I wasn't expecting him fly but he did. I wasn't expecting him to whirl his hammer and call down lightning, but he did. Basically, whatever Thor does in the comics, he did in this movie. Often the result was incredibly awesome and filled with a grandeur that only a Norse God could possess.
I enjoyed the fact that the movie didn't involve a long drawn out origin story. The back story is quickly told by Odin in a fable to a young Thor and his half-brother Loki.
The casting was quite good. I don't know where they found Chris Hemsworth, but he made the perfect Thor right down to the arrogance, golden locks and blue eyes. I liked also Anthony Hopkins as The All-father Odin.
It was a nice touch to show him vulnerable and needing the legendary Odin sleep to replenishing his waning powers. This ritual seemed to happen quite often in the comics. The only thing missing was his proclaimation when he woke up: "The Odin Sleep has ended. Let the world tremble at my awakening!" The casting for the Warriors Three was also good. Josh Dallas who played Fandral looked just like the character from the comics. Natalie Portman was also an excellent choice to play the role of Jane Foster.
Of course the casting was not without controversy. The Council of Conservative Citizens proposed a boycott of the movie due to Idris Elba being cast in the role of Heimdall, the guardian of Bifrost, the rainbow bridge. It was galling for them to see a black man in the role of a white Norse God. Although seeing a him in this role (after years of collecting comics) was a bit disconcerting, I thought Idris did an amazing job. His performance was powerful, understated and well...god-like.
I especially liked the golden eyes which accentuated his ability to see across the cosmos and into different realms and dimensions. Despite all the protests of Idris and threats to boycott the movie, I see no one complained about the role of Hogun the Grim (Tadanobu Asano) being played by an Asian actor.
Hollywood could have done a better job with multi-racial casting if they showed other Asgardians of different races and colors. Instead these two actors come across as token characters trying to fill some equal opportunity quota.
I thought Loki (Tom Hiddleston) was portrayed in an interesting and unexpected way. Rather than a character of pure mischief and malevolent evil, he started off as a meek, soft-spoken character who was vulnerable and misunderstood. Fortunately he grew into the evil character I expected him to be.
I also liked the way the rainbow bridge was explained and depicted in scientific terms. Its not just some long multi-hued expanse, but a wormhole into different dimensions. What a thrill it was to see the rainbow bridge in action for the first time. The movie was the perfect blend of magic and science. I especially liked the way Odin placed the enchantment on Thor's hammer so that only someone worthy could lift it.
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| He may look worthy, but he isn't |
I missed notable characters such as Baldur The Brave, The Enchantress, The Executioner, The Norn Queen, The Valkyries and Hela. I'm sure showing all these characters may have been too much for the uninitiated but it would have been a nice touch for "true believers" to see them in cameo appearances. Hopefully, if there is a sequel, they will be in it.
If you do go and see Thor at the theater, make sure you sit through the credits for the bonus scene at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed Thor and I'm giving this movie 5 out of 5 fingers.
