"Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."

These words, straight from the Marvel comic book, are spoken by Odin, Thor's father and the King of Asgard, towards the beginning of the recent film Thor. Thor, the young, rash, and hot-headed god of thunder, has been cast out of Asgard as punishment for directly defying his father's commands. Stripped of his godlike powers, Thor lands on Earth in the middle of the New Mexico desert, where he must live as a human until he learns to become worthy of his power--and his mighty hammer Mjolnir--once again. If you haven't seen Thor yet, then you'll be in for an epic adventure and coming-of-age tale as Thor gradually discovers the value of humility, self-sacrifice, and love, and rises up to become the hero that both Asgard and Earth need him to be.

Thor is a movie that can be appreciated by casual viewers and avid comics fans alike. It provides plenty of stunning visuals and grandiose action scenes to keep the audience entertained, as well as a good story full of multi-layered characters who change and develop throughout the film. Comics fans will recognize many familiar characters in addition to Thor (Chris Hemsworth) himself: Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor's duplicituous brother; Odin (Anthony Hopkins), his father and Frigga (Rene Russo), Odin's wife; Sif (Jaimie Alexander), the Asgardian warrior maiden; Heimdall (Idris Elba), the bridge keeper of Asgard; the Warriors Three, Hogun (Tadanobu Asano), Fandral (Joshua Dallas), and Volstagg (Ray Stevenson); the villainous Laufey (Colm Feore) and his kingdom of frost giants; the Destroyer, an enchanted Asgardian suit of armor; and of course Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), the mortal Earth woman with whom Thor falls in love. There is even some reference to Dr. Don Blake, who was the human alter ego of Thor in the comics. Perhaps the only Thor comics character strangely absent from this list is Thor's longtime friend and ally Balder the Brave, who makes no appearance in this film. Even so, the colorful cast of characters who are present provide enough mighty feats and unexpected twists and turns to keep viewers plenty entertained.

Comics fans will also be aware that, as Thor was a founding member of the Avengers in the comics, the Thor movie is part of a series of films leading up to The Avengers, scheduled for release next May. This film features the super-secret government organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. and a brief after-credits cameo from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s leader, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), both of which have previously appeared in the Iron Man films. For those with a careful eye and ear, Thor also provides the first glimpse of another member of the Avengers, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and of the Cosmic Cube, a powerful weapon which has been used by various supervillains in the comics, and which also appears in this summer's Captain America: The First Avenger. Most likely the Cube will play some part in the plot of The Avengers as well. Though Thor is an enjoyable film for anyone watching, little recognizable cameos and clues such as these make it even more rewarding for comics fans who are always eagerly anticipating the next movie.

In addition to being a fun action movie, Thor also contains underlying spiritual themes for those who are looking for them. Though Thor and the other Asgardians have often been seen as pagan deities, the Marvel comics and the film tend to treat them differently. The comics have described the Asgardians simply as aliens who are so advanced that their technology is indistinguishable from magic, even to themselves. The movie echoes this sentiment when Thor tells Jane that he comes from a place where science and magic are the same thing. Thor and the other Asgardians in this film do not necessarily consider themselves gods; rather, the universe in which they exist tries to blend science and the supernatural together. In this day and age of intellectualism and faithlessness, Jane's fellow scientists are initially skeptical that Thor could actually be supernatural. However, Jane's encounters with Thor stretch the limits of her belief, and at one point she finds herself arguing that the existence of the supernatural isn't such a foolish idea and doesn't necessarily have to contradict intellectualism. She is later proven correct when Thor's full godlike powers return to him on display for all to see. Thor is a film which advocates a reasonable belief in the supernatural and in things or beings which we cannot see or fully explain.

Thor's gradual development into a hero can also be viewed in a moral and even spiritual light. In the beginning of the film he is punished for his arrogance and disobedience, but through his time on Earth, he gradually learns to humble himself and to love and care more for others. It is not until Thor is willing to give his life to save others that he becomes worthy of his powers and his mighty hammer once again. Though the comparisons may be limited, Thor can even be seen as an imperfect Christ figure. Yes, he is flawed and initially selfish, unlike the true Christ. But he is also the son of an almighty father from up in the heavens, and he is also sent to Earth as a human stripped of his divinity. Thor is willing to lay down his life for others just like Jesus laid down his life for the world. Thor's journey to becoming a hero is an exciting adventure that teaches humility, selflessness, and love along the way.

So if you're looking for a good summer movie that combines action, adventure, fantasy, romance, and timeless moral and spiritual values, then Thor is the movie for you. Watch it, enjoy it, and learn from Thor's struggles and his personal journey. Then learn to exemplify love and selflessness in your own life as well, so that you too may become worthy of the power of a god--the one true God.

