14 DAY TRIAL // Where Shakespeare meets Marvel, the biggest and well-greased comic book-based movie making machine, there’s the recently released “Thor” (in 3D): over-dramatic and philosophical in its approach of family conflict, and loud and arresting in its presentation of action scenes. Still, “Thor” lacks an ultimate sense of purpose: it’s like we’ve seen all this in other, better movies.
Marvel made a very odd choice for the director of “Thor,” a release that ties in the “Iron Man” films to the upcoming “The Avengers” in 2012 (just make sure you hang out until the credits end, because there’s an Easter Egg in there for you).
British Kenneth Branagh is well-known for his vast Shakespearean work (he directed countless movie adaptations), with his “Hamlet” being the perfect example of how theater should look on film – which is precisely what makes him an odd candidate for a live-action, Marvel-made, 3D, adrenaline-pumping, testosterone-packed movie like “Thor.”
The film starts with scientist trio Jane Foster (an astrophysicist played by Natalie Portman), Dr. Erik Selvig (her mentor, Stellan Skarsgard) and Darcy (an assistant, Kat Dennings) driving in the New Mexico desert to monitor an occurrence that, Jane believes, will revolutionize the world by proving that, as cliché as it may sound, “we are not alone.”
As expected, they get more than they bargain for when, in the middle of the storm, a handsome, blue-eyed, blonde and incredibly muscular man falls out of the sky – and is then smacked by Jane’s speeding truck.
The story immediately shifts focus to Asgard, a brass-colored and magical place where all the gods idly spend their time, enjoying the peace they established in the universe centuries ago while tasting the finest foods and showing off their supernatural, godly powers.
Odin (Sir Anthony Hopkins) is the king of this magical world connected to the other realms through an equally magical, rainbow bridge guarded by the all-seeing Heimdall (Idris Elba). Odin’s time is nearly up and he’s about to name the heir to the throne.
There’s Thor (Chris Hemsworth), looking positively breathtakingly statuesque in his red cape, hammer in hand, and Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who’s more feeble-looking but whose eyes betray that which he cannot hide no matter how hard he strives: a propensity to evildoing.
The king eventually chooses Thor as heir because he’s the first born, and he’s already proved he’s a worthy warrior and leader of men – but how much of a diplomat is he, another essential quality to every good king, god or not?
Apparently, that’s the one quality that the handsome Thor lacks. The moment Odin’s longtime enemies, the Frost Giants, make an attempt to break into Asgard, the God of Thunder opts to disobey his father’s command and urge to diplomacy, and teach the villains a lesson they will never forget.
His pride gets him banned to Earth where, you guessed it, he meets Jane. We’ve come full circle: man and god finally meet.
Stripped of all his superpowers, Thor is now just a simple mortal who needs “sustenance” (which is what he calls food), and who believes he can just walk into a pet shop and tell the owner he “needs a horse.” Nevertheless, he also happens to look amazing in a tight shirt.
As he sets out to prove he’s worthy of the hammer he’s also been stripped of, he will show mortals that that which they call science or magic is actually fact: they are not alone and, as much as it may pain them to accept that, they are not the most powerful either.
In the meantime, back home in Asgard, Loki is going overboard with his scheming to take over the throne and have Thor out of the picture for good.
There’s a lot going on in “Thor” and the two narratives (which also come in different tones) represent just the beginning. While said duality would, at least theoretically, ensure balance, there’s very little of that.
Critics agree that one of the biggest problems of “Thor” is the fact that it requires the viewer to take everything at face value, without being offered a context for it: quite a lot to ask from your fans. This makes everything going on onscreen not relatable at all, there’s no sense of involvement on the part of the viewer.
Similarly, characters are so vaguely drawn that they’re almost forgettable: Jane is the funny and giggly female stereotype, Thor has an imposing physical presence but zero substance, while his allies and enemies are just as weightless.
The only two characters who actually get a shot at an existence in “Thor” are Odin (which is not that surprising, since this is Hopkins we’re talking about) and Loki, whom Brit Hiddleston plays with the utmost relish, even if he sometimes gets too carried away.
Overall, “Thor” is funny where it’s supposed to be funny, and entertaining where it aims to be so. At the end of it, though, there’s this distinct feeling that it’s all been done before. At best, “Thor” is decently entertaining and forgettable – but, as noted above, important because Marvel wanted us to remember “The Avengers” is coming.
“Thor” runs for 114 minutes and contains violent action and brief, mild obscenity. It opened in Italy and France on April 27, has premiered in the US nationwide on May 6, and will end its run in Japan on July 1, 2011.
