After a highly successful "Iron Man 3" Disney will release the highly anticipated "Thor: The Dark World" Friday.
The new installment tells the story of the Marvel superhero Thor who must embark on his most perilous and personal journey when he is faced with an enemy that Odin and Asgard cannot withstand. Through his journey he will reunite with the love of his life Jane Foster.
Ahead of its release the film has been receiving mixed reviews. Richard Corliss of Time Magazine stated, "The clutter makes your head feel like it's about to explode - and not in a good way, with wonders upon wonders. Instead it seems like arcana that might show up on the midterm final: the next Marvel movie."
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone was similarly: "Not enough Loki. Too many tacky 3D effects. And then there's the hard fact that everything old isn't necessarily new again just because the bottom line wishes it so."
Rene Rodriguez of the Miami Herald also disliked it. "At a time when Marvel Studios should be building on their success and embarking on more ambitious narratives, Thor: The Dark Side takes three steps back," wrote Rodriguez.
Meanwhile, Ty Burr of the Boston Globe gave the film two stars out of four and said, "How do you know that 'Thor: The Dark World' is for the fan-boys and absolutely nobody else? The opening exposition is sub-Tolkien balderdash that merely has the power to put you to sleep in seconds."
However, there were some critics who enjoyed the film. Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune wrote, "Plenty of fine actors do what they can here amid the digital mayhem and smashed columns."
Justin Chang from Variety wrote, "This robust, impersonal visual-effects showpiece proves buoyant and unpretentious enough to offset its stew of otherwise derivative fantasy/action elements."
"Thor: The Dark World" was directed by Alan Taylor and stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins and Idris Elba.