--- title: "Thor: The Dark World" year: 2013 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/thor-the-dark-world" fi1m_score: 58 critics_score: 62 critics_reviews: 22 published: "2026-09-19T12:00:58.990915+00:00" updated: "2026-09-19T12:00:59.362957+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Thor: The Dark World (2013) Directed by Alan Taylor · 1h 52m · MPA PG-13 · Action, Adventure, Fantasy **Fi1m score: 58** · Critics 62 from 22 reviews *In a sentence:* The Nine Realms are in peril and the only person enjoying himself is in a cell > Alan Taylor’s sequel is livelier than the first *Thor* and leaves less behind. Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, locked in a glass box for half of it, is the reason to stay; Christopher Eccleston’s blank Malekith is the reason none of it matters. ## Synopsis Long ago, Asgard’s armies defeated Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) and his Dark Elves, who wanted a red, liquid weapon called the Aether, and hid it where nobody would look. In the present, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is finishing a war to bring peace to the Nine Realms, while his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) sits in an Asgardian cell for his attack on New York, visited only by their mother Frigga (Rene Russo). In London, the astrophysicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) finds a warehouse where dropped objects hang in the air or vanish, walks through a gap between worlds and touches the Aether. The worlds are lining up, an alignment Asgard calls the Convergence. Thor carries Jane to Asgard against the wishes of his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins), and Malekith wakes. ## Review Kenneth Branagh directed the first [*Thor*](https://film.one/film/thor) and produces this one; the chair passes to Alan Taylor, and the film he has made is louder, faster and funnier than its predecessor and stays in the mind for less time. The story, by Robert Rodat and Don Payne, with a screenplay from Christopher Lee Yost, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, is the old one about a weapon that must not fall into the wrong hands and an ancient enemy who wakes when the stars line up. *Thor: The Dark World* runs 112 minutes, carries a 12A, and is a decent evening for anyone who liked the first film. It is not much more than that. Asgard first, because there is a great deal of it. Charles Wood builds the place as a city of gold panels and Viking longships fitted with ray guns, and Kramer Morgenthau lights it like late afternoon in a jeweller’s window. The Dark Elves’ ships are long black blades that hang in the air, and their home world is ash and grey rock, lit like a quarry at dusk. It is all handsome and none of it has weight. Wendy Partridge’s best work is the Dark Elves’ porcelain masks, which are more frightening than the faces they hide. One of those faces belongs to Christopher Eccleston, who plays Malekith under white prosthetics and speaks a subtitled invented language, and the script gives him a grudge, a weapon and nothing else. He wants the universe dark. We never learn what he would do with it afterwards. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s Kurse, his silent enforcer, comes off better, because a monster that only hits things does not need the lines nobody wrote. Malekith is one of the thinnest villains the Marvel films have produced, and the stakes go down with him. Tom Hiddleston spends the first half in a glass cell, reading, lounging and insulting his visitors, and he is the only person in the film who appears to be enjoying the material. When the plot lets him out, the film improves at once. His scenes with Chris Hemsworth have an edge the rest lacks: brothers who know each other’s tricks, one of whom keeps changing shape mid-conversation for his own amusement. Hemsworth is looser than he was in 2011 and better for it, and his exasperated face when Loki does something unforgivable is the film’s most reliable joke. We should say what we felt. For the first forty minutes we were bored, plainly bored, by Asgard: ceremonial rooms, Anthony Hopkins shouting exposition at his son, a war across the realms covered in a montage that looks like a trailer for a better film. Then Rene Russo’s Frigga picks up a sword to defend a guest, and for two minutes the film has a person in it whose danger we cared about. We sat up. That happens perhaps three times in 112 minutes, and each time it is a performer, not a set piece, that does it. Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster is a scientist for one scene, in a London warehouse where dropped objects do not land, and a parcel for the rest, carried from world to world and set down when the plot needs a reason. Idris Elba stands at the gate and looks into the distance with great dignity. Brian Tyler’s score is brass and choir throughout and never once a tune you could hum in the car park. Wyatt Smith and Dan Lebental cut the London and Asgard threads against each other for the first hour and neither builds; the film keeps leaving a scene just as it gets going. The last set piece, in Greenwich, is the one people remember, and rightly: the fighters keep dropping through holes between worlds and arriving somewhere else mid-swing, and for ten minutes the film’s cosmology is a joke rather than a lecture. We laughed, and were grateful, and noticed we were laughing at the mechanics rather than at anyone in particular. Most critics have been a little kinder than we are, and the kindness is nearly all for Hiddleston, which we understand. Watch it for him, at home, and have something else ready for the stretches when he is off screen. *Fi1m score 58, published 19 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics