1,093 reviews
In the pantheon of Marvel Superheroes, from my vantage point, Thor is a second-tier player. Even amongst non-obsessive comic aficionados, such as myself, Thor doesn't quite have the readership draw or the common familiarity in the public that heroes such as Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, etc., have. However, that doesn't mean that Marvel Studios, the filmmaking wing of the company, feel inclined to give the filmic adaptation of Thor short shrift. The cinematic entry for this character, titled simply Thor, is among the better of the Marvel adaptations of recent years, mixing a good sense of fun, strong acting, and some Shakespearian level drama that makes for an especially entertaining time at the movies.
Liberally adapting portions of Thor comic book lore to fit in a more modern comic book film reality, Thor introduces us to a centuries old war between the Asgardians, beings that live for long periods of time and can travel through space from their home realm of Asgard to various other worlds, such as Earth, via the Bi-Frost bridge, and the conflict centric Frost Giants, whom the Asgardians conquered some time back. Odin (Anthony Hopkins), ruler of the Asgardians, is preparing to abdicate his throne to his son, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), but on the eve of Thor's inauguration, agents of the Frost Giants infiltrate Asgard and attempt to steal back a device that is the key to their power, which had been taken by Odin at the end of their long struggle. When Thor disagrees with his father's desire to not to retaliate in order to not disturb the peace that currently exists between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants, he takes matters into his own hands, traveling to the Frost Giant's realm with his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), and compatriots Sif (Jaimie Alexander), Volstagg (Ray Stevenson), Hogun (Tadanobu Asano) and Fandral (Josh Dallas) in tow. When the encounter with the Frost Giants ends with tensions re-ignited between the two factions, Odin decides that his son is not prepared to lead his people, and exiles Thor, sans his powers, to Earth.
When he arrives on Earth, he is discovered by astrophysicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her associates Professor Selvig (Stellan Skarsgaard) and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), who are convinced that he isn't a random homeless vagabond that they found in the middle of the desert. Thor must attempt to locate his power hammer, Mjolnir, from the government agents that have captured it, and attempt to reclaim his place in Asgard. However, he finds that, without his super-human abilities, and surrounded by humans, perhaps some of his previous attitudes were incorrect, especially when he connects romantically with Jane. Meanwhile, Loki, who turns out to have some ulterior motives, seizes control of Asgard following the collapse of Odin from strain, and begins to hatch a grand scheme involving the Frost Giants.
Thor, much like Iron Man before it, proves that, in the right hands, a comic tale that appears silly on the surface can have hidden depths when properly plumbed. Sure, Thor has elements that, on the face of it, may lead a bit to some audience snickers (Thor's ability to pick himself up and fly and defeat attackers with little effort are a bit cheesy at times), but the creatives behind Thor, including director Kenneth Branagh, manage to develop a story for Thor that deals with elements of tragedy, pathos, selflessness and, perhaps even more surprisingly, involving character development. Thor is more about the lead characters at its core, again akin to Iron Man, than some other comic book films and this draws the audience into its tale.
When it was first announced that Kenneth Branagh would be taking the reins of Thor as a director, it seemed something of an unusual fit for someone best known for his cinematic adaptations of the works of Shakespeare, but the final results of Thor bare out that Branagh was just the right man for the job. Considering the larger-than-life origins of the Thor comic, involving beings with the power and appearance of Gods and the various machinations of their story, the material fits fairly well with Branagh's body of work to a great extent. Especially strong is the development of Loki, who proves to be less of a traditional mustache twirling villain, and more of a misguided soul, trapped between revelations he makes about himself and his past and his respect in his father, making him more of a tragic figure than a black and white comic book antagonist.
Thor benefits from strong acting from its leads, Hemsworth and Hiddleston. Hemsworth embodies Thor, first as the brash, acting-before- thinking hero, and later as a man faced with the reality that some of his choices and attitudes were not becoming of a king. Hemsworth really makes you empathize with Thor, and gives you a reason to root for the character throughout the film. Hiddleston, working with the somewhat subdued (at first) Loki eventually transforms him from a seeming weak, malleable person into one who's penchant for vengeance and control is revealed in layers, peeling back one by one through the development of the narrative.
Thor isn't without its weak points, however. The romance between Thor and Jane Foster is practically and afterthought, rushed into the narrative at light speed and then not given any room to breathe or develop, it plays more as a requirement of adapting the comic story than something that works organically in the film. Portman is fine in the role, but the screenplay doesn't give enough to this relationship for it to be more than a bump in the road of the film's story.
Once again, Marvel has managed to take one of their lesser known heroes and make them the subject of an entertaining film version, with energy and depth that is a bit unexpected. May they keep on making comic book films of this caliber.
Liberally adapting portions of Thor comic book lore to fit in a more modern comic book film reality, Thor introduces us to a centuries old war between the Asgardians, beings that live for long periods of time and can travel through space from their home realm of Asgard to various other worlds, such as Earth, via the Bi-Frost bridge, and the conflict centric Frost Giants, whom the Asgardians conquered some time back. Odin (Anthony Hopkins), ruler of the Asgardians, is preparing to abdicate his throne to his son, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), but on the eve of Thor's inauguration, agents of the Frost Giants infiltrate Asgard and attempt to steal back a device that is the key to their power, which had been taken by Odin at the end of their long struggle. When Thor disagrees with his father's desire to not to retaliate in order to not disturb the peace that currently exists between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants, he takes matters into his own hands, traveling to the Frost Giant's realm with his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), and compatriots Sif (Jaimie Alexander), Volstagg (Ray Stevenson), Hogun (Tadanobu Asano) and Fandral (Josh Dallas) in tow. When the encounter with the Frost Giants ends with tensions re-ignited between the two factions, Odin decides that his son is not prepared to lead his people, and exiles Thor, sans his powers, to Earth.
