Story Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek) prepares to take the throne as king of Asgard when frost giants attack. Hemsworth, anxious to take vengeance against those who ruined his coronation invades the land of frost giants thereby starting an apocalyptic war. As a result, Odin, Thor’s father and king of the gods, banishes Thor to earth in order to prevent the war from escalating. Determined to return to Asgard, Thor seeks out his all-powerful hammer, the source of his power. From that point, the story stands parallel to other fantasy epics like The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Therefore, the film feels rushed by the end of the film’s two hour running time. Moreover, the plot holes may leave the resolution dissatisfying to the audience. Art Unlike the story, the art direction is either hit or miss. The costume design has a plastic feel but the look of each character is sharp and detailed. On the other hand, the score is simply forgettable. Additionally, there is nothing exceptional about the camera work but at times, it is hard to make out what is happening on screen because of dark lighting or erratic camera movement. Beyond the costume design and camera work, the film astounds visually as the world of Asgard stands equal in quality of design to the world of Pandora from Avatar. The graphic designers construct the majority of scenery and characters with infinite detail yet the special effects are forgettable. Acting Natalie Portman’s (Black Swan) scripted character wastes her skills as an actress. Despite this, she manages to have a believable amount of chemistry with Hemsworth. He, in turn, not only portrays Thor but also becomes Thor as Robert Downey Jr. became Tony Stark. Together both Hemsworth and Portman will persuade some into enjoying this fantastical tale. Odin played by Anthony Hopkins (Beowulf)as well as Loki, Thor’s brother played by Tom Hiddleston (Archipelago) stand apart from the underwhelming supporting cast. Hopkins, a master of Shakespearean film, takes his cliche lines and becomes a powerful authority figure that defines what it means to be king of the gods. Whereas Hiddleston becomes a sympathetic villain bent on surpassing Thor thereby playing an understandable antagonist to Hemsworth.
2011-05-23