Thor Review: My Kingdom For A Norse

Full Disclosure: I have a past history with Thor. No, we didn’t date in high school (sorry, Gents, that’s just not the way I’m wired), nor did we run drugs for a Mexican crime lord in a past life. I did, however, work on the video game which ties directly to the film. My work on Thor (the game) granted me unique access to the film’s concept art, make up tests, character designs, costume photos, set designs and the like literally years before the final product would ever see the light of day. All of this has provided me with a unique perspective of the film and one that is not colored by predisposed affection; my work experience on Thor ended abruptly and quite badly and if anything, should have tainted my outlook on the movie, but I can say without question that Thor, the film, is a complete slam dunk and will most certainly be remembered as one of the best films of the summer.

Thor is based upon the most recent comic series written by nerd-badass J. Michael Straczynski which finds the titular god living amongst mere mortals in a sleepy New Mexico township. The film version of this storyline finds Thor worlds away in the beautiful world of Asgard where he is busy living the Life of Riley, and where his father Odin’s (Anthony Hopkins) city and inhabitants treat him like a rock star, inflating his already swollen ego with every deep-bellied “Huzzah!” they spurt forth in his presence. So much of a douchebag is Thor, that when a group of frost giants break into the city and interrupt his kingly coronation, he goes against Odin’s orders and travels to the frost giant world of Jotunheim with his closest friends The Warriors Three (Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Josh Dallas) and Sif (Jamie Alexander) with the express purpose of kicking ass and chewing bubble gum (hint: Asgardians know not of this so-called “bubble gum”). What follows is an epic fight that would have a home in any Lord of the Rings film. Thor’s might is brought to the forefront here and he, along with his trusty hammer Mjolnir, make icy mincemeat out of the frost giant army razing (and raising, for that matter) much of the world the frost giants call home. But the battle is as damaging as it is awe-inspiring and the melee has inadvertently incited a new war between Asgard and Jotunheim.

The key ingredient that makes all of the Asgard/Nine Worlds scenes work is casting. True, the Frank Gehry-esuqe buildings and the shiny, other-worldly costumes play their parts to a tee, but the filmmakers also cast the shit out of the Gods characters and with good reason; seeing assured actors like Anthony Hopkins and Rene Russo amble about in curious ancient/future/fantasy wardrobe espousing what should be stilted dialogue give these scenes added weight and depth. Chris Hemsworth not only fully commits to the character, but he gives a great performance with great range, humor, and likeability that many other actors work for but fall far short of. Director Kenneth Branagh is also a key element here, allowing actors to breathe and giving them moments of nuance and subtlety in performances that would otherwise go either unnoticed or cut altogether under the reins of a different filmmaker. Through the challenge of putting a human face on ancient Gods, Branaugh imbues the Asgardian drama with a relatability that would otherwise be unreachable.

Relatability. This, to me, was the biggest hurdle that the filmmakers had to vault over.  Poring over gorgeous concept art and storyboards of Odin’s Palace, the Bifrost Bridge, and epic Frost Giant battles, the thing that always struck me was: “This is not connecting.” The awe and grandeur was surely there, but the emotional impact was not. The thing that made me want to invest myself in Thor as a person did not exist. Thankfully, the film does that heavy lifting for us; instead of us relating to Thor, Thor must relate to us. This is accomplished by putting a different spin on the second act of Superman II, but where in that movie Supes becomes mortal by choice, Thor is made a man as punishment for sparking war, in the hopes that being knocked down a rung or two and banished to Midgard (Earth) will knock some much needed sense and humility into him.

Found after chasing the spontaneous storm that brings him to Earth, Thor is knocked out and taken to a nearby hospital by Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Darcy (Kat Dennings), and Norweigan scientist Erik Selvig (Stellan Saarsgard) who, recalling his native children’s tales, feels there is more to this mystery man than meets the eye. Thus begins Thor’s indoctrination into Earth life, which actively takes the piss out of the inherent silliness of a big blonde dude kicking ass with a boxy looking hammer. Consciously doing this is also panacea for the rigid family drama unfolding a million miles skyward. The “Pet Store” scene is perhaps the best, most awesomely hilarious example of this philosophy and it works to brilliant effect in the film.

So, about that aforementioned family drama; things are not going well back on the homestead. Thor’s brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is not as truthful as he makes himself out to be, Odin has fallen into a coma-like “odinsleep”, and the frost giants are nipping at the borders of the realm. In short, shit’s about to get real and the only person that can help has been exiled to earth. This sets the stage for the film’s climactic final act which finds two worlds colliding and what should be an embarrassing flashback to Masters of the Universe ends up being fun, satisfying, and strangely believable. Equally, the battle that unfolds shortly thereafter pulls out all the stops, bringing Thor’s arc to a close while proving itself compelling and emotionally satisfying.

Thor was always fighting an uphill battle. The property was not just a comic book hero, but also a Norse god (talk about your niche audiences), but the film is a success even for novices of both subjects. Don’t let all the weird names, places, and terms scare you away from enjoying the flick. Norse mythology is a dense, heady beast, but Thor does not leaden itself with explaining all of its references; connecting the dots as a viewer and doing the basic Nordic math is all the knowledge needed to be fully immersed in the world(s).

Fellow nerds, ready your “Sqeeeee’s!”: Marvel is in full-tilt boogie mode here, priming its penultimate Avengers feature to explode and stoking that fire with more crossover talk and guest spots than have been in any other Marvel film yet. Producer Kevin Feige keeps the cameos and name dropping coming fast and furious, merely a theoretical taste of what is to come in 2012, and what a taste it is. Stick around after the credits for a post-script scene that sets the stage for Joss Whedon’s The Avengers.

With the background I had on the project, Thor remained an iffy endeavor for me. If the character and tone weren’t nailed, it would fail to be an effective experience. As it happens, Branaugh was not kidding when he told a ravenous 2011 ComiCon crowd that he “got” the character and quickly made a believer out of me. Under his steady hand and Kevin Feige’s guidance, Thor is not merely a long-form commercial for Marvel Studios’ biggest endeavor. It is a whole film unto itself, one that deserves to stand proudly with the finest superhero movies made to date.

Images courtesy of Marvel and IMDbPro