Thor: The Dark World

Movie Name: Thor: The Dark World
Year of Release: 2013

Director: Alan Taylor

Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, Christopher Eccleston, Jaimie Alexander, Zachary Levi, Ray Stevenson, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgard, Alice Krige

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:

Following the success of the first "Thor" and "The Avengers", the sequel to the Marvel comics hero is here. The film follows the aftermath of the events of the "The Avengers" storyline - Thor is establishing peace in multiple realms, missing his dearly beloved Jane Foster who is on Earth. Loki in the meantime, is a prisoner in Asgard, all the while an ancient race, the Dark Elves, are looming in the darkness, unbeknown to the heroes, waiting to unleash a deadly weapon and destroy the Universe. It's up to Thor, Jane and their friends on Earth, to stop this deadly foe and vanquish the imminent darkness.
The Marvel studios films are becoming like standard products every year, churning out films that promise more visual gimmickry, spectacle on a grandiose scale that are always topping each other out. This year already had the wonderful "Iron Man 3", directed by Shane Black and featuring a very inspired screenplay, which elevated the film to a different level. "Thor: The Dark World", doesn't benefit of the same kind of humor, and the character at certain times feels almost too serious for it's own good, but there's no doubt that this film, as most of the films coming out from Marvel, are very well assembled products that allow for a good amount of entertainment.  Are these films ultimately becoming more anonymous in terms of direction? The answer is yes - Alan Taylor, the director of "Thor", does not have the credits brought in by Kenneth Branagh for the previous Thor adventure, but he manages to give the film a more rugged and textured look. As entertainment goes, this is a film that allows for the viewer to enjoy the time being dazzled by the beautiful frames on display and artistry of the special effects. The actors are uniformly competent, but it's still puzzling why someone like Natalie Portman ends up playing parts that are so very underwritten. Entertaining.