Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.
Marvel’s man with the mallet does all that’s required of him in a breakneck sequel that’s never dark for long. Next time, though, we’ll have more Loki and fewer elves.
Funny, boisterous and featuring some great effects, but also uneven and derivative.
What is missing, unfortunately, is the original’s sense of ebullient entertainment.
The Dark World's loss is that it does not shine quite so brightly the second time around.
As confident and assured as its lead character, Marvel’s great run continues. We give this Thor out of Thive. (Sorry.)
The sum of these entertaining stretches tilts the balance in its favour, though The Dark World is still a considerably unbalanced feature overall, and thriving for the sort of consistent personality Shane Black brought to Iron Man 3.
The return of Loki compensates and the sequel is at its best when in the company of the masterful Hiddleston, but once Loki’s influence begins to diminish, so too does the film’s ability to impress.
Hokum for overgrown kids, accessorised with daft dialogue.
Even Hiddleston can't rescue this Norse epic of tedium.
The film makes witty use of its London locations, but not all of the comic gambits work. There is, for instance, far too much of Stellan Skarsgard in his underwear.
Relentless whizz-bangery
It thus falls to Tom Hiddleston’s magnificent Loki to save the day, and he almost does, despite being on lockdown for much of the film.
The whole thing cost about $200m. But the best thing about it is still an old Swede in his pants.
Director Alan Taylor on Thor: The Dark World
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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