Thor (Marvel Studios/ Paramount)

Synopsis: The Mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior is about to succeed Odin (Sir Anthony Hopkins) as king of Asgard when an attack by the Frost Giants interrupts the ceremony. Against the wishes of his king, Thor, and his band of close warrior friends, go to the realm of the Frost Giants in search of answers. His arrogance and reckless actions reignite the ancient war. Thor is stripped of his powers, cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, Thor also stars Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster and Clark Gregg reprises his Iron Man role of Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D.

My Take: I can't wait for The Avengers to come out! Seriously. The anticipation is making me expect too much from these superhero movies. Don't get me wrong, this movie was great, but I guess I expected more. It wasn't as good as Iron Man, but, at least it was better than Hulk (or The Incredible Hulk, take your pick.) 

The film starts with a mild scene introducing Natalie Portman's character, Jane, and her small team of scientists who just happen to be in the right place at the right time, when Thor is banished and sent to Earth through Heimdall’s Observatory, a space portal between the 9 realms. The movie then does a flashback that describes the history of the Asgardians as protectors of the 9 realms and their relation to Earthlings. This is where the movie explodes. Good thing they had Anthony Hopkins to do the voice-over. He's one of the few who could do justice to the Shakespearean levels to which they went. The grandiose Asgard and desolate, frozen Jodunheim look incredible, the battles are exciting and the acting is top shelf.

Helmsworth really steps out of his soap opera shoes and really carries the film. He plays the self-righteous douche-bag to a tee. Thor is basically Superman with a hammer and a gay Nordic fashion designer, so I guess he has a lot to be cocky about. He really fits the part well, when he battles the Romulan Blue Man Group with the powers of Iceman from X-Men... I mean, the Frost Giants. I didn't like how quickly he learned humility and humanity while on Earth. it would have been nice to see Helmsworth take his character through that transition, but I guess there was too much that needed to be crammed in, what with the falling in love with Jane, trying to reclaim his magical hammer Mjolnir from S.H.I.E.L.D. and an awkward cameo by Jeremy Renner as The Avenger’s Hawkeye.

Personally, Tom Hiddleston was underused. Yes, he does have a very prominent role as the mischievous Loki, though he spends half the film looking like a slightly more effeminate Lady Gaga. He plays the part like a seasoned veteran, but they don't delve into his emotions enough, and that's a lack in the script, not the actor. I did enjoy the interplay of sibling rivalry, as any younger brother can understand exactly as he felt.


Too bad the script wasn't put together better. 5 script writers can come up with some great scenes, but each scene is disjointed from the others without someone to pull it together. I think they forgot to hire that person. The script jumps back and forth between Asgard/Jodunheim and Earth a bit too much, but, overall, is effective and entertaining with plenty of comic relief thrown in.

Verdict: Like I said earlier, Thor is not as good as Iron Man, but it's still a must see, especially if you are unfamiliar with the story and want to be up to date and ready for The Avengers, due out next year. Thor is a pretty good start to the summer blockbuster season. Besides, when it comes to superhero movies, "if you build it, they will come". BRING ON CAPTAIN AMERICA!!!

My Rating: See it (You'll Buy it if you're a real Avengers fan)

Genre: Drama, Action, Adventure, Sci-fi, Fantasy
Rated: PG-13
Run Time: 2hr. 10min.