Thor - (May 6, 2011): PG-13
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #1 with $65,723,338
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $65,723,338
Gross Revenue: $241,723,338
Budget: $150 million
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Public interest for Thor has been growing ever since the character was referenced during a post-credits scene in last summer’s Iron Man 2, the appearance of mystical hammer Mjolnir indicating that audiences would soon be introduced to Marvel’s interpretation of the Norse God of Thunder. Australian newcomer Chris Hemsworth, perhaps best known for his brief appearance in the opening scene of 2009’s Star Trek, had been cast as the titular character, and he would be working with director Kenneth Branagh, someone who has built a reputation for his focus on the works of Shakespeare. The project for this film adaptation has been stuck in development hell for years, and to a certain extent, Marvel’s hesitancy to tackle this character was completely understandable; rather than gaining powers from technology, mutation, or chemical disaster (as is the case for 90% of superheroes), Thor’s powers from the fact that he is the actual God of Thunder…showcasing a deity rather than a scientist or geeky teenager would make it pretty difficult to get audiences to relate to the protagonist. Still, as a founding member of the superhero team The Avengers, there was no way Marvel could ignore the character, and as such, leading up to its release, promotions for Thor were all over the place. Paramount brokered deals with Acura, Burger King, Dr. Pepper, 7 Eleven and Visa for licensed material, character integrated commercials, and extensive product placement (at one point during the film, several S.H.I.E.L.D agents pull up in their new Acuras to confront Thor, who walks past a strategically placed Dr. Pepper vending machine). An early overseas release indicated that audiences were actually responding in quite a positive manner to Thor, and being a fan of the character myself, I was understandably excited to see and review Marvel’s newest heavyweight.
Within the Marvel Universe, Earth and the surrounding solar system exist as one of the Nine Realms of the known universe, and the governing realm, known as Asgard, is occupied by supernatural beings that have often been worshiped throughout history (most notably in Norse mythology) as gods. Set in present day, Thor begins as King Odin (Anthony Hopkins) prepares to accede the throne of Asgard to his son, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), but the ceremony is interrupted by Odin’s ancient enemies, the Frost Giants. Despite Odin’s warnings, Thor arrogantly attacks the Frost Giants on their home turf and shatters the fragile peace that had once existed between the two worlds; as a result, Odin strips Thor of his powers and banishes him to Earth, where he encounters scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), her assistant Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), and her mentor, Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård). Unbeknownst to Thor, Odin has also sent the mystical hammer Mjolnir (the source of Thor’s power) to Earth, and it is now protected by a spell to ensure that only those most worthy be able to wield the weapon. The dual arrival of Thor and Mjolnir on Earth attracts the attention of government agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), who seeks to understand the mystical nature of recent events. Unfortunately, during Thor’s absence from Asgard, his mischievous brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) hatches a scheme to seize the throne; in the face of this new threat, Thor must learn from his past mistakes, discover the hero within, regain his powers, and save the lives of those he loves.
The above story may sound a little generic, but luckily the strongest elements of Thor are the characters which inhabit that story. Chris Hemsworth demonstrates considerable charisma as the conflicted protagonist; not only capturing Thor’s swagger and attitude, but also exercising perfect comedic timing in delivering Shakespearean dialogue in wildly inappropriate situations…I guarantee you’ll be quoting him for weeks. Natalie Portman clearly has fun with her role as superhero love interest, swooning over Thor at every opportunity, and who better to play a pissed-off patriarchal deity that Sir Anthony Hopkins? The real treat is Tom Hiddleston, giving off a manipulative air and veiling his sinister motives with such charm that he quickly transforms Loki into the type of villain you absolutely love to hate. As is typical of a comic book movie, Thor also delivers considerable action and special effects, but fans will perhaps most delight in the strong references to the deeper Marvel universe that are present within the film. Besides the obligatory post-credits scene, not only does S.H.I.E.L.D. play a direct role in the story, but sharp moviegoers will catch the references to Iron Man, The Hulk, and the extended cameo of another superhero that will be a part of the Avengers team next summer. Yet, for as enjoyable as Thor is as a summer film, some weak elements prevent this newest comic book adventure from reaching its true potential.
Given the complicated back-story of the title character, it was going to be difficult to adapt a superhero based on Norse mythology for a more casual audience, and as expected, some of the more complicated elements of the source material weakened the story and interrupted the pacing of the film. Introducing audiences to Asgard, explaining the characters that inhabit its environment, and showing how they travel between realms, is more than enough material to fill an entire movie, but Thor is forced to squeeze all of that material together in a passable way alongside superhero action in order to keep audiences engaged. In the end, it takes quite a bit of faith for moviegoers to accept and relate to all the elements that compose Thor’s world; Tony Stark is a genius who built himself of suit of power armor (sure)…Bruce Banner transformed after a horrific scientific accident that involved radiation (okay)…Thor is a god who came to earth and whose power is generated by a hammer (ehhhh). To be fair, handling this source material could have been an absolute disaster, but Thor pulled if off with some well-placed, self-aware humor, so any complaints I have may just be a necessary evil of the film. I had also praised Thor for the way the film integrated the deeper Marvel Universe, but it does seem like the filmmakers decided to designate Thor as simply a set-up for next summer’s The Avengers instead of developing it into it’s own standalone film; had I not known that Thor himself would be back on screen next summer, I would have designated the unsatisfying and abrupt ending among the worst I have ever seen. If you’re looking for the film to make perfect sense, good luck, but if you are willing to open your mind, accept the source material, and just enjoy Thor for what it is, then you will still be thoroughly entertained.
From a box office perspective, Thor has been quite impressive...not on the same scale as Iron Man or 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, but impressive nevertheless with $65.7 million its opening weekend. Unfortunately, it’s hard not to compare Thor’s opening to that of Fast Five from the week before, but like I said in that review, an opening on that scale defies almost every established norm. With international receipts already helping Thor cover its production budget and The First Avenger dropping in July, Paramount has little to worry about in terms of superhero revenue, even if the first weekend of the Summer Movie Season is where a film will see its best numbers drop. It may not be perfect, but if anything else, Thor will also act as a lightning rod to generate further interest in The Avengers for next summer, and I guarantee that the future superhero ensemble will break all kinds of records. Is Thor the best superhero movie since The Dark Knight? Probably, but consider that the films being used for that comparison include X-men Origins: Wolverine and Jonah Hex. Will you still enjoy the hell out of it? Of course.
Overall Recommendation: High
