SYNOPSIS: The epic adventure “Thor” spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the mystical realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. As a result, Thor is banished to Earth, where he is forced to live among humans. When the most dangerous villain of his world sends its darkest forces to invade Earth, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero. 

“Thor” is the tale of one man’s mythic journey: from a petulant prince born to inherit the throne, to a humble super hero who earns the right to lead.

REVIEW: Odin: Whoever wields this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor. 

And what power it is! Ladies and gentlemen, movie fans of all ages, welcome to the summer blockbuster movie season of 2011, and what a year it’s going to be! I don’t know about you but I am really excited about the incredible line up of movies we’ve got coming our way in the next few months. Let’s start with a big opener, shall we. What better than a Marvel classic? Marvel is not holding back at all moving full throttle toward a grand epic uniting several of its characters into one movie, the Avengers. This movie is the next step in that progression and it’s a doozy. I’m not that familiar with the details of the Thor comics or his story, but I concluded that in a certain way it’s Marvel’s version of Superman. We are dealing with a being from another “realm” with extraterrestrial power and abilities. In this case, he has an extraterrestrial weapon as well in his iconic hammer. This movie is epic, of course, and super cool. When the first Ironman came out, I raved that it was the coolest of all superhero movies . . . and it still is. But this movie is pretty close. The visuals are stunning, the sounds are stirring, and the 3D is the bonus. And like most Marvel movies, there is a nice touch of humor to lighten it up a bit. One such moment comes in the form of the always special Stan Lee cameo. The story is pretty good too; chock full of mythology, mystery, wonder, and using an interesting balance between Thor’s world and our world. 

Darcy: [staring at Thor] You know, for a crazy homeless person... he's pretty cut. 

Above and beyond the special effects, the superhero powers, the action, and the hammer, I was most impressed by how perfectly cast Chris Hemsworth was for the title role. I don’t think anyone could have brought Thor to life better than Chris. He totally nailed the character both in looks and overall physical appearance as well as in personality. He was arrogant, powerful, intimidating, and godly. You ladies will really enjoy this movie thanks to him. For the guys we have the very busy lately, and recent Oscar winner, Natalie Portman. She was good as always, intelligent and passionate, but her character also called for her to be a little ditsy and that didn’t match Natalie too well. I would have liked a little more character background on the earthlings in general though. That aspect along with some of the scenes made parts of the movie seem rushed which left me wanting more. That can be a good thing or a bad thing. The rest of the cast did their job even though some of them were too brief to really appreciate. Another perfect casting, as he usually is, was Anthony Hopkins as Odin. Right? Tom Hiddleston was sharp as Loki, Thor’s brother. I always enjoy Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson. His demeanor and line delivery fits the character very well. The use of Agent Coulson in this film is just one of the many ties it has with the other Marvel movies that will soon join forces to form the Avengers. I don’t recall any other time in cinematic history where this many completely independent movie lines (not sequels or prequels) will combine to make one. The only ones I can think of would be the Alien vs. Predator series and Freddy vs. Jason. I strongly believe these will pale in comparison to the Avengers. It is very exciting times in the world of movies. If there are others that I’m forgetting, please send me an email to help me remember. The very talented Kenneth Branagh was a good choice to direct this motion picture. In the world of all things Marvel, some of the movies have been a little cheesy like Ghost Rider, Daredevil, Elektra, and Fantastic Four for example. I enjoyed them all regardless but there are the ones that were great like Spider-man, the Incredible Hulk, and Iron Man. This one falls in the “great” category.