So this is why that girl from "Adventures in Babysitting" (1987) loved Thor so much?

Rating: 8/10 (21 May 2012)

If you've seen the popular 1987 comedy "Adventures in Babysitting," then you don't need to know what the title of that comment means. But I'm going to tell you anyway: I have to give the little girl in that movie some credit because she's got some original tastes - rather than idolizing something obvious like Batman or Spider-Man or Superman, she chose the lesser-known Marvel Comics superhero Thor.
Thor, or The Mighty Thor, is not one of my favorite superheroes. While I consider myself a Marvel Comics reader more than any other comic book publisher - readers familiar of my reviews will note that I'm an avid Spider-Man fan - Thor is nonetheless an interesting Marvel Comics character to me because he's so different from other comic book superheroes, for one simple fact: he's a god. And not just any god, he's the God of Thunder in Norse mythology - re-interpreted as a comic book superhero. His comic book equals could possibly be Superman (of DC Comics, Marvel Comics' chief rival) or even the Silver Surfer (another popular Marvel Comics superhero) - although astute comic book readers will note that Superman and the Silver Surfer are actually aliens, not gods, but are still quite just as powerful (it'll be interesting to see a fight between the three, though).
Stan Lee, his brother Larry Lieber and the legendary, late, great Jack Kirby were the trio of well-known Marvel Comics personalities who brought Thor to life in 1962, debuting in the issue "Journey into Mystery #83." 49 years later, that British thespian/director Kenneth Branagh brought The Mighty Thor to life in his own movie, "Thor," to add the mighty Norse god to the current crop of special effects-laden superhero movies.
For the most part, Branagh succeeds. Marvel's superheroes were always noteworthy for being outsiders, freaks and misfits, so where does The Mighty Thor - a god, remember - fit into that mold? Well, the movie does a good job of representing his origins: the mighty God of Thunder (played by Australian newbie Chris Hemsworth), is exiled from his home-world of Asgard to planet Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins), in the hopes that his son will learn a lesson in humility. (I'll just go ahead and say that Stan Lee chose his character's flaws rather well: he's one of the first superheroes whose personal dilemma is to learn a lesson and not just any lesson, but a lesson in power and responsibility.) It goes without saying that Thor is arrogant and reckless, nearly bringing Asgard to war with the neighboring realm of the Frost Giants, Jutenheim.
Arriving on Earth stripped of his powers, he must now learn what it truly takes to be a hero and to be responsible for his actions. He's discovered by a trio of scientists in the New Mexico desert - Jane Foster (Natalie Portman, hot off her Oscar-win for "Black Swan"), Dr. Eric Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard), and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) - and they befriend him. It is through his encounters with them that Thor develops a deep fondness and admiration for the human race (in particularly Jane, his would-be love interest) and once he regains his powers - granted to him mostly by the mighty hammer Mjornir - he must eventually combat his traitorous adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who seeks the throne of Asgard for himself.
I'll say that "Thor," like most blockbuster superhero movies of late, is a breathtaking wall-to-wall action flick. If anything else, this movie also got me interested in learning more about Thor and the world he lives in. Although the movie starts off rather slowly and alternates a lot between Earth and Asgard (thereby creating an unwelcome case of vertigo at times), it keeps your attention throughout. While also not too deep or intelligent as it could be (as it should be), Chris Hemsworth proves to be a capable God of Thunder. Stripped of his abilities and forced to learn that ages-old Marvel adage ("With great power, there must also come great responsibility") - and also making an unusually quick adjustment to life on Earth (one of the film's key weaknesses, I feel) - only then can he once again become The Mighty Thor!
Newly-minted Oscar-winner Natalie Portman is serviceable as Jane Foster (she did go to Harvard, after all), but I do feel that she is somewhat under-used, as is Stellan Skarsgard, whose Eric Selvig is also quite familiar with the legends of the classic Thor from his childhood. Thor's close friends and fellow Asgardians - his homeboys Volstagg (Ray Stevenson), Hogun (Tadanobu Asano), Fandral (Joshua Dalls), and home-girl Sif (Jaimie Alexander) - also provide Thor with some much-needed back-up on Earth when Loki's forces threaten our planet. And speaking of Loki, I believe that it is Tom Hiddleston who delivers the film's most complex and emotional performance as the son desperate to earn his father's love and respect, even if he has to wipe out all life on two worlds to make it so. So in that regard, he seems like such a worthy opponent to Thor.
I enjoyed "Thor" for what it was, a worthy summer blockbuster comic book superhero adaptation. Even if it wasn't as deep or as involving as it could have been, it does serve as a build-up, yet another piece of the puzzle that will eventually lead to 2012's all-out superhero-fest "The Avengers."
8/10