Out of the MCU films thus far (including Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man 2), Thor was arguably the biggest risk from Marvel Studios. After all, how do you introduce a Norse God, his family, fellow warriors and enemies, along with the mystical realms, into a universe of formerly Earth-bound heroes without it coming across as too silly? The risks appeared to be stacking up when Kenneth Branagh, a director with no prior experience in the arena of blockbuster film-making, was announced as the man at the helm. Then relatively unknown actor Chris Hemsworth was cast in the titular role. While Robert Downey Jr. was considered a risk when he was cast as Tony Stark AKA Iron Man, he had previously proved himself as a terrific actor capable of spectacularly carrying a film (1992's Chaplin is a strong example of this). Hemsworth's biggest credits were roles in TV soaps Neighbours and Home and Away, a small yet pivotal role in 2009's Star Trek as James Kirk's dad, a supporting role in thriller A Perfect Getaway and major roles in then-shelved films Red Dawn and The Cabin in the Woods. Sure, it's not like Hemsworth hadn't had acting experience, but he'd never proven himself as being able to carry a film. With these apparent risks, Thor could have spelled a recipe for disaster. So does the God of Thunder bring the lightning? Let's find out.
For centuries, there has been unrest between the Norse deities of Asgard, ruled by Odin (Anthony Hopkins), and the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, ruled by Laufey (Colm Feore). When a bid is made by the Frost Giants to take back the source of their power from Asgard itself, Odin's son Thor (Hemsworth) disobeys his father and enters the forbidden realm of Jotunheim looking for answers. His brash actions result in a declaration of war, leading to Odin angrily banishing Thor to Earth and stripping him of his godly powers. On Earth, Thor encounters scientists Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård), along with his assistant Darcy (Kat Dennings). While adjusting to life on Earth, Thor searches for his mystical hammer, Mjolnir, so that he can reclaim his powers, but finds a potential obstacle in the form of SHIELD and Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg). Meanwhile, on Asgard, Thor's scheming brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) sees an opportunity to gain the power he feels he deserves...
It quickly becomes clear that the risks taken by Marvel Studios with Thor have paid off. The mythology of Thor could have gone so easily awry that it's very satisfying to see Branagh and his writing team of Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz and Don Payne (along with uncredited script doctor and Guardians of the Galaxy co-writer Nicole Perlman) wrangling it as successfully as they do. There are definite Shakespearean undertones to the film's story, and Kenneth Branagh is one of the definitive champions of bringing Shakespeare's work to life. This serves him exceptionally well in capturing the dramatic tensions and relationships between the characters; his handling of the scheming and confrontations between the Asgardian characters is particularly engaging. Meanwhile, he handles the comedic aspects, especially those which present themselves during Thor's time on Earth, unexpectedly well. If the humour here was handled in the wrong way, it could have resulted in some cringe-worthy reactions. But the humour strikes the right tone between the self-awareness of the plot's silliness and the genuine timing and delivery of the cast. The writers are definitely on the same page as Branagh and hits the same effective balance between the intriguing familial and political dynamics on Asgard and the comedic fish-out-of-water scenes on Earth, even though both Branagh and the writers fall short of convincingly portraying how the romance between Thor and Jane develops into such a deep relationship over such a short period of time (this task falls upon the considerable charm of Hemsworth and Portman and the chemistry between them). Finally, Branagh acquits himself admirably with the stirring action sequences. These effectively capture the wonder of Thor using his powers alongside his friends in battle with the Frost Giants or the excitement of seeing a powerless Thor take on a squad of SHIELD agents which one should experience. The action sequences are definitely more than satisfying, but they're not the highlight of the film. While the final conflict between Thor and Loki may fall short for some on the action-front, I applaud Branagh for focusing more on the personal, dramatic conflict between the characters and the performances from both Hemsworth and Hiddleston nail both the physical and emotional clash.
