Movie Review of 'Thor: The Dark World'

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Eccleston, Stellan Skarsgard

Director: Alan Taylor

The Indian Express rating: **1/2

In India, astrologers will tell you just how rare and momentous and powerful can be the 'convergence' of the 'nava graha' ( nine planets). But given that the people who are invested with any knowledge in 'Thor: The Dark World' are mere Western astrophysicists, all they know is that the laws of physics become 'weaker' when the nine planets are about to be arrayed in a line. From an abandoned warehouse in central London, the beauteous ( Portman) is funneled up into a mysterious space, and soaked with a strange red-coloured element called Aether.

We know this because a Norse-ish alien race and its enemies are in search of that very substance. Both the good guys, whose king is Odin ( Hopkins in an eye-patch), and the bad Dark Elves, lead by Malekith ( Eccleston), want it. The battle for Aether spills out from Asgard, travels to various hot-spots across the universe, and reaches London. Enter the Almighty Thor, the Marvel superhero with the Huge Hammer ( Hemsworth), who shows up to save our planets, (and the world, of course) from the marauding elves.

'Thor : The Dark World' comes two years after the first outing of the crown prince of Asgard, with most of the same faces but with a different director ( Alan Taylor, who has, on his resume , a few episodes of the TV series 'Game Of Thrones'). The time has been spent in ramping up the special effects, some of which are gorgeous. Look out for a panoramic view of Asgard, and the funeral of a noble lady, all glitter and poignance. Some of the inter-galactic chases are quite eye-catching, too, despite the 3D. But what mars the spectacle is the pace ( why do Hollywood superhero flicks have to be so long? ), and the collection of leaden baddies, with no personality. What's a tale like this without a real, solid villain? Eccleston, as Malekith, has no menace, and the fellows who accompany him, strutting about with headgear with horns, are just so much background noise.

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