Ages ago, a war was waged by the dark elves who sought to destroy the universe with a mysterious weapon known as Aether. The dark elves failed and the Aether was hidden until present day. As Jane Foster (Portman) unknowingly discovers the long-forgotten matter, the remaining dark elves are alerted, attempting to obtain it by any means necessary and finish the mission they started eons before. With the universe hanging in the balance, Thor (Hemsworth) must seek the help of his evil brother Loki (Hiddleston) and go against the order of his father, Odin (Hopkins).

Marvel Studios, Inc. has been responsible for one the most profitable multi-film deals in cinematic history. Since the release of “Iron Man” in 2008, characters like Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk, Thor, and many more, have been featured in seven intertwining films to date, establishing a multi-billion dollar franchise.

In 2011, “Thor” was released, making a massive impact on the box-office but lacking the same critical reception films such as “Iron Man” and “The Avengers” received. Thor’s poorly developed script, story, and tacky banter doomed the film to mediocrity, but where the first film failed, the second succeeded.

With a well-rounded story and a largely improved script, “Thor: The Dark World” is an enormous success in comparison to its predecessor. Unlike “Thor,” the sequel manages to retain all of the action found in the first film, while adding much darker plot points and twists, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats.

“Thor: The Dark World” is a great sequel, easily conquering the previous film’s story while maintaining the same box-office success. Though the movie still contains more than enough of the cheesy banter the first film endured, it’s easily forgotten in the intense action and drama that “Thor: The Dark World” offers.

I’m giving “Thor: The Dark World” 3/5 Kernels!