Thor Review (minor spoilers)

It's about damn time!

THE MOVIE: CRITIC'S TAKE

Thor! One of the last big comic book heroes to meet the big screen. I'm not a major fan but know enough to know if this film was a great adaption. I had my hopes high especially knowing Natalie Portman was cast in the film. I was so-so on the plot but hey it's a comic book film. Does the plot really matter as long as the characters were done with justice? If you're a Thor fan then you might be disappointed but if you want to have a good date night and have a little entertainment then this film is for you. It wasn't great but it's far from bad.

STORY

The story begins with a brief history of Asgard. It tells about a war between the frozen gods and the people that protect the universe from them. When Thor is about to be named king they attack and almost retrieve one of their lost riches. Thor being young and anxious seeks revenge and tries to fight his way through an army. Luckily his aging father arrives and saves everyone involved. Highly emotional he does the unthinkable and banishes his son away from their kingdom, stripping his power in the process. Unfortunately he lands himself on earth... now that's cold.

Why father?

He quickly lands himself in the hospital but it's not his fault. It seems that Portman's character loves hitting Thor with her truck! She realizes who Thor is and retrieves him from the hospital. After some conversations with the locals he learns that his hammer has landed some where nearby. He asks Portman's character to join him on his mission but her friends quickly convince her not to go. Shield shows up and removes most of her findings and research. This pisses her off greatly and goes on the hunt to find Thor. She finds him and helps him break into a military faculty set up by Shield. He finds his hammer only to realize he's not worthy!

I failed

His brother Loki pays him a visit and informs him that his father has died due to his banishment. This proves to be a lie when his friends show up and tells Thor the truth. He becomes stuck in a hard place and a rock because he has now grown feelings for Portman's character. Loki learns that his secret is out of the bag and sends his pet to destroy Thor and his friends. Through a sacrifice he becomes worthy of being the hero he needs to be and destroys Loki's destroyer. He returns to Asgard and a war of the worlds explode. To see who wins and who makes surprise cameos I suggest seeing this film ASAP. The Avengers are starting to shape up nicely.

Avengers

ACTING

The acting here was passable. Chris is able to pull off the dumb jock nicely and he was able to have enough chemistry with his co stars to pass as acceptable. Natalie was the most impressive to watch. I didn't buy her as being a nerd but her cuteness made it able for me to forget. Overall the cast did a fine job.

Thor cast

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Asgard looked as real as it could be. That's really about it. I wasn't impressed with the effects here. It's not a bad movie in this department but when you see too many films with special effects everything looks the same. I felt something was a little off with the effects but the average movie goer wouldn't mind. These effects won't derail you but they won't impress you either.

I'm the shit!

WRITING AND DIRECTING

The writing here was average at best. The dialog flowed nicely and the plot seemed plausible. Nothing really stood out but the dialog is good enough to keep you entertained. The directing was better than I thought. He was able to capture the feel of Thor without making this movie too over the top. It was good to know that this film did not fall in the wrong hands.

THE END

A must see for hardcore Thor fans. I must see for anyone interested in action films. This film isn't bad but don't walk in expecting a masterpiece. Iron Man is a better film but Thor can still be enjoyable. It opens May 6, 2011. Go and enjoy!

STORY 5 out of 10
ACTING 6 out of 10
SPECIAL EFFECTS 6 out of 10
WRITING 6 out of 10
DIRECTING 7 out of 10

OVERALL 6 (GIVE IT A TRY)