What can I say about one of the most highly anticipated films of the summer season, Marvel and Paramount’s THOR? Well first off, it’s fast paced, second, it’s well thought out, third, it’s beautiful, and fourth, it’s a very different kind of superhero film and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Thor, which stars Chris Hemsworth in the titular role, is about a young and arrogant Norse God who has the spirit of a warrior, but lacks the wisdom of a leader. On the day his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), is about to relinquish the throne to him, a few evil Ice Giants from the realm of Jotunheim infiltrate Asgard, his home. Disobeying his father’s orders, Thor goes to Jotunheim to confront the giants and the epic battle turns the realms against each other, bringing war to the realms once again. Odin then decides to strip Thor of his power and banishes him to earth. It is here where he meets the scientist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and begins to understand what he is and what his father hopes for him to be. With his evil brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) up to some unknown mischief, Thor must eventually find a way to overcome both his moral troubles and foil his brother’s schemes.
Sounds a bit Shakespearean, wouldn’t you say? Well that’s what makes Thor so different from other Marvel films. This movie spends a significant amount of time developing its story, making sure all the parts fit together not only in your mind, but in the greater Marvel film universe. What I’m saying is that the continuity is there and that all the Marvel films are clearly strung together for the upcoming Avengers flick. Director Kenneth Branagh was very deliberate in the way he structured Thor, and since he has had a lot of experience in the theater, it makes sense as to why the movie flowed the way it did. Now I’m not saying the other Marvel films don’t focus on story, because I know that is BS, but Thor is a god, not a man, and isn’t as charismatic or as crazy as some of the other superheroes we know, this is what automatically separates his film from the others.
Now on to the stuff you really want to hear about. The movie comes in at about two hours, if you stay for the scene after the credits (which you should), and with that said, the film moves surprisingly fast. Even though there is a lull in the middle, it’s only for the sake of the story and didn’t bother me at all.
The effects were unbelievable. I watched this bad boy in IMAX 3D and it was totally worth it. As a massive fan of Norse mythology, being brought into the world of Asgard was awe inspiring. It was as if I was seeing Middle Earth or Pandora for the first time, it was just flawlessly integrated and damn sexy. I even thought the 3D helped the movie in certain circumstances, which I rarely say about any 3D film. As for the frost giants, holy crap, they were badass and were even more so during the epic battle between the giants and Thor and his warrior companions, especially when the massive beast unfroze itself and Thor started doing some serious work with his hammer (Mjǫlnir). Also, when Destroyer is brought to life, all hell breaks loose and that’s when you really see the effects begin to shine.
As for the acting, I still believe Hemsworth was the perfect choice for this role. He had the build, the attitude, and demeanor of Thor and pulled it off quite well. Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings, Anthony Hopkins and practically everyone else in the film was solid, so when it comes to the acting, I have no complaints. The one guy who I really loved, and thought he was even more of a badass than Thor at times, was Heimdall (Idris Elba), he was just so cool as the God in charge of Biforst, the entrance to Asgard. Tom Hiddleston’s performance as Loki was exceptional as well, his presence as the villain was spot on and SPOILER I look forward to seeing him in The Avengers. END SPOILER
Overall, I had a good time watching Thor. My friend, an uber comic book geek, loved it and, as a result, I think most people are really going to have fun with it. The film is chock full of great actions sequences, amazing special effects work, and most importantly, it has such a detailed oriented story that does the Marvel world justice. Oh, and just make sure you keep an eye out for all the Easter eggs in the background of various scenes, as it will make your experience that much better, especially when you see Stan Lee’s cameo, it’s great.
Rating: Like the man himself, this is a mighty film that lives up to its hype in more ways than one (7.8/10)
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