Review: "Thor" is goofy, barmy and finally endearing.

This highly unfathomable big-screen adaptation of the most potentially hazardous member of the featured Avengers, despite awkwardly flipping from the glossy, gold-plated corridors of Asgard and the dusty desert trappings of small-town New Mexico (theatrical family drama and fish-out-of-water comedy), is a surprisingly gratifying superhero introduction with its charming disposition and not too serious opinion of its self.
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Heavily rooted in Norse mythology with frost giants, sparkling bridges and almighty powerful hammers, the ability of the film to eventually (though not without difficulty) bring the audience to terms with its admittedly flaky world is nothing less than bewildering. (Trust me, by the end of the film, you'll know what a bifrost bridge is without blinking.)
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And easing the startlingly goofy Asgard segments into something resembling reality is the film's titular son of Odin, Chris Hemsworth, whose infectious smile, shoulder-length gold locks and soft blue eyes don't just help soften the campy source material, they carry it. 
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His segments on Earth (opposite Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings) are goofy, comical and sweet while his Asgard dealings require more intensity and brawn, yet Hemsworth handles both aspects deftly. (Honestly, without him, this could be dreadful stuff.)
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Yet credit must also be given to director Kenneth Branagh, who turned heads when his name was attached to the project years ago, yet has proven to be an able and shrewd choice once the dust settles and the product finished. Taking his Shakespearean background and applying it to the power struggle and betrayal of Thor's royal family, the film carries a bout of tension that keeps it afloat amidst all of the beards and Jotunheim hokum. 
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Looking at possible cinematic offspring of recent memory, one can easily point-out where Thor got it right. Louis Leterrier's Clash of the Titans, the dull but-not-quite-dreadful remake from last year, was so stiff and surly that it barely moved. This Thor is comfortable and breezy, it stretches its legs before the grueling segments and has enough in reserve to bring it home. [B]