Movie Review Monday: Thor

Day 347

May is the official kick-off month for the summer season of movies, and I am so excited about all of the movies that will be coming to the theaters over these next few months! There are so many movies that I want to see, and I expect to be making regular trips to the movie theater.

On Thursday I went to see my first “2011 summer movie” - Thor - and after seeing it I was inspired to do a new type of blog post, a movie review. My goal is to do a review of all the movies I see this summer.

Before seeing this movie I must admit that my knowledge of Thor was very limited; I knew he was a superhero from Marvel Comics and that he was known for carrying a powerful hammer, and that’s about it. I really didn’t have any specific expectations. But my brother Josh had seen it on opening night and had nothing but great things to say about it, so I had high hopes that it would be very entertaining…and I was definitely entertained; so much so, that on Saturday night I saw it again (with my brother Jordan and his wife Erin).

Now, on with the movie itself:

Thor (played with a perfect blend of grandness, smugness, and even tenderness by Chris Hemsworth) is the next in line as king of Asgard. His father Odin (Anthony Hopkins, brilliant as always!) tries to instill wisdom and responsibility in Thor and his other son Loki. However, Thor is plagued with vanity and stubbornness and in a fit of anger and revenge he attacks another realm, inhabited by The Frost Giants. As a result the truce between the Asgardians and The Frost Giants is dissolved and war is declared against Asgard. Odin, in anger with Thor for putting so many innocent lives in danger has Thor banished to Earth, and has him separated from his mighty hammer called Mjolnir. Odin then enchants Mjolnir so that only one who is worthy and honorable will be able to wield this hammer and utilize its immense powers.

Thor literally runs into Jane Foster (beautiful, delightful Natalie Portman) an astrophysicist, in the middle of a desert in New Mexico, where she and her two associates, Erik and Darcy, have been doing extensive research. Jane is quickly intrigued and fascinated with Thor and wants to learn more about where he came from and his knowledge of the universe. Thor learns that the hammer Mjolnir has been found out in the desert and he searches after it, only to discover that he is unable to wield it. Then Thor begins to learn what it means to be humble, patience and considerate. He and Jane begin to fall in love with each other.

Meanwhile, back in Asgard, Odin falls into a coma-like sleep and Loki becomes the new king. It is then revealed that Loki has evil designs in mind and will do whatever it takes to keep Thor banished on Earth. Luckily for Thor, he has a group of friends/warriors that want to come to his aid.

I’m getting a little carried away here - sorry about that! I guess I need some more practice with writing a movie review without actually telling the whole movie. So here is my take on the movie:

I loved the fact that this movie balanced awesome action with humor and romance. There are many memorable quips/lines spoken throughout the movie, and moments of tender romance and humanness. The concept of having our hero Thor start out as a conceited jerk and then evolving into a true hero is captivating and believable. The movie takes its time in introducing the characters, the back stories, and then invests the time to develop them.

The performances are spot-on; no one seems over-the-top, underplayed, or miscast. Director Kenneth Branagh does an exceptional job of presenting a film that is entertaining and engaging. As with one being worthy to wield Mjolnir, this film is worthy to be considered a summer blockbuster and to wield the power of box office success!

For my movie reviews I have decided to abandon the traditional rankings (thumbs up/thumbs down, 1 to 4 stars, “tomato freshness”, etc.) and I am implementing my own ranking system. Since my focus is on the hot summer movies I will be ranking movies as follows: from the highly recommended top rank of a Bonfire; to the less enthusiastic (but still recommended) middle rank of Campfire, to the lowly, lukewarm bottom rank of Stove fire.

Thor is a :  

Am I a great artist or what?!