Thor returns, with his long blond mane, his manly chest and his sense of humor intact in"Thor: The Dark World," a sequel that hews close to the structure of the 2011 original.The design is brighter and sharper, the jokes are broader and the villainy utterly generic.
the Nine Worlds are approaching Convergence, allowing willy-nilly transfers of objects, matter and people betwixt and between such worlds. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and his estranged mortal love, Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), must figure out a way to stop the chaos.
Thor's evil half-brother Loki figures in all this, and Tom Hiddleston turns his third turn as the character a vamp. He downplays his prior villainy -- "I really don't see what all the fuss was about" -- talks up his conjuring skills ("If it was easy, everybody could do it") and finishes one trick with a "ta-daaaaa!"
Portman slaps Thor for not calling -- "I saw you on TV. You were in New York (in "The Avengers")!" the lighter touch pays off with Marvel Universe cameos, running gags and the sense that things won't get serious until Captain America has his own movie. Again. In 3D. rate G