A slightly bias review of Thor?

Hello fellow CMBers. I am a quiet member of this site, occasionally voicing my opinion or entering competitions, tonight though I found myself in a blessed position. Being Australian I had the good fortune of catching the 9:30pm session of Thor on the 21st of April, just this evening. After following this movie since it's announcement, did it live up to the hype?

Alot was riding on Thor for Marvel, it followed the coat tails of Iron Man 2, panned at the box office (even though I was a big fan), had to deliver as it's own movie and also had to draw in fresh fans and keep them buzzed for Cap in June.

Without revealing too much, it succeeds in every aspect. I may be biased as a long time Thor fan, both of the mythology and Marvel aspects, but I viewed this movie with fresh 3D eyes.

Kenneth Branagh achieved the right balance for a CBM, it had to be gripping yet comedic, it wasn't grimdark nor slapstick. There are action scenes a-plenty and really touching moments. For me the most powerful scenes of the film all involve the royal trio, Thor, Loki and Odin. As any Thor fan will tell you that is usually what any story arc will boil down to.

The action: I saw it in 3D, it didn't appeal to me at first, but it was the only session I could catch, and I WAS NOT missing out. I think something is lost in the fight scenes in 3D, but I would need to watch it again in 2D to be certain. They are very context specific, teaser footage on the site revealed Hawkeye's cameo, alot of people panned that scene for being lackluster, but in reality, Thor has been depowered, human, he was exhausted. Don't worry, later fight scenes would make up for it with Asgardian Gusto.

The Plot: Solid, there is no lagging, it flows seemlessly and the almost 2 hours are over before you take it all in waiting for the post credits scene.

The Characters: Spot on. I didn't think, "oh that's not textbook *insert name*", rather I found that familiar comfort in the interactions between the warriors three and the tension between the Aesir. People should look at Chris Hemsworth seriously after this, he delivered every spectrum of acting range. Even though I knew better, I could feel myself being manipulated by Tom Hiddlestons performance. Anthony Hopkins suited Odin like a new eyepatch, bringing a regretful, wise reflective side to Odin that only a man his age can.

The Marvel U: Frankly, it doesn't centre too much around it. This was the pet peeve of IM2, Shield centres heavily, but not to the point where you drown in it. Cameos and homages are done tastefully, and most you would only recognise as a fan.

I hope you guys enjoyed Thor as much as I did. Sometimes the orchestral music did get a bit too much, but I found that to be only a Kenneth Branagh trademark.

- Viking Beserker.