Thor: A Norse God Becomes A Man

Overall Rating = 3 of 5 Stars

Ever since the mighty Zephys of Asgard blew word that Marvel Studios planned to bring Thor, the mighty god of thunder, to the big screen I became excited. As a child who collected over 40 different Marvel titles for years, Thor ranked as one of my top five comic book titles, right up there with Spiderman and Ironman, which were made into successful blockbuster movies, and Daredevil and The Hulk, which, as movies, were less successful. In addition to displaying an array of impressive martial arts skills and intelligence, the appeal of Thor was its ability to enliven Norse mythology. So how does the comic book version of Thor fare in a featured length film? Here is my movie review.

First of all, the casting of the movie is dead on. Australian newcomer Chris Hemsworth as Thor, the first-born son of Asgard and heir apparent to the throne, brings the right physical stature, golden-haired good looks, and temperament to the role of this Nordic hero. Sir Anthony Hopkins as Odin, the fatherly king of the gods, infuses his character with a Shakespearean fire and regalness befitting an immortal king. Tom Hiddleston as Loki, the trickster god, beautifully plays the subtle notes of envy, torment, and dejection as the sympathetic, second-born, dark-haired son who is to be forever tantalized by prospects of becoming king. Natalie Portman as astrophysicist Jane Foster and Thor’s burgeoning love interest maintains a good mix of intelligence and unpretentious sex appeal. Idris Elba as Heimdall, Stellan Skarsgard as Erik Selvig, Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis, and Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson, and Colm Feore as King Laufey all turn in strong supporting performances. Film director Kenneth Branagh, known for performing Hamlet and other lead Shakespearean roles, brings a strong classical sensibility which adds a majesty to the brutish, humanoid Asgardian warriors and their grotesque nemesis, the Frost Giants.

The wizardry of the special effects which creates the splendorous kingdom of Asgard and the glacial wasteland of Jötunheim, the desolate realm of the Frost Giants, owe much to the vision of Thor’s original comic book illustrator, Jack Kirby, as do the thoughtfully rendered costuming of the Asgardians. The early battle scenes of the movie are wonderfully action-packed and splendidly showcase Thor’s formidable might as a warrior and the unfathomable power of Thor’s weapon, the enchanted battle hammer called the Mjolnir.

Producing a movie which entertains both comic book fans who are steeped in the sacred lore of a popular comic book series and those moviegoers who are looking for a self-contained, standalone movie experience is no small feat. Marvel Studio movies like Spiderman and Ironman were successful in accomplishing this. But alas, Thor falls short of realizing the full arc of its vision due to a plot flaw. As Odin casts his haughty and arrogant son Thor earthward with his magical battle hammer, Odin proclaims, “Whoever wields this hammer, shall he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” In the Stan Lee comic book storyline, mortal Donald Blake, a lame, kind-hearted doctor happens upon the hammer, and, subsequently, in moments of crisis, transforms into the alter ego Thor as a protectorer of Earth. The movie version essentially cuts out middleman Donald Blake in favor of stranding Thor as a human bereft of his immortal powers.

Due to this Odin proclamation, this moviegoer expected a new successor to wield the hammer as dictated by Thor comic book lore. The movie storyline would have been more dramatic and cohesive, if, when Odin casted out Thor from Asgard, he uttered, “When you learn to temper your juvenile arrogance with humility, then and only then shall you once again wield your mighty hammer!” This proclamation would have been more congruent with the actual plot development, which depicts Thor learning to cultivate humility to perchance attain his immortal powers and possession of his hammer. Unfortunately, the scenes leading up to Thor's emotional change lack emotional momentum and, in the absence of compelling tragic loss and pain, his character transformation seems too sudden and implausible. Moreover, the movie's final climatic battle scenes, though heroic, seem forced. Consequently, Thor fails to deliver the emotionally satsifying payoff which would have catapulted this film from good to great.

Despite its shortcomings, Thor, the first of a series of pre-summer action film offerings from Marvel Studios, is still a noble effort worth seeing. Thor flashes with dazzling action sequences, brilliant casting, splendid set designs, gorgeous costuming, and special effects that turn science into magic. However, due to the anticlimactic ending and a major script flaw which carelessly misdirects the plot, Thor only hammers out 3 or 5 stars.