“Thor” Is Surprisingly Funny And Suspenseful

My extent of Thor knowledge – before seeing the new release currently tearing up the box office – was Tina Fey in “30 Rock” exclaiming “by the hammer of Thor!” I never knew what that meant. And now, thanks to Kenneth Branagh’s epic film, I now not only know what it means, but I am a fan.

The story of the Norse God Thor, as re-imagined by comic mastermind Stan Lee, follows a brash – and strapping – young prince as he tries to grow into his father’s imposing footsteps. The movie opens in the visually stunning “realm” of Asgard, where the aging monarch, Odin (played with restrained power by the iconic Anthony Hopkins), is about to hand off the reins of his empire to his son Thor. But a sudden invasion by the Frost Giants, enemies from the realm Jotunheim, changes everything.

Thor retaliates by invading the neighboring planet and instigating war where his father fought to bring peace many years prior.

At this point in the film, I’m kind of regretting my decision to see it. It’s your basic, special-effects driven vehicle. Lots of slow-motion blows and stoic looks. But then, something unexpected – for me – happens.

Infuriated by Thor’s impetuous and arrogant nature, Odin strips Thor of his powers and banishes him (and his hammer) to the most ordinary of realms: Earth. He also casts a spell: From that point on, only the person who truly deserves the hammer may wield it. And then Natalie Portman hits Thor with her car.

You had me at Natalie Portman.

What follows is “Encino Man” meets “The Sword and the Stone.” Thor walks the path of growth and redemption, while his enemies – some disguised as friends – battle against him. Meanwhile, Jane (Portman) and her team of scientists, who are researching the universe and the possibility of other intelligent life, get a few enemies of their own. Once Thor’s hammer is discovered wedged in a rock, and Portman’s team is connected to it, an agency called “The Shield” storms their lab and confiscates everything, from notes to machines.

The film flits back and forth between the problems on Earth and those on Asgard which helps keep pacing up and the tension rising. Tom Hiddleston is fascinating and compelling as the overshadowed brother of Thor, Loki, and helps make this superhero story complex enough to hold the interest of a Marvel neophyte, such as myself.

Overal, “Thor” is surprisingly funny and suspenseful, and the chemistry between Portman and New Zealand actor Chris Hemsworth is electric.

I can’t wait for the sequel.

"Thor" is playing at at:

• 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.
• In Digital Projection: 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
• In 3D: 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 9:15 p.m. and 10:15 p.m.