Thor

Perhaps my disappointment with this is caused by excessive expectations based on decent to enthusiastic responses, but even though I was only expecting a fun summer blockbuster, I was surprised at how intellectually shallow and easily forgettable this is. The only positive aspect is Kenneth Branagh's perspective, as he was well aware of the stupidity he was directing and didn't take it too seriously. On the other hand, there is too much genre baggage and pathos in it for my taste. I really didn't expect that I would enjoy Snyder's Watchmen more... Overall impression: 40%, influenced positively by the enchanting Natalie Portman. (06/10/2011)

After embarrassing trailers and 3D conversion, I avoided watching Thor in the movie theater. Now, in retrospect, I feel that was a mistake because Branagh has delivered a terrific comic book movie that bucks the fashionable trend of machine psychoanalyses of the heroic mind, and instead has a sympathetic man land on Earth who tackles everything with a disarming combination of unearthly naivety and muscularity. The characters are as flat as ever, but the actors are excellent, it moves along nicely, and it's full of humor (or Asgard) and proper pomposity. A sequel, please! (29/08/2011)

Thor liked me. I liked how the creators combined reality with Asgard, how they placed Thor in reality, how they made fun of everything. It was nice to watch in the context of fantasy, which I will never stop enjoying watching. They show a world that I can't even dream properly. And the creators are able to beautifully translate their fantasy into reality. Asgard was really beautifully created. Hats off to the creators for embarking on something like this, and I'm glad they want to make a much more epic story in the future and not just stop at one part. It's not quite a five-star review, but that's probably just because it feels like the creators made Men in Black with a different story. Or an interesting idea cut into jokes and with great actors. Those Men in Black back then were something I couldn't imagine as a child at all. Magnificent Sci-Fi/Fantasy and a comedy on top of that. Thor follows the same line and I enjoy it. Don't I? But there are other pieces that deserve five stars. Anyway, I'm glad such movies are being made. A person then enjoys an unusual story, comfort, pleasantness, and great actors, who are great to watch because they either play completely ordinary people or extraordinary gods. (13/06/2012)

I would give everything in the world for a trip to Asgard. What the camera (and special effects) showcase in conjunction with the epic soundtrack surpasses everything I have seen in a long time, and each shot showing me a piece of Thor's homeland almost moves me with its grandeur. Kenneth Branagh ultimately succeeded in everything he touched. The actors are all fantastic (Tom Hiddleston unexpectedly shines), the dramatic storyline doesn't give you a moment of rest, the action is flawless, and the romantic subtext is more than just subtext. In short, this is a captivating comic book adaptation that confidently presents a treacherous subject in a Marvel light, and it intensifies your anticipation for The Avengers to an almost breathless maximum. (04/05/2011)

It’s clear to me now why a Shakespeare filmmaker like Kenneth Branagh went for this. All the scenes from Asgard seem like great theatre, with interesting characters, great fatality, betrayal, envy and jealousy. Asgard, with its megalomaniacal architecture and all its pomposity, was the most entertaining part, and the episode from Earth, thanks to the good actors, was also enjoyable, although I can't shake the impression that more unintentional humour could have been extracted from "Thor wondering among men like a bull in a china shop". Chris Hemsworth is likeable in every way, Hopkins finally after a long time in a role that suits him best; these classy characters, that's his thing. Overall an enjoyable 2 hours and I wouldn't mind a sequel. (08/05/2011)