Thor (2011) Review

After one successful movie, one average movie, and one subpar sequel, Marvel's next entry would be centered around the God of Thunder. Thor is the first time in the MCU where we'd see bigger, different worlds. This would continue with other movies and expand possibilities. In the world of Asgard, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is being named ruler by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins). However, after disobeying Odin to fight back enemies after an invasion, he is banished to Earth where he runs into an astrophysicist named Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), along with Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) and her quirky assistant Darcy (Kat Dennings). Along with him, his hammer Mjolnir is shot down to Earth where some people tried to lift it with no avail, and later SHIELD, led by Agent Coulson, come in to build a facility around it. But Thor's brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is behind an evil plan to seize control of the throne of Asgard after learning he was adopted and Odin falls into a very deep sleep. Thor has to prove himself worthy again to stop Loki.

The things that stand out in this movie are the cast and the world of Asgard. Even if Thor may not be popular with fans, Chris Hemsworth does a fine job playing him. His development is well-done, going from a prideful, boasting warrior to a more heroic and considerate figure. As Odin, Anthony Hopkins gives a great performance as usual. Tom Hiddleston does an intriguing and sympathetic portrayal of Loki. Having poorly written villains, it's very interesting to see how he started out and later became the best villain the MCU would have. The most likely reason is how he's fleshed out through different movies. Needless to say, he's one of the best things in the franchise. Natalie Portman does a decent job as Jane and has a very nice relationship with Thor. While Agent Coulson returns, we also get the first appearance of Hawkeye played by Jeremy Renner.

The world of Asgard, even though it's CGI, looks incredible. Director Kenneth Branagh has had a very ambitious way of showing his movies on an epic scale and this one shows. The way they set up this world and the portal of other worlds as I said is really interesting with the inclusion of Idris Elba as Heimdall the gatekeeper. But the downside that most people would have is we don't get to see much of Asgard or the other realms. We'd spent a lot more time in New Mexico where Thor is the majority of the film. But watching it again, I didn't mind it so much because I like following around the characters that Thor meets and develops relationships with.

Some small issues I have includes the frequent uses of Dutch angles though this is definitely a million times better than Battlefield Earth. And lastly is how the Asgardians shout out their lines even though you also see this type of acting in Branagh's other films. But one effective exception is where Loki learns of his true origin and demands the truth about him through Odin.

Thor, in my opinion, is a decent movie with a strong cast that manages to incorporate a different element that most comic book film franchises don't have. Even if Thor isn't a big favorite, he would have his moments and so would Loki who proved to be more popular which is ironic because, in the MCU, a lot of people find Thor very handsome, especially Agent May from Agents of SHIELD. As you know at that time, I wasn't aware that we would be getting so close to see what this franchise would be building up to. Join me next week when we'd be diving into the past to see the next hero would be part of Earth's mightiest heroes.

RATING: STRONG APPROVAL