Everything started back in 2008 with Jon Favreau's first
Iron Man, when Marvel Studios made a decision to make all their upcoming superhero films in one universe. Since then we got
Iron Man 2,
The Incredible Hulk, and now the studio and director Kenneth Branagh brought us the first film featuring the God of Thunder. And now, after a long, long wait, I finally watched
THOR on the big screen. More below!
Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the epic adventure, "Thor," which spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and is forced to live among humans. A beautiful, young scientist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), has a profound effect on Thor, as she ultimately becomes his first love. It's while here on Earth that Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.
THE GOOD:
To answer that question if the film lived up to the hype, the answer is yes, and that is one big yes! I'm going to start with direction. Kenneth Branagh, who is best known for directing
Henry V and
Hamlet, delivers on every possible level. From big and visually stunning action, to dramatic and character driven story, everything is there. If you had any doubts about Branagh and his approach for this character, you really don't have to worry, he managed to make Thor arrogant, funny, vulnerable and heroic, just like in the comic books, and everyone will definietly notice that. While this is Branagh's first big budget film, and being a story about the God of Thunder, it certainly doesn't feel that way. That get's me to the visual part of the film. And I don't what to say other than amazing. Visual effects are top-notch, from the beautiful looking Asgard, Destroyer, Thor's powers, fighting sequences and much, much more. It's really great to watch.
Moving to the performances. I know that many had doubts about Chris Hemsworth playing Thor, but I have to say, he was great. I honestly did not expect to see such an amazing performance from him. You can really see that he brought the character to life straight from the comic books. This is the film where everyone will see his skills, and that he really can lead such a big film. Then, we also have Anthony Hopkins as Odin, and what can I say, he IS Odin. There are some great scenes between his character, Thor and Loki. And now, of course I want to say something about the actor who in my opinion was the best part of the whole film. And that is Tom Hiddleston who was playing the God of Mischief, Loki. Ever since it was announced he will play Loki, I was only talking about him and how he will steal the show. And now I'm glad I was saying that all this time. Why? Because if there is one person who could play this character perfectly, it's Hiddleston. He was just the way I wanted him to be, evil, smart, but also very powerful and relatable.
As for Natalie Portman, she was good, though I expected a little more from her. We also have supporting actors like Idris Elba, who played Heimdall, and he really made this character great. Everything you know about him from the comic books, it's all here. Then Colm Feore was also pretty good, for the screen time he was in, and of course we have Jaimie Alexander as Sif and the Warriors Three played by Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano and Joshua Dallas. They brought this characters to life in a great way, and it was truly awesome to see them on the big screen together.
In the trailers and clips, we saw some scenes with Darcy played by Kat Dennings, and that weird humor that not many people liked. I can tell you now, the humor is good. When you see those full scenes, it's funny and it's really not annoying at all. The ending was good, great final battle between Loki and Thor. It really sets up everything for
The Avengers and
Thor sequel. I also have to mention the 3D. While I really don't like it in most of the films, this conversion was done pretty good. It actually made some scenes even better and visually stunning.
THE BAD:
After some serious thinking on what are some bad stuff in the film, I honestly can't find any big complaints. One thing that would be good for the sequel, is to make it longer. This film felt a little too short, and some characters really deserved more screen time, like Lady Sif, Heimdall and the Warriors Three. Also, as I mentioned above, 3D is good, but there were moments where some scenes were so dark you couldn't tell what's going on and probably that's why I missed some cool shots. Other than that, I can't find anything else.
Overall, this is definitely one of the best comic book films ever made, and it's Marvel Studios best film so far. Yes, it's better than the first
Iron Man which is really saying a lot. I loved every minute of it, the characters were great, the action is fantastic, visual effects too. Plus, there are couple of cameos, which most fans will really appreciate. Also, be sure to stay after credits, because you are in for a great surprise. Can't wait to see what will Marvel do with
The Avengers which is coming out next year, where we will see Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Tom Hiddleston as Loki once again.
RATING: 5/5