The Official 'Thor Rate & Review' thread

[Vartha]

/Film Video Blog Review
http://www.slashfilm.com/video-blog-reaction-thor/

wow there's a like on the 3D.

 

[Flemm]

I think the op implies that it is for everyone and that he will be adding a poll as well.

 

[Chewy]

Is this thread going to be just for media reviews or are we putting our reviews here too?

Probably both

 

[S.A.A.D.]

I'm certain that this thread applies to both parties.

 

[Brad_Lewis]

People have to remember the World Premier was Last night, here in Sydney--I talked to a local news guy who was waiting outside like the rest of us. "THEY HAVEN"T SEEN IT YET", maybe Paramount invited more US press, to review and there were alot of Aussie stars there from a show called "HOME & AWAY", but I don't think any reviews could be considered really yet. I wouldn't put too much into them yet....

If it's like anything else, anyone whos had a premier release viewing can't put there reviews up yet. Unless its just someones kid who's daddy has some pull with the Sydney premier, or one of the people at the show last night.

WHATEVER THE CASE I WONT LET HAZY REVIEWS BE MY GUIDE WITH THIS ONE.

BE PATIENT MY EAGER FANS, WE'LL ALL GET TO SEE IT, AND FIND OUT HOW IT WILL WORK WITH AVENGERS AND CAPS FLICK. "Why do we always hurt the ones we loves"

 

[Hurm...]

...alright...

 

[kedrell]

Now I'm really looking forward to seeing this:

Spoiler

A sequence in which a parade of local rednecks use Thor's buried hammer as a strength-tester to the tune of Billy Swan's I Can Help is particularly fun

That indicates that this film really does have it's own personality, which is what I hoped.

 

[ElMariachi]

Glad to hear that Hemsworth owns in this movie. Also that Loki and the rest of the cast was great. From the sounds of it, this will be a fun movie that doesn't take itself too seriously

 

[kedrell]

That's always the dividing line. Take it seriously, but only just enough. Too much and it's Watchmen. Too little and it's Fantastic Four.

 

[Village_Idiot]

I'm just glad it doesn't suck , now I can start worrying about Captain America..........lol

 

[kedrell]

I didn't think it would suck. Maybe be mediocre but that's about it. Marvel Studios hasn't made a pure sucker yet and with each film they make that isn't a suckfest I get more comfortable with expecting uncommon quality from them.

 

[Village_Idiot]

I kept hearing more and more about how funny it was and was getting worried that it was just going to turn out silly , a guy in a winged helmet , red cape and throws a hammer , could really come across as just being silly

I started to get images of FF2

 

[Chewy]

Den of Geek - 4/5
http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/854370/thor_review.html

 

[Flemm]

For whatever reason, Marvel studios pushed the comedy sequences very hard in the lead-up to the premiere. I can only guess that this was because they thought these scenes would be the most likely to grab the attention of people who might not be interested in a big adventure movie set mostly in another dimension. They could be right. I have talked to a few people who were sceptical about the film, but who found the fish-out-of-water stuff appealing.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Is this thread going to be just for media reviews or are we putting our reviews here too?

Nobody read the very first post?

AS IS ALWAYS THE CASE WITH THESE THREADS, YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO POST YOUR OWN REVIEWS, BUT SINCE THE MOVIE IS OPENING WEEKS EARLY IN SOME LOCATIONS PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL OF YOUR FELLOW POSTERS AND USE SPOILER TAGS!!!

 

[Village_Idiot]

Sounds like they've found the right balance

 

[kedrell]

My theory is that ever since stuff like the FF movies came out, fans of this genre have been extremely gunshy about humor in the movies. Almost to the point of paranoia in some cases. Humor has been in EVERY well received superhero film made to date. They tend to forget this fact.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

The Variety review is behind a paywall and I no longer have access. Can someone copy/paste it here?

 

[rashad]

Variety Reviews - Thor
By Richard Kuipers

Neither the star pupil nor the dunce of the Marvel superhero-to-screen class, "Thor" delivers the goods so long as butt is being kicked and family conflict is playing out in celestial dimensions, but is less thrilling during the Norse warrior god's rather brief banishment on Earth. With Aussie hunk Chris Hemsworth impressive in the lead and helmer Kenneth Branagh investing the dramatic passages with a weighty yet never overbearing Shakespearean dimension, pic looks sure to reap big B.O. on the strength of its ready-made audience, but faces a tougher time attracting viewers for whom this type of fare is the exception rather than the rule.

Although the comicbook has been in print since 1962, Thor hasn't scored much more than supporting roles and guest spots in various toons and telepics since. With this in mind, scripters Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz and Don Payne have wisely penned an unhurried but engrossing half-hour setup of the lesser-known Marvel character and the three worlds he inhabits.

Opening snapshot in New Mexico finds astrophysicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), her gal-pal/assistant Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) and Jane's mentor, Dr. Erik Sevig (Stellan Skarsgard) investigating a twister-like atmospheric disturbance. In their haste to discover what's come down in the storm, their RV knocks down Thor (Hemsworth), a buff and bearded stranger.

