It's hammer time as the summer's first big movie rolls into the bargain theaters this weekend. ---

The adaptation of the Marvel Comics hero Thor casts Chris Hemsworth as the Norse god of thunder, outcast into the mortal realm for his arrogance--where he meets a lovely scientist (Natalie Portman)--while his cunning brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) plots in Asgard. Director Kenneth Branagh nails the right tone for a movie about royal treachery even as he sticks to a fairly familiar super-hero movie formula. There's not a lot of room for unique spark outside of Kat Denning's engaging comic relief as an acerbic college intern, but it hits its marks well enough to be satisfying.

Just as familiar in its way is the latest adaptation of Jane Eyre (coming exclusively to the Cinemark Sugar House), with Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) playing the governess learning the dark secrets of her employer, Edward Rochester (Michael Fassbender). The central relationship is effectively captured in two strong performances, but nearly every other piece of connective tissue is sacrificed, leaving something that feels thin and watered-down.