REVIEW - Thor (2011)

Thor

USA - 2011

Directed by - Kenneth Branagh

Starring - Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins

Color / 115 Min / Rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi action and violence

I'll admit up front, Thor is not a comic book character I've ever really given a damn about. Strange, because going back to my childhood I've always found plenty of enjoyment in Norse mythology and tales of viking plunderers, but the Marvel version of Thor never created a spark with me. I believe I've read exactly ONE issue of The Mighty Thor, and it was a cheesy early 80's one at that. Most of my exposure to the comic character comes via Avengers books, where Thor just came across to me as a one-dimensional musclehead (which says something when you've got one-notes like the Hulk and Captain America in the same pages). So I can't exactly say I was ever looking forward to the live-action adaptation when it was announced. I paid little to no attention to the news regarding the film, and when I finally caught a trailer on television I was less than impressed with the 30-second snippets of CGI chicanery I saw. Then I figured out that Anthony Hopkins had been cast and Kenneth Branagh had directed the film. A long dead film snob in me stirred at those revelations. Kenneth Branagh? Really? Sure, as an actor he was no stranger to genre films, a Harry Potter here or a *snicker* Wild Wild West there, but as a director? This is the same man who did Hamlet and Henry V, correct?

Okay. This... could be interesting.

I don't know if seeing Branagh's name made me expect a transcendent comic book masterpiece with Shakespearean verve and flair thrown in or a total pretentious clusterfuck, but I got neither. Thor is solid popcorn entertainment, doubly so if you're any kind of Marvel fan, but on the whole I felt it was a rather average movie. Sure, I'd probably watch it again sometime, and I'm more than likely down for the sequel when it comes out circa 2013, but it still ranks far behind the likes of Iron Man, Batman Begins, or the recent X-Men: First Class when it comes to hero flicks. If anything, Branagh has proven that he can capably direct a big budget action blockbuster, though I have a sneaking suspicion veteran stunt coordinator/actionman extraordinaire Vic Armstrong, Thor's second unit director, might well have been in charge of most of the action sequences.

THOR SMASH! Wait... that's the wrong comic.

Thor's plot is your basic superhero origin story fare. You've got your flashback to when the god of thunder was a wee lad, you've got him going through a bit of family drama, you've got him powerless for a time and learning the ropes of life, the universe, and all that. You've got a former friend and ally betraying him, and oh yes, Thor discovers the love of his life while he's at it. It's a simple cut and paste formula where you change a few details here and there and could presumably use it for any superhero film (a radioactive spider instead of a magic hammer, for instance). I'm not trying to undermine comic book movies, because I generally like them, but Thor's story is certainly nothing groundbreaking or overly original. In some ways the plot is hindered slightly by the inclusion of characters like Clark Gregg's Agent Coulson from the Iron Man series, or Jeremy Renner showing up for a few minutes as Hawkeye, and of course, Sam Jackson as eyepatched badass Nick Fury with another brief cocktease cameo at the end. All of these characters are there to set up next summer's Avengers movie, and while it's quite an admirable stunt by Marvel Studios (which we'll have to wait and see if it pays off or not), it can be a slight distraction having Movie B starting in the background while Movie A is still ongoing.

The casting decisions are quite intriguing, and the performances range from sublime to completely forgetable. The title character is portrayed by former Aussie soap star Chris Hemsworth. Hemsworth sometimes gives Thor some VERY --- STILTED --- DICTION! But otherwise he's likeable and believably ripped enough to take on the part of a Nordic warrior. Playing opposite Hemsworth for much of the piece is Natalie Portman as scientist Jane Foster. While I can buy that ol' Thor might fall for a gal like her, I do find it somewhat difficult to imagine Portman as an astrophysicist. Jane tools around in her very own Mystery Machine with science pals Erik (Stellan Skarsgård) and Darcy (Kat Dennings). Skarsgård (Bootstrap Bill in the Pirates movies) is largely forgettable in his part as Jane's surrogate father, but Kat Dennings adds some spunky charm to the picture with what is essentially nothing more than a comic relief character.

So, uh, wanna be in an Avengers movie?

Elsewhere we have Irish beefstake Ray Stevenson, drafted into his second Marvel Studios film after Punisher: War Zone. Stevenson, almost unrecognizable under a fatsuit and a monumental Nordic beard, makes the most of his limited screen time as Volstagg, another character meant for chuckles. Smoking hot milf Rene Russo makes a return to film after a long absence but is wasted in a very small bit part as Odin's wife Frigga (Of whom Thor bafflingly gives a flirty wink to at one point - wha? Well, I guess if your mom was Rene Russo... no, I don't really want to think about that.). And as expected, Anthony Hopkins as Odin lends a bit of class to the proceedings; even when he's wearing a daft viking helm you can't help but take everything the man says seriously.

For me, the standout performance is easily Tom Hiddleston as Loki, master of magic. If there's any hint of Bill Shakespeare in this film, it's here with Hiddleston. The script presents the English actor with a much more toned down Loki than the over the top caffeine junky I'm used to seeing in the comic books and other Marvel spin-off media (cartoons and video games and such). Hiddleston brings a real haunted nuance to the part, and even makes the viewer sympathize with him when he discovers his true past. Although the character is certainly intended as the arch-rival of the god of thunder to reluctantly battle against, Loki hasn't really achieved true *villain* status yet (I'm sure his darkest days of villainy are yet to come). In other words, he's not just evil for the sake of it, and that was something I certainly wasn't expecting out of Thor.

The queen of stilted, wooden romances strikes again.

Obviously the film is one of those 'special effects extravaganzas' that never fail to lure the rubes into the theaters en masse. Being the practical effects kind of guy I am, I expected to hate any special effects laden sequences in Thor, but they surprisingly didn't bother me that much. Sure, it looks like you're watching a video game at times, but it's a very pretty video game filled with rainbow bridges and mean looking frost giants. Through judicious editing and skillful framing by the director, the segues between fantastical FX and live-action are not nearly as bad as they could be. Also worth noting is the original score by Patrick Doyle, a grandiose suite that sounds as if it was influenced somewhat by John Williams' score to Richard Donner's Superman. Not the sort of score you hear very much in the movies nowadays. The ostentatious music accompanies the action on-screen very well.

If you're a fan, well, you've probably already seen Thor, haven't you? If you're on the fence about dedicating a couple hours to watching it, I'll say it's worth it. I doubt it's ever going to become your favorite movie of all-time, but for comic nerds and action fans, Thor will at least tide you over until the next wave of Marvel movies hit the theaters.

3 / 5