Thor faces off with some angry elves.

Rating: 9/10 (9 November 2013)

The word that most comes to mind when describing Thor: The Dark World, is IMPRESSIVE! This second independent Thor film in no way disappoints and in my opinion is only topped by The Avengers in likability. The sheer scope of the movie is awesome. We see a lot more of Asgard and get to bounce around to a few of the Nine Realms for a very enjoyable ride. Director, Alan Taylor does a phenomenal job balancing the action (and there is a lot), the drama, and the humor in this film. There are some genuinely touching scenes in this film, something that Marvel, overall, has done a good job with in the Avengers based films.
The basic plot involves some pretty nasty Dark Elves and their desire to unleash some cosmic badness, effectively ending the universe as we know it. These elves are tough hombres. They have stealth ships and weapons powerful enough to cause Asgard and our heroes some real problems. But the heart of the film lies in the relationship between Thor, again played perfectly by Chris Hemsworth, and his mischievous brother, Loki, who Tom Hiddleston has made my favorite villain. The best moments are between these two. I won't throw out any spoilers, but I will say that Loki is spectacular.
Natalie Portman is back as Jane Foster, Thor's love interest, as is Stellan Skarsgård, who is very fun to watch as Erik Selvig, the slightly off astrophysicist. Anthony Hopkins, puts in another turn as Odin, Thor's old man and conveys a tiredness of the old king as he once again faces war with an old enemy.
See this film in the theater. The big screen is the right place to enjoy this piece of epic story telling. And remember, wait till the credits end before you go...