As you may have heard on the latest OCD podcast (#33), I was able to get a early sneak preview of Marvel Studios latest movie based on one of its beloved comic book characters: Thor.  Was a boom or bust (you already know the answer if you listened to OCD #33)?  Read on to find out.... I'm not even going to waste time on this one: this movie was EXCELLENT.  It had everything needed in order to make a good comic book movie.  Leading up to this movie, I was very worried about how the character was going to be adapted for the big screen, as Thor is not a character many people are aware of.  In addition, he is a very complicated character, and thus the reason why I was worried about how he was going to be portrayed on screen.  Let there be no doubt, however, Chris Hemsworth is Thor, fully personifying the God of Thunder.

The movie starts off with Thor being brought to Earth, and then flashes back to explain Asgard and leads up to Thor's downfall.  I thought this was a very good way of opening the movie.  Starting the movie off on Earth as opposed to some place called "Asgard" grounded the movie and made it easier for people to be educated on who this man was.  The flashback does a nice job of tying in the character with the Norse mythology which he is based off of and makes the idea of the "Norse Gods" actually being advanced life-forms who visited primitive man very convincing.  Even things such as the way the Asgardians travel between worlds is shown as being very mechanically-based instead of relying more on "magic".

However, as good as the movie is, it is not perfect.  The entire length of time that Thor is banished to Earth is maybe 2-3 days.  In that time, he is supposed to make a complete turn around from arrogant jerk to sympathetic hero.  The movie plays this off very well, but its one of those things that you think about later and go "wait a minute....".  This is such a small comment though, and should not keep you from going to see this movie.  I've seen reviewers rate this movie up as good as the first Iron Man, and I am inclined to agree.  In fact, I think I'll go see the movie again this weekend.

CONCLUSION:  SEE IT.  What, you're still reading this and haven't left to go see it yet?  I'm disappointed.  By the way, if you keep an "eye" on the movie, you may catch a cameo that hasn't been advertised and is pretty cool.  And MAKE SURE TO STAY AFTER THE CREDITS!  That should be a standard disclamer for Marvel movies, and as always it made me very giddy towards the movies yet to come.

Disagree with me?  Post in the comments below and tell me!