Despite flaws in script, newest Marvel movie benefits from cinematography, casting
These days, superhero films are expected to rely thoroughly on special effects, witty humor and self-awareness. "Thor" is an ideal example of these expectations as it's not too heavy on effects, aware of its own absurdity and steers clear of unwarranted campiness.
The story begins with Odin (Anthony Hopkins), king of an alien race worshipped as divine beings, waging war on the Frost Giants to protect the Nine Realms, which includes Earth and his native land Asgard. He succeeds and confiscates the Frost Giants' source of power, the Casket of Ancient Winters.
In the present, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), son of Odin and God of Thunder, prepares to ascend to the throne of Asgard when Frost Giants invade Asgard to steal back the Casket. Due to his arrogance and hunger for battle, Thor goes to Jotunheim, the lair of the Frost Giants, against his father's orders and breaks the truce between the two races.
As punishment for his actions, Odin strips Thor of his hammer Mjolnir, the source of his power, and banishes him from Asgard.
Thor, as well as the hammer, arrives in New Mexico, where he finds himself in the company of an astrophysics research team (Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings). Long story short, Thor must learn the lesson of humility, prove that he is worthy of once again to wield Mjolnir and deal with his usurping brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who plans to bump off his father and take the throne of Asgard.
The fact that director Kenneth Branagh has experience with costume dramas, such as "Hamlet" (1996) and "Henry V" (1989), helps give "Thor" a somewhat Shakespearian feel.
Under his direction, there is an excellent balance between the spectacle and the silliness, as well as the scenes of Asgard and Earth, though the Asgard scenes are better illustrated than the Earth scenes. He also serves up a vision of Asgard so familiar and beautiful that you will feel like you have stepped into the Land of Oz.
While the scenes of Asgard are among the most visually breathtaking, the wit and humor doesn't come into play until the moment when Thor arrives on Earth. The humor is self-referential enough to show that the movie refuses to take itself too seriously. It begins when Thor becomes aware of his new vulnerability after getting stunned with a Taser by astrophysicist Kat Dennings. It continues showing Thor his new surroundings when he walks into a pet store asking for a horse.
The blonde Australian eye candy Chris Hemsworth, whose biggest role before this was playing James Kirk's father in "Star Trek" (2009) is perfect as Thor. Not only does he have the good looks and the chiseled body for the role, but he also successfully manages to carry the emotional scenes that deal with Thor's arrogance and humility.
The biggest issue with Thor is that the script tries to include too much backstory and some irrelevant plot points, most notably the extraneous story behind Loki's origins. In fact, the script seems to have crammed too much into the story, including the appearance of Jeremy Renner ("The Hurt Locker" (2009), "The Town" (2010)) as the tech-bow wielding Hawkeye (who will also appear in "The Avengers").
It also doesn't give Natalie Portman much to work with. The romance between Thor and Jane feels too rushed, consisting of a couple of giddy, flirty moments and Portman going all breathless and weak-kneed when she sees Thor with his shirt off. Also, with all of the paranormal happenings going on around her, Portman never portrays a single sense of wonder. It even took the fun out of watching Portman run in slow motion.
Despite its flaws, "Thor" is pure blockbuster entertainment, and as with any Marvel film, you can expect an appearance from Stan "The Man" Lee.