Thor (Branagh) 2011

In what might have been another dud along the lines of The Incredible Hulk, the Marvel Cinematic Universe took a turn away from Earth to introduce us to Thor, the Asgardian God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth), along with his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and trickster brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

Thor is the introduction to two additional members of The Avengers, Thor himself along with Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) who has a small part in this film but will expand in upcoming films. We also meet a myriad of supporting characters including Thor's friends from Asgard, Heimdall (Idris Elba), the guardian of Asgard, and the Earthbound friends Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård), and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings). Unlike The Incredible Hulk, Thor introduces these characters with ease by making them relatable and connecting them to familiar characters Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson)

The story here is simple enough. Thor is the selected heir to the throne of Asgard but is also brash and searches out a fight with the Frost Giants of Jotunheim after a small band of them break into Asgard even though Odin had forbidden such action. As a reward for his insubordination, Thor is stripped of his powers, along with his hammer Mjölnir, and banished to Earth.

Odin's health takes a turn for the worse and Loki takes the opportunity to seize the throne of Asgard, sending a powerful machine to Earth to eradicate Thor. Thor must learn to accept his limitations in order to be deemed worthy of his hammer and powers once again.

We begin to see the intertwining of the stories between multiple films here with a repeat of the credits scene with Agent Coulson from Iron Man 2. We also find out the full meaning of his being sent to New Mexico and start to see the team of Avengers coming together. 

Thor did not receive any nominations for Academy Awards.

Ultimately, this is a good addition to the MCU and provides a welcome respite from fighting only earthbound foes. The inclusion of more mystical elements helps show that there is way more at stake in the universe than Tony Stark's ego or Bruce Banner's rage.

​​7 out of 10

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