Thor! (2011)

First of all, I never thought I'd see the day where the Destroyer or Volstagg would ever appear on the big screen.

Kenneth Branagh does a nice job bringing Thor to the mainstream. There's a lot of cosmic back story that needs to get info-dumped, but when it sounds as nice as it does here (read by Anthony Hopkins as Odin), it sounds important. Chris Hemsworth tries his best to sell the switch from vain, impulsive boy to respectful god of Thunder. Now, it's totally silly that a character would have such a transformation so quickly, but we can roll with the punches, I suppose. Oh, and there is zero chemistry between Hemsworth and Natalie Portman as Jane Foster. (Foster is re-tooled here as some sort of cosmic storm-chaser, rather than a NYC nurse.) And the whole "god" thing is addressed, but not dwelled on.

A lot of the movie's pleasures come from the little things. The Warriors Three are great, Sif is present, if a little quiet, but she's around. Heimdall is pretty awesome and he has a great voice from Idris Elba. The frost giants and the aforementioned Destroyer are good foils for the Asgardians. I guess they're saving Baldur for the sequels.

The high point of the film is the inscrutable Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston. Loki is a trickster, but he's such a good liar that at multiple points in the movie I found myself really feeling for the guy; it's easy to see how Thor and his friends fall for Loki's treachery. Hiddleston works wonders with his faraway looks and quick turnarounds.

The special effects are strong too. Thor actually spins his hammer! The Destroyer's fire-blast is impressive and deafening. Colm Feore's frost giant is tremendously detailed and realistic. The armor holds up surprisingly well, although Thor should have worn his sweet helmet more. Everyone else in Asgard looked like they walked out of a Kirby panel!

I'd say the only bummer for me was the limited and pointless use of Ultimate Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). If there is a gun (or bow) in the first act, aren't you supposed to shoot it in the second?

Good

(And yes, there is an Easter egg scene after the credits... I like where this is going.)