When he arrives on Earth, he is discovered by astrophysicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her associates Professor Selvig (Stellan Skarsgaard) and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), who are convinced that he isn't a random homeless vagabond that they found in the middle of the desert. Thor must attempt to locate his power hammer, Mjolnir, from the government agents that have captured it, and attempt to reclaim his place in Asgard. However, he finds that, without his super-human abilities, and surrounded by humans, perhaps some of his previous attitudes were incorrect, especially when he connects romantically with Jane. Meanwhile, Loki, who turns out to have some ulterior motives, seizes control of Asgard following the collapse of Odin from strain, and begins to hatch a grand scheme involving the Frost Giants.
Thor, much like Iron Man before it, proves that, in the right hands, a comic tale that appears silly on the surface can have hidden depths when properly plumbed. Sure, Thor has elements that, on the face of it, may lead a bit to some audience snickers (Thor's ability to pick himself up and fly and defeat attackers with little effort are a bit cheesy at times), but the creatives behind Thor, including director Kenneth Branagh, manage to develop a story for Thor that deals with elements of tragedy, pathos, selflessness and, perhaps even more surprisingly, involving character development. Thor is more about the lead characters at its core, again akin to Iron Man, than some other comic book films and this draws the audience into its tale.
When it was first announced that Kenneth Branagh would be taking the reins of Thor as a director, it seemed something of an unusual fit for someone best known for his cinematic adaptations of the works of Shakespeare, but the final results of Thor bare out that Branagh was just the right man for the job. Considering the larger-than-life origins of the Thor comic, involving beings with the power and appearance of Gods and the various machinations of their story, the material fits fairly well with Branagh's body of work to a great extent. Especially strong is the development of Loki, who proves to be less of a traditional mustache twirling villain, and more of a misguided soul, trapped between revelations he makes about himself and his past and his respect in his father, making him more of a tragic figure than a black and white comic book antagonist.
Thor benefits from strong acting from its leads, Hemsworth and Hiddleston. Hemsworth embodies Thor, first as the brash, acting-before- thinking hero, and later as a man faced with the reality that some of his choices and attitudes were not becoming of a king. Hemsworth really makes you empathize with Thor, and gives you a reason to root for the character throughout the film. Hiddleston, working with the somewhat subdued (at first) Loki eventually transforms him from a seeming weak, malleable person into one who's penchant for vengeance and control is revealed in layers, peeling back one by one through the development of the narrative.
Thor isn't without its weak points, however. The romance between Thor and Jane Foster is practically and afterthought, rushed into the narrative at light speed and then not given any room to breathe or develop, it plays more as a requirement of adapting the comic story than something that works organically in the film. Portman is fine in the role, but the screenplay doesn't give enough to this relationship for it to be more than a bump in the road of the film's story.
Once again, Marvel has managed to take one of their lesser known heroes and make them the subject of an entertaining film version, with energy and depth that is a bit unexpected. May they keep on making comic book films of this caliber.
I watched this last night at a preview screening in London.
I prayed that Kenneth Branagh would learn from his mistakes with handling a big budget movie, namely his Frankeinstein. Thankfully, I am glad to say he learnt a great deal from those mistakes. Of course, this is no Henry V, this is just pure popcorn entertainment but a thoroughly enjoyable introduction to Thor for the big screen. Chris Hemsworth played the part with a lot of energy, charisma and I have to admit from a bloke's point of view, annoying good looks. Anthony Hopkins added much needed heavyweight presence as Odin but its a role he has quite frankly played a gazillion times but I never tire of it, so I'm not complaining. In a year long span of brilliantly playing vastly different roles from psychotic to swashbuckling heroine, Natalie Portman this time plays the sweet determined scientist girl who falls for the strangely mannered good looking guy. Nothing too taxing for any of them but they do give a re-assuring aura about them.
The visuals were quite spectacular, mainly, the sweeping canvas of Asgard. The action scenes were also good though I thought could have been executed better with lesser use of the fast cut edit style that is too often the norm in action film these days.
There is plenty of humour when Thor is on Earth but not in a put-off way as there is a suitable contrast of a serious tone with everything set in Asgard. Even though the storyline was somewhat predictable, it was still a riveting one.
For those like me, who were concerned about how Thor fits into the established Marvel connected universe set by the Iron Man films need not worry. That is just another thing that Branagh and crew pulls off very well. We can now fully embrace the forthcoming Avengers where a God, a man who transforms into a giant green beast, and a man who flies in a hi tech amour suit can share the same screen. So its all coming together nicely.
And make sure you stay for the end credit scenes. In case you did not know of this before, I urge you to go back to the previous films (Iron Man 1 & 2, Incredible Hulk) and watch the end of credit sequences if you haven't already. They tell a separate story strand that will culminate to a certain upcoming Marvel movie. The end credit sequence of Thor is the most fascinating yet as it actually takes a major plot development in the story strand ;) And it was the longest bloody end of credit sequence I've ever seen in any movie! One last thing, the film I saw was in 3d and once again, it practically nearly ruined all the action scenes for me. In the non action scenes, it was pretty useless and just simply made the film much darker.
