THOR movie review

by Amadeaus
I almost hate reviewing comic-book movies because, like a novel, you just can’t please every fan. Plus, I grew up reading DC Comics, not Marvel, so I don’t know the source material as well as I would a Superman or Batman movie. That being said, I’ll review Thor, not as a Marvel comics fan, but a fan of movies in general, and with a no-spoiler guarantee!
As the movie opens, scientists Jane Foster (Portman), Eric Selvig and Darcy Lewis are trekking across the New Mexico dessert on a research mission. After a blast of light from the sky and sudden wind storm, they hit a man standing in the road.
The movie quickly shifts to 970 A.D. In a land called Jotunheim, King Odin (Hopkins) is in battle with the Frost Guards. He defeats them and seizes their source of power, the Casket of Ancient Winters. King Odin keeps the Casket safe from the Frost Giants in his home land of Asgard. When we first meet his sons, Thor (Hemsworth) and Loki (Hiddleston), they are just children wondering who will be heir to their fathers throne. Years go by and we learn it is Thor. During the ceremony that will see Thor become King, three Frost Giants invade the palace and try to steal back the Casket that yields power. They do not succeed, and Thor decides that a war needs to be waged, to keep the Frost Giants in check. His father disagrees and banishes him to Earth, and we pick up back at the opening scene. That’s just the first 30 minutes!
From there the movie goes back and forth from Earth, to Asgard and Jotunheim. For me, the constant back and forth, coupled with so many character names and places that all sounded similar, I was a little lost. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Thor a lot, but there was a ton to take in.
I’ll elaborate on some of the things I liked. I loved the tie-ins with other Marvel movie heroes, that will all be part of The Avengers movie. There was a cool nod to Bruce “Hulk” Banner, a mention of Tony “Ironman” Starke, and much more S.H.I.E.L.D involvement than in previous Avenger hero movies. I also loved Hemsworth and Hiddleston as Thor and Loki, respectively. I thought Anthony Hopkins was very believable as an aging God. I liked the land of Asgard, especially the “gate keeper” Heimdall, and the leader of the Frost Giants, King Laufey. Great characters!
As for things I didn’t like so much. I didn’t love seeing Thor in 3D. The glasses are tinted and some of the scenes in Jotunheim, or on Earth at night, were just too dark for me. I also didn’t love the Thor/Foster relationship. I felt like it all happened kind of quickly, and as much as I love Natalie Portman, I didn’t think she was great in this movie.
Other than those two things, I thought Thor was exactly what a summer blockbuster should be. But it’s not just a great summer movie, it’s another brilliant piece of the cinematic puzzle that will become The Avengers. I would recommend seeing it in regular 2D though. I didn’t think there were any scenes that demanded a 3D viewing, and I think you’ll be able to take in much more. As promised, this is a no-spoiler review, but definitely stay seated in the theater until after the credits. You’ll get a little sneak peek deeper into The Avengers universe. That’s all I have to say about that!