Reviews & Ratings for
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7 out of 13 people found the following review useful:

Kenneth Branagh adds heavy dramatic depth to an already quite-unusual superhero flick

Author: del91 from Penang, Malaysia / Chicago, USA
6 May 2011

Alright, back when this was into preproduction, I (and so many comic book fans) were surprised when Branagh was slated to direct. Here we have Thor the god of lightning and his mighty hammer, directed by a man who works mostly around William Shakespeare plays.

Thankfully, this helps. A lot.

Almost every superhero movie (Marvel, lately) focuses on more action instead of character development. Sure, they may look awesome, but you get used to it. Branagh bravely steers away from this predicament and directs the actors with such skill and flair you may mistake this film for yet another Branagh/Shakespeare costume epic.

Make no mistake this is still a superhero film, with some nice special effects and a stylish production design for Asgard, but there's a nice human twist to the story - that of dueling brothers, or gods, or god- brothers... you get the idea. Chris Hemsworth looks just about right for the part and shows some charisma as well as the hero. Branagh has assembled an interesting mix of actors - we have the great Anthony Hopkins, the cute Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings, Idris Elba and even Rene Russo. Tom Hiddleston however steals the scene as the mischievous brother Loki.

Here's another good thing about the movie - the story and acting outweigh the special effects and action sequences. For a superhero film, this is extremely rare. Branagh deserves kudos for the effort, however some parts do not gel in nicely and there's some action bits that are not too well-filmed.

All is forgiven though - "Thor" is an above-average superhero movie, not extremely exciting, but definitely intriguing. Fans of both comic book films and costume dramas will certainly enjoy this.

Two words of caution - one, keep an eye out for some cameos, both during and after the film. Two, for goodness sake do not watch it in 3D. I saw it in normal 2D and that's fine enough by me. I didn't see anything worth watching in 3D in it.

Overall rating: 68/100

8 out of 15 people found the following review useful:

a must see blockbuster movie

Author: bektaskonca from United Kingdom
11 June 2011

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

i went to see this on early release date and forked out more to see it in 3d thanks god i did. i just had to find out how far 3d went since Friday 13th 3 in 3d yes it was different but i got to admit my eyes started to hurt after a while and i could not focus on some scenes then i got head ache still from what i have seen effects have dazzled me and i just loved it in 3d it felt real. i will recommended even after a slight head ache. i have rated the film high not because of the dazzling special effects and greatest cgi on film i have to be hones i hate cgi. but i did not minded in this film because there would be no other way of making such movie. i have rated high because of acting and the spirit of the cast just made the film special as it can be. directing of the film was very very good, action just keep coming, script was true to origin of thor and the comic to the last detail and there can be no argument the acting was just great. i loved hopkins as odin i do not know much about the lead actors but thor and loki was just perfect and i mean it as a comic reader. as cinema releases goes this one is a must see in 3d

8 out of 15 people found the following review useful:

Loved it! Go Watch it! :D

Author: MadLynix
9 May 2011

I had to say that its one of the best marvel movies yet, great cast and they all did a wonderful job! Great director and handled the scenes and actors in a great way for each was able to reveal the true nature of the characters.. I've seen it twice and would advise all to go watch it even if your not into such fairy tales but you never know!

Which brings me to the 2nd point that they kept along the old tales of Thor and in fact they could do sequels easily..

I wonder how The Avengers will be like but I am sure if Chris is in it, then no worries The Mighty Thor will prevail as he always does! :D

Of Course Anthony, Natalie, Tom, Stellan & even Kat played the roles in an impeccable manor! Well done to all!

8 out of 15 people found the following review useful:

Loved it!

Author: aciarleglio from United States
8 May 2011

Other than the Dark Knight best superhero movie to date. I don't know what else a COMIC book fan could want out of this film. I liked this take on Thor, one of my all time favorites. Sometimes critics forget some movies are supposed to be FUN!... THOR is great FUN! Chris was great as Thor and so was the rest of the cast. Loki was better than I could have hoped for. Go see it and let's hope the rest of the super hero films coming out this year are just as great. CAPTAIN America!!!!!!!! can't wait!!!! Then the Avengers Next! Man I feel like a kid again. All these action comic films bring back the memories of reading comics and wishing there were good films to match. If anyone remembers the 70's attempts at these characters you know how great it is to finally have good versions of some of these HEROES! Keep it up. Don't listen to the people that didn't like this movie, they obviously don't know what comics really represent to kids and adults alike.

8 out of 15 people found the following review useful:

Enough gravitas to make it a good film

Author: Richard from U.S.
7 May 2011

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Thor was a risk to bring to the summer multiplexes. Lets face it, there is a lot to cram into a 2hr film, especially one that is built for the summer crowd. But Branagh is able to mix equal parts Asgard gravitas and earth levity to make a film that is thoroughly enjoyable.

