I have always felt that Marvel have done a mediocre job in the world of cinema given the vast array of characters and stories they possess in their catalogue. Marvel have already given us the “headliners” (so to speak) in the form of both the X-Men and Spiderman franchises as well as less popular characters such as Daredevil and The Punisher.

Unfortunately the majority of these movies have failed to impress me and garner critical acclaim regardless of their box office success. Personally I thought 2008’s Iron Man (starring Robert Downey Jnr) was a decent effort but for me The Incredible Hulk (starring Edward Norton) was both a accurate adaptation and a good movie, it’s a shame they never continued with the cast to develop a sequel.

So now, as Marvel build up to The Avengers following on the heels of Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk we have Thor. In hindsight I’m surprised Marvel didn’t choose to develop a movie for this character earlier, his mythology is intriguing and he is separated to most of Marvel’s superheroes in that he is “the god of thunder” from another realm not a result of mutation, a lab accident or technological innovation. It is with these unique attributes that Thor draws parallels to Superman and before I get carried away with a comparison the point I’m getting at is that it makes good material for the movie screen.

Warning: If you still have to see the movie and want to remain completely oblivious to what happens (I’ve tried to spare the details) then do not continue reading!

REVIEW

Thor is a movie ultimately about redemption and humility. Kenneth Branagh has turned out to be a genius choice to direct, given how odd it seemed when announced (summer blockbusters are definitely not his thing, let alone comic book movies! He’s more Shakespeare then Stan Lee!). The writers have done an excellent job with the script and the main cast have definitely risen to the occasion.

We’re immediately introduced to one half of the main cast, Thor starts on Earth as Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) chase an abnormal activity in the sky consequently hitting a man with their car as they arrive at the site. Once Jane Foster asks, “where did he come from?” we’re swept into a flash back and introduced to the amazing realm of Asgard. The set pieces and landscape paint a picture of a regal society and the look of the Asgardians lies somewhere between medieval vikings and futuristic warriors.

With such impressive visuals it isn’t hard for the viewer to believe that Thor comes from a completely different world to our own, this is truly Marvel’s most ambitious and epic creation. Kenneth Branagh’s background is most prominent here as he delivers the drama with that classic Shakespearean tone.

Here we meet the other half of the main cast. When we first meet our hero Thor (Chris Hemsworth) he is a brash and arrogant prince ready to claim his birth right to the throne of Asgard. Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is shown to be a wise king but its clear he’s approaching the end of his tether. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is also present at his brother’s congregation, standing in the sidelines with a sinister silence and Frigga (Rene Russo), Thor’s mother, looks on with pride. The congregation is disturbed by the arrival of the frost giants. Thor’s reaction prompts the revival of an ancient war between the Asgardians and the frost giants. Odin’s fear that his son is not fit to be king are realised and in an act of fury he strips Thor of his powers and banishes him to Earth.

This is where the story truly begins, as Thor must earn his right to claim back his powers and lift his mighty hammer, Mjolnir, once again. The tone set on Earth is completely different to that on Asgard, Thor is literally ‘a fish out of water’ as he struggles to adjust to his new environment. The 3 cast members with him are perfect, Jane Foster is a attractive yet serious astrophysicist and ultimately the woman who inspires Thor to mend his flaws; Dr. Erik Selvig is the voice of reason, his presence is subtle yet decisive and Darcy Lewis is the intern who provides most of the well timed ‘tongue in cheek’ moments. (I’ve found most of Marvel’s movies have cringe worthy comedic moments that cheapen the overall feel however in Thor they’ve managed to time these moments so well that they provide effective comic relief).

While keeping his brother at bay, Loki continues to manipulate events both on Asgard and with the frost giants, as he plots to kill Odin and claim the throne of Asgard himself. Thors journey on Earth redefines him, he gains a sense of empathy he was missing before and more importantly, a sense of responsibility for his actions. This leads to the rebirth of “the god of thunder” and the showdown between the two brothers.

This is a breakthrough performance by Chris Hemsworth, his chemistry with Natalie Portman provides much needed realism to such an outlandish premise (god from another realm is banished to Earth and falls for a astrophysicist?!) and their portrayal of their characters fascination for each other is what moves the story along. There is room for some character development, although this character-defining story was necessary, further focus on key characters like Loki would be welcome. Tom Hiddleston done a great job but there isn’t a sense of danger with Loki, I don’t think the material allowed his character to really pose a direct threat to the hero, more like the puppet master pulling all the strings. Now where some may argue that this is an accurate adaptation (and you’d be right) it still doesn’t translate all too well on screen in my opinion.

Thor isn’t a ‘game changer’ but it is one of Marvels best efforts so far. What’s really exciting is the potential this franchise could have if they delve into the character and explore the mythology in greater depth. There are 600+ comic issues, thousands of years worth of mythology and plenty of stories. This could be (albeit unexpected) the birth of Marvels trump card!

VERDICT

A tale of gods and a lesson in humility. Epic, ambitious and visually stunning. The god of thunder does not disappoint!

Score: 8