In recent months, and especially in the past two weeks, Marvel has been evaluated and criticized more than they ever have been. Why have the last few films not been well received (excluding Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)? Why have the TV shows not been as successful? Are they introducing too many forgettable characters? The current state of the MCU certainly has its issues, but one thing many people can agree on is just how great the Infinity Saga is, except for one film: Thor: The Dark World.

Thor: The Dark World is the lowest rated film on Rotten Tomatoes and iMDB of Phases 1-3. The other films on the lower side have their defenders: Iron Man 3, Captain Marvel, and Avengers: Age of Ultron are perfect examples of this. But I’ve never seen a post on X or any other social media site defending Thor: The Dark World. Now that it has been 10 years since its release, it is a perfect time to reevaluate it.

I do have a personal connection to the character. My father took me to see Thor in theaters. He loved the character and grew up reading those comic books. Despite his influence, the second Thor film was a major blind spot for me in the MCU. It took me until 2019 before I got the chance to watch it. I originally had the same thought as many others about the quality of the film, but several rewatches later, I realized there are so many great things about Thor: The Dark World.

There are several factors I feel influenced its perception upon release. First, Thor and Loki were so crucial to the plot of The Avengers that any film following it would’ve had a hard time in comparison. Also, Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman) was supposed to direct this film before leaving the project due to creative differences. Oftentimes, if there is a change of director, that means a foundational change in the project. She was replaced by Alan Taylor, frequent director of critically acclaimed HBO shows such as Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, and Six Feet Under. He clearly has a handle on how to make his work epic, which is exactly how a film about gods should be.

This film follows Thor’s battle with the Dark Elves, an ancient race of aliens that want to bring the world back to eternal darkness through the use of the Aether which houses the Reality Infinity Stone. Malekith, the leader of the Dark Elves, needs the nine realms of Yggdrasil to be aligned during the phenomenon known as the Convergence which only occurs every 5,000 years. On Earth, Jane Foster, who is midway through a date with a kind Irish lad, is alerted by her intern Darcy that her technology is going haywire. She quickly runs away to find an astronomical anomaly (the Convergence) with Darcy and Darcy’s own intern Ian. They find an abandoned warehouse where gravity varies, there are portals in space, and strange weather anomalies. Jane is sucked through a portal where she finds the Aether and accidentally absorbs it. This awakens Malekith’s ship and sets him on his path of terror. Thor is also trying to bring peace back to the nine realms now that Loki’s threat on Earth has been vanquished and Odin has awakened from his Odinsleep. While this may sound very strange, it is important to note that Thor is supposed to be a high fantasy character. There is magic, they live in a completely different world, and everything is high stakes. Malekith and the Dark Elves might not be the most interesting of villains, but these creatures make complete sense as adversaries of Thor.

The Asgard that we see in Thor: The Dark World feels much more tangible and accurate aesthetically compared to Thor. The Bifrost is detailed so beautifully, and the cosmos behind it looks magical. In this movie, we get to see more of the people of Asgard and see how they live on an everyday basis. The Asgardians train and fight, they walk the streets, and they celebrate by drinking and smashing glasses. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, who are vital in the Thor comics as his closest and most trusted friends, have a chance to shine here before they are killed off in Thor: Ragnarok. Also, when Jane is evaluated by the Asgardian healers, we see how science and magic can overlap between their different cultures. In all reality, Thor: The Dark World is more of an “Asgard is not a place it’s a people” movie than Thor: Ragnarok. All of this setup makes it all the more painful when the Dark Elves attack Asgard.

Loki and Frigga’s complicated relationship is shown beautifully, and it perfectly adds to his storyline from his two previous appearances in the MCU. He is struggling with his feelings toward his adoptive parents and his role in the universe. How can Odin not be his father if he considers Frigga his mother? He loves her, and he also uses magic like her, but he rebukes her as a mother as well to stand in principle. His true feelings are revealed when we see Loki is destroyed over the fact, he inadvertently kills her when he points out to one of the Dark Elves how to get out of the prison. When Thor offers him revenge, he chooses to follow Thor’s plan, which also gives us the brother banter we’ve been wanting. This redeems him in Thor’s eyes before he tricks Thor into thinking he’s dead.

