Better than the first Thor..

Rating: 7/10 (11 November 2013)

I thought that Thor was a decent movie, but possibly the weakest of the Avenger stand alone movies. I didn't think it was on par with The Hulk Remake, Iron Man, and even Captain America. I felt the Thor movie was a little weaker (Captain America is a close, but not too close, second place).
That said, Thor: The Dark World gives Thor the type of movie that the first one should have been. The scale is larger, the effects are better, and I think the story was stronger. I enjoyed the humerus aspects of the film which were ramped up due the success of the Avengers. This formula works.
Hemsworth does a good job with Thor. You can tell he's really embraced this role as it is his defining role to date. He obviously looks the part, and he does a good job giving Thor a personality. He's a little rigid, but I think that's the character he's playing. The intensity is there, but so is the comic relief when it needs to be.
Tom Hiddleston really steals the show with Loki. His charisma shines through in his portrayal and you can really tell when a truly talented stage/film actor such as Hiddleston finds a role and a character that he truly loves. His portrayal is effortless and full of emotion, which in my opinion, makes Loki by far the most intriguing villain in the entire Marvel Universe.
I could do without Natalie Portman's character. I understand it's necessary in order to humanize the film and link Thor to Earth, but I find it a little pointless that she has to be included as a piece of the puzzle surrounding the Dark Elf mytho. Having Asgaard and the Dark Elves battle on their own would have been just as effective and less annoying.
The three Agaardians are utilized much less in this movie and were almost rendered to bit-parts. I thought this was too bad as I'm certain they have larger roles to fill in the comic book universe and would have been a better fit into the movies as compared to the group of annoying human characters.
Odin (Anothony Hopkins) was a mystery to me. In the first movie he is seen as a confident, wise, powerful leader whom must be shown respect and yet in this movie he appears to be a cranky old man. I wasn't thrilled with the treatment Odin received.
In the end this is a solid movie and I think much better than the original. There are some strange directions taken with the story, but in the end some fantastic effects, solid acting, funny jokes, and Loki redeem many of the flaws Rating: 7.5/10