What makes Thor such a highly enjoyable film is the interaction between the cast, and the casting team put hardly a foot wrong. For Earth-bound support, Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgård and Kat Dennings are all fantastic. I know that many people find the character of Darcy annoying, but I personally like her. Does she really have a point in the narrative? Besides being an audience conduit for some of the scientific phrases flung around by Jane and Erik, not really. But Dennings is a charming and down-to-earth presence nonetheless, giving the proceedings on Earth a likeable zest whenever she appears. Skarsgård, as usual, is excellent here, showing terrific comic aptitude. Selvig is a man governed by what he knows, which means that he views Thor with great scepticism. But he is also a very caring man, as his affection towards Jane shows, and Skarsgård never lets us forget this. Portman is as radiant as always in a somewhat thankless part; neither the script nor Branagh call on her to be much more than the love interest. Nevertheless, Portman is utterly charming and her loveable screen presence goes a long way towards selling how she and Thor could become romantically invested in each other over such a short period of time. And Clark Gregg is once again fantastic as SHIELD Agent Phil Coulson, delivering his dead-pan lines and reactions perfectly. Speaking of SHIELD, the organisation is integrated into this narrative much more effectively than in Iron Man 2. Thor's arrival on Earth feels like something which SHIELD would be involved in, since it is such a world-changing event. Also, there is a cameo introducing the final Avenger involved in the upcoming Avengers.
And then we get to Asgard, where the real dramatic meat of the film lies. This seems as good a time as any to talk about Chris Hemsworth. Despite being uncertain about his acting ability before this film, I can now say that Hemsworth absolutely owes the role of Thor. He nails the charm and swagger, but he also sells Thor's journey from arrogant brawler to humble hero. Plus, Hemsworth is completely aware of just how absurd the premise is, and that awareness is laced throughout his performance. Hemsworth knows that if you're going to sell a character like this, you need to embrace both the obvious silliness and underlying humanity to make it work. He does both those things and makes it look easy. He is equally adept whether fighting Frost Giants and SHIELD agents, uttering funny one-liners with straight-faced pomposity which make them all the more hilarious, romancing Portman's Jane or dramatically squaring off against Hopkins' Odin and Hiddleston's Loki. Speaking of Loki, I know that this really isn't an original comment, but he is easily my favourite villain from the MCU thus far. Loki is a menacing villain, but there is also great complexity and humanity to the character. We can both understand and sympathise with him and his motives and yet wonder what trickery he will deploy next; these definitely help to make Loki an enthralling villain, and Hiddleston brings real emotional heat to the role along with simmering jealousy and rage. And Anthony Hopkins as Odin... That is a brilliant choice. Hopkins has been known for either slumming it or hamming it up in roles in the past, but thankfully he seems genuinely invested in his performance here. The scenes between Hemsworth, Hiddleston and Hopkins are the most dramatically potent that the film has to offer; the scenes when Odin banishes Thor and when Loki confronts Odin are two of my favourite scenes from the film, and that's mostly due to the pitch-perfect delivery of the cast. As Heimdall, the 'Gate-Keeper' to the Bifrost which allows the Asgardians to travel between realms, Idris Elba brings effortless authority and charisma to the character which makes you want to see more of him. There are also solid supporting performances from Jaimie Alexander, Ray Stevenson, Joshua Dallas and Tadanobu Asano as Lady Sif and the Warriors Three Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun respectively and Colm Feore as Laufey. Feore, in particular, makes Laufey a threatening presence, although he is aided by fantastic make-up and visual effects (much like all of the other Frost Giants). Sadly, Rene Russo is utterly wasted as Odin's wife and Thor and Loki's mother, Frigga. Russo is a genuinely amazing actress (I think that she got robbed of a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination this year for her stunning work in Nightcrawler), but here she only gets a handful of lines and reaction shots. Given that the dramatic core of Thor is the frisson within Thor's family, this makes Russo's underutilisation all the more prominent.
On a technical level, Thor is mostly a success. While this isn't the best of the MCU when it comes to visual effects, the visual effects are still never anything less than impressive and there are several shots which are breath-taking; a great example of this is the very first shot of Asgard. Part of the credit for these beautiful shots should go to the exquisite cinematography from Haris Zambarloukos. Whether on Asgard, Jotunheim or Earth, there are plenty of beautiful, sweeping shots. While there are a few too many shots done at a Dutch angle (tilting the camera so that the scene is on a different axis), Thor still looks fantastic for the most part. Production designer Bo Welch (along with the art direction team and set decorator Lauri Gaffin) creates some wonderful sets, especially for the Asgard scenes; the buildings and monuments really express the opulence and long-lived power of the Gods, as well as the combination between magic and science which drives their civilisation (great examples of this are the 'Rainbow Bridge' and the 'Bifrost', two things which could have resulted in an eye-roll yet come across as strangely plausible within this world). Costume designers Alexandra Byrne and Craciunica Roberto have a lot of fun with the design of the Asgardian costumes; I love the capes worn by Thor and Loki, which look spectacular when billowing in the wind. Frequent Branagh collaborator Patrick Doyle delivers one of my favourite musical scores from any of the films from the MCU. His work here is terrifically suited to the material, whether grandiose, emotional or action-orientated.
