The Plot:

With Loki imprisoned on Asgard and Thor busy restoring order to the war torn nine realms, a strange discovery on earth triggers the return of a vengeful ancient race, determined to plunge the universe back into darkness. Thor must reunite with his lost love Jane Foster and even work alongside his treacherous brother Loki in order to save those he loves and the whole of existence.

The Good:

In the aftermath of The Avengers and the climactic pyrotechnics of Iron Man 3, the much anticipated Thor sequel had a lot to live up to. Thor’s first solo adventure set a high standard for production value and marked a more fantastical departure for Marvel, but at times felt restricted by its small scale earthly sets. The Dark World massively expands the scope of the action, spanning continents, alien worlds and the entirety of space and time. It’s bigger and undeniably better.

Despite the introduction of Game of Thrones Director Alan Taylor and the ominously suggestive title The Dark World, the most welcome surprise about this sequel is that it is actually even more knowingly witty, self-aware and outright hilarious. Those fearing a seriously sombre sequel can stop worrying. Marvel continues its impressive winning streak of balancing peril and poignant moments with well-timed laughs.

Leading man Chris Hemsworth has now developed Thor over several movies, transforming him from a cocky swaggering meathead into a thoughtful heroic warrior. Among all Marvel’s beloved but often troubled heroes, it’s been perhaps the most subtle but also satisfying journey. Hemsworth has a charisma that goes beyond his perfectly sculpted torso and rugged godlike features.

Tom Hiddleston as Loki has quickly amassed a shamelessly devoted fan following that in many ways even eclipses fans affection for his heroic brother Thor. It’s easy to see why. Every word out of Loki’s wry smile is liquid comedy gold. Almost every line seems destined to become an instantly quotable fan favourite. Loki practically steals the entire movie, once again.. surprising nobody.

Natalie Portman fans will be pleased to see Jane Foster given a real purpose and presence in this film, having spent much of the first Thor adventure simply marvelling at Hemsworth’s godly physique. Likewise Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings provide a lot of welcome laughs with their limited screen time. Special mention also has to go to Chris O’Dowd who turns in a delightful cameo.

The Bad:

It’s hard to find any genuine flaw with The Dark World. Perhaps some fans that prefer more grounded earthly adventures may be a little less enthusiastic about the prospect of a plot built around evil space elves, quantum mechanics and mystical weapons. But in truth Marvel has earned the right by now to trust audiences to suspend disbelief enough to handle something a little more fantastical. The Dark World is competently grounded by well-developed characters and convincing comedy.

Fierce critics and mewling quims might suggest that new nemesis Malekith feels a little generic. Christopher Eccleston in truth has very little work to do beneath elaborate makeup, with a character that seemingly wants to end the universe simply because he prefers the lights off. Keeping this new threat as simple as possible does however allow more room to focus on the joyously complex relationship between bickering brothers Thor and Loki. Let’s face it nobody is ever going to outshine an anti-hero like Loki.

The Ugly Truth:

Thor The Dark World lives up to every expectation anxious Marvel fans could possibly have had. It continues to develop the ever growing Marvel Universe and some of its most beloved characters. Seeing Loki as a major presence is an especially welcome joy. It’s a relief that the film recognises that it’s never really stronger than when the two feuding brothers share the screen.

With a flawless cast matched by dazzling special effects and a legitimately awe inspiring climactic battle Thor the Dark World is a near perfect big screen blockbuster. It’s easily one of Marvel’s best efforts to date and continues to set the stage for even more new adventures.

Check out the bromance packed world premiere interview with Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston below: