Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Thor: The Dark World 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

"There are paths between the realms known only to a few..."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown February 15, 2014

With Thor, we were given access to the heavens but too often remained firmly planted on Earth. With The Avengers, we witnessed the full fury of forces beyond our known universe... from the streets of Manhattan. However, with director Alan Taylor's Thor: The Dark World, Marvel Studios finally says to hell with it, bids the Big Blue a fairly significant farewell and grants fans of the Nine Realms the cosmic clash of the titans they've been waiting for. Yes, Taylor's action-packed sequel still makes one too many return trips to Earth, with London-based bookends and interludes. This isn't Guardians of the Galaxy. (Yet!) But for the first time, Marvel seems confident in journeying off world; the studio's carefully laid, meticulously executed plans coming, at long last, to fruition. Creating a shared saga was only Phase One. Phase Two is all about testing how far audiences are willing to allow Marvel to drift from the safety and security of standard superhero fare. And ye gods be praised, the masses are, at least for the moment, more than eager to follow Hollywood's hottest subsidiary studio wherever it leads. For those complaining that every superhero movie is the same as the last, prepare yourselves for the weird, wild reaches of the Marvel Universe. Thor, The Avengers and, really, The Dark World is only the beginning.

"How many Asgardian lives must we sacrifice?"

With Loki (Tom Hiddleston) imprisoned for crimes committed in Midgard and peace and order restored to the Nine Realms, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) returns to Asgard triumphant. His father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), sees in his son a worthy successor; his mother, Frigga (Rene Russo), a boy who's finally become a man; and his companions -- Lady Sif (Jamie Alexander), Volstagg (Ray Stevenson), Fandral (Zachary Levi) and Hogun (Tadanobu Asano) -- a noble warrior, tireless friend and honorable prince. But peace is once again threatened when Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is possessed by a sinister energy weapon called the Aether, a vindictive Dark Elf named Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) is roused from deep space hibernation, attacks the Asgardian capital and leaves nothing but death and heartache in his wake. Determined to save Jane from the Aether and stop Malekith at all costs, Thor elicits the help of Sif, the Warriors Three and Bifrost guardian Heimdall (Idris Elba), recruits and frees his disgraced brother Loki, and gives chase. Elsewhere, on Earth, Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) and feisty intern Darcy (Kat Dennings) begin to notice an alarming increase in strange phenomena as they near an event dubbed the Convergence; a once-in-a-millennia alignment of the Nine Realms Malekith plans to exploit to annihilate everything in existence.

The trouble with Thor, much as I enjoy it, is that so much time is devoted to mythos justification and superpower-stripped moping. The film establishes a world of far-flung realms well worth exploring and a terrific (and terrifically assembled) cast of characters, and what's one of the first things it does? Spend the better part of its runtime with a powerless hero stranded on Earth who passes time yanking on a hammer that's stuck in the ground. In their defense, Marvel and Kenneth Branagh weren't exactly sure anyone would buy into a flick about ancient Norse space-gods wielding magic weapons against ice giants and fire-spewing Destroyer droids. And despite all its shortcomings, Thor is still a great little film; one that rather thanklessly laid crucial groundwork for everything that came after. The Dark World, though, isn't mired in such necessary spoon-feeding evils. Taylor's sequel charges into battle boldly and valiantly, brandishing Dark Elves, space ships, dimensional portals, fiery berserkers, Asgardian campaigns, stone behemoths, intergalactic prisons and castle sieges. All in the first forty-five minutes, no less. Taylor doesn't waste any time waiting for newcomers to catch up, much less keep up. Like The Avengers, The Dark World demands you either get on board or look for another ride.

It's also a more rewarding successor to The Avengers than Iron Man 3, as it more directly and effectively deals with the aftermath of Loki's invasion of New York. Marvel could have shelved the series' resident Trickster or, worse, made him the primary antagonist of a third film. But the studio that Jack and Stan built is much smarter than that. Taking the path least chosen, Marvel introduces additional complexity and duality to Loki's character; a move typically attributed to more "serious cinema." And yet that's precisely what The Dark World and screenwriters Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely pull off. Hiddleston's Loki is infinitely more interesting than before, and he was already one of the MCU's biggest scene stealers. Hemsworth ups his game as well with a more three-dimensional, slightly less humorless Thor than we've seen, complementing Hiddleston's colorful flourishes and outbursts grimace for grimace and grin for grin. Together -- or in the company of Hopkins' Odin, Elba's Heimdall, Russo's Frigga, Alexander's Sif, Stevenson's Volstagg or Eccleston's Malekith, all of whom turn in excellent performances -- the brothers are simultaneously a perfectly compatible and perfectly disastrous odd couple, and the implied history they share is more palpable than ever. Make no mistake: whenever the film drifts from Thor and Loki's sides, it does so at its own peril.

