Movies to see this summer: May 6th, 'Thor'

What it’s about:
Norse god Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is banished from Asgard to live among the mortals of Earth and defends the planet against Loki (Tom Hiddleston).


Why you might not be excited about it:
Comic-book movies are hit-and-miss these days. You get some great ones (Spiderman 2, The Dark Knight, Iron Man), you get some poopy ones (Fantastic Four, Daredevil, HULK), and you get some that people are on the fence about (Sin City, Watchmen, The Incredible Hulk). Comic books are difficult to adapt because the filmmakers must satisfy the fans of the comics while also making the film accessible for mainstream audiences who know little or nothing of the existing characters and their continuity. Also, comic books can be tricky because the filmmakers must also decide how seriously to treat the material and whether or not it could hurt the film.

Comic book movies have been everywhere lately. The general attitude in Hollywood right now is that if a movie is based on a comic book, then it should be made, and most of those that get made are not treated with the respect that the fans and the source material deserve. Iron Man was a huge success, and along with other recent hits like Sam Raimi’s Spiderman series and Christopher Nolan’s Batman franchise, studios see them both as a profitable endeavor and crowd-pleasers.

So then Marvel announced that they would be making an Avengers movie that would not only feature the Avengers (Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, Hawkeye, etc..) but also that each Avenger would get their own movie AND that they would maintain film-to-film continuity, meaning that whoever played Thor in Thor would also play Thor in The Avengers. This was a huge announcement that got everyone excited. But some of us were wondering how they would make a movie about Thor that could be taken seriously and that would blend well with characters like Tony Stark.


Why you should be excited:
Chris Hemsworth is perfectly cast as Thor. Kenneth Branagh is directing, a fact that gave many people hope that this would be a good movie in the hands of a competent director. And then the trailer came out, showing everyone just how cool this movie looks. Many people who were not at all excited about the film are now the ones telling others that it will be worth their money. I certainly think so.

Check out the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHBnrJowBZE