The Official 'Thor Rate & Review' thread - Part 1

This film needs an extended cut. Only thing I have to "complain" about, it was a bit rushed at parts.

All in all, one of the best films in it's genre. And Thor is the most awesome superhero on the big screen. I've posted a norwegian review, for those with google translate:

http://flagglima.com/2011/04/thor-its-hammer-time/

 

....Since I'm a security Guard I own a stun gun.....Sockets are old hat. t:

 

I completely agree even having not seen the film yet.
There have been alot of people saying the beginning seems choppy, and many scenes were cut.

 

Saw the film yesterday and totally loved it.
I never really knew much of Thor other than what I've seen in Avengers/Ultimates etc but I've gotta say I love the big guy, he is funny, caring, strong I can see him and Stark having a good time together.
From the trailers I cringed alot at the "funny" parts and hoped they didn't ruin the film, but when watching it in context of the scene they worked, really well in some cases, like when Darcy trys to say Mjolnir that cracked me up.

The casting was spot on, everyone was strong, I didn't feel anyone was weak they all played the roles as good as I could have hoped.

The action was great, it seems Marvel took not on people not liking the rushed fights in Iron Man 1/2 the Avengers roles were subtle and didn't feel forced.

Asgard looks amazing like others have said, and I hope none comic book fans don't get turned off from the flipping from Earth to fantastical lands every 15mins.

I can't wait to see it again.

Don't bother with 3D while I'm more than happy to give Marvel Studios my money, 3D didn't add anything for me.

9/10

Totally up there with the original Iron Man

 

Just got back from seeing this thought it was EPIC 9.5 out of 10

 

Just a quick question for those who have seen it, but with no spoilers please, how are the action scene's compared to other movies in the genre?

 

Well for a start they are set in different worlds so they are not just generic street fights.
The action is good, you won't be let down.
It is an origin story so its not going to be all out action like say .... Crank!

 

Yeah, I wasnt expecting Crank I just meant compared to other CB movies, does the action mix with the best or is it somewere in the middle?

 

They're perhaps a bit short. But I was impressed with how powerful they made thor. After think the hulk was a bit watered down they really showed that you cannot go toe to toe with thor and expect to walk away unless he wants you to

 

^Good stuff, hate it when they power down characters in movies.

 

By far of the best. But I still wanted more, it was big-scale action in a small town. The best action is in Thors first fight quite early in the film.

 

It's Branagh weakest area, the character stuff is where the strength of the film lies but overall it's pretty decent.

Side note, is there gonna be a thread for people to actually talk about the film in detail? It's hard not to give away spoilers given it's been released two weeks ahead of time down here.

 

I saw the film yesterday. I really liked it, but it wasn't without it's issues. I don't know, it kinda felt like it had parts of a really good movie mixed in with parts of a really bad movie.

I'll get the bad out of the way first. I, personally, really disliked a lot of the aesthetics of the film, particularly during the Asgard scenes. The costumes, the music cues, the set designs... a lot of the time they felt like something straight out of a bad 90s superhero film. The Warriors Three in particular just looked cheap. And surprisingly, even some of the special effects look poor, the kind of dodgy greenscreen stuff that I wouldn't expect from Marvel's recent output. There were several moments in the film where we'd have a lingering close-up on a badly designed character, standing in an unconvincing set, and this overblown music cue would swell up... and I'd cringe. And if I was watching in the company of non-comic fans, I'd probably be a bit embarrassed.

But despite some of the shoddy elements on the surface, where it really counts, there was a whole lot to like. While I was finding the Asgard stuff at the beginning to be a bit cheesy and campy, once the action shifted to Earth, things really picked up. It is in these sequences that Chris Hemsworth truly shines - the earnest, arrogant fantasy hero persona of the earlier scenes plays brilliantly in this fish-out-of-water situation. So, just as I was beginning to fear that the film would be scuppered, it quickly recovered and turned itself around.

