The MCU is no stranger to the sophomore slump and 2013's Thor: The Dark World is often cited by fans as one of the series' worst sequels if not one of its worst movies overall. But, considering the overwhelming popularity of the MCU movies in general and the equally-overwhelming similarity between all of them, is this bad reputation really justified?

RELATED: Which Thor Character Are You Based On Your Zodiac?

Let's take a look at some of the reasons why the movie isn't as bad as people say it is as well as a few that suggest that its detractors may have a point.

Isn’t: Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston Are at Their Best

The two actors are not only the heart and soul of the Thor franchise but they've become two of the most beloved icons in the MCU overall.

The screen chemistry between the two is one of the greatest accomplishments in modern superhero movies and the difficult relationship between their characters is never as emotionally charged as it is in The Dark World.

Isn’t: Character Progression

A lot of what makes Hiddleston and Hemsworth's performances work so well in the movie is the fact that their characters get to go through situations that they never have before.

Before the character effectively became a loner and a bit of a joke, Thor's experiences were ultimately about teaching humility to an arrogant protagonist and Loki, similarly, has more dimensions added to his personality in Thor: The Dark World than in any other movie.

Is: Unnecessary Grittiness

Thor and Loki in Thor The Dark World

Director Alan Taylor brought a lot of what he learned from his time on the hit show Game of Thrones to The Dark World and the two universes don't really fit together.

Asgard is seen in more detail than ever before but it often feels constricted and unnecessarily somber. Kenneth Branagh's original movie never needed it to develop weighty drama between the characters and the grittiness comes off as antithetical to what the MCU is all about.

Isn’t: A Huge Scale

While certain aspects may seem toned down, Thor: The Dark World is by no means an unambitious movie. It amps up the franchise's scale and introduces more realms and greater cosmic threats than ever seen before in the fictional universe.

RELATED: MCU: 10 Ways Thor Changed Throughout The Movies

The movie's story begins before the birth of the universe itself and ends with a set up for the MCU's biggest and riskiest projects ever, which is all done without forgetting the implications of the original Thor movie and the first Avengers.

Isn’t: A Quick Pace

Thor in London in Thor: The Dark World

Adding more to your movie is a pointless endeavor if you don't have the space to fit it all into the story and Thor: The Dark World switches between vastly different locations and tones with ease.

Despite extra backstory, an apocalyptic threat, royal drama, a romantic throughline, and a host of disconnected side characters, the movie never feels overstuffed or sluggish.

Isn’t: An Underrated Villain

Malekith from Thor the Dark World

Christopher Eccleston's turn as Malekith creates one of the most underrated villains of the MCU. As the leader of a near-extinct race of Dark Elves, he's a fairly ridiculous character that never really feels like a joke within the movie itself.

Malekith's actions are ruthless and his presence within the movie is enhanced greatly by the use of makeup and prosthetics to create his look as opposed to computer effects, not to mention a whole fictional language that he gets to deliver his most nefarious dialogue in. He may not be very involved with the hero but that only serves to make him all the more mysterious and imposing within the narrative.

Isn’t: It’s a Huge Romantic Comedy

One of the most undersung qualities that have allowed the MCU, in general, to become what it is today is the romantic comedy elements. Everything that happens in the movie's story is anchored by its relevance to a meet-cute, will-they-won't-they, thread between Thor and Jane Foster.

RELATED: Avengers: 5 People Thor Would Have Been Great With (& 5 He Would Have Been Awful With)

Big-budget romantic comedies have progressively disappeared from theaters over the past several decades and to see tentpole Hollywood action work in service of the genre, rather than the other way around, is wonderful to see.

Is: An Inconsistent Tone

While the story keeps moving at a satisfying pace, one of the unfortunate side effects of all of Thor: The Dark World's variety of narrative flavors is tonal confusion.

The grand ridiculousness of Thor's life on Asgard was a great juxtaposition for the small-town romantic comedy that he was thrust into in the first movie. But, here, the MCU's need to undercut emotionality with humor comes off as a little more jarring when the story needs to move so quickly between different types of scenes on different worlds.

Isn’t: Costumes

Dark Elves Thor The Dark World

One real benefit the 'Asgard of Thrones' aspect to The Dark World is the costuming. Costumes are always a huge part of superhero movies but they can often rely too heavily on source material, believing that simple adaptations will contain all the meaning that the movie will need.

The costumes in Thor: The Dark World, perhaps more than in any other MCU movie, tell a rich and detailed story about the characters wearing them and their place within their world.

Isn’t: It Expands the MCU

The Collector in Thor the Dark World

The second movie in the so-called 'Phase Two' of Marvel Studios' productions, Thor: The Dark World is the first time that the MCU came off as a wider connected universe, full of cultures, planets, and stories.

Aside from being the first movie to actually utter the words "Infinity Stone", its villain's aspirations were grander than even Thanos' in Infinity War and it expanded the MCU's scope beyond what any previous movie had before it.

NEXT: Thor: Ragnarok - 10 Hilarious "Is He Though?" Memes