Thor Movie Review

Thor (2011)

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Written by: Ashley Miller & Zack Stentz and Don Payne (screenplay), J. Michael Straczynski and Mark Protosevich (story), Stan Lee & Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby (comic book)
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård , Kat Dennings, Idris Elba, Ray Stevenson, Jaimie Alexander, Rene Russo
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
The powerful but arrogant god Thor is cast out of Asgard to live amongst humans in Midgard (Earth) where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.

Verdict
It's one of those rare movies that's thoroughly entertaining, but with so many Marvel universe movies in existence, this isn't a must watch. There are better Marvel movies and a better Thor movie. At the time of release I might have recommended it, but that was nineteen Marvel movies ago at this point. That's just a lot Marvel. This checks the boxes of a super hero movie, providing a hero that must redeem himself, a devious brother, and romance thrown in for good measure. What initially set the Marvel movies apart was the budget. This movie went all out with the cast, CGI, and production design.
It depends.

Review
The Marvel movies are always entertaining. Marvel did a great job legitimizing super hero movies with huge budgets featuring plenty of well known actors and well executed CGI. The size of the movies are so big they become something to see due to scale and the universe they create between them. Watching the older Marvel movies, it's funny how they set up future movies. This is one of the early Marvel movies that became part of their well executed plan. This was the second movie in the Marvel universe.

Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston play Thor and Loki.

The story isn't anything new. The arrogant son of the king, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), acts rashly and carelessly. His wily sibling Loki (Tom Hiddleston) exploits that, using his brother as a pawn while he eyes the throne for himself. Thor is stripped of his title and banished to Earth where he gets a love interest. He also has to navigate this strange world that he doesn't understand. This movie offers something for everyone, action, comedy, and some romance.

Loki is a fun antagonist because he's unpredictable. I like Loki's motivation. He was the second favorite son, he wants his father's approval, and is creating a means to show his talents. I like that the gods of vikings turn out to be real. The characters learn a lot about Asgard through fictional books.

Thor's turn is a bit cliche. He's the spoiled child that must be punished to become the true heir. That happens rather quickly. Thor has need to 'grow up' the entire movie and that conveniently happens in the greatest moment of need. Thor's romance is forced into the movie. There isn't a connection. It happens because the plot demands it. The most annoying thing is Hemsworth's dyed blond eyebrows and beard always looks a bit off.

Despite my complaints this is still a fun movie, one of those popcorn flicks meant to entertain. It certainly does that. I liked it more than I remembered. I haven't seen the Thor movies since they released, but by my recollection Thor: Ragnarok is the best followed by Thor and Thor: The Dark World.