Thor (2011)

by Steve Kochems

A recent trip overseas graced me with the fortune of it becoming both business and pleasure. The question I wondered though was, which one would Marvel's Thor be?

In a preview I posted a few weeks ago, I said, based on what we'd seen thus far from the God of Thunder, that it would probably be as good as The Incredible Hulk (not an insult, but not a big compliment either). I worried about it becoming too campy or difficult to place in reality because of it's fantastical content, unlike the luxuries Iron Man or Batman Begins had.

But that being said.... I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with what Kenneth Branagh was able to do with the first installment with the mighty Thor. He juggles the two different worlds quite nicely and brings out some really good scenes where the two worlds inevitably clash (namely Thor's first few hours on Earth).

To be brief, the film follows the eager and juvenile Thor is thrust down to Earth after reigniting a war with the Frost Giants. Down here with us mortals, Thor must change and grow up so that he can be "worthy to possess the power of Thor."

Okay, that's incredibly brief but I don't want to spoil too much. The biggest positives of this film are fortunately the two most important characters: Thor and Loki. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston were outstanding choices. Hemsworth is every bit as blindly arrogant as Hiddleston is deceptive and cunning and both make some major changes from the start to the end of the film.

On the flip side, I found the two Oscar winners in this cast to be on the blander side. At times Odin (Anthony Hopkins) can blow you away with his explosive temper and fury, but skates through other scenes as if it were cold out and his arthritis was acting up. In the same sense, Natalie Portman brings some youthful energy to some of her scenes but never really seems like the brilliant scientist Jane Foster is trying to be. These gripes though do take a backseat because for the most part these two are always on screen with either Hemsworth or Hiddleston, both who save even some of the blander scenes.

One major concern many people had for this was how it would play in with The Avengers. I don't entirely agree with the majority of people who say secondary characters like Black Widow and Nick Fury bogged down Iron Man 2 and I would say the same about this film here. Agent Coulson gets way more screen time than we've seen before but it all stays relegated into the story. Plus, fanboys get a few easter eggs, some obvious and some you need to listen a little closer for (Bruce Banner shout out).

Ironically, I was quite surprised by the end of the film, so far as how it correlates with what would be the next immediate film in the story of Thor (i.e. The Avengers). Though, by the time Marvel had greenlit the script for this film they were well aware of what would come next for the Norse God, so I have to assume they know what they're doing.

Unfortunately I can't say that I was really blown away by Thor. It was certainly a good movie and I'd see it again, but it brought very little to the table that wasn't expected. It didn't dig deep into a concrete theme or struggle for any character really, with Hiddleston clearly being the only one really trying to go there. However, if you're in the mood for some absurd action with a little magic, Thor might be right up your alley.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5