**THE WACPINE OF ‘THOR: THE DARK WORLD’**

WRITING: 5
ATMOSPHERE: 6
CHARACTERS: 6
PRODUCTION: 6
INTRIGUE: 5
NOVELTY: 3
ENJOYMENT: 6

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**The Good:**



As a friend of fantasy and science fiction, I admire the way The Dark World delves deeper into Marvel mythology and almost feels like a Tolkien film in places. It also helps to make the MCU feel cosmic in scope. These things aren’t explored gain until the Guardian of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel movies.



Christopher Eccleston is good in a role that doesn't fully allow him to utilize his acting skills. He barely has any lines and does very little other than stand and look menacing.



The most delicious parts of the film are those that force Thor to work with Loki, who once again steals the show. Their on-screen chemistry is admirable and works even better here than in Thor.



The chemistry between Hemsworth and Hiddleston is the best thing this film has to offer. They are very recognizably brothers whose cooperation isn't completely flawless. They still work well together when need be.



This is one of the bleaker and less colourful from within the MCU, but Disney pulls it off far better than Warner Bros. does with the DCEU.



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**The Bad:**


While more screen time for the funny Darcy is always a plus, having both her and Ian as comedic characters make many scenes with them goofy in ways only bad comedies usually are. It feels out of place within MCU, which usually features sharp comedy. This is the first attempt at a comedy in the franchise, but it just doesn't work very well.



This is also the first time the MCU tries to be somewhat darker and gloomier, but it doesn't go in all the way embracing the darkness.

A big bulk of the action is set outside of the Earth, which make the stakes feel less personal for the audience. This is one of the least memorable entries within the MCU, perhaps for that reason.



Malekith is such a film villain cliché that nothing that he does or says feels interesting or menacing in the slightest.



The way The Dark World has been structured makes the story feel like it opens with a first act, followed by a third act, a second act and another third act. That doesn't work to its favour.



The script seems so busy developing plot strands from Thor and The Avengers that it almost seems to forget the main plot with Malekith and the Ether, making them secondary for large parts of the film before the final 30 minutes.



Jonathan Howard is awkward and stiff in most of his scenes and he isn't given anything interesting to do or say throughout the entire film.



The overall plot never goes as deep as it could and seems to lose its way halfway through, ultimately feeling like a rehash of Thor and just another predictable superhero flick by the end.



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**The Ugly:**

Yet another grey take on London.

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**WACPINE RATING: 5.28 / 10 = 2,5 stars**