Also, Odin and Frigga get to have bigger roles in this film, and when you have actors as talented as Anthony Hopkins and Rene Russo that can only be a plus. Frigga outsmarts and outfights Malekith and is only killed because she was outnumbered. The Viking-style funeral was terribly beautiful as everyone gathered to watch her go. Anthony Hopkins gets to be stubborn and tough on Thor and Loki. He and Thor struggle to see eye to eye on how to fight the Dark Elves, driving Thor to commit treason rather than see thousands of Asgardians die at the hands of the Dark Elves.

It seems like all is lost when Thor and Jane are stuck in the Dark World, but they are saved when Jane gets a call from her date, which is hilarious because Thor gets a little jealous. Despite being millions of miles away, the blurred borders of the realms due to the Convergence give Jane cell reception and a portal so they can walk their way back to London in seconds. Now that Malekith has taken the Aether from Jane, they must find exactly where the realms are aligning so they can stop him before he brings eternal darkness. They reconnect with Darby, Ian, and Dr. Erik Selvig, whom they removed from psychiatric care. He is still reeling from having Loki in his brain in The Avengers. Together the five of them figure out that they need to go to Greenwich to stop Malekith once and for all. 

Having the final battle be on Earth balances the high fantasy with reality and science which continues the science v. magic theme of the first film. Also, it’s awesome to see Thor hold his own against a creature with the power of an Infinity Stone. The borders between the worlds being thin leads to some delightful situational humor. Jane’s genius gets to play a part in the finale as she uses her and Selvig’s technology to stop the Dark Elves along with Thor. She has a hero moment of her own when she tries to save Thor when he passes out after fighting Malekith despite putting herself in major danger. By the end of the film Thor comes to the conclusion that he does not want to be king, but a good man, and only wants freedom. Now he gets to return to Midgard to be with Jane. Loki, pretending to be Odin, finally gets a chance to rule Asgard as he has always dreamed of doing. This is a pretty exciting ending with lots of possibilities to leave the audience with. 

There are several other good aspects of Thor: The Dark World that should’ve be pointed out. The humor in the film is underrated. Thor’s humor is subtle but not nonexistent. His fish-out-of-water presence never fails to be funny. It is the little things, like hanging Mjolnir on a coat rack, looking like a giant in an itty-bitty car, and riding the train to get back to Greenwich to fight Malekith. Darcy is so naturally hilarious and is a delight in every scene she’s in, especially because she’s frustrated, she has to be the responsible one on Earth. Also, Stellan Skarsgård seems totally unphased by being naked on screen and is willing to look like a complete and utter oaf as his character tries to make sense of the Convergence.

One of my favorite parts of this movie is how perfect the costuming and hair and makeup is. This is my absolute favorite look of Loki’s since his hair is so long and he no longer has the crazed gleam in his eye from The Avengers. The Dark Elves, especially Malekith, are wicked with their bright braided blonde hair, sharp looks, and piercing eyes. Thor’s hair looks even better at its length, too, aided by Chris Hemsworth growing out his own hair. Everyone’s costumes look so well made. For example, there is tiny little detailing on the Dark Elves’ outfits and so many little scales on Thor’s battle armor.

Also, Brian Tyler’s score is actually rather great. Thor’s theme is powerful and dynamic. The funeral music is heartbreaking as Frigga drifts off into the cosmos. The strings are light and delicate but slowly build as a singular voice and the winds join them. This is abandoned for a more rock-style score in Thor: Ragnarok.

Thor: The Dark World is not the pinnacle of filmmaking and certain things could be improved, such as giving Jane an active role throughout the entire film and amping up a rather dull villain. Malekith’s simple aspirations do nothing to assuage the audience to show the Dark Elves any sympathy, but Christopher Eccleston does what he can in a thankless role. If society is assuming that Marvel is in their flop era now, I can’t help but wonder if 10 years is enough time for fans to look back on Thor: The Dark World fondly, or at least sentimentally. Though it has its flaws, it is a well-directed and highly aesthetic film that continues the story of brothers who struggle with their relationship with their parents and each other, as well as finding their place in this world, which I will always find compelling.