B+

Despite the horrible trailers and tv promos the movie was great and it was much more funny than I thought It'd be.

The only problem with is that the big action scene on the earth isnt..... espectacular.

Despite this being a "Thor" movie, my favorite scene in the movie has to be:


One last thought: Natalie Portman is really flawless.

Thor does a good job mixing both worlds it is set in for a satisfying and very enjoyable ride. It is much more low-key than the Iron Man or other Marvel films but it still has some very solid action scenes. Chris Hemsworth is very strong as Thor and he makes a character that is both very aggressive but charming at the same time. The entire look of Asgard is pretty spectacular and adds richness to the whole film. At the same time, the film doesn't go overboard with the entire SHIELD stuff like was done in Iron Man 2. It doesn't quite pass the first Iron Man but it is close. ***1/2

With Thor, Kenneth Branagh, often thought of as Laurence Olivier's successor, turns from Shakespeare to Marvel Comics. A decade ago, this might have seemed strange, but now it is commonplace for such popcorn-film properties to be entrusted to directors with art-house credibility. The results are not always positive--Marc Forster (Monster's Ball) badly fumbled Quantum of Solace--but the prospect of another Christopher Nolan (from Memento to Batman Begins) or Alfonso Cuarón (Y tu mamá también to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) type success story is too enticing to deny. So how has Branagh, he of the legendary 70-millimeter '90s version of Hamlet and, more recently, the Harold Pinter-penned revisiting of Sleuth, fared in his superhero jaunt? To be brief: well. Though imperfect and not as intelligent or rousing as, say, Bryan Singer's X2 or Nolan's The Dark Knight, this is a damn fine summer film.

I feel it's fair to say Thor is at best a mid-level superhero in the grand Marvel canon. While well-known, he is nowhere near as iconic as Spider-Man, Wolverine, or the Incredible Hulk. And due to his mythology-derived nature, he is not as easy to relate to as Peter Parker or Bruce Banner; they are everyday, flesh-and-blood men who struggle with the benefits and dangers of their newly found powers (nerd empowerment and subsequent angst sells very, very well), whereas Thor, with his piercing blue eyes and ripped muscles, is an idealized prince of Asgard and an immortal. Branagh's Thor responds to this fact in two ways: the plot begins with the prideful and glory-hungry Thor, played here by Australian Chris Hemsworth, being deprived of his powers by his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), and sent to earth to learn humility. So it's the story of a superhuman losing everything--including his ability to wield a magic hammer--in order to become a true hero. Branagh also laces the film with heavy doses of fish-out-of-water comedy, with Thor's boastfulness and antiquated phrasings being contrasted with the bewildered scientists, including an obligatory love interest played by Natalie Portman, who find him after his fall from Asgard. I would even argue the laughs are more potent and memorable than the action sequences and special effects.

Which isn't to say Thor is short on impressive action and effects. There is stylish excitement to be had, except, strangely enough, most of it is found in the film's first half. A prologue establishing tensions between the people of Asgard and fierce ice monsters reminded me of the first few minutes of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, an almost overwhelming (and quite enthralling) blend of battle sequences and plot information. And a rain-swept fight sequence pitting Thor against a S.H.I.E.L.D. security guard is quick, brutal, well-choreographed, and, in a refreshing change of pace, shot clearly and crisply by Branagh. The third-act action, including an earth-set struggle between Thor and his band of immortals and a machine reminiscent of The Day the Earth Stood Still's Gort, is slightly underwhelming by comparison, both too brief and undermined by the villainous Loki's (Tom Hiddleston) fairly pointless grand scheme.

The members of the ensemble cast turn in fine performances. As Thor, Chris Hemsworth is a great find. His charismatic intensity reminded me of a young Russell Crowe, and there were audible female reactions during his big shirtless scene. I'm excited to see him reprise the role in The Avengers. Hopkins devours the scenery and then demands seconds as the one-eyed Odin, but Rene Russo (where has she been?) is squandered and visibly bored as Thor's mother. Recent Oscar winner Portman is decent in a less-than-spectacular role and shares a fresh, appealing chemistry with Hemsworth. The most striking female presence, however, is Jaimie Alexander as Asgard's premiere female warrior. I wonder if she'll also return in The Avengers? I hope so. Oh, and on the subject of The Avengers, watch for an amusing, well-integrated cameo by Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, a character we'll obviously see again.

The most distracting flaw in Thor is Branagh's heavy use of Dutch angles. This sounds harsher than intended, but I haven't seen so many tilted angles in an action film since, gulp, Battlefield Earth. Now and then Branagh will use one to show us the scope of a location in an interesting way, but several others fall flat. Style for style's sake and unnecessary. Branagh redeems himself behind the camera, however, by avoiding any Michael Bay-style rapid-fire cutting and extreme closeups, annoying staples of many modern films and a style only a few, notably Paul Greengrass, can do perfectly.

