Review: Thor

Plot: God of Thunder Thor (Chris Hemsworth), heir to the Asgardian throne is young, brash and arrogant. When he defies his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and attacks the home of the frost giants, Odin strips Thor of his magic hammer Mjolnir and thus his power. Odin also banishes Thor to Earth hoping to teach him humility and the value of leadership. However, with Thor absent his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) plots to steal the throne from Odin. It's up to Thor, with the help of physicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) to reclaim his birthright and the throne of Asgard.

Review: Get read to feel the thunder! In an era where comic movies have flooded the local cinema, director Kenneth Branaugh's Thor stands out as a welcome edition to the Marvel family. Full of pulse pounding action, riveting special effects, and a plot that draws heavily from Norse mythology, Thor went far and above my expectations.

Little known Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth, whose previous movie credits include playing George Kirk in 2009's Star Trek, and a small part in the thriller A Perfect Getaway, proves definitively in Thor that he is more than capable of carrying a film. Sporting long blond hair, a beard, and a physique that looks like it was carved by Michelangelo, Hemsworth is every bit the physical presence you'd expect the God of Thunder to be. Moreover he's a good actor! In my opinion it is easy to play an arrogant, entitled brat and make no mistake Hemsworth was fantastic at portraying the cocky, almost jock like character. But to see the transformation that Hemsworth goes through to become a humble and wise leader is impressive. This is a breakout role that will surely catapult Hemsworth beyond next year's Avengers. Similarly Tom Hiddleston also undergoes a transformation from a loving if jealous brother to a scheming and covetous villain. He is the perfect foil to Hemsworth's Thor. Speaking of perfect I don't know if Branaugh could have cast anyone better to play Odin than Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins. He exudes royalty and his scenes with Hemsworth have a powerful emotional impact. Natalie Portman however comes across as extremely bland in the role of Thor's love interest. There was little if any chemistry between the two and after a dramatic turn in Black Swan she really seemed out of place as a physicist let alone a Marvel superhero movie.

Yet Thor bares little resemblance to any Marvel superhero movie I've every seen. English actor/director Kenneth Branaugh sets a good pace in Thor and balances action with emotional scenes. His choice to stick with the Norse mythology was inspired. It works in the film and proves a nice counterbalance to the scenes on Earth. Much of the plot's success can also be contributed to screenwriters Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stenz, and Don Payne. Their development of the first major action scene on the frost giants' home world is epic.

Speaking of epic, you can't mention a superhero movie without the special effects. Asgard is a breathtaking rich and golden sight to behold. The frost giants' home world however is dark, cold, and brimming with ghoulish CGI monsters. None of the CGI effects come across as campy or dull but instead are bright, vibrant, and realistic. (The Blu-ray edition of Thor should be quite interesting.) You might want to skip the 3D version however as it is not really worth the price of admission. (As are most 3D movies today but that's a topic for another article and another day.)

In a season full of puffed up big budge garbage factories, Thor rises above the competition and cracks through the theaters like a peal of Thunder. Here's to the next lightening strike in Thor 2.

My rating: 8/10