There were a variety of superheroes that I have loved over the course of my life and Thor happens to not really be one of them. He was cool and all, but for some reason, my eye caught to Thunderstrike. He was literally a Thor replacement, but he came with his own roster of baddies like Blood Axe, and he had cool interactions with cameo guest appearances like Spider-man. Thor was just never really on my radar, though I respected the character and his Norse origins. The movie is a decent amount of good but just not great. The humor in it bats from left to right, but the love interest is actually quite strong... here in this film.
I love Natalie Portman, especially in Leon the Professional and Black Swan. She is an amazing actress, but only when she really puts her mind to something. Here, we can see there is plenty of her beaming talent. Sadly, though, her enthusiasm for the role would eventually dry up, leading to her turning down several appearances throughout the series. Her chemistry with Chris Hemsworth is actually quite great, as she seems interested in him, but also very perplexed by his mannerisms.
Thor is a man of battle and glory, but he is also a pampered prince who does not know how the world works. He is to be crowned king of Asgard, but that ceremony was interrupted. We are introduced to Loki, where Tom Hiddleston would be so popular that he'd spawn his own lackluster Disney+ series. Here, though, he is manipulative, and in such a subtle way that you may actually need to view it again to see how he talks to his brother and his father. Throughout the whole film, he is gaining control little by little, by having his brother banished for his hubris, losing his powers and getting rid of an obstacle in his way.
Somehow, they got the great Anthony Hopkins for the role of Odin and it couldn't have been more perfect. He is fair, but he is also very harsh in his punishment. He strips Thor of everything and lands him on Earth to make him learn humility. It is very much an ancient tale, but they tell it so well here in this movie. While not every character and actor is as great as Odin, we still get Stellan Skarsgard and he is magnificent as the scientist. While he would be relegated to a joke in Thor 2, he's still awesome here. The scene where he challenges Thor to a drinking match just shows how he has some pride along with his brilliance and he is very personable with Thor, even knowing who he is.
Jane Foster is a highly underrated character. She has doubts, but she also seems to have guts and chooses to believe that Thor is who he says he is. Even though he gets zapped with electricity and goes down in a fidgeting mess. He still has a very strange speech pattern, and she recognizes that he isn't like a normal human being, no matter how long she stays with him through out the movie. When things get tough, she stays with him and even helps him when he needs her.
The standout, however, is a then unknown Idris Elba who would take up the screen and take our hearts right out of our chests. He is absolutely brilliant, once again, this time as Heimdall. He doesn't do a great deal in terms of action in this movie, but his presence is very well known and he puts on a magnificent performance. This, thankfully, jumpstarted Elba to a household name.
Now, this movie isn't without its faults. Loki does get a little dramatic and those scenes aren't really all that convincing that they would put him in the Odin sleep. Yes, he played it up like he was very angry that he found out he was adopted, but really, he seemed like a wiser ruler than that. Still, it gets them where they need to go. They also do spend a lot of time on Earth and those scenes can drag on at times.
Thor does stick to its mythical elements rather well, but that kind of comes crashing down when the rest of his team from Asgard come to Earth. Seriously, when their costumes are out in a normal everyday setting, it clashes so hard that they kind of look silly. These characters are hardly ever seen again, even changing actors at random points before just flat out going away in the third movie. We'll get to that one. The mini villain in this movie is one of the most random in the entire Marvel universe. Who in their right minds thought that the Destroyer was a good idea for a random cameo fight? Sure, it links them to SHIELD because it's big and noticeable so that's all well and good, but I really feel like they could have done better.
In the end, it's a good movie. It is fun to watch in theaters and lighthearted enough to leave you feeling pretty good. The ending is a slight bummer and the conclusion to it is rather awful, but this movie stands by itself. It introduced a very relateable character with flaws that he needs to overcome. He brings himself back in style and the ending fight between him and Loki is pretty damn good, even ending in a bit of sacrifice. It solidified Thor's place in the MCU, even if the movie was considered middling by comparison.After this movie, we're just one movie away from a blatant Virtua Fangasm!
