'Well done, you just decapitated your grandfather!'

Rating: 4/10 (1 April 2018)

Nine screenwriters assemble the dissociate jumbled element of this second installment in the THOR series (the first being directed by Kenneth Branagh and this one directed by Alan Taylor) and despite the presence of a very similar cast this version depends more on spectacular CGI effects than on acting. It is a movie for lovers of comic book tales and it just bounces between firestorm and dissolution of nine realms to London and back.
The plot? This synopsis makes a little sense of it: ' Thousands of years ago, a race of beings known as Dark Elves tried to send the universe into darkness by using a weapon known as the Aether. Warriors from Asgard stop them but their leader Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) escapes to wait for another opportunity. The warriors find the Aether and since it cannot be destroyed, they try to hide it. In the present day, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) awaits the return of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) although it has been two years since they last saw once another. In the meantime, Thor has been trying to bring peace to the nine realms. Jane discovers an anomaly similar to the one that brought Thor to Earth. She goes to investigate, finds a wormhole, and is sucked into it. Back on Asgard, Thor wishes to return to Earth but his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins) refuses to let him. Thor learns from Heimdall (Idris Elba), who can see into all of the realms, that Jane disappeared. Thor then returns to Earth just as Jane reappears. However, when some policemen try to arrest her, an unknown energy repulses them. Thor then brings Jane to Asgard to find out what happened to her. When the energy is released again, they discover that when Jane disappeared, she crossed paths with the Aether and it entered her. Malekith, upon sensing that the time to strike is now, seeks out the Aether. He attacks Asgard and Thor's mother Frigga (Rene Russo) is killed protecting Jane. Odin wants to keep Jane on Asgard so that Malekith will come. Thor disagrees with his plan, so with his cohorts, he decides to take Jane away. He enlists the aid of his brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Unfortunately, Loki's motivations remain unknown.' The other good folks on Asgard are portrayed by Jamie Alexander, Zachary Levi, Ray Stephenson, Tadanobu Asano, and the folk down on earth are Stellan Skarsgård, Kat Dennings, Jonathan Howard, and Chris O'Dowd. Oh and there is a cast a thousands of Asgardians and Dark Elves to tear up the screen. The real star is the team of CGI artists.
For THOR addicts, this is an entertaining film. For others, not so much...