** and 1/2 out of ****
I'm sure that fans of the Thor comic books know exactly what is going on in this first direct sequel to 2011's Thor movie. I, myself, had a dickens of a time trying to figure out what was going on, especially in the first hour. The plot is kind of dense, but I did get a rudimentary idea of what was happening, so I was able to moderately enjoy Thor: The Dark World.
All I can say is that Thor, the hammer-wielding Norse God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth), finds himself returning to Earth to save it from the evil Malekith (Christopher Eccleston). But to defeat this new nemesis, Thor seeks the help of his villianous adopted brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Of course, once back on Earth, our hero resumes his romance with foxy scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman).
The finale, with characters being teleported here and there is totally nutty. It really makes for a fun and energetic final act. And like the original film, The Dark World's best ingredient is its sense of humor. Most of the comedy is courtesy of Hiddleston and, as Foster's intern Darcy, the adorable and sarcasm delivering Kat Dennings.
So, Thor: The Dark World is decent enough entertainment as we wait for The Avengers 2.
