Thor. Mighty Thor. Supposed to be a god, once was a god of the Nordic Viking culture & religion. Christianity & it’s crusaders brutally converted the Vikings into their own fold and the Viking culture died out, save for a small group wishing to revive part of the old culture. And Thor is a comic book hero from the ranks of Marvel. Like the current lot will be in years to come. Anyway, I read Thor’s comics as a child and he has always been a huge favourite of mine. I especially liked that mighty hammer of his. Bam!
So Thor inevitably made his way onto the big screen and ladies & gentlemen – this how you make an origin story for a superhero and still make it entertaining without giving the feeling that too much stuff is crammed into one movie! This is how to make a superhero comic movie, other than the new Batman trilogy ofcourse. The film was directed by Kenneth Branagh, written by Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz and Don Payne, and stars Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston (as Loki), Anthony Hopkins (as Odin) and Stellan Skarsgård.
So here are some points on the movie
- Good choice of the cast, although I find it difficult to see Anthony Hopkins in these type of roles. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a fab actor but as Odin?
- Is that Renne Russo as Odin’s wife & Thor’s mother Frigga? Hello, haven’t seen you in anything for a very long time. I had a big crush on you for years.
- The Frost giants are cool (sorry, pun intended) evil beings for the story and is that Colm Feore in make up as the leader of the giants, Laufey? I found the fights scenes to be very good.
- So Thor, who was to be crowned king, succeeding Odin, goes to fight the Frost Giants against his father’s wishes and is stripped of his powers and sent hurtling to earth, where the van driven by Jane, Darcy & Dr.Selvig hits him – not once but twice! They didn’t take the stuff too seriously, which was fun case Thor gets knocked by the door of the van the next day as well.
- One thing; if Odin was to banish Thor on earth, why not Sweden or Norway or Finland? Scandinavia would have been more appropriate for a Viking legend & god. Why New Mexico? Because the comic was written by Americans and the movie is made in the US.
- Loki discovers he is Laufey’s son, adopted by Odin after the war ended. He knows his abilities and wants to take over as king and bring forth his rule. He comes up with a plan with Laufey to allow the frost giants entry into Asgaard. Upon knowing his adopted son’s trickery, Odin overcome with stress from Loki’s discovery and Thor’s exile, falls into the deep “Odinsleep” that allows him to recuperate. All mighty being & king decides to hibernate!
- Thor’s friends & fellow warriors travel to earth to bring their leader back. Aware of their plan, Loki sends the Destroyer, a seemingly indestructible automaton, to pursue them and kill Thor. At first the Destroyer defeats Thor, but his sacrifice to save the rest of Earth prompts his powers & the hammer to come back to him, as his father had planned when he stripped his son of his powers. The hammer returns to him, restoring his powers and enabling him to defeat the Destroyer. Kissing Jane goodbye and vowing to return, he and his fellow Asgardians return to confront Loki.
- Loki betrays his birth father Laufey & kills him but Thor returns and fights the mischievous one, before destroying the Bifröst Bridge to stop Loki’s plan, stranding himself in Asgard. The path to other dimensions, including Earth, is gone. Odin awakens and prevents the brothers from falling into the abyss below the bridge, but Loki chooses to fall.
- Thor makes amends with Odin, admitting he is not ready to be king; while on Earth, Jane and her team search for a way to open a portal to Asgard. The agents of Shield approach Dr. Selvig to study a mysterious item which could hold untold powers. Loki meanwhile seems to have survived and has appeared on earth.
Amazing visuals and the CGI is done very well. This is how a superhero movie should be done. I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought that the movie lived up to the hype. 9 out of 10!