15. "Thor": An Original Avenger and Movie

Here is Thor (2011)! Somehow this is the only MCU movie I did not see in theaters. This movie lands the number 15 spot, and this has some great moments as well as underwhelming. Read why here and spoilers may follow.

Thor of Asgard gets cast out for disobeying the king and is deemed unworthy of the extraordinary hammer Mjolnir. He has to find how to get back and reclaim his rightful place on Asgard while battling foes.

Let's start with ace parts in the movie. As mentioned in a previous article regarding the second Thor movie, all of the scenes on Asgard are spectacular. They are filmed differently, directed differently and have a better place for them. That and the scenes on the frost giant planet are well executed. Chris Hemsworth as Thor is a great casting choice. He personifies everything the Norse god is supposed to embody. Props to the writing staff for that as well.

However, one of Marvel's all-time casting choice awards goes to Tom Hiddleston as Loki. Thor is his first MCU film, and he couldn't have been better. Many people including myself consider him one of if not the best villain throughout all of their visual media. That includes movies, TV, Hulu and Netflix shows. Kingpin fans from Daredevil may dislike me, but I'll take the heat. Also, Thor's companions are fun to watch and add to the story even with limited screen time. Of course, there's the usual quality CGI, cinematography, sound edit, sound mixing, and others. These are almost always a given when it comes to Marvel movies.

Some components of the movie are underwhelming. For instance, the Earth scenes are not as good as on Asgard. There are some great moments too but much is not. The action with the robot is a bit boring. I understand that you don't need a thousand explosions for excitement, but this scene was not performed well enough to earn some merit. Natalie Portman is generally a great actress with award-winning performances. However, this is not one of those. I'm not sure if it is just the character or her. She's not the most interesting love interest from the MCU.

Overall, it is a nice movie to see. It is nice to remember where this storied franchise began. My movie rating is B.