Thor

Marvel continues to introduce us to more of its characters and more specifically those who are part of 'The Avengers'. This is one of their more mythological heroes.

Marvel have been choosing some interesting directors for their films. I think Kenneth Branagh is one of the more interesting. He has mostly made films based on Shakespeare's plays and definitely nothing with such grand special effects as this. I think that maybe why he was chosen. There is a very complex family story at the heart of this film. Something Shakespeare did a lot of. There is the power plays by the king's siblings to gain the throne all with heaps of action. I must say that Ken has done an excellent job. The story is fairly typical of stories set in the world of royalty. A king who is about to hand over his title to his older son has the younger son try to usurp the older brother. Despite this it is still a fun film. The action is well handled and paced. While Ken has not used many special effects in his previous films he certainly knows how to use them here. The sets and landscapes are very spectacular. I think the fact that the earth scenes all take place in one location is because all the money was spent on the special effects.

I have never seen an episode of the TV series 'Home & Away' so I was not very familiar with Chris Hemsworth's work. He definitely looks the part of a Nordic god but he is good at acting like one too. In these films an actor can get lost in so many special effects but Chris is able to rise above it and be a forceful presence. Natalie Portman once again proves her brilliance here. Despite not having to be a huge part of the film she makes some subtle moves that make her very endearing. Anthony Hopkins is a grand actor in a grand role here. He makes a great king and has a great presence. Tom Hiddleston does a good job as the villain. My one big disappointment with the film was Rene Russo. I have been a huge fan of hers for years and am upset we have not seen much of her lately. I just wish we got to see more of her here. She has only a couple of lines and not much else to do.

A great deal of fun and excitement that makes good use of the 3D technology. While not the greatest comic book film it is still a great introduction to one of the lesser known characters.