THOR: THE DARK WORLD (Rated PG-13)

Chris Hemsworth’s Thor is a likeable, relatable character, appearing more down-to-earth than his supreme being as the hammer-wielding Norse god would suggest to us mere mortals stranded on Planet Earth.

Inspired by Marvel Comics, “Thor: The Dark World” is the sequel to 2011’s “Thor” in which Hemsworth’s Thor, the Mighty Avenger, was somewhat arrogant and impulsive at first before gaining humility from time spent on Earth battling evil forces.

Unlike its titular character, “Thor: The Dark World” doesn’t seem very relatable, from the perspective of a superhero picture. At least for me, it has to do with a lack of true knowledge, and perhaps even interest, in Norse mythology.

Right from the start, there’s talk of the Nine Realms central to Norse cosmology and the fact that all realms will soon align offering the evil Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) an opportunity to annihilate all civilizations, whether human or alien.

Even the most casual observer is likely aware that Asgard is the home of the Norse gods, where Thor’s father Odin (Anthony Hopkins), sporting a nifty gold eye patch and carrying a royal scepter, rules with an iron hand.

Where it gets confusing is the talk of other realms like Vanaheim, Alfheim and Svartalfheim, the latter being the home of the Dark Elves which is under the ruthless thumb of the malevolent Malekith.

I know Anaheim as the home of Disneyland, the happiest place on Earth. One thing I could figure out was that any realm with a name ending in “heim” seemed to be far removed from the happy wonders of Walt Disney’s amusement park.

Even having the scorecard of the Nine Realms proved not so helpful to determine which one of the depressingly dark and gloomy places was the setting of a particularly violent skirmish.

However, it is not so difficult to appreciate the universal conflicts that have driven human drama since the beginning of time. One conflict, of course, is a son impatient to prove his worth to his father, explaining the tension between Thor and Odin.

The far more troubling tension is that of lethally resentful brother, in this case Loki (Tom Hiddleston) carrying a grudge against Thor, which was initiated as a polarizing relationship between siblings vying for the throne of Asgard.

Now there is pure hatred involved between the brothers, as Loki finds himself imprisoned, like Hannibal Lecter, behind an impenetrable acrylic plastic window in an all-white room that looks like the setting for a Vanity Fair photo shoot.

Meanwhile, setting up shop in London, the lovelorn Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), the astrophysicist who met Thor when he was exiled to Earth by his father in the first film, is pulled back into Thor’s world when Malekith causes some gooey substance to take control of her body.

In any case, this gives Thor the excuse to bring Jane to Asgard for her own protection and eventually reignites some of the old passion after Jane overcomes resentment for Thor disappearing for a few years as if he were a deadbeat father (which he’s not).

Also returning to earthbound duty are Kat Dennings’ quirky Darcy, Foster’s intern who now has her own intern, and Stellan Skarsgard’s Dr. Erik Selvig, who sits around in his underwear because his mind was previously possessed by Loki. Now he’s trying to figure out where he left his pants.

At this point in the story, I am trying to determine how many Dark Elves does it take to pilot the massive spacecraft that looks oddly shaped like a floating corkscrew or a jellyfish when the cloaking device is not turned on.

Malekith, King of the Dark Elves, is a nasty villain but his character is one-dimensional. Sure, he looks threatening but evidence of his motivations to commit horrific acts upon his foes is entirely missing.

The most convincing confrontations are between Loki and Thor, but even that is somewhat limited, given that the brothers so infrequently share the screen, until Thor decides to risk using Loki’s help when their mutual demise appears so imminent.

The scenery in London is visually interesting, even though Malekith’s invasion of the city results in the type of CGI-generated destruction that has become so commonplace in alien invasion movies.

Dressed in a flowing red cape, the long-haired Chris Hemsworth’s Thor cuts a dashing figure as a Norse god, demonstrating an engaging charisma befitting his status as an attractive superhero.

“Thor: The Dark World” delivers the swaggering explosive exploits that its audience wants. It’s the kind of action adventure from the Marvel Comics universe that may be formulaic but advances the franchise along a pleasurable path for its loyal fan base.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.