Is “Thor” getting dumber, or am I? 
 
 I’m not referring to the Marvel superhero (Chris Hemsworth), a muscle-bound blond himbo whom no one has ever called a deep thinker, but to the movie franchise itself. With the release of “The Dark World,” the second film in the series about the hammer-wielding Norse god — or the third if you count “The Avengers” — I’m left with way more questions than I can answer. 
 
 For example, if Thor’s homeland of Asgard has the technology to defend itself from space invaders with long-range artillery and jet fighters, as we see in the film, why do Asgardian foot soldiers still run around with medieval swords and daggers? 
 
 And exactly how and when did the Bifrost get repaired? That magical bridge between Asgard and Earth was, as everyone knows, destroyed utterly at the end of the first film. It was still out of commission in “The Avengers,” leading the screenwriters to offer a bogus explanation for Thor’s appearance in New York City as the result of his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), pulling some strings. Huh? In the new film, the rainbow highway is suddenly good to go again, with no explanation. 
 
 Are Thor and his family divine or aren’t they? “We’re not gods,” Odin says to his son Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in what may be the biggest bombshell ever to drop in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Oh really? Someone might want to tell creator Stan Lee, who has specifically referred to the Asgardians as divine beings. 
 
 But most important, why do the Dark Elves — the bad guys in “The Dark World” — look so much like angry Teletubbies? 
 
 Ow, my head. 
 
 “The Dark World” opens with Thor’s villainous brother, Loki, defeated and in chains; with Thor’s human girlfriend, Jane (Natalie Portman), pining for her absent lover; and with Thor preoccupied with stamping out uprisings on various of the nine realms that he and his kind rule over. So far so good. 
 
 But when Jane stumbles upon something called the Aether — a long-hidden source of destructive energy, which takes over her body like a virus — Thor must drop everything and return to Earth in order to protect her from Malekith (Christopher Eccleston). The evil leader of the Dark Elves, Malekith wants to use the Aether to — well, what exactly? Control the nine realms? Destroy them? Plunge them into darkness so he can harvest mushrooms? 
 
 Whatever it is, it isn’t good. 
 
 To be fair, there’s stuff to like in “The Dark World.” Loki, for example — whom Thor must reluctantly team with in his fight against the Dark Elves — is simply fabulous. Hiddleston steals the show here, making wickedness and treachery look a heck of a lot more fun than virtue. Cinematically, there’s also a great scene in which a flotilla of Asgardian funeral barges are lit afire with flaming arrows as they approach a waterfall. Sure, it’s probably entirely CGI, but it’s gorgeous all the same, especially in 3-D, and surprisingly moving. 
 
 In general, though, the action scenes are only okay. There is, however, one genuinely jaw-dropping bit of violence that startled me, especially for a comic-book movie. 
 
 Oh, and let’s not forget Odin’s facial hair. His white beard is magnificent, particularly the mustache, which wriggles down along the sides of his mouth in sinuous testimony to the skill of his Asgardian barber — or the film’s makeup department, which numbered 67 people. Odin may not be a god, but he has divine whiskers. 
 
 See? That’s the problem with “The Dark World.” If I’m spending that much time studying Odin’s grooming, there’s something wrong with the story, which is kind of slow to get going and features too many undeveloped threads. 
 
 What’s up with the jealousy, for instance, between the warrior Lady Sif (Jaimie Alexander) and Jane? After Thor brings Jane to Asgard, the two women shoot each other a couple of nasty looks. But otherwise the dynamic goes nowhere. Do something with it, or drop it. 
 
 There’s some humor, too, but far too little for my taste. This is especially disappointing after the first film, which made much of the culture shock experienced by contemporary earthlings who encounter a dude who drops out of the sky looking and talking like a Rennfest staffer who takes his job a little too seriously. 
 
 And that’s the real flaw with “The Dark World,” which seems to have inhaled a bit too much of its own noxious Aether. The only one who seems to have gotten the memo that the whole thing is a gas is the bad guy. 
 
 ★ ★ 
 
 PG-13. At area theaters. Contains action violence. In English and some Elvish, with subtitles. 
 
