Thor Review

Thor had a lot to live up to. With the ever popular Avengers film coming out in 2012, Thor needed to show that he's not just another superhero. While this movie doesn't do his character justice, it's still a fun ride with some bumps along the way.

Thor's plot is like every other superhero's plot. Thor gets banished from his home world of Asgard in the skies right before he is to become king. He and his hammer get sent to New Mexico, where he meets up with a few scientists who find him. The secret agency S.H.I.E.L.D. is out to seek his hammer and its power, and it's up to Thor to get it back. Back up in Asgard, Loki, Thor's brother, becomes corrupt and sends a Transformer-like thing to destroy Thor. Thor reunited with his hammer and destroys the robot thing, and he then returns to Asgard to confront Loki. The plot in Thor is nothing special, which is a bit of a shame. I was hoping for a more unique plot that is unique to Thor and his powers, but this seems like the plot could work with just about any other superhero. The movie does nothing to distance itself from the superhero crowd, which is a shame, because when Avengers comes out, we'll all be thinking, "Thor who?"

The characters and acting in Thor are pretty good. Chris Hemsworth is okay as Thor, but he's a bit to "mighty" for my tastes. Natalie Portman does a good job as Jane, one of the scientists who rescues Thor after his banishment. Her character actually shows development, and she eventually becomes romantically involved with Thor. Anthony Hopkins also shines as Odin, ruler of Asgard. I also appreciated the balance between Asgard and Earth, because sometimes in these types of movies, one planet overshadows the other, but in Thor, there were just enough scenes in both to keep the movie balanced and satisfying.

The special effects in Thor are phenomenal, and should definitely be noted for their over-the-top explosions and very elaborate effects. I still go by my policy that effects don't make the movie, and it's true in Thor's case. The movie shows little character development, has practically zero plot elements, and just because it has great special effects, it doesn't make the movie great.

Thor is still a fun ride, but it doesn't do anything to separate it from all the other superhero movies. I hope this isn't the case with Green Lantern, however, as I'm really looking forward to that.

Overall: 3.0/5.0