By Carlos Serrano
I tend to go into superhero movies with some trepidation. While Marvel Studios’s track record is better than most, and the genre generally has gotten better, as a comic fan it’s hard to forget some past experiences. It turns out any worries I had were largely unfounded.
The plot is standard for superhero films in that it’s adapted from a comic book origin story. Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the God of thunder, is exiled from the realm of Asgard by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) for leading an attack against the Frost Giants and starting a war. Sent to Earth, Thor meets scientists Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) who believe him to be a crazy homeless man. Back in Asgard, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor’s brother, plots to keep Thor on Earth for his own evil purposes.
The standout actor in this film is without a doubt Chris Hemsworth. His screen presence is arguably the best of the cast, and his portrayal of Thor is one of the highlights of the film. One of the reasons for Thor’s banishment is his lack of humility, and Hemsworth really plays the part of an arrogant god out of his element well.
Of course, for the movie to end Thor has to let go of his arrogance and step into his role as a hero. I was worried that this transition would be too jarring. The movie does a fair job. Still, I was left thinking that more interaction between Thor and the people on Earth might have made the change in character more believable.
The rest of the actors did a good job as well, although Hopkins and Hiddleston seemed to overact in certain scenes. In particular, Hopkins had the majority of the people in the theater laughing during the scene where Odin banishes Thor, a scene that was not in any way deliberately set up to be funny.
The movie also deserves credit for its depiction of Asgard. The design of the buildings and interiors really reflected the idea that they were home to Gods that are larger than life. I have to give special mention to the work done on the Bifröst, the rainbow bridge that connects Asgard to other realms. Words can’t really describe it, I can only say that the bridge was one of the best rendered effects I’ve seen recently.
For all of the movie’s good points, one thing still irks me. Once again, the 3D aspect of the movie did not add anything to the experience. I would go so far as to say that in certain scenes, specifically Thor’s fight with the Frost Giants, it made things worse. Ultimately, it’s a problem that is solved by not watching the 3D version so at the very least there is a way around it.
The movie is not perfect, that much is true, but that does not make it horrible. I would still call it one of the better superhero movies out there. While it may have problems, “Thor” delivers a solid and entertaining experience. If you’re a fan of the character, of comic books in general, or just want to see a good movie, then go see “Thor”.
