"Whoever wields this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."

Rating: 8/10 (8 May 2011)

Remember the post-credit scenes in "Iron Man 2," where the Shield agents discover a mysterious hammer-like object in the desert? Well, they finally made a movie all around that concept. "Thor" throws us into a world where Norse myth collides with the science-fiction Marvel universe in a surprisingly sublime fashion. With this clever setup, we are introduced to the title character, who battles giants and mortal men alike with thunderous force. There is plenty of action throughout this flick, and lots of beautiful special effects. Even when Thor isn't bashing the hell out of things, there's enough character-driven drama to keep it strong. And of course, nothing's more amusing than watching an archaic deity walking among modern man; there are a few funny moments throughout. It's maybe not as action-packed as some of the other Marvel films, but "Thor" met my expectations perfectly.
The story's a little predictable, especially if you're already familiar with the comics or Norse myth. But it is well-presented, and presents enough decent characterization to keep it fresh. I do believe that something is missing; Thor never seems to learn much when he's on Earth. But he does learn something, and when the climax comes it makes good enough sense.
The film has good photography for the most part. The frost-giant battle shows some rather jittery cameramanship and editing, but afterwards it's all solid. Some shots have some really funky crooked angles, but I think it's cool. Acting is great; I loved Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman in their roles, and Anthony Hopkins is a naturally good choice for Odin. Writing is not terribly sophisticated, but it gets the job done. Production value is phenomenal, with loads of excellent sets, props, costumes, and some very imaginative settings. It's especially impressive how the designers have adopted Norse myth into the story and designs to fit into a sci-fi niche, and still make sense. The music score is not bad.
Recommended! 4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 4/5, film: 4/5)