(Long Island, N.Y.) “Thor? Well, it hurts.” Get it? GET IT? No? Well, it helps if you say it with a lisp…
Okay, bad jokes aside, let’s just jump into this week’s review: Thor, the latest Marvel Comics character to get the big-screen treatment. Now, if you’ve read this column before (and you do every week, don’t you?), you’ll know that I love superhero movies. As a
big-time comic book fan growing up, these characters represent a large part of my childhood, and getting to see them actually come alive on film is something of a nostalgic thrill for me. X-Men, Iron Man, Spider-Man…all good stuff. And the upcoming Captain America flick looks pretty amazing, too.
As for Thor, I was more of a casual fan. I’ve read a few issues of his comic, and I know the basics, but I’m not the type of crazed fan who could pick out every little change director Kenneth Branagh made when translating the adventures of the mystical hammer-wielding Asgardian God of Thunder to the screen. Still, given that the Thor comic is wrought with Shakespearian melodrama in-between hammer-clobberings and lightning strikes, a Bard-obsessed filmmaker like Branagh is a perfect fit. Add in a stellar cast such as Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, and Anthony Hopkins, and how could you go wrong? Well, in a few ways actually, but that doesn’t stop Thor from being a very good movie regardless of a few warts.
For newbies to the world of Norse mythology upon which the Thor comic is based, our film takes place in the realm of Asgard, home of the Gods. Odin (Anthony Hopkins), king of Asgard, banishes his mighty and noble yet butt-headed son Thor (Chris Hemsworth) to Earth, stripped of his godly powers, after breaking the peace between Asgard and Frost Giants of Jotunheim. Don’t get me wrong, Thor had the best of intentions, but still, he messed up, and Odin had to make an example of him, you know? Of course, this plays into the hands of Thor’s evil brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), whose desire for power (don’t all evil guys have that?) will now run unchecked.
Thor finds himself stranded on Earth in mortal form, without his hammer Mjolnir, the source of his power. You see, Odin cast a spell on the hammer so only someone worthy can lift it – kind of a Sword in the Stone deal – and since I’m not in this movie to usurp Thor’s power, you know that it’s only a matter of time before Thor gains the humility and honor he needs to be deemed worthy once again of wielding Mjolnir.
Along the way, Thor gets into a romance with scientist Jane Foster (Oscar-winner Natalie Portman), adjusts to wacky mortal customs, gets into some fights, and eventually heads back to Asgard for his big showdown with Loki. Never guessed the movie would progress like that, huh?
Overall, Thor is a good movie, albeit one that takes few chances or makes any real attempt to deviate from (very) established cinematic clichés. The story, while well-told, is always what you expect. And when it’s not what you expect, it’s actually kind of stupid. For example, when Thor arrives on Earth, he’s suddenly very hungry and starts eating everything he can get his hands on. What, he didn’t eat in Asgard? But, despite just discovering food, two seconds later comes a scene where he’s suddenly cooking eggs for everyone. Oh, and then one second he’s beating the crap out of mortals, and then, for no reason whatsoever, he wants to start protecting them. Why? I don’t know! Oh, and let’s not forget the fact that Thor and Jane have about maybe 47 seconds of meaningful dialogue in this movie before falling hopelessly in love with one another. Of course, that happens in every movie, so we can hardly be surprised here, now can we?
Aside from quibbles like that, Thor does indeed bring a lot of positives as well. The realm of Asgard is beautifully realized using some pretty great CG, and the action scenes are all intense, hard-hitting, and visually impressive. But where Thor excels is the acting; the cast members are all well-chosen and really take a bite out of their roles. Hemsworth is charming and physically intimidating as Thor, Hiddleston subtly menacing as Loki, and Hopkins plays Odin with all the grandiose flair you’d expect of a production of King Lear. Portman is good, playing your typical Hollywood love interest/chick in distress, but alas, she doesn’t even approach the level of performance she turned in doing Black Swan, for which she won an Oscar. But hey, maybe she was tired.
Of course, Thor takes place in the new Marvel Cinematic Universe; Marvel Comics is now producing their own movies, which gives them the opportunity to finally
crossover their characters in the upcoming superhero team-up movie The Avengers, due out next year. Teaming up the God of Thunder with Iron Man, The Hulk, and Captain America, among others, Thor has several references to the Avengers film scattered about during its running time, especially if you wait until after the credits…
So, while not perfect, Thor is a very worthy addition to Marvel’s live-action line-up. You’re likely to enjoy it to some degree even if you’re not familiar with the comic, as the filmmakers took an approach that has made this film very accessible to the general public while littering it with enough comic references to
keep the rabid fan-boys happy. However, I’m already looking past Thor and forward to Captain America: The First Avenger, due out in theaters in just a few months. Now THAT film I have VERY high hopes for, based on the stellar trailers. Of course, it’s a trailer’s job to look good (how many bad movies have great trailers?), but let’s just hope for the best, okay?
