Some would argue that assumption.
Posted on 05/15/2011 4:35:41 AM PDT by GonzoII
I went to see the Thor movie yesterday with my family and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Thor was one of the more original superheroes devised by Marvel in the Sixties. Doctor Donald Blake, on a vacation in Norway, stumbles into a cave where he finds Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer, disguised as a walking stick. Striking it he is transformed into Thor, god of Thunder. As Thor, Blake finds that he has super strength, can fly by flinging Mjolnir and hanging on, that Mjolnir is close to indestructible and will return to Thor after he throws it, that he can produce lightning and thunder by striking the ground with Mjolnir, etc. After a few issues, Thor went to Asgard and met the rest of the panoply of the Norse pantheon, including his father Odin, and his adopted brother Loki, god of mischief and eventually god of evil.
In his early years Thor had adventures on Earth, or Midgard as the Norse referred to it, and in Asgard and the other nine realms of Norse mythology. An early feature of the series was Tales of Asgard, where episodes of Norse mythology were re-enacted, sort of Marvel Comics meets Classics Illustrated. Eventually Thor spent most of his time in Asgard, his secret identity of Donald Blake going by the board, especially after Thor learned that he had always been Thor and that Odin had placed him on Midgard in the guise of Donald Blake in order to teach him humility. Thor was one of my favorite comic book series as I was growing up in the Sixties. I was fascinated by the Norse mythology background and I found the Thor stories to be more imaginative than the more prosaic and formulaic superhero adventures of most of the other comic book series. Australian actor Chris Hemsworth does a good job in the title role, presenting a Thor filled with good humor and courage as he makes his way without his powers on the strange world of Midgard. The amount of humor in the film came as a pleasant surprise to me. With a theme like Thor I am sure there was a temptation to go Wagnerian with the subject matter, and the humor helps leaven what could have been a don’t-you-dare-smile-movie which is usually a mistake when you are dealing with an inherently absurd premise as is the case with any superhero movie.
Anthony Hopkins as Odin gives an adequate performance as Odin, his role demonstrating once again that British actors of a certain vintage are always able to find roles as authority figures in American pictures.
Natalie Portman plays Jayne Foster, the mortal love interest of Thor. I usually find Portman’s performances rather annoying due to her manifest lack of skill as an actress, but that was not the case in this film where I thought she gave a fairly funny, in a good way, performance.
The best performance in the film is that of Tom Hiddleston, as Loki, Thor’s adopted brother. Hiddleston gives suprising depth to a character who, after all, is a two-dimensional comic book villain.
The film revolves around the relationship between Odin and his two sons. The action spans Asgard, Midgard and Jotunheim, the realm of the Frost Giants. Kenneth Branagh as the director deserves a fair amount of credit in taking a complicated premise in terms of mythology and creating an entertaining romp through that mythology a la Marvel Comics. The movie is extremely family friendly and teaches good lessons about humility, honoring one’s parents and courage without superpowers. Not a bad way to spend a family outing.
Thor appeared before Barney Frank and declared “I am Mighty Thor”.
To which Frank replied “Tho am I, pal, tho am I”.
ain't that what Barney Frank sez after a wild weekend???
We saw it yesterday. Surprisingly good flick; better than I thought it would be. Very, very well directed.
Dang beat me too it.
I posted my opinions in another Thor thread, but will reiterate that this is a very good movie where even a god needs to learn humility and morality.
This is the reason I was always a Marvel comics fan. Each hero has to deal with real-life issues while doing the right thing.
I pray Hollywood does not mess with Captain America....the only other human worthy of lifting Thor’s hammer!
can’t wait to see it. gotta work all weekend though so gonna have to wait.
I move that this post be designated THE post of the day. Can I get a second?
It's just that personally, I wonder if the movie industry will ever realize that comic books are for the kids, and give us a few more intelligent films for adults.
It's just that personally, I wonder if the movie industry will ever realize that comic books are for the kids, and give us a few more intelligent films for adults.
Some would argue that assumption.
Is there ANY multicultral stuff in this movie at all? I mean, the man was a Viking, ya know...
Does he discover that he’s part black or something?
How could they be loyal 2 the story...?
According to Marvel Comics, Thor was created as a superhero for marvel because they needed someone who could defeat the Hulk. The Hulk is so powerful it took a god to defeat him, yet I can't find any information that Thor did defeat the Hulk. Anyway, when I was growing up, comic books were a great friend in trying times.
Of his three companions, one is a woman and one is Asian and the gatekeeper is black. But the actors are good and all seem appropriate for their parts to the point, it did not even occur to me until you brought it up.
In mythology (and the comics series) Heimdall the gatekeeper is white. Sif, the female companion, becomes Thor's love interest later in the comics series, and they have a daughter.
A human/god love story like Jane/Thor can never work out long term. She will age and die, he won't.
The studio may have negotiated for it because a PG-13 rating has box office benefits with their target audience a PG would not.
His panties look like an alien...
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