Now I want to bring up an issue with this film which I like to call 'The Curse of the Deleted Scene'. I used to love this film, but my love did decrease when I watched the deleted scenes. Why is this? Well, as much as I love the family drama in Thor, there are some deleted scenes which explore relationships from different angles which I would have loved had they been in the film. There's a scene which definitively shows that there is true affection between Thor and Loki, whilst also providing the set-up for one of Thor's actions on Earth. I think that scene should have been in the film because there are no other moments which show this affectionate side to the relationship between Thor and Loki. This would have added another shade of complexity to their interactions, and also quickly established the relatable humanity to both characters.There are also strong scenes establishing the personalities of Sif and the Warriors Three and showing the relationship between Frigga and Odin. The scene between Frigga and Odin is of particular importance because no other scenes explore their relationship and because it gives Rene Russo something more to do. There are even a few extended versions of scenes which are more effective than the actual scenes in the film. They bring out more of the character's personalities and relationships. So why weren't they put in the film? Some may think that I'm being unfair by judging the film because of scenes which were left on the cutting room floor, but when a lot of these scenes could have honestly improved the film, I'd feel that I'm being dishonest to my own feelings to ignore that. While editor Paul Rubell does solid work in ensuring that the film moves at a steady pace for the most part, he could have put some of these critical moments into the film without affecting the pace in a negative way.
Final Verdict
For a project which could have gone so incredibly wrong, it's still impressive just what an 'un-guilty' pleasure Thor is. Director Kenneth Branagh nails the Shakespearean drama on display and proves surprisingly adept at handling both big-budget action and winking, self-aware comedy. He's aided by a capable screen-writing team and excellent cast who clearly know how best to approach the material: Hemsworth and Hiddleston, in particular, deliver star-making performances which bring real depth, humanity and sympathy to their characters. The action sequences are well-executed, the visual effects are often gorgeous and other technical credits, from Bo Welch's wonderful production design to Patrick Doyle's sublimely operatic score, are very strong, True, Branagh and the writers rush the central romance, the use of Dutch angles is mostly pointless and sometimes disorientating and I do wish that the film-makers had re-evaluated 'deleting' certain scenes or extended versions of scenes which appear in the film. With that being said, I still find Thor a highly enjoyable entry in the MCU which deserves credit for bringing the titular character, his relationships, his enemies and his mythology to the big screen while never letting unintentional giggles threaten to become anything more than a rarity. Come the post-credits scene helmed by Avengers director Joss Whedon, which sets up both that film and the debut of a certain Star-Spangled Man, we see a powerful item with a violent history and, judging from the malicious smirk of someone lurking in the shadows, a dangerous future. Speaking of violent history, while it's unclear who the last Avenger will be, there can only be one First Avenger...
Rating: 4.1 out of 5
Mini-Review: Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant
Starting with the Thor Blu-Ray, every Marvel Blu-Ray contains shorts which either build on or add to events from prior Marvel films. While The Consultant is a minor effort, that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. Basically a two-man act between Phil Coulson and fellow SHIELD Agent Jasper Sitwell (Maximiliano Hernández), The Consultant also introduces us to the idea of the World Council, one of the highest branches of SHIELD, and how they're not quite on the same level as Coulson and Director Nick Fury. There are two reasons why The Consultant is a gem and I'd recommend it for any MCU fans. One, it puts a fun little twist on the ending of The Incredible Hulk and adds fantastic detail to how the final interaction from that film played out. I love this because, for a scenario which seems so simple, The Consultant switches the final scene of The Incredible Hulk in a wonderfully surprising way which actually makes sense when laid out. Secondly, the interplay between Coulson and Sitwell is fantastic; both Gregg and Hernández share a great deal of chemistry and deliver their rapport perfectly (the 'patsy' discussion is a particular highlight). I love the fact that Hernández gets the chance to establish Sitwell's personality here, as he is just a guy who shares a couple of lines with Coulson in Thor. Here, we can see that these two share an actual friendship alongside their work. So, for those reasons, I would definitely recommend The Consultant. Could you miss it? Yes; it's not essential. But it adds a bit more colour and detail to characters and events in the MCU. If that sounds interesting to you, give it a watch.
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