Thor

As Marvel continues to plow through their Rolodex of superheroes to translate into big budget movies, there is the constant threat that a few will flop and put a wrench in their plans. Thor, as a less popular character, had the potential to fall that way, though it actually emerges as one of Marvel’s most successful on screen adaptations. With his fan base significantly smaller than Spider-man and others, there isn’t a common knowledge back-story and that allows viewers to take the film at face value.

But then there is the whole process of making a strong film, which is easier said than done. With classically trained actor Kenneth Branagh directing, there isn’t a weak performance to be found in the movie. Some are definitely better than others, but that’s unavoidable. Leads Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor, and Tom Hiddleston, Loki, do very well balancing their characters’ likeability. Hiddleston in particular can keep the audience’s sympathy while emerging as one of the more cunning super villains to hit the big screen. Natalie Portman, who plays the token human girl, won’t likely defend her Oscar with this performance, but having a solid actress in the role allows for a better overall film.

In retrospect Thor spends a lot of time juggling a story line with the villainous ice giants, which isn’t incredibly important to the main plot. These encounters are the main showcase of big budget effects and colossal fight scenes. What’s interesting is that theses scenes are often long or back-to-back with other fight sequences, but they never get repetitive or dull. In fact, Branagh’s Shakespearian influence gives an artistic value to moments in which one wouldn’t really expect any (like throwing a hammer throw an enemy’s face). Ultimately, Thor surpasses all expectations and gives the movie-going public a great kick-off to the super-hero filled summer film season. (8.9 out of 10)