(Spoiler alert: this post discusses details of the plot and characters in the 2011 film Thor.)
Being a geek (predominantly of the tech/movie variety, though there’s definitely some comic-book geek in me too), I am well aware of the franchise-mongering that Marvel Studios has been snowballing since 2008’s Iron Man. Fortunately, they made all the right moves with that installment, hiring a director and star capable of making the property come alive in a contemporary setting. Ensuing installments have been, well, less successful. The Incredible Hulk, while better than 2003’s mishandled, inconsistent Hulk, didn’t really manage to rise above the level of “entertaining.” Iron Man 2 was even more obviously ad-libbed and off-the-cuff than its predecessor, and wasn’t helped by its mess of a plot. I will admit, though, that I squealed like a twelve-year-old girl at a Bieber concert when I saw the after-the-credits teaser for Thor that featured S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Agent Coulson uncovering Thor’s hammer Mjolnir in the New Mexico desert.
Then, I thought about it for a second. Marvel had done such a careful job of creating a modern-day, science-and-tech-heavy universe with their films…they did know that Thor was literally a Norse god that used magic, right? I couldn’t really fathom how they were going to fit mythical, magical Asgard into the high-tech movie universe. Then, they threw me another curveball – I found out Kenneth Branagh was on board to direct.
In case you weren’t aware, Kenneth Branagh (KB) has directed/starred in many Shakespeare film adaptations, including Henry V (1989), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Hamlet (1996), and Love’s Labour’s Lost (2000). He’s a serious, heavyweight actor and director, and one of the last people I would expect to direct a comic-book film like Thor. Apparently, though, something about the story interested him enough to assemble a pretty great cast and embellish Thor with enough Shakespearean flourish to ruffle the Queen’s collar.
The film is epic in scope, with a Lord-of-the-Rings style ancient-battle introduction that establishes Asgard, Odin, and the Frost Giants all in a deft, dazzling, five- or ten-minute sequence. The set designer did a pretty decent job of combining the old-world Arthurian look of comic-book Asgard with more technological elements, in keeping with the film’s handling of the Asgardian world as a place of advanced alien technology indistinguishable from magic (the film addresses this directly with some dialogue between Thor and Jane Foster, as well as some Einstein name-dropping for good measure).
The performances, on the whole, are great. Chris Hemsworth does a great job of portraying Thor’s journey from brash arrogance to humble self-sacrifice. Tom Hiddleston is outstanding as Loki, who ends up being the most sympathetic, tragic villain the Marvel film universe has produced thus far. Idris Elba makes an imposing Heimdall, and the Warriors Three might as well have walked off the pages of the comic book. Anthony Hopkins brings the necessary gravitas to Odin (with one inexplicable growl that I assume Branagh left in because he thought it was hilarious), and Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson is actually given something to do this time besides annoy Tony Stark.
I really only had one problem with Thor – the artificial-feeling romance between Thor and Jane Foster. Jane herself isn’t handled terribly well (though she’s definitely more interesting than, say, The Incredible Hulk‘s Betty Ross) and she seems to fall head-over-heels for Thor for no apparent reason (unless his explanation of wormholes and different realms counts as sweet-talk). However, the film’s action scenes were more than enough to make up for it – Thor makes quick work of Frost Giants in a myriad of awesome ways, and brawls pretty well as a mortal on Earth, too.
Far more interesting is the dynamic between Thor, Loki, and Odin. At its root, this is a film about fathers and sons, and the things they try to do for each other. Odin teaches Thor a priceless lesson about humility by banishing him to Earth and making him earn the right to wield his power. Loki’s master scheme is an attempt to win his father’s approval. Thor and Loki’s sibling rivalry isn’t fueled by jealousy but by a desire for respect. These issues make Thor the most human Marvel film, if not quite the best (that title still belongs to Iron Man).
Oh, and lest I forget to mention it, the film is peppered with more franchise-building Avengers references, including a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it promise from Thor to aid S.H.I.E.L.D., yet another Nick Fury cameo and an appearance by Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye. That, paired with the upcoming release of Captain America: The First Avenger, is a sure sign that Marvel’s doing their darnedest to whip anticipation for next year’s Avengers film (helmed by nerd-director du jour Joss Whedon) into a frenzy. I just hope that, after seven years of buildup (the film was first announced in 2005), The Avengers is worth the wait. Treatments like Thor make me optimistic about that possibility.
fighting in a sack 