Thor
This whole “Marvel Universe” project really is something special. Beginning in 2008 with the initial “Iron Man” installment and culminating next year with the superhero bash they’re calling “The Avengers,” this is an unprecedented venture that is both epic and impressive.
While only varying slightly in quality (“The Incredible Hulk” wasn’t great but still entertained and “Iron Man 2” had some bright moments but didn’t touch the original and should have been subtitled “The Search for More Money”) each film so far has felt of the same world and connected to one another. Counting the upcoming “Captain America,” the total count for project will be six films in a four-year span once “The Avengers” credits roll. It’s an unparalleled feat that has my inner-fanboy as giddy as a school girl.
The latest entry in the Marvel Macrocosm is “Thor” and, when it comes to quality of entertainment, it fits right in with the rest of the above mentioned films. The story begins by transporting us to Mighty Thor’s fantastical homeland, Asgard, and concerns itself with the fall and rise of the Thunder God played by beau hunk Chris Hemsworth. Thor’s father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), is an aging leader who has chosen Thor to be his successor. This does not sit well with Thor’s brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who wears his disapproval with a grin. The coronation is cut short when Frost Giants – your standard computer generated baddies and sworn enemies of Asgard – attempt to steal an ancient relic that was attained from them eons ago by Odin himself. Thor is enraged by the evil Giants presence in Asgard and travels to Jotunheim, the frigid home of the Frost Giants, and challenges them to war.
Odin is not impressed by Thor’s warmongering ways and banishes him from Asgard. Before flinging him through the cosmos, Odin rips Thor of his Hammer, which possesses the powers that makes Thor mighty. Our fallen hero finds himself in the New Mexican desert near the small town of Puente Antiguo. There he meets (and by meet, I mean gets repeatedly hit by a car driven by…) Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), a physicist who spends her time studying atmospheric disturbances and wormholes…or something. Stripped of his powers, Thor must learn humility and be humbled by the mistakes he has made.
The most interesting aspect of this production is that Kenneth Branagh, as in British, master Shakespearean actor Kenneth Branagh, directed it. In the past he has tackled genre films before (let’s not forget the nearly-forgotten “Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein” or the wicked “Dead Again”), but to give him a $150 million, tent pole Summer Flick was a huge gamble that paid off plenty. The action is serviceable, though there are times when what exactly is going on is hard to determine. There is never a moment where you feel that the film is in the hands of a action novice, however, and he establishes a nicely metered pace throughout. It’s the weighty moments where his influence is felt the most and the actors rise to the occasion. Emoted dialogue delivered with tears welling in the eyes isn’t something much seen in a superhero movie. Here, among the Norse Gods, it fits in well.
Hemsworth makes the perfect Thor. With his chiseled good looks and bellowing bravado, he sells the character and makes him likable. Portman never sells the “I’m a scientist” angle of her performance but she sure seems to be gaga for our hero. The two share a tangible chemistry that gives the romantics in the audience something to coo about.
The film is a welcomed addition to the Marvel Movie Machine and sits up close to the top of the list “Iron Man” as the best of the bunch. It delivers on all things promised and will get you chomping for more. Luckily “Captain America” is quick on the heels and will be released on July 22nd. It’s enough to make you feel spoiled.