Thor

So, Thor was really good.  And that's coming from someone who had a lot of doubts about whether the movie was even going to be mediocre.  I wouldn't have even gone if I hadn't had a free movie pass, and it would have been a shame to miss out on a good movie.  These are the reasons* why I liked it:

• The movie wasn't too long.

• It had a decent plot line.  It respected where it came from.  I think that Kenneth Branagh wouldn't have directed the movie if it hadn't had a decent plot line.

• Thor's home planet felt a little bit like Gallifrey.

• It wasn't your typical superhero movie.  Given, Thor is a God, but most of the time he was on Earth he was mortal, and couldn't lift his hammer, so it felt more like a "coming of age" story than a superhero one.

• Thor isn't all powerful.  He has to sacrifice what he loves to save the world.

• It doesn't have a happy ending, at least not in the sense that the audience expects.

• There was space between action scenes.

• Thor wasn't a stupid brute.  He understands how the space travel system he uses works.  What Jane calls an Einstein-Rosen Bridge.  And he's willing to help out with things, not just the "I kill that person for you" type of thing.

• He doesn't go for the silly, self-obsessed political science major.  He goes for the intelligent scientist one, Jane.  

• Tony Stark is referenced because something that looks like his machinery comes down to earth.  It was funny, and it made me laugh.  Good ol' Tony.

So, I would probably give it 3 1/2 stars, and that, remind you, is coming from a person who wasn't even sure it was worth wasting a free movie pass on.  It was a fun watch, and not what I expected.  

*I'm pretty sure I had more reasons for liking it, but I typed everything up, hit publish, and I got signed out of blogger, and the draft wasn't saved because apparently I hadn't been signed in the whole time, so I lost it all.  Oh well, I think I did a pretty good job remembering my points.  The main ones have to be there.