Thor

The way The Hives tell it, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. And it would seem that 8 years after the totally under-appreciated Hulk came and went from theatres, the folks at Marvel Studios have yet again delved deep into the subtext of one of their properties for some deeper themes (Then: Emotional repression and self-denial. Now: Arrogance and humility.) and, hired an acclaimed, respected director accustomed to higher-brow fare, (Then: Ang Lee. Now: Kenneth Branagh.) and made it about a superhero who relies more on brute force than his wits. Despite making use of similar ingredients, Thor is an entirely different animal; likely because its themes translate more readily into a narrative involving the occasional donnybrook.

Beyond the expected touch of “class” that Branagh brings to the production, he also makes the unconventional choice of offering some lines to the supporting cast to foster a feeling of depth within the film. Rather than the traditional model of superhero film that only offers up dialogue as a tool to develop the hero or the villain, Branagh offers many of the supporting characters opportunities to speak and act for the sake of elaborating on the world they inhabit. Sif commiserating with Thor’s mother and expressing her condolences over the loss of her son could have easily been left the cutting room floor.

Thor also manages to accomplish the Herculean task of taking the least relatable member of the Avengers and brings him into a world where he could conceivably sit and have a drink with Tony Stark. No small part of that is thanks to one Agent Coulson (Clark Greg as the “Son of Coul”) who is doing an admirable job of jumping from film to film, but besides Nick Fury’s errand boy, Branagh utilizes two tried and true tools of classic science fiction: the gyroscope and the black hole. The device used by the “gods” to cross vast reaches of space? It’s basically a spherical device that spins around really, really fast. Not unlike H.G. Wells’ Time Machine or the “space ship” from Contact. And Thor’s incredible hammer, Mjolnir? Forged from material found deep within a dead star, evoking images of a black hole with gravitational forces capable of bending space-time, not unlike every other Star Trek movie. Making use of these little narrative crutches doesn’t necessarily make any of this “possible”, but in a world with gamma irradiated behemoths and a man with an arc reactor-powered prosthesis, it becomes at least plausible.

Regardless of any of my deeper thoughts on this movie, it was a really good time. There were some genuine laughs, some great geek-out moments including two great cameos, and some fantastic CG to satisfy your early cravings for this summer’s crop of blockbusters.

Question: Did Odin’s horse have eight legs? I only though to check after it was gone. And who was your favourite movie Thor? Chris Hemsworth, Vincent D’Onofrio or Mathew Baker?