Thor

Thor Dir. Kenneth Branagh
Review by John Jamieson
Release Date: May 6, 2011

Marvel Studios’ march towards establishing The Avengers universe for next year continues with the release of Thor, perhaps the biggest gamble of any superhero property to date. After a several prologues establishing the trajectory of the story, the film opens in the realm of Asgard on the day of Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) would-be coronation as king, succeeding his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins). But his coronation is foiled by the God’s ancient enemies, the Frost Giants. Disobeying his father, Thor rashly disrupts a peace that has stood for millennia, and Odin punishes his son by banishing him to our mortal plain. Stripped of his powers until he can prove himself worthy, Thor not-quite-gradually humbles himself with the aid of Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and a small, plucky team of scientists. But every hero is measured by the dastardly machinations of his nemeses and that role is filled ably by his scheming, mischievous blood-brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston). While Thor struggles on Earth to redeem his rash actions and recover the ancient weapon Mjolnir from S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives, Loki puts a plan into action that places the entire universe at risk.

The plot may seem truncated, and as previously mentioned, Thor is truly the trickiest Marvel property to pull off because it most operate in tandem with the world previously established in Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2 and the upcoming Captain America. As such, the obligatory Marvel cameos that characterized the previous films are present here. Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) from the Iron Man films plays a substantial role in the plot, and the hero Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) is introduced in an action sequence, further setting up next year’s massive Avengers film. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) again appears in a post-credits sequence.

Unlike Iron Man 2, Thor manages to successfully keep the focus on Thor’s plight and the film is as self-contained as possible. Thespian Kenneth Branagh ably directs the film, focusing the plot firmly on the sibling rivalry between Thor and Loki. Other Asgardians have their roles to play as well, The Wire’s Idris Elba shines in a small role as the intimidating Heimdall, the all-seeing, all-hearing guard of Asgard.
Thor moves at a brisk pace, but it more than serves its purpose as a summer blockbuster. My main criticism is that Loki was not quite the Joker-esque trickster I was hoping for. Whereas the Joker as seen in The Dark Knight is an agent of chaos, Loki is more of a “schemer” whose true plans are always shifting. This quality allows the film to maintain an engaging plot, but it also slightly impairs the audience’s capacity to empathize with Loki, which is crucial in the context of the story. A secondary criticism is Thor’s recognition that he needs to be less of a dick and more of a mature, heroic figure happens a little too quickly.

Despite the difficulties inherent in the film’s structure, the film is enjoyable and it never takes itself too seriously. Relative newcomer Chris Hemsworth is great in the title role, veterans like Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman and Stellan Skarsgard shine as well. Both as a stand-alone entry and a precursor to The Avengers, Thor is a worthy entry to the Marvel canon.