Given that Thor is now fully embraced by mainstream audiences, here the sequel seems keen to fully immerse itself in the world and as a result the science-fiction/fantasy elements are much more to the fore here. This is a necessary and welcome change as it helps to differentiate the Thor series from the other Marvel heroes. So after a rather clunky prologue which vaguely attempts to set up the plot, we get a much better exploration of the world of Asguard, beautifully realised, and some of the other realms. The plot it has to be said is rather incomprehensible, but fortunately the filmmakers also remembers what worked so well in the first film, never taking itself too seriously and providing a lot of humour amidst all the serious scenes about destroying the universe. A cameo from one of the Avengers is a classic example of the film's ability to have a little bit of fun with its premise and the returning human characters all play off each other nicely, with Portman having a more involved role this time. Hiddleston and Hemsworth as the bickering brothers continue to be the best element of the film and it is little wonder that Marvel wanted Loki to carry over from The Avengers. Nor does the final moment of the film surprise, yet it does leave you anticipating the inevitable third film. A side note, however - Marvel's penchant for killing minor characters to underline the threat or shock the audience is already wearing thin - at some point they are going to have to shake up the world they have created and kill off some of the actual major characters if they want to truly surprise.
Review by Simon MasseyVIP 11BlockedParent2014-06-12T04:04:30Z
Given that Thor is now fully embraced by mainstream audiences, here the sequel seems keen to fully immerse itself in the world and as a result the science-fiction/fantasy elements are much more to the fore here. This is a necessary and welcome change as it helps to differentiate the Thor series from the other Marvel heroes. So after a rather clunky prologue which vaguely attempts to set up the plot, we get a much better exploration of the world of Asguard, beautifully realised, and some of the other realms. The plot it has to be said is rather incomprehensible, but fortunately the filmmakers also remembers what worked so well in the first film, never taking itself too seriously and providing a lot of humour amidst all the serious scenes about destroying the universe. A cameo from one of the Avengers is a classic example of the film's ability to have a little bit of fun with its premise and the returning human characters all play off each other nicely, with Portman having a more involved role this time. Hiddleston and Hemsworth as the bickering brothers continue to be the best element of the film and it is little wonder that Marvel wanted Loki to carry over from The Avengers. Nor does the final moment of the film surprise, yet it does leave you anticipating the inevitable third film. A side note, however - Marvel's penchant for killing minor characters to underline the threat or shock the audience is already wearing thin - at some point they are going to have to shake up the world they have created and kill off some of the actual major characters if they want to truly surprise.