A Welcome Addition to "Phase 2" to the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

Rating: 8/10 (24 April 2014)

Last summer's "Iron Man 3" turned out to be very disappointing, but "Thor: The Dark World" does a much better job of kicking off this second phase of Marvel movies. I did enjoy the first "Thor", but this movie does a much better job of exploring some of the other worlds and raising the stakes.
The original cast returns for this second film and they are great! Chris Hemsworth is still a great Thor and Tom Hiddleston really gets a chance to shine as Loki. Natalie Portman is still hot and plays a good Jane Foster. The rest of the original cast is good, also, though I really wish that Kat Dennings was not in these movies because she's annoying and pretty pointless. Christopher Eccleston is Malekith, the new villain for the film. He's a bit boring and is honestly pretty forgettable, which is a shame because Eccleston really is a good actor.
The story for this movie is very fun. No, it doesn't always make sense, but like other successful Marvel movies, it keeps you entertained and wanting more. The film also does a much better job at foreshadowing "Avengers 2" than "Iron Man 3" did, so that's an added bonus that all fans should look forward to.
The effects are sort of hit and miss. Asgard and the other realms that are shown look spectacular. The action sequences are well choreographed and make for an exciting time. But some of the costumes look a bit silly and fake.
Final verdict: "Thor: The Dark World" is exactly what it is meant to be. It is an entertaining thrill ride from start to finish, with good characters and great, action packed scenes. It is not a great Marvel movie like "Iron Man" or "The Avengers", but it is a worthy entry that will leave you entertained and wanting to see it again.