If the sequel errs it's in its ever-fluctuating tone. Marvel remains intent on keeping things relatively light in the MCU and avoiding the oppressive darkness of series like Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. And more power to 'em. (Even if the irony of the film's title won't escape anyone.) I'll be the first to admit it's nice to have fun with a superhero movie every now and again rather than being dragged along behind a quasi-realistic adaptation of a wholly unrealistic story. (Engrossing and masterfully made as Nolan's films are, they're intentionally heavy and joyless.) Still, Thor's second go-round is a bit too erratic, bounding between tragedy and comedy with something resembling a disregard for emotional resonance. It occasionally even feels as if several key transitional scenes were left on the cutting room floor. Pacing and storytelling receive a boost in the breakneck department, sure, but it isn't always for the best. One particularly devastating blow in Asgard and its subsequent fallout are immediately followed by scenes of comic relief in a British mental hospital. The shift is jarring and could have easily been alleviated had Taylor and editors Dan Lebental and Wyatt Smith simply added a few brief minutes between such disparate beats.

That said, any ensuing whiplash is more a product of Marvel over-exerting its control than of Taylor's original vision going awry. Lest ye forget, the studio ordered last-minute re-shoots to inject more humor into the mix after determining The Dark World was, erm, too dark. (Bleed over from Taylor's work with Game of Thrones no doubt.) Fortunately, Taylor is absolved of any sins the second he hurries back to Asgard and the Nine Realms, returning the focus of the story where it belongs: on Thor and Loki rather than Erik and Darcy. The result? There's plenty of fun to be had, not to mention Shakespearean drama, beautifully written brotherly conflict, grand battles and a rich expansion of Thor and Loki's individual arcs that make The Dark World a full-fledged sequel instead of Thor 1.5 or an epilogue to The Avengers. Does it top the first Thor? In many ways, yes. In some ways, not quite. (Jane irritates, the final showdown is interrupted by humans dabbling in rickety junk science, a love triangle is introduced only to be promptly abandoned, and the Darcy hand is overplayed.) Even so, the Thor series continues to churn out some of the MCU's most delightful surprises. I can't wait to see where Odin's boys go next. Hopefully farther and farther away from Earth with each new entry in the franchise.

Thor: The Dark World 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

It's time for an intervention. Beginning with the theatrical release of Thor in 2011, Marvel Studios has diligently, almost stubbornly produced every MCU film in 3D. Which would be great, if the resulting 3D post-conversions weren't so decidedly average. (With The Avengers being as close to an exception as there is.) So let's play a rousing round of Good News, Bad News. Good news first. Thor: The Dark World's 1080p/MVC-encoded 3D experience is notably better than the less-than-impressive 3D presentation that dragged down the 2011 3D Blu-ray release of Thor. When the sun is high in the Asgardian skies, the 3D version of the film is at its best. The Dark Elves' initial attack features some of the best 3D scenes in the bunch, followed by London sequences and prison visits with Loki. There are even shots with a good deal of 3D pop; the one pictured above, for instance, and many a similar, well-lit close-up. Several battles also fare reasonably well -- specifically the opening Vanaheim campaign and the climactic London assault -- even if crucial encounters on Svartalfheim, other Realms and in the midst of the Aether underwhelm.

So with that said, on to the Bad News portion of the review. The bulk of the 3D experience is serviceable but wholly unremarkable, without any dazzling examples of 3D to speak of. The Dark World is precisely that: an aesthetically dark film, with oppressive shadows, bleak exteriors and even bleaker interiors, and bottomless swaths of black. The subsequent conversion and 3D image is often flat and even, on occasion, devoid of life. Depth? Dimensionality? Just north of decent, sometimes shy of decent; all the sort that will earn a shoulder shrug on the whole. There isn't anything technically wrong with the presentation per se. Aliasing isn't an issue, crosstalk isn't much of a factor (on displays that are prone to ghosting anyway) and the 3D presentation shares all of the color, contrast and clarity qualities of its 2D counterpart. The 3D is just so... average. (There's that word again.)

