To be fair, as far as the current series of Marvel Studios movies are concerned, you're either with them or you're not, so at this stage - their 8th release in their own right, and the second of their 'Phase 2' release - there's probably not much here to convince you of the merits of their 'Cineverse' if you're not already a fan. It goes without saying I am a fan, and although before 2008's 'Iron Man' I enjoyed the better comic book adaptations, I've been converted to a proper Marvel geek; the type who snaps up any tidbit of information relating to their future movies, and speculating about what variety of characters and storylines these might contain.
Having said that, Marvel Studios' releases wouldn't have won me over had they not paid as great attention to the characters, getting the right people to play the characters, and the right directors/writers for each, as they have done so far. Arguably, why Marvel are enjoying so much success when other studios who hold the rights to other Marvel franchises have stumbled occasionally, is that they realise it is the characters that should be the focus. What makes so many Marvel characters awesome is not just their super powers or abilities, but the stories and development they go through with each adventure.
So with 'Thor: The Dark World', the strongest elements are those which concentrate on character building, development - and the relationships between key characters. This film has a slightly different visual look than its 2011 predecessor - the setting is not so shiny, and has a more lived in, 'Lord of the Rings' vibe to it. Whilst there are some large-scale battle scenes, there's nothing in the action sequences that really blows you away (although a sequence towards the end, involving gravity portals between wells, is very well handled and makes for an interesting confrontation). Also, the story feels inconsequential somehow - there is a great threat, a substance called 'the Aether' which has the power to destroy the entire universe (or something) - however the science-technobabble behind it feels vague and under-developed, as does the motivation of the mysterious 'Dark Elves', led by Christopher Ecclestone's Malekith, to wield this substance.
The film moves at such a pace though, throwing action scenes and some effective humorous asides (if only David Goyer had realised you can take a Superhero seriously AND find some humour with them, when he was writing 'Man of Steel, eh?) that you don't really dwell on it. Where the film really starts to feel substantial is when Loki is brought back in to the plot, and the interplay between these two 'brothers', and their love/hate relationship is brought back to the fore. As with the other Marvel Studios films, the casting has been part of their success, and Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddlestone have absolutely nailed the dynamic between these two characters - it's a shame that they didn't have more scenes together. And it is further credit to their performances and conviction in each character that, by the end of the film, you really get a sense of growth in each character, something which surprised and pleased me. The Thor and Loki at the end of 'The Dark World' are two very different people than at the start of their first film.
Really, this is a fan's film, and whether it's specifically Thor, Loki, or the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole that you're interested in, if you're already won over you won't be disappointed. That includes me, and all I can say after this is: roll on the next Marvel Studios movie! Surely they can make more than two a year, can't they?
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