It’s hammer time!

The Avengers has contributed massively to the profound success of all Marvel films since its release. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of Marvel, pre-Avengers days, but the surprisingly entertaining blockbuster revived the superhero genre.

Iron Man may be my favourite in the Marvel franchise, but the latest installment came to disappoint. So, this time around, I went into the cinema as a skeptical movie-goer.

Thor: The Dark World is not without its flaws, but it is one of the better superhero sequels out there. It’s funny, it manages to surprise viewers and it may even be better than its predecessor.

This time around the action is intense and somewhat more realistic, the characters are utilised to their fullest potential and the script is at times lighthearted and genuine. It is jam-packed with jokes, some of which were not that funny, but a surprise cameo makes up for it all.

Having said this, the one major flaw in this sequel was that there wasn’t enough Loki (Hiddleston) time. Loki is hands down the fans’ favourite. He is perfectly loathsome and treacherous, and not to mention, oh, so dreamy.
 
I understand Thor (Hemsworth) is the star, but Hiddleston’s character stole the show, even with the few scenes he was in.

The film’s prologue takes the audience back to a time when darkness ruled. Dark elves and mask-wearing terminators are fighting their way to use a fluid mass energy, the Aether, to cast the universe into eternal darkness.

However, Bor, Odin’s (Anthony Hopkins) father, mounts a legion of Asgardian forces to prevent their victory. When the dark elves are defeated, the Aether is hidden in a cave where no one will find it.

However, not all the elves are destroyed. Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) disappears and hibernates for years until all the realms are in perfect alignment and the Aether can be recovered.

Of course, scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is back and is the key to finding the Aether. Through a portal, somewhere in the back streets of London, she finds the cave.

It’s been years since Loki destroyed New York and Jane is still patiently waiting for Thor to return, which he does when the dark elves awake and seek revenge.

Thor may be an actual God, living in a beautiful land in the heavens, as well as having super strength and a magical hammer to help him fight his battles, but it’s the supporting characters that give this movie its entertainment factor. Thor takes a backseat, but I’m OK with that, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Portman is a great actress, but she just doesn’t seem to care for the role of Jane. She’s dull, lacks energy and comes across as kind of annoying. Not to mention, the romance between Jane and Thor seemed a little awkward. But to be honest, romance in superhero movies never works out right, so I forgive them both for that.

Malekith and his dark elves may not have been developed in the same way as the film’s recurring characters, but they still provided thrilling and evil scenes that are packed with action.

Eccleston did the best he could with what little screen time he had and managed to captivate the audience.

Hiddleston’s scenes are the most interesting, entertaining and intriguing. He is definitely the secret weapon to this movie’s success. He plays the villain perfectly with a great mixture of charm and humour. I’m ‘Team Loki’ every time … it’s about time a villain won the battle.

The dialogue and interaction between Loki and Odin was emotional and intense, aiding in both their character development and really portraying their true relationship with one another. Their relationship is a lot more complex than in the first film, and for the scriptwriters, that’s a good thing.

In addition, the visual effects this time around were not as tacky. The rainbow bridge was beautiful, the gardens were colourful and the buildings were exotic. Viewers will be convinced that this place may actually exist.

In conclusion, Thor: The Dark World, hammers itself into the box office. I wasn’t expecting much out of the sequel, but it entertained and worked hard to be better than its predecessor. It may have been almost two hours long, but for any fan of Thor or The Avengers, it’s worth it!

* Showing in Showing in Cineco, Saar, Seef II, Al Jazeera Cineplex