2011, 12, Directed by Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins
If there’s one filmic concoction you never expected to see, it’s pretty certain that Thor as seen by Kenneth Branagh was up there. You won’t be surprised to know that the resident Shakespearean thesp wasn’t Marvel’s first choice for the gig (Matthew Vaughn currently too busy with X Men: First Class), but an odd decision that makes for curious viewing. One of many ongoing vehicles for next year’s massive mash-up The Avengers, Thor was always going to be the toughest hero to handle: he is, after all, the Norse God of thunder. But handle it Branagh does… and with panache too. Opening with Thor’s entrance to Earth witnessed by astrophysicist Natalie Portman and her team (Stellan Skarsgård and something of a show stealer, Kat Dennings), we are then shown an extended pre-cursor to events on Asgard in which the gap is filled – and for a classic comic character, there is a long gap. Asgard itself puts the Marvel into marvellous; to describe it here would not do the landscape justice, but the scope of it is something else. Branagh succeeds in completely immersing you into what unfolds onscreen, so much that when the film flits back to Earth, Thor feels like a completely different film altogether.
Chris Hemsworth (notable for a cameo in 2009s Star Trek) plays the cape-wearing hammer-thrower deprived of his powers very well indeed. Spitting lines that bear serious meaning on his own turf but provide heavy laughs on Earth is an impressive feat emphasised by the support around him. However, the ‘stranger from a strange land’ gimmicks which involve the mighty one marching into a pet store to request a horse do wear thin. Which is where Thor is let down: through the hammering across of moments that work best. Granted, the story is lifted from a comic book, but this fails to prevent the plot twist of the jealous brother hungry for power (an unfortunately weighed down Tom Hiddleston) causing the eye to roll every so often. The key was not to take itself too seriously creating something of a double-edged sword (or hammer) for Branagh to attempt to dodge tonally. There is fun to be had though: the action is surprisingly not clunky, with the dialogue being just that – somehow adding to proceedings. Similarly, everything manages to be tied up in a neat manner with the hero thankfully not outstaying his welcome; just as well seeing as we’ll be paying ole’ Thor a visit, albeit with company, next summer.
Chris Hemsworth (notable for a cameo in 2009s Star Trek) plays the cape-wearing hammer-thrower deprived of his powers very well indeed. Spitting lines that bear serious meaning on his own turf but provide heavy laughs on Earth is an impressive feat emphasised by the support around him. However, the ‘stranger from a strange land’ gimmicks which involve the mighty one marching into a pet store to request a horse do wear thin. Which is where Thor is let down: through the hammering across of moments that work best. Granted, the story is lifted from a comic book, but this fails to prevent the plot twist of the jealous brother hungry for power (an unfortunately weighed down Tom Hiddleston) causing the eye to roll every so often. The key was not to take itself too seriously creating something of a double-edged sword (or hammer) for Branagh to attempt to dodge tonally. There is fun to be had though: the action is surprisingly not clunky, with the dialogue being just that – somehow adding to proceedings. Similarly, everything manages to be tied up in a neat manner with the hero thankfully not outstaying his welcome; just as well seeing as we’ll be paying ole’ Thor a visit, albeit with company, next summer.
3/5
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