Cinema Review: Thor (2011)

Since they started producing their own films in-house with Iron Man, it's been eminently clear that Marvel have one precise goal in mind: the Avengers movie, due next year under the direction of fanboy god Joss Whedon. They've already given Tony Stark and Bruce Banner (A.K.A. The Incredible Hulk) their lead-in movies; this year they slot their final two primary cast members into place, Thor being the first out of the blocks. Having a superhero film whose main character is the Norse God of Thunder certainly makes a change of pace from the typical bitten by a spider/exposed to radiation/is really really rich (i.e. Iron Man, Batman) origin. Thor goes more for the Superman route, treating its main character's home realm, Asgard, as a sort of otherworldly Krypton, and the protagonist as an alien to whom Earth cultures are strange and foreign.

As has already been shown, that sort of fish out of water premise is ripe with potential, some of which Thor attains but not all. In terms of character and wit, director Kenneth Branagh and his team of scripters score highly; there's an appealing sense of humour in many of the Earthbound scenes and the obligatory central love story is played subtly and believably. Aussie Chris Hemsworth grows into the title role well, initially seeming hamstrung by the very Branagh-esque accent he adopts, but apparently relaxes as the story progresses. He certainly looks the part. Natalie Portman is rewarded with the relatively thankless love interest part and manages to be endearing and believable, even if we're not really given any character information other than the fact she's a scientist. She looks much more engaged here than in her last blockbusters, the Star Wars prequels - no wonder.

Branagh was certainly an eyebrow-raising choice as director, and the end result is not far from what you'd expect from past experience. He's confident with dialogue scenes and character beats, less so with the action stuff, which tends to devolve into murky CG-laden mush (particularly an early set-piece on an ice planet). It's not helped by the addition of the third dimension - everything just looks too dark (many of the off-world scenes are quite darkly lit in the first place) and the film rarely makes any use at all of the potential of 3D. The film's attention is divided between Asgard and Earth, the first act being devoted to the former, and despite - or because of - its distinctive art design style the fantastical world never convinces. In both settings, Branagh overdoes the Dutch angles, such framing rarely having any evident justification. The Earth sections are more compelling, but keeping the action centred around a New Mexico desert town makes the film feel small.



Summary
Once again, a Marvel movie feels like little more than a tease for something bigger to come. At least Thor is distinctive and rather original in terms of comic book movies, differing from the familiar template, and the casting is successful. The Avengers had better be a suitably spectacular payoff after all this time and effort.