I prayed that Kenneth Branagh would learn from his mistakes with handling a big budget movie, namely his Frankeinstein. Thankfully, I am glad to say he learnt a great deal from those mistakes. Of course, this is no Henry V, this is just pure popcorn entertainment but a thoroughly enjoyable introduction to Thor for the big screen. Chris Hemsworth played the part with a lot of energy, charisma and I have to admit from a bloke's point of view, annoying good looks. Anthony Hopkins added much needed heavyweight presence as Odin but its a role he has quite frankly played a gazillion times but I never tire of it, so I'm not complaining. In a year long span of brilliantly playing vastly different roles from psychotic to swashbuckling heroine, Natalie Portman this time plays the sweet determined scientist girl who falls for the strangely mannered good looking guy. Nothing too taxing for any of them but they do give a re-assuring aura about them.
The visuals were quite spectacular, mainly, the sweeping canvas of Asgard. The action scenes were also good though I thought could have been executed better with lesser use of the fast cut edit style that is too often the norm in action film these days.
There is plenty of humour when Thor is on Earth but not in a put-off way as there is a suitable contrast of a serious tone with everything set in Asgard. Even though the storyline was somewhat predictable, it was still a riveting one.
For those like me, who were concerned about how Thor fits into the established Marvel connected universe set by the Iron Man films need not worry. That is just another thing that Branagh and crew pulls off very well. We can now fully embrace the forthcoming Avengers where a God, a man who transforms into a giant green beast, and a man who flies in a hi tech amour suit can share the same screen. So its all coming together nicely.
And make sure you stay for the end credit scenes. In case you did not know of this before, I urge you to go back to the previous films (Iron Man 1 & 2, Incredible Hulk) and watch the end of credit sequences if you haven't already. They tell a separate story strand that will culminate to a certain upcoming Marvel movie. The end credit sequence of Thor is the most fascinating yet as it actually takes a major plot development in the story strand ;) And it was the longest bloody end of credit sequence I've ever seen in any movie! One last thing, the film I saw was in 3d and once again, it practically nearly ruined all the action scenes for me. In the non action scenes, it was pretty useless and just simply made the film much darker.
- theycallmemrglass
- Apr 19, 2011
- Permalink
- chiragrathod19
- Jul 24, 2024
- Permalink
Thor is a film that takes risks - and they pay off wonderfully. The movie grounds itself in reality while keeping a mythological and fantasy-esqe tone, and it never loses sight of the humanity within the characters, with elevates this above standard superhero fare.
Alright, back when this was into preproduction, I (and so many comic book fans) were surprised when Branagh was slated to direct. Here we have Thor the god of lightning and his mighty hammer, directed by a man who works mostly around William Shakespeare plays.
Thankfully, this helps. A lot.
Almost every superhero movie (Marvel, lately) focuses on more action instead of character development. Sure, they may look awesome, but you get used to it. Branagh bravely steers away from this predicament and directs the actors with such skill and flair you may mistake this film for yet another Branagh/Shakespeare costume epic.
Make no mistake this is still a superhero film, with some nice special effects and a stylish production design for Asgard, but there's a nice human twist to the story - that of dueling brothers, or gods, or god- brothers... you get the idea. Chris Hemsworth looks just about right for the part and shows some charisma as well as the hero. Branagh has assembled an interesting mix of actors - we have the great Anthony Hopkins, the cute Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings, Idris Elba and even Rene Russo. Tom Hiddleston however steals the scene as the mischievous brother Loki.
Here's another good thing about the movie - the story and acting outweigh the special effects and action sequences. For a superhero film, this is extremely rare. Branagh deserves kudos for the effort, however some parts do not gel in nicely and there's some action bits that are not too well-filmed.
All is forgiven though - "Thor" is an above-average superhero movie, not extremely exciting, but definitely intriguing. Fans of both comic book films and costume dramas will certainly enjoy this.
Two words of caution - one, keep an eye out for some cameos, both during and after the film. Two, for goodness sake do not watch it in 3D. I saw it in normal 2D and that's fine enough by me. I didn't see anything worth watching in 3D in it.
Overall rating: 68/100
Thankfully, this helps. A lot.
Almost every superhero movie (Marvel, lately) focuses on more action instead of character development. Sure, they may look awesome, but you get used to it. Branagh bravely steers away from this predicament and directs the actors with such skill and flair you may mistake this film for yet another Branagh/Shakespeare costume epic.
Make no mistake this is still a superhero film, with some nice special effects and a stylish production design for Asgard, but there's a nice human twist to the story - that of dueling brothers, or gods, or god- brothers... you get the idea. Chris Hemsworth looks just about right for the part and shows some charisma as well as the hero. Branagh has assembled an interesting mix of actors - we have the great Anthony Hopkins, the cute Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings, Idris Elba and even Rene Russo. Tom Hiddleston however steals the scene as the mischievous brother Loki.
Here's another good thing about the movie - the story and acting outweigh the special effects and action sequences. For a superhero film, this is extremely rare. Branagh deserves kudos for the effort, however some parts do not gel in nicely and there's some action bits that are not too well-filmed.
