The Thor at the end of the first film and the Avengers seem to finally start learning he doesn't know everything. More importantly, that while his father isn't perfect, it would be best to actually start listening to him. Their relationship seemed to be a good point, perhaps for the first time, and it is almost dismissed in TDW for more "drama". Thor is still defiant.
Yeah but that's not like real life. Thor was humbled for sure and learned from that experience but people don't completely change overnight. Just because Thor and his father are in a good place doesn't mean they are never going to disagree again. Relationships ebb and flow.
Also Thor was very respectful of his father at the beginning of the film. He did his duty restoring order to the nine realms. It wasn't until Jane arrived and later Frigga died that tensions arose again.
Loki mocks Thor as stupid, but he has never been in the films. He simply has morality. That is a common trait. Thor did however do plenty of stupid in TDW.
No Thor fell for his trick in Avengers in the Hulk prison. Thor also fell for his tricks in the first film when he told him Odin had died and even in the very beginning was totally manipulated by Loki into heading to Jotunheim and starting a war. Thor also fell for Loki feigning doubt and regret on top of Stark Tower at which point Loki stabbed him with his Asgardian blade. Some of that is morality (wanting to believe there is good in his brother) but some of it is just Loki being Loki the master deceiver and/or Thor thinking with his fists first.
In this film, Thor actually preemptively outwitted Loki at one point ("You lied to me! I'm impressed...) and saw through Loki's illusion in the dungeon ("No more illusions). That's character development.
The best parts of the film were Thor and Loki, mainly as Loki's arc actually felt the most complete of everyone's.
I don't feel that was the reason. I just attribute it to great chemistry and the fact that the sibling strife between the two of them is one of the best parts of Thor's story.
And right here is the problem. This would of all be good if they actually established in the film. If they made Thor reconsider the position of king through the parallels between Odin, Bor and Malekith. If they made Odin wrong. But Odin is right. It is Thor who risk the many for one, while also seemingly not caring about his own loved ones not named Jane.
Well I think you're expecting a lot for such a short run time with multiple concurrent plotlines. I agree threads could've been flushed out but it is what it is. I definitely would love to see a director's cut. However, Odin was not right. He also was blinded by grief. Asgard would've fallen and Malekith would've gotten the Aether anyway. Plus Thor is Thor. He's going to rush headlong into things sometimes.
And the ending bothers me the most. It spites in the face of what was established at the end of the first film and the words Thor actually says. How can he protect all the realms from Earth? It is clearly the opposite. He focusing himself to one place for selfish reasons. Now if they had set light to the position of king and made it toxic and something to frown upon, ok. But they didn't, and the only real way for Thor to protect all nine realms without Mojlnir being able to make its ports is from Asgard.
Thor is at his most Tho-like in battle. But lines are lines. Actions speak louder, even on film.
But they did establish some of the toxic elements of being king. Odin saying "I killed them all" to Jane when talking about the Dark Elves. He also was willing to sacrifice "every last drop of Asgardian blood" and Thor asks "How are you different from Malekith?" In the end of the first film Thor destroyed the Bifrost to save the very people he would've killed with his bare hands (The Jotuns). Clearly his softening on Earth means stuff like that doesn't sit well with him.
You make a good point about Mjolnir not being able to create portals being a weakness. However, Heimdall responds almost instantaneously to Thor's request for transport. Even so, I fail to see your issues with Thor favoring Midgard. He always has in the comics and it's always been a bone of contention with Odin while creating moral dilemmas for Thor when he must choose between dealing with simultaneous threats on both Earth and Asgard. Motives are questionable for sure but they can be explored in the future. It sounds like you are complaining that Thor is being true to the source material?