Thor: The Dark World

Cast of Characters:

Thor - Chris Hemsworth

Jane Foster - Natalie Portman

Loki - Tom Hiddleston

Dr. Erik Selvig - Stellan Skarsgard

Heimdall - Idris Elba

Malekith - Christopher Eccleston

Algrim/Kurse - Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Darcy Lewis - Kat Dennings

Volstagg - Ray Stevenson

Fandral - Zachary Levi

Hogun - Tadanobu Asano

Sif -Jaimie Alexander

Frigga - Rene Russo

Odin - Anthony Hopkins

Director - Alan Taylor

Screenplay - Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely

Based upon Thor characters created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby

Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some suggestive content

      Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and Oscar winners Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins return again in Thor: The Dark World... With a hammer that big, he's clearly compensating.

      Way, way back in the day, there was a clash between Odin's father Bor and the dark elf Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), who was seeking a weapon known as the Aether to destroy the universe. Bor manages to defeat the dark elves, despite Malekith and a few other dark elves escaping in suspended animation, and contains the Aether in a stone column.

      Now in present day, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has been sentenced to lifelong imprisonment by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) for his war crimes committed on Earth. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the Asgardians learn of a rare alignment between the Nine Realms soon to come that would link the worlds by portals known as the Convergence.

      Meanwhile, back on Earth, astrophysicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) has unwittingly released the Aether which awakens Malekith. With Foster infected by the Aether and Asgard at risk of an invasion from the dark elves, Thor takes it upon himself to save both matters at hand.

      I didn't get to see the first Thor until after it left theaters. It was one of those movies I didn't expect to like, but was very surprised by how much I did end up liking it. Plus, it was interesting to see director Kenneth Branagh handle a comic book adaptation as effectively as he did. While Thor: The Dark World is not without its flaws, it was still an entertaining and worthy sequel to the first film. Like its predecessor and many others in the Marvel film universe, there's a nice balance between the humor and the action. In particular are two bits involving Thor's hammer and a subway near the final act and a surprise sight cameo that got a good laugh out of me. Most of the cast from the first film return. Anthony Hopkins is back as Odin shouting out dialogue in a Shakespearean manner that only Hopkins knows best. Up until the first Thor, I forgot Rene Russo - who was big in the 90's - still existed. Stellan Skarsgard has some funny moments, but overall you're here to see two people: Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. Hemsworth was at first one of the reasons I was hesitant to see the first film. Even though it came out before Snow White and the Huntsman, I didn't see Thor until after that film, which I absolutely hated. He fits the character of Thor though very well. It's not a complete embodiment like how most everyone views Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark, but Thor is what made Hemsworth into a movie star and for good reason. It's not easy balancing physical presence with charisma and humor. Few can pull it off, but Hemsworth makes it work. Like Hemsworth and Thor, it's hard to imagine anyone else embodying Loki the way Hiddleston does. He delivers his dialogue with just the right amount of arrogance. You can't help but like that cocky bastard, but at the same time you wanna just pull a Natalie Portman on him by slapping him hard upside the face and chiding, "That was for New York!". Loki has been one of the most interesting villains in comic book films, which is something we can't say for Malekith, who is technically the central villain here. It's a bummer 'cause someone like Christopher Eccleston, who can creep you out without uttering a word, could easily handle an intriguing villain like Hiddleston does with Loki. There's just very little Eccleston to do here other than appear creepy and menacing. Granted, he has the presence down. There's just not much else aside from that.

      It's not as good as the first film. Then again, unless your name is The Dark Knight, most second films within a series tend to not be. I stated the flaw with the central villain and at times it does get a tad bit plot heavy. That said, it still provides an entertaining and fun time with a solid blend of humor, visual effects, and fight sequences. Of course, like the Marvel films before it, be sure to stay for a mid-credits scene following the film. I give Thor: The Dark World a B+ (★★★½).