Disney's Thor?! Some people are complaining that Thor feels like a kids movie!

[Catman]

I saw Thor tonight. I loved it. I had a geek orgasm watching it. Then, when it ended, a group of people asked me, "was this a kids movie?" I say, "no. It's for grown-ups too... like the other Marvel flicks." They respond with, "I don't know. The battles were too PG. The so-called romance was too PG. Thor learns a lesson at the end. Is this Thor or Disney's Thor?" I was so upset... but also couldn't really defend the movie. This movie is a little too tame. What do you guys think? Should Paramount/Marvel/Disney have amped the violence and romance? Should Thor's "lesson" have seemed less like a children's cartoon? I still love the film, but I can understand this point of view.

 

[Chewy]

Nope. It is a family movie, not a kids' movie. Although I do think people who only like their movies grimdark will complain in a way similar to this.

 

[Vartha]

heh every time I hear something like this it reminds me of Howard the Duck when it was in the theaters.
My Ex and I went to see it and a row behind us was an older woman with three kids under 12.

About the time Bev gets undressed behind the curtain the woman said, "this isn't a kids movie!" well DUH it's rated PG not G. lol Bet ya she thought it was about DONALD duck. lol

 

[S.A.A.D.]

This isn't the first time that I have heard of someone saying something like this.

 

[antonydelfini]

I actually love the fact that this movie didn't try to be too edgy or dark or overly serious. It has that child-like innocence and wonder into it rarely seen in blockbuster movies nowadays. It was refreshing actually.

But in the sequel, they have to go even more epic, a bit darker, raise the stakes and amp up the violence, but retain the optimism and joy the first film possess. I want Surtur as the villain. It will be epic.

 

[echostation]

I saw one interviewer of Kenneth Branagh and I wanted to punch her in the face... she had this pedantic stupid ass wannabe funny attitude where she was like "this film is like umm aimed at.... 13 year old boys!???" in a semi-joking wannabe funny but come across as a total ****ing idiot sort of way.

Thankfully Branagh just took it in his stride and answer the question very well.

 

[WildcatNC]

Probably just on Nolan's jock.

 

[Catman]

I actually love the fact that this movie didn't try to be too edgy or dark or overly serious. It has that child-like innocence and wonder into it rarely seen in blockbuster movies nowadays. It was refreshing actually.

You can say the same thing about Iron Man. The difference is that Iron Man is a little more grounded in reality, so people are more accepting. Here, we see Thor kill a group of bloodless monsters and hardly break a sweat. Then his dad gets upset and teaches him a lesson. This is why some are comparing it to a Saturday morning cartoon. In many ways, it IS kinda structured like one.

 

[Mysteryman]

Yeah , but Thor learned a lesson in the comics too.
You cant really escape the origin.

 

[BigThor]

But in the sequel, they have to go even more epic, a bit darker, raise the stakes and amp up the violence, but retain the optimism and joy the first film possess. I want Surtur as the villain. It will be epic.

Hell yeah, except I want Executioner and Enchantress as villians and I'd save Surtur for the third film.

 

[Spidey_62]

So basically for these people: Character learns from arrogance + romantic themes = KIDS STUFF.

This stuff isn't present in just Thor, these themes are present in pretty much every freaking thing.

 

[Gamma Burst]

It doesn't make sense. The movie has the same tone of the previous Marvel movies.
And the battles are more brutal.

 

[BigThor]

^ Yepppp

 

[jmc]

I'd say it's the best superhero film to introduce kids to the concept of superheroes. I think what is meant by the 'for kids' comments is that there's nothing offensive in the movie, it's very easy going, far more so than IM or TIH which deals with somewhat more heavier and adult themes. Thor is almost too easy to digest.

 

[J.Howlett]

jmc,

I would agree. I wouldn't really call it a kids movie but it's the lightest of the superhero films. It's light like Fantastic Four was light but it's a better film than that....

 

[The Morningstar]

I wouldn't call it a kids film. But it's definitely more universal and family friendly than Iron Man or Hulk.

The theme of Thor is about growing up. Realizing you have responsibilities as a man, learning from your mistakes and arrogance. Loki's story was a bit heavier and perhaps harder to grasp for kids compared to Thor's.

Iron Man and Hulk had more adult themes. Themes that kids probably don't understand. Like war profiteering, or human experimentation, for example.

And although Iron Man had some great humour in it, it was more dry, adult humour. Hulk didn't really have any humour in it. Thor's "fish out of water" humour is much easier to grasp for the kiddies. Doesn't mean it wasn't funny though.

 

[kedrell]

I sure hope Branagh can return for the sequel. What he may lack in experience with action popcorn summer films he makes up for in being a guy who can get great performances out of his actors. I just hope maybe he gets a better editor for the sequel as well as a assistant director who's really savvy on the action/effects to compliment him.

