Drctd by: Kenneth Branagh; Actrs: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins; Wrttn by: Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, and Don Payne.
Realeased: May 6, 2011 (USA)
Run Time: 115 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: Thor is a mighty warrior God from Asgard, but has a large ego to boot, much to his father's displeasure. In turn, Thor is cast out of his native world and sent down to Earth to learn a lesson in humility. One thing leads to another and Thor, without his powers, must try to help stop a dark force from tearing his home apart.
Synopsis: Thor is a mighty warrior God from Asgard, but has a large ego to boot, much to his father's displeasure. In turn, Thor is cast out of his native world and sent down to Earth to learn a lesson in humility. One thing leads to another and Thor, without his powers, must try to help stop a dark force from tearing his home apart.
*spoilers ahead*
Thor was an exceptional start to the summer movie season, if only because it was able to do what most superhero films can't these days: have fun. In a world where superheroes are begged to be more realistic, to the liking of Ironman and Batman, Thor dared to be itself, and in the process, took the viewer on a fun-filled adventure to Asgard and back.
Thor's strength was definitely its ability to properly blend action, adventure, and comedy without it feeling forced. On the action side, Chis Hemsworth kicked some major ass, as the God of Thunder... and as one of us lowly humans. Not to mention, his hoard of warrior-friends who weren't too shabby. Thankfully, the action wasn't used as a crutch, but had a story (as much as you could ask for) and had balance elsewhere. In addition, the action wasn't just 1-2-3, the scenes, while being fun to watch, were also fun to look at -- the entire atmosphere of the film was beautiful.
On the other side, the humor was just as enjoyable as the action. The comedy of the film came mainly from three places. Firstly, Natalie Portman hitting everything with her van: She need her license taken away, like, now. Secondly, Thor becoming human and coming to Earth for the time: The way his Asgardian customs translated (or didn't) was fun to watch. Thirdly, and my favorite, was from "Darcy", played by Kat Dennings: Though she wasn't in it a lot, Kat Dennings was an intern with quick-wit and some hilarious one-liners, and she, basically, stole most of the scenes she was in. But, of course, there was fun to be had elsewhere in the film.
The comedy was most likely so prevelent because Thor isn't one of those "widely known" superhero characters -- the general public had to be warmed to him. And they did a great job.
Now, my favorite part of the movie would have to Tom Hiddleston's portrayal of "Loki", the God of Mischief. He is easily my favorite villain in the Marvel Movie Universe thus far. But, of course, I am usually pro-villain (so I may be a little biased), and kinda wanted Loki to succeed in his plans. I mean, he was smart, devious, and awesome, but, at the same time, you could feel for him and understood where he was coming from. Also, Tom Hiddleston, in my opinion, out-acted the rest of the cast. Don't get me wrong, the movie is over-all approriately acted, but Hiddleston was on a level of his own throughout. Still, thankfully, no actor, or character, felt out of place with the others.
I am also glad that they didn't spend too much time talking about S.H.I.E.L.D and setting up The Avengers. Pretty much what went wrong with Ironman 2.
In total, I have three issues with this movie (though nothing major):
(1) The 3-D didn't add much other than money to the studios. Not a fan of the whole 3-D fad.
(2) I wanted more Loki. I know, I know, this movie was called Thor and not Loki, I get that. Luckily, we get more Loki in The Avengers, coming out in 2012.
(3) Heimdall, played by Idris Elba, was severly underused. The entire movie, they talked about how powerful he was, but they never did anything with him. I don't think we've even scratched the surface with him. Maybe in the sequel.
Believe it, or not, walking in, I did not want to see this movie. I wanted to watch Scream 4, but it had already left my local theater. My biggest concerned was an apparent cheese factor, especially when it came to the costumes. After viewing several posters and trailer, I was still not sold. However, after it was over, I was totally won over.
If you are looking for an oscar-winner, look somewhere else. But, if you are looking for a great popcorn flick, look no further.
Ruling: 3.5/5
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