“Thor: the Dark World” is not the worst Marvel movie. In fact, it is not even a bad movie. Perhaps the plot is not very interesting, and Malekith might be the worst superhero villain besides Ares from “Wonder Woman,” but as far as character development and relationships go, “Thor: The Dark World” is very strong. 

Superhero films follow a specific format. That is, of course, not to say that all superhero films are copy and paste. The plots can vary, and so can the characters. “Thor: The Dark World” has a very predictable plot and a rather basic villain. However, the conversations between Thor and his brother Loki almost make the film. The last time people saw Loki, he was being a bland and out-of-character antagonist in “The Avengers.” He does typical villain things, such as trying to take over the world through aliens and craving power. In “Thor: The Dark World,” Loki is given the chance to have a three-dimensional character, which many fans were excited about. He has his comic book sass and chaotic-neutral personality, as opposed to the really awkward characterization we saw in “The Avengers.” 

The hardest relationship to write in screenwriting, playwriting or fiction writing is a sibling relationship. Each set of siblings has its own slang or mannerisms, so what one sibling might say, the other might not. The writers for this film nailed the dialogue perfectly. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston have the perfect banter and sibling dynamic. Often, the timing of their spats is not ideal, which only adds to the organicness of the situation. 

The argument here is not that “Thor: The Dark World” is the best Marvel movie. That title goes to “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” However, to say that “Thor: The Dark World” is the worst MCU movie is to imply there is nothing to a superhero film other than the action scenes. The worst Marvel film is “Iron Man 3.” Something that all superhero films lack is the capability of allowing men to experience and show emotion. This is why a lot of people who like Tony Stark were excited for “Iron Man 3.” The promise was that Tony Stark would have post-traumatic stress disorder from his previous experiences in other films he has been in. However, the film mentions that he has post-traumatic stress disorder and shows it briefly through how it hurts those around him, and then, he is cured. The villain from “Iron Man 3” is incredibly forgettable, and the relationship between Stark and Pepper Potts is one of the least organic relationships in the whole series. Potts is constantly fed up with Stark’s bologna and says as much, but then his actions do not have any actual repercussions on their relationship. 

Part of an action film is, obviously, the action. What makes people love an action film is the characters, the relationships and how it adds to the potential trilogy or series that it is a part of. This is something that “Thor: The Dark World” does supremely well. Both Thor and Loki in this film are lovable and well-developed. By the time the end rolls around, audiences care about the characters, which is more than can be said for some of the others on the list of Marvel’s most hated.

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