Review of Thor (2011) by Diyar G — 27 May 2016

Review In A Nutshell:

Before Iron Man 3, Thor was considered my favourite film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe as at the time of its release, I was at the height of my comic-book phase and the only figure that truly captured my interest from Marvel Comics was Thor. 3 years has passed and after seeing Iron Man 3, I was contemplating about my viewing of this film in the theatres which brought back wonderful memories of my younger self and elevated the craving in me that wants to see this film again. After all that time, does Thor still hold up? Yes, but not to the level as it was after my initial viewing.

Thor's strengths, similar to Iron Man 3, are not found in its plot but rather in its characters. The film failed to keep me engaged with its story, particularly the aspect concerning the Frosts Giants, as it only remains in place to drive the film's superficial aspects and barely affecting the internal conflict of the film's characters. The film's family and romantic drama was the key points that made this film enjoyable; one can see the passion that Kenneth Branagh has for this class of drama as it shows similarities to Shakespeare's works, where personal conflicts and emotions of characters are their defining attribute. It is because of Branagh's adoration for it, that this aspect is drawn out in the surface, handled in such a way that it remains interesting throughout the film.

As for the film's physical battles, it is lacklustre; showing very little heat between the protagonist and antagonist. The film's peak in delivering superficial exhilaration is found during the very first battle between Thor and the Frost Giants, after that the atmosphere started to change, channelling the film's energy within its characters. During the film's final moments in the second act, featured a conflict between Thor and a large figure, which had the potential to be visually exciting and intense, but it was executed in such a dull and uninspired way that it proved to me that Branagh is the wrong choice for handling the film's action sequences.

Thor is certainly one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most visually attractive films; just taking us through the heavenly land of Asgard was such a delight that I forgave the people involved in making the silly-looking Destroyer. It was a smart decision for Branagh to keep the film's CGI to a respectable level, allowing it to only be indulgent during the scenes set outside of Earth; Branagh is more concerned in having us convinced of the world he has created rather than just try to gain the easy "oohs" and "ahhs".

The photography in this film walks on the fine line between acceptable and infuriating, as the film is filled with an abundant of crooked/diagonally positioned shots, similar to what was found in Carol Reed's The Third Man, but at least Reed was able to execute it without drawing too much attention to itself, which this film clearly does. It also lacked a purpose in framing the film in this way; it would have been forgiven if employing it elevated the film's drama or tension, but it was certainly far from it.

The acting in this film was strong, particularly from the actors inhabiting Asgardian roles. They displayed a sense of melodrama which I felt elevated the film's internal tension between characters but most importantly, its usage was contextually justified. Natalie Portman, as the film's romantic interest, also delivered a memorable performance that strays away from the stereotypical damsel in distress trait and shows that she is a woman who is willing to go far in order to get what she needs. Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings were also great and were used effectively to give its audience a breather from the tension.

Thor is far from perfect but it has enough positive qualities to distinguish itself from the other Marvel releases.