Thor movie review

Cinema has seen its fair share of superhero movies, from the hilarity of The Incredibles to the darkness of Watchmen; however, "Thor" is the first movie in which the hero is a god (okay, he's not a god, but the Vikings thought he was). Honestly, I have to say that the creator of Marvel comics, Stan Lee, is having a stellar career having his comic-book heroes come to life on the big screen (and making cameos in them). There are more on the way.

In "Thor," the mystic kingdom of Asgard is under the benevolent rule of Odin "Allfather." After defeating his enemy, the kingdom of Jotenheim, Odin returns to Asgard to reign in peace and to raise his two sons, Thor and Loki, to succeed him. Fast forward two decades and we see that Thor has become an esteemed warrior and Loki a master trickster. As Odin is about to name Thor his successor, he learns that four warriors from Jotenheim have sneaked into the palace to steal a powerful weapon. These warriors are stopped, but Thor isn't satisfied. He takes Loki and four warriors to Jotenheim to exact vengeance for the deed. As they are overwhelmed by a massive force (and a massive creature), Odin arrives and saves his sons and their friends. When they return to Asgard, Odin chastises Thor for his arrogance and recklessness. Thor responds by calling his father an old man and a fool. Odin answers regretfully that he was a fool for thinking that Thor was ready to rule Asgard. He strips Thor of his power and banishes him to Earth. He speaks an incantation into Thor's Hammer, Mjolnir, and throws it after his son.

"Thor" is a story of learning humility. Once a proud warrior, Thor is forced to reckon with his circumstances while interacting with humans. Meanwhile, back in Asgard, Loki realizes that certain facts about himself have been kept from him. As we watch, we learn that Loki's trickery extends beyond mere mischief. On Earth, Thor stays with three humans: Jane Foster, who thinks he's crazy, but is still interested in him for astronomical reasons; her science partner Darcy (the only applicant); and Jane's uncle, Erik Selvig, who believes that Asgard is merely legend.

Questions

1. How does Thor use his hammer, Mjolnir at the beginning of the movie? How does he use it at the end? What is the right way to use a weapon?

2. Erik Selvig doesn't believe that Thor is who he says he is until he sees him in his true form. Were there any signs before then that would convince Erik that Thor was telling the truth? What evidence is there that proves that what God says in His word is the truth?

3. We see in the movie that Loki is a master of guile. Is using trickery a good thing? In what ways? In what ways are using trickery bad?

4. A long time ago, the Vikings believed that Odin, Thor, and Loki existed, and they worshiped them. Compare these three "gods" with the one true God. Who is more powerful? Who is more worthy of worship?

"Thor is rated PG-13 for scenes of intense sci-fi action and violence. There are several battle scenes. There is one battle scene in which a warrior is wounded. No blood is seen and the warrior survives. In the same battle, the six Asgardians face an overwhelming force AND a monstrous creature that will give small children nightmares. Another battle scene involves Asgard's deadly guardian, The Destroyer, which destroys anything that's hit by its infernal blast. Knowledge of Loki's treachery may cause children to feel a bit uneasy when it seems as if nothing will be done about it.