I mentioned in my review of “Fast Five” last week that summer has arrived. While some readers might have thought my declaration was premature, since summer doesn’t officially begin until June 21, movie studios go by a different calendar than everyone else. Ever since summer became the time of year for blockbusters, studios have tacked on more and more weeks to the season in an effort to maximize their earnings.
So, even though your calendar might say we have five more weeks of spring, in Hollywood, summer has been in full swing since the last weekend in April, and it will continue through Labor Day. I’ve learned to joyfully embrace this brazen disregard for the calendar because it means a non-stop four-month parade of big budget special effects extravaganzas, the kind that are made for sitting in a packed theater with a huge bucket of popcorn and an oversized soda.
“Fast Five” was a good start. But with each new weekend comes a new contender for box office king. And on May 6, that movie was “Thor,” the latest big screen adaptation of a Marvel comic.
Like “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk” before it, and like “Captain America: The First Avenger” later this year, “Thor” is part of a series of movies leading up to the release of “The Avengers” in 2012. While I have not read the comic books on which these movies are based, I enjoyed all three movies tremendously.
Marvel founder Stan Lee based the character of Thor on the god of thunder from Norse mythology. A deity from the cosmic realm of Asgard, Thor is arrogant and physically strong. He also wields a powerful hammer that can destroy worlds, which might sound like the wrong accessory for someone with an ego as big as his, but he also loves justice, and is a champion of the human race.
The movie begins on Earth in 965 A.D. with a battle between Odin, the kind of Asgard, and the Frost Giants, who are out to conquer Earth. Odin and his army defeat the Frost Giants and steal their source of power: the Casket of Ancient Winters.
The movie then jumps to Asgard in the present as Thor prepares to take his father’s place on the throne. The ceremony is interrupted when a small band of Frost Giants attempts to retrieve the casket, killing a number of Asgardians in the process. Thor swears to take revenge and, against his father’s orders, travels to the home planet of the Frost Giants, where he triggers a new war between Asgard and the powerful beings.
To punish Thor for his disobedience, Odin strips his son of his abilities and banishes
him to Earth along with his hammer, which he will only be able to wield once he’s become worthy again.
Thor lands in New Mexico, where scientist Jane Foster finds him and takes him into her care. Meanwhile, gears begin to turn on a plot on Asgard that will eventually give Thor the opportunity to defend Earth and win back his father’s approval.
The storyline is one of the strong points of “Thor.” The plot is lucid and tight, and while it might not be the epic “Lord of the Rings” story the source material seems to call for, it provides a good introduction to the character of Thor and strikes a nice balance between classical fantasy and modern day action.
Also, director Kenneth Bran-
agh was a good choice for director. His long history of bringing Shakespeare to the screen
in movies like “Henry V,” “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Hamlet” serves the movie well, as Branagh brings credibility to the movie’s many bombastic elements. There are lines in “Thor” that in the hands of director less experienced with classical drama would have drawn laughs, yet they carry the weight of the Bard’s best work.
Branagh is also an excellent director of actors, and pulled solid performances from his cast. His approach with the villain was especially smart. Too many movie bad guys ooze slime, but the nasty piece of work at the center of “Thor” is manipulative and evil without being blatantly snaky.
Also, while “Thor” is Bran-agh’s first big special effects picture, he handles the action admirably, delivering a couple of spectacular battle scenes and some terrific visuals on Asgard. “Thor” is well worth the extra bucks if you can see it in 3D on an IMAX screen.
“Thor” isn’t perfect. Foster and Thor aren’t given enough screen time together to develop a believable romance, and the chemistry between them is weak. Also, the film doesn’t end as strongly as it begins. Still, despite these significant shortcomings. “Thor” delivers the goods.
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence. Three stars out of four. Email David Laprad at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.com.