All is forgiven though - "Thor" is an above-average superhero movie, not extremely exciting, but definitely intriguing. Fans of both comic book films and costume dramas will certainly enjoy this.
Two words of caution - one, keep an eye out for some cameos, both during and after the film. Two, for goodness sake do not watch it in 3D. I saw it in normal 2D and that's fine enough by me. I didn't see anything worth watching in 3D in it.
Overall rating: 68/100
In 965 D.C., in Tornsberg, Norway, the Frost Giants from Jotunheim led by King Laufey (Colm Feore) attack the locals, and the Allfather Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and the warriors of Asgard protect the humans and win the battle against the invaders. They take their source of power and bring it to Asgard and they start an armistice with Jotunheim.
When three Frost Giants break in Asgard trying to retrieve their source of power, they are destroyed by the Destroyer. The arrogant Thor (Chris Hemsworth) decides to attack Jotunheim with his stepbrother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and four Asgardian warriors and disobeys the order of his father Odin. In order to avoid war against Jotunheim, Odin removes the powers of Thor and exiles him on Earth to live among the humans. Odin also throws his hammer Mjölnir to New Mexico and orders that only the one that is worth will get the powerful hammer and achieve Thor's powers.
In Puente Antigo, New Mexico, the physician Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is researching a phenomenon in the desert with her professor Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) and her mate Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings). Out of the blue, Thor is hit by Jane's truck and she takes him to the hospital. Thor unsuccessfully tries to retrieve Mjölnir that is protected by agents of the government SHIELD. When the Machiavellian Loki sends the Destroyer to Earth to kill Thor, he needs to retrieve his hammer to save not only the humans, but also his Allfather Odin and Asgard from the evil Loki.
"Thor" is an entertaining adventure based on the character of the comic book published by Marvel Comics. Natalie Portman is usually the synonym of a good movie and she is delightful in the role of a scientist. The plot is funny and the scenes with the human Thor; the Nordic black gatekeeper Heimdall (Idris Elba); and the Vikings and Gods speaking in English are hilarious. The special effects are top-notch and the viewer may bring the popcorn and delight with a pleasant family entertainment. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Thor"
When three Frost Giants break in Asgard trying to retrieve their source of power, they are destroyed by the Destroyer. The arrogant Thor (Chris Hemsworth) decides to attack Jotunheim with his stepbrother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and four Asgardian warriors and disobeys the order of his father Odin. In order to avoid war against Jotunheim, Odin removes the powers of Thor and exiles him on Earth to live among the humans. Odin also throws his hammer Mjölnir to New Mexico and orders that only the one that is worth will get the powerful hammer and achieve Thor's powers.
In Puente Antigo, New Mexico, the physician Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is researching a phenomenon in the desert with her professor Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) and her mate Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings). Out of the blue, Thor is hit by Jane's truck and she takes him to the hospital. Thor unsuccessfully tries to retrieve Mjölnir that is protected by agents of the government SHIELD. When the Machiavellian Loki sends the Destroyer to Earth to kill Thor, he needs to retrieve his hammer to save not only the humans, but also his Allfather Odin and Asgard from the evil Loki.
"Thor" is an entertaining adventure based on the character of the comic book published by Marvel Comics. Natalie Portman is usually the synonym of a good movie and she is delightful in the role of a scientist. The plot is funny and the scenes with the human Thor; the Nordic black gatekeeper Heimdall (Idris Elba); and the Vikings and Gods speaking in English are hilarious. The special effects are top-notch and the viewer may bring the popcorn and delight with a pleasant family entertainment. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Thor"
- claudio_carvalho
- Sep 24, 2011
- Permalink
Great movie! Has a comic book feel to it. The storyline is very well done! I love how they show Asgard and explain how everything fits into place. The humor is very tasteful, but can be oddly quirky in places. Lots of fun action. The only thing that could have used some improving was the way they filmed the movie. The shakey camera and weird angles are a little annoying, but the rest of the film makes up for this. Very good choice in the cast, could not have picked a better actor for Thor or Loki. Natalie Portman's part isn't the best. She has cheesy lines and her acting doesnt flow right, even though she is a talented actress. She does better with serious parts inatead of light and comical. This movie is very clean and makes a great fun movie for the entire family.
- AngelHonesty
- Dec 27, 2019
- Permalink
Okay, so Thor is pretty darn decent. Phew. Without revealing anything regarding the plot, I'll just say that I enjoyed this film quite a lot, and would rate it above both Iron Man films, but not by too much. (If you hated them maybe just stay away from Marvel movies in general?) Very good in all areas, without achieving greatness in any sums up this movie nicely I think. Beautiful costumes and set design, solid acting all around, and much better action than recent movies have offered up. The world of Asgard has been handled wonderfully, looking absolutely gorgeous, and with all of its denizens very well spoken without their dialogue ever being as obtuse or clunky as Thor's 'Ye Olde' English has been known to be in the past. Special mention to Idris Elba for being friggin' awesome. I'm a pretty big Marvel fan, but not knowing what Mjolnir is won't harm your enjoyment of Thor to any great degree I don't think. Also, side note, I personally dislike 3D with a great, burning passion (thank you Clash of the Titans), but it is relatively well done here, never distracting from the film. I would still recommend seeing it in 2D if you can though, as it is quite dark in parts. Several parts. Bring on the Avengers!
