Thor Took The Marvel Cinematic Universe To Exciting New Realms (Make Mine Marvel)

PHASE ONE

Discovery
"Whoever wields this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."

Last summer, everyone was in a tizzy over how Guardians of The Galaxy was pretty out-there for a conventional summer blockbuster, and while that film was truly unique from its typical summer blockbuster brethren, at least that one had the post-Avengers Marvel brand to give it a boost. Back in 2011, I was pretty much certain Thor would fail to muster any kind of notable box office or critical reception. Here was a film where a guy with a giant hammer would ride a rainbow bridge to fight ice monsters and his brother, who is prone to donning a horned helmet.


This was not an ordinary movie. I had no idea how people would respond to it, but damn was I glad that it wound up becoming one of the bigger summer blockbusters of 2011 after I discovered that they had a good story to go with their unconventional material. Thor may not be typical, but it does thrive on the sort of elements we've come to know and love in the art of cinema: namely, characters one can be enthralled by.

Looking at Chris Hemsworths IMDB, his credits prior to Thor consist of Star Trek (playing Kirks dad), the August 2009 Steve Zahn thriller A Perfect Getaway, Ca$h and a 2010 short film entitled Ollie Klubershturf vs. the Nazis. I'm not sure anyone expected him to become one of the biggest leading men on the planet ,but then again, who would have thought Michael Keaton would make for a terrific Batman or that Heath Ledger was the perfect choice for The Joker? Hemsworth certainly delivers the goods as Thor, managing to be cocky, but no overtly arrogant at the start of the film, which helps the audience warm up to him while understanding there's plenty of room for him to grow as a person.

In the realm of Asgard, Thor is the son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and has a sibling in the form of brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston). This trickster god is introduced in a surprisingly insightful manner, with him being a silent presence during a ceremony proclaiming Thor to be king, as well as tense argument between Odin and Thor. He finally gets to deliver dialogue shortly after that father-and-son dispute, and it really is nice to see first major interaction between Thor and Loki be a more relaxed discussion, wherein Loki notes that he sympathizes his brother in this current scenario. It helps sell their relationship as brothers in an authentic manner while also adding layers of tragedy to Loki's forthcoming malicious actions.

Actually, the layered approach to Loki helps reinforce Thor's shortcomings within the confines in the story; as a character, he see's things in black-and-white terms, and it's only during his Midgard exile that he learns the true complexities that lie within both his allies and foes. In early sequences of the film, before he reforms, seeing characters like Laufey (king of the Frost Giants) and Odin be conflicted in their actions only further shows how far Thor has to go as a person, a subtle tactic that's excellent in conveying the sort of progression Thor must take as a character in order to be worthy of the sort of power he wields.

On Earth (known to the Asgardians as Midgard) is where Thor must learn humility, and his scenes here are quite entertaining, particularly when his heightened personality clashes with a pet store (which only carries dogs, pets and hamsters, not the horse Thor desires) or cups of coffee. Our blonde beefy protagonist also crosses path's with Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, whose presence not only allows for Thor's alter-ego from the comics (Donald Blake, who in the movie is Jane's ex-lover) to have a place in the story, but also helps give some of the features best moments deriving from when she and Thor bond over his knowledge of the cosmos.

Being an astrophysicist, she has quite an interest in matters that Thor is well-versed in, and seeing the duo bond over this information makes their relationship feel more realistic and absorbing. Of course, while Thor attempts to get his hammer back (it's been confiscated by SHIELD agents led by Phil Couslon, played by Clark Gregg), shenanigans are afoot on Asgard, where Loki has taken the throne since Odin has fallen into the Odinsleep. There's another element from the source material that I was certain would be the source of jokes by general audience members, and yet, it works perfectly fine within the plotline, namely because it comes after a great  sequence where Loki discovers his true origins.

Hiddleston makes the pain and betrayal Loki feels about being lied to about his actual heritage feel raw, full of pain and disappointment. It's a riveting scene that represents the apex of his work in this particular film, though he's not the only resident of Asgard to be a compelling creation. Thor's allies in this realm, Heimdall, Sif and The Warriors Three, are played by commendable actors (namely Heimdall, whose brought to life by the incomparable Idris Elba) and Sif and The Warriors Three play off Thor well, really selling the groups friendship. Plus, seeing these Asgardian residents just waltzing through Arizona whilst in their unusual getups is quite amusing.

When compared to future MCU installments like The Avengers or Guardians of The Galaxy, Thor lacks much of the monumental spectacle and enormous moments of humor that would mark those features, But director Kenneth Branagh brings more than just dutch angles to the film, also helping to deliver a feature that emphasizes the more human elements of Thor as a character. His growth as a character does feel rushed in some spots, but in its most effect moments, it can be quite captivating. Thor certainly did go into some oddball directions, but it also never forgot that unusual story elements can never replace satisfying characters.