Feels a bit hollow, but looks stunning.

Rating: 7/10 (15 May 2016)

Well, this one was a long time coming. Somehow I missed this completely in 2013, and so it was inevitable that I got to it. The first Thor was never my favourite, less because of the quality of the film and more because I've never really connected with, or been super interested in Thor as a character.
Backstory aside, I was pleasantly surprised by The Dark World. Hemsworth is a charming and charismatic presence, and Tom Hiddleston has such a strong screen presence that it's pretty easy to get through on the two alone. That, coupled with the (almost) unrecognizable Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who) as Malekith give enough to like in the performances to recommend this one.
Honestly, the track record that Marvel studios has for creating entertaining, and quality films is something that almost seems completely unbelievable. At their worst, the movies they put out are thoroughly entertaining, and this entry is far from the worst.
One of the most interesting parts of the movie come in the visuals; particularly in the design of the dark elves, and the other realms. There are some really interesting fantasy elements in the movie that almost felt like they could have been Guillermo del Toro designs. There's some of the most interesting visuals and creature design present in this movie that the rest of the MCU just hasn't come close to yet.
While it might be easy to doubt this one, especially after director Alan Taylor's most recent work Terminator Genysis, but all in all, Thor: The Dark World is a fun, entertaining ride that offers some solid performance and visuals. It managed to get me excited for the upcoming Thor film, so I guess that's something.