Cosmic scale fantasy THOR

Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

Of recent times Marvel Studios has done wonders with their superhero based movies like Iron Man, Captain America and The Incredible Hulk. Thor is yet another feather in their cap and gave birth to yet another superhero to their pantheon.

Thor differs from the other super being by being a direct descendant from the immortals. Taking on a more Greek and Roman element, the movie deals with the actions of gods, mortals and frost giants who undoubtedly are similar to the Titans found in the myths. Thor is known as the god of thunder in Norse legend.

He is the eldest son of Odin, the king of Asgard, and is the heir to the throne.

Thor is banished from the realm by his father due to provoking war between the gods and the frost giants. Meantime his trickster brother, Loki, has other plans up his sleeve to get the power of the realm into his own hands. Back on earth and stripped of his super powers Thor has to prove himself worthy of wielding Mjolnir, his flying, over-sized mallet. Along the way Thor meets and woos scientist Jane Foster.

Director Kenneth Branagh is best known for making movies out of Shakespeare. However his first attempt at making an epic adventure which spans from present day earth to the mystical realm of Asgard, is eye catching. The beginning of the movie is weak and somewhat confusing rather than intriguing but, luckily, it gains speed after Thor descends on earth. Yet one of the main stumbling blocks of the movie is that the plot is painfully predictable from the word go.

This seems a shame because Thor employs a lot of elements which could have made it an exceptional blockbuster. Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz and Don Payne could have worked on the screenplay more and added a unique touch to the incidents instead of flowing with the tide.

At the beginning of the movie we are not particularly taken up by the arrogant Thor yet Australian actor Chris Hemsworth has the knack not only to charm Jane Foster but also win over the audience. He makes us detest him at the beginning, puts a smile on our faces when the action demands and appeals to us in just the right instances. Kudos to Hemsworth for handling Thor’s maturing process with care and projecting it in a convincing manner.

One cannot help thinking that a gifted actress like Natalie Portman should have been given a meatier role.

Though her character has little to do, she adds depth and interest to the role and makes a perfect love interest for the mighty god. Fans certainly would have liked to see more romance brewing between the striking couple yet Branagh seems satisfied to only touch lightly upon the subject.

Tom Hiddleston proves his acting skills in the guise of Loki. Hiddleston came to prominence in the art films of Joanna Hogg, Unrelated and Archipelago. He could very well have projected Loki as a typical villain but we realize that the character has streaks of timidity, sensitivity and hesitance.

Overall this is an entertaining kid-friendly movie sans bloodshed and bad language and sets the pace for the company’s next production, The Avengers 3D spin-off. However Thor is better viewed in 2D format because the 3D effects hurt the visual experience rather than enthrall the viewers.

Though the story is not exceptional and would normally have seemed boring in ordinary light Marvel should be commended for bringing a superhero and lead cast which viewers would be happy to see again in years to come.