Thor (2011)

 

Ah, the god of thunder... I always wondered if it shouldn't have been the god of lightning, seeing as thunder doesn't actually do a lot except be loud. Then it would be more of a god of farts, wouldn't it?

I digress. I do apologize.

In the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is one of the earliest. They had to set up the separate Avengers of course. That is to say: the most important ones, the ones that resonate the most with audiences and 'Thor' absolutely was one of them. 

Thor grows up with his brother Loki in Asgaard, but he is a vain and headstrong boy. Normally, he would become the new king when Odin passes the torch, but because Thor is a dick, he knowingly starts a new war with the Frost Giants, all because he doesn't know how to control his temper. Because of this, he is banished to Earth without his powers and will only regain them if he proves himself to be worthy. 

On Earth he meets astronomer/physicist Jane Foster and through various minor adventures, Thor learns to appreciate what is best in life. In this case, it's not to crush the enemy, see them driven before you or hear the lamentations of the women, oh no. It's that compassion, self-sacrifice, honesty and humility go a lot further than brash and pompous heroism. 

Also: Thor's brother Loki is actually a Frost Giant and wants the throne for himself, so he sends a mechanized soldier known as the Destroyer after Thor to kill him, and their battle flattens a small town in New Mexico in the process. But Thor eventually is deemed worthy enough to wield the mighty Mjolnir again and stop the Frost Giants once and for all.

Of course this is all a lot more silly than normal. I mean: gods, giants, lightning, Shakespearean declamation? But it works well, because this film does not focus on the action, but more on the character development. To this end, they hired director Kenneth Branagh, who is well versed in all things Shakespeare, having directed several films of the English bard through the years. Maybe they figured that because Asgardians speak in such a way, they needed a true thespian, but it also ensures that character comes first. This is all about Thor's personal growth and it is telling that you will loathe him at first, but come to like him in the end, as he realizes he has been quite a douche in the past. 

The actors chosen for the parts are on point. Anthony Hopkins as Odin? Yep, that's the gravitas you need for that part. Chris Hemsworth was still finding his footing a little (and it shows), but he is a decent choice for Thor and he clearly grew in the role as the years went on. Natalie Portman is having fun as Jane Foster and here she once again brings it all to the table as an actress who can effortlessly switch between heavy, serious roles and more lighter fare without flinching. Stellan Skarsgard is likeable as Dr Erik Selvig and the Warriors Three and Sif are fun to watch. 

But the one who always steals the show, is Tom Hiddleston as Loki. He nailed it from day one and it is quite hard to see anyone else in that particular role. He is just so damn good at it!

The designs of Asgard are cool as well. I particularly love the Bifrost, how it shimmers and shines and it feels real, even if it is all completely made-up. The costumes are iconic and do follow their comic book counterparts fairly closely. The only thing I can't unsee is the relatively shoddy wig they made Hemsworth wear. There are a lot of scenes where you can blatantly tell the blonde wig doesn't really work and in later iterations, they either fixed it or let the man grow his own hair long, which looks a lot better. 

'Thor' is fun and different, because it's more than just action oriented. This might make it slower and less epic in scale compared to some of the other films in the franchise, but it is a very enjoyable film and most definitely worth a watch.