Mostly disappointing superhero sequel

HE MAY be a thoughtless lunkhead at romance - keeping the interplanetary peace is a full-time distraction, after all - but when an invading force wreaks mayhem and threatens to wipe out the kingdom, this god of thunder is all business.

Two years on from an impressive solo debut, and taking a leave of absence from his duties with The Avengers, the big, bearded, hammer-wielding warrior returns to cinemas in Thor: The Dark World - a more sobering, less amusing and mostly disappointing follow-up to the first film, an origins tale in which inter-species love blossoms between a feisty earthling and the heir to the nine realms.

Epic fantasy, Norse mythology and comic-book sensibility are once again the major elements in this early-autumn sequel, which will likely make a substantial contribution to the Marvel Studios coffers. Not that it matters much, but the movie itself is a formulaic and slightly muddled effort, directed by Alan Taylor and weighed down by the need to provide extended narrative and a back story to the villain du jour.