In theaters this weekend: Thor and others

Thor: The big movie this week also happens to be the first big movie of summer, and while summer is neither meteorologically nor calendarolgically here yet, just go with it, because you know a summer flick when you see it...or skip it.

I've been a comic reader off and on for decades, but my exposure to Thor has been limited. He was just never one of my favorite characters, although family lore has it that my father actually considered naming me Thor. My mother, the story goes, put the kibosh on it, but my dad insists he was never serious, and anyway, my sole source for this bit of lore IS Mom, so, well, who knows. Besides, I don't think I would have been named for the Marvel character, but rather the actual Norse God of Thunder Himself. Either way, let me take this opportunity on this Mother's Day to say...thank you, Mom, for saving me from that.

I don't know why the comic character never grabbed me as much as the other Marvel mainstays, but I just didn't collect his books on a regular basis, though I liked him as an Avenger. Forgive me, diehard Thor fans, but I just found the guy somewhat duller than, say, Shellhead or Winghead. Maybe he just talked too funny for little ol' Boy Shark, I don't know.

But if you remember those goofy 1960s "animated" shorts with the Marvel heroes, you think of the great theme songs--you know, "When Captain America throws his mighty shield..." or "Tony Stark makes you feel..." but what comes to mind when you think of the Thor cartoons? Just the end: "Mighty Thor!" Even his theme song was the blandest.

That plus the series of disappointments I endured year after year after anticipating comic book adaptations combines to give me kind of an "wait and see" attitude about this particular effort. I like much of the talent involved, like Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman, and the casting of Kat Dennings intrigues me as well, but this doesn't have a "must see" factor for me, nor even I "boy, I hope this is worth seeing" feeling. For me, the Green Lantern and Captain America movies are much more exciting, but I do hope that this one delivers.

Something Borrowed: Perhaps this turns out to be a fresh, innovative take on the genre, but I would think "Something Borrowed: is the last thing you want to name yet another romantic comedy.

Jumping the Broom: The title for this "urban" film comes from a wedding custom practiced in many African-American communities, but the practice apparently originated elsewhere. I've never seen anyone literally jumping a broom at a wedding. The more notable nuptials I've attended were more about "Tripping Down the Stairs." This followed the wedding custom known as "Rushing the Open Bar."