Entertaining sequel brings Asgard to life

The Thor comic was unique in that the stories regularly involved three realms: the mythical Asgard and neighboring areas, uncharted expanses across the universe, and Earth. I rarely appreciated the Asgardian segments, but I often enjoyed the many creative cosmic explorations and the Earth-centered stories. Like the first movie, this sequel is amazing in that it successfully recreates Asgard and its main characters for the screen, not to mention that it actually makes them interesting (as I never found Odin, Sif or the Warrior's Three interesting).

The bulk of the movie takes place on Asgard and the sci-fi effects are just mind-blowing; I particularly like Malekith's spacecrafts and the Asgardian ship-crafts. Thankfully, there are some Earth sequences, including the dynamic climax in London. Bottom Line: This is a thrilling sequel; if you like the first movie you'll appreciate this one too.