Reel Views: The God of Thunder arrives with a mighty bang
Thor (2011)
The next in Marvel's line of superhero flicks that will culminate in 2012's The Avengers is this summer's Thor, brought to life by the ultra-talented director Kenneth Branagh.
Thor's plot centres around the Norse God of Thunder, telling an origin story of sorts. Thor is a selfish, war-mongering young warrior and prince of the land of Asgard. He is appointed a mighty hammer from his father Odin, but after picking a fight with the neighbouring land of Jotunheim, Thor is banished by his father from Asgard to Earth and Thor's hammer is lost to him.
On Earth, Thor must live as a mortal until he has proven himself worthy of wielding the power of his hammer. Aiding Thor in his quest are astrophysicist Jane Foster and her team Darcy Lewis and Dr. Erik Selvig, as well as the Asgardians Sif, Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun. In Asgard, Thor's father has fallen into the Odinsleep, much like a coma, and Thor's brother Loki plots to have his father and brother killed so that he may ascend the throne. Thor, along with the Asgardians and Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. begins a battle to save both the lands of Earth and Asgard.
Thor is played by an impressively bulked up Chris Hemsworth, who gained more than a little muscle mass in order to land the coveted role. Hemsworth gives a very mediocre performance as the mighty god, his high point coming at the start of the film as the arrogant childish boy who must be taught a lesson.
Natalie Portman stars alongside Hemsworth as Jane Foster. Far from her skillful performance in Black Swan, Portman falls flat and fails to show off any of her acting talents.
Stellan Sarsgard plays Dr. Erik Selvig, the Swede who refuses to believe that Thor is who he claims to be. As always, Sarsgard shines through an otherwise dull cast.
Tom Hiddleston and Anthony Hopkins take on the roles of Loki and Odin respectively, and Clark Gregg once again brings to life S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson.
The flick's best and worst attributes are the overwhelming amount of computer-generated images and 3D film. While all the effects and 3D technology are awesome to watch, they ultimately take away from the story of the film. The 3D is nauseating at times and is a constant reminder that you are watching a film, making it difficult to lose yourself in the adventure.
Overall, the quality of Thor was lackluster, particularly when compared to its predecessor, Iron Man. Hopefully Thor will more easily find his footing when integrated with the entire Avengers gang; however, as a stand-alone flick, Thor does not impress.
If you are hoping to gain another glimpse of The Avengers, if you're a sucker for movie easter eggs or if you just want to see Samuel Jackson in one more scene, make sure you sit through the painfully long credits. Trust me, it will be worth it!
Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars
The next in Marvel's line of superhero flicks that will culminate in 2012's The Avengers is this summer's Thor, brought to life by the ultra-talented director Kenneth Branagh.
Thor's plot centres around the Norse God of Thunder, telling an origin story of sorts. Thor is a selfish, war-mongering young warrior and prince of the land of Asgard. He is appointed a mighty hammer from his father Odin, but after picking a fight with the neighbouring land of Jotunheim, Thor is banished by his father from Asgard to Earth and Thor's hammer is lost to him.
On Earth, Thor must live as a mortal until he has proven himself worthy of wielding the power of his hammer. Aiding Thor in his quest are astrophysicist Jane Foster and her team Darcy Lewis and Dr. Erik Selvig, as well as the Asgardians Sif, Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun. In Asgard, Thor's father has fallen into the Odinsleep, much like a coma, and Thor's brother Loki plots to have his father and brother killed so that he may ascend the throne. Thor, along with the Asgardians and Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. begins a battle to save both the lands of Earth and Asgard.
Thor is played by an impressively bulked up Chris Hemsworth, who gained more than a little muscle mass in order to land the coveted role. Hemsworth gives a very mediocre performance as the mighty god, his high point coming at the start of the film as the arrogant childish boy who must be taught a lesson.
Natalie Portman stars alongside Hemsworth as Jane Foster. Far from her skillful performance in Black Swan, Portman falls flat and fails to show off any of her acting talents.
Stellan Sarsgard plays Dr. Erik Selvig, the Swede who refuses to believe that Thor is who he claims to be. As always, Sarsgard shines through an otherwise dull cast.
Tom Hiddleston and Anthony Hopkins take on the roles of Loki and Odin respectively, and Clark Gregg once again brings to life S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson.
The flick's best and worst attributes are the overwhelming amount of computer-generated images and 3D film. While all the effects and 3D technology are awesome to watch, they ultimately take away from the story of the film. The 3D is nauseating at times and is a constant reminder that you are watching a film, making it difficult to lose yourself in the adventure.
Overall, the quality of Thor was lackluster, particularly when compared to its predecessor, Iron Man. Hopefully Thor will more easily find his footing when integrated with the entire Avengers gang; however, as a stand-alone flick, Thor does not impress.
If you are hoping to gain another glimpse of The Avengers, if you're a sucker for movie easter eggs or if you just want to see Samuel Jackson in one more scene, make sure you sit through the painfully long credits. Trust me, it will be worth it!
Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars
