Thor Review

I am not going to say I am the biggest Thor fan, but I did know about him growing up thanks to my dad. To sum it up: he's from Asgard, the God of thunder, and carries around a hammer named Mjolnir (try saying that three times fast). Naturally, when I first saw the film I had "expectations" and visions to how Thor & Asgard would appear on screen. My reaction is a mixture of emotions, but the thrills carry the film. One feature that stands out is the location visuals. Asgard is shown from an aerial shot and displays it as a glorious location. However, (I believe) so much of the budget went in designing Asgard that the location in New Mexico totally seemed like a small studio set. In my opinion, the visual quality of locations created an impact to how significant the storyline is. To emphasize, it seemed that plot points that occured at Asgard were more important. Loki showing his true colors and Thor fighting him at the bifrost were shown to be more vital scenes to the plot. Whereas the romantic storyline between Thor and Jane Foster felt forced. The movie's flow did not feel like previous Marvel films. I applause Marvel for a fresh new approach, but it did not pay off. Unlike its predecessors, the film gave me little reason to be rooting for Thor. It does not, however, take away the excitement from the action scenes and seeing Mjolnir in action.

As noted earlier, I had a vision to how Thor would be portrayed and this is my opinion: the costume is on point, but his personality annoyed me. Yes, he fights well as a warrior, but as a person he acts like a spoiled brat. Thor thought of himself as an unstoppable god that can do whatever he pleases without thinking of the consequences. However, it makes sense that this is part of the storyline. It is Thor's journey to learn how to accept responsibility and care for others. Still, it is a weak plot: arrogant warrior turn hero from life lesson. Chris Hemsworth brings out the macho toughness of Thor to take on any challenge. The two things I couldn't get behind are his wig and the deepening of his voice. The wig has a little more comedic effect than it should. Everything else, though, from the red cape to the helmet to even how he holds his hammer looks great. This movie does not convince me Chris is Thor; however, after more practice of the role he will learn to be the god of thunder for future Marvel films.

The film also shows the debut of future Avenger: Hawkeye. I love the way they introduce him. SHIELD need an agent to take out Thor and all a sudden a dark figure reaches for a gun but decides to take a bow and arrow instead. A major teaser to who the character is. This may contradict my last paragraph of Thor's appearance, but I am glad Marvel did not dress Hawkeye like the comics. He would've looked foolish (like Thor's wig) and the modern-archer-look makes him appear like a real threat. While little is revealed about him it makes sense so the focus can remain on Thor as the main Avenger of the film. Two other vital Thor characters that I have to touch base are Loki and Odin. Both Tom Hiddleston and Anthony Hopkins play their roles on point and makes me excited to see them in future Marvel films. Unlike Chris Hemsworth & Thor, the casting choices are on point. From the costumes to their characters' qualities.

Score: 7/10

While I believe Thor does not live to the expectation I had, it makes me excited to see the character appear in future Marvel films. A rocky start for the character, but a fun film to enjoy overall.