Using sex to sell Thor.

To put it bluntly, this costly and risky star-filled epic probably ought to be selling the sex factor. More so than most tenpolers, there is literally something for every sexual preference. You've got hunky young men (Chris Hensworth as Thor and Tom Hiddleston as the evil Loki), hot young women (Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings), thespian beekcake (Idris Elba and Stuart Townsend), distinguished older men (Ray Stevenson, Samuel L. Jackson and Stellan Skarsgard), one much older man (Anthony Hopkins), and at least one uber-hot older woman (kudos to whomever convinced Rene Russo to come out of apparent retirement). Aside from obvious prurient appeal, there's not a bum actor in the bunch. Since I'm not up on my Thor continuity or my Norse mythology, I have no idea who most of these people are playing. I couldn't care less about Thor and the perils of Asgard, but Kenneth Branagh directing that astounding cast may just make it something special. But memo to Marvel - that is one stunningly sexy cast and I suggest they make use of that fact.

Scott Mendelson