|
Thor
| Released |
27 April 2011 |
| Director |
Kenneth Branagh |
Starring
|
Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgard, Clark Gregg, Renne Russo |
Writer(s)
|
Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz, Don Payne |
| Producer(s) |
Kevin Feige |
| Origin |
United States |
| Running Time |
130 minutes |
| Genre |
Action, adventure, drama |
| Rating |
12A |
|
|
Thorific.
Marvel, although masters of the superhero genre in all its glorious paperback form, have never been ones to stick with convention when transferring their revered tales to celluloid. Many eyebrows were raised when it was announced that Jon Favreau was to direct Marvel Studios début solo feature Iron Man. If Favreau raised eyebrows, the announcement that Kenneth Branagh would direct the studios third solo venture left jaws unceremoniously rooted to the floor and Thor fan-boys from here to Asgard sighing a lamented 'WTF'. Little did the wider Thor community know that locked away somewhere in the depths of the Hamlet and Henry V director was a Thor enthusiast –one since the age of eight if stories are to be believed– and in turn a safe pair of hands. Branagh has stayed extremely faithful to the comic books he read as a child and crafted a fan-boys wet dream, so much so that if you're not up to speed with the mythology that surrounds the God of Thunder, at times you may be left scratching your head wondering what's going on?
Branagh's take on this Thor origin story is as fantastical as anything produced in recent film memory. Lord of the Rings was the first film that sprang to mind as Branagh's camera dips and soars throughout a bird's eye introduction to the mystical realm of Asgard. Epic in scale, and visually stunning, it was crucial Branagh got Asgard right as most of the action unfolds in Thor’s homeland. As is often the case, the CGI effects work best when they're not limited to natural backgrounds and for a first foray into the action movie genre, Branagh does exceedingly well. His direction is solid throughout, one standout scene between Thor and his trusty hammer is surprisingly emotive, I haven't seen as strong a human connection to an inanimate object since Tom Hanks lost that ball in Castaway. Chris Hemsworth deserves some credit here as well, he does a fine job playing both Thors, firstly the arrogant but likeable God of Thunder and then the bumbling (still likeable) mortal whose been cast to Earth to learn some valuable life lessons. The supporting cast do well assisting proceedings even if at times it does feel like Branagh could have left one or two of them sidelined for this Thor outing.
Marvel's latest isn't the complete picture though, far from it. At times you can't help but be reminded that you're watching a PG13 movie, wishing a darker tone might creep into proceedings. Then there's Thor's love interest Natalie Portman. As you would expect, she gives an assured performance as Jane Foster but their relationship seems rushed. This isn't to say that they're not a lovely couple but it just doesn't seem plausible when that exaggerated kiss finally comes. Then there's the plot. Like Zach Synder’s Watchmen, there are elements of Thor that Branagh takes for granted the audience is already familiar with. This is a minor gripe but at times some audience members will be left wondering why exactly a certain event occurred. You have to remember that Branagh is trying to take fifty years of comic book folklore and condense it into a two hour movie. Not an easy task.
So Thor is not without its flaws but as mentioned these are more minor than major inadequacies and don't take from the movie as a whole. Marvel have delivered yet another solid feature and with Captain America and The Avengers set to roll into theatres in the not too distance future it's fair to have high hopes for both films, particularly in the latter case.
- David Prendergast |