"In brightest day, in blackest night, no comic book movie shall escape my sight." This is the sacred oath that longtime comics fans all across the various sectors of the galaxy take at the beginning of each summer when anticipating all the new comic-based blockbusters that have been talked about for so long. Among this summer's new releases is Green Lantern, the big-screen adaptation of the classic DC comics character. The film follows hotshot test pilot Hal Jordan as he joins an interplanetary peacekeeping group and embarks, somewhat reluctantly, on a journey that forces him to become a hero. If you haven't seen Green Lantern yet and you're wondering what to expect, then read on.

Fans of the Green Lantern comics should be pleased with the film's treatment of the source material. Though the comics have showcased many Green Lanterns over the decades (and across the galaxies), the film focuses on Hal Jordan, the Silver Age Green Lantern, and still one of the most popular ones to this day. Actor Ryan Reynolds successfully captures the essence of Hal's personality as it has often been portrayed in the comics--the cocky, reckless, bad boy exterior he maintains to the world at large, and the fears and insecurities that he secretly hides underneath. 

Comics readers will also recognize other familiar names and faces from the comics, including Hal's on-and-off girlfriend Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), the top-secret government scientist Amanda Waller (Angela Bassett), the villainous Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard), the ancient Guardians of Oa, and other members of the Green Lantern Corps, such as Abin Sur (Temuera Morrison), Kilowog (voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan), Tomar-Re (voiced by Geoffrey Rush), and of course the morally ambiguous Sinestro (Mark Strong), who makes an important though unsurprising choice in a bonus scene during the credits. Naturally, the film also features the Green Lanterns' greatest enemy: Parallax (voiced by Clancy Brown), the monstrous alien entity made of yellow fear energy, who poses a major threat to the Lanterns' green energy of willpower. 

The movie's plot draws some influence from Geoff Johns's comic book storyline Green Lantern: Secret Origin, following Hal Jordan as he first becomes a Green Lantern, establishing a rivalry with Hector Hammond, and portraying Sinestro as a veteran Green Lantern in the days before his descent into evil. It also incorporates Hal's first encounter with Parallax and his quest to overcome his fears in order to save Earth from the yellow entity's consuming power. With a wide cast of characters, stunning computerized visuals of alien landscapes, and plenty of intense action scenes that give Hal a chance to put his newfound powers to good use, Green Lantern is sure to entertain.

Some might wonder whether the Green Lantern film contains anything deeper than just a fun, entertaining, action-packed blockbuster. The answer is yes. While not explicitly religious or overly preachy, Green Lantern does contain some moral and spiritual undertones which can be applicable to Christians' lives.

Hal Jordan is supposed to be fearless. At least, that's the version of himself that he lets others see, and it's why he is chosen to be the next Green Lantern, because a Lantern must know no fear. But Hal isn't fearless. He remembers his pain at the death of his father years ago, and so he's afraid of getting too close to anyone or opening up to the people in his life because he doesn't want to risk getting hurt again. And while he may fly fighter planes into dangerous maneuvers without flinching an inch, he is afraid of the challenges that come with being a Green Lantern, and of evil alien monsters who can destroy entire planets (who wouldn't be afraid of that?). At one point, Hal reluctantly admits to his friends Carol and Thomas that he's not fearless, and they try to encourage him to overcome his fear. Hal's struggle mirrors that of the average Christian striving to meet a perfect standard which we all fall short of. As much as we like to pretend that we've got it all together, we all have issues to deal with, whether it be fear, anger, lust, pride, guilt, or something else. And as much as we wish we could be fearless or good enough on our own, we can't, which is why we need help in overcoming our flaws and doing the right thing. For Hal, that help comes in the form of the green energy of willpower and moral support from his friends; for Christians, it comes from the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Hal eventually finds courage and resolves to take action despite his fears. He's just in time, too, because the Guardians and the Green Lantern Corps seem to be at a loss as to how to defeat Parallax, the yellow entity of fear that threatens to destroy them all. The only solution they can come up with is to harness the power of fear for themselves and destroy Parallax with a taste of his own medicine. Sinestro, a senior Green Lantern officer, is prepared to lead the Lanterns down that dark path when Hal stops him and points out that embracing the power of fear will only corrupt them all. Instead, he bravely and selflessly goes out against Parralax alone, employing his courage and willpower to bring the villain to ruin. Rather than repaying evil for evil, or trying to defeat evil in his own strength, Hal follows the advice of Romans 12:21, which says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Green Lantern is a fun, fast-paced, action-packed movie that can be enjoyed by casual moviegoers and longtime comics fans alike. It portrays an epic battle between good and evil and one man's journey to becoming a hero by facing up to his fears and overcoming his inner demons. So the next time you're looking for a movie to go see, check out Green Lantern and try to see what lessons you can learn from it. And the next time you feel overwhelmed by fear or insecurity or whatever it is that keeps you from doing the right thing, remember that "God has not given us a spirit of fear" (II Timothy 1:7), and look to Him for strength to overcome.