Comic book movies are increasingly, like Sandra Bullock in "Gravity," lost in space.

Following the summer's glumly bombastic "Man of Steel," which added a heavy dose of Krypton politics to Superman's once pleasantly silly story, comes "Thor: The Dark World," in which Thor's Asgard, a celestial home of gods floating somewhere in the universe, is the primary setting. Earth is an afterthought — just one of the "nine realms," albeit the one with Natalie Portman.

Gone are the earthbound pleasures of a superhero amid us mortals. Such was the joy of the "Spider-Man" movies and the first "Thor," when Chris Hemsworth's lofty, hammer-wielding Norse warrior, exiled to Earth, so happily encountered a cup of coffee for the first time.

As Marvel's latest 3-D behemoth, "Thor: The Dark World" isn't so much a sequel as the latest plug-and-play into the comic book company's blockbuster algorithm. It's a reliably bankable formula of world-saving action sequences, new villain introductions and clever quips from women on the side, (and they, most assuredly, are always off to the side).

The expansive Marvel universe is carefully stitched together across its many properties. "The Dark World" (with director Alan Taylor of "Game of Thrones" taking over for Kenneth Branaugh) follows "The Avengers" in chronology and runs alongside the current, unremarkable ABC series "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Each is referred to with something less than, say, the binding connections of Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County. Instead we get cloying winks. The great city of New York, for example, is reduced to shorthand for the climactic battle in "The Avengers," as if we're still so consumed by that movie. Yes, we're all very impressed it made so much money.

Thor has spent the last two years restoring order to the nine realms of the cosmos, but just as peace settles, a previously locked-away dark energy called the Aether seeps out. It leaks into Portman's astrophysicist, Jane Foster, awakening a previously vanquished species of Dark Elves, led by Malekith (Christopher Eccleston). They would like to see the universe returned to complete darkness. Not a day person, this Malekith.

This occurs as the nine realms are lining up in a rare convergence that makes them particularly susceptible to Aether-spread ruin. There's not a lick of character to Malekith and his motives: He just wants to end all life.

To save Life As We Know It, Thor seeks help from his duplicitous adoptive brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who has been imprisoned for killing thousands of humans at "New York." Hiddleston's sneering Loki remains one of the finest Marvel antagonists, and — now with a starring role in three films — the franchise seems to value him (as it should) as much as his more heroic brother.

When "The Dark World" touches down on Earth, away from the "Clash of the Titans"-style realms of gods, it's considerably better. Along with Portman, returning is the sarcasm sidekick Kat Dennings (as Jane's intern) and Stellan Skarsgard as discredited scientist Erik Selvig. Chris O'Dowd makes a welcome cameo as a blind date for a very reluctant Jane.

The tone is far more amiable on Earth (London, to be specific, the site of the final showdown) than in Asgard, where Anthony Hopkins, Renee Russo and Idris Elba remain locked in golden-hued majesty. Hemsworth, a seemingly perfectly rendered movie star equipped with brawn and baritone, also suffers from the stiffness. He had much more fun in "Rush" earlier this year.

Ardent fans (who should stay through the credits) will likely be satiated by the pleasing enough "Thor: The Dark World." But perhaps at this point, even diehards may wish for something more from a Marvel equation that often subtracts humanity.

 

colo?gdm # p? t-language: EN-GB'>filmed in and around the small town of Senoia, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Atlanta. The show's story line also is set in Georgia, which meant that Lincoln had to learn how to sound Southern. When he got the part, he traveled to Georgia before other cast members to work with dialect coach Jessica Drake.

 

"She's amazing, she writes it phonetically, and it looks like gibberish," he said, adding that he would also ask Georgians to say certain phrases so that he would know what they sound like.

This season, Lincoln said his character will develop a new way of slaying zombies that doesn't involve guns or knives, though he won't divulge details. He also said he's come to admire Chandler Riggs, the young actor who plays the sheriff's son Carl on the show.

"Now it's time for me to learn from him," Lincoln said. "He's a serious actor, this kid."

 

-`?-a # p? es New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:red;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB'>film, based on the true events that inspired Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick," is currently filming in London.

 

"Chris won the James Hunt role in a self-made audition that immediately demonstrated he had the range to capture the qualities of a complex character," Howard said in an email to The Associated Press. "He has great instincts and the intelligence and talent to get his ideas onto the screen — and he's a blast to work with. We're halfway through 'Heart of the Sea' and its clear Chris is generating another strong performance."

Hemsworth will also star as a cyber-guru in an upcoming, not-yet-titled Michael Mann thriller. "Chris is ambitious and uninhibited," said Mann in an email. "He's artistically down for the cause. He's there for you. I had been told that by Ron Howard."

When preparing for the role in Mann's film, Hemsworth took computer lessons for two and a half months. "I couldn't be more inept in mathematics and computers," he said, adding with a chuckle, "It was quite a steep hill to climb for me."

Luckily, Hemsworth is always game for a challenge — even if it means taking a pay cut to tackle meatier roles. "Look, it's great to earn money," says the actor, who has a 17-month-old daughter, India Rose, with wife Elsa Pataky. "But it's not why I got into it. There are obvious great bonuses financially, but I don't pick roles on that. You can't. If you do it's a short-lived career and you end up in one type of thing."

Back in 2007, when Hemsworth moved to Los Angeles from his native Australia, his goal was to conquer Hollywood. But he had to struggle to find an audience.

"There was a period of about eight months where I wasn't working and I was pretty close to going back home," said the actor, who's also worked as a bartender. "I was sick of having the door slammed in my face and feeling like I wasn't good enough. But, I knew I loved storytelling and movies. There was nothing else I really wanted to do."

Luckily, appearing in 2009's "Star Trek" helped him get noticed. "It was such a small role, but Kenneth Branagh saw it and cast me in 'Thor,'" Hemsworth said.

The actor's 23-year-old brother, Liam, who stars in the upcoming "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," also auditioned for the part. "But, they said he was a little bit young," said Hemsworth. "Then my manager was like, 'Well, he's got an older brother.' So, if anything, Liam got me in there. It was a team effort. We are competitive, but not in this business. There are too many variables you cannot control."

Despite his success in Hollywood, Hemsworth still fights anxiety on "every set I step on," he says. "I can't help but think, 'Do I have a handle on this? Am I going to be able to make this truthful?' But I like that question mark. It keeps you alive. There is a danger to becoming too comfortable."

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