 

[BigThor]

I would agree. I wouldn't really call it a kids movie but it's the lightest of the superhero films. It's light like Fantastic Four was light but it's a better film than that....

Based off what I've seen so far, I'm having a hard time believing that.

I sure hope Branagh can return for the sequel. What he may lack in experience with action popcorn summer films he makes up for in being a guy who can get great performances out of his actors. I just hope maybe he gets a better editor for the sequel as well as a assistant director who's really savvy on the action/effects to compliment him.

Yeah that would be nice, but I've heard that Thor has the best action out of all Marvel Studios films.

 

[The Morningstar]

IM 2 has the best action out of the Marvel films. Thor's was kinda disappointing in all honesty. Especially the Destroyer battle. That should have been a long, drawn out slobber knocker. It could have been a perfect demonstration of Thor's raw strength, trading blows with this massive robot thing, standing toe to toe with it.

 

[kedrell]

Well the action is decent(especially the frost giant battle) but I think a better hand in the execution dept. would be a welcome thing. But maybe that's what needed to be tightened up in the entire film...the execution. Maybe adding the deleted scenes would make it all flow better but some of the transitions were just bone-headed.

 

[BigThor]

IM 2 has the best action out of the Marvel films. Thor's was kinda disappointing in all honesty. Especially the Destroyer battle. That should have been a long, drawn out slobber knocker. It could have been a perfect demonstration of Thor's raw strength, trading blows with this massive robot thing, standing toe to toe with it.

No matter how short the Destroyer fight was, Thor created a freakin tornado, that eclipses anything that was in IM2.

Iron Man's battles just didn't have any large scale attacks that could compete with that.

 

[BigThor]

IM 2 has the best action out of the Marvel films. Thor's was kinda disappointing in all honesty. Especially the Destroyer battle. That should have been a long, drawn out slobber knocker. It could have been a perfect demonstration of Thor's raw strength, trading blows with this massive robot thing, standing toe to toe with it.

No matter how short the Destroyer fight was, Thor created a freakin tornado, that eclipses anything that was in IM2.

Iron Man 2's battles just didn't have any large scale attacks that could compete with that.

 

[Silvermoth]

That was why the scene where

Spoiler

Thor flies through the ice giant monster's head

was pretty good. It made it feel for a moment like it wasn't a kids movie.

Besides that, yeah, in my opinion it was aimed at younger kids and their parents. The bright colours, the easy to follow storyline, the "hey-they-know-what-facebook-is, they must be cool!" esque dialogue. It was a kids film that adults wouldn't break their brains open watching.

Still, I guess it's all about the viewer. If you enjoyed it, who cares? Why not enjoy it and not care what others think

 

[The Morningstar]

Well the action is decent(especially the frost giant battle) but I think a better hand in the execution dept. would be a welcome thing. But maybe that's what needed to be tightened up in the entire film...the execution. Maybe adding the deleted scenes would make it all flow better but some of the transitions were just bone-headed.

Yea i'm not saying the action was bad. But it wasn't as isane and out there as I expected. The way it was shot and edited was kinda generic. It wasn't brutal or visceral enough.

I will say though, the part at the end of the Frost Giant battle where Thor takes flight... that was ****ing awesome.

No matter how short the Destroyer fight was, Thor created a freakin tornado, that eclipses anything that was in IM2.

Iron Man's battles just didn't have any large scale attacks that could compete with that.

The Tornado was cool yea, but i'd have liked to have seen a more physical battle first. Thor and The Destroyer trading blows with each other, Thor realizing he can't beat with The Destroyer by just battering it, then taking to the air and unleashing the more exotic powers of Mjolnir. There wasn't really a showcase of Thor's raw, physical strength in the entire film.

I thought the final chase and fight against the drones in IM2 was much more spectacular.

 

[Alientraveller]

I loved the Iron Man 2 action, apparently Gendy Tartakovsky storyboarded those, but it was too short. I loved the action in Thor because it wasn't about beating up bad guys and being cool (though it was), it was about Thor putting his friends in danger, or the euphoria of him proving himself worthy of his power, and the conflicted emotion of defeating and saving your brother.

Frankly I'm not sure what's so bad about comparing Thor to some of the best kids' films of recent years, a lot of films aimed at adults are poorly shot and paced. I by far prefer the economic pacing and storytelling of something like Incredible Hulk, Star Trek, Toy Story, How to Train Your Dragon or Thor. As an animation anorak I know it's not about running times but how you use the minutes you have. Both Iron Man films I found a bit slow, because they were trying to show 'oh how listen to how Altmanesque our dialogue is, how grown-up we are by having Downey gazing at the camera a lot looking like a lost soul'. I loved both of them but Favreau's direction got old within two years, I rewatched the first one and found myself looking at the time a lot.