Thor

It's been just over a day and a half since I saw Thor on opening night, and it is a testament to how dog tired I've been the last few days and honestly a bit of a miracle that I haven't done a write up on it before now.  But now, powered by a Red Eye Coffee from Java Joes, a Monster Rehab, and the first decent night's sleep I've had in a few days, I'm finally awake enough. 

*May I humbly Suggest you play this song while you read this?*

As the day comic nerds and action junkies the world over are salivating (or dreading in some cases) approaches, Thor is the penultimate origin film leading up to the long awaited Avengers crossover film, with only Captain America yet to be released.  Of all the members of the Avengers, few are more worrisome when it comes to a live action adaptation than the Norse God of Thunder himself, Thor Odinson.  In all honesty, I've always loved the character, both in mythology and comics, but when news that the Avengers movies were in the works began to surface around the internet after the success of Iron Man, I was skeptical.  With an Idea as fantastic as Thor himself coming to Earth, it's hard to imagine how a convincing film adaptation could be accomplished.  In fact, I wasn't convinced that the film wasn't a doomed enterprise until I saw the trailers.  The images were so compelling, and the actor so believably Aesir like, that I went straight from guarded optimism to fanboy obsession before the first trailer ended.  So now that I've seen it, was my initial skepticism confirmed, or did it deliver the satisfying film version of a classic Marvel Hero the Trailers seemed to promise?


The answer is it didn't meet my expectations, it completely eclipsed them.

I normally talk a bit about the story, but honestly, I just can't.  I really don't want to ruin any aspect of the story, but trust me when I say, It is utterly top notch and tells the story of Thor's descent to the Earth Realm in a compelling and at times, suitably humorous, fashion.  That being said, I'll skip ahead.

There are two primary pitfalls that could have easily sunk this movie.  Modernization and Cheese, for lack of a better term.  I could easily have seen a version of this movie where the story revolved around a normal man acquiring Thor's actual powers or Thor-like powers in a way that didn't directly involve the Aesir Gods, and such a film would have brought my blood to a boil.  And while some will argue that such a story is technically canonical (See Thunderstrike), it would be a pale shadow of the tale told in the actual film.  On the other hand, the film could have easily overdone it when it comes to sticking to the comic version, or half-assed the visuals, or most disturbing of all, miscast Thor himself so badly that he never becomes believable as the mortal incarnation of a Norse Warrior God.  Thankfully, this was not the case.

One of the great strengths of Thor is it's casting.  Chris Hemsworth, a largely unknown actor, is a truly brilliant choice.  For a start, he looks the part.  Tall, Blonde, Ripped, and from what I overheard from the ladies sitting near me in the theater and on the internets, none too hard on the eyes.  But a pretty face and abs you could grate cheese on do not a convincing Thor make.  Luckily, Hemsworth's acting chops are impressive, conveying the emotional state of his character perfectly.  From the arrogant pride of a massively powerful Aesir Prince, to the unease of a God made Mortal, to the the devastation of losing his birthright, to the Heroic resolve to save the day at any cost, his performance drives the movie.  That is not to say that the rest of the cast isn't similarly impressive.  For a start, Anthony Hopkins as Odin is an absolutely inspired choice, as he brings dignity and subtle power to the role.  Natalie Portman as 'love-interest' Jane, the scientist who is the first to 'encounter' Thor when he arrives on earth is a great reversal of the Hollywood trend of Gorgeous but Vapid girls pursuing a Nerdy Male lead.  She is Gorgeous, make no mistake, but she is the brains of the film for sure, and her relationship with Thor feels very genuine.  Jane's intern, Darcy, played by Kat Dennings (another gorgeous young woman, for the record) commonly fills the role of comedy relief, but comes across more as a quirky person dealing with an unexplainable situation, rather than the cartoony variety of 'funny character' who may as well just grab the camera and demand the audience laugh.  (see Jar Jar Binks).  Thor's brother, Loki, is played by Tom Hiddleston, another actor I didn't know much about going into this movie, but his performance is nuanced and he plays the Trickster God not as the Smirking, Mustache twirling Snidely Whiplash type, but a cold and calculating manipulator, comparable to Ozymandias in Watchmen.  However, there are a couple of casting choices that may have some scratching their heads.  In fact, there was a small stink over the casting of Idris Elba, an acclaimed African actor from England as Heimdall, and the incomparable Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano, best known for Ichi the Killer and Last Life in the Universe, as Hogun.  However, once you see Elba in the film, it quickly becomes clear that he is an excellent choice and Asano's only real issue is that his accent is occasionally distracting, but he plays the role admirably.

When it comes to the visuals, it bears mentioning that it is no small task to present a believable film version of Asgard, home of the Aesir gods, or the Frost Giant lands of Jotunheim, not to mention Bifrost the Rainbow Bridge, but the environments feel simultaneously stupendously alien and completely believable as the Realms of the Gods.  That said, a desert in New Mexico may seem a boring setting to switch to, but a one horse town and sprawling S.H.I.E.L.D investigation site make for interesting Earth backdrops.  The visual effects overall are very well done, with only the occasional instance of action that is hard to follow to mention as a negative, and a lot of well executed set pieces as a posative.  The Destroyer (which I have always wanted to see in a film) is a great example.  It also bears mentioning that the costuming completely embraces the style of the comics without becoming too cheesy as a result.  Colors are subdued and metalic, rather than spandex, but still incorporate the recognizable traits of the costumes so that the main Asgardian characters are instantly recognizable.  The only gripe I had was that Thor only dons his trademark winged helm in one scene early in the film, but at least Loki wears his curled horn helm for most of the second half of the film.  The fight scenes are well constructed and appropriate to the scene, from Thor easily overpowering Frost Giants in all his Aesir glory to the frantic, knock-down-drag-out fistfights of mortal Thor.

Sound wise, the music is suitably epic, with only two licensed songs, both in the credits if I remember correctly.  The score is memorable and adds volumes to the emotional feel of the moment it accompanies.  Sound effects are very well done, very convincing. 

It may surprise some to hear that Kenneth Branagh, famed as an actor in his own right and known for his film adaptations of Shakespear, was the films director.  To me, it seems somewhat fitting that he would helm this film, as it could be safely described as part epic adventure and part comedy, in the Shakespearian sense of the word.  Overall, there was really only one scene (the very first to be honest) where a choice of camera movement took me out of the movie to any degree. 

Overall, Thor proves that, with the proper treatment and devotion to the source material, even a comic about the God of Thunder kicking butt in the human realm can be made believable, compelling, and incredibly entertaining.  The honest truth is that this film may be the best comic book adaptation I've ever seen, and may have surpassed The Dark Knight as my favorite Super Hero movie.  It's that Good.  Cap has his work cut out for him!


10 Pulverized Frost Giants out of 10.  Go see it, at once!