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"Thor' 'Two Jews On Film' Only One Falls For The Gods In This Epic Fantasy (Video)"
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A 2011 action/fantasy film directed by Kenneth Branagh.
< read all 28 reviewsThor... an attempt to bring Shakespeare to comics
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May 7, 2011
- by HDepew
- posted in Movie Hype
Rating:
Most people would recognize Kenneth Branagh as one of top Shakespearean actors or more recently for his role as Professor Lockhart. His is a brilliant actor in just about everything he does (even though sometimes over acted), and although this is not his first stab at directing it is his first take at a film of such "epic" proportions. I will however be completely honest with you, if you attempt to go see Thor in 3D you are wasting your money. There is NOTHING 3D about this film. It was NOT shot in 3D -- in fact it was shot in 2D and then converted. Although the "3D" does not appear as painful as that of Clash of the Titans (only meaning I didn't have a splitting headache by the end of the film) I was thoroughly irritated that I wasted my money when there was no 3D involved.
+2
Aside from that massive fail, Thor was entertaining. Just like all of Branagh's Shakes films, Thor is very pretty to look at. The CGI is well done and Asgard is very much a world fit for the comics. It almost felt like Lord of the Rings had stepped into the world of Heros and traveled back in time only to travel back to present day etc, while also bringing along a few of the monsters from the Buffy/Angel series. (Sadly I feel like I'm now waiting for the punch line of a "walks into the bar" joke) There is however one slight downside to this film...
If you have seen any of the Shakes films Branagh directed/acted in, I'm sure that you will start to notice little things about Thor... Say that is sort of feels like Branagh wanted to relive his "glory days" and take the Henry V play and throw it into the comic universe via Thor. Well there you have it, Thor (who sounds sort of english) goes off to war and just in the midst of a "bloody battle" (fight with Destroyer) the king (Thor) makes a LONG speech to his men (Sif and the Warriors Three) and only to go back into battle to victory. There was even a moment during the film where I half expected Branagh to make a cameo appearance. There was, of course, the Stan Lee appearance which was hilarious and even the Jeremy Renner appearance (although brief) brought out a few chuckles. It was almost like Branagh was so caught up in the Hamlet/Henry V aspects of the story that everything else was just glossed over.
Don't get me wrong. I did not hate Thor. I found it passable. It kept me entertained for the full 130 minutes, even though it was a bit of a stretch at times. I thought Chris Hemsworth was as good a Thor as was needed and his chemistry with Natalie Portman was believable, even though she came across like a bit of a giggly-girl meeting her very first crush. I found that Kat Dennings as Darcy to actually be the best character, even though she was really only there as the comic relief (which wasn't really needed since Portman was doing well enough with that on her own). Even Stellan Skarsgard was a fine addition to the cast as Erik Selvig. I will say that I sort of had a hard time with Tom Hiddleston as Loki though. He was the only character I felt wasn't really all there and I kept picturing Joseph Gordon-Levitt in his place since it was just as bad a role as Cobra Commander. They also kinda look alike. And unfortunately I keep almost forgetting that Anthony Hopkins is even in the film. I love the man to pieces but Odin is the second least memorable character and his role in the film is so small that I find it hard to believe that Hopkins even accepted the role. I guess he just wanted to play a few more gods and monsters before retiring.
Over all I give Thor a 2 out of 5. It's not a film that will blow your mind, but it is at the very least entertaining. I'm sure that it will do fine in theaters, maybe even well enough for Marvel Studios to attempt a round 2 with the franchise (however I wouldn't hold your breathe since it can't touch the Iron Man franchise with a ten foot pole). It will be interesting to see what happens to Thor in the Avengers though, and who knows, maybe fans will fall in love with him enough to MAYBE bring him back to the big screen.
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More Thor (2011 movie) reviews
review by CRSwanson.
May 10, 2011
And so begins the summer; not with a whimper, but with a bang. Yes, Kenneth Branagh’s super-hero epic has arrived, and it’s… really quite good, actually, provided you just put your brain into neutral and let the sheer energy of it all roll over you. The story tells the tale of Thor (Chris Hemsworth, who is certainly not the worst-looking man ever filmed), a young Asgardian about to be made heir to the throne by his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins). In the background … more
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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
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The superhero movie has been a staple of the big budget studio blockbuster for a decade now. They always make it one of their tent pole movies; and even if it gets bad reviews the studio always gets their money back, and then some. Since movies like ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Iron Man,’ the bar is now so high it may not be possible to just crank these movies out. Unless you are looking to only use this plot as a jumping off point to a huge ensemble undertaking next year … more
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The title to this post is in no way true... but it got your attention. 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 … more
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Three years ago on a rainy Friday night I sat in a semi-crowded theater and saw Jon Favreau’s larger-than-life adaptation of Iron Man. It wasn’t just the first film I was able to drive myself to go see, but it was also one of the single coolest theater-going experiences of my life. Something clicked that night. Maybe it was the overwhelming sense of freedom that came in the form of seeing a mega-blockbuster with my new driver’s license, maybe it was Robert Downey Jr.’s charisma … more
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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
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12A - 114mins - Action/Adventure/Drama - 27th April 2011 The Marvel comic book creation is unleashed into the movie world which is growing desperately thin on new and original pieces of work. In recent years Marvel (Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man) has given us from average to good but never great with the best of them tending to arrive from the first movie of the series with the new superhero (Hulk is emphatically excluded from this sweeping generalisation). Thor, as the first … more
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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
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Kenneth Branagh seems like an odd choice to direct a summer blockbuster superhero film. Branagh was almost singlehandedly responsible (with a nod to Baz Luhrman) for the Shakespeare revival we saw in the ’90s; he brought 5 excellent, commercially successful adapations of the Bard to the screen in a space of ten years, before seeing the audience’s appetite for couplets and corsets wane in the 2000s. Even when he’s not directing Shakespeare, his tastes run more classical; … more
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THOR Written by Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz and Don Payne Directed by Kenneth Brannagh Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins Erik Selvig: It’s not a bad thing finding out you don’t have all the answers. You start asking the right questions. So I Thor-oughly enjoyed THOR. I’ll be honest; I was not expecting to. I certainly enjoy the occasional comic book … more
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About the reviewer
Hannah aka Angry Penguin (HDepew)
Ranked #16
Ranked #16
I am a film fanatic, constantly watching films new and old. When not watching movies I'm reading YA lit or sci-fi/fantasy novels, or working on completing my own book. If … more
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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
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Great commentary on the director by the way....I did not know that.