The fourth Marvel Studios film is another triumph that's witty, dramatic and entertaining.

Rating: 7/10 (23 December 2012)

Thor was one of two films by Marvel Studios released during the summer of 2011, the other being Captain America: The First Avenger. Both Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Captain America (Chris Evans) appeared in The Avengers (2012), a film that I initially didn't like much but after some time have grown to appreciate. The Avengers is a superb superhero film, one of the best of all time in fact. In Thor the best performance is by Tom Hiddleston as Loki. Tom again played Loki as the main villain in The Avengers. Loki is clearly up to no good but Hiddleston managed to show that he's a complex sympathetic character. Hemsworth was a good choice to play Thor, the crown prince of Asgard. With his dirty blond hair and ridiculously chiseled physique Hemsworth has plenty of charisma as Thor. The humor is frequent here and so is the action. The CGI was put to good use, and the realization of Asgard and the Bifrost is especially impressive. Still, the center of the film is the relation between Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and his two sons. Director Kenneth Branagh was a good choice to tell this drama reminiscent of a play by William Shakespeare. Hopkins is a commanding presence as Odin, so his is another standout performance. But really, all the actors deliver here. There's Sif (Jaimie Alexander) and the Warriors Three, there's Heimdall (Idris Elba), and there's Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). The love story is a bit rushed since Thor and Jane fall in love by the fire with a starry night sky behind them. The pacing too isn't perfect but Thor is a thrilling film which can improve just about anyone's mood. Patrick Doyle delivered a good score, and the Foo Fighters song Walk was also included in the film. In conclusion, there's much to like in Thor and I highly recommend seeing it.