Non-stop fun

Rating: 8/10 (30 April 2011)

This was big daft fun. After a short sequence where Natalie Portman and her fellow scientists drive into this chap in the middle of an unexplained whirlwind, there is a lengthy sequence in Asgard. Asgard looks great (the Rainbow Bridge is phenomenal), the Norse Gods are all played well, and the action elements are beautifully done. Then Thor is cast down to Earth, powerless, to teach him a lesson, at which point a) things start to go pear-shaped in Asgard, and b) the goings-on on Earth are somewhat less engaging than those in Asgard, although there is some very well-judged comedy. But the last half hour or more is action all the way, both on Earth and in Asgard.
I thoroughly enjoyed Thor, as did my companions (one of whom is far from a committed comics movie fan), and took pleasure in the way further elements are included to set up the Avengers movie - again, don't leave until after the credits. There are places where what you see on the screen screams "Kirby!" If I was to offer any criticisms, I would say:
1. There is a point where the pace drops somewhat about half an hour in;
2. There is quite a lot of it which reminded me of other movie (the small town battle reminded me of similar sequences in both Superman II and Supergirl);
3. Rene Russo is wasted. I imagine she features strongly in "Deleted Scenes."
Natalie Portman never really convinced me. Kat Dennings was fun but underused. Idris Elba was a great Heimdall. Anthony Hopkins added an immeasurable amount of class as Odin - a strong ruler, absolutely assured as to his authority, but calm and compassionate when appropriate.
But Chris Hemsworth is the big discovery here. His Thor is as nuanced as Chris Reeves' Superman/Clark Kent. A wonderfully enjoyable performance in a film which is non-stop entertainment.