Quick Review: Thor

This is not a comic book I read, nor am I going to begin now. (For one thing, it's a Marvel character and you've probably figured out by now that I'm way more of a DC person.) But "Thor" was a lot more entertaining than I expected based on the trailer. The plot sort of made enough sense despite its sci-fi leanings. After nearly starting a war, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), god of thunder, is exiled from Asgard by his father (Anthony Hopkins) until he proves himself worthy again. The hammer that gives Thor his power is also sent to Earth, but separately, and with a spell that keeps it from being wielded by anyone unless they're worthy. (So of course Thor needs to redeem himself so he can lift that hammer.) Meanwhile, Thor's brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) learns something interesting about his heritage and, as you'd expect from the god of mischief, gets to plotting. Back on Earth, a budding romance develops between Thor and a scientist (Natalie Portman) but it isn't all that interesting, and it doesn't actually take up much of the movie's time. It's reasonably well-acted, and moves along at a decent pace. My grade: B.