Bombastic!! Emotional depth, smart yet fun as can be!!

Rating: 9/10 (14 October 2011)

This is a film that moves at lightning speed, (PUN INTENDED) egged on by Ken Branagh's bold direction. Thor takes its energy from character development and conflict. The well paced action and conflict scenes are like nothing you've ever seen before and that's saying something in this day and age.
Thor has real emotional depth way beyond what you would expect. It also has action and special effects second to none. After a while and because of the turn in story, you don't really think about those amazing effects, and that's a good thing. Instead, you're pulled into a story about people and that's a great thing.
I like this comicbook anti-hero fallen god. He's gritty, primal, vain yet noble and somehow more real. The film does a great job of showing us how an arrogant son can come to grips with who and what he truly is. The movie draws the audience in with its confidence and it never lets you go. There's no doubt that Natalie Portman was an important piece of casting because she brings the story down to earth. Thor meets Portman's Jane Foster after he is banished from the home of the gods to live among mortals. The audience can relate to what Jane is experiencing and it grounds the film perfectly. That makes the action seem more real and that's a tough balancing act. There are plenty of scenes that you have to see to believe! This movie actually has a heart and a soul and a brain and I couldn't have asked for anything more.
I'd rather a movie be too cerebral then too dumb. This film succeeds on a basic level. It jumps the boundaries of its genre to pull in viewers with originality and inventiveness. Calling it a standard action film doesn't do it justice. It's surprisingly deep and takes the time to set itself up. A complete movie that really doesn't belong in the summer with the likes of the brainless films.