Thor! What should I watch it for?

Rating: 7/10 (1 May 2011)

Looks like it's going to be open season on Thor puns and Norse jokes. "My kingdom for a Norse" and "Thor-oughly good fun" have already been thrown up in other reviews. And I've Thort up a few myself.
I'll admit, I'd decided even before I saw the movie that I was going to start this review with "Thor! What will it be remembered for? Absolutely nothing." Because, you know, it just seemed like that sort of film. But here's the thing - yes, it has a ridiculous premise, and slips irretrievably into superhero clichés halfway - but the rest of the film is actually a blast.
The movie opens with Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgaard knocking down a man who's materialised in the middle of an unusual storm. We learn from a quick flashback that this 'homeless crazy dude' is actually a God named Thor, exiled by his daddy to the mortal realm because (Spoiler) he picked a fight he shouldn't have with the Frost Demons next door. Thor has a brother, Loki, who is much cleverer but - is he all that he appears to be? And what is the terrible secret Odin is hiding from him? Will Asgard be forced into war with the Frost Demons, allowing Branagh to shoot more cool war sequences in a Lord of the Rings-meets-Antartica setting? (SPOILER) All this stress and family drama drives Odin to the divine equivalent of a heart attack, which sets the stage for Loki to proclaim himself king and prance around in villainous robes.
Meanwhile Thor wakes up on earth and is understandably upset to find that (a) of all the states in all the countries in all the nine realms, daddy's cruelly chosen to banish him to New Mexico and (b) he can't get his Giant Tool to work any more. No, really. His divine power comes from a giant, swinging hammer. There's lots of unresolved sexual tension between him and Portman, and he promises to come back for her once he's reclaimed his um, hammer, but nothing happens because, you know, (SPOILER) he can't get the um, hammer up. Up off the ground, that is. Really, there's nothing Freudian about this at all, stop rolling your eyes.
The best parts of the movie are actually those where Thor is learning to function around humans. There's a running gag in the movie – Thor makes sneering comment to human, is promptly taken down by a hypodermic needle, or Kat Dennings' taser, or knocked down by a car. In the vein of - "You dare threaten me with that puny aaaargh".
Branagh directs these scenes with great comic timing, keeps the main story arc moving along at a terrific pace, and finds time to showcase the formidable acting chops of British actors Hopkins and Hiddleston.
Unfortunately, with Thor gone from Asgard and Odin in the Vikingtensive care unit (Norse! My sponge bath!), Loki effectively doesn't have a nemesis, and here the movie begins to slip into mediocrity, as the script struggles to manufacture conflict. By the time Loki has sent a weird fire breathing suit of armour to destroy Thor, things have gone from bad to Norse.
Still, let's keep perspective here, it's a superhero movie based on a B-grade Marvel comicbook series. It could've been much worse, but the tight pacing and superior acting helps it rise above the source material. Chris Hemsworth brings tremendous physical presence and an effortless, masculine charisma to the titular role, reminiscent of Russell Crowe in his Gladiator days. Yes, he's a loud, spoilt, arrogant bruiser just itching to start a fight, but you can't stay mad at him, he's so earnest and likable. And of course, there's the scene where he swaggers into camera shirtless, the better for you to admire his power lifter's torso.
Anthony Hopkins is always a pleasure to watch, even when he's phoning in his performance. Shades of the role he played in Beowulf here, the long suffering ruler with a dirty little secret that nearly proves the undoing of his kingdom. Kat Dennings steals every scene she has a line in and elevates her character well above the Scooby Doo caricature it had been scripted to be. Jeremy Renner makes a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo as Hawkeye, looking like he's reprising his role from 28 Weeks later (swapping his a sniper rifle for a bow). And Tom Hiddleston, as Loki, delivers easily the best performance in the movie, creating a complex, sympathetic villain.
Now, I'm not faulting Natalie Portman's acting, I'm just asking - why is she even in this movie? Since her riveting, award-winning turn in Black Swan, the woman seems determined to prevent us from taking her seriously. First, a buttock baring, leather thong wearing role in Your Highness, and now this. "Look, I'm a scientist, I can spout astrophysics jargon, I'm smart ....(sees Thor, jaw drops) ..well helloooo handsome. Oh nothing, just sitting here by myself (giggle), trying to figure out how wormholes work. What? A rainbow bridge connects the nine realms (including one with Frost Monsters in it) and that's all there is? Oh, you're so big and clever and strong (giggle) ... shall we go someplace quiet and talk astronomy?".
Anyway, all things considered, it's a fun movie, and good for a few laughs (I loved the bit where Thor calls Agent Coulson "Phil, son of Coul"). Go see it, just don't expect the Dark Knight. And stay for the post credit teaser scene that's become the trademark of these pre-Avengers movies.