 112 minutes. ||||| Lance Armstrong Sony Pictures Classics 
 
 When Alex Gibney started production on "The Armstrong Lie," his grimly fascinating documentary about Lance Armstrong, his working title was "The Road Back." That was in 2008, after Armstrong had announced he was ending a three-year retirement to return to professional cycling. The road map for the film seemed clear. It would follow the unexpected comeback, while exploring the question of what was driving the man who had recovered from a near-fatal illness, stonewalled ceaseless accusations of doping and, against all odds—and logic—won the Tour de France seven times in a row. But the work in progress changed when, early this year, Armstrong admitted to Oprah Winfrey that he had been doping all along. The filmmaker retooled his film accordingly, and retitled it "The Armstrong Lie." He might also have called it "The Tooth Fairy," since part of the fascination is why we ever believed the story the pedaler was peddling. 
 
 Watch a clip from the documentary film "The Armstrong Lie," chronicling sports legend Lance Armstrong's improbable rise and ultimate fall from grace. (Photo/Video: Sony Pictures Classics) 
 
 Watching the final version of the documentary means seeing elements of the earlier version in a new light, with the supposed hero as a peerless liar who insisted on his spotlessness even as professional cycling as a whole proved to be a dirty sport. Some of those elements will be familiar to those who have followed Armstrong's doubt-shadowed triumphs and shattering disgrace—the fury he unleashed against his perceived enemies ("He was an immensely intimidating person," one interview subject recalls); the evolution of doping techniques from drugs to transfusions in order to avoid detection; the greedy hypocrisy of cycling officials; the long-standing code of silence among teammates and associates who finally turned on their team's leader. Still, "The Armstrong Lie" is truly singular, a tale of ambition that's almost mad enough to be mythic. 
 
 "The Armstrong Lie" is a grimly fascinating tale of ambition that's almost mad enough to be mythic, says WSJ Film Critic Joe Morgenstern. Photo: Sony Pictures Classics. 
 
 Lance Armstrong, the movie notes, came out of Plano, Texas as an angry, competitive kid: "I love beatin' people," the kid says, putting it plainly, if mildly. Yet the figurative beatings he inflicted were no greater than the punishments he endured almost two decades ago from testicular cancer that spread to his abdomen, lungs and brain. Film clips from that time remind us of how Armstrong's illness, his remarkable recovery and the philanthropic foundation he created all served to inoculate him against suspicions of doping that were already swirling around him. We believed, or at least half-believed, his protestations of purity because we didn't want to believe that someone who'd been through such medical tortures would endanger his health yet again, much less lie about it. And because, as the film shows vividly, his ambition to win—to punish, to crush, to prevail—transcended ordinary comprehension. 
 
 Was he nothing more than a compulsive liar? Mr. Gibney's footage suggests otherwise. One of the most interesting parts of the film turns on the evident sincerity of Armstrong's postretirement attempt to win the 2009 Tour de France by riding clean. He failed, though his third-place finish was, as the filmmaker puts it, "the perfect ending for the film I wanted to make." 
 
 In the film he did make, his subject tells the truth only after the evidence against him has become so overwhelming as to make him a pariah in the sport he managed to dominate for 10 years. "The Armstrong Lie" wears thin before it's over; the wafer-thin nature of the cyclist's personality can't sustain a two-hour running time. Toward the end, though, there's a revelatory moment that requires close attention. It's in one of the clips from the Winfrey interview, after Armstrong has confessed. "Did you feel in any way that you were cheating?" Oprah asks. He nods his head almost imperceptibly, meaning yes, and says "No." At least one of his reflexes is still sharp. 
 
