Mighty Thor!.....or maybe not...

Rating: 7/10 (27 April 2011)

I think I'm gonna do a first here and NOT relate how good the movie was with how good the special effects are.
With that now abundantly clear, the best thing about this movie is the mythology. I found myself most engrossed in the movie when the mythology was being explored, and the powers of the mythical characters was being shown. This is a bit of a cheap screen writing trick though, so not too much credit can be given to the writers.
The first act is sloppy, and the third act is equally so. Which is surprising considering the second act is usually the weakest, but i think that was the part of the movie where they were able to have fun with the characters, Thor in Nex Mexico -"Delicious! I will have another!", rather than trying to establish and resolve a complicated universe and weak narrative.
The action was average. At times the only thing you could see on screen was a mess of blurring motion. The were times when i got excited, but it was all rather disappointing. The anti climatic ending felt just felt like a cheap pay off for action rather than any serious resolution.
I think for the most part of this movie i was marveling at the expected power of the characters, but when i actually saw them in action, it was kind of a let down. The hype was good, the reality was bad. And whats with the giant robot man, GORT rip off anyone?!
Having said all of this, it is a good pop corn movie, and a bit of fun, if all a bit silly. Kenneth Brannagh, whom i greatly admire, holds it together in the best way i think he possibly could, and thats the reason i think the mythology is so interesting, Brannagh's Shakespearean background has given him the ability to handle it, and i applaud the Marvel/Paramount suites for picking the right man for the job.
No doubt hordes of Americans will flood to the cinemas, and vast quantities of popcorn will be thrown down their necks to contribute to their already bulbous waste lines. A sequel is inevitable, but thats not necessarily a bad thing.... if you like popcorn.