Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Eccleston, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings

Director: Alan Taylor

So, the Marvel juggernaut keeps on going.

With Captain America – The Winter Soldier due next year and another Avengers film, The Age of Ultron, on the way, it seems like the universe is somewhat overflowing with these flicks.

But it’s pleasing to report that the shadow and after effects of The Avengers are still hanging over this, giving the feel that there’s some kind of ongoing plan for the franchise. Whereas New York’s mopping up after the antics of the Chitauri, Loki’s behaviour’s caused ructions in the nine realms and in Asgard, with Chris Hemsworth’s Thor thrown into the mix to try and re-unite the warring factions at his father Odin’s behest.

However, the mallet man’s heart isn’t fully in it, with thoughts turning to Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster who’s back on Earth and struggling with the same affliction.

But when Jane accidentally finds herself infected with a mysterious substance known as the Aether, she inadvertently awakens a long-buried threat, believed vanquished from within Asgard itself – the Dark Elves, headed up by the revenge-seeking Malekith (Christopher Eccleston)….. is it time for Asgard to fall?

Thor: The Dark World is a darker, grittier film than the first, but it becomes a little weighed down by some of its own intentions and a myriad of ideas.

There’s such a mix of themes and motifs here that the whole thing feels tonally choppy in places as it shifts from one to the next, juggling way too many narrative balls in the air, and trying desperately to drop none of them. Read More at: http://tvnz.co.nz/entertainment-news/thor-dark-world-movie-review-5665881