Success would mean exile. Failure would mean death. The ultimate plan to save all of Asgard and Earth could also be the definite design of destined destruction. One mistake could break it, one trick could make it. The universe was now in the hands of gods and mortals alike.

This is  “Thor: The Dark World.”

The film begins thousands of years before the present. Malekith, the leader of a race called the “Dark Elves,” is trying to destroy all of the light in the universe with a super weapon called the Aether. The Asgards stopped him and he ran off into the depths of space. Flash forward 5,000 years to the present, two years after Thor came to Earth for the first time. Jane Foster is in London looking for a connection between Earth and any of the other realms, a connection to Thor. After bringing the peace to all nine of the realms, the god of thunder comes back to Earth to find Jane. Once he realizes the danger they are all in, he takes Jane to Asgard, and with the help of his friends and mischievous brother, Thor attempt to save the nine realms from the obliteration of Malekith and the Dark Elves.

Chris Hemsworth does a phenomenal job playing the mythical god of thunder. Thor has transformed from his original egotistical self into the true king-to-be. Natalie Portman plays Jane Foster and does a fantastic job portraying the informed scientist and not the average Hollywood damsel in distress. Together, the two make an awkward, funny and quite believable couple. The star-crossed lovers are not the average Hollywood mash-up, but instead, a more comfortable, realistic pair. However, neither of them could compete with a certain character.

Loki. Loki stole the show. Tom Hiddleston did a superb job capturing the god of mischief. He was funny, mischievous, vengeful, witty and so much more that made the audience fall in love with him. And then soon hate him. Followed by more love. And hate. Also, there was a different side of Loki this time, one of sadness, despair and grief. Marvel created a well-rounded hero/villain that the audience just loves to hate.

Even the supporting characters did a fantastic job to pull the audience in. Darcey Lewis, played by Kat Dennings, portrays a humorous intern and best friend of Jane. Her comic relief is almost constant and never takes away from the plot. Thor’s close personal friends, especially Sif, played by Jaimie Alexander, create a hilarious and loyal team that helps Thor in many different aspects.

One of my few complaints about Marvel’s newest addition to their movie universe is the undeveloped villain. In the short introduction of the movie, Malekith, played by Christopher Eccleston, works to destroy the entire universe just because he likes the darkness. Really Marvel? Is that all you got? His future motivation is pure hatred and revenge of Asgard while wanting to rebuild the greatness of the Dark Elves. A little better, but still a poorly developed villain next to Marvel’s previous super villains.

Another poorly developed idea was one of the battles between the Dark Elves and Asgard. It was like watching “Star Wars” characters destroy the Spartans. Does Marvel really expect me to believe after 5,000 years the Asgardians didn’t develop a single handheld weapon to shoot? The Elves jump out of their superior spaceship, guns ablazing and bullets falling upon Asgardian swords and shields. The entire scene seems exceedingly out of place.

The fantasy world of Asgard has been re-mastered. From the Rainbow Bridge down to the golden castle and throne, all of Asgard looks incredible. The Dark World as well as the other realms in the film are just as astounding. The score only adds to the emotions throughout the film. From laughable, loveable scenes to the dramatic and suspenseful ending, the magnificent music amplifies the highs and lows of the big screen. All of the special effects and lighting are incredible, except some awkward scenes with the Aether super weapon. Although it only happens twice, when the Aether takes over the background it looks more like a ’90s “Dracula” bloodbath rather than the Marvel movie magic the audience has come to know.

Everyone should go see this marvelous movie.  From the laughter and love, to the action and adventure, no one will leave disappointed. It is definitely worth the price of admission. Be sure to stay after the credits for another one of Marvel’s famous extra endings. This one will leave the viewers on the edge of their seat wondering where the next films will take them, how the previous films will be integrated and what awaits the legendary Avengers in their next escapade.