Thor

The MCU continued to grow with the fourth release, which not only introduced the film universe's version of Asgard but also used SHIELD as a firm bridge between it and what was at this stage the Iron Man series. Being so rooted in outright fantasy than the quasi-realistic world seen so far was a big step; Thor and his comics were often hokey and everyone deserves credit for taking the chance on hewing so closely to the Silver Age origins instead of falling back on the Ultimates format, and the choice of Kenneth Branagh as director gives it a nice classical sheen. However like Iron Man 2 it makes the mistake of having a slow middle where the new superhero we're meant to be so excited about isn't a superhero and we're left drumming our fingers waiting for his slow and obvious personal arc to work towards the end so we can get on with things. We know he's going to be worthy again before the end of the film, just let him lift the damn hammer.

TEN GREAT THINGS FROM THOR

IT'S BEAUTIFUL

The design of everything Asgardian is just staggering, all steampunk and glowing panels. It's a crucial decision, one that distances it from the more grounded aesthetic of Game of Thrones and other Viking-influenced shows while also showing its' influences. Even the Bifrost looks superb, while the difficult business of giving Thor a Nordic costume that is recognisable but modern. It's not just for plot reasons that it's a shame the action relocates to New Mexico for so long.

THE UNIVERSE IS GROWING

And it's great. The right line is picked between the hoary old trope of our gods being ancient aliens and the Asgardians being presented as gods while some considerable foundation laying is done for a world rather than just a planet. Considering how little time we really spend on Asgard the world is detailed nicely, exotic and advanced but different from the average sci-fi planet.

CHRIS HEMSWORTH LOOKS LIKE A NORSE GOD

Seriously, look at him. Okay, so at this stage his comedic touch is underused (though he can steal a scene by smashing a cup or getting flattened by a car), he can't work out whether the Mjolnir prop should be weightless or not and his bleached facial hair is distracting but still, look at him. It's as good a bit of casting as Robert Downey Jr; while it would take longer for Hemsworth to really be used as well he's every inch the star here.

LOKI

The comics Loki was for some time one of the diciest elements of the Thor mythos, long established as no serious threat, and was only wheeled out for Avengers anniversaries. But here he's actually both dangerous and three-dimensional, with his inferiority complex and poor bond with Odin some of the few dramatic elements to really come off thanks to a fine performance from Tom Hiddleston. And he gets to live, the first sign of an actual recurring villain.

THE CAST

Thor's cast shows the growing appeal of the Marvel films, and the producers' commitment to quality in all roles. While Anthony Hopkins has long appeared in basically anything for money the rest was dazzling - Oscar-nominated Natalie Portman straight from Black Swan, Rene Russo tempted out of hiatus for Frigga, Idris Elba happy enough to put on a helmet that covered almost his entire face, Stellan Skarsgård... And bit parts for the likes of Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Josh Dallas... They might not do much but it really helps build the world.

DRUNK ERIK SELVIG

Stellan Skarsgård is largely wasted as Erik Selvig, required to be cynical for most of the film about something we know he's wrong about. Given that his role as Selvig basically involves having a Swedish accent he doesn't have a huge amount to work with but when he is given a bit more he really nails it, especially coming back hammered from a bar on Thor's arm.

HAWKEYE

Out low-keying anything yet is Jeremy Renner's unbilled, unflashy introduction as Hawkeye (only referred to as Clint Barton), seen entirely in the night-time attempt by Thor to regain Mjolnir. Not only is it a serious declaration of intent that another big star is signed up as part of the universe and as a relatively low-profile character but it actually makes SHIELD a little bit more serious. Of course, later they again revert to guys with suits and pistols to attack the Destroyer, but for a moment Barton makes them look efficient.

THE WARRIORS THREE & SIF

For four guys basically defined as Thor's posse the four Asgardians come across well and after such a long period of angsty whining in the cafes of Puente Antiguo it's a great moment when they all show up there at last. The Three are well-defined and charmingly played by fine actors and while Sif suffers slightly from being carefully earmarked as "future love interest" the group get a genuine moment of glory trying to hold off the Destroyer.

DARCY

The film's biggest problem is a dearth of humour, perhaps due to wanting to not poke too much fun at Asgard. Instead the job of keeping things light falls to Kat Dennings as Jane Foster's intern Darcy, and while her hit-rate isn't perfect the character's one-liners and bored reactions are very welcome in the frustrating, repetitive Earth-based scenes.

THOR IMMOBILISING LOKI

The Thor/Loki relationship would grow exponentially as the films went on; here it's mainly Loki's daddy issues that take up the time with Thor randomly switching from thinking his half-brother is okay to thinking he's a supervillain with little nuance. However, there is one moment of greatness in their clashes here - Thor pining Loki to the Bi-Frost by resting Mjolnir on his chest and just walking off feels like some fraternal prank amped up to 11.