Oh, I'll be catching it tonight. The advance word is that the film gets Thor right and is fun on its own terms.
I actually had a chance to see it Tuesday but missed it. A friend of mine is the film critic for a local newspaper and so she goes to the early critics' screenings. Alas another friend of mine I hadn't seen in a while was in town that night and we already plans so I had to pass on the movie.
The good news is my critic friend has promised to take me with her to the advance screening of the Captain America flick.
She gave the Thor flick the thumbs up despite the fact that she does not get comic books at all and found some of the mythology and backstory boring. She was however very taken by the actor who played Thor, especially his ab muscles.
Hi Doug, I saw it last weekend in 3D on an IMAX screen. It pretty much took my head off. I won’t spoil anything for you, but here’s my take:
Nicely managed balance between loyalty to the source material and not alienating the newbies. There are a lot of nods which will make the fan boys smile and excitedly explain things to their girlfriend, (who will smile encouragingly while she politely waits for Mr. Hemsworth to take his shirt off again), but none if it really intrudes on the film e.g. at one point, a character references an old colleague of his who was an expert at Gamma radiation......at another, a certain Donald Blake is used as cover....the fanboys writhed with pleasure, but the newbies did not feel left out because they weren’t big plot points.
They’ve taken a couple of liberties (Loki’s origin) and indeed, some stuff was perhaps under-dwelt on....those of us familiar with the concept of Odinsleep would have been fine with it, but if I’d never read Thor, I’d be thinking ‘.....errrm, how come GOD needs to take a nap?’
Well chosen music...big & epic, but thematic.
Special effects....well, if you said they were the best in ANY super hero movie, ever, I wouldn’t argue with you. Visual effects, dimension hopping, magic, all that is done well, but so is the simpler stuff like the lightning, weather, tornadoes etc. Bit of a must really, given the source material.
The dialogue is great. I feared Branagh would just have to go all Shakespearian on us, and he did a little, but only enough to make it feel Olde Worlde. Enough to make you believe Asgardians were Gods. Like, nobody, y’know, said, like ‘awesome, Dude’, y’all. He brought the grandeur, bigness and wide-stage of Shakespeare, but without the soliloquies. Given that he’s never really directed anything like this and that it’s now a well-worn genre, I thought he did an amazing job.
I had no issue with how ANY of the characters were presented. Jane Foster, Sif, Loki, Odin. Heimdall is great. The Destroyer is superb. I particularly liked the Warriors Three...they were used to perfection. I like the way that ultimately the movie is driven by Thor himself, by his character and his need to learn and grow as person, rather than just running round smashing everything up, though you won’t be disappointed by the amount of stuff smashed up as his journey of discovery comes full circle. This is another thing they got right: most of the other characters are actually more complex than Thor, esp. Loki, and a lot more time is given to exploring their character and motivation, but ultimately, it all comes back to Goldilocks.
This is going to sound mental, but the thing I was most impressed with was the architecture! You will really feel like you’ve been to Asgard. None of it feels CGI, the shadows and the footfalls all seem real.
If I were Joss Whedon, I’d be sticking pins in a Kenneth Branagh doll round about now. Can’t wait for next year!
DO NOT WALK OUT WHEN THE CREDITS START TO ROLL. STAY TO THE ABSOLUTE END !!! And tell me if that thing in the box is what I think it is ! (I can’t say any more!).
Thanks for taking the time to write that detailed review! I imagine many of us will be coming back to this post over the weekend to toss in our two cents.
Cheers Doug. I'll be surprised if you're disappointed. I'd recommend seeing it in 3D in the cinema, although it seemed a bit gloomy which I suspected might be to do with the 3D process, so maybe when we catch it later on DVD it will look brighter. But I still think it's worth it to see it in 3D.
I just got back from the theater and (drumroll ...) a big thumbs up from me.
Richard's review is pretty much on point. Asgard is beautifully realized, the casting is perfect (nice to see Rene Russo again - btw) the special effects are excellent and Branagh strikes just the right tone.
I particularly liked the way he handled Loki. Rather than making him an obvious bad seed, he is given a new backstory and a more complex motivation that slowly unfolds over the course of the film. He is actually more interesting in the film than in the comics.
My only complaint is that the fight with the Destroyer (who is perfectly realized and very cool) is over a little too quickly. But that's it.
The friend I saw it with was less impressed though, though he couldn't articulate why. It might have been that he was just never into Thor in the first place.
Just got out of Thor. Wow!! I am so happy with this film. I agree with most of the comments here. After more folks have had a chance to see it, I'll leave more remarks. I thought it was pitch perfect. Asgard did Kirby proud! Karen
Saw it tonight with a friend (who loves sci-fi and fantasy films, including those based on superheroes, but was never much into comics themselves. I enjoyed it and am certainly looking forward to the next installments in the cinematic Avengers mythos, and hope there will be a Thor II. This mythos is distinct from that of the comics it is based on, as expected, but faithful enough to the gist of the characterizations of Lee & Kirby's creations. Loki is slyer -- a snake in the grass but less obviously cravenly evil, at least in the first third of so of the film. And I don't think I'll be giving anything away in saying I strongly suspect he'll play a key role in the Avengers film, just as he did in the original Lee/Kirby production of 48 years ago.
It's great, you'll love it. And that thing after the credits? It's exactly what you think it is, and will clearly form the plot of The Avengers. Can't wait.
Not trying to spoil anything here, but did anyone else notice something in the Asgardian weapons vault that seemed like it would be more at home in Dr. Strange's sanctum?
I'm still very pumped up about this film the morning after seeing it. It may have dethroned Iron Man as my favorite super-hero movie. Karen
Add me to the list of happy Thor fans! Saw it last night with my wife and daughter--they never read a Thor comic (though they've read issues of Avengers with them in it--can't live in my house without reading some Avengers comics) but absolutely loved it. Didn't hurt their feelings that Hemsworth looked exactly like a comicbook hero come to life...
The fantasy scenes were mind-blowingly good. The Rainbow Bridge was STUNNING, and I kinda dug the way they kinda combined how it worked with Kirby's Boom Tube.
Everyone thought Heimdall was SO cool ('cause he was)!
Sif and The Warriors Three were fun. More!
I dug how Loki was presented as a tragic character. He smouldered instead of scene chewing. Bravo!
I was shocked at how perfectly suited Hannibal the Cannibal was for Odin. He looked like a Kirby drawing!
The Easter eggs sprinkled throughout were far out, as well. Don't wanna spoil anything, but lots of cool stuff to look for in future viewings.
Loved the stuff on earth, too (especially seeing Thor's humility-growth spurt), but the Asgard stuff rocked!
I only wish they'd do their after-the-movie epilogues after the first set of credits instead of making us wait til the absolute last lawyerly period! Sheesh!
The boys and I saw Thor this evening, in 2D. If you've not read Cerebus660's review, you should -- it's pretty thorough, and I endorse his points. I'd add that Volstagg was generally good, but not funny enough. Stan wrote him better! "Do not mistake my appetite for apathy!" was a great line!
I need to see it again, as I could not recall when I went what Karen had said about a Dr. Strange reference -- totally missed it. I also somehow zombied through Stan Lee's cameo -- my boys both caught it, but the old man must have been napping!
The after-credit scene was good -- not as good as what we should have received for a 10-minute wait, but... Loved Loki's Jedi mind trick!
Overall, a two-hours well spent. I'd see it again, and am already looking forward to it's release on various video formats.
A couple of you have mentioned the change in Loki's backstory. Call me clueless, but one of the early Tales of Asgard (reprinted in the mid-70's tpb Bring on the Bad Guys) clearly said that he was King Laufey's son and was claimed by Odin after a battle.
By the way, the very next Tales of Asgard installment is played out on screen when lil' Thor and lil' Loki are shown with Odin. Perfect!
Yeah, you’re right about Loki. For some reason, I had it in my head that his enmity with Thor was because they were half brothers (same father, different mothers) but I guess I’m thinking of Hercules, with all of his various half-brothers (including a twin half brother....work that one out!). Or I'm just getting senile.
Hi Karen – I think you can say it was the Eye of Agamotto without spoiling Thor for anyone (but if you disagree, please delete that pronto). I’ve been saying for about 10 years now (since the first Harry Potter took $1bn at the box office) that Doc Strange would be the next big superhero movie and I’ve been wrong about 15 times now. It was supposed to be ready for 2012, but I can’t see that happening. At one point, it was going to be a Neil Gaiman script and Guillermo Del Toro directing. Now THAT would be worth waiting for!!
Oh, I'll be catching it tonight. The advance word is that the film gets Thor right and is fun on its own terms.
ReplyDeleteI actually had a chance to see it Tuesday but missed it. A friend of mine is the film critic for a local newspaper and so she goes to the early critics' screenings. Alas another friend of mine I hadn't seen in a while was in town that night and we already plans so I had to pass on the movie.
The good news is my critic friend has promised to take me with her to the advance screening of the Captain America flick.
She gave the Thor flick the thumbs up despite the fact that she does not get comic books at all and found some of the mythology and backstory boring. She was however very taken by the actor who played Thor, especially his ab muscles.
I'm planning to see it, but probably not until Tuesday. I'm working tomorrow, and I don't think my mother wants to go see it on Mother's Day!
