Thor

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Stellan Skarsgard, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston and Anthony Hopkins.

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Release Date: 2011

Running Time: 1hr 55 minutes

Genre: Action

Rating: 12

Format: Blu-Ray

Synopsis:

Narcissistic and powerful god Thor is banished from Asgard and made to live among humans, where he soon becomes one of their biggest defenders.

Based on the comic book character of the same name by Stan Lee. The character of "Thor" originally debuted in 1962, in the issue Journey into Mystery. This is the fourth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the first film to feature Thor as a starring character. When narcissistic and arrogant Thor (Hemsworth) threatens to send Asgard to war with the frost giants of Jotunheim, his father Odin (Hopkins) banishes him to Earth to live among humans. On his arrival to Earth, Thor is met by three astronomers Jane (Portman) Erik (Skarsgard) and Darcy (Jennings), Thor must do everything he can to win back his hammer and be a worthy successor to the throne, his brother Loki however has his own plans set in motion to become king.

The best thing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is that things don't have to make sense, they don't have to be believable. The idea that superheroes could live among us is an exciting prospect, although to most of us, it is simply a marvelous piece of magic presented in the form of comic books, series and films. Although Thor is thought to be a piece of Greek Mythology, he is now part of the Superhero clan known as The Avengers. The idea that Thor's hammer is now stuck on Earth, leaves room for humans to re enact "The Sword in the Stone", in the hope that they can pull it from the ground. Thor of course, is the only one who can claim it, brilliantly played by Chris Hemsworth. A selfish and ruthless man that soon comes to learn respect on Earth. Hemsworth not only looks the part physically but shows deep emotion in his frustration towards his brother and his father.

Loki is performed terrifically by Tom Hiddleston. Unlike his brother, Loki has more of a mischievous personality, tricking those around him into believing that he is worthy enough to become king. Loki has a very dark side to him. Hemsworth and himself work brilliantly on screen together, no one can see through him, not even his father. Hiddleston shows the perfect balance of emotionless and exasperating quality. Natalie Portman is still yet to prove herself to me with her acting ability, however she delivers a pretty good performance as astronomer Jane Foster. The friendship and relationship that blossoms between herself and Thor is excellent, sadly though Portman lacks a deep amount of emotion. Thor learns to love when he is with her.  It would have been nice to have seen a little bit more screen time from sensation Anthony Hopkins, sadly we don't see much of his character.

The special effects are excellent, however I do think CGI has been used one too many times, there's nothing particularly original about the production design. That being said, director Kenneth Branagh and the special effects team have created a stunning backdrop for Asgard, it's creative, imaginative and looks like it could really be another planet. Beautifully shot, Branagh has managed to capture Mexico in all it's glory with beautiful shots of the sun coming through in particular scenes. It's different and it looks really fantastic on screen. Unfortunately the score doesn't do a lot for the film or the story, it doesn't thrill, nor does it add a sense of excitement to the storyline. Very entertaining, but sadly one of Marvel's worst.

4/5 stars