A Modern Day Nordic Tale?

Rating: 7/10 (12 May 2011)

THOR was a thrill-ride for me. I left the theater drawing comparisons with Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Superman, Terminator (a reversed version), 13th Warrior, and Lord of the Rings, as well as the story of Jesus Christ. It's definitely a stylized version of Nordic/Norse Viking mythology.
Sounds strange huh? Let me tell you this: Kenneth Branagh pulls it off, being the brilliant director that he is.
I was expecting another Hollywood action flick with some macho guy raising hell and no substance. I was only half right.
Let's recap the story: Before he becomes king, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is banished from his home in the fantasy world of Asgard for his acts of arrogance in directly confronting and causing the deaths several members of the Frost Giant army, who are the enemy.
Thor is stripped of his superpowers by his father and is transported through a wormhole to earth. Much of the comic side of the movie comes from Thor's portrayal as an average person who still thinks he has superpowers (is subdued by a vaccination). Another point of humor is his adjustment to things on earth (he walks into a pet store asking for a horse).
Thor's exile is so difficult on his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) that he goes into a coma. While in this state his son Loki (Tom Hiddleston) assumes control of the throne, making choices that neither his brother or father would agree with and exerting his revenge for being the 2nd best child all his life. Loki is committed to exterminating the Frost Giant race, even though they have been at peace for some time.
While on earth Thor's attitude changes as he comes to care for Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), a researcher of galaxies from beyond, who he meets when transported to earth. As their relationship develops and Thor finds a way to get back to Asgard, he has to make a tough choice as it relates to seeing Jane again.
Before going back to Asgard, Thor must defeat "The Destroyer", a large robot-like being, that looks impenetrable.
The ending works for the movie and the events that lead us there are credible. They even leave it open for a sequel, but you have to stay after the credits.
So what are my thoughts on the film? Some of the CGI used in the movie is a little hokey, but I say overall it was well done.
It was obvious that Thor's body was, shall we say, "fabricated"? The costumes were first-rate, very cool.
Loved the use of wormholes to transport to other worlds.
The visuals were brilliant and we could feel the characters being transported through. Also noteworthy visuals: the weather disturbance/storm at the very beginning of the movie and the destruction scene towards the end. Definitely big-budget there The fight scenes were amazing, some of the best I've ever seen. How Thor's army goes up against the Frost Giants is dazzling and the ice that grows from the arms of the enemy used as attack-weapons was also eye-popping.
Best acting performance is given by Tom Hiddleston/Loki, as we see the torment he experiences finding out his true identity and displaying a good deal of rage over that and his jealousy towards his brother Thor.
There were a few lulls/slow spots during the first half of the movie.
To summarize I enjoyed THOR more than I thought I would going in, but I also expected that since friends who's opinions I valued said it was a very good film. I vacillated between 7 and 8 stars, so I give THOR: 7.5 out of 10 stars