Not understanding all the praise hes been getting on here, i found him to be a pretty weak character not to mention one of the weaker comic book villain adaptions.
It wasn;t clear if he was a sympathetic villain or a evil neferious villain?Also i just never felt he was that big of a threat.
That is exactly what makes him a brilliant villain. And it is 100% in line with Loki from the comics.
For me, Loki is the best comic book villain put to screen.
The conflict between the love/hate of Thor and his father was brilliant. Such a nuanced performance from Hiddleston. You can really sense the mixed feelings within him just from his subtle facial expressions and the tone of his voice. You can tell this guy is a proper thespian.
The scene where he is arguing with Odin in the Vault is just... amazing. Truly amazing. When he screams "TELL ME!!!!!" you can really sense both the anger and pain in his voice. So powerful, so heartbreaking.
Other great moments for me are when Thor is arguing with Odin about what to do with the Frost Giants, and without saying a single word, you can tell what Loki is feeling. Just with Hiddleston's facial expression.
Also when he is talking to Frigga over the sleeping Odin. When she is talking about Odin not waking again you can see the sorrow in his eyes. Then she mentions Thor... and the change in his face and eyes is just brilliant.
The final confrontation with Thor is a masterclass in acting too. You can just sense the bitterness, the resentment, but at the same time he really does love his brother.
But saying all that, it's also hard to pin point when he is actually being genuine and when he is lying. Like I said, such a nuanced, three dimensional performance and written character.
Just a mesmerizing performance. It wouldn't look out of place in some Oscar bait period drama or a prestigious play in London's West End. I'd put it above Heath Ledger's Joker.