The Mighty “Thor” Is Mighty Good

Posted by Ashley_Christie ⋅ May 10, 2011 ⋅ 2 Comments

Filed Under Action, Anthony Hopkins, chris hemsworth, Marvel Comics, Natalie Portman, super hero, Thor

Summer is getting close. I know this because the first of the summer blockbusters have started making their way into theaters. And who better to welcome the upcoming wave of heavy hitters than a film about the God of Thunder himself, “Thor.”

Norse God, and Marvel super hero, Thor (Chis Hemsworth) is a warrior prince from the realm of Asgard. With his mighty hammer, no one is a match for Thor, which has made him somewhat arrogant. After Thor defies his father, King Odin (a surprisingly buff looking Anthony Hopkins), by waging war with the Frost Giants he is banished to Earth until he sees the error of his ways.

He crash lands in a small town in New Mexico where he meets astrophysicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her team (Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings). On Earth, without his hammer, Thor learns a little humility and falls in love with Jane and must find a way home in time to stop his brother Loki from killing their father and inheriting the throne and yada yada yada.

The plot may be a little predictable but it’s an adaptation of a Marvel comic book character so it doesn’t really matter. “Thor” is a great kick-off to the summer season. It has everything you want in a blockbuster: action, humor, and awesome effects.

I loved every minute of this movie! Even the forced romance between Thor and Jane which felt rushed and a little unnecessary.

It seems impossible to talk about one Marvel movie without mentioning the others. They all exist within the same universe, borrow characters from each other, and are all ultimately building up to the same thing: 2012’s “The Avengers.” (OMG! So excited, can’t wait!)

(Keep your eyes peeled for an uncredited Hawkeye appearance by Jeremy Renner.)

“Thor” follows in the Marvel blueprint for creating a solid movie: start with a solid script, find a capable director (Kenneth Branagh here), and cast good, preferably well-known, actors.

I was worried about Hemsworth as the title character considering his most well-known role before this was five minutes as George Kirk in the 2009 “Star Trek” but he really impressed me. He had a good mix of bravado and heart needed to play the the warrior god.

I thought that Portman would feel out of place to but she fit in nicely, similar to Gwyneth Paltrow in “Iron Man.” Hopkins was incredibly effective as King Odin and brought the needed reverence to the role. Tom Hiddleston was the real surprise though as the conniving and manipulative Loki, who just may be the greatest villain ever.

The action and fighting are fun but what I enjoy most is the humor that is infused into the script and the way the characters are written. Wolverine, Iron Man, Thor, no one does egoistical heroes better than Marvel. These cocky bastards make the movie. They may save the world but they’re also flawed. And they’re given the best lines.

Although in “Thor” Kat Dennings does steal some very funny moments with her comedic timing and deadpan delivery.

Another reason to love “Thor” are the stunning visual effects. Earth looked like … well … Earth, but the realm of Asgard was gorgeous. You felt a true sense of grandure; it’s everything you’d expect from Valhalla.

The the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, they’re the scariest looking smurfs I’ve ever seen. I guess they’re more Snow Misery than smurfy but, seriously, they looked impressively evil.

Is “Thor” the greatest super hero comic book adaptation ever? No. But it’s pretty good. It has some good fights, some funny moments, and is an awesome addition to the Marvel movie universe.