It's hammer time!!! No, I'm not referring to 80s rapper MC Hammer! Thor is back in another great adventure! Read on to find out more!!!

Rating: 8/10 (2 November 2013)

Thor returns in yet another triumphant adventure. When the original aired in 2011 it was perhaps the Marvel property that people were most skeptical about. The God of Thunder, wearing a red cape, Norse mythology and all, it sounded really silly.
It was perhaps this low level of expectation, which I also had for Iron Man, which helped to make it such a success. It was fun and loud with a good heart at its core, not to mention introducing Chris Hemsworth and the outstanding Tom Hiddleston. Their chemistry helped to seal the deal and this continued with their adventures in Avengers.
I think over the years, many of us have become quite endeared to all of the Avengers characters, they are almost household names and each new Marvel entry is welcomed with considerable fanfare. Thor: The Dark World is no exception.
The story begins by introducing us to the Dark Elves led by Malekith in a time before Thor and Odin. Bor, father of Odin, managed to stop Malekith from using an energy known as the Aether to return the universe to the darkness it once knew before there was creation. The Aether was hidden and the story fell into legend and fable.
However, as the alignment of the planets approaches once again, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), now residing in London, inadvertently makes a discovery that is going to draw her straight into the heart of Thor's latest adventure. Thor is forced to return to Earth and even bring Jane back to Asgard where the Asgardians are given something of a rude awakening. They soon realize that the Dark Elves they remember from their bedtime stories are very real and have once again returned to try and throw the universe back into darkness.
This is a great adventure with real consequence. We are reminded that although perceived to be gods by people on Earth during the time of Vikings, Asgardians can be hurt, can be injured, and they frequently do. Thor has to muster more than just physical strength to try and defeat the Dark Elves and it is not without some dire consequences. More than once I found myself wiping away a manly tear from my eye. Thankfully, Thor has the assistance of all his friends from the original movie and they play no small part in helping him try and restore order to the nine realms.
I enjoyed once again seeing these characters that I've grown to love and I was happy to see that this movie can be enjoyed as a complete story in its own right, not serving to be just a set up for the next Avengers movie.
There is a healthy dose of well-timed humour, which helps to balance the otherwise dark overtones of the story. Performances are great all round, continuing the old world Shakespearean style of banter we have come to expect from Asgardians.
I particularly loved some of the imagery seen on Asgard, seeing their world, how they live, watching Thor and Jane meander around the charming streets of this beautiful alien world.
I felt Thor seemed somewhat underpowered in this outing, especially after seeing him topple cities with his hammer Mjolnir previously, but this may simply be a reflection of how powerful his adversaries are this time.
What I did feel was weak were the 3D effects, so save yourself a buck or two and just watch it in a standard 2D digital screening unless you really want to see the extended Captain America Winter Soldier trailer which is attached to the 3D screening.
Another homerun for Marvel, I strongly recommend you catch this on the big screen and, it goes almost without saying, stay right to the end of the credits as there may be more than one golden egg waiting for you.
Check it out!
Rating 8 out of 10
FOR THIS AND OTHER REVIEWS CHECK OUT MAXIMUMEXTREME.NET