 Watch a clip from the film "Thor: The Dark World." Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet. (Photo: Marvel) 
 
 'Thor: The Dark World' 
 
 Under a photo of Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman on the Facebook site for "Thor: The Dark World," a fan has posted the comment "They're so beautiful, it hurts." Well, they really are beautiful, these two—Mr. Hemsworth's Thor, the God of Thunder who goes after bad guys with his trusty hammer, and Ms. Portman's Jane, Thor's across-the-universe girlfriend. In the previous episode, Jane, an astrophysicist, was much concerned about resolving her particle data. In this one she's worried that "physics is going to go ballistic, the very walls of reality will be torn apart," because the nine realms of the physical world are in convergence and a race of baddies called Dark Elves have a weapon called the Aether that can destroy every corner of creation, including our own. That's a problem, to be sure, but the larger problem, transcending all realms, is that this action-adventure sequel from Marvel soon turns so dumb and 3-D-murky that it hurts. 
 
 Chris Hemsworth in Marvel's 'Thor: The Dark World' Marvel 
 
 Most of the action is generic, though sufficiently straightforward to provide relief from the incoherent storytelling. Which realm are we in now? Where were we a moment ago, and how did everyone get here? Such questions seem not to have troubled the writers or producers. As for the director, Alan Taylor, he has done a lot of top-drawer television, including episodes of "Game of Thrones," but there's no sign he has a feel for feature films; his emphasis is entirely on big set pieces at the expense of narrative flow. 
 
 Tom Hiddleston is entertaining once again as Loki, Thor's evil brother. Anthony Hopkins is orotund once again as Thor's father, King Odin. Idris Elba has returned as Heimdall, the omnipotent sentry who, for lack of much else to do, gives new meaning to the notion of watchful waiting. And in a film that's often sillier than it wants to be, Stellan Skarsgård is back with intentional silliness as the physicist Erik Selvig, who turns up this time as a flasher at Stonehenge. 
 
 Watch a clip from the film "How I Live Now." An American girl (Saoirse Ronan) sent to the English countryside finds herself fighting for her survival as the UK turns into a violent military state. (Photo/Video: Magnolia Pictures) 
 
 'How I Live Now' 
 
 Kevin Macdonald's screen version of the young-adult novel by Meg Rosoff gets off on the wrong foot as soon as its teenage American heroine arrives at Heathrow and plants her own two feet and torn tights on English soil. Saoirse Ronan's Daisy, who's been sent by her father to stay with relatives in the countryside, is a spoiled brat and an offputting pain who is tense, obviously troubled and on some sort of medication. Then Europe gets off on a much wronger foot by engaging in a spasm of nuclear war, after which Daisy and her cousins must struggle to survive in a sylvan setting suddenly showered with radioactive snow, and beset by violence from unnamed and mostly unseen terrorists. 
 
 Enlarge Image Close Saoirse Ronan and George MacKay in 'How I Live Now' Magnolia Pictures 
 
 Ms. Ronan grows in screen presence, and grace, as her character opens up—the movie's central notion is that Daisy will be healed by her grueling trials—and the story profits, somewhat, from its outward resemblance to the "Hunger Games" saga. Yet the production feels tentative and underpopulated: I thought not only of Katniss Everdeen but of the marvelous pandemonium in Danny Boyle's zombie epic "28 Days Later." Short on events and surprises, "How I Live Now" concocts a mystical bond between Daisy and her handsome cousin Eddie (George MacKay), with whom she ambiguously but still provocatively falls in love. The things kids will do when the power grid fails. 
 
 Watch a clip from the film "The Motel Life." A pair of working-class brothers flee their Reno Motel after getting involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident. Starring Emile Hirsch, Stephen Dorff, and Kris Kristofferson. (Photo/Video: Polsky Films) 
 
 'The Motel Life' 
 
 Actor Stephen Dorff speaks with WSJ's Alexandra Wolfe about his new film, "The Motel Life," which opens in theaters Friday, Nov. 8, and stars Emile Hirsch, Dakota Fanning, and Kris Kristofferson. Photo: AP. 
 
 No one will accuse the Polsky brothers, Gabe and Alan, of dressing up their directorial debut with the trappings of popular success. This tale of down-and-out brothers living on the edge in Nevada has all the crowd-pleasing potential of a dirge. (It was adapted, by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, from a novel by the writer-musician Willy Vlautin.) All the same, it's admirable and even memorable, in its moody fashion, thanks to Roman Vasyanov's richly textured cinematography—he's a shooter to keep our eyes on—and three affecting performances. 
 
