As far as superheroes are concerned, it’s hard to find any as epic as Thor. Literally the god of thunder, Thor can fly, swing and slam his hammer on anything, with the result always being unbelievable destruction. It’s surprising though that the film “Thor” practices moderation, finding success in balancing themes of the superhero journey with lighthearted simple comedy. @@should the hyperlink for the preview be in there?@@
Such an approach makes the lengthy two hour and 10 minute run time go by smoothly and, more importantly, enjoyably. “Thor” never feels like it tries to take on too much, operating rationally in a movie genre where films often go too far in trying to expand on epic.
This feat, accomplished by first-time superhero director Kenneth Branagh, should not be undervalued considering the story takes place on multiple planets and deals with characters that are from a realm where, as Thor puts it, magic and science are “one and the same.”
Branagh navigates the tale, which appears to be an over-the-top epic, by beginning it as exactly that. After some back story of Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) world of Asgard, lots of eye-popping visuals, some battles, boasts and an in-depth look at how arrogant and powerful Thor truly is, “Thor” appears to be following the path of a film that looks cool and does cool things, but lacks intelligence or a true human connection.
Rather than pounding forward with a story that continually escalates, however, Branagh slows down the film’s pace when Thor is exiled to earth. Unintentionally teamed up with scientists Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) and the intern (Kat Dennings), Thor experiences a series of humbling and often genuinely humorous situations where the god realizes he’s not very god-like anymore. Although relatively easygoing and funny, the parts on Earth away from the warriors of Asgard work to give a human element to the movie with plenty of engaging dialogue that many comic book movies lack. Here, Thor’s ego comes off as an enduring trait that makes him a likeable character to root for as he battles his way back to his once godlike form. @@G0d-like capitalized?@@
The only flaw of “Thor” is that the story doesn’t quite have the oppositional character that poses a realistic threat. It always seems like Thor is going to overcome his foe, because none of his enemies are comparable to him. Such a lack of true drama, which made films like “The Dark Knight” and “Ironman” superhero movies interesting, prevents “Thor” from having the inner driving force to make people want to watch it over and over again.
Even though this would seem like a glaring flaw in the design, it doesn’t seem to affect the film’s overall presentation. It’s still engaging, has a strong cast, great visuals and comes off as fresh.
With a barrage of superhero movies each year that have all in some ways explored the themes of a hero’s journey, courage, loss, love and triumph, it’s hard to give the viewer something new. Yet with its controlled approach of balancing humor and seriousness, “Thor” does exactly that; it is fresh, entertaining and fun.