Humor! Action! Kat Dennings! Now THIS is a Thor Trailer!

Can we all agree that the Thor marketing materials thus far have been a little less than thrilling? Good. Because now we really have something to look forward to from the Kenneth Branagh-directed Marvel actioner -- an epic-scale tent pole set on two worlds with a sense of humor about itself, lots of swirling, hammer-smashing action, fantastical villains and creatures to ogle, and the acknowledged fetishizing of Chris Hemsworth's abs.

Well, all of the above may have been present and accounted for in the first trailer for Thor, but Marvel's latest trailer fleshes things out to the point that Thor actually now looks exciting. That said, it's a pretty conventional trailer that opens with the requisite set-up: Government investigates strange crop circles; meanwhile, hot scientist lady Natalie Portman and her cohorts (Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgard) chase twisters and literally run into Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in the middle of a supernatural cyclone. The rest of the plot unfolds like clockwork: Thor wakes up in a hospital, freaks out, learns to adjust to his newfound surroundings, discovers coffee and Earth food, and the fish-out-of-water defends his adoptive home from his evil native enemies.

Obvious plotting aside, we do get more of a sense of the film's sense of humor. Portman's skeptical delivery and the comic relief of co-star Kat Dennings suggest a self-aware tone to temper the silliness of Thor's premise; there's a certain charm to Chris Hemsworth-as-Thor's obviously not-from-around-here speak, his arrogant manners, the way he delightfully hails for more drink as if a serving wench is about to refill his mug.

Also, this:

Ahem. Then it gets around to the fighting -- the large men thrashing about, Hemsworth's slo-mo leaping hammer blows, glimpses of skirmishes on Earth and in the skies of Thor's home world. Peeks at swirling, otherworldly CG landcapes and glowy-eyed gods, ice-blue caverns, Odin's sprawling golden chambers. And, you guys: We get to see Thor use Mjolnir like a boomerang, ZOMG! And we haven't even gotten to the explosions, the laser beams, the scary Frost Giant dudes and monster moles and the Destroyer and Sir Anthony Hopkins waging close-quarters hand-to-hand combat!

Whew! Well, that was fun. The only remaining question mark is Thor's 3D conversion treatment, which stands as much a chance as any other 3D film to go the way of Clash of the Titans. We'll find out just how well ol' Kenny B. handled the conversion on May 6, when Thor hits theaters.

Verdict: Thor has awakened new feelings in me that I haven't felt before. Color me intrigued.