Thor

Next summer, Marvel will bring a bunch of its heroes together for a cinematic adventure called The Avengers. This summer, one of The Avengers, Thor, gets to have his own cinematic adventure.

It starts by explaining how Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and his fellow warriors of Asgard vanquished the evil Frost Giants back to their home realm of Jotunheim. Years later, Odin is about to make his son Thor (Chris Hemsworth) the new king of Asgard when some Frost Giants are caught sneaking in. Against Odin's orders, Thor picks a fight with the Giants.

Since this has struck a blow against Giant/Asgard relations, Odin takes away Thor's godhood and sends him to New Mexico. There, an intrepid trio of scientists, led by Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), makes Thor their new friend. Thor eventually adjusts to Earth, but he has to get his powers back so he can thwart the scheming of his evil brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

Available as both a 3D and a flatscreen attraction, Thor is simply a fun blockbuster. As Thor, Chris Hemsworth makes for a perfect boisterous bruiser brought down to Earth. Thor's Asgardian sidekicks, led by Joshua Dallas and Ray Stevenson, provide the film with many humorous moments. Plenty of cool visual moments, such as the Asgardian sentry The Destroyer, highlight the film.

Under the direction of Kenneth Branagh, both spectacle and story have found a good balance. It neither drowns in a sea of CGI, nor does it waste time preparing for The Avengers. For those unfamiliar with Marvel's take on Norse Mythology, Thor's a good place to start.