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 (051311-original
pub date/091322-reformat date)
Now
here’s a superhero that’s difficult to translate to the big screen. Born of
mythology and armed with a magical hammer, Thor isn’t exactly Batman or Iron
Man, lacking the brood and the gadgets required to keep viewers in a shadowy
mood of fractured valor. To successfully bring the character to cinemas,
director Kenneth Branagh has conjured an epic visual experience, infusing “Thor”
with the expansive sweep of a comic book and some snappy personality, creating a
wildly entertaining yarn that effectively launches the adventures of a new
cinematic caped crusader (and his trusty hammer).
Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is the ruler of Asgard, a vast golden kingdom where magic
reigns. After thwarting the universe-dominating efforts of the Frost Giants of
Jotunheim, Odin keeps peace, educating his two sons, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and
Thor (Chris Hemsworth), on the finer points of leadership, hoping to prepare his
boys for the throne. For Thor, the challenge to remain passive while the Frost
Giants make a new play for the all-powerful Casket of Ancient Winters is too
much, and for his arrogance and brash behavior, he’s exiled to Earth, where the
former God of Thunder finds himself in the care of enthusiastic physicist, Jane
Foster (Natalie Portman). Stripped of his powers, under the careful watch of
S.H.I.E.L.D., and unable to wield his weapon, the hammer Mjolnir, Thor is left
vulnerable, while Loki finds his path leading to darker forces, looking to
disrupt the power of the Bifrost Bridge, a portal leading to other worlds,
hoping to make Thor a permanent resident of Earth.
At least for the poor souls who didn’t spend their childhood with their noses in
comic books (heathens!), “Thor” isn’t always an easy film to follow. Hitting the
viewer with all sorts of locations, characters, and terms, the screenplay is
perhaps one of the more ambitious pieces of writing the genre has seen to date,
not due to rabid character complexity, but the sheer amount of exposition.
That’s right, even the hammer has a name.
There’s an entire world of “Thor” to establish in the picture, which merges
Norse and Arthurian mythology and ink-and-paint hi-jinks, creating a mesmerizing
sci-fi touch to standard hero mechanics. Thor is a god with extraordinary powers
and incredible arrogance, which provides a meaty arc of rehabilitation for the
hulking blonde, who looks to reclaim the war cry he lost during his fall from
Asgard. The hero is a handful, well stoked by Branagh, who brings Shakespearean
tenacity to the picture, exploring deceptions and setbacks with enthusiasm for
broad strokes of confrontation, filling the picture’s lungs with outstanding
fire and charisma, taking Thor and the Asgardian way seriously, while instilling
the rest of the film with needed Earthbound humor, or at least expected human
hesitancy.
Splitting time between magical realms and Earth, “Thor” juggles the distance
quite well, marrying some light comic relief with bellowed confrontations, with
Loki feeling out his newfound sense of purpose, turning Asgard upside down,
disrupting peace and the pure purpose of the Bifrost Bridge. Branagh cleanly
communicates the incoming threat, deploying a series of swooping camera moves
and Dutch angles to generate a proper funny book atmosphere, manufacturing a
stirring tone for a feature that’s isn’t exactly action packed. Sure, Thor does
involve himself in some early rumbling with his Asgardian brothers and sisters
(including Ray Stevenson and Jaimie Alexander), making mush out of his enemies
with the thunderous power of Mjolnir (gotta' love those thudding iron sound
effects), and there’s a whole encounter with Asgardian enforcer Destroyer, a
fire-belching machine sent to Earth to test Thor’s newly acquired skills of
negotiation. While keeping a healthy pace, “Thor” isn’t a thrill ride with stunt
sequences planted every 10 minutes. Branagh is more consumed with selling the
fantasy than the fury, a development that creates a richer, more engaging
picture. Indeed, Branagh's depiction of Asgard is majestic and breathtaking. I
also found his command of lavish special effects scenes surprising. Take for
example the Frost Giants. In most films of this sort, they would be an entirely
CGI creation. Here, Branagh chooses to use actors in makeup for many scenes and
a forced perspective of sorts to depict their great size. This brings a Ray
Harryhausen feel to the film and a more fresh and organic touch to the visuals.
With renewed focus on the plot, “Thor” is brought to life by a winning cast,
with Hemsworth proving himself in a major way as the title character. A brute of
charm and intelligence, Thor is a tricky individual, requiring a special wink
and a physical presence that’s able to convey the deflation and rebirth of a
future king. Hemsworth nails the tonality of the role, triumphantly creating a
brash and vulnerable Thor, while generating some butterflies with Portman, who
gives her side of the googly eyes a welcome spin of tickled disbelief. The love
story seems shoehorned in to warm up the proceedings, but there’s chemistry
there to be explored. Also amusing is Stellan Skarsgard as Jane’s disapproving
cohort, who dares to challenge Thor to a drinking contest. The Warriors Three
are equally merry and devious in their roles, though I must admit that Anthony
Hopkins is superbly commanding as Odin, making a regal screen impression he
hasn’t enjoyed in decades.
While Thor may partially exist to help set up next summer's superhero
extravaganza "The Avengers" where Thor will team up with Iron Man, The
Incredible Hulk and Captain America ( a cameo by Jeremy Renner as one of the
team members, Hawkeye is superfluous), the film stands completely on its own as
its own movie and proves to be an excellent addition to the superhero genre,
harkening back to the awe-inspiring simplicity of the original 1978 "Superman." |
