Film Trailer Review: Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Thor and his companions try to save Earth and Asgard from a new enemy, a dark elf called Malekith the Accursed in this sequel to Thor which was released in 2011. Malekith, played by Christopher Eccleston is powerful, ambitious and ruthless so Thor is forced to recruit his brother Loki (played again by Tom Hiddleston) for aid. This adds an interesting dynamic to the plot as Loki is a man who cannot be trusted, there is a brief moment in the trailer (around 1:46) which indicates Loki may indeed betray Thor at some stage but this is pure speculation. This clip also reveals another villain from the comics called Kurse which confirms his appearance in the movie. The decision to bring Loki back for this sequel was a wise move as the character is a decent bad guy. Most of the other cast members also return including Chris Hemsworth as Thor and also Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba and Rene Russo.

Thor: The Dark World will give viewers a chance to learn more about Asgard and also the main characters that live there. In a statement, Idris Elba was asked about his character Heimdall and said “In the new film we’re going to get to know Heimdall the Asgardian a bit better, and we’re going to get to know Asgard a bit better. I can’t say too much, but the expansion of Thor in his world is going to be huge. My part was very small and functional in the first film” This is good news as it would be cool to learn more about the characters and maybe even see some character development. The movie is also rumoured to have plenty of drama which is hinted at in the trailer, the trailer also has a fair bit of action too.

It’s an effective trailer with a nice balance of action, drama and humour. Loki’s re-emergence is explored in a bit more detail and his banter with Thor is entertaining. Not much is being revealed about Malekith though and it is clear the studio wants to keep him fairly obscure.  It is always good when a trailer holds back information and doesn’t spoil the whole film for fans. It is still unclear why the other Avengers don’t show up to help Thor with this new threat, the modern Marvel superhero films never explain or address these conspicuous absences. Each film is obviously a stand-alone project that focuses on one hero which is good and the right way to go about things. A little explanation regarding the whereabouts of the other heroes would be cool though.

The film is shaping up to be an entertaining superhero popcorn experience and there’s nothing wrong with that. Thor: The Dark World has a great cast, a decent if uninspired story, decent special effects based on the trailer and a new villain played by a good actor who could use a comeback film.

The movie will be released on October 30th, check out the trailer and share your thoughts.