HOW MIGHTY IS ‘THOR’?
A film review
by Matt Schorr
So, yea, Thor.
The critics at large have been generally positive, if slightly cool, toward the Norse god of thunder’s big screen debut. Chris Vognar of The Dallas Morning News gave the film a favorable review, but commented, “Nothing against the buff, blond god of thunder, but Thor just doesn’t have a built-in wow factor among the non-geek parade.”
Vognar’s comments are pretty reflective of mainstream critics’ good-but-not-great impression of Marvel’s fourth film building toward The Avengers in 2012. The general feeling seems to be that, while Thor is passable, it just doesn’t have what it takes to be a blockbuster.
Well, all due respect to Vognar and his colleagues, but the box office totals would indicate otherwise. It’s too early to tell for certain, and I think it’s safe to say Thor won’t outdo the latest Pirates of the Caribbean installment, but I’m pretty sure Marvel Studios will be pleased with their latest performance.
As for me, I thought it was stellar.
I’ll freely admit I’m not the most adept Thor follower. I’ve only just started reading some of his stories as penned by Walter Simonson. However, as a film, I’d call this a fantastic outing from top to bottom.
I’ll stop here and warn those who’ve yet to see the picture, there be spoilers ahead…
Thor is, at its heart, a coming of age story. Our hero begins as a petulant braggart, caught up in his own legend and convinced the universe is his playground. (And, to be fair, with his superhuman powers and kickass hammer, it kind of is.) He’s an arrogant youth, so easily convinced he knows all there is to know that he all too readily calls his father an “old man and a fool.” Thus, his father Odin banishes him to earth with the proclamation he may never reclaim his hammer, Mjolnir, until he’s worthy.
This film moves at ninety miles an hour, and it rarely lets up. When it does, we see glimpses into the character of Thor and his earth-bound companions. His first attempt at reclaiming his hammer, after easily fighting his way through scores of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, is both heartbreaking and powerful. Chris Hemsworth makes one hell of a god of thunder, and his look of anguish here is pretty darn moving. This is no longer a god or a Viking warrior; it’s a broken man who realizes for the first time he’s lost everything.
Anthony Hopkins also turns in a superb performance as Odin, but really, was there ever any doubt? I mean, this is Anthony freakin’ Hopkins we’re talking about. The man made an aging cannibal one of the most intriguing and badass characters in movie history.
There are other great performances to be had as well, but this movie is really all about Thor and his father. Everything else, the Frost Giants, the Destroyer, Loki, even Agent Coulson, they’re all just hurdles our hero must leap over in order to make things right with daddy. And he better do it quick, because the old man’s health is fading, and his treacherous brother Loki is making an unholy pact with the Frost Giants’ king to kill the old man.
Incidentally, though, I’d be remiss if I didn’t offer my own humble praise to the supporting character Heimdall, played by Idris Elba. He’s a minor character, but he’s also one of the most interesting ones in the entire picture. And all he does is guard a stupid bridge!
The story doesn’t offer much depth to Heimdall, but Elba puts it there with his performance. Call me artsy and over the top, but I just felt like I saw this repressed but deeply felt anguish in the man’s eyes early on when he tells Thor, “no one has passed these gates without my seeing.” This was shortly after Frost Giants did just that and attacked Asgard. I got the impression this man made it his personal mission to make amends for that failure, and he spent the rest of the film doing just that.
Overall, on the star-ranking scale, I give Thor a 4.5 out of 5. This is a fun story that doesn’t take itself too seriously, while also offering some poignant (if sort of simple) themes. As I don’t know much about Thor’s comic book origins, I can’t say how the hardcore fans will react. However, Marvel has, thus far, been pretty true to its roots.
Ultimately, this is a good one for both fans and non-fans. I say thee, yay!
Matt Schorr (aka The Lone Coyote) is a writer/filmmaker with one novel and several independent film projects to his credit. You can find out more about him at www.lonecoyoteproductions.com.