Review: ‘Thor’ hammers home the fun and the laughs in ‘Dark World’

Posted on November 15, 2013

“Thor” was smartly directed by Kenneth Branagh, who has had a rich career behind and in front of the camera in a variety of Shakespearean adaptations. Although some may have found the action in “Thor” lacking, the film did a very good job of establishing the Asgardian royalty and their infighting, especially Loki’s (Tom Hiddleston) moral descent, setting the stage for not only that film’s climax, but also “The Avengers” and now “Thor: The Dark World.”

I don’t think anyone can claim there isn’t enough action in this sequel, with television director Alan Taylor (“Game of Thrones,” “Homicide”) taking over the helm from Branagh. With the characters and conflicts established, we get to see an expanded view of the nine worlds over which Thor and his friends guard and protect.

The biggest surprise in “Thor: The Dark World” is just how much humor has been injected into the script, making it easily the funniest of the Marvel films to date. Considering it is also the most outlandish, with aliens predating the universe called Dark Elves as the main antagonists, it helps that the film doesn’t take itself too seriously.

The movie is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some suggestive content.

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