Thor: The Dark World (2013)
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Thor and Loki must form an uneasy alliance to protect the Nine Realms from the threat of the Dark Elves.
The story
Following the events of the previous film, Thor and his companions are tasked with pacifying the Nine Realms after the destruction of the Bifröst. As a rare alignment of the realms known as the Convergence approaches, mysterious portals begin to appear. When an astrophysicist on Earth, Dr. Jane Foster, is caught in one of these portals and becomes a vessel for a dangerous power known as the Aether, she is brought to Asgard. The emergence of this energy awakens Malekith, the ruler of the Dark Elves, who seeks to use the Aether to plunge the universe into darkness. Thor must then navigate a desperate quest to stop Malekith's plan.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Eons ago, Bor defeated Malekith and his Dark Elves, hiding the Aether in a remote realm. In the present, the Asgardians prepare for the Convergence, a rare alignment of the Nine Realms. When Dr. Jane Foster is caught in a portal and becomes the vessel for the Aether, Malekith is awakened and attacks Asgard, killing Thor's mother, Frigga. To avenge her, Thor recruits his brother Loki to travel to Svartalfheim. During the confrontation, Loki uses an illusion to trick Malekith into drawing the Aether from Foster, but Thor's attempt to destroy it fails, and Malekith merges with the Aether. Thor and Foster reunite in London with Dr. Erik Selvig. They learn Malekith intends to unleash the Aether in Greenwich during the Convergence. Thor battles Malekith across multiple worlds while Jane's team works to transport him back to Svartalfheim, where he is ultimately crushed by his own ship. Thor returns to Asgard and declines the throne, while Loki is revealed to be alive and impersonating Odin. In a mid-credits scene, Volstagg and Sif entrust the Aether to the Collector.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 112
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Alan Taylor
- Writers
- Christopher L. Yost · screenplay; Christopher Markus · screenplay; Stephen McFeely · screenplay; Don Payne · story; Robert Rodat · story
- Cast and characters
- Chris Hemsworth · Thor; Natalie Portman · Jane Foster; Tom Hiddleston · Loki; Stellan Skarsgård · Erik Selvig; Idris Elba · Heimdall; Christopher Eccleston · Malekith; Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje · Algrim / Kurse; Kat Dennings · Darcy Lewis; Ray Stevenson · Volstagg; Zachary Levi · Fandral; Tadanobu Asano · Hogun; Jaimie Alexander · Sif
- Genres
- superhero; fantasy; action
- Themes
- responsibility; sacrifice; brotherhood
- Tone and mood
- gritty; epic
- Premise and plot tags
- fantasy; sci-fi; superhero
- Source material / true-story basis
- Marvel Comics
- Franchise connections
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Reception
- The film was a commercial success, grossing over $644 million worldwide. It received praise for the performances of Hemsworth and Hiddleston, visual effects, and action sequences, but was criticized for its generic villain and lack of depth.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 54 · scale: 100 · review count: 44
- Production trivia
- The film was originally intended to feature Hela as the antagonist.; The director, Alan Taylor, was influenced by his work on Game of Thrones.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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