Fortunately, things improve dramatically when viewing The Dark World in 2D. Taylor's London is overcast and rather colorless, but Asgard and the Nine Realms are teeming with dusky, golden hues, piercing primaries, beautifully saturated skintones, and fittingly unforgiving comic-ink blacks. Contrast doesn't falter either (although it does come on a tad strong), nor is crush really a significant issue, despite the dank, impenetrable depths of locales like Malekith's command ship. And detail? Detail wows at every turn, with crisp edges free of ringing, exceedingly well-resolved fine textures unhindered by aberrant noise, and excellent delineation (given the appropriately dark circumstances). Scenes set on Malekith's homeworld, Svartalfheim, are desolate and a touch murky, yes. A hint of softness even creeps in. But it's all in keeping with Taylor and cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau's intentions and the visual tone the filmmakers bring to the war-torn Realm. And with a pristine AVC MPEG-4 encode that isn't subject to macroblocking, banding or any other anomalies that might prove distracting, The Dark World delivers yet another Marvel Cinematic Universe Blu-ray presentation worthy of high praise. In 2D at least...

Thor: The Dark World 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

If The Dark World's battle sequences don't test your gear's mettle, the devastation of the film's thunderous, world-invasion third act certainly will. Disney's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track is outstanding, brimming with the sort of sonic punch, power and precision every Marvel movie audiophile lives for. LFE output goes big and goes bold, dispensing Earth-rocking explosions, merciless implosions and metal-rending impacts, all of which boast terrific low-end presence and prowess. The rear speakers come alive as well, filling the soundfield with whizzing ships, energy blasts, angry behemoths and fierce warriors. Directionality is dead on. Pans are wonderfully transparent. And the experience is as immersive and involving as they come. All the while, dialogue is clear, intelligible and nicely prioritized. No mishaps or issues whatsoever. The Dark World sounds even better than it looks, making for a top notch AV presentation all around.

Thor: The Dark World 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Marvel One Shot: All Hail the King (HD, 14 minutes): "Come not between the dragon and his wrath." Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery returns in this thoroughly entertaining short film from Iron Man 3 co-writer Drew Pearce. Surprises come in threes, although the biggest one probably won't be all that surprising to fans who've already sniffed out Marvel's plan of attack. Suffice it to say, the twist in "All Hail the King" will be as much of a water cooler topic as the gotcha reveal in IM3, if not more so. Just be sure to stick around through the credits for a fantastic little cameo I won't spoil here.
• The Dark World Audio Commentary: Director Alan Taylor, cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau, producer and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, and actor Tom Hiddleston dissect the film with scene by scene specificity, albeit a bit more dryly than commentary enthusiasts might prefer. Taylor and Morgenthau share a mic, as do Feige and Hiddleston. But the two pairs have been recorded separately, leading to a slightly humorless -- but no less extensive -- track.
• A Brother's Journey: Thor & Loki (HD, 32 minutes): Divided into two parts, this Marvel Cinematic Universe documentary delves into the development, casting, character arcs and performances of Hemsworth's Thor and Hiddleston's Loki. Part 1 begins by focusing on the original Thor (2011) and Joss Whedon's Avengers, but soon ropes in Thor: The Dark World. Part 2 offers a more sequel-specific overview of the Asgardian brothers that features plenty of interview segments with key members of the cast and crew.
• Deleted & Extended Scenes (HD, 8 minutes): Six scenes that didn't make the cut are included -- "Extended Celebration Scene," "Jane Learns About the Aether," "Loki: The First Avenger," "Thor and Frigga Discuss Loki," "Dark Elves Prepare for Battle" and "Extended Vanaheim Scene" -- and come complete with optional audio commentary. As far as I'm concerned, nearly every scene (minus "The First Avenger") should have been in the final film from the outset.
• Scoring Thor: The Dark World with Brian Tyler (HD, 5 minutes): Composer Brian Tyler briefly discusses the sequel's score and the creation of new musical themes for Thor, Odin, Loki, the Dark Elves, and the Nine Realms.
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier Exclusive Look (HD, 4 minutes): Go behind the scenes of the next Marvel blockbuster with Winter Soldier producer Kevin Feige, directors Anthony and Joe Russo, and actors Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Samuel L. Jackson, Sebastian Stan and Robert Redford.
• Gag Reel (HD, 4 minutes): Laugh it up with the cast of The Dark World.

Thor: The Dark World 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Free from the shackles that bound the first film, Thor: The Dark World is a brisker, more refined and more satisfying Asgardian adventure bolstered by a sharp, crafty screenplay and another round of first rate performances. Hiddleston steals the show yet again, but Hemsworth is no slouch, adding welcome depth and dimension to a hero who could easily be all too flat. Bring on Thor 3. Disney's 3D Blu-ray release, meanwhile, will be a solid must-have for any Marvel movie geek. With a first class video presentation, incredible DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track and an array of special features, The Dark World comes highly recommended. Its 3D experience is built on the back of yet another mildly underwhelming post-conversion, sure, but everything else makes this one to own.