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think? See it in 3-D or 2-D?
ReplyDeleteI'd appreciate a recommendation!
Thanks!
Doug
Hi Doug,
ReplyDeleteI saw it last weekend in 3D on an IMAX screen. It pretty much took my head off. I won’t spoil anything for you, but here’s my take:
Nicely managed balance between loyalty to the source material and not alienating the newbies. There are a lot of nods which will make the fan boys smile and excitedly explain things to their girlfriend, (who will smile encouragingly while she politely waits for Mr. Hemsworth to take his shirt off again), but none if it really intrudes on the film e.g. at one point, a character references an old colleague of his who was an expert at Gamma radiation......at another, a certain Donald Blake is used as cover....the fanboys writhed with pleasure, but the newbies did not feel left out because they weren’t big plot points.
They’ve taken a couple of liberties (Loki’s origin) and indeed, some stuff was perhaps under-dwelt on....those of us familiar with the concept of Odinsleep would have been fine with it, but if I’d never read Thor, I’d be thinking ‘.....errrm, how come GOD needs to take a nap?’
Well chosen music...big & epic, but thematic.
Special effects....well, if you said they were the best in ANY super hero movie, ever, I wouldn’t argue with you. Visual effects, dimension hopping, magic, all that is done well, but so is the simpler stuff like the lightning, weather, tornadoes etc. Bit of a must really, given the source material.
The dialogue is great. I feared Branagh would just have to go all Shakespearian on us, and he did a little, but only enough to make it feel Olde Worlde. Enough to make you believe Asgardians were Gods. Like, nobody, y’know, said, like ‘awesome, Dude’, y’all. He brought the grandeur, bigness and wide-stage of Shakespeare, but without the soliloquies. Given that he’s never really directed anything like this and that it’s now a well-worn genre, I thought he did an amazing job.
I had no issue with how ANY of the characters were presented. Jane Foster, Sif, Loki, Odin. Heimdall is great. The Destroyer is superb. I particularly liked the Warriors Three...they were used to perfection. I like the way that ultimately the movie is driven by Thor himself, by his character and his need to learn and grow as person, rather than just running round smashing everything up, though you won’t be disappointed by the amount of stuff smashed up as his journey of discovery comes full circle. This is another thing they got right: most of the other characters are actually more complex than Thor, esp. Loki, and a lot more time is given to exploring their character and motivation, but ultimately, it all comes back to Goldilocks.
This is going to sound mental, but the thing I was most impressed with was the architecture! You will really feel like you’ve been to Asgard. None of it feels CGI, the shadows and the footfalls all seem real.
If I were Joss Whedon, I’d be sticking pins in a Kenneth Branagh doll round about now. Can’t wait for next year!
DO NOT WALK OUT WHEN THE CREDITS START TO ROLL. STAY TO THE ABSOLUTE END !!! And tell me if that thing in the box is what I think it is ! (I can’t say any more!).
Richard
Richard --
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to write that detailed review! I imagine many of us will be coming back to this post over the weekend to toss in our two cents.
Best,
Doug
Cheers Doug. I'll be surprised if you're disappointed. I'd recommend seeing it in 3D in the cinema, although it seemed a bit gloomy which I suspected might be to do with the 3D process, so maybe when we catch it later on DVD it will look brighter. But I still think it's worth it to see it in 3D.
ReplyDeleteCheers R
Related to Marvel Movies:
ReplyDeleteNetflix is now streaming Marvel tv shows online, many of which have never been released on dvd or itunes:
http://marvel.com/news/story/15762/marvel_shows_now_available_on_netflix
Hey, the 1966 Marvel Super-Heroes are coming! Yes! I hope the quality is superior to some of the posts on YouTube.
ReplyDeleteThanks, J.A.!
Doug
Hey, Doug! I saw Thor last Sunday ( not Thor'sday! ) and loved it. You can read my review @http://glasswalking-stick.blogspot.com/2011/05/thor.html
ReplyDeleteI just got back from the theater and (drumroll ...) a big thumbs up from me.
ReplyDeleteRichard's review is pretty much on point. Asgard is beautifully realized, the casting is perfect (nice to see Rene Russo again - btw) the special effects are excellent and Branagh strikes just the right tone.
I particularly liked the way he handled Loki. Rather than making him an obvious bad seed, he is given a new backstory and a more complex motivation that slowly unfolds over the course of the film. He is actually more interesting in the film than in the comics.
My only complaint is that the fight with the Destroyer (who is perfectly realized and very cool) is over a little too quickly. But that's it.
The friend I saw it with was less impressed though, though he couldn't articulate why. It might have been that he was just never into Thor in the first place.
