Kenneth Branagh seems like an unlikely director for a Marvel superhero movie, but he proves to be an inspired choice for the Asgardian theatrics of Thor. In his hands, the thunder god’s legendary hammer, Mjolnir, hits the nail right on its head.
Thor, like the comic book series of the same name, is very loosely based on characters from Norse mythology. We meet the titular character (played by Chris Hemsworth) as an impetuous and egotistical youth who invades the lands of his people’s enemies, the frost giants, after they sneak into Asgard to steal an ancient relic.
Cast out of Asgard and stripped of his powers for defying his father and king Odin (Anthony Hopkins), Thor finds himself on earth as a mortal man. Here, the thunder god falls in love with scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and starts his journey back to godhood.
Branagh’s control over this material is surprisingly assured and he has a note-perfect script to work with. Tongue in cheek as Thor is, Branagh never lets it become too arch or knowing. Even the corniest jokes and cheesiest romantic moments (and there are many of them) are delivered with such disarming charm that Thor is a thoroughly likeable film throughout its running time.
Thor does nearly as well at the drama as it does at the comedy. Branagh’s handling of the intrigue in Asgard’s royal chambers is as deft as one would expect from a director and actor who built his career on Shakespearian drama. It’s no doubt one of the reasons that he was given the gig. The drama feels consequential without becoming overly solemn or self-important.
A strong cast equally at home with action, comedy and real emotions is one of the big reasons that Thor works as well as it does. Many critics have described Hemsworth’s performance in Thor as a star-making turn, and justifiably so. Thor’s metamorphosis from brash warmonger to compassionate defender of humanity is a bit abrupt but Hemsworth is good enough to sell it.
His comic timing in the fish out of water scenes, where an arrogant god is humbled by a newly fragile body, is perfect. He is equally adept at kicking butt as an immortal, calling down heavy metal thunder in the action scenes. Hemsworth’s co-stars are uniformly excellent, even those in smaller roles such as Stellan Skarsgård.
Hopkins and Tom Hiddleston, who plays Thor’s treacherous brother Loki, perform their roles with subtlety and restraint rather than chewing the scenery as actors often do in comic book films. The slimy trickster Loki is a wonderfully complex villain who keeps you guessing about his true motives right until the end. Hopkins is suitably regal as Odin and Portman gets to be breezy again after her recent tortured performance in Black Swan.
Of course, most of the audience will be looking for action set pieces and special effects eye candy from the film. Thor does not disappoint on this score, either. The film’s Asgard, bathed in orange light and looking more futuristic than Norse, is a compelling visualisation of Thor’s home world — one where science and magic are one and the same. The effects for Thor’s powers of thunder and lightning and for the big action scenes capture the boyish magic of the Marvel comic books.
Thor trailer (via YouTube):
A weakness that Thor shares with last year’s Iron Man 2 is the amount of time wasted setting up the plot for next year’s superhero ensemble piece, The Avengers. The scenes where the agents of SHIELD are on screen are every bit as dull as they were in Iron Man 2 and could comfortably have been cut from the film.
Thor is presented in 3D and you will probably struggle to find a decent screen showing a 2D print. The 3D effects add nothing to the film, but at least they’re not as obnoxious as those in many other action films such as Clash of the Titans. Still, the action sequences would probably look better and be easier to follow in 2D.
Thor lacks a small, indefinable something that would elevate it to the top tier of the superhero genre alongside Spiderman 2 and The Dark Knight, but it is a great start to the blockbuster season. Captain America and the Green Lantern will have a fight on their hands to beat Thor when they appear in new films later this year. — Lance Harris, TechCentral