Marvel Studios continues its grand scheme of introducing all its major comic book characters on film prior to May 2012’s team-up movie "The Avengers." After two "Iron Man" films and the rebooted "Incredible Hulk," it is now the God of Thunder’s turn for an origin tale in 2011’s "Thor." There were so many potential pitfalls for a movie based on a character from Norse mythology but given a superhero twist in the ‘60s by creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The fact that director Kenneth Branagh and Marvel didn’t make a cheesy, over-the-top mess is commendable but not determinative of the film’s overall quality. Was Thor really as good as film critics and the box office attest?
The story is set in equal parts on Earth-or Midgard as Thor calls it- and the mythological realm of Asgard. The godliness and supernatural entrapments are downplayed in this version of Thor in an attempt to "ground" the character in the more practical world of advanced body armor, scientific experiments gone wrong, and World War II era super soldiers. Thor (Chris Hemsworth; "Star Trek") and his brother Loki (British TV and theater star Tom Hiddleston) are sons of Odin, the ruler of an advanced civilization from beyond the stars. The Asgardian technology is so foreign and superior that it appears magical to the few earthlings who have ever seen it.
Thor puts his father’s realm in jeopardy from their age-old enemies, the Frost Giants, through an act of anger and pride. He is banished to Midgard and stripped of his powers, to learn a lesson in humility. While he is gone, the other son uses the opportunity to usurp the throne, whilst learning dangerous secrets about his own origins. On Earth, Thor meets astro-physicists Jane Foster (Natalie Portman; "V for Vendetta") and Eric Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard; "Angels and Demons"), who in meeting Thor and learning of the intergalactic "wormhole" connecting Asgard to Earth must grapple with the dangers this may cause.
Balancing both the Earth scenes and the Asgard/Frost Giant scenes was a difficult task that the director and editor manage without detracting much from either. The earthbound scenes are more humorous using the "fish out of water" story mechanism in the New Mexican desert while the Asgard scenes are more grandiose in scope and visuals. Bringing on-board experienced Shakespearian director Branagh was an inspired choice by Marvel to emphasize the dramatic family elements of the story.
When the characters are in Asgard it is indeed a splendid sight to behold, but it also looks somewhat cold and alien. While the costumes and sets are magnificent, absent the Great Hall scene there doesn’t appear to be a whole lot of people populating that world. I would have liked to have seen more of a ‘people on the street’ dynamic in both Asgard and on Earth. The Earth scenes also have a vacant, almost ghost town quality. Shooting the film on location in the New Mexican desert casts a stark contrast to Spiderman’s New York or Iron Man’s California, but it also makes the film feel sparse and under-populated.
The performances of the main cast make up for the limited amount of supporting characters. Thor is perfectly portrayed as arrogant and quick to temper by relative newcomer Hemsworth but he maintains an unspeakably likable charisma. Hiddleston’s Loki is presented as a dynamic, conflicted character who schemes against others but not in a bombastic, obvious way. Anthony Hopkins gives Odin and Asgard’s backstory (as narrated by Hopkins) a legitimacy and seriousness that lesser actors could not, along with betraying an occasional edginess. The viewer can see where Thor got his hot temper from.
The Earthlings are less developed than the Asgardians, with Portman’s Foster primarily shown to be overly committed to her work, while Dr. Selvig is the voice of reason, and Kat Denning’s assistant is the jokester of the group. Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) from the Iron Man movies appears as leader of a SHIELD government team sent to investigate the appearance of a fallen meteor-like object. Coulson appears stiffer than usual in this movie, but his presence has become familiar and welcome in the series. His continued involvement along with the occasional in-jokes and overarching internal consistency between Marvel movies is another layer the viewer can enjoy the movie on. The set-up for Avengers in this film is not as jarring as it was in "Iron Man 2."
The heart of the story remains in Asgard between Odin, Thor, and Loki, with the earthbound story lacking true emotional heft. The brief relationship between Foster and Thor never moves beyond infatuation. Most of the interactions between regular people and Thor are wonderful comic fodder, but the film would have benefited from more serious connections being made.
While the action scenes were serviceable for the story-with the best being the beginning sequence with the Frost Giants-they left something to be desired in both scale and emotional impact. The fear of death never really permeates the film for the audience to truly emotionally invest in the characters. While the villainous Destroyer is initially threatening, it doesn’t prove to be a serious impediment to Thor and neither does Loki’s schemes. Creating an emotional connection prior to and during action sequences would have raised the stakes in the film making it that much more compelling. Despite this, the action scenes could have been unbelievable and hokey, so "Thor" avoids this catastrophic misstep.
Playing it safe, "Thor" is a good movie that doesn’t try to be great and upset the apple cart on its way towards "The Avengers" next summer. The conflict between the brothers and father, the solid performances of the leads, and the humor on Earth are really what make the movie a success. Marvel still hasn’t given audiences an epic action film using its stable of superhero characters. Character development is important but there comes a time to ratchet up the stakes and let it all hang out. Maybe Marvel is saving the goods for the Avengers.
Last thoughts: Don’t forget to stay after the credits for a special bonus scene, a Marvel mainstay. Also, Thor benefits from being seen in 2D versus 3D, if you can find a theater showing it.
Rated PG-13.
