Thor Reviewed As Gilderoy Lockhart (aka Kenneth Branagh) once said, “Amazing! This is just like magic!” And I get the feeling Branagh felt the same about his first foray into the wonderful world of CGI. Full of flashing lights; impressive (yet not overdone or overused), computer-created architecture; and Avatar-ish “Frost Giants”, his first Hollywood blockbuster, Thor, certainly utilises CG to the full. Thor, the latest Marvel creation excepting Captain America: The First Avenger, tripled its $150 million budget and scored a hearty 7.0/10 on IMDB, also gleaning 77% from Rotten Tomatoes and four whole stars from film giant Empire. Starring a strong selection of up-and-comings, including the since-established Chris Hemsworth (as the titular Norse god) and Tom Hiddleston (as evil brother Loki, a name each actor has a seemingly unique way of saying – Lo-kee? Lo-ky?), on the acting front it was a bit of a mixed bag, with certain names exceeding whilst some of the more experienced were lacklustre. Director Branagh’s first behind-the-camera role in four years is also debatably his most mainstream, and certainly his first venture into the realms of comic book superheroes. He is well known for his Oscar-nominated adaptations of Shakespeare plays – notably Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, and Hamlet – so it is not surprising to notice a certain Shakespearean feel to the family issues suffered by Thor and the other residents of Asgard. What with two sons battling over a throne while their father tries to decide whether he’s dead or not, we could have been inside a futuristic-looking Shakespeare play, The Godfather or even a Bible story. Banished for his brash behaviour (just killing a Frost Giant or two, no biggie), Thor finds himself more than a little stranded on earth, and while the battles of the heavens were pretty spectacular, I found myself longing to get away from the animated action. And in general I wasn’t let down. As shown in interviews with Hemsworth, a great deal of thought went into exactly how he would fight, eventually taking influences from a) the character he was playing (no surprises there), and b) Mike Tyson. Yep, you read right. Apparently Hemsworth liked the way he was “brutal but graceful” and “low to the ground”. What are the odds on Tyson’s trainer trying to sue Marvel? I digress; the close-combat fight scenes on earth were tense in a Bourne style. However what I felt was lacking was the final battle, which felt like a set. The small-town feel was like something out of a Stephen King novel, with a typical exploding petrol station and very little actual fighting. Despite this being only a fraction of the action, as it was the penultimate clash, it should have more than lived up to previous frays. The story, like the fighting, impressed me at times. I enjoyed the Norse influences and the aforementioned Shakespearean feel, but the plots on earth felt, well, earth-bound, while those in the heavens were a great deal more ambitious and pleasing. In fact, most every scene including Natalie Portman was a letdown. Her acting was substandard next to newcomers like Hemsworth, and the plots surrounding her were soap opera-standard next to the issues we all know painted against Asgard’s beautiful background. For example the not entirely evil Loki was a much more complicated and deep character than I was expecting to see, probably stemming from the Shakespearean influences. He can be so subtly slimy one minute, and genuinely sorry the next that we don’t quite know where he’s going. I did feel a true pity for him throughout, for various reasons, not least Hiddleston’s acting. The soundtrack, a feature I don’t often feel is worthy of note, was reasonable. The fact that I’m a Foo Fighters fan probably helped because a couple of their songs sprung up, but the pieces composed for the film were just right at creating or intensifying the intended emotion. Conclusion As uneven as this review, but showing a lot more promise, Thor was a disappointment, but I’m sure made and will make a suitable watch for more than just casual watchers. The metaphors (like of the hammer in the stone) and nods to other Marvel creations, notably The Avengers (for example the mention of STARK Enterprises) will keep Marvel-buffs interested, and the gross says it all: $450 million. You can see why they’re making a sequel. 5/10