I think what truly elevates the film are the central performances. Chris Hemsworth was the main unknown commodity coming into the film, but he delivers in spades. While some might have before questioned if he could survive in The Avengers without being acted off-screen by Robert Downey Jr, here he shows the charisma and screen presence to make me eagerly anticipate the two sharing scenes together. Some cynics talked about how the film would need a quality supporting cast to carry the young actor, but here he proves more than capable of carrying the film himself.

But perhaps my favorite performance is that of Tom Hiddleston's Loki. I always had a good feeling about Hiddleston in the role, and he lived up to my expectations, giving us a nuanced, at times even sympathetic villain whose motives remain ambiguous right to the end. I really can't wait to see more of this compelling performance, and so hope he's showcased well in The Avengers.

Anthony Hopkins brings some admirable gravitas to Odin, getting a good share of powerful, even heartwrenching scenes. The movie is at its very best when exploring the father/son/brother dynamic between Thor, Loki and Odin. It's a testmament to the acting ability of all three that, in spite of the costumes and the set and the music cues, you're still utterly immersed in the human drama when these three are playing off each other.

While I wouldn't say there are any particularly bad performances, there are plenty of people who don't get much time to shine. Rene Russo, once a big star, seems now relegated to giving concerned looks in the background as Thor's mother Frigga. Which is a shame, as in the first draft of the script the scenes between Loki and Frigga were some of the highlights of the story. It seems her part was cut into oblivion in the process of adaptation. The Warrios Three, as well as being poorly served by their costumes, only had lip service paid to their personalities. Sif fares a bit better, though we don't really get much sense of any real closeness with Thor, with her seeming more like part of "The Warriors Four". Idris Elba does really well as Heimdall, who has a larger role than you might think. Ironically, considering all the criticism his casting garnered, that he's perhaps more convincing as a Norse God than anyone.

Thor is not perfect, but overall I left the cinema with a good impression of what I'd seen. And stay for the post-credits sequence: it gave me goosebumps, and left me eagerly anticipating the possibilities in store for The Avengers.

 

Great to hear KS!! Missed ya man!

 

This is EXACTLY why the trailers had me so worried about this film. Good to hear that the movie's other elements seem to overcome such a flaw, though. Thanks for the in-depth review KS!

 

I don't get the complaints about the costumes. I'm glad Kenneth as well as Matthew Vaugh have the balls to try to adapt a comic as accurately as possible and not be embarassed if the costumes or something else is a bit outlandish.

People need to remember that this is Marvel Comics Thor, not old school mythological Thor.

 

Just came for the movie here in Brasil!
It was an amazing superhero movie. Chris really got the character of Thor, and we got not one, but two great villains! Asgard was simply beautiful.
I wish the battle scenes (and the movie) were a bit longer, but I was definitely satisfied.
I have to say it's Marvel's best effort so far.
9 out of 10.

I'll be watching it again next week in 3D!

 

I don't understand the complaints about the costumes and the music at all. The score is pretty damn good imo.

 

One thing I was wondering to all of you who have seen the movie already. When he does that scream looking into the sky when he can't lift Mjolnir(sp?), does it come off as cheesy at all? It just reminds me of those scenes like when Nightowl does it in Watchmen and Rourke in the beginning of Iron Man.

 

IMO, no. Actually I thought it was a powerful scene.

 

Awww, I liked Mickey's in IM2. It sounded very painful, like he was really grieving. I can imagine someone doing that if a parent died right in front of them.

Now Vader in RotS, THAT'S cheesy...

 

I must admit it was not as bad as I expected, I think 6.5/10 is fair.

 

And it's still 94% fresh on RT. Great.

 

My problem with the sets/costumes weren't the designs. My complaint was that they look unfinished or plastic-y: generally un-lived-in. I couldn't believe that Thor's been wearing/using that armor for a week, let alone hundreds of years. I have yet to see a shot of the hammer that makes it look like a material that's even remotely heavy. They look like something in between Chronicles of Riddick and Power Rangers level of fakeness or something. Thankfully, the movie they belong to seems to be of higher caliber. Kinda like with Buffy/Angel: the great storytelling and characters outweigh the obviously fake prosthetic make-up and effects.

 

A lot of early pictures we were seeing of the sets and costumes on set didn't have the post-production effects added (as was, I thought, obvious at the time).