There are many facts of this world that are indisputable; water is wet, snow is cold, Paula Deen is terrible and Thor is awesome. Whether it’s in in comics, video games or his many appearances in MARVEL’s many cartoon programs, he always manages to be brilliant in both characterization and the ability to bring the spectacle we all crave from superhero adventures. For his newest film Thor: The Dark World, the titular hero tackles the potential destruction of all existence, no small feat for any superhero. While some scripts troubles prevent this film from joining the very best of superhero cinema, it’s also an undeniably wonderful time at the movies.

Chaos is running rampant all across the nine realms after the events of The Avengers, as Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Sif and The Warriors Three race to fix all the damage Thor’s adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has caused. But that’s not even the worst thing occurring; Thor’s love on Earth, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), has come in contact with a mystical force called the Aether. It just so happens that Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) needs that Aether to rule the universe. Now, Thor must protect Asgard, Earth and all of creation by defeating Malekith and the Aether; but in order to do so, he’ll need some help from Loki.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe just continues to astound me; not only has it been breaking new ground on what movies are able to accomplish, but it’s also making all the characters that inhabit that much richer. Thor, after the events of the first Thor movie and The Avengers, is a wonderful creation, having to juggle his responsibilities on Asgard with his love-life and duties on Earth. Seeing him being stretched in both directions leads to some thought provoking moments with the hero, and makes the movie that much stronger for it. Ah, but it must be said that the most interesting character in the film is not Thor, but his adopted brother Loki.

Ever since Heath Ledger etched his Joker into the halls of great cinematic bad guys, numerous antagonists have attempted to replicate his success by making their characters dark, brooding and psychopathic. Tom Hiddleston, playing Loki with a contagious sense of constant ecstasy, is the only one who tapped into what made Ledger’s Joker that fascinating; he has a personality and attitude that is just plain interesting to watch. Loki never lets his guard down, never lets any emotion come forth other than one displaying him being in total, constant control. While he believes this attitude makes him a better candidate to be a leader, over the course of three movies, he has slowly gone deranged, letting his desire to rule consume all facets of his being.

Similarly, Thor has changed as well, but has allowed senses of courage and responsibility change him. These two contrasting personalities clash when they’re forced to team up during the movie actually creates some of the movies best moments. The depth the two achieve in their numerous scenes together is riveting, and pushes the film to the next level of cinematic goodness in my opinion. Thankfully, other characters in the film are similarly successful, with my personal favorite supporting plays beng Heimdall (Idris Elba) who owns the screen whenever he appears, Algrim The Strong (whose monstrous form he undergoes late into the film is a sight to behold) and Frigga (Rene Russo), Thor’s mother, who becomes a pivotal player in the films story and for Loki’s personality specifically.

While the script does a great job at crafting top notch characters, other parts of the script fumble. I kind of sympathize with them ,since they have an ungodly amount of opposition to get through, but several moments in the film drag due to how much has to be laid out and explained for the audience. Director Alan Taylor doesn’t bring as much personality to the film as Kenneth Branagh did to the first Thor film, and some of the scenes feel very rushed, but he still does a commendable job bringing this complex tale to life. I would like to give him and the rest of the crew major kudos for expanding the scope of Asgard in this film, as it truly feels like a lived in and worn out city in this story. It’s an entrancing locations, and they all should feel accomplished for creating one of the best settings I’ve seen in theatres this year.

Thor: The Dark World isn’t a perfect film, but it is a great one, and the characters are rich and fascinating to no end. I wish the script and some aspects of the directing and humor were better, but this is still a wonderful movie, one that once again reiterates that long known fact of the universe; yes, Thor is indeed awesome.

 To view the trailer for Thor: The Dark World click here.