- ChadFeldheimer
- Apr 18, 2011
- Permalink
Who knew Thor was the perfect drinking buddy and is domesticated lol? Perfect writing. Perfect directing. Perfect casting. Perfect cinematography. Perfect amount of S/VFX. Perfect score. Perfect comedy/drama/thrills. Etc... 10/10
- Top_Dawg_Critic
- Jun 18, 2019
- Permalink
This is Thor! Not the guy in Ragnarok and Love and Thunder. The plot for this movie is a simple and easy to follow movie with a like able villain. I will say the movie did not have me engaged. The theme is the generic "Who am I? What's my potential?" theme. The acting and dialogue is good. And the editing is well paced and the effects are good for 2011. I love the music as it fits the cosmic and mythology side of things. There's not much to say about this other than it's good but has flaws. The Thor franchise is my least favorite in the MCU though. But I'd say Kenneth Branagh did a decent job at introducing Thor into the MCU. Not one of a kind or anything special though. Definitely watch this for the Avengers though! 7.5/10. C.
Straight to the point, this was not only one of the better ones, its one of the few really good ones. I'm sure anyone reading this knows what i'm getting at, they either get these right or they get them wrong. Well this ones right, very right, from start to finish, epic, spectacular, warm, funny, action packed.
The story draws you in, the characters are likable, the pace is just right, doesn't race along, but doesn't plod either. Great cast, particularly Chris Hemsworth, if Captain America and Green Lantern can keep up this standard then it'll be a good summer season.
Ken's pulled it all together. Go and watch it, i cant imagine you wont enjoy it and if you think i'm being paid to say this then get stuffed !!
The story draws you in, the characters are likable, the pace is just right, doesn't race along, but doesn't plod either. Great cast, particularly Chris Hemsworth, if Captain America and Green Lantern can keep up this standard then it'll be a good summer season.
Ken's pulled it all together. Go and watch it, i cant imagine you wont enjoy it and if you think i'm being paid to say this then get stuffed !!
Chris Hemsworth is very hot. I never noticed him in a movie before, but there is one too short scene of him shirtless, that is not to be missed. Other than that, I thought this movie was OK with the beginning being the best part and I didn't care for the ending. The first 45 minutes was very entertaining with some good special effects. Basically the first part is about Thor's people and their conflict with the frost giants. The frost giants invade and Thor with his other brother, Loki, and friends go to the frost giant land looking to start a war. We see some of the cool powers Thor has with his hammer. But the King is furious and banishes Thor to earth minus his powers and that's when the movie starts to get duller. He meets scientist, Natalie Portman, whom of course he falls for. I thought there should have been funnier scenes between Thor and regular people. He gets in trouble with the Feds, but just gets released, then the ending is this giant robot that is some how controlled by Loki from the other planet. Then the final battle between Thor and Loki, I just thought the latter scenes were not as entertaining.
FINAL VERDICT: If you like the comic book movies, then I'm sure you will want to see this.
FINAL VERDICT: If you like the comic book movies, then I'm sure you will want to see this.
Plain and simple - when the humans show up the movie dies a slow death.
It's a superhero movie so you know what the plot is. Hero comes to Earth to help humans. They're basically riffing Superman to the Nth degree here. But on to the important stuff...
What the heck is Natalie Portman doing in this movie. I mean that in two ways. First why is she even in the movie? Second, what did she do other than stand there and let her hair be blown around by the off screen wind machines? It felt like all of her scenes were filmed in one day and she looks so bored in all of them. Chris Hemsworth was fine as Thor and Hopkins played a good Odin, but it was the human characters that kill this one.
At least Branagh threw in Skarsgard for the Swede inside joke. But as usual Stellan Skarsgard is totally wasted. After Insomnia I was just in awe of what the man is truly capable of and here in the states they always use him as a window curtain.
I didn't mind the first act all that much, but for a movie about the GOD OF THUNDER, it comes off surprisingly meek.
It's a superhero movie so you know what the plot is. Hero comes to Earth to help humans. They're basically riffing Superman to the Nth degree here. But on to the important stuff...
What the heck is Natalie Portman doing in this movie. I mean that in two ways. First why is she even in the movie? Second, what did she do other than stand there and let her hair be blown around by the off screen wind machines? It felt like all of her scenes were filmed in one day and she looks so bored in all of them. Chris Hemsworth was fine as Thor and Hopkins played a good Odin, but it was the human characters that kill this one.
At least Branagh threw in Skarsgard for the Swede inside joke. But as usual Stellan Skarsgard is totally wasted. After Insomnia I was just in awe of what the man is truly capable of and here in the states they always use him as a window curtain.
I didn't mind the first act all that much, but for a movie about the GOD OF THUNDER, it comes off surprisingly meek.
- adrongardner
- Sep 12, 2011
- Permalink
Thor was much much better than I expected. I didn't know if they could pull of the balance between the Norse mythology stuff and the real world Marvel Universe. I should've known better because Marvel knows their characters and knows what we want to see. Spider-Man set a new standard for the superhero film genre back in the day. Iron Man upped the ante. Thor takes the ball and runs with it and places that bar even higher. I look forward to seeing it again and know it will do well enough to be worthy of a sequel because word of mouth is going to be great. Trust me when I say Thor REALLY IS as good as Iron Man and is most worthy to be called one of the greatest adaptations ever.
