The film screened for a handful of critics recently, and the vibe seems to be positive, but not overly ecstatic. Based on what I’ve read, Thor looks to have hit just as many marks as it misses, and I get the feeling the film is geared a bit more toward a younger audience than, say, Iron Man, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing during a time when most of our superhero movies are getting gritty makeovers. Let’s spit out some quotes …

 

"The Marvel universe moves into the cosmic realm with Thor, a burly slab of bombastic superhero entertainment that skitters just this side of kitschy to provide an introduction befitting the mighty god of thunder. It’s a noisy, universe-rattling spectacle full of sound and fury with a suitably epic design, solid digital effects and a healthy respect for the comic-book lore that turned a mythological Norse god into a founding member of the superhero team known as The Avengers." – The Hollywood Reporter

 

"The 3D post-conversion is actually pretty clean and used well, and I think for kids, the immersive quality of it all will really pay off.  If "Captain America" is at least as fun as "Thor," then Marvel can rest easy until next summer, because they will have managed to introduce each one of the Avengers successfully.  The best thing I can say about this film is that it genuinely made me want to see Hemsworth arguing with Robert Downey Jr., magic versus science, and I can finally imagine the two of them occupying the same world." – HitFix

 

"Outside of these occasional moments of comic relief, director Kenneth Branagh keeps the focus squarely on Thor’s dramatic arc. The movie’s strongest moments aren’t necessarily the comic booky ones (although they are pretty cool), but rather the familial ones in Asgard. Thor’s scenes with Loki and Odin crackle with an intensity and emotion sometimes lacking in the earthly scenes. These moments feel like the ones that Branagh and his leads were the most emotionally invested in, and that sincerity helps you buy into this otherwise fantastical world, one which we see far more of than the marketing has heretofore revealed." -- IGN

 

"Thor is everything you might hope and expect it to be, equal parts good and bad. It is the type of movie I would have loved if I saw it at age 10 — and I’m sure this movie will play awesome to younger audiences. The visual effects are well done, and Asgard is a beauty. And one thing is for sure, Chris Hemsworth does a great job as Thor — it is a tough role to play, and a tough line to balance between arrogance, honor and comedy. I can’t wait to see Hemsworth go toe-to-toe with Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark in The Avengers. I still very much enjoyed it… but did not fall in love with it. It falls a couple steps shy of achievements of recent Marvel films like Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and even Iron Man 2." -- Slashfilm

 

You can buy your tickets for Thor on Fandango now. What do you think? Are you going to see Thor on opening weekend?