Genre: Action | Adventure | Drama
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Writers: Ashley Miller (screenplay), Zack Stentz (screenplay)
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, and Natalie Portman
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Summary: The powerful but arrogant warrior Thor is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard and sent to live amongst humans on Earth, where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.
Run Time: 114 min
There are some comic book properties that should NEVER be adapted. Don’t think about it, don’t talk about it, and certainly don’t spend millions of dollars to actually do it. I love comic books, but there are certain properties that, when taken from the comic panel and put into another entertainment medium, get lost in translation. The parts that make the comic so cool get lost in the cheese sauce.
That’s what I thought of Kenneth Branagh’s Thor in just about every trailer that I watched. As cool as the effects, the costumes, and the cast looked, I had a sinking feeling that it was going to be terrible. Because let’s be honest here: Thor as a comic book concept is a little cheesy. But comic book writers make it work, because the medium is forgiving of a little bit of hokeyness. Film, however, is much less forgiving and I was afraid that this flick would stink worse than a Jötnar’s choad. But I have to admit that Thor is a lot of fun.
I’m the kind of fan who thinks that comic book movies shouldn’t take themselves too seriously. Comic books hinge on the suspension of disbelief and letting the visuals share the storytelling burden that writing usually has to carry all by its bad self. It shouldn’t be any different in movies, and Branagh and Co. really embraced this philosophy in Thor. The artistic vision of Asgard is stunning, taking the classic elements of Norse mythology and envisioning them in a way that is one part mystical two parts technological. Bifröst and Himinbjörg are two particular highlights of the Asgardian vista that I never got tired of seeing.
The action is everything you expect from watching the trailers. Whether it’s battling frost giants, kicking the crap out of the Destoryer, or ringing Loki’s bell, Thor and his Asgardian friends are very physical cats who like to tear sh!t up. Thor’s inter-dimensional cohorts get enough screen time to make you really care about them and get a feel for the kind of relationship they share with the Thunder God.
Miller and Stentz should be given a pat on the back, because their writing turned this movie into a lot of things I didn’t expect. Thor was funny. Like, Iron Man funny, which was a bit of relief because the humor mitigated that cheesy aspect that I was talking about earlier. Watching Hemsworth walk around all surly and blustery only to keep getting accidentally knocked on his ass by 90 pound girls was enough to tickle the whole theater. His chemistry with Portman was believeable, and their relationship was interesting. Aside from calling him on his Asgardian bullshit a couple times, Jane Foster is quite taken with the Thunder God pretty much from the beginning. I thought this was a refreshing break from the no-nonsense strong female who tames the savage man. I like a strong woman as much as anyone, but when the God of Thunder comes to town, every girl (and a few guys) within a tri-state area gets weak in the knees. Also the duo should get props for not making this movie feel like one massive Avengers plug like Iron Man 2. The tie-ins are there, but I didn’t feel like it was all in my face the whole time.
One of my favorite parts of the flick was how the writers handled Loki. I expected them to demonize him 100%, but his character is a lot more complicated than that, and they really hit it out of the park. Think of Loki as that brother who is a massive douchebag and a pain in the ass. At the end of the day, in spite of his flaws, he’s still your brother. This pretty much sums up his relationship to Thor. He causes a lot of trouble, but he has Asgard’s best interests at heart, making him one of the most complicated villains in comic book movies ever.
All in all Thor is a success. It’s in the spirit of Iron Man, and MUCH better than Iron Man 2. It’s a fast-paced, funny, epic, and visually stunning piece of the puzzle leading to The Avengers. I can’t wait to add it to my blu-ray collection.
I give Thor four out of five stars.
