Although production has been underway for quite a while now, we were finally treated to a first look at Thor as he appears in the upcoming film today, courtesy of Yahoo.

To get straight to the point, view the picture below:

This is the first official image from the film, and shows how close this movie is aiming to be to the comics. Although it’s not much (no hammer or helmet yet), it should whet your appetite for another addition to Marvel’s ever-expanding cinematic universe.

As I’ve said before, I absolutely cannot wait for this movie! I don’t even know the comics that well but I think this film has potential to be one of the greatest superhero flicks ever.

Thor is directed by Kenneth Branagh, stars Chris Hemsworth as the hammer-wielding god/superhero, and smashes into theaters May 6, 2011.

I am not a Thor fan, so I was never particularly interested in the upcoming movie. However, an interview with the director over at Hero Complex, has me very excited for the film.

So, here’s a quick primer on the upcoming Marvel film, Thor: (WARNING: I wouldn’t consider the following spoilers as all it is is general backstory from the comics. However, if you wish to remain completely clean, you may want to stop reading.)

• The character was created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby and based on Norse Mythology.
• The general plotline is this: The Mighty Thor, a powerful warrior in the realm of Asgard, is cast down to Earth by his father, Odin, in order to teach him humility. While forced to live among humans, he learns what true hero really is and must use all his strength to thwart an invasion by the darkest forces of Asgard.
• The film will switch between Asgard, the home of the Asgardians, and present-day earth.
• Chris Hemsworth will play the titular role, with Sir Anthony Hopkins portraying his father. Tom Hiddleston is Thor’s stepbrother and arch-nemesis, Loki. Natalie Portman and Jaimie Alexander are Thor’s two love interests, from Earth and Asgard, respectively. Joshua Dallas, Tadanobu Asano, and Ray Stevenson are the warriors known as The Warriors Three, and the rest of the supporting cast includes Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Rene Russo, Kat Dennings, as well as Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.
• The movie is being directed by Kenneth Branagh, who is best known for his several Shakespeare adaptations.
• Thor is set to be released May 6th, 2011.

So, what changed my mind about the movie? In the interview, Branagh had this to say about his film:

“Inspired by the comic book world both pictorially and compositionally at once, we’ve tried to find a way to make a virtue and a celebration of the distinction between the worlds that exist in the film but absolutely make them live in the same world. It’s about finding the framing style, the color palette, finding the texture and the amount of camera movement that helps celebrate and express the differences and the distinctions in those worlds. If it succeeds, it will mark this film as different…. The combination of the primitive and the sophisticated, the ancient and the modern, I think that potentially is the exciting fusion, the exciting tension in the film.”

This shows how much passion the director, who is a huge Thor fan, is putting into the project. He is taking the comic book and, rather than hype it up for mass appeal, bringing the inherently Shakespearean aspects of the story to the forefront. Combine this with a stellar cast, and you should have an amazing film.

After seeing the comic-book movie genre explode, this is the kind of creativity that distinguishes a “Dark Knight” from a “Wolverine.” Exciting action is fun, but a fantastic story and good filmmaking are what really matters, and that is why I am really looking forward to this film.

Here’s the official trailer for Woody Harrelson’s Defendor

Whoa! Looks great! Sure it stinks of which came first (Kick-Ass or Defendor?), but who cares? Kick-Ass has a good trailer but doesn’t look to be a good movie while Defendor looks like a great movie and it stars Woody Harrelson! Woody has great comedic timing (Cheers) and a dark action-comedy, a la Zombieland, is just the place for Harrelson to shine. I’m also reminded of Hot Fuzz and Mystery Men, which might be setting the bar a little high but I think Harrelson can climb over it! Rounding out the cast are Kat Dennings (Charlie Bartlett), Elias Koteas (Fallen), and Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy). First-time director Peter Stebbings makes the leap from television acting where he’s been for the past 20 years. See Defendor in limited theatrical release February 26, 2010 or on DVD April 30, 2010.

If you like slice-of-life teen movies, you’ll enjoy Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. While not breaking any new ground, it delivers solid performances with a few chuckles, a few ‘eww gross’ moments, and your typical boy/girl love story. It also has a backdrop of a boy/boy relationship that was done very well – no gay agenda forced on anyone, and no disruptive messages of intolerance pushing you towards being uncomfortable. I kept waiting for one or the other to drop, but instead it just ended up being a great side story that kept you engaged with multiple characters.

Nick and Norah’s has a superb soundtrack that kept me engaged throughout the movie. It was eclectic enough to keep you interested and yet fit perfectly without overwhelming the different scenes.

The movie takes place over the course of one night and zeroes in on two high school seniors, Nick (Michael Cera – Superbad and Juno) and Norah (Kat Dennings – The House Bunny). They meet at a club and end up driving around New York all night in search of the band ‘Where’s Fluffy’. There’s also a subplot going on involving friends of Nick trying to get Norah’s drunk friend Caroline (Ari Graynor) safely home, and the antics that come from them not caring a whole lot whether they accomplish this or not.

If you’re a fan of New York’s lower Mahattan, you’ll see several fun hot spots. It was great seeing places like Vaselka’s that are hip hangouts for the late night crowd and getting the romantic overview of New York nightlife. Although – it did leave me questioning how none of these high school students ever had to call home or otherwise get any grief about being on their own…in New York City…all night long. But slice-of-life doesn’t have to equal realistic for the movie to be fun!

And that’s what Nick and Norah’s is – fun. An updated teen movie that doesn’t preach to kids; doesn’t make adults think kids are out of control; and doesn’t ruin your date night with a lot of overhyped angst.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