"Thor 2" Will Floor You!!!

Rating: 8/10 (11 November 2013)

Chris Hemsworth wields his mighty hammer Mjölnir for the second time as the brawny Norse deity in "Game of Thrones" director Alan Taylor's "Thor: The Dark World." Happily, virtually everybody from director Kenneth Branagh's immaculate but lackluster predecessor reprises their respective roles. "Thor: The Dark World" boasts a sufficiently complex plot with more than enough grandiose escapades intermingled with amusing antics to keep you distracted throughout its swiftly-paced 112 minutes. The first "Thor" came up short on spectacle and surprises, but the sequel delivers several bolts from the blue that keep its outlandish but formulaic shenanigans invigorating. Charismatic performances from the brawny, blond Hemsworth; the brainy, brunette Natalie Portman; the maniacal Christopher Eccleston; and the treacherous Tom Hiddleston enliven this imaginative Marvel Comics entry. Not only does "Thor: The Dark World" surpass its humdrum 'origins' predecessor, but it also picks up the saga where the superlative"Avengers" left off. Indeed, some things haven't changed. Odin isn't entirely pleased with his son's rebellious behavior, and their troubled relationship puts our hero at odds with his one-eyed father. Despite Odin's stern objections, Thor rekindles his romance with astrophysicist Jane Foster after a two year absence. Eventually, Thor tangles with a sinister army of Dark Elves and their ultimate doomsday weapon that threatens to obliterate not only Earth but also the Nine Realms of the Universe. No, "Thor: The Dark World" isn't quite as entertaining overall as either "The Avengers" or "Iron Man 3." Nevertheless, Taylor and scenarists Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus, and Stephen McFeely, working from a story by Don Payne and Robert Rodat, manage to mobilize enough machismo, mayhem, and self-mockery to make it worth watching more than once.
"Thor: The Dark World" unfolds centuries before Odin (Anthony Hopkins of "Hannibal") entrusted the legendary hammer to his impetuous son Thor. According to Odin, Thor's grandfather Bor invaded Alfheim with an army of Asgard warriors and routed the rodent-faced legion of Dark Elves in a pitched battle. The leader of the Elves, Malekith (Christopher Eccleston of the BBC's "Dr. Who" television series), had sought to use a doomsday weapon called the Aether. This Aether resembles a red and black confetti-like substance that swirls ominously in the air. Bor trapped the Aether and buried it in the ground. Several millenniums later, Thor's old flame Jane Foster (Natalie Portman of "Black Swam") discovers a portal between London, England and the Dark World. Unfortunately, the Aether infects Jane. Thor comes to Jane's rescue and ushers her to Asgard for treatment. Initially, Odin is far from ecstatic about this turn of events. Actually, Thor's father believes his son should stick to his own kind. He urges Thor to take Sif (Jaimie Alexander of "The Last Stand") as his bride. The Dark Elves launch their own invasion of Asgard, and one of its most prominent residents dies during the onslaught. Reluctantly, Thor recruits his two-timing, half-brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston of "War Horse") to help him. Meantime, Malekith unleashes mass destruction on London as our heroes scramble to save the day.
You really cannot fault the writing in "Thor: The Dark World." The capable scenarists know their subject matter. Christopher Yost has penned several episodes of various Marvel television series, including "Wolverine and the X-Men," "Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes," and "Iron Man: Armored Adventures." Similarly, Markus and Stephen McFeely collaborated on both "Captain America: The First Avenger" and its sequel "Captain America: Winter Soldier." Taylor and his writers take Thor and company on some adrenaline, roller-coaster rides that include jaunts through wormholes in time as well as one adrenaline-laced aerial pursuit in a huge, T-shaped, flying aircraft and later in a boat that cruises on the wind. Taylor choreographs several epic combat sequences that shun blood, sweat and tears, but keep you shadow boxing with our heroes. Naturally, our heroes survive by the skin of their teeth. The malevolent Dark Elves appear quite sinister with their pale, cadaverous masks and their minions look equally intimidating in appearance and number. They possess a Darth Vader quality and are determined to triumph over Thor and company. Twice as visually stunning as the resplendent original was, "Thor: The Dark World" pits our protagonists against some supernatural opponents, such as a gargantuan creature made up of stones and a gigantic beast that resembles a hybrid of a bull and a hippopotamus. Taylor and company lighten up the slam-bang action heroics with clever humor that enables you to laugh when you aren't flinching at all the acrobatic fisticuffs. Hemsworth uses Mjölnir with the ease of and hurls it like a boomerang during some scenes. Thor's quartet of faithful brethren, Sif (Jaimie Alexander), Fandral (Zachary Levi), Volstagg (Ray Stevenson), and Hugan (Tadanobu Asano), have developed a camaraderie that is displayed in the way that Taylor stages their action scenes. They keep tabs on each other in the midst of all the chaos and often save each other from certain death.
Performances are robust with each character getting a moment or two to radiate their personality, particularly Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård, Kat Dennings, and Natalie Portman. Audiences should know that the film doesn't grind to a complete halt when the end-credits roll. Two scenes ensue at different intervals and furnish foreshadowing as well as closure and comedy. One prominent S.H.I.E.L.D. agent whose own sequel is scheduled for a Spring 2014 release appears briefly in a side-splitting cameo. Naturally, Marvel Comics co-creator Stan Lee shows up in one scene and blurts an uproarious line. This "Thor" will floor you!