2_TwoJewsOnFilm
"Thor' 'Two Jews On Film' Only One Falls For The Gods In This Epic Fantasy (Video)"
All About Comics!
Join | Log In
A 2011 action/fantasy film directed by Kenneth Branagh.
< read all 28 reviewsThor Wears Women's Underwear
-
May 23, 2011
- by rrznik
- posted in Forbidden Planet - Sci-Fi Books & Films!
Rating:
The title to this post is in no way true... but it got your attention.
-1
This past weekend I happened to catch "Thor," the latest super hero movie destined to culminate in the fanboy joygazm that will soon be know as "The Avengers." Now before I saw this movie I heard a great many mixed reviews from a great many people: "It's the greatest super hero movie ever," "It was totally gay," "The only thing redeeming was the costumes," "Chris Hemsworth is incredibly hot," "The 3d was horribly distracting," "Jay and Silent Bob are f**king clown shoes," but I went into it with an open mind.
Now the first aspect I wanna address is not the plot. I am not really familiar with the Thor comic series, however a friend of mine who does follow the comics assures me that the story is pretty weak. Instead I will first comment on the movie's accuracy relative to old Norse mythology or Asatru as it's know by those who still practice it: I enjoyed how they applied the structure of the Norse universe to a more modern understanding and making it more believable and relevant. The idea of the Gods being Celestial beings that man has worshiped as gods, actually makes me think of Stargate SG1 where the malicious Ghou'ld and the benevolent Asgard are replaced by the Frost Giants and the Gods. And since I've brought up Stargate: The Frost Giants are dead ringers for the Wraith. The depiction of the creation of the Gods was completely strange. Instead of Ohin slaying Imir and drowning the whole race of Giants in his blood, the Gods fought a war with the Frost Giants who I guess now are the only giants, plus the movie fails to mention any of the incestuous jinks that is the origin of the Norse gods. The depiction of Odin was largely accurate. Thor, aside from being commonly referred to in mythology as "the red-headed god," is much like his counterpart. Now the idea of Odin naming Thor as his successor is confusing to me as both of them are ancient and immortal...ish. Now I say "ish" because in the mythology gods die all the time they just don't age. Odin was the king of the Gods and Thor was the protector of man. Loki was portrayed less accurately. Loki is a fire giant who tricked his into being a god by becoming Odin's blood brother until he murdered another god and was bound to a rock by a serpent until the end of the world. In the movie he is quite different as this review will show.
So after Odin (Anthony Hopkins) brings us up to speed on the history of the Universe with a very Lord of the Rings introduction Thor (Chris Hemsworth) leads a bunch of his friends into Frost Giant Land because they interrupted his coronation to attack Asgard's power source. Apparently the Frost Giants knew the exact moment to personally make sure to interrupt with a suicide run. But Thor's plan goes awry as his small band of friends is no match for an entire Giant army. But Odin shows up at the last minute to save the day. For his actions Thor not only cannot be king but his must we banished to earth so he lands on Natalie Portman's car. Meanwhile Odin, the rune master, accidentally puts a Celtic rune, that in fact has nothing to do with either of them, on Thor's hammer and sends it off to earth where it becomes a lame knock off of "The Sword and the Stone."
Thor escapes the hospital and meets back up with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard). Thor proves himself to be a very charming douche bag as he has breakfast, thanks them and goes off to get his hammer back. Jane, who we learn has been studying aliens comes to find that S.H.I.E.L.D. has arrived following the hammer's decent and confiscated all of her stuff so she goes to help Thor who promised to return her property.