Just got out of Thor. Wow!! I am so happy with this film. I agree with most of the comments here. After more folks have had a chance to see it, I'll leave more remarks. I thought it was pitch perfect. Asgard did Kirby proud!
ReplyDeleteKaren
Saw it tonight with a friend (who loves sci-fi and fantasy films, including those based on superheroes, but was never much into comics themselves. I enjoyed it and am certainly looking forward to the next installments in the cinematic Avengers mythos, and hope there will be a Thor II. This mythos is distinct from that of the comics it is based on, as expected, but faithful enough to the gist of the characterizations of Lee & Kirby's creations. Loki is slyer -- a snake in the grass but less obviously cravenly evil, at least in the first third of so of the film. And I don't think I'll be giving anything away in saying I strongly suspect he'll play a key role in the Avengers film, just as he did in the original Lee/Kirby production of 48 years ago.
ReplyDeleteIt's great, you'll love it. And that thing after the credits? It's exactly what you think it is, and will clearly form the plot of The Avengers. Can't wait.
ReplyDeleteNot trying to spoil anything here, but did anyone else notice something in the Asgardian weapons vault that seemed like it would be more at home in Dr. Strange's sanctum?
ReplyDeleteI'm still very pumped up about this film the morning after seeing it. It may have dethroned Iron Man as my favorite super-hero movie.
Karen
Add me to the list of happy Thor fans! Saw it last night with my wife and daughter--they never read a Thor comic (though they've read issues of Avengers with them in it--can't live in my house without reading some Avengers comics) but absolutely loved it. Didn't hurt their feelings that Hemsworth looked exactly like a comicbook hero come to life...
ReplyDeleteThe fantasy scenes were mind-blowingly good. The Rainbow Bridge was STUNNING, and I kinda dug the way they kinda combined how it worked with Kirby's Boom Tube.
Everyone thought Heimdall was SO cool ('cause he was)!
Sif and The Warriors Three were fun. More!
I dug how Loki was presented as a tragic character. He smouldered instead of scene chewing. Bravo!
I was shocked at how perfectly suited Hannibal the Cannibal was for Odin. He looked like a Kirby drawing!
The Easter eggs sprinkled throughout were far out, as well. Don't wanna spoil anything, but lots of cool stuff to look for in future viewings.
Loved the stuff on earth, too (especially seeing Thor's humility-growth spurt), but the Asgard stuff rocked!
I only wish they'd do their after-the-movie epilogues after the first set of credits instead of making us wait til the absolute last lawyerly period! Sheesh!
Bring on Captain America!
The boys and I saw Thor this evening, in 2D. If you've not read Cerebus660's review, you should -- it's pretty thorough, and I endorse his points. I'd add that Volstagg was generally good, but not funny enough. Stan wrote him better! "Do not mistake my appetite for apathy!" was a great line!
ReplyDeleteI need to see it again, as I could not recall when I went what Karen had said about a Dr. Strange reference -- totally missed it. I also somehow zombied through Stan Lee's cameo -- my boys both caught it, but the old man must have been napping!
The after-credit scene was good -- not as good as what we should have received for a 10-minute wait, but... Loved Loki's Jedi mind trick!
Overall, a two-hours well spent. I'd see it again, and am already looking forward to it's release on various video formats.
Doug
Question --
ReplyDeleteA couple of you have mentioned the change in Loki's backstory. Call me clueless, but one of the early Tales of Asgard (reprinted in the mid-70's tpb Bring on the Bad Guys) clearly said that he was King Laufey's son and was claimed by Odin after a battle.
By the way, the very next Tales of Asgard installment is played out on screen when lil' Thor and lil' Loki are shown with Odin. Perfect!
Doug
Hi Doug,
ReplyDeleteYeah, you’re right about Loki. For some reason, I had it in my head that his enmity with Thor was because they were half brothers (same father, different mothers) but I guess I’m thinking of Hercules, with all of his various half-brothers (including a twin half brother....work that one out!). Or I'm just getting senile.
Hi Karen – I think you can say it was the Eye of Agamotto without spoiling Thor for anyone (but if you disagree, please delete that pronto). I’ve been saying for about 10 years now (since the first Harry Potter took $1bn at the box office) that Doc Strange would be the next big superhero movie and I’ve been wrong about 15 times now. It was supposed to be ready for 2012, but I can’t see that happening. At one point, it was going to be a Neil Gaiman script and Guillermo Del Toro directing. Now THAT would be worth waiting for!!
Richard
http://www.liveforfilms.com/2011/05/08/what-is-in-odins-vault-in-thor/
ReplyDeleteNot only is the Eye of Agamotto in Odin's vault, but check out everything else!
Doug