THE BIG MOVIE

Thor: The Dark World (2013) 12 Monday, 8.30pm, BBC1

Hollywood has a habit of turning to British actors for its villains. The main antagonist of the first Thor film was the Norse hero’s own adopted brother Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston – and, in this sequel, Christopher Eccleston is the pointy-eared dark elf Malekith, a warrior with an almighty grudge. Chaos bringer Loki is in captivity for his malevolent misbehaviour in New York City (see Avengers Assemble), but he gets a chance to redeem himself by joining Thor (Chris Hemsworth, above with Hiddleston) on a mission to defeat Malekith and save Thor’s human love interest. But can Loki really be tamed? Does anyone really want him to be? Far more than a one-dimensional villain, Loki has had a rare chance to evolve in the Marvel movies – and, in many ways, this is as much his film as it is Thor’s. SA