Imagine a world where the darkness attempts to drown out the light. This is how Thor: The Dark World quickly pulls viewers into the action as they watch the grandfather of Thor, Bor, clash with the Dark Elves in the cliché battle for multiverse’s survival.
The film is directed by Thor-newcomer Alan Taylor and stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and Natalie Portman who reprise their roles as Thor, Loki and Jane Foster, respectively. Other cast members from the previous film include Anthony Hopkins with Dr. Who’s Christopher Eccelston portraying the main villain.
The Dark World follows what happened after the events in The Avengers and continues to explore Thor’s relationship with Jane as he must choose between facing the responsibilities of his actions by uniting the nine realms as king or take up his hammer and go on a quest for vengeance.
Without giving too much away to the audience, Thor, at first glance, is a typical cliché-filled hero film where most of the characters’ actions are predictable and the hero always triumphs. However, what makes this film stand out to the audience are recurring themes of responsibility and revenge.
For instance, in the beginning of the film, the viewer finds Thor all but successful in his quest to bring peace to the worlds. Despite his success, he is torn between his duty to become king and his desire to be with the one he loves. Throughout the film the viewer sees him realizing the challenges that come with his decisions before telling a disguised Loki the conclusion he has come to.
Loki also goes through a transformation of sorts throughout the film. The viewer sees him at first being put on trial for his crimes he committed during the previous two Thor and Avengers films. However, after the loss of his adopted mother, Loki suffers a mental breakdown before ultimately joining Thor on his own quest for redemption of his actions.
Another recurring element is the vengeance that all of the main characters display and how blinded it can make them be to their decisions. Odin, according to Thor, is so blinded by his own rage and grief that he cannot foresee that underestimating an opponent could lead many of his followers to die.
That being said, there are some annoying elements that take some of the enjoyment away from the film. The film does seem to drag a little. At nearly two hours, the film has long scenes where there is no dialogue. For example, at the beginning of the film, the plot takes a while to find its footing.
Another slightly annoying element is the overuse of the CGI itself. Several scenes include Jane having visions of a possible future. While admittedly visually impressive, after the second vision, they seem somewhat long and ineffective in showing the viewer what’s going on.
Should you make the decision and go see Thor: The Dark World? Earning nearly $550 million after its initial release in early November, the film is definitely worth the weekend to the theaters. Despite some of its cliché moments, it redeems itself by bringing together themes of responsibly and consequences of revenge and will definitely have audiences smiling at times with its typical Marvel wit.
