Thor: The Dark World

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bFZJ-3zNFg

Poor Thor, he's no ones favourite Avenger (well, apart from one person I know). He's not Hawkeye level unpopular but still he's never going to be in the direct forefront on the posters to Avengers 2, he'll be nestled behind Tony Stark and maybe even The Cap. With the odds against him Thor: The Dark world still delivers a very enjoyable Marvel movie with  great action, heart and load of unexpected humour.

To avoid using the incorrect terminology and get attacked by comic book fans the story goes that Thor's girlfriend stumbles across something on Earth that some bad alien-people want so Thor makes sure she's safe and they don't get it. That sounds patronisingly simple but that's the jist of it. It's dressed up in a very grand mythical setting with the start of the film dragging a bit with gods and other important people getting a bit into the politics of the situation.

Once the action starts and it starts to feel more human, with the inclusion of Natalie Portman's character's romance with Thor, the film really finds its stride. The film's 'comedy aside' character along with the return of the fan-favourite Loki deliver solid laughs that make the film a little lighter and stops it getting bogged down in the otherwise super-serious setting and story telling. I'm sure there's fans out there who would prefer the story was told with perhaps a little more 'respect' but for the every-man it leads to a movie that can be enjoyed by a much wider crowd.

Getting back to Loki- he's still the best bit about Thor and Tom Hiddleston steals the show again as the coolest villain Marvel have ever introduced. He's got personality and there's a clear darkness behind his expressions. His dialogue is great and could give Tony Stark a run for his money in terms of wise-cracks but they never feel forced. The film makers decision to use him not just again in the Avengers but also in Thor 2 was a good one.

It's also a marvel (lololol) to watch with some of the best action scenes on film this year. I can't remember who but someone involved in Game Of Thrones was involved in the creation of Thor 2 and it shows- the breakneck brutality and fluidity of the fight scenes is a joy to sit back and take in.

Two weak points. Christopher Eccleston is completely wasted as the villain as you can barely see his expressions under the prosthetics and alien make up and  he delivers about 3 words of dialogue in English with the rest coming out a foreign language. He's uninteresting and there just so the film can have a main  bad guy as opposed to lots of characterless alien enemies.

The other is that the story gets a little confused with itself. I found myself asking a few times what was going on and why things were happening but it didn't really matter as it was all looking super impressive.

I've never left a Marvel film without a smile on my face and Thor 2 was no exception. It maybe lacks the pizazz (legit word apparently) of the other Marvel hero movies but Thor will always struggle to stand out next to such big characters. It's epic, fun and has made me look forward to my next Marvel fix with Captain America next year.

8/10