Growing up, I was a huge comic book lover. More Marvel than DC, to be honest, but a huge super-hero geek nonetheless. I collected Thor on and off but never really got into him. So, when it was announced that he would headline his own movie, it was met with a big shrug of my shoulders.
Even after watching the trailers and clips, I still wasn’t convinced that it would be good. I was thinking it could be more in line with Iron Man 2 – meaning it would stink.
Well, I was completely wrong. Happily so because Thor was freakin great!
Directed by Kenneth Branagh, the film moves between Earth and Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) home of Asgard. When the arrogant son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins) sparks a war between the Frost Giants, he’s banished to New Mexico to learn humility. And if you need to find humility, we all know that New Mexico is the place to gain it (just kidding New Mexican peeps). On Earth, he’s helped by Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her team of researchers (Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings) while trying to evade S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg). Meanwhile, in Asgard, his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) plots against him and the rest of the world.
A film like this lives and dies by Hemsworth’s performance and it not only lives, it soars. His Thor is powerful and serious, funny and mischievous. There’s a great scene where Thor asks Portman’s Foster if she wants to fly. She looks up at him, giggles and shoots him a big smile. Little character moments like that made this movie for me. There are also some great references (and appearances) to the other Marvel characters and future Avengers which I won’t spoil but those are also loads of fun.
The movie clocks in at 1 hour and 54 minutes but it doesn’t feel like it lasted that long at all. Oh, and if you’re debating on whether to see it in 3D or not, don’t sweat it. The regular 2D version will be great – 3D isn’t necessary.
And, as usual in the Marvel movies, there is a scene at the end you should stay for. It’s not as cool as they have been in the past but it’s still worth it to watch.