Chris Hemsworth as the Norse god Thor, and Tom Hiddleston as his villainous brother Loki show they have the acting ability and star quality to become mega-marquee names in the future. Marvel found two absolute diamonds in the rough. Both actors make a HUGE impression and are wonderful on screen. You knew Acedemy Award winners Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman would bring it but these relative unkowns more than hold their own on screen. I know the script is written mostly for them but they carry it in a big way. From what I've read, Hemsworth and Hiddleston were cast almost a year in advance of filming the story so, they had time to get into shape and do character research. They certain did these long-time Marvel greats proud. Intelligent comic-book popcorn epics are rare and this one is definitely a cut above the usual fare.
Chris Hemsworth as the Norse god Thor, and Tom Hiddleston as his villainous brother Loki show they have the acting ability and star quality to become mega-marquee names in the future. Marvel found two absolute diamonds in the rough. Both actors make a HUGE impression and are wonderful on screen. You knew Acedemy Award winners Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman would bring it but these relative unkowns more than hold their own on screen. I know the script is written mostly for them but they carry it in a big way. From what I've read, Hemsworth and Hiddleston were cast almost a year in advance of filming the story so, they had time to get into shape and do character research. They certain did these long-time Marvel greats proud. Intelligent comic-book popcorn epics are rare and this one is definitely a cut above the usual fare.
The Marvel Comic hero Thor of course based on the ancient Norse God of Thunder comes to the big screen in a fine version with very nice computer graphic special effects. And it has the added attraction of a classical actor like Kenneth Branagh directing and having the lines of the Norse immortals spoken as if the Bard had written them.
As played by Chris Hemsworth, Thor's been exiled to Earth, the last time he visited there was when the ancient Norse were worshiping him and other such beings who visited from Asgaard. Thor's a warrior, but it takes more than being mighty in battle to rule as his father Odin keeps patiently trying to tell him.
Anthony Hopkins another actor with classical acting chops plays Odin and I wonder if Hopkins might have envied Laurence Olivier for getting the plum role of Zeus in a film. He's now equaled him in playing another immortal deity.
Thor lands on Earth, New Mexico to be specific and runs into scientific researcher Jane and she tickles his fancy the same way that other Jane rang Tarzan's bell. Natalie Portman is the object of Hemsworth's affections.
But back on Asgaard Thor's brother Loki as played by Tom Higglesworth is plotting a palace coup of his own. That leads to a really spectacular fight to the finish as Thor's mighty hammer gives a few folks an attitude adjustment.
Branagh served up a fine tasty dish for those who like their comic book heroes. Hopefully we'll see these folks again in some further adventures.
As played by Chris Hemsworth, Thor's been exiled to Earth, the last time he visited there was when the ancient Norse were worshiping him and other such beings who visited from Asgaard. Thor's a warrior, but it takes more than being mighty in battle to rule as his father Odin keeps patiently trying to tell him.
Anthony Hopkins another actor with classical acting chops plays Odin and I wonder if Hopkins might have envied Laurence Olivier for getting the plum role of Zeus in a film. He's now equaled him in playing another immortal deity.
Thor lands on Earth, New Mexico to be specific and runs into scientific researcher Jane and she tickles his fancy the same way that other Jane rang Tarzan's bell. Natalie Portman is the object of Hemsworth's affections.
But back on Asgaard Thor's brother Loki as played by Tom Higglesworth is plotting a palace coup of his own. That leads to a really spectacular fight to the finish as Thor's mighty hammer gives a few folks an attitude adjustment.
Branagh served up a fine tasty dish for those who like their comic book heroes. Hopefully we'll see these folks again in some further adventures.
- bkoganbing
- May 26, 2011
- Permalink
This MARVEL movie was satisfactory. It had humor, action and family complications. It did seem annoying at the start though. Instantly you can see that Asguard was based off the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz and a little later, any Star Wars geek or cinema geek who sees this movie will instantly notice a scene at the start of Thor that is a total clone of the ending scene in A New Hope.
Besides the clichéd start it turned out to be a good movie. It didn't feel like a MARVEL movie, but a fantasy epic that tried it's best. Me, I'm personally looking forward to Green Lantern after this one, also Captain America and Tin Tin: the Secret of the Unicorn at Christmas.
I recommend Thor to anybody who's a fan of fun, comics, eye candy or just MARVEL comic fans in general will love this movie. For those of you who think this will suck, watch this and see how wrong you were.
Besides the clichéd start it turned out to be a good movie. It didn't feel like a MARVEL movie, but a fantasy epic that tried it's best. Me, I'm personally looking forward to Green Lantern after this one, also Captain America and Tin Tin: the Secret of the Unicorn at Christmas.
I recommend Thor to anybody who's a fan of fun, comics, eye candy or just MARVEL comic fans in general will love this movie. For those of you who think this will suck, watch this and see how wrong you were.
- Johnny-the-Film-Sentinel-2187
- Apr 20, 2011
- Permalink
As Marvel's mega-budget Avengers film draws ever closer, the stand-alone origin films are slowly coming to an end. Only Captain America, starring Chris Evans, remains to be released. So Thor arrives, amidst a worry that a portrait of the God of Thunder arriving on Earth after being banished from his kingdom in the sky may look a bit silly, especially when played by actors rather than drawings in a comic-book. But Marvel's track record has been good so far, and even very good, in the case of the first Iron Man film. Their left-wing choices for both actors and directors, and bold decisions have made for interesting viewing, and it's no different here.
