Thor: The Dark World

Not enough Loki. Too many tacky 3D effects. And then theres the hard fact that everything old isnt necessarily new again just because the bottom line wishes it so. Thats the skinny on the big-budget Thor: The Dark World, a sequel to 2011s surprisingly passable Thor and 2012s surprisingly better The Avengers (thanks, Joss Whedon), featuring a large chunk of Marvel superheroes. The new Thor just has Thor (and one surprise cameo).

Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth, who proved he could do more than just pose in Rush, is back hair flowing, muscles rippling, hammer at the ready as that flying Norse god from the planet Asgard, dodging plot bullets from a trio of screenwriters from the planet Familiar. Director Alan Taylor, whose ace TV credits on Game of Thrones suggest a welcome nonconformity, conforms here to the Marvel rule of dont fix whats not broken. Damn. Box office is one cruel taskmaster.

Lets catch up. The universe is in danger. Still. The dark elves, led by the baddie Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), are fixing to unleash the longdormant force of Aether thats taken up residence in the body of Black Swan Oscar winner Natalie Portman. Not really. The Aether is inside Thors lady love, Jane Foster, the scientist now based in London and again played winningly by Portman.

Just when yawning sets in and you think that Loki, Thors dashing, demented brother, will never show up, scene-stealing Tom Hiddleston rides in. Even in prison, Lokis poison-tipped one-liners fly like arrows, especially at Thor and their Big Daddy, Odin (Anthony Hopkins). This Thor sequel is way funnier than any movie subtitled The Dark World has a right to be (thanks, Hiddleston). And the blowout climax pitting Thor against Malekith and the elves is excitingly staged. Its just that waiting for the good stuff can be a real mood-killer. Youve been warned. My work here is done.