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Thor (2011 movie)

A 2011 action/fantasy film directed by Kenneth Branagh.

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Thor

May 20, 2011

by zstoner66
posted in Movie Hype

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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 that already have fanboys excited in their pants. Then maybe it’s acceptable, maybe.

Marvel's newest addition in preparation for next year's ‘Avengers’ epic is ‘Thor.’ One of the more boring heroes in the Marvel Universe, the Norse God, much like others who share his mythology, are defined by what they oversee. The God of Thunder is a warrior who wields a powerful hammer, and that is about it. But he has always been a part of the Avengers so why not give him his own movie.

The story breaks down into two different narratives, one while Thor is on Asgard and one while on Earth. While they do overlap, they also seem to be fairly different in tone, which may well be explained by the stable of writers that worked on the script. While on Asgard he is set to take the throne until his father Odin realizes his son is an arrogant shit and banishes him to Earth. While on Earth he tries to adapt to his new life.There is a lot more to it, stuff involving a hammer and his brother but I don't like giving away too much in these reviews. And frankly the story is kind of all over the place with the objective of the movie changing every 20 minutes or so realizing they need to do something else.

I saw this movie in 2D and am glad I did, as there is rarely an instance I feel the need to shill out more money for a pair of glasses. That is until they re-release ‘Apocalypse Now’ into theaters in 3D. The computer generated worlds were very impressive, I wonder if they looked better in 3D or if it lost some of the sharp contrasts in the conversion. Asgard seems like a wonderful place to live especially with Anthony Hopkins as your leader, I don't think I would have a problem living under his rule. While I may have a problem living under the rule of Stringer Bell, I don't think I would have as much of a problem as these people did. But the stand out deity in the film is Loki.

Loki has always been kind of a dick, both in Norse mythology and in the Marvel Universe. Tom Hiddleston does a great job making him a little more complex than that. One of the very few things I knew about the Thor series was that Loki was not only Thor's arch-nemesis, but his half-brother. Hiddleston does a wonderful job capturing Loki's evil ways but also conveying the love he has for his family. The jealousy he feels for his older brother is something that siblings everywhere can relate to making this villain one of the few I have ever felt sympathetic for, an impressive piece of acting.

Hiddleton may have had the upper hand landing this role as he was working at the West End Stage with his future director Kenneth Branagh. It was an interesting choice having a director typically associated with Shakespeare to take on a superhero movie, but maybe considering the source material it wasn't that far off. Branagh takes what he is comfortable with and applies it to his blockbuster; 'Henry V' is about a young prince who goes to war while courting a girl from a different country, sounds a lot like what I was watching the other day.

Branagh was also essential in snagging Natalie Portman who was quoted as saying "I was just like Kenneth Branagh doing 'Thor' is super-weird, I've gotta do it." She, much like Hopkins, didn't add too much to the story except for a name on the poster. Her role was fun, but all she was asked to do was to look sexy-smart and to give her hero the googley eyes. Mission accomplished.

The best part of the Earth portion of the story was Chris Hemsworth. The lead didn't have too much going for him in the opening part of the story. He had his hammer and that was about it. He does his best as a god trying to fit into a mortal world; it is there you see glimpses of charm and charisma which is why he landed the role. Oden was right to banish his son, it definitely made Thor a better person, or at the very least, more interesting.

As a standalone movie it really is nothing but fluff. This is fine for an early summer flick to get us ready for the other blockbusters. It also helps build the anticipation for 'The Avengers.' While some people are getting sick of all the hype already I am not one of them, I mean come on it’s being directed by Joss Weadon. Hopefully the other superheroes of the summer will have a little bit more to say than Thor did. C

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zephyr2050 May 26, 2011

I pretty much agree with your major points. The fact that it was hyped as being the best super-hero movie since "The Dark Knight" certainly elevated my expectations, but it sadly fell short. But! I'm never one to deny amazing eye candy like Chris Hemsworth, (^o^). Thanks for the review!

