Enough gravitas to make it a good film

Rating: 7/10 (7 May 2011)

Thor was a risk to bring to the summer multiplexes. Lets face it, there is a lot to cram into a 2hr film, especially one that is built for the summer crowd. But Branagh is able to mix equal parts Asgard gravitas and earth levity to make a film that is thoroughly enjoyable.
Most of the praise should go to Chris Hemsworth who wields the hammer with all the confidence in the world. He was one of the few actors that was in both "rhelms" and he was able to give Thor the right amount gravitas and levity when it was required. Sir Anthony Hopkins is the perfect Oden. Tom Hiddleston has garnered considerable attention for Loki, and I agree he is good. But the supporting actor/character I was most surprised by was Natalie Portman's Jan Foster. This is probably the first role I have seen her in where I got the sense she was totally at ease and having a blast. I expected her to just kind of walk through this film, but she brought as much to this as she did in Black Swan. Totally different role and character and totally different chops needed, but none the less she takes a possible throw away character and gave her some life.
The film does a lot of jumping from earth, back to Asgard, back to earth, back to Asgard, etc. So the pacing is an important thing. For the most part I thought the pacing was handled well, though I thought the final act did feel a bit rushed. The 2nd act suffers from the origin dead zone that is inherent with these films. But again, Branagh shows why he was the perfect director for this film.
I did not see this in 3D. Mainly because it is a post-production 3D converted film. So I can't attest to how good the 3D is. The effects are good, the sound design is perfect, with the sound of the hammer being a major highlight. When Thor wields it with all his might, you feel it.
Very good performances and capable directing make this a fun movie to watch. Be sure to stay around until the very end of the credits as we are given a peek at what looks like the villain in The Avengers.