I’m pretty sure I saw the first “Thor” movie after I saw the first “Avengers” movie.  (There WILL be another “Avengers,” right?)  I liked “Thor,” but I thought the story was weak, the writing disjointed and I expected more of the talented cast.  Yeah, I guess you could say I was underwhelmed.

Not so this time.

Like “Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan,” “Thor: The Dark World” (aka “Thor II”) was one of those sequels that’s far superior than the first installment. This was a really fun feature with all of the heart and humor that was missing from the first.

There are lots of surprises and I still can’t get enough of Tom Hiddelston’s Loki. Granted, the bad guy is usually the most interesting character on the screen, but Hiddelston owns the screen whenever he’s present – which is never enough for my taste.  Whether playing gleefully evil or not, his performance is always engaging.

The rest of the cast do a great job, and the story moves along at a reasonable pace.  Nice to see Kat Dennings doing something different than the god-awful “2 Broke Girls” shtick. She’s a terrific actor and while I know she’s making a bundle on TV once a week, she totally outclasses that material. I don’t know why but it breaks my heart to see such talent going to waste.

But that’s another review.

I saw it in 2D with 2 broke elementary school kids and it didn’t diminish my enjoyment. And they loved it too.

If you like the Marvel franchise, you’ll love “Thor II.” If you don’t, you’ll still love it, ‘cause it’s a great film in its own right regardless of its pedigree.

Just stay away from the concession stand. At those prices, I felt as though I got robbed at gunpoint. It’s amazing what people will forfeit when they’re staring at the business end of a loaded bag of popcorn.