Thor: Spoiler-Free Review

So, I caught Part III of the build up to The Avengers over the weekend, going in with less-than-stellar expectations. Here's what I thought.

I'm a fan of Natalie Portman. While I thought Black Swan was quite good yet overrated, I loved Star Wars and V, even if she wasn't the main draw by far. Her role in Thor wasn't an entirely crucial one as far as the grand scheme of things go (she's supposed to be a nurse, anyway). Still, she's funny enough when it mattered, and like I said, I'm a fan.

Side note: Natalie Portman's co-star in V will be in Captain America, if you didn't already know. Elrond, Smith, Megatron, V, Red Skull. Wow.

Moving on, you can't look past Chris Hemsworth (or his abs, if you're of the fairer sex, probably) as the title character. For a long time, there were rumors flying about that Triple H from the WWE was slated to play the Norse God - after impressing in Blade: Trinity - and many had mixed opinions on that. I've only seen/remembered Hemsworth from the opening scenes of Star Trek, but I have to say, he's really good in and as Thor. "I need a horse!" is the definite line of the show.

Before I go further though, I must make on small admission. I knew very little about Thor before X-Men Legends 2 (which is very fantastic).

That being said, I felt the film does a good job introducing the character and revealing enough of his history and paying enough attention to his development to make a lasting impression on casual viewers. I can't speak for hardcore Thor fans, but as a Marvel fan, I'm quite happy with it.

A lot of emphasis on the movie is, like I've previously alluded to, the build up to the fangasm that is The Avengers. One has to say that Thor helps with that in many ways, but it also suggests that when the four of them do get together with the eyepatched one in 2012, it's going to be a very long movie. I like.

The music is pretty good, setting the tone especially in the beginning of the film. Foo Fighters accompanies anyone staying through the credits. And anyone who doesn't is an idiot. Yep.

The action is alright too, though it lacks the "wow" factor that was in, say, X-Men 2. One thing that's bothered me since Mjollnir was revealed in Iron Man 2 (remember what I said about staying after credits?) was how boring it looks. I know the hammer has been depicted as such in the comics, but it's also been jazzed up to be super cool. Like in the animated version of the Avengers. There are some sweet fight scenes though, but I think Thor suffers from the same syndrome that has haunted all Marvel films other than Spiderman 2; a poor final fight.

All in all, Thor is definitely a great movie. Casual viewers and comic buffs should both enjoy it, and it will leave you wanting more, in a good way. As many of us are seeing lightning in one form or another these past few days, I'd highly recommend an outing to watch this movie.