Thor: The Dark World

This latest installment is a step back from Kenneth Branagh's goofy and grand first franchise installment, Thor. While not likely to piss off superhero film fans, this sequel from director Alan Taylor is not going to blow many minds away, either. It's a semi-efficient placeholder flick moving us towards the next Avengers movie, due in 2015. Chris Hemsworth returns as that incredibly handsome man with long hair, a big hammer and impossibly silly dialogue. The film takes place after The Avengers, with a dark ancient force threatening the universe, and only Thor and his imprisoned brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston, stealing the movie) can save us. The movie is OK, but somewhat of a comedown considering how fun the first Thor and The Avengers were. It's merely a placeholder until Thor's next appearance in an Avengers movie, with some decent action and special effects to tide us over until the next Marvel fix.