Thor (2011)

The powerful but arrogant warrior Thor is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard and sent to live amongst humans on Earth, where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.

Director:

Kenneth Branagh

Writers:

Ashley Miller (screenplay), Zack Stentz (screenplay),

Stars:

Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston

4 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chris Hemsworth	...	Thor
Natalie Portman	...	Jane Foster
Tom Hiddleston	...	Loki
Anthony Hopkins	...	Odin
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Erik Selvig
Kat Dennings	...	Darcy Lewis
Clark Gregg	...	Agent Coulson
Colm Feore	...	King Laufey
Idris Elba	...	Heimdall
Ray Stevenson	...	Volstagg
Tadanobu Asano	...	Hogun
Josh Dallas	...	Fandral
Jaimie Alexander	...	Sif
Rene Russo	...	Frigga
Adriana Barraza	...	Isabel Alvarez

Storyline

The warrior Thor (Hemsworth) is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard by his father Odin (Hopkins) for his arrogance and sent to Earth to live among humans. Falling in love with scientist Jane Foster (Portman) teaches Thor much-needed lessons, and his new-found strength comes into play as a villain from his homeland sends dark forces toward Earth.

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Plot Keywords:

thor | warrior | throne | humility | scientist | 

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Taglines:

The god of thunder. The king of Asgard. The god of mischief. The guardian of worlds. The goddess of war. The woman of science.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence

Details

Official Sites:

Marvel [us] Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 May 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Mighty Thor

Filming Locations:

Galisteo, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$150,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$65,723,338 (USA) (6 May 2011)

Gross:

$181,015,141 (USA) (19 August 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS (as Datasat Digital Sound) SDDS Dolby (Dolby Surround 7.1)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chris Hemsworth has had prior experience with wielding a hammer, having worked as a builder in Australia for a few years.

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Goofs

Thor is holding his hammer in his right hand while he comes to the Bifrost and confronts Loki. When Loki sends him flying and he falls on his back and his hammer hits the floor, the hammer is in his left hand. It's back in his right hand after he gets up.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jane Foster: Wait for it.

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Crazy Credits

Part of the closing credits is shot in a Superman-esque sequence, with the camera flying through the cosmic realm of Yggdrasil, finally ending at Asgard. At the close, the film title appears with a small lightning strike within it.

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Connections

Referenced in Demo Reel: Lost in Translation (Bromance Version) (2012)

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Soundtracks

"I Can Help"
Written by Billy Swan
Performed by Billy Swan
Courtesy of Columbia Nashville
By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

A very pleasant surprise

The idea of a "classic" director like Kenneth Branagh making a superhero film might initially sound strange, but in the case of Thor that ended up being very appropriate, because the comic always used Shakespearean drama and archaic language to tell the story of the God of Thunder, the political/family conflicts in the Asgard kingdom and its interaction with the universe of Marvel Comics. And Branagh's competent direction, the excellent performances and the solid screenplay make Thor to be a very entertaining movie.

I honestly had always preferred the character of Thor in small doses or as part of an ensemble, like he was on the beginnings of the comic The Avengers and in its modern reinterpretation The Ultimates. So, I did not have big expectations on a movie exclusively focused in that character; however, Chris Hemsworth brings a brilliant performance in that role, because he could perfectly combine the pompous and operatic "classic" Thor with the dynamic and unstable modern Thor. I do not know how the purist fans of the Kirby/Lee era will take that mash-up, but I think it was a very good decision, specially because Thor does not only work as an origin of that superhero, but also as an efficient preamble of the highly anticipated film The Avengers, which will be an unification point of Marvel's film universe.

For example, we also have the character of Agent Coulson conducting scientific investigations from S.H.I.E.L.D. with his accustomed astuteness and efficiency; we also have a cameo of one of my favorite Avengers (even though without his traditional uniform); and a post-credits scene where a few concepts we are surely going to see in that future movie are established. But well...it would not be fair to only consider Thor as an extra-large trailer of The Avengers. As I previously said, it is a very entertaining movie with various positive elements, like Branagh's efficient direction, which drives the movie at a perfect rhythm. As for the cast, besides of the previously mentioned Hemsworth, I think that the rest of the actors is also worthy of applause, starting by Natalie Portman, who can perfectly express her character's emotions. I also liked the work from Stellan Skarsgård; his participation is relatively short and it would seem irrelevant if it was not for the dramatic weight this actor brings to the character with his mere presence. And Kat Dennings is quite funny and credible as the comic relief.

As for the screenplay, it is very well written; the only thing I would say against it is that it makes a few "traps" which feel a bit forced. As for the action scenes, I found them to be well filmed, with the exception of a few excessive close-ups which made them occasionally confusing; I think that is the only thing I can say against Branagh's direction.

In conclusion, I took a very pleasant surprise with Thor, and I can recommend it as a very good re-invention of a difficult to handle superhero. It might not be a great film, but it definitely made me have a good time.