Current Film Review: Thor

When I saw the previews, I had mixed feelings about this superhero blockbuster. On the down side, the film appeared to be quite cheesy, with perhaps too much color and costume. Yet on the up side, it had Natalie Portman, and got into the subject matter of Norse Mythology, which we don't see enough of. We've seen numerous Greek Mythology films about the Trojan War, Clash of the Titans, etc. yet hardly see any adaptations about Nordic folklore.

This film is primarily an adaption of the Marvel comic book series, Thor, and brings many of it's characters into play. Such as Thor's companions known as the Warriors Three, and Thor's mortal love interest, Jane Foster, played by Natalie Portman. The film succeeds in creating both the comic book world, and the world of Norse Mythology. The planet of Asgard, was a visual captivator, a realm of the gods, led by King Odin. Other major gods included Odin's son, Loki, who turns to be the antagonist in this film, as well as the powerful gate-keeper Heimdall.

The story is put into motion, when the heroic Thor, is cast out from his realm, due to his arrogance and war-mongering. On the planet Earth he meets Jane Foster and a team of scientists, and sets off on a mission to retrieve his hammer, Mjolnir. He then must confront his scheming brother, Loki. The film is a typical summer blockbuster, that is fun to watch on the big screen, high on special effects and visuals, yet not much performance. I personally was a little disappointed with Portman's lack of character in the film. I'd say overall the movie was nothing more than an average summer theater movie.