The Best and Worst of Chris Hemsworth

“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of “Avengers: Endgame” star Chris Hemsworth.

Films starring Chris Hemsworth that I've seen:
Star Trek
Thor
The Cabin in the Woods
The Avengers
Snow White and the Huntsman
Red Dawn
Rush
Thor: The Dark World
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Vacation
In the Heart of the Sea
Ghostbusters
Thor: Ragnarok
Avengers: Infinity War
Bad Times at the El Royale

Best Performance: Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
Of all the great things present in this clever, claustrophobic and engrossing noir thriller, Hemsworth might just be the absolute best. With a startling combination of charisma and understated menace, Hemsworth makes cult leader Billy Lee an overwhelmingly eerie figure that makes the rest of the morally dubious characters that occupy this very underrated flick look like saints.

Worst Performance: Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
A cast of elite actors showing up and slumming it HARD was the most memorable thing about this so-so gritty reimagining of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. While not quite as comatose as lead Kristen Stewart, Hemsworth still displays minimal signs of life as he sleepwalks through his role as villain-turned-hero Eric the Huntsman.

Best Film: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Handing Thor over to Taika Waititi was the best decision Marvel has ever made. Not only did he make the God of Thunder a more engaging character, he established a weird, goofy and hilarious little universe that was unlike anything the superhero giant had ever done in the past. Fingers crossed that Tessa Thompson's statement last week about Waititi pitching Marvel another Thor project proves to be true.    

Worst Film: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
I'll spare all of you from teeing off on Age of Ultron for a second straight week. To put it succinctly, this turd deserves to be banished to superhero movie Siberia with all of the non-MCU titles (Fantastic Four, Batman v. Superman, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, several others) that have received endless public ridicule over the past decade.

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “The Intruder” star Dennis Quaid.