"Thor", which opened Friday, is the first of several comic-book movies due out this summer (watch for Green Lantern, Captain America and X-Men to appear on a big screen near you). In this film, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is banished by his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins) from his home world of Asgard to present-day Earth, so he can learn to be less arrogant. He has help from a human love interest, Jane (Natalie Portman). The action travels between Asgard, where the evil Frost Giants are invading, to Earth, where Thor is learning to be a true hero and trying to get his magical hammer from S.H.I.E.L.D., the organization responsible for The Avengers.
Thor is struggling with his new mortality, and the film delivers some funny moments with Portman and the other humans, Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) and Darcy (Kat Dennings). There is even a small cameo with Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) from the Avengers movie that�s due out next year. The action is fast and exciting, with Frost Giant battles and fights between Thor and the giant robot sent to Earth by his evil brother. The brother, Loki, is battling for his seat on the throne.
I expected the film to be cheesy after seeing a trailer with the Asgard scenes. It looked fake and way too much like a comic book. It reminded me of "Judge Dredd", the 1995 movie with Sylvester Stallone. But the moment I put on my 3-D glasses, the film jumped into action and dispelled my doubts.
I was, however, a little disappointed by just the one shirtless scene. I mean, this is Thor, and Hemsworth definitely worked hard to fill out that suit.
You don�t have to love comic books to love this film. It�s a must-see for the action and a must-see for all superhero movies, especially for the continuing story leading up to the Avengers film next year. This film delivers a powerful punch -- or should I say, hammer.