Thor: The Dark World

click to enlarge

The mighty god-like Avenger (Chris Hemsworth) returns for a second solo outing, facing a foe named Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), an exiled dark elf lord from one of the nine realms, awakened and ready to wreck havoc on Asgard and Midgard (that’s Earth for those of you not familiar with Norse mythology or the Marvel Universe). So Thor must unite allies from each realm (Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster and Tom Hiddleston’s master manipulator Loki, among others) to stave off complete and utter annihilation. Expect not only an epic look and feel, thanks to director Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones), but also another sneak peek — in the post-credit sequences — into the future phases of the Marvel game plan. Opens wide Nov. 8. (PG-13) Not screened in time for review