So, the mighty Thor has leapt from page to screen, and fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Branagh, Hemsworth, and the rest have laid a solid foundation with this first entry. It's flawed in several respects, to be sure, but a success overall. And now it's on to Captain America in Marvel's mad march to Joss Whedon's Avengers.

B

I'm surprised Hemsworth is good in this. He doesn't seem like he would be from the ads. Is Portman not in it much? She's the main reason I'll see it on Blu-ray.

I liked it, it was fun. Hemsworth was actually a pretty good choice as Thor but Portman was wasted. The action was nice, but the scenes at Asgard were a bit too video gameish for me. B

She's in it lots. She's just the love interest, of course, so it's not a very interesting role. She has a couple very cute moments, though, and doesn't go into her Wooden Princess Amidala Mode.

Glad she is. I'd read she wasn't in it much.

Hiddleston is fucking fantastic btw. Marvel has never had a better villain. Too bad the script was weak but he did excellent anyway.

Yep. At first I didn't like the idea of The Avengers recycling Thor's villain, but now I'm glad.

It's a fun film. Not perfect, and the romance is seriously undercooked, but Hemsworth is quite good. I liked it better than The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man 2.

I don't follow superheroes but whaaaaaat? They're using him as the villain?

I mean, he was great, I'd love to see more of him, but that seems kind of lame.

Romance was awful, I agree, also agree that Hemsworth was great, not as good as Hiddleston but charismatic. IM2 was a real mess. I liked TIH but can't remember much now.

Yeah, Loki's the baddie in The Avengers. That's what the post-credits scene is setting up.

My problem with the romance isn't that it's undercooked -- I mean, I sort of expected that -- but it leaves Thor's big decision to sever the bridge without consequence. That should be sort of a giant moment, but it wasn't.

Loki's big plan was so lame. Oh, no, don't destroy all those super-evil Jeepers Creepers lookin' motherfuckers. That's so mean! Super low stakes.

They should've had him trying to destroy earth.

That and the Dutch angles were my biggest issues with this otherwise very entertaining movie.

How does Captain America fit into all this? Guess I'll find out in July. Don't tell me.

Just going to voice out how lame that Captain America doesn't "exist" from Iron Man through Thor but his story takes place during World War 1. (or 2?)

Read the Faraci review of Thor, which I don't really agree with. Thor's a really enjoyable movie and the performances, effects and humour in parts for me overcome the script. Although SHIELD is pathetic and only exists for fanboy orgasms, I didn't feel it was out of place, or detracted, mainly because Iron Man 2 already set them up as fucking meddlers that are bound to turn up again.

In Iron Man 2 however, I along with other mainstream viewers I'm sure, were expecting a sequel to Iron Man, much like the sequel to Batman Begins or Spider Man or even X-Men, not pre-Avengers fanboy orgasm time. Samuel Jackson? Fuck him. The whole story was such overcooked or maybe undercooked, who knows, trash. My heart is failing, I become asshole, SAM JACKSON, where is my futher, roll credits.

How is the 3D in Thor? I was planning on seeing it in 2D, but it seems like almost every showing is going to be 3D. I don't really want to shell out the extra dough unless there's lots of cool depth and swooping shots. Thoughts?

It doesn't. I've heard Clash of the Titans had absolutely bottom-of-the-barrel 3D. I'm assuming Thor's 3D is on par with Green Hornet, another movie that had lots of time for post-conversion. There the 3D was cool for about ten minutes, and unnoticeable the other 105.

And I also have to disagree with you on Iron Man 2. Sure, every individual scene was fun, but there wasn't much of a story. Iron Man was a great origin story that kicked off with a great opening scene. It built up momentum well, and while I'll admit the ending is a little weak, it had a much better structure than Iron Man 2. Tony Stark barely even knows that Ivon Drago is around and kicking after he first gets his ass whooped. There was no tension, and nothing for Stark to do. It's a fun film, but I'd put it a solid letter grade below the first film (which is still not bad considering Iron Man was awesome )

Iron Man 2 was a huge disappointment. It's a fact: they let teasing The Avengers get in the way of crafting an entertaining Iron Man film. A total mess. And Mickey Rourke's villain blew.

Thor is very much its own film with its own voice, even with the references to S.H.I.E.L.D., the Hawkeye cameo, and other nods. They're subtle and well-integrated, not distracting.

I think the romance part is well done, almost felt like watching a romantic comedy. Of course, maybe that's just me.

B

But how's the 3D?!? Honestly, I'd like to hear an opinion, and right now its sounding like an afterthought.

3D starts off good and becomes anonymous.

Don't really care for it but it was the only option.

Also, the Hawkeye bit was stupid as hell. I only knew he was Hawkeye cause the papers said Renner will play him.

What a useless bit of tease. Renner sucks as well.