Solid blockbuster with good mix of effects and entertainment, although needed to play to its strengths more

Rating: Null/10 (16 February 2014)

Years of disappointment and bad experiences have told me that most summer blockbusters are not the event movies that the advertisements would like you to believe; yes they are about the spectacle but with large TVs and strong sound systems being the norm now, it is not a big loss to enjoy such films in your home away from talking people, mobile phones, crowds and inflated prices. So it was with the Thor sequel. The original film had been pretty good but seemed cluttered with introductions and franchise stuff. The second film doesn't have so much of this and it mostly works pretty well although it must be said that it never seems to consistently play to its strengths.
The plot does seem to link to Marvel lore that fans will appreciate but for the casual viewer it works well enough to do the job without knowing too much. Basically some dark power has escaped and Jane has been exposed to it making her a target for some dark elves who seek to destroy everything. Thor must not only protect her but also destroy the dark power before it can be harnessed by the elves – a task he can only perform with the help of Loki, currently rotting away in a cell. As a plot it sets up lots of confrontation and this is the main thing we are here for, so in that regard it works well enough. That said, it doesn't seem to be able to do enough of its better stuff.
The better stuff tends to be the less serious material; Thor is a character and a story steeped in serious words and big Norse gods whereas Iron Man (for example) has a playboy at its centre, thus making the fun and swagger easier to come by. This film benefits from Loki being fun and playful as a villain and when he is around the film is better; there are a few other aspects where the playful fun comes in but mostly it is associated with Loki and there are frankly too few of these scenes. The fun adds to the entertainment value and while it does still work without it, it doesn't work quite as well.
The special effects are good though and if you are looking for distracting noise and spectacle then this does the trick – perhaps not enough to hold your full attention but perfectly fine if you wish to switch off the brain to a certain extent. The cast act well considering they are mostly on a green screen. Hemsworth gets the balance right between playing a big god and also having a bit of fun, his only issue is sometimes the material doesn't let him do this. Portman is not so much of a presence although she does well enough and she has good chemistry with Hemsworth. Hiddleston gets the best material and has fun with it. Hopkins booms out his lines and Eccleston is a good (but unrecognizable) villain. Support is good from Alexander, Stevenson, Russo, Dennings, Skarsgård and others, while HBO fans will enjoy seeing two very strong characters from two shows represented by Akinnuoye- Agbaje (Oz) and Elba (The Wire).
This isn't an amazing film but it is a solid blockbuster with good effects and plenty going on. I prefer it when it mixes some fun into the more faux-heavy dialogue and I'm not sure why it doesn't do this more often but it still works pretty well if you're in the mood for effects- driven action and spectacle.