Written by Joe Naz (@Naz_islike) Follow us on Facebook at For The Bl0g

The new Thor movie was just released and it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t midnight a Marvel movie. It’s a tradition: show up in line with some friends around 9pm, sit in line, bullshit and wait until 11 or 11:30pm until AMC lets us into our seats. Then grab some expensive baller snacks such as a large popcorn or skittles and then watch the same commercials on repeat until the trailers start. This isn’t what you wanna hear though is it? You wanna hear how awesome Thor was. You wanna hear how amazing it was when Thor unleashes the wrath of Mjolnir on his enemies. Alright you got me. Let’s get onto this review and talk about Thor: The Dark World!

Thor: The Dark World kicks right off with some Lord of The Rings esque action. I’m talking full out brawler epic-scale action. During this time we get some short history between the Asgardians and the Dark Elves, led by Malekith. Both armies are fighting over some kind of artifact, as of this point we are unsure of what it is. Although one can guess, that it’s very damn important if people are being slaughtered over it. This artifact sets the stage for the rest of the film. It is what will bring everyone from Midguard (Earth) to Asgard together to help control this beast.

To start off with the good stuff, I loved the action in this film. Everyone gets a chance to shine in this aspect of the film. Thor takes down a stone giant, Korg, who is a throwback to Journey into Mystery 83 (The first issue of Thor) in one swing. The Warriors Three get there time to shine and once again, showcase why Thor personally picks them as his go-to back up crew. Lady Sif showcases why she is the baddest woman in all of Asgard. I can’t recall many warriors taking down their foes with such style and grace, all while wearing high heels! There is a lot more comedy in this movie than I expected. That’s not saying it’s a bad thing, it just came really unexpected from a Thor movie. Sure we know that Loki quips and jokes but just as everyone got a chance to fight, everyone also gets a chance to shine in some form of a joke. And as I mention the God of Mischief… Loki was fantastic, Tom Hiddleston kills it again as our favorite piece-of-shit conniving trickster who we can’t quite tell if we should hate or feel sorry for (but maybe we should just stick with a little of both).

One of my complaints from the first film was that Asgard felt small and that we didn’t get a chance to view more of the world. This time around they really did fix that. We get to see Asgard filled with grandeur and more lively. We also get to see it from a high view-point giving a true scope of just how big this place is. While we may never discover all the nooks and crannies of this place, it’s nice just seeing how much work was put into creating an Asgard that feels like a developed city.

And with the good there too comes the not-so-good… There were some things I didn’t really enjoy about this film. One of these things was our evil villain, Malekith. I don’t place any of the blame on the actor who played Malekith, Christopher Eccleston, he was fantastic. Where I think Malektih fails in truly inspiring us to hate him is that we have no idea what his back story is. We get a small glimpse at the start of the film, but how did all of that start? Why is he really after the artifact, and why does he hold so much hate for everything? I know a lot of footage concerning Malekith’s back story was cut from the film. I’m holding on to hope we can get those on deleted scenes in the future Thor: The Dark World release.

I was so happy to see the Warriors Three and Lady Sif in this film. While they did get more screen time, it was barely noticeable. Lady Sif at the start of movie is played up more of a should-be, might-be, waiting-to-be love interest for Thor. There’s eye contact happening and Odin trying to nudge his son, Thor, into the right direction. Leave Jane Foster and go for Lady Sif. We all know he isn’t going to leave Jane anytime soon but the way it’s kind of built up at the beginning of the film and then just a small line ends it all. Then it’s just left as is and not brought up again.

Overall this film was truly fantastic. It has everything you would want in a Marvel movie. Action, comedy, witty remarks, easter eggs, and a fantastic story. I would place Thor: The Dark World in my top three favorite Marvel movies. You get to see Loki being Loki, which is always awesome. (I know how much you girls love Loki.) There are some scenes that may remind you of Star Wars Episode 1 pod racing (Take that as you want). One of the best hero vs villain fights in the entire Marvel franchise (now you’re thinking with portals). I really did love this movie and chances are you will too. If anything you’re gonna be entertained and have a good time! So grab some friends, head down to your local theater and grab a good sight for this spectacular roller coaster ride. STAY FOR ALL THE CREDITS. There are extra scenes at both the half-way point AND after the final credits. And you really don’t want to miss out on these scenes… You’ll get a peek at what sets the stage next for the Marvel Universe!

If you love Thor and want to find some of my favorite Thor stories I have you taken care of. Five awesome Thor stories!!!

Rating 8.5/10

PS: The handle on Mjolnir changes again. Nothing crazy but this is my favorite handle out of the three different ones they have used for the franchise.