Admittedly I’m a little biased when it comes to the Marvel stable of heroes and their cinematic presentations. Like a Lucas apologist, I found the good in more middling efforts like the FF and Daredevil. I loved Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk (Ang Lee’s Hulk, not so much). Iron Man 2 didn’t blow my skirt up, but I dug it.
I loved Thor and here’s why. Perhaps no other Marvel character poses the kind of challenge presented by the God of Thunder. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created a fantastic universe rooted in Norse mythology heightened by Lee’s over-the-top prose and Kirby’s stunning visuals (the like of which had never been seen before). Twenty years later, Walt Simonson augmented Lee and Kirby with a unique touch that breathed new life into the character, and most recently, J. Michael Straczynski gave the God of Thunder a staggeringly unique polish (did anyone catch his cameo?)
Thor works just fine in the four-color medium where heightened reality is the order of the day. However, most successful superhero adaptations manage to ground themselves in some type of reality. Thor effectively balances the fantastic with the realistic. In the wrong hands this could’ve been a disaster, but they chose wisely hiring Kenneth Branagh as director, an artist well versed in making stuffy Shakespearian dialogue palatable for modern audiences.
In my opinion, the film’s visuals were stunning – from the spires of Asgard to the Rainbow Bridge, to the lair of the Frost Giants. Asgard is pure Kirby and the CGI enhancement of the practical sets works beautifully. Once Thor arrives on Earth the film’s tone shifts dramatically, but it works. I applaud Branagh for navigating both realms equally well.
Casting is inspired. Chris Hemsworth captures the God of Thunder’s brash, impetuous nature, as well as his wit, charm and heroism. The character’s arc is at the heart of the film, and his transformation at the end is both believable and compelling. The real standout for me was Tom Hiddleston as Loki. He steals the show by embodying the God of Mischief’s naked ambition, jealousy and treachery with aplomb.
As a longtime comic reader it was wonderful to see other characters from the comic mythos like Lady Sif, the Warriors Three and the Destroyer. Natalie Portman is effective as a rote love interest and Stellan Skarsgaard seems to be there for no other reason than to set the stage for the Avengers. The film sows the seeds for the forthcoming super hero mashup but it never distracts from the main story.
This was a tricky one and it was the adaptation that made me the most nervous. For my money it approached (but not necessarily eclipsed) Iron Man in quality.
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