So Thor breaks into the S.H.I.E.L.D. compound that has been erected over his hammer that none have been able to pull. This compound also happens to be the exact same one used in "ET" so many years ago. So Thor sucker-punches his way through a bunch of special ops guys and makes it to his hammer. A sniper is trained on him but his superior wants to see what will happen. Thor grabs his hammer and it will not budge. You see he had forgotten his watch and did not realize that it was still way too early in the movie for him to get his power. So the S.H.I.E.L.D. guys get him. Thor is now imprisoned and interrogated. They wonder how he beat their guys, where he got his training. Was he a foreign mercenary? a terrorist? He just stonewalled them until Erik came to his rescue with a very unbelievable story about steroids. So they release him because I guess a potential terrorist who breaks into a secret government fortification couldn't possibly be a threat if he has blond hair and does steroids.
Meanwhile in Asgard, Loki (Tim Hiddleston), Thor's brother in this version of the story, has taken his place as the heir to the throne. He discovers that he is not in fact Odin's son, he is actually a Frost Giant whom Odin rescued after probably slaughtering his whole family. So Loki all of the sudden becomes Joaquin Phoenix from "Gladiator" and turns on Marcus... I mean Odin. With Odin incapacitated Loki takes the throne and Thor's friends go off to find him.
So back on earth, after a night drinking with Erik, Thor and Jane have fallen in love. I'm not exactly sure at what point this happened but I think it might be right around the time Thor spake the bast quote of the film: "We drank, we fought, he made his ancestors proud." And Thor's friends find them then. Upset about this, Loki sends a giant fire-breathing robot after them. Being too "human" to be useful in battle, Thor helps evacuate people while his friends fight. But they get their asses kicked so Thor decides now must sacrifice himself because I guess that'll make the robot go away. So it punches him in face and at that moment he is redeemed. The hammer flies into his arms and brings with it a change of clothing. Thor is himself again and a giant fire-breathing robot is no match for Thor and the power of friendship. Gay.
Thor must return to Asgard now because Loki in a total Joaquin Phoenix state of mind decides to wipe out the Frost Giants to impress his fake dad who he's put in a coma. Thor must save the Frost Giants because at some point in the story I missed they became friends instead of enemies. So Thor destroys Bifrost, cutting himself off from earth, and casts Loki into the void.
Kenneth Branagh was the director which I was very surprised to discover because this was hardly "Much Ado About Nothing." This was more "Transformers" meets "Dungeons and Dragons." I had just assumed this was a Michael Bay movie with the grandiose visual effects and hackneyed plot. The-greatest-super-hero-movie-ever this was not. If I were to be honest I would have to say that the script is almost worth of being a SyFy Original Movie perhaps with Bruce Campbell playing the part of Erik. There were absolutely no surprises in the story: The moment Thor went after his hammer you knew he was gonna make it, fail to pull it and should, "WHY!" It was obvious Thor would destroy Bifrost and Loki would fall into the void. And we knew he would fall in love though I still don't know exactly at what point it happened, the only surprise. And the last part with Nick Fury and the shady meeting you knew from the very start Loki, probably in the form of a reflection, would show up.
A lot of people hated on the 3d effects. This is one place I disagreed with many. A lot of people said that they 3d effects were distraction and in no way enhanced the experience. I didn't really find them that distracting, it wasn't like ever single shot in "My Bloody Valentine." And although they were useless for most of movie, I thought the 3d effects really added to the more wide landscapes: Asgard, the Frost Giant world, I really like the 3d world tree.
So yeah, "Thor" is visually awesome but I wouldn't call it a good movie.
What did you think of this review?
Helpful
3
Thought-Provoking
3
Fun to Read
3
Well-Organized
3
Post a Comment
Scotman
May 23, 2011
Stargate got the Wraith and The Asgard and the Goauld are all from mythology in the first place. Where do you think the Stargate writers got all this from? Good review, quite detailed. I"ll have to respectfully disagree though. I liked this movie. It was a good stepping off point for a great franchise. It was different from other comic-based movies in that it tried to be attractive to a wider audience than comics fans. I did not see it in 3D so I have no comment there. There were some details you missed or didn't get, but I don't want this comment to be overly long! Thanks.
rrznik
May 23, 2011
Thanks for the comment. I was mostly just sharing my personal impressions. I left out a few details because the post was already running longer than I wanted it to.
