Thor he's a jolly good fellow

Rating: 7/10 (9 May 2012)

Being more of a DC comics guy myself, I know little more about Thor other than he has big hair, a big cape and a big hammer. I suppose he's as close as Marvel got to a Superman- type hero, but with more angst, as expelled for youthful bravado in confronting his home world Asgard's old enemies the Frost Kings, he finds himself exiled on Earth,where he quickly (too quickly in my opinion) goes native there, getting caught up in defying the authorities and falling for Natale Portman.
The film itself entertains with its sword and sorcery plot-line and neatly contrasts the fantastical world of Asgard and Jottenheim with modern-day America. The story of sibling rivalry is as old as the Old Testament and creates suitable tension in the narrative, while Anthony Hopkins presides over his sons' feuding with the necessary gravitas.
The action sequences are especially well done, including the first battle with the Frost Giants, Loki's dispute with Haemdell and especially Thor and his band's fight with the seemingly invincible Destroyer. The c-gen SFX are suitably dream-scape in scale, particularly the depiction of the Bifrost Rainbow Bridge.
The acting is serviceable rather than memorable, only Hopkins making you look more at him than the scenery behind him and while I understand the interpolation of S.H.I.E.L.D for continuity reasons leading up to the Avengers movie, for me they were still a distracting presence.
All told though, this more grounded super-hero movie was better suited to my taste than those aimed closer at the lucrative market for 13 year old viewers of others of the same ilk.