A movie worthy of Thor!

Rating: 9/10 (26 April 2011)

Wow. That was the first thing I thought after seeing Thor. I'd read the strong reviews, I loved the choice of Kenneth Branagh as director and the trailers looked great. But I still wasn't prepared for how satisfying this movie would be. This is the very definition of epic, and I LOVED it.
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is a God of Norse mythology, son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and brother of Loki (Tom Hiddleston). When Thor disobeys his father and sparks an ancient war with the Frost Giants, Odin banishes him from the realm of Asgard and casts him down to Earth. With the help of a trio of humans (including Natalie Portman's Jane), Thor struggles to fit in on Earth whilst looking for a way to return to Asgard. Meanwhile, the devious Loki plots for his father's throne
Simply put, Thor is the best superhero movie since The Dark Knight. The idea of Norse gods and warriors who dress, sound and look like pompous Vikings (some of whom interact with modern humans), multiple universes, rainbow bridges and Frost Giants must have seemed pretty hard to pull off without being silly, especially when this hero eventually has to meet with more "realistic" superheroes such as Iron Man, Hulk and Captain America in next year's The Avengers movie. But Branagh has taken something potentially camp and cheesy and turned it into a powerful, strangely relatable story; there are quite a few Shakespearian elements in Thor's story, something which Branagh is an undeniable master at adapting to the screen. Plus, Branagh and the screenwriters also inject a much-needed humour into the proceedings without unbalancing the emotion and surprising seriousness of the story. The most impressive thing about Thor is the way it treads a pitch-perfect line between respecting the material and winking at its audience knowingly (most notably with a certain cameo). In that way, it's reminiscent of The Mask of Zorro, never taking itself too seriously whilst never allowing itself to slip into parody.
Branagh also proves to be a master at creating an epic summer blockbuster. Apart from a few dodgy moments, the visual effects are stunning; in fact, this is probably the most visually impressive film I have seen from Marvel thus far. The production design is also beautiful; Asgard is one of the most incredible movie landscapes I have ever seen. My eyes were stretched to breaking point, trying to drink in all the details of this new, exciting and opulent world. There are some moments which look a bit fake (which is annoying when the filmmakers had about $150 million to work with), but it's almost forgivable based on how spectacular the majority of the visual FX shots are. Credit must go to the FX and art direction departments.
But a summer blockbuster wouldn't be a summer blockbuster without action, and Thor delivers some great sequences. The early encounters with the Frost Giants (genuinely frightening creatures) are superb, with Thor and his friends using some pretty bad-ass moves. A later scene where Thor fights to retrieve his mystical hammer, Mjolnir, is gritty and intense, whilst another great set-piece sees the metallic being known as The Destroyer hunting Thor and destroying most of a desert town in the process. I have heard that many people consider the final confrontation to be anti-climactic, but I have to say that it isn't as much about seeing epic action is it is about seeing how the main characters have grown and changed throughout the course of the film. In a way, I think that displays the film's greatest strength. It isn't all about the action and the visual effects; it's more about the characters and the emotional response.
Speaking of which, the cast is exceptional. No pay cheque grabbing here; every cast member dives into their role headfirst. Let's start with the big guy himself, Thor. Hemsworth is best known for his brilliant, five- minute appearance as Kirk Sr. in 2009's Star Trek; to go from that to the lead in arguably one of Marvel's most risky undertakings could be seen as a huge step. You wouldn't know it from watching Hemsworth's performance, though. He is absolutely perfect in the role, charting Thor's journey from an impetuous fighter to a more understanding, wiser man with ease. Comedy, action, drama, romance; all encompassed perfectly in Hemsworth's performance. He deserves to achieve stardom after this, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how he fits into The Avengers. Natalie Portman is charming and charismatic as Jane; the scenes between her and Hemsworth ooze chemistry, whilst her scenes with Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings, terrific as Jane's mentor and intern respectively, shine with a wonderful camaraderie. Hiddleston steals the movie whenever he appears as the slithering, manipulative yet oddly sympathetic Loki; this is a wonderfully complex role, and Hiddleston never strikes a wrong note. Hopkins, instead of hamming it up, brings powerful gravitas to Odin; he is intimidating, yet wise and weary from his many years of experience. The scenes between him, Hemsworth and Hiddleston are tremendous, each actor bringing all of their talent to bear and succeeding beyond all expectations. There are too many other names to mention, but rest assured everyone's sublime.
Apart from some minor quibbles, I absolutely loved this movie. Branagh, the cast and crew have succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. This encompasses everything I want from an epic adventure; action, wonder, romance, comedy and a surprising amount of character and intelligence. In my opinion, this is one of Marvel's best, taking something which could have sunk to the lows of Ghost Rider or Elektra and propelling it to the same heights as Spider-Man 1 & 2, X2 and Iron Man. Add a great pre-credits teaser for The Avengers (plus one exciting appearance from a minor member), and I couldn't be more hyped. You're up next, Captain America; don't you dare let the team down.