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Portman seems overly talented for the underwhelming role of Jane. I guess it’s an accomplishment that she comes across as very normal. While it’s easy to tell what attracts her (and her assistant Darcy) to Thor, it’s difficult to pin down what he sees in her. There’s no intimate chitchat or passion between the two. The romance is just expected… because she drives him to a crater, and he answers her questions about where he came from, this means that they’ve obviously got to get it on.

As Odin, Hopkins looks like he’s having fun, and gets a few moments to show that he can still be a badass. Idris Elba as Heimdall deserves a mention as a gatekeeper between realms, providing a memorable turn due to the extent of his performance as a character who takes his job far too seriously.

There is some expected crossover within the Marvel films, as Clark Gregg reprises his role from the Iron Man films as Agent Coulson, having far more to do here. Even the sudden appearance of The Destroyer (think Gort Mk 2.0), results in a SHIELD agent asking, “Is that one of Stark’s?” Jeremy Renner also briefly appears in a (somewhat wasteful) cameo as Hawkeye.

There have been so many comic book films during the last decade; it’s as if studios have been desperately trying to snap up the rights to anything that hasn’t been filmed yet. Interestingly, the growth of Marvel Studios has seen them become more protective of their properties and more tactful when it comes to the production of their films. Though it’s uncertain if we’ll see a Thor sequel, we’ll definitely be seeing the character again. “Thor will return in The Avengers,” revealed James Bond style during the end credits, which will likely be an even bigger gamble.

It’ll be interesting to see if Branagh lovingly caresses another blockbuster again. His take on Thor mixes action, family drama, comedy, sci-fi and so-called romance all in the blender. There’s no one single aspect that truly stands out, since it manages to be very well balanced and never feels overburdened by it all. Overall, it’s a lot of fun.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh
Starring Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Natalie Portman (Jane Foster), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Anthony Hopkins (Odin), Stellan Skarsgard (Erik Sevig), Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson), Idris Elba (Heimdall), Colm Feore (King Laufey), Kat Dennings (Darcy), Jaime Alexander (Sif), Ray Stevenson (Volstagg), Joshua Dallas (Fandral), Tadanobu Asano (Hogun)
Written by – Ashley Edward Miller, Don Payne, Zack Stentz, (story by J. Michael Straczynski, Mark Protosevich)
Length – 114 minutes
Cert 12A / PG-13

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