Bulk of the action in the first couple of reels sets up Thor's fall from grace in his homeland, Asgard, a heavenly realm ruled by his supremely wise but aging father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Just moments away from peacefully ascending the throne ahead of brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor leaps into an eye-popping interdimensional portal and leads an unauthorized attack on Jotunheim, home to their enemies, the Frost Giants, led by reptile-like Laufey (Colm Feore). Odin's punishment: Thor is dispatched to Midgard (Earth) with his magical hammer, Mjolnir, but cannot use the mighty instrument until he overcomes the classic mythological shortcomings of arrogance and impetuosity.

Speckled with amusing fish-out-of-water humor as Thor marches around a dusty New Mexico town like he's still in Asgard, the story promises much from the attentions of government agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Thor's brewing confrontation with the Destroyer, a hulking creation that resembles a high-tech suit of armor and shoots fire from its eyes. He's joined in this endeavor by Asgard warrior pals Sif (Jaimie Alexander), Volstagg (Ray Stevenson), Fandral (Josh Dallas), and Hogun (Tadanobu Asano).

Yet Thor's smackdown with the Destroyer is all too brief and anticlimactic when stacked up against the spectacularly rendered rumbles in other dimensions. Though Thor's romance with Jane is passable, thanks largely to Portman's sterling work in a thinly written role, the couple isn't given enough alone time or meaningful dialogue to raise the relationship above the ordinary.

It's a different matter in the heavens. Hopkins rises to the occasion with a restrained yet powerful portrayal of a father forced by conscience to deal the bitterest of judgments upon his chosen heir, and Hiddleston gives a finely tuned perf as the sibling whose loyalty or otherwise to Thor remains a tantalizing question until deep into proceedings. Almost unrecognizable as the star of Aussie soap "Home and Away" in the mid-2000s, Hemsworth holds his own in distinguished company and will serve the series well in any sequels and "The Avengers," Marvel's all-star superhero bash skedded for 2012 release. Given only a handful of lines, Rene Russo is under-used as Odin's wife, Frigga.

As the living actor and director most closely associated with Shakespeare, Branagh may seem a surprise choice for such material. A childhood reader of the comics, he brings a fan's enthusiasm and his skill as an actor's director to the table here. Fitting Hemsworth out with a classical but never pompous British accent and shooting emotionally charged sequences with elegant simplicity, Branagh succeeds in rendering his mythological characters deeply human.

While no fatal missteps are taken along Thor's path to redemption, pic has a slightly choppy feel, as if it's trying to squeeze an origin tale and at least part of its sequel into a single entity. Most of the material motors along just fine, though the editing occasionally seems a bit too hurried in moving from one dimension to the next. An extra reel of Earth-bound story might not have gone astray.

Reviewed at Event Cinemas George Street, Sydney, April 17, 2011. Running time: 113 MIN.

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117945029?refcatid=31

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Thank you brah.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Lots of common elements running through many of these. Asgard stuff is spectacular while Earth scenes are drab, Chris is gold while Natalie doesn't have a lot to work with, Thor and Jane relationship isn't developed enough. I wonder if a lot of that stuff got cut?

Still, seems like most everyone enjoyed it. Man I can't wait.

 

[Chewy]

Whiskey if it's not too much trouble how about posting a little blurb from each review's summary after the link? I think in general that's more helpful than the star score.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

I can do that.

 

[kedrell]

I just had a thought about the whole Thor/Jane underdeveloped relationship thing:

Maybe they are doing that on purpose. Hear me out. Portman isn't cheap to hire and now that she's got her Oscar she's gonna be even more expensive in a sequel. And has Jane Foster been all that big in comics for the entirely of Thor's run? I'm no Thor expert but I've heard that she was left sorta in the dust along with the Don Blake/cripple thing quite a while back and only maybe recently there's been some resurgence of her character in Thor comics.

Anyway, maybe the idea they have in mind is to basically do a Kim Basinger on the Portman. Of course, if she were to really shine and stand out then it would be harder to do a sequel w/o her so maybe they're looking ahead by trimming her scenes. And they've already got a cost effective, fan approved ready to go love interest for the sequel in Jaime Alexander.

Eh, it's a theory and not even one I actually subscribe to. But just food for thought.

 

[ddddeeee]

Luckily, Hemsworth is utterly brilliant as both mighty Norse god and fish out of water. His spot-on performance is so rich, Thor easily becomes the most fascinating, multi-layered Marvel hero. The former Australian soap actor's comic timing is tremendous - a single line in a pet shop is comedy genius. Of course, he physically fits the bill with his blond hair and ginormous muscles, but he also boasts charm by the bucketload. He's not just funny; up against classical British actor Hiddleston, the pair burn up the screen with intensity; as Loki, god of mischief, Hiddleston is entrusted with a mercurial role and he is absolutely riveting. Among the action, Branagh allows this brotherly feud to play out with a depth not seen before in a comic adaptation (not even in Christopher Nolan's Batman films), with Hiddleston and Hemsworth at times heart-stoppingly powerful.
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http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/film/thor​