Thor

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Selfish, arrogant Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) is cast out and banished to Earth by his father Odin (played by Anthony Hopkins) in an effort for him to learn humility. From there, he befriends and is humbled by Dr. Jane Foster (played by Natalie Portman), her assistant Darcy (played by Kat Dennings), and her mentor Dr. Erik Selvig (played by Stellan Skarsgard). Foster would become his love interest as the movie goes on. As he tends to do, Tom Hiddleston as Loki owns this movie. This is a movie that could have made him very one-note. Director Kenneth Branagh doesn't do that, he fleshes out the characters that truly need it. Loki is a far more complex villain than he would have been in the hands of a lesser director. He truly lends a Shakespearean feel to the family relationship between Thor, Loki, and Odin. Granted, there are some things that feel a little too rocky. Storywise, this your typical hero's journey, even if it does work. There are a lot of supporting players that honestly feel wasted (and too sidelined). The best examples of this have to be Idris Elba, Rene Russo, and Jaime Alexander. Elba and Alexander do own their roles when they have the chance to be onscreen, but they just aren't in the movie enough. I did like Russo's performance, but her character truly feels underwritten. There isn't nearly enough of her to make the relationship she has with Loki feel justified. The comedic elements of the movie can be incredibly off-putting for people. Kat Dennings never really bothered me, but I can easily understand how she does annoy other people. Overall, Thor is well directed, well acted, and has some strong character development. It also suffers from some under-written and under-used supporting players, and potentially off-putting comic relief.

7 / 10