Genre: Animated | Sci-Fi | Adventure

Director: Sam Liu

Writers: Greg Johnson, Craig Kyle

Cast: Matthew Wolf, Rick Gomez, Christopher Britton, Clancy Brown, Grey DeLisle, Paul Dobson, Jonathan Holmes, Jay Brazeau

MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 77 min..

Synopsis:
Before he ever lifted his mighty hammer…Fantastic journeys beckon from the mysterious nine realms. Places of dark mists and fiery voids. Of winged creatures and giants in the ice. And of the most alluring quest of all – the search for the legendary Lost Sword of Surtur. Hungry for adventure, Thor secretly embarks on the journey of a lifetime, joined by his loyal brother Loki, whose budding sorcery equips him with just enough magic to conjure up trouble, along with the Warriors Three – a band of boastful travelers reluctant to set sail on any adventure that might actually be dangerous. But what starts out as a harmless treasure hunt quickly turns deadly, and Thor must now prove himself worthy of the destiny he covets by saving Asgard itself.

Before the hammer…came the sword.

Thor: Tales of Asgard is a direct to DVD and Blu-ray Marvel animated film, following a young, pre-Mjolnir Thor, who along with his brother Loki and The Warriors Three, Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg is searching for the Sword of Surtur. Their journey takes them to Jotunheim, the home of the Frost Giants, and their actions are viewed as an act of war that threatens the fragile peace between Jontunheim and Asgard.

The voice acting in Thor: Tales of Asgard is very strong, with great performances by Christopher Britton (Odin), Matthew Wolf (Thor), Tara Strong (Sif), Rick Gomez (Loki), Brent Chapman (Volstagg), Paul Dobson (Hogun) and Alistair Abell (Fandral). The DTS-HD 7.1 audio track is fantastic, with good separation and crystal clear dialogue.

The animation in the film is good, although the limitations of the budget seem apparent at times, as certain scenes are more reminiscent of that from a weekly television series, rather than a feature. The addition of CGI in some places, almost worsens the appearance of the standard animation by comparison. The image quality of the Blu-ray is outstanding though, and the clarity and color saturation are superb.

Now, on to the list of special features and my overall star rating for Thor: Tales of Asgard (Blu-ray/DVD Combo).

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary with supervising producer Craig Kyle and screenwriter Greg Johnson
• Audio Commentary with supervising director/producer Gary Hartle, director Sam Liu, and character designer Phil Bourassa
• Worthy: The Making of Thor: Tales of Asgard
• The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! Bonus Episode

Tales of Asgard is a great introduction to the world of Thor, especially for the uninitiated, and despite some instances of sub-par animation that the average viewer would likely not even notice and a skimpy amount of extras, it’s still a fun animated film for both kids and adults and is definitely worthy of a place in your superhero collection.

I give Thor: Tales of Asgard (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) Three out of Five Stars.

 

 

Thor: Tales of Asgard (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) is available now. You can order your copy at Amazon using the link below!

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