Big Screen Blurb: Thor

Thor. With the slew of super hero flicks we've seen come out over the past few years, I wasn't sure how this one would stack up. Sure, it carried lower expectations than Iron Man or the recent Batman flicks. Would Thor lower the hammer or merely drop it on his big toe? Hmm...I'd say the hammer is in fairly good shape and decently polished.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is about to take the throne from his aging papa (Odin--Anthony Hopkins) in the realm of Asgard. Unfortunately, young Thor is about 80 percent ego and 19 percent muscle. This leaves a mere one percent for maturity, which prompts Odin to dub him incapable of ruling and sees him banished to earth. Yeah--pretty rough first step, huh? One minute you're ready to set on a golden throne and the next you're stuck in a world where satellite TV and limited cell phone coverage are the high points. We meager earthlings do have something to offer, however, and that is the crux of the story. You see, on earth, Thor meets the lovely scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). After Thor's unorthodox landing on earth, the feds confiscate all of Jane's research. Let's face it...Jane's a chick 'in-the-know' so years of documentation is unwillingly handed over. Thor's here to help and learn some valuable lessons. Thor's hammer arrived with him and he'll be able to pull it out of its resting spot when he's matured enough to rule. Yadayadayada Thor enrolls in Grow Up 101 taught by Ms. Foster as enemies from Asgard plot to destroy Odin and send a monstrous foe to earth to knock out Thor for good measure.

It's pretty good. I'll go with 3.0 Stars here...on the sunny side of okay. I'm a comic book fan, but admittedly had never truly delved into the realm of Asgard and Thor's story. It's a well put-together story that involves plenty of action, a little romance and a dash of humor just to keep you on your toes. You've got relationship issues, headlined by the sibling rivalry of Thor with his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), not to mention the ole father-son dynamic. All in all...it's a fun movie, if you've got a hankering for super heroes. Hemsworth is a solid Thor...Hopkins is well...Hopkins and Portman, in a fairly light role--lighter than Black Swan, yet far heavier than The Highness--is her typical Oscar nominated self (although this one probably won't garner much attention from the heavies).

If you like super heroes or some pretty good action attached to a good story, give this one a shot. Although, it's big screen life has just about ended. It is due out on Blu-Ray on September 13th, so give it shot then.

True...OUT!