Review of Thor: The Dark World (2013) by Ripro L — 27 Dec 2018

This movie is far from the best in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and most Marvel fans agree with that. Currently, out of the 20 movies in the MCU, this movie has the fifth lowest audience score (technically, it's tied with 2011's Thor for fourth-lowest, but that movie has a lower average star rating). Still, I believe that this movie is very underrated, and let me explain why.

First off, the look of this movie may be the best in the whole MCU. Maybe Ragnarok's looks are more exotic and more interesting overall, but this movie is a joy to look at. Combined with the greatest costume design in the series, this movie is the best-looking in the franchise.

Second, the soundtrack is amazing. Brian Tyler did a phenomenal job with Iron Man 3, and he himself expressed that composing for Thor: The Dark World was much easier. Sometimes, the MCU soundtracks sound like orchestra noise, but this could not be farther from the truth in this film.

Third, the writers and director Alan Taylor did a phenomenal job with the character interactions, especially those involving Loki. Tom Hiddleston's performance as Loki is truly remarkable, and the character is extraordinarily complex. This makes his reactions to the people around him unpredictable, and as a result, even the presence of the character generates suspense. However, I don't want to draw attention away from Thor, because his interactions with Odin, Frigga, and Heimdall were also very well done.

To close off the good aspects of the movie, I want to bring up the beauty of a particular funeral scene. In this movie, a prominent figure dies, and I was not particularly heartbroken until the funeral scene. The music and the visuals make this scene a masterpiece across film history, in my opinion.

I felt the need to justify my four-star rating, so I've been going into detail about the positives, but the negatives are glaringly obvious. For one, upon its release, this movie had the worst story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Iron Man 2. To this day, Iron Man 2's story is the only one I genuinely dislike, so I found this one enjoyable. However, it failed to match the quality of the likes of Iron Man, The Avengers, and even the first Thor movie. Second, Malekith is the worst main villain in the MCU. I guess he serviced the plot of the movie well enough, but the plot was mediocre, so that's not saying much.

I think the biggest problem with this movie is Dr. Erik Selvig, Darcy, and Ian. Honestly, I don't mind Jane, but these three characters are only here because they were in the first movie. Also, in one scene, Dr. Selvig talks about some of the science behind "The Alignment" so that the viewers can understand it a bit better. Still, these characters are unnecessary relief, and their comic relief falls flat.

So, all things considered, I think that the good outweighs the bad enough for me to give this movie four stars. Personally, I'm a sucker for beautiful landscapes and costumes, so the hefty amount of screen time spent on Asgard pleased me. Combined with an amazing soundtrack and the character interactions, I can honestly say that I really like this movie, in spite of some glaring faults.