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Thor: The Mighty Avenger

3 of 5 Stars

The first Thor movie isn't bad, but it's not especially good either. It does its job in introducing the Marvel version of Asgard and the nine realms as an advanced alien civilization that the old Norse saw as gods. And it does its job at introducing Thor, Loki and Odin, and their family dynamic -- which is where its heart is, far more than the action sequences. But it's not quite as compelling as I remember it being. Though my memory could be mixing in the later movies and other, non-Marvel sources. At least Loki gets to debut as a complex character here, rather than the flat version seen in The Avengers.

I do really like the Asgardian designs, the mix of futuristic technology, high fantasy, and old Norse art and architecture. That aesthetic is established here, and the sets and effects and costumes really bring it to life. It's fantastic in several senses of the word.

But I kind of feel like the Thor series didn't hit its stride until Ragnarok, just in time for everything to be trashed in Infinity War.

— Kelson Vibber, 2022-09-16