(Guest post by B.J. Bethel)
“Thor,” the latest from the Marvel Studios franchise of comic book creations, is quite preposterous.
Twenty years ago, before I was a teenager and when children still did such things, I bought a few “Thor” comic books. I never thought the result would be to one day see Anthony Hopkins, film royalty if there is such a term, wearing gold plating in an eye patch, sitting atop a steed, screaming out geek-speak straight from the clouds of a comic book frame.
I never thought I would see Rene Russo, the steamy and headstrong seductress of John McTiernan’s “Thomas Crown Affair,” relegated to a few cuts of a summer comic book blockbuster, but there she was. Kenneth Branagh is as Shakespearian a director as you will find, now he’s directing movies for Marvel Studios.
This is the world we now live in. Where Robert Downey, Jr. can do “Chaplin,” then 20 years later have to find headliner status in “Iron Man.” These are roles taken seriously by the cream of the profession, thanks to “Spider-Man” proving comic book films could be “good films” and Christopher Nolan/Zack Snyder proving they could go beyond that. Every other genre and industry (outside the wonderful world of Pixar) lost trust over these years, while these comic creation continue to make money. They are a haven of sorts, for the studios and moviegoers.
The sheer absurdity of this hit me through the Buddy Holly-esque 3D goggles I wore at the local metroplex this weekend. It’s a sign of an art form falling to its knees, but not with a few rousing scenes to its credit, and that’s exactly how I felt about “Thor.”
Even as I waited for years wondering what these comic book creations would look like on screen, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was ultimately a good thing or a horrible one. I’ve come to the conclusion it’s the former. At least someone is still trying to make fun movies.
Chris Hemsworth is the bulky hero, and a fine one at that. He’s the most physically imposing actor since Arnold in his Conan days (another franchise to be remade this Summer, unfortunately) but he’s better. He can act. His Thor is honest and straightforward, while lesser actors would fall into trope or pure cheese for cheese sake, he holds it together. He’s likable from the moment he’s on screen and has a bright future.
Natalie Portman, his mortal love interest-slash-astrophysicist, is what Portman always is – the scrappy, petite, pretty sweetheart, which makes her an odd match for “Thor,” but Branagh was definitely aiming for the “every girl” route with the role. If one wonders the state of the metrosexual, Thor puts all doubts to rest. The metrosexual is dead. No more pairings with Tobey, Jake or Hayden.
Kat Dennings (who is rather Goddess like herself if her red carpet photos are any indication) is the plucky student assistant with a tazer and a bubbly comment for every occasion. Stellan Skarsgard is their mentor.
Together they “run” into “Thor” in the desert after he’s unceremoniously stripped of his power and standing in his home “realm.” This leads to the fish-out-of-water wackiness one could expect, which Hemsworth never loses his grip on. He’s quite impressive throughout, which is to be expected from the one actor Hollywood though could portray Captain Kirk’s dad. Things play out between Earth and his home realm of Asgard, villains emerge, and the rest goes from there.
It’s nothing special as far as story goes, but it’s well crafted, redemptive, and ultimately, heroic – words rarely used to describe the condition of the modern blockbuster. Sure, Thor is young and arrogant, but you cheer for him the moment he walks in – bearing smiles and his big hammer – and you learn to like him more throughout. He also learns something along the way, and for a minute you are reminded that characters used to do that.
Not to say this is a black-and-white film, but it does have its villains and does have its heroes, a concept lost on movie making. This bit of complication brought to villainy and heroics is nothing new to Marvel characters, and it’s a welcome presence on the big screen where it seems increasingly for a character to have character, he must have no character at all. Consider that one myth dispelled easily.
“Thor” is nothing great, but it’s fun enough. That will do well enough in a world where too many movies are neither.
(Photo: Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) share a moment in “Thor,” from Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment. Photo credit: Zade Rosenthal / Marvel Studios)
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I have to agree.
While I wasnt awed or blown off my feet by the film it was not bad. It could have been better, like making Sif and the Warriors three less clownish and more warrior like. No sorry wearing armor and swinging a weapon does not make you a warrior.Nor was I impressed with a very aged and frail looking Anthony Hopkins as Odin. But aside from that it is a decent movie which I have actually seen both with and without 3D. 3D did not add anything special to the movie that warrented an additional 3 dollars.
When the hint of Thor came out at the end of the last Iron Man, I got chills with nervous excitement. Excited about more super hero films but nervous about the direction film makers are going. I’m completely on board with the Christopher Nolan train. But I also watched Tron in 3D, another not-necessary 3D movie, and have decided to pass on most upcoming films this summer, especially comic book hero ones.
I like it when film makers go the unusual route on the story. I don’t need “closely resembles” the book with parts missing. I need the part that’s missing made into a movie and the super hero isn’t so super. Maybe this is why I now compare Watchmen to everything coming out now. Or, I’m just particular to DC comics to Marvel.
I’m confused; Bethel’s acting puzzled by the fact great actors are in comic book movies, but then he notes that the comic book movie has a definite good vs. evil plot. That’d be why they’re getting made—and the great actors are in them because it’s much more fun to play Odin than it is to play yet-another-adulterous-accountant-stifled-by-life-in-the-suburbs.
Hopkins is a classically trained British actor, more than at home in Shakespeare—but Shakespeare was a potboiler, and his plots would be relegated to comic books and “genre” fiction today. The best “modernization” of a Shakespeare play is Forbidden Planet (The Tempest), and it’s scifi. I’m guessing a plot about “a wizard, a bunch of shipwrecked sailors, and the wizard’s monster that has a crush on his beautiful daughter” wouldn’t meet with Bethel’s approval either.