I only wanted to see Thor for one reason:  Kenneth Branagh directed it.  I knew there was going to be dazzling costumes and big action set pieces, but what I wanted to find out is if there was going to be some substantial drama.  Many recent Marvel films were getting stale and predictable, and while Thor isn’t going to live up to being a classic superhero flick, it does stand out by offering great acting and stage like dramas.

Chris Hemsworth, who played Thor, delivers a performance that may be the best I’ve seen yet in a Marvel movie.  He embodies arrogance, warmth, and passion to such a high degree that he simply dominates every scene in which he appears.  He carries the weight needed for a godly character such as Thor, and ultimately I was incredibly pleased with his performance.  When he’s beating the hell out of the Frost Giants at the beginning of the film, Hemsworth grins and laughs like the arrogant bastard Thor initially is, and it’s awesome.

Anthony Hopkins, who plays Thor’s father Odin, and Tom Hiddleston, who plays Thor’s evil brother Loki, also deliver passionate, grand performances.  The best scenes weren’t the action sequences, but rather the dialogue driven set pieces.  Moreover, the chemistry between Hemsworth and Natalie Portman (she plays Jane Foster, Thor’s love interest) was heartfelt and believable.  There is a beautiful scene set outside Jane’s trailer, where the God of Thunder explains to her about the different worlds in the universe, and you could just see the genuine admiration and love in Portman’s eyes.

While this is Branagh’s first action blockbuster movie, he does a great job creating some exciting sequences.  He doesn’t really offer anything new in terms of filming action, but he pulls it off and he effectively showcases Thor’s superpowers in battle.  The screening I attended was in 3D, and I could have done without that.  While some shots did look fairly cool, most of the time I couldn’t even tell that it was in 3D.  Go see it in 2D.

Ultimately, this is a huge step in the right direction with superhero films:  we already know that we’ll get the spectacle and action, so now show us the pathos and drama!  Thor does deliver great action, but ultimately what wins out is the great acting and depth to that acting.

And yes, do stay after the credits if you want to see some Avengers tie-in.

- Kevin Seo is the editor of TheBarkingHerald.com and you can following him (or castigate him tweet-style) for his previous Water for Elephants review on @kjseo.

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