Thor Movie Review

As a big fan of the Marvel Universe, I can't necessarily say that I am a big fan of Thor. Surely, I am aware that he is one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe, and one of the key members of the original Avengers, but he was never a favorite of mine, I was more of that Iron Man, Hulk kind of kid. But Thor is still awesome, and I think that it was a unique and different idea for the comic book creators to take a character from Norse mythology and turn him into a butt kicking hero with an iconic helmet an indestructible hammer, Mjollnir. So when I heard that they were making a film based on this comic book legend, I was very excited, for we would finally be seeing Thor and the Land of Asgard come to life in a way never seen before, further tying the Marvel Movie Universe together with films like Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. And after seeing Thor in all it's glory, I can honestly say, I have underestimated this film terribly, thinking it wouldn't be all that special, but really, it was totally worth it. Like Iron Man, it was a super hero film like no other, a unique diverse motion picture that took some serious limitations, and it all worked out in the end, for Thor was surely one of the best super hero films I have seen in a while, and knowing that this will all tie into next summer's Avengers movie, it makes it all the better, and I am looking forward to seeing what occurs next in the heavily expanding movie world of Marvel.

The world of Asgard was gorgeous! It was a visually stunning world of vibrant and exotic material, further showing the advanced, luxurious life-style of Odin, the ruler of this land, and his family. But the fight scenes that occur in this mythological land is where this film really shines. The battle between Thor and the Frost Giants, what can I say. INCREDIBLE!  It's up there with the lightcycle chase in TRON: Legacy as one of the most visually appealing suspense sequences I have ever seen in this day in age. The CGI and computer rendering of the creatures in this film was some of the best CGI  I have seen in quite awhile, on par with some of the CGI in the latest Star Wars films and the T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. I thinks it's absolutely amazing what Thor is able to do with Mjollnir, the all powerful hammer that nearly no one, except Thor can pick up. Once he throws that hammer, the enemy crumbles to the ground in defeat, and as Thor dashes and smashes the mighty hammer into the ground, all enemies go soaring to their doom. Gotta love stuff like that! It's usually stunning action sequences like that that really attract me to the film, and make me want to see the film more than once. Talk about action that really stays true to the comics! It even puts some of the action scenes in the Iron Man films to shame.

The acting in this film was pretty good. I loved Chris Hemsworth as Thor, for I could not picture anybody else playing the God of Thunder. He played the role off so well and you could tell that he wanted to take his role very seriously, delivering some over the top acting like no other in the film. I also liked Anthony Hopkins as Odin, although, he seemed a little intimidating in a couple of scenes, but hey, what can you expect from a guy who likes to eat liver, fava beans and a nice chianti. With that smoky white beard and gold eyepatch, he was certainly born to play the character, delivering some of the best lines out of the entire film. Natalie Portman was also good as Jane Foster, of course coming off from his Academy Award winning role as Nina Sayers in Black Swan, but her acting in this film was nothing on par to that. But the role that really stood out to me the most was Tom Hiddleston as Loki, the psychotic half brother of Thor who is out for Asgard domination. He has that scheming, snarling face that not even the Loki in the comics could compare too. And that voice, that calm, chilling voice really makes the character menacing as all heck. No wonder Thor wants to take him out. Loki is hands down one villain you don't want to fool around with, for with his mystical abilities, he will surely take you out one way or another. 

But what really made the film stick out like Alfalfa's hair was how Thor tries to blend in with everyday humanity after being exiled to Earth for his dark deeds in Asgard. He tries desperately to act and speak like a normal human being, but overall comes out acting mentally psychotic, trying to make people bow before him and except him as the mighty Thor. My favorite scene was the scene where Thor, Jane and Darcy are in the diner, and Thor declares that he likes coffee, smashing the coffee mug on the ground and demanding another cup of coffee. The scene was seen in the trailer for the film, but still remains one of my favorite moments in the entire film, for it really makes this super hero flick stand out from all the others. Eventually, more residents of Asgard travel to Earth, told by Loki to kill Thor, resulting in some more great action sequences, Thor even going up against the automaton wonder himself, Destroyer, in my favorite fight scene in the entire film. As Thor's Asgardian friends take on Destroyer, they are beaten quite easily, as Thor himself engages in an epic duel with the robot fighter, but is vastly outnumbered. Luckily, Mjollnir comes back to him, and he uses it to beat the living tar out of Destroyer, heading back to Asgard and confronting the villainous Loki. And I love the relationships between the characters in this film. The relationship between Odin and Thor, the relationship between Thor and Jane, the relationship between Odin and Loki, the relationship between Loki and Laufey, leader of the Frost Giants, and most of all, the "brotherly love" between Thor and Loki. They are all great, and make a great story that really sucks us into the action and wonder. 

The final moments of the film is where it really gets good, Thor and Loki getting into an epic battle to the death, as a huge vortex opens up before them, Odin preventing his sons from falling into the abyss, but Loki, realizing that Odin isn't happy with his attempts of conquering the land, allows himself to fall into the vortex WHERE HE WILL NEVER BE HEARD FROM AGAIN. Of course I say this, for like all Marvel films lately, there is a scene after the credits, where a character from another Marvel film makes an appearance, in this case, Nick Fury, who has a talk with the scientist Selvig on the powerful Cosmic Cube, which as we know in the comics is a way of traveling from one dimension to the next, the Avengers able to interact with different civilizations in the comics like the Skrulls. In a twist of irony, an invisible Loki, who we see through a nearby mirror, appears and persuades Selvig to study the device, which will one way or another lead into next year's Avengers movie, which will surely be just as epic as this thrilling masterpiece.

I loved this film and everything about it. It had great action mixed in with some hilarious humor and had me wondering in a couple of incidents what was going to happen next. Like Iron Man, it was filled with some out of the ordinary stuff that I thoroughly enjoyed, and with an entirely original concept like Thor, you can't go wrong. If you are a comic book fan that is looking for a good popcorn flick that will have you on the edge of your seat, this is one film to watch. if you are looking for a good action flick to enjoy, look no further than this film. Summer has surely started with a bang, and I personally can't wait to see the epic tale of Steve Rodgers unfold in Captain America: The First Avenger, hitting theaters in July. Finally, we will see the epic beginning of what will become the Avengers saga, and I am anxious to see how this ties in with Thor and the many other movies in the Marvel Movie universe. But Thor is certainly the best film of the summer so far, and I will certainly be looking forward to seeing it more than once, for I can't recommend it enough to any die-hard movie goer or person bend on becoming a comic book movie historian. Thank you Kenneth Branagh and everyone else who worked on this film for giving us a lovely, wonderfully exciting super hero epic that I will enjoy watching several hundred years from now. It was sensational!