The average John and Jane Q. separates the science fiction and fantasy movie genres with a very fine line. The polar opposite being the Great Wall of China sized partition a hard-core superfan of either faction is willing to defend in a heated nerdgument. Either way, the glaring difference between the two has always been the existence of rules. Exceptional science fiction relies on the creativity and imagination of the rules created in its own world and then even more importantly, how they are followed. However with fantasy, magic is always the predominant tool. The problem with that is no matter how many rules are set, magic always holds the skeleton key to unlock them at any given point in the story. So the trick, bad pun intended, with a tale involving magic is to create the notion that some form of inherent bounds or uncrossable line actually exists. Unfortunately, that line is effortlessly smashed into oblivion by the hammer of Thor.
Thor is the fourth film for Marvel Studios in their lead up to the much anticipated ensemble The Avengers, scheduled for release in 2012. Much like the Norse legend, the Marvel version of Thor is the god of thunder who lives in a magical realm known as Asgard. Thor (Chris Hemsworth, Star Trek, 2009) is the heir to King Odin (Anthony Hopkins, The Rite, Beowulf) and the thrown, but Odin has reservations about whether his first born son is ready for the responsibility. Thor’s younger brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston, Archipelago) also covets the crown, always trying to prove himself as equal to Thor in the eyes of their father.
Undoubtedly, Thor is the most challenging character Marvel has tried to adapt into a live-action motion picture. The background and capabilities of his character are very unique, yet must be seamlessly brought into the same “real-world” environments that previous characters like Iron Man and The Hulk have already established. In this respect, director Kenneth Branagh (Hamlet, 1996) succeeded. He worked Thor into the Marvel films continuity established by the previous three films very well, keeping the overall tone and spirit of the comics in line. Though there are some jarring moments when characters on Earth in full Asgard guise trigger some flashbacks to 1987’s Masters of the Universe.
Due to the seemingly limitless power of his magic, there is very little sense of consequence surrounding Thor. During battle it appears at times that Thor’s powers may have some kind of ceiling, only to then call upon a previously unseen and even more almighty capability. This is perhaps the most difficult portion of a story involving a god and/or magic. There is a complete lack of tension eluding to the character being in any mortal danger. Conversely, this is where the Harry Potter films shine so triumphantly, using the same fantastical aspects of magic while keeping the tension and a sense of real consequence on the characters wielding it.
Thor’s script also suffers from trying to squeeze in too much content, which always results in a quick and choppy pace that uses lazy solutions to difficult plot points. This is most evident when Thor is banished from his home of Asgard by his father Odin and made to live as a mortal on Earth. Some comical moments that work nicely rise out of this scenario, but overall Thor assimilates much too quickly to the human world and crowbars in a love connection with scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman, Your Highness, Black Swan), the first person to discover him on Earth.
A choppy script also tends to limit the caliber of an actor’s performance. But when dealing with the role of a god, attitude outweighs dialogue. Chris Hemsworth‘s Thor evolves from power-hungry brat to understanding humanitarian much too abruptly, but he stays within the character and emits a true sense of what it must feel like to be a titan, even when he is mortal.
Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins and Tom Hiddleston were never really allowed to blossom due to the rapid pace of the story. Hiddleston in particular, for whom this is his first widely released film, showed much promise as the antagonist Loki. His demeanor is pitch perfect for the jealous god of mischief and emotes a disturbing uneasiness without utterting a word. Although much like Kevin Spacey in Superman Returns, the script limited Hiddleston’s effectiveness, regulating Loki to more of a blatant liar than an incredibly clever manipulator and trickster.
All of these issues withstanding, there still remains a free toy at the bottom of the cereal box. The fantastic visual effects, which are intentionally over polished, authentically rip the magical realm of Asgard directly from the pages of the comic book. Also, a great deal of action is injected into the first act including one or two goosebump moments demonstrating Thor’s incredible power. However, this wanes throughout the film and even the climax falls well short of the opening few scenes.
The most fortunate power Thor has in its corner is the willingness of its audience to overlook its weak points and instead of judging it as a stand-alone story, view it as a means to introduce the characters for their very important roles in The Avengers.
Story: 6.5
Acting: 7.5
Writing: 6.0
Captivation: 7.0
Replay Value: 7.5
Total = 6.9 out of 10
