THOR! FROM THE STUDIO THAT BROUGHT YOU… IRON MAN! FEATURING THE STAR OF… eh… Home and Away! FROM THE MAN WHO DIRECTED…ah here…Hamlet? And Henry V? And other wordy, Shakespearean films you only watched because it was on the Leaving Cert? IT PROMISES TO BE… Jesus, who knows.
Despite its undeniably bizarre pitch, Thor thoroughly exceeds expectations. Branagh proves he’s well able to direct a CGI-heavy action movie, while imbuing Thor with the rounded characters and witty moments so often missing from superhero movies.
The King of Asgard (Anthony Hopkins) is almost ready to retire his throne, and all eyes are on his arrogant warrior son Thor (Chris Hemsworth.) But when Thor’s manipulated by his slimy brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) into starting a war, he’s banished to Earth. The plot is perfectly suited to Branagh’s love of Shakespeare, and the familial and regal feuds provide depth and interest to this Norse nonsense.
Visually however, Thor’s a mixed bag. The celestial realm of Asgard is filled with beautiful features such as a breathtaking rainbow bridge and the numerous battle sequences are thrilling to watch. But the larger cityscapes prove too ambitious and end up looking unforgivably cartoonish. As ever, the 3D proves to be a detracting irritation so skip the glasses – all the clearer to check out Hemsworth’s beefcake physique, my dear!
Though his dominating physical presence would have been enough for me, Hemsworth also proves himself a comic talent, and Thor’s deluded arrogance makes for some brilliantly funny moments on Earth. There are however far too many superfluous sidekicks, and disappointingly, Natalie Portman remains awkwardly unconvincing as a mainstream love interest.
Featuring numerous clever nods to Iron Man, Thor will entertain wide audiences and tease Marvel fans as it brilliantly sets up the upcoming ensemble film The Avengers. A fun, action-packed adventure, Thor adds another fantastical world to the Marvel universe.