse than this one. The difference isn’t huge, and they join The Incredible Hulk in the bottom tier. I suspect the upcoming MCU films won’t join that group. Malekith has also grabbed an unfortunate place in my villains rankings.
The Movies
1. The Avengers
2. Captain America: The First Avenger
3. Iron Man
4. Thor
5. Iron Man 3
6. The Incredible Hulk
7. Iron Man 2
8. Thor: The Dark World
Lead Characters
1. Steve Rogers/Captain America
2. Tony Stark/Iron Man
3. Thor
4. Bruce Banner/The Hulk
Villains
1. Loki (Thor, The Avengers)
2. Red Skull (Captain America: The First Avenger)
3. General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (The Incredible Hulk)
4. Ivan Vanko (Iron Man 2)
5. Obediah Stane (Iron Man)
6. Justin Hammer (Iron Man 2)
7. Aldrich Killian (Iron Man 3)
8. Emil Blonsky/The Abomination (The Incredible Hulk)
9. Malekith (Thor: The Dark World)
Key Supporting Characters (Not Villains)
1. Peggy Carter (Captain America: The First Avenger)
2. Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Iron Man 2, The Avengers)
3. Nick Fury (Iron Man 2, The Avengers)
4. Agent Coulson (Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, The Avengers)
5. Jane Foster (Thor, Thor: The Dark World)
6. Pepper Potts (Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Iron Man 3)
7. Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Thor, The Avengers)
8. Colonel Chester Phillips (Captain America: The First Avenger)
9. Howard Stark (Iron Man 2, Captain America: The First Avenger)
10. James “Bucky” Barnes (Captain America: The First Avenger)
11. Odin (Thor)
12. Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine (Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3)
13. Betty Ross (The Incredible Hulk)
Stan Lee Appearances
1. Plays Larry King (Iron Man 2)
2. Wears a bathrobe as “Heff” at a party (Iron Man)
3. Drives a pick-up truck to grab Thor’s hammer (Thor)
4. Asks Erik Selvig for his shoe back in a mental institution (Thor: The Dark World)
5. A general watching an award ceremony (Captain America: The First Avenger)
6. Dismisses the idea of superheroes in New York (The Avengers)
7. Drinks contaminated soda (The Incredible Hulk)
8. Gives a 10 score as a beauty pageant judge on a TV monitor (Iron Man 3).
Post-Credit Scenes
1. The heroes silently eat shawarma in a nearly destroyed restaurant after the Battle of New York (The Avengers)
2. Sif and Volstagg deposit the Reality Stone with The Collector (Thor: The Dark World)
3. Thanos learns that Earth is formidable and smiles. (The Avengers)
4. Loki survives and controls Dr. Selvig (Thor)
5. Nick Fury introduces himself and The Avengers Initiative (Iron Man)
6. Coulson arrives in New Mexico for the discovery of Thor’s hammer (Iron Man 2)
7. Tony Stark retells this story to an exasperated Bruce Banner (Iron Man 3)
8. Tony Stark meets Ross in a bar and tells him about the team (The Incredible Hulk)
9. Thor returns to Earth and reunites with Jane Foster (Thor: The Dark World).
10. Nick Fury calls upon Captain America, and we see a preview of The Avengers (Captain America: The First Avenger)
Next Time on Friday Night Movies
We’ll return to Disney and catch up with both Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros. Here on the MCU rewatch, I’m excited to catch up with Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It’s been a while since I’ve watched this down-to-earth thriller, and I can’t wait.
Join the mailing list at The Tomorrow Society and stay updated on the latest posts!
Related Articles – Thor: The Dark World
Iron Man (MCU Rewatch #1)
The Incredible Hulk (MCU Rewatch #2)
Iron Man 2 (MCU Rewatch #3)
Thor (MCU Rewatch #4)
Captain America: The First Avenger (MCU Rewatch #5)
The Avengers (MCU Rewatch #6)
Iron Man 3 (MCU Rewatch #7)
Leave a Reply