Review of Thor (2011) by Daniel S — 30 Mar 2016

Wow. Thor is easily the best thing Marvel Studios has released to date, in league with the likes of The Dark Knight. A drastically different film that the current Batman series, but equally jawdropping, Thor sets the bar so high above other superhero movies, I don't think we will see anything that holds a candle to it until The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises open next year (sorry, Captain America and Green Lantern, but you two have some big Norse boots to fill) and a side from those two events, Thor will be the standard for quite a while.

A lot of this can be attributed to Kenneth Branaugh's direction. Let's face it, Thor could have been a frigging disaster. Under Branaugh, what could have been a corny fish out of water story along the lines of the 80's Masters of the Universe film has become a an epic tale of fathers and sons, honor, duty, and sacrifice. In the hands of even a lesser filmmaker, much less an action hack like Ratner or McG, the earth-set second act would have been unwatchable. Branaugh handles it exquisitely.

There's not a bad performance amongst the cast. Supporting cast members like Ray Stevenson, Stellan Sarsgaard, and Clark Gregg do a great job. Kat Dennings' comic relief shtick could have easily worn out it's welcome, but injects just the right amount of humor. Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, and Anthony Hopkins are pitch perfect as Jane Foster, Loki, and Odin, and special mention needs to be made of Idris Elba's Heimdall. Great, great presence! But the star attraction of Thor is Chris Hemsworth, who will now join the likes of Christian Bale and Robert Downey Jr as actors who so fully embody their character you can't picture anyone else in the part. Hemsworth IS Thor, there is no question. He should have no problem going toe to toe with Robert Downey, Chris Evans, and Samuel L Jackson next year.

Visually, Thor is a masterpiece, Equal parts Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Norse mythology. It's the first time a Marvel release has had to create new worlds in a film, and the filmmakers have nailed it. The opening scene with frost giants is absolutely amazing. My jaw was on the floor.

There is not a blemish on Thor. It's epic on a level no other superhero movie had been required to achieve and it succeeds on every level.