 Enlarge Image Close Stephen Dorff and Emile Hirsch in 'The Motel Life' Polsky Films 
 
 Frank and Jerry Lee Flannigan, played respectively by Emile Hirsch and Stephen Dorff, flee their seedy motel in Reno for a similar dump in Elko after Jerry Lee accidentally hits a kid on a bike and kills him. The brothers are hardly a fun couple, but they're full of buried talent—Frank is a born storyteller, Jerry Lee covers motel walls with vibrant drawings—and their devotion to one another shapes the plot; indeed, it pretty much is the plot. Dakota Fanning plays Annie, a troubled young woman and Frank's former girlfriend. Whenever she smiles, a world that's woefully wrong seems briefly right. 
 
 Rewind 
 
 DVD // Streaming // Download 
 
 'The Triplets of Belleville' (2003) 
 
 The Tour de France in the 1960s, rendered by Sylvain Chomet in an animated feature with a visual language all its own. The absence of conventional dialogue helps draw us into the mysteriously moving world of a spoke-thin bicycle-racer; his indomitable, club-footed grandmother, their supersniffer of a family dog and the three old crones of the title, superannuated vaudevillians who turn up when the action moves from bicycle racing in France to bicyclist-chasing in Belleville, a city that's an amalgam of New York, Montreal, the Mont Saint Michel and the metropolis from "Metropolis." 
 
 'Good Will Hunting' (1997) 
 
 Stellan Skarsgård is Gerald Lambeau, an MIT math professor who first spots the towering talent of Will Hunting, the angry young blue-collar hero played by Matt Damon. Will has mayhem on his mind and a brain that resonates with the deepest mysteries of mathematics. When asked how he's able to prove theorems that have stumped the world's intellectual elite, this semitough kid from South Boston compares himself matter of factly to Mozart. Mr. Damon wrote the script with his friend and co-star Ben Affleck. Robin Williams is Will's therapist. The director was Gus Van Sant. 
 
 'Atonement' (2007) 
 
 Saoirse Ronan's Briony, a precocious 13-year-old in 1930s England, jumps to a conclusion that isn't just wrong but perverse in this screen version of Ian McEwan's novel, which Joe Wright directed from an adaptation by Christopher Hampton. Briony lacks any understanding of adult behavior that might put what she thinks she's seen in sensible context. And the girl's inflamed imagination leads her to a fateful decision for which she lacks any clear motive. Yet that decision changes the course of three lives: her own and those of the star-crossed lovers played by Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. 
 
 Write to Joe Morgenstern at joe.morgenstern@wsj.com and follow him on Twitter: @JoeMorgenstern
– The nine realms are about to converge in Thor: The Dark World—but don't expect to keep them all straight. The jumping from world to world in director Alan Taylor's film, starring Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman, appears to have left critics scattered. (It's got a 69% rating from them at Rotten Tomatoes, though audiences are at 86%.) For Joe Morgenstern at the Wall Street Journal, watching it was painful. "Most of the action is generic, though sufficiently straightforward to provide relief from the incoherent storytelling," he writes. But "this action-adventure sequel from Marvel soon turns so dumb and 3D-murky that it hurts." Ian Buckwalter at NPR is in the opposite camp. "Taylor allows the film to hurtle with the force of Thor's hammer into pure popcorn-spectacle territory," he writes. Plus, it "contains some of the most gorgeously rendered images in the Avengers films." While praising Tom Hiddleston, who plays Thor's adopted brother Loki, Chris Knight at the National Post writes that you need a "Field Guide to Superheroes" to keep it all straight. Still, Taylor "manages to keep the action light on its feet despite numerous locations and a host of minor characters." Michael O'Sullivan at the Washington Post likes the "gorgeous" cinematography and says Hiddleston "steals the show." But "I'm left with way more questions than I can answer," he writes. Like "Is Thor getting dumber, or am I?" It's slow to start "and features too many undeveloped threads."