Thor

Summer starts earlier every year, at least in the Cineplex. If Thor is any indication, this year’s popcorn features will have a competent level of entertainment. Thor might have lacked the Iron Man’s Rourke/Downey scenes, where two master celluloid thespians actually found real moments, it was a splendid-looking romp through a well known albeit somewhat minor Marvel character. Fun and forgettable, nonetheless a satisfying set up for next year’s Avengers. Last summer, the Hulk film and Iron Man II did the same thing. I do not read Marvel (the smugness in that statement is intended and justified, “true believers”); I am a D.C. man – Long Live the Legion of Super Heroes!

My appreciation of the Super Hero genre of film transcends my biases against Marvel. While Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are without question, the genre at its finest; the first two Spiderman’s and first two X-Men’s were great, as has been the Iron Man Franchise. As any comic book reader will attest, the team ups are the most fun and the way the Marvel films have been setting up the Avengers, with hints of the future team up embedded in the movie – just enough to notice – appeals to the inner fan boy in us all.

Kenneth Branagh, who directed what I consider the best Shakespeare Film – Henry V – infuses Thor with the necessary, theatrical gravitas to make the world of Norse gods not just plausible, but able to participate in the science fiction world intrinsic to the Marvel-verse. Thor is played by the new Captain Kirk’s father and the ubiquitous Natalie Portman is his Lois Lane. The new Captain Kirk’s father is a credible Thor, not an easy task since the Script sucks. Basically, it’s a maturation story with Shakespeare-esque court of the king intrigue. A callow though well intentioned Thor is banished by Odin (played by Anthony Hopkins, who as always, acts with clove and pineapple; as someone who endured the Wolf man and the Last Rites, all I can say is enough of this has been ham already!) for disobeying him and is banished to earth, He is finally reunited with his hammer, becomes Thor, and saves Asgaard, but he also swears to protect Earth, like a knight. I love the audacity of comic books, the way they freely mix mythologies, genres and epitomize unfettered energy that gives pulp fiction its appeal. Now, here’s why the new Captain Kirk’s father is a good actor. He has nothing in the script to justify this transformation. Chris Helmsworth makes Thor credible through his own talent, with only a modicum of help from Brannagh and no help at all from the script. It was solely up to his acting chops to make us believe in a magic hammer wielding Super Hero, pulling that off by acting talent alone is no small feat. His dreamy looks and ripped torso are sure to make all women swoon, which won’t impede his career; but the fact is, the way he makes Thor work, given the lackluster script, indicates a genuine talent worth watching.



This was also my first 3-D film. I’ve been avoiding what I hope is a fad, but this was the only showing I could make -- the $13 (at Newport!) show. It gave me a slight headache and was mostly annoying, however there were some scenes in Asgaard where the effect was superb, really new, very trippy. The 3-d scenes in our world – several took place in a hospital – distracted me from the film. My eyes had problems adjusting after the film. I wear glasses, I’m myopic with slightly differed prescriptions in each eye, which I hypothesize might throw off the benefits of 3-D.

The cardboard promotional materials in the lobby of the Newport Cineplex – which has been refurbished so it is not as utterly gross as it had been --- a pretty good hammer. Let the Summer Begin!