come away mildly pleased with Thor: The Dark World, and nearly all of them say the same thing about why: Tom Hiddleston’s Loki. The praise gathers on him, on the humour, and on the sibling back-and-forth between Hemsworth and Hiddleston, which several reviews call the film’s real emotional centre. The London-set final battle is picked out more than once for its invention and its jokes, and Hemsworth gets credit for landing the comedy. The reservations cluster just as tightly. Christopher Eccleston’s Malekith is called thin, bland or forgettable by review after review, and many find the plot busy, derivative and low in stakes, with the Asgard scenes dragging. The spread is wide, from a four-star notice at Empire to outright dismissals. The Guardian finds the direction clumsy, The New York Times finds it witless, and The Times gives Loki a five-star performance inside a two-star verdict. ### Reviews we read (22) - **Empire**, Chris Hewitt (4/5): Marvel delivers another confident blockbuster that mixes darker tones with consistent humour and inventive action. The final London-set showdown is a highlight for its creativity and laughs. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/thor-dark-world-review/) - **Screen Daily** (80/100, inferred): A gloriously entertaining film delivering spectacle, action, humor, and fun, with strong performances and brisk pace. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/thor-the-dark-world/5062762.article) - **Slant Magazine**, R. Kurt Osenlund (80/100, inferred): The sequel pads its battle-to-battle structure with humor, visual artistry, and emotion, flipping the fish-out-of-water dynamic and elevating Loki's role for laughs and poignancy while delivering epic imagery. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/thor-the-dark-world/) - **Total Film**, Neil Smith (75/100, inferred): The sequel keeps the fun of the original while adding some grittier elements, with Loki providing the best moments and witty banter. The film never stays dark for long and zips along entertainingly. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/thor-the-dark-world-review/) - **Evening Standard** (70/100, inferred): Loki steals the show with his subversive wit and charm, making the rest of the film watchable despite its flaws. Hemsworth delivers the laughs effectively amid the spectacle. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/thor-the-dark-world-3d-film-review-8916382.html) - **The AV Club**, A.A. Dowd (B-): Thor has become too mature and square-jawed to be interesting, and the villain is bland, but the film improves on action staging and comedy while making the Loki-Thor sibling dynamic its emotional core. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/thor-the-dark-world-1798178611) - **Variety**, Justin Chang (70/100, inferred): The film is a buoyant if derivative ride that benefits from humorous approach and strong setpieces in Asgard, though the material feels recycled and stakes low. [Read](https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/thor-the-dark-world-review-1200751252/) - **Little White Lies**, Adam Lee Davies (3/3/3): The critic finds it a consistently enjoyable but uneven and derivative comic book sequel, praising its humor, visuals, and Tom Hiddleston's Loki. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/thor-the-dark-world/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Simon Abrams (60/100, inferred): The film is more busy than exciting with too many subplots and characters, but it is a step in the right direction thanks to the strong chemistry between Hemsworth and Hiddleston. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/thor-the-dark-world-2013) - **The Independent** (60/100, inferred): The film lurches between grand spectacle and self-parody in a jarring manner. Tom Hiddleston's Loki stands out as a far more compelling figure than the lead character. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/thor-the-dark-world-review-tom-hiddleston-shines-in-latest-marvel-epic-8915372.html) - **Time Out**, Tom Huddleston (3/5): A deeply silly, noisy action movie drowning in CGI but enormously entertaining, with strong action sequences and humor. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/thor-the-dark-world) - **Los Angeles Times**, Michael Phillips (55/100, inferred): The sequel offers the same old threats of galaxy annihilation spiced with fairly entertaining fish-out-of-water jokes, but it is hampered by repetition and lacks visual dynamism in battles. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-thor-review-20131107-story.html) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Leslie Felperin (45/100, inferred): The film is uneven, with long draggy stretches on Asgard that feel like filler and a ramshackle script, but it perks up whenever Loki appears and finds its balance in the final London battle. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/thor-dark-world-film-review-649886/) - **The Times**, Kate Muir (2/5): The film is uneven, with an unconvincing villain and tedious plot despite upping the comedy. Tom Hiddleston’s Loki receives special praise as a five-star performance amid the two-star overall verdict. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/comedy/article/thor-the-dark-world-bg0zv9zcd90) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (30/100, inferred): Alan Taylor’s direction is butterfingered and the film fails to impress as a workmanlike Marvel sequel. The critic singles out Stellan Skarsgård’s mad scientist streaking at Stonehenge as the best thing about it. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/nov/03/thor-the-dark-world-review) - **The New York Times**, Jeannette Catsoulis (30/100, inferred): The film is witless and lacks humor, with battle scenes lacking heat and coherence and a central love story that fails to engage, though Hiddleston provides some relief. [Read](https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/movies/thor-the-dark-world-brings-back-marvels-alien-superhero.html) - **/Film**, Germain Lussier (7.5/10): The critic praises the film's humor, strong character relationships especially between Thor and Loki, and non-stop action, calling it one of the best Marvel films to date. The villain Malekith is noted as underwritten and forgettable. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/528570/thor-the-dark-world-review-laughs-and-character-make-this-one-of-marvels-best/) - **The Wrap** (75/100, inferred): The film is entertaining enough with plenty of excitement and panache, making it more fun than the first Thor. Director Alan Taylor strikes the right balance of action, humor, and character moments while delivering the goods above and beyond its predecessor. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/thor-dark-world-review-stirring-mighty-return-thunder-god/) - **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B-): The critic finds the film overly enamored with otherworldly production design and a thin villain plot in the first half, leaving Thor himself sidelined. It improves markedly once focusing on the Thor-Loki dynamic, delivering fun, quips, and a unique climactic battle. [Read](https://collider.com/thor-the-dark-world-review/) - **Paste**, Michael Burgin (7.8): The review praises the strong cast, especially Tom Hiddleston's Loki and Chris Hemsworth's Thor, along with the lush production design and humor that make the space opera enjoyable. It notes that while the plot has some incoherent elements, the film remains outlandish, silly, and surprisingly fun overall. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/thor/post-186) - **Den of Geek**, Simon Brew (3/5): The film starts as a busy muddle with too much exposition and jumping between genres and characters, but finds its feet in the second half with strong humor and performances. The critic singles out Kat Dennings' Darcy for praise while complaining that Christopher Eccleston's Malekith receives too little development and screen time. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/thor-the-dark-world-review-2/) - **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (C): The review finds the film entertaining in spots with good humor and action but ultimately haphazard and unsatisfying due to an under-developed villain, thin script, and lack of distinction. It is called the most deeply flawed Marvel movie since Iron Man 2. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-marvels-thor-the-dark-world-with-chris-hemsworth-natalie-portman-tom-hiddleston-20131022/) ## Details - **Director:** Alan Taylor - **Director:** Alan Taylor - **Screenplay:** Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Christopher Lee Yost - **Story:** Don Payne, Robert Rodat - **Cinematography:** Kramer Morgenthau - **Editor:** Dan Lebental, Wyatt Smith - **Music:** Brian Tyler - **Production design:** Charles Wood - **Costume design:** Wendy Partridge - **Producer:** Kevin Feige, Kenneth Branagh - **Cast:** Chris Hemsworth as Thor; Natalie Portman as Jane Foster; Tom Hiddleston as Loki; Christopher Eccleston as Malekith; Anthony Hopkins as Odin; Jaimie Alexander as Sif; Zachary Levi as Fandral; Ray Stevenson as Volstagg - **Runtime:** 1h 52m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 8 November 2013 - **Genres:** Action, Adventure, Fantasy - **Budget:** $170 million - **Box office:** $645 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npvJ9FTgZbM ## Where to watch in the US - Disney+: streaming, uhd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Apple TV: buy $19.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $19.99, uhd *Checked 2026-09-19.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - MTV Movie Award for Best Hero 2014: MTV Movie Award for Best Hero (nominated) - MTV Movie Award for Best Shirtless Performance 2014: MTV Movie Award for Best Shirtless Performance (nominated) - Saturn Awards 2014: Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture (nominated); Best Costume (nominated); Best Make-up (nominated); Best Special Effects (nominated); Best Supporting Actor (nominated) - Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor - Sci-Fi/Fantasy 2014: Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor - Sci-Fi/Fantasy (nominated) - Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress - Sci-Fi/Fantasy 2014: Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress - Sci-Fi/Fantasy (nominated) - Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie - Sci-Fi/Fantasy 2014: Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie - Sci-Fi/Fantasy (nominated) ## If you liked this - *Thor: Ragnarok* (2017), Fi1m 74: The same god, four years on, finally allowed to be as funny as his brother. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/thor-ragnarok.md) - *Flash Gordon* (1980): Space kingdoms, absurd costumes and a villain who at least knows what he wants. - *Excalibur* (1981), Fi1m 79: Armoured men, fathers and sons and magic, taken with a seriousness this film never risks. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/excalibur.md) - *Stardust* (2007): A mortal wanders into a magic realm and the film remembers to be charming about it. - *Guardians of the Galaxy* (2014), Fi1m 80: Proof that a Marvel space opera can have a tune and a villain with a face. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/guardians-of-the-galaxy.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/thor-the-dark-world