King of Asgard, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), sits proud on his throne after defeating the Frost Giants of Jotumheim and bringing peace to the Nine Realms. He has two strong warrior sons, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston), one of which will eventually succeed him. But when Asgard is breached by Frost Giants trying to take back their precious Casket of Ancient Winters, seized by Odin, Thor invades Jotumheim with a small band of warriors including Loki, and starts a new war. Odin, livid with Thor's defiance, banishes him to Earth and takes away his all- powerful hammer Mjolnir, deeming him unworthy. When he arrives on Earth, confused and powerless, he is taken in by a scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), while Mjolnir sits in the desert, moulded to a rock, awaiting the touch of someone worthy of it. Meanwhile, back on Asgard, war is afoot and Odin lies near-death, while Loki starts to act suspiciously.
This may all seem ridiculous and silly, and it is. The opening ten minutes, which condenses the history of Asgard and its war with the Frost Giants, is a confusing and silly blur of CGI and narration. My hopes of another Marvel triumph were somewhat dashed, but thankfully, with the arrival of Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and a bit of character development, the film started to become the enjoyable romp that it is.
Marvel's choice for Thor, Chris Hemsworth, whose CV consisted of a main character in Australian soap Home And Away, and a cameo as Captain Kirk's dad in the Star Trek reboot, is a stroke of genius. He has the charm, acting chops, comic timing, the physical presence to actually convince as a God. He was born to play this role, it seems. He juggles between irresponsible, immature and arrogant in the first half, to show off his skills as an action hero you can truly root for in the second. And when the film calls for him to play the fool, he pulls that off too.
The choice for Kenneth Branagh to take the directing reigns was a strange one. A director who is most at home directing literature, namely Shakespeare, would not have been my first choice to direct a blockbuster that could easily go tits-up if mishandled. Yet Branagh handles the duties with a natural flair and confidence. The film goes back and forth from Thor's growing humanity on Earth and his relationship with Portman, to Loki's evil plotting on Asgard without ever losing focus of the story at hand or the large collection of characters.
Overall, this is just a fun film, never taking itself too seriously, yet always maintaining a respect for the source material. The undoubted star to emerge from the film is Hemsworth, who I'm sure will go on to have a successful career. I'll be looking forward to see his character again in the Avengers film, which arrives sometime in 2012. Special mention should also go to Tom Hiddleston, who arrives from the London stage after winning several awards to play a menacing and pleasingly complex villain.
www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com
King of Asgard, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), sits proud on his throne after defeating the Frost Giants of Jotumheim and bringing peace to the Nine Realms. He has two strong warrior sons, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston), one of which will eventually succeed him. But when Asgard is breached by Frost Giants trying to take back their precious Casket of Ancient Winters, seized by Odin, Thor invades Jotumheim with a small band of warriors including Loki, and starts a new war. Odin, livid with Thor's defiance, banishes him to Earth and takes away his all- powerful hammer Mjolnir, deeming him unworthy. When he arrives on Earth, confused and powerless, he is taken in by a scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), while Mjolnir sits in the desert, moulded to a rock, awaiting the touch of someone worthy of it. Meanwhile, back on Asgard, war is afoot and Odin lies near-death, while Loki starts to act suspiciously.
This may all seem ridiculous and silly, and it is. The opening ten minutes, which condenses the history of Asgard and its war with the Frost Giants, is a confusing and silly blur of CGI and narration. My hopes of another Marvel triumph were somewhat dashed, but thankfully, with the arrival of Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and a bit of character development, the film started to become the enjoyable romp that it is.
Marvel's choice for Thor, Chris Hemsworth, whose CV consisted of a main character in Australian soap Home And Away, and a cameo as Captain Kirk's dad in the Star Trek reboot, is a stroke of genius. He has the charm, acting chops, comic timing, the physical presence to actually convince as a God. He was born to play this role, it seems. He juggles between irresponsible, immature and arrogant in the first half, to show off his skills as an action hero you can truly root for in the second. And when the film calls for him to play the fool, he pulls that off too.
The choice for Kenneth Branagh to take the directing reigns was a strange one. A director who is most at home directing literature, namely Shakespeare, would not have been my first choice to direct a blockbuster that could easily go tits-up if mishandled. Yet Branagh handles the duties with a natural flair and confidence. The film goes back and forth from Thor's growing humanity on Earth and his relationship with Portman, to Loki's evil plotting on Asgard without ever losing focus of the story at hand or the large collection of characters.
