In the ever-revolving discussion around MCU movies, fans often have varying lists of which movies are their favorites or least favorites, but there are always a few MCU entries that fans all seem to agree on. For instance, most Marvel fans really enjoy Captain America: The Winter Soldier or Thor: Ragnarok. One movie that gets a lot of criticism from fans pretty much across the board, however, is Thor: The Dark World.
This second entry in the Thor franchise is often put at the bottom of most lists, the main reasons being writing and structural problems with the part of the story involving Jane Foster, as well as a pretty forgettable villain. However, despite all of the criticism it's garnered, Thor: The Dark World isn't the worst MCU movie by far, and actually has a lot of story elements that really work. If anything, The Dark World did some of the best character work in the Thor trilogy.
Comparing The Dark World to the rest of the Thor movies: sure, it's not nearly as engaging or well-written as Ragnarok, but there's a definite argument to be made that it's better than the first Thor movie. The direction is better, for one thing, as the lack of constant Dutch angles really improves the visual experience. But the character building is better as well and gives a more full picture of Thor and Loki as characters, as well as their relationship with each other.
Loki in particular gets a really interesting storyline in The Dark World. Despite the Thor movies being focused on the god of thunder himself, Loki was always the most interesting part of the first Thor movie. His complicated relationship with his family and his turn as a villain makes for a much more engaging story than Thor's chemistry-less relationship with Jane Foster. That tradition is carried over into this movie, as Loki is once again the best part of the story.
Here, we see a post-Avengers Loki, who is still spiteful and mischievous but is now once again struggling to be accepted by his family. Odin was 100 percent ready to execute him for his crimes, but claims that Frigga stepped in and made sure that didn't happen, and that Loki was just jailed. Right off the bat, the complicated family dynamic is set up once again, as Loki (now knowing the information that he does about his adoption) rejects these people as his family, while still wanting to be accepted by them deep down. In no scene is this more relevant than in the one where Frigga visits him in his cell, which might be one of the best in the film.
As an audience, we know that Thor has often been favored by Odin amongst the two brothers, but here we see that perhaps the other parent always paid special attention to Loki. She was the one who taught him magic, and she tries to comfort him even now. When he yells that Odin is not his father, she asks him, "Am I not your mother?". He still says no, but he says it with less conviction, and there's a long hesitation before he does. At the end of their conversation, he reaches out to her, only to find that he's been talking to a projection, and that she was never really in the cell with him (which, funnily enough, is mirrored in Ragnarok when Loki "visits" Thor in the prison cell).
This is a really complex moment, and it's one of the first where we get to see a Loki who cares about his family in some way. This is, of course, further complicated after Frigga's death, when Thor visits Loki and he lets down his illusion, showing a cell that's been destroyed in grief and anger. Again, this is one of the few times that the audience is allowed to see emotionally Loki affected by something, and it's one of the more memorable moments in the MCU. It would actually be great to see Loki on Disney Plus take a page out of The Dark World's book and really hone in on these parts of Loki and his complex feelings about his family.
This movie also does a great job of representing Thor and Loki's sibling dynamic. This is one of the first times where they feel like real siblings who playfully bicker through the movie. The scene where they try to escape on the ship and subsequently destroy half of the palace on their way out is really funny and sets up a much more fun dynamic between them, instead of the angsty one that we've seen up until this point. It feels much more reminiscent of having a sibling in real life, where you both argue a lot, but you'll have each other's backs when push comes to shove.
There's also a scene where they argue once again on a skiff, but this time it's much more loaded. They argue about Frigga's death, both obviously angry about it, and blaming the other for not being present to protect her. Thor finally stops and declares that their mother wouldn't want them to fight, to which Loki replies, "Well, she wouldn't exactly be shocked". They have a moment here, where they acknowledge their mutual anger and grief, and trust each other because for now, they have the same goal (which is revenge against the Dark Elves). This, of course, carries over to Loki's death scene, which is a really tender moment (perhaps undercut on rewatch by the knowledge that Loki doesn't really die), and an acknowledgment of their brotherhood and familial bond. The Dark World has all of these great character and relationship-building scenes scattered through a mediocre story, and it makes the movie much more poignant than one would think.
Is Thor: The Dark World the best MCU movie? Obviously, that's a matter of personal opinion, but it would be a bit of a stretch to make that claim. The villain is still forgettable, and a lot of the plot elements don't really work together, and Jane and Thor still have no chemistry. However, it's not total trash, as a lot of MCU fans might try and claim. This is the best movie for Loki in terms of character building, and it sets up Thor and Loki's brotherhood really nicely, allowing it to be briefly explored again in Ragnarok. It may not be the absolute best Marvel movie, but it's certainly not the worst. There are a lot of elements of Loki's story in this one that should be explored in his TV show, and it's not a stretch to say that the show could take a lot of cues from one of the most widely hated MCU movies.