Thor (Hemsworth), the heir to the throne of a dimension-hopping race revered as gods on Earth, is banished from Asgard by his father Odin (Hopkins) and exiled to Earth. Here, he must discover himself and confront the threat posed by his jealous brother Loki (Hiddleston)…
*This paragraph plays on the multiple meanings of the word “cheesy,” encompassing “corny,” “low-quality,” and “utter rubbish.”
If, like John Cleese in the classic Monty Python sketch, you adore cheese (or its cinematic equivalents*) and find your favorite delicacy missing, you might experience similar disappointment after watching Kenneth Branagh’s “Thor,” the latest superhero film financed by Marvel. At first glance, all the cheddar needed to rival competitors like Flash Gordon at conventions seems present: massive sets, implausible characters with silly names, and corresponding superpowers. Yet, “Thor” is too well-crafted for ordinary, tasteless cinema mozzarella. It’s a fascinating film and further proof that Marvel Studios knows exactly what to do with its archives.
This Odinson (mighty as Vic Armstrong in this case) has cleverly positioned himself. Unlike Iron Man, Hulk, or Captain America, he’s a god. A real god, with terrifying abilities and a rich backstory. Such material is challenging to handle. This character demands special attention, or the film could become pompous, pathetic, or – worst of all – unintentionally funny. Before you know it, you’ll be jumping from the frying pan into… ancient Norse Niflheim!
A Swift Introduction to Asgard
“Thor” starts with a bang. Immediately following the pre-title sequence in New Mexico is a dense thirty-minute episode in Asgard, where we meet all the main characters – Thor, his dark-haired brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), and their father Odin (Anthony Hopkins). It turns out these incredibly powerful beings are at war with a race of Ice Giants. The scale of the material, filmed with moving cameras against the stunning backdrop of boundless Asgard, is such that it’s safe to say Marvel has never attempted anything like it before.
Navigating the Narrative
At times, it’s simply bewildering – a comic book with nearly fifty years of history is compressed so quickly and densely that creating believable characters seems far from the primary goal. One suspects a lot of material was left on the cutting room floor: Rene Russo, playing Thor’s mother Frigga, clearly needs to have a word with her agent, and the film’s main intrigue, the conflict between Thor and Loki, remains largely undeveloped for a long time.
The Shakespearean Influence
But when it unfolds (Loki cunningly manipulates a hungry Thor into disobeying his father’s orders and kicking an Ice Giant’s butt, for which the protagonist is eventually kicked out of Asgard), it’s truly powerful! After Marvel approved Branagh as director (another unusual choice, consistent with previous ones; recall Jon Favreau, Joe Johnston, Joss Whedon, and Shane Black), there was a strong sense that the Bond franchise served as a model: technology gurus ensure full compliance of all sorts of gadgets with the latest cinematic trends, while directors bring their own skill and expertise. When it comes to adapting Shakespearean material (and there’s definitely something of the great poet in the relationship between Thor, Loki, and Odin), Branagh is simply unmatched.
When father and sons start tearing into each other, it’s impressive. The actors attack the material (and each other) with the ferocity and power so characteristic of London’s West End stage. In one episode, Loki (Hiddleston), an ambiguous villain whose character surprisingly combines the most contradictory traits, argues with Odin about his true origins. It’s a deeply personal and very touching scene, yet the characters are thunderous and deafening. But what else would you expect from gods?
Thor on Earth
And just as you get used to such speeds, Thor suddenly finds himself in modern reality. The tricky problem of his omnipotence is solved simply in the film: Thor loses his magic hammer Mjolnir, and with it, his abilities. The film’s tone subtly shifts when Thor (and later, in the film’s funniest scene, the Warriors Three and Sif) encounters humans: everything he says and does seems funny and absurd to them. And here, Hemsworth, the Australian actor who impressed everyone with a single cameo scene in “Star Trek,” where he played Kirk’s doomed father, shows himself in all his glory. Humility and humor emerge in his boisterous god of thunder. In one scene, Thor disperses hospital orderlies with an angry cry: “Dare you attack the son of Odin?!?” After “Thor,” Hemsworth is a true star. He’s an expert in action and an excellent comedian; he’s magnificent in romantic scenes with Natalie Portman, who plays Jane Foster (and only the blind wouldn’t see the romance here), and shines like a diamond in the ring that Prince William gave Kate Middleton on their engagement.
It will be very interesting to see Hemsworth alongside Robert Downey Jr. (and Chris Evans) in “The Avengers” (2012), . Marvel was heavily criticized for turning “Iron Man 2” (2010) into a long trailer for this big venture, and they learned from it. Yes, S.H.I.E.L.D. is involved. Yes, Jeremy Renner appears in a single, surprisingly pointless scene as the super-archer named Hawkeye. But despite this, “Thor” is a completely independent film. Let’s raise a glass of mead to that and have a feast worthy of a king. Just no cheese, please!