Scotman
May 23, 2011
Sure, no problem.
show text editor
1
More Thor (2011 movie) reviews
I've waited a very long time to see a film adaptation of Thor hit the big screen. I've always been a fan of Marvel's version of the God of Thunder, and I'm even a bigger fan of the Thor of Norse mythology. When I heard that Kenneth Branagh would be at the helm of this project, I knew immediately that Marvel was doing something really special with the story, and I was right. Thor opens with a description of the great battle between the Asgardians … more
Comments (2)
Compliments (24)
You know its only because The Avengers is coming out next year is why i went to see this movie. I was actually torn beween this and Fast Five, as you can see in the end i chose this. Thor tells the story of..............thor. After going against his fathers wishes (and command) Thor the god of thunder is striped of his power and banished to earth (his father basically disowned him). Now a mortal thor has to make it by on earth while unbeknowest to him trouble is brewing … more
Comments (4)
Compliments (12)
Once upon a time in 965AD lived a king named (Odin (Anthony Hopkins) His kingdom was called Asgard and he had two sons...Thor (Chris Helmsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleeston). At one time Asgard was at war with the Frost Giants of Jotunheim...They are these really ugly, really nasty beings who can freeze you with one touch. Their leader is Laufey (Colm Feore). So an uneasy truce has kept the peace between these two realms for many … more
Comments (20)
Compliments (72)
The latest Marvel comic based film has arrived and continues a trend of top-notch cinematic adaptations of Marvel characters. THOR stars Chris Hemsworth as the brash and bold Asgard warrior who is next in line for the kingdoms thrown. His father Odin (Anthony Hopkins), has ruled the kingdom for many years and as such has been responsible for maintaining the peace for Asgard and all the other known realms. After being surprised by an incursion by an ancient enemy previously defeated by Odin, the … more
Comments (3)
Compliments (36)
Quick Tip by woopak_the_thrill.
May 14, 2011
Quite an alright film if you just want another launch pad for a new franchise. I see this as a 'baby step' towards a possible more definitive Thor Film. Reducing the script to the formula of humor and low characterization is a rushed way to make a superhero movie. Better than the 'puke-tacular" Fantastic Four" and may be on par with Iron Man 2, thankfully. Good for what it is, an uninspired, easy to like, popcorn superhero flick done by Hollywood … more
Comments (2)
Compliments (3)
About the reviewer
Rob Roznik (rrznik)
Ranked #38
Ranked #38
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/RobbertRoznik
Consider the Source
Use Trust Points to see how much you can rely on this review.
You
rrznik
Your ratings:
About this movie
Marvel Studios expands its film universe with a new type of superhero: THOR. This epic adventure spans the Marvel Universe; from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth. Kenneth Branagh directs this fantasy epic which stars Australian actor Chris Hemsworth as the ancient Norse god, Tom Hiddleston as his evil brother Loki, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, a young woman who befriends Thor on Earth, and Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Thor's father and king of Asgard. Expect to see agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., previously seen in ''Iron Man,'' to make an appearance, further forshadowing the coming of The Avengers!
Directed by Kenneth Branagh. With Natalie Portman, Chris Hemsworth, Idris Elba. Visit IMDb for Photos, Showtimes, Cast, Crew, Reviews, Plot Summary, Comments, Discussions, Taglines, Trailers, Posters, Fan Sites
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800369/
Director:
Kenneth Branagh
Genre:
Action,
Adventure,
Fantasy
MPAA Rating:
PG-13
Runtime:
115 minutes
Studio:
Marvel Studios,
Paramount Pictures
First to Review
- About Lunch
- Press
- FAQs
- Contact Us
- Terms of Service
- Privacy Policy
- Sitemap
- Report Abuse
© 2013 Lunch.com, LLC All Rights Reserved
Lunch.com - Relevant reviews by real people.