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woopak_the_thrill May 21, 2011

Quite a good, and well-rounded review. I liked The Dark Knight quite a bit but I don't really think Iron Man was all that. I really wanted to like this movie but this was a little vapid, and I agree with your closing remarks. Really liked reading your review, thanks! However, I don't think he is one of Marvel's more boring heroes, but I have to say his stories in the early days were indeed a little boring, but not anymore...but, this movie does make him boring somewhat....LOL!

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More Thor (2011 movie) reviews

review by woopak_the_thrill. May 06, 2011

posted in Movie Hype

Whosoever Holds This Hammer If He Be Worthy, Shall Possess The Power of Thor!!

Those who follow my blurbs and/or write ups know that I have recently posted a sort of ‘guide’ to Thor since I think it is safe to assume that not that many folks have knowledge of the character and who he is. The character isn’t as widely popular as “Superman” or as familiar as Spider-Man. Well, after almost 50 years, the Marvel character known as “Thor” is finally being unleashed as a massive mainstream movie. When I heard that the first intended director … more

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review by woopak_the_thrill. May 05, 2011

posted in Movie Hype

The God of Thunder Finally On His First Feature Film...Hype On!!

It is pretty much to be expected that I will be reviewing the film “Thor” for Movie Hype since I am a Marvel comics nut and that I pretty much almost own (or owned, since I lost a small number in a flood) every issue of the comic series since Thor first appeared in “Journey Into Mystery”. I even used "Thor" as my profile avatar in this site for awhile (people asked me: "Is that He-Man?" LOL!). To hype up the film adaptation of Marvel’s own “God … more

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review by TheJohn. May 06, 2012

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This S.H.I.E.L.D. movie needed more Thor

Remember the 80's with movies like Masters of the Universe, Beastmaster 2, among others that took it's far out fantasy characters from another world, took them from that other world and dropped them into modern day Earth? How about other comic movies like Judge Dredd that remove the protagonist from his job and have him more down to Earth or less fantastic? Thats what sadly happens here to Thor but don't compare this completely to those I just mentioned as it's not that … more

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review by HDepew. May 07, 2011

posted in Movie Hype

Thor... an attempt to bring Shakespeare to comics

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 … more

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review by JP_Rocky_Raccoon. December 06, 2011

'Thor' Revitalizes the Comic Hero Movie

'Thor' at first glance doesn't do anything new, but it's so well done, it absorbs for two hours and leaves one feeling entirely transported. The plot is hardly convoluted: Thor is groomed to be the next successor for his elderly father, but Thors headstrong, warlord character flaws get him kicked out of the galaxy (sort of a part Scandinavia in space) and sent to earth, almost powerless. The culture clash is like an alien pro wrestler caught in a web of our present, complicated society. Kenneth … more

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review by CRSwanson. May 10, 2011

Ragnarok and Roll!

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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review by ryguy4738. October 09, 2011

posted in Movie Hype

Entertaining but flawed Marvel superhero origin story.

**1/2 out of **** Explosions, special effects, a sense of humor, and enthusiastic, dedicated leads. I'm getting tired of superhero movies; as 2011 seems to be a pretty big year for them, albeit a very mediocre one. You've got your good superhero movies and then you've got the ones that lack depth of importance. Chances are, I will forget most of the superhero movies I've seen including the ones that I simply liked. The ones that I loved shall get a much more appropriate treatment. … more

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review by kfontenot. June 01, 2011

Call Down Thunder!

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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review by MichaelN. September 17, 2011

posted in Movie Hype

Better Than I Expected But Still Not Great

I wasn't expecting much when I saw this film. I was thinking that it would be worse than Daredevil. It was actually better. Asgard had been at war with the Storm Giants but a truce now prevails. Thor and his brother Loki are shown being tutored by their father, Odin who is also King of Asgard. Odin decides that he will name Thor as his air and on the day he will make it public, some Storm Giants are able to sneak in to try to steal a casket that will give their realm great … more

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review by rrznik. May 23, 2011

posted in Forbidden Planet - Sci-Fi Books & Films!

Thor Wears Women's Underwear

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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see all Thor (2011 movie) reviews (28)

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zstoner66
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About this movie

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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/

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