Overall, this is just a fun film, never taking itself too seriously, yet always maintaining a respect for the source material. The undoubted star to emerge from the film is Hemsworth, who I'm sure will go on to have a successful career. I'll be looking forward to see his character again in the Avengers film, which arrives sometime in 2012. Special mention should also go to Tom Hiddleston, who arrives from the London stage after winning several awards to play a menacing and pleasingly complex villain.
www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com
- tomgillespie2002
- May 6, 2011
- Permalink
- Chalice_Of_Evil
- Apr 20, 2011
- Permalink
- bassrourke
- Apr 16, 2011
- Permalink
I highly recommend "Thor" to anyone willing to go on this type of escapist journey, which was prepared clearly as a fun inducing devise. It has all of those elements of good Marvel film. It is colorful, full of great CGI(3D really gets it job done well this time), deprived of unnecessary weight on plot(it is rather simple, yet not stupid), and it doesn't overstay its welcome, running just below 2hrs mark(but stay for an extra scene after the credits). Also it features very good performances all around. I was really impressed by newcomer Chris Hemsworth, who played lead role. It was spot on choice to go with him, instead of some more famous face, since he's done his job almost impeccably in a clearly star making role. Other players were very solid also, with beautiful Natalie Portman as main female character, Sir Hopkins in surprisingly long supporting role, and other fine actors(like Ray Stevenson, who was so disguised I only recognized him after the movie). I must say that it is best movie of it's kind since first Iron Man, and definitely in top group of comic book adaptations. Great way to start off summer time in cinemas, and let's just hope that what will follow this season(Transformers 3, Green Lantern, Captain America etc.), will be at least around that good.
Based on comic book character of the same name published by Marvel Comics, 'Thor' is Entertainment At It's Best! Put on your 3D glasses, and I can assure you, your in for a roller-coaster ride, that is filled with stunning effects, entertaining moments & intriguing performances.
Directed by Kenneth Branagh, 'Thor' tells the story Thor, The god of thunder based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name. It's the Journey of Thor, the powerful, arrogant yet heroic character, that is the latest addition to the host of Superheroes.
The Writing is Spot-On from start to end. In fact, Thor and his entire motivations, powers & ark, come out wonderfully. The Action Sequences are bombastic, while the Special Effects, as mentioned before, are stunning and come as a pleasure to your eyes. The 3D impact is definitely not missing here, as there are truly clap-worthy moments that look even more bigger due to the glasses on.
Kenneth Branagh's directs this Heroic tale, efficiently. And He is blessed with a catchy storyline & rich special effects. Cinematography is picture-perfect. Editing is good.
Performance-Wise: Chris Hemsworth as Thor, is awesome and carries the film on his shoulders from start to end. He is indeed a mega-star in the coming time. Natalie Portman is very sincere. Sir Anthony Hopkins is okay, while Tom Hiddleston is every effective as the bad guy. Stellan Skarsgård & Kat Dennings are passable. Ray Stevenson, Idris Elba, Colm Feore & Joshua Dallas leave a mark. Rene Russo gets limited scope.
On the whole, Don't give 'Thor' a miss. This one's a winner all the way!
Directed by Kenneth Branagh, 'Thor' tells the story Thor, The god of thunder based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name. It's the Journey of Thor, the powerful, arrogant yet heroic character, that is the latest addition to the host of Superheroes.
The Writing is Spot-On from start to end. In fact, Thor and his entire motivations, powers & ark, come out wonderfully. The Action Sequences are bombastic, while the Special Effects, as mentioned before, are stunning and come as a pleasure to your eyes. The 3D impact is definitely not missing here, as there are truly clap-worthy moments that look even more bigger due to the glasses on.
Kenneth Branagh's directs this Heroic tale, efficiently. And He is blessed with a catchy storyline & rich special effects. Cinematography is picture-perfect. Editing is good.
Performance-Wise: Chris Hemsworth as Thor, is awesome and carries the film on his shoulders from start to end. He is indeed a mega-star in the coming time. Natalie Portman is very sincere. Sir Anthony Hopkins is okay, while Tom Hiddleston is every effective as the bad guy. Stellan Skarsgård & Kat Dennings are passable. Ray Stevenson, Idris Elba, Colm Feore & Joshua Dallas leave a mark. Rene Russo gets limited scope.
On the whole, Don't give 'Thor' a miss. This one's a winner all the way!
The film opens in a realm and/or planet far removed from Earth and human existence. We're given a brief overview of the major events in its history and then we're introduced to its royal family battlefield conqueror, Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth). After disobeying his father, Odin (played by Anthony Hopkins) he is banished to Earth and stripped of his godlike abilities.
Enter Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). While studying anomalous events in the atmosphere under the guidance of her mentor Erik Selwig (Stellan Skarsgard) and with the not- so-able assistance of Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), she bears witness to Thor's banishment or rather the tornado-like occurrence that made it possible. This intrigues Foster and after a brief period of reticence she hopes to offer help to Thor and, at the same time, elicit any information he might have that could help her in her work. All the while, turmoil in Thor's realm could potentially destroy both it and Earth.
I'd not seen Hemsworth before and while the part requires very little beyond physicality, he is adequate at least. The "earthlings", are good enough as are those from Thor's home planet and the story is about what I expect. It's not amazing, it's not awful. Basically, it's just a good time at the movies.
Enter Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). While studying anomalous events in the atmosphere under the guidance of her mentor Erik Selwig (Stellan Skarsgard) and with the not- so-able assistance of Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), she bears witness to Thor's banishment or rather the tornado-like occurrence that made it possible. This intrigues Foster and after a brief period of reticence she hopes to offer help to Thor and, at the same time, elicit any information he might have that could help her in her work. All the while, turmoil in Thor's realm could potentially destroy both it and Earth.
I'd not seen Hemsworth before and while the part requires very little beyond physicality, he is adequate at least. The "earthlings", are good enough as are those from Thor's home planet and the story is about what I expect. It's not amazing, it's not awful. Basically, it's just a good time at the movies.