*Directed by Kenneth Branagh
*Starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgård, Kat Dennings, Jaimie Alexander, Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Rene Russo, Josh Dallas, Clark Gregg
The Plot: In a faraway cosmic kingdom called Asgard, Thor, the god of Thunder, son of Odin is about to be appointed king, but proves he's not fit for the job for he's one to seek out danger and start up more of a stir with their ancient enemy known as the Frost Giants. So because of his immature actions, his father banishes Thor to Earth where he meets a small group of scientists and while making an attempt to return home, he unexpectedly finds himself on a much more personal quest. In the midst of all this his brother Loki wreaks havoc in their kingdom in order to take control of Asgard and Thor is in great need to return for their world could become a lot more destructive.
I have a pretty interesting history with this movie due to the fact that even though I enjoyed the film when I first saw it on home video, it dawned on me that the next few times I watched it that it got progressively worse and worse. And while I didn't dislike the film, I thought it was one of Marvel's weakest and only found it to be an 'okay' viewing experience. So for a while it was my least favorite Marvel movie if we're talking the Cinematic Universe. However, with my latest viewing of the film I must say that all those feelings changed for I tried watching it with more of an open mind, almost as if I hadn't seen it before despite seeing it multiple times. After this recent viewing I can say that I really like watching Thor and find it to be one of Marvel's most underrated films.
Kenneth Branagh's direction for this film was quite good for how he introduced the fantasy aspect of this franchise and opened up this entire world and the mythos there was to explore. I found it to be quite engaging and as for someone who's not to familiar with the Thor comic books, I feel this movie was a great introduction to fully invest in the fantasy atmosphere and the many characters that were introduced. If anything this sort of adaptation from whatever storylines this movie borrowed from, definitely made me so much more interested to get wrapped up into the source material. I'm also a big fantasy lover. It is my all time favorite genre, so to have another world to wrap up in inside the Marvel universe is just great and it proves to show that this movie along with its sequels made me more invested in it. This movie just did a great job of putting those elements in place.
The phenomenal spectacle was there to bring viewers into this world, but the characters to go along with it were just as memorable. Chris Hemsworth as Thor is definitely another case where you can't see any other actor portraying this role besides him. He is truly great giving him that heroic presence, that warrior figure, and at times has great subtle comedic nuances. There were some great humorous moments with Thor whether it was the slapstick with Jane hitting him with her van or smashing the coffee mug asking for "another" drink. It all worked perfectly.
Another aspect I appreciated regarding how Thor was handled was that it was a much more personal and down to Earth story. Come to think of it I put 'down to Earth' like that and that also has me thinking how interesting of a move it was to have Thor land on Earth where he literally becomes more down to Earth just like any other person. Think about it, he was arrogant and selfish with his power as a god in another world and abused it, but the lesson that was taught here is to be more in touch with yourself, to open yourself up to the world, and others around you. Might be a different insight to some people, but that's how I saw it. These aspects just make the hero a lot more sympathetic for you want him to rise above that failure and see how he progresses into a much more selfless figure.
Another role that was just wonderful casting was Tom Hiddleston as Loki who did such an amazing job playing this conflicted soul that you rooted against, but also understand where they were coming from. He plays a believable slimy presence, but because of such a tragic backstory there was also a level of empathy to go along with such a broken past. It just really added great layers to the character and the film's overall good vs evil conflict. It made that typical clichéd fantasy story you heard a billion times a lot more interesting.
The issues that I used to have with this movie were oddly enough the aspects that grew on me with Thor's story on Earth for I felt the fantasy aspect was a lot more interesting. I think it was equally as interesting because I was really getting into the personal aspect of the Thor character. I'd say my issues now are pretty minuscule now like I used to think the humor was pretty unnecessary as well, mainly some of Kat Denning's goofy dialogue and for sure there were some pretty forced jokes here and there, but the humor for the most part definitely worked.
I also noticed that in the filmmaking for this movie, the cinematography mostly, that there were so many Dutch angles throughout the runtime. It's where the camera is slanted, a crooked position, and that happened in a numerous amount of shots. It got a bit distracting for me. Not gonna lie there because that shot composition was used so much and there perhaps could've been different liberties made in the cinematography. Yet, this is not an aspect where I feel the movie tanks because of that, it was just a serviceable aspect that could've been done a bit better.
I think the other issue that also stuck out was with Odin falling into Odin's sleep. It felt convenient to the plot for Loki to plot his evil scheme and not to mention that it was a straight-up plot hole. It's never explained why he falls into this cycle, never mind, clear up when it will end. It's a pretty integral plot point, which earned that emotional pull in the third-act, but maybe with a few lines of dialogue to open up more about Odin's power, it would feel like more than just a convenient plot point for the antagonist. All those issues aside, I basically really enjoyed my time watching this movie.
Thor is a highly enjoyable cosmic fantasy film that can pull viewers in with its enticing lore and mythos, but can also add more to the typical good versus evil story with a solid amount of layers on both ends of the spectrum.
Verdict: B+
Took me quite a number of viewings, but I kind of love watching this movie and it's just another case where I feel it is necessary for a Marvel marathon. Even if you're not a fan of the other Marvel characters and you love fantasy I do recommend giving this movie your time of day.
Stay tuned for my review next week of Captain America The First Avenger.
I've been a little far behind with my Marvel reviews, but I do want to review them all every week until Infinity War. There's the chance you might get two one week, but I'll keep you all posted. So, if you want to stay updated be sure to follow me on social media in the links below:
Thank you all so much for reading and if you're interested in my other Marvel reviews click right here. This page features all the Marvel Cinematic Universe films I've covered.
As always see some great freakin' entertainment!
Take care. :-)
As always see some great freakin' entertainment!
Take care. :-)
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