Most of the praise should go to Chris Hemsworth who wields the hammer with all the confidence in the world. He was one of the few actors that was in both "rhelms" and he was able to give Thor the right amount gravitas and levity when it was required. Sir Anthony Hopkins is the perfect Oden. Tom Hiddleston has garnered considerable attention for Loki, and I agree he is good. But the supporting actor/character I was most surprised by was Natalie Portman's Jan Foster. This is probably the first role I have seen her in where I got the sense she was totally at ease and having a blast. I expected her to just kind of walk through this film, but she brought as much to this as she did in Black Swan. Totally different role and character and totally different chops needed, but none the less she takes a possible throw away character and gave her some life.

The film does a lot of jumping from earth, back to Asgard, back to earth, back to Asgard, etc. So the pacing is an important thing. For the most part I thought the pacing was handled well, though I thought the final act did feel a bit rushed. The 2nd act suffers from the origin dead zone that is inherent with these films. But again, Branagh shows why he was the perfect director for this film.

I did not see this in 3D. Mainly because it is a post-production 3D converted film. So I can't attest to how good the 3D is. The effects are good, the sound design is perfect, with the sound of the hammer being a major highlight. When Thor wields it with all his might, you feel it.

Very good performances and capable directing make this a fun movie to watch. Be sure to stay around until the very end of the credits as we are given a peek at what looks like the villain in The Avengers.

8 out of 15 people found the following review useful:

'Thor' is indeed almighty!

Author: carlkevad from Estonia
29 April 2011

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Kenneth Branagh, the man who brought us Shakespearean masterpieces such as 'Hamlet' and 'Henry V', directs 'Thor', a marvelous summer-starter (even though there's still one month till summer begins).

'Thor' stars Chris Hemsworth, a relatively unknown actor, as, you guessed it, Thor. Now from the trailers, it seemed to me that this was going to be yet another wannabe superhero flick with kick ass special effects and fight scenes, lacking any depth, and starring a talentless six-pack. Well I was wrong. 'Thor' is probably Marvel's best film, and I'd even go as far as saying that it is the third best superhero film of all time (right behind Christopher Nolan's masterpieces).

The plot is as follows... Thor, the bloodthirsty warrior and heir, is banished from the eternal kingdom of Asgard by his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), after disobeying his command, to a distant realm... called Earth! Now he needs to get back, but his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who was previously living in Thor's shadow, is proclaimed temporary king after his father collapses on a staircase, or something, and he doesn't want to let his cool brother back home, so Thor has to stay on Earth, with all the puny beings. He then falls in love with Jane (Natalie Portman), who is somewhat of a scientist, and changes his mind from "kill everybody who threatens my well-being" to "now wait a second, let's reason a bit here".

The movie's directed by Kenneth Branagh, the director of masterpieces such as 'Henry V', in which his also starred in, and received two Oscar nominations for both directing and acting. He may also be known to some as the goof-ball professor Gilderoy Lockhart from 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'. Here, he takes a break from acting, or producing, or writing, and just directs this masterpiece. Hollywood is really heading in the right direction with hiring artsy directors to direct explosion-explosion films. Another great example would be the upcoming 'Captain America: The First Avenger', directed by Joe Johnston, who brought us the very good coming-of-age story, 'October Sky'. I hope 'Captain America' is gonna be as good as 'Thor'. A part inside me somehow doesn't want it to be better, I don't why though.

Alongside Hemsworth, star Jane's friends Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård), and Darcy... something (Kat Dennings); Thor's friends Volstagg (Ray Stevenson), Sif (Jaimie Alexander), and Fandral (Josh Dallas/Cary Elwes-lookalike); and the nosy SHIELD agent, Coulson (Clark Gregg). The ensemble cast all give great performances, which aren't meant for you to remember, aside from Ray Stevenson, who is always awesome.

The movie references a few other superhero films/comics, which is quite appropriate given the fact that 'The Avengers' movie is getting closer and closer. We can also see Jeremy Renner in a cameo probably as Hawkeye, he's also gonna play Hawkeye in 'The Avengers'. And, I didn't stay in the theater until the credits were over, but IMDb tells me that Samuel L. Jackson has a cameo after the credits as Nick Fury. - How exciting! I'm thinking of seeing it again just for that.

'Thor' is the second superhero film out this year so far. The previous one was 'The Green Hornet', which was just a horrible attempt at mixing comedy with action. 'The Green Hornet' was however the first 3-D superhero flick. 'Thor' is in 3-D too, but I'd rather go with 2-D on this one, since there are too many shiny lights in the Asgard scenes, which would make my brain explode with 3-D glasses on.

There are five superhero films in 2011, three of them are still unreleased. They are: the crappy '...Green Hornet'; the amazing 'Thor'; the comes-out-on-my-birthday 'X-Men: First Class'; the gonna-be-awesome 'Green Lantern; and my most anticipated film of the year, 'Captain America: The First Avenger'. I sincerely hope that they are all on the level of 'Thor'. I don't like repeating myself here, but something inside me forbids me from wanting the other films be better than 'Thor'. Maybe I'm crazy, I don't know.

'Thor's special effects are spectacular, and deserving a Best Visual Effects Oscar nomination. From the epic battle scenes between the almighty gods, to the amazing scenes in Asgard, 'Thor's special effects are probably the greatest ones I've seen since 'Avatar', yeah! Plus, 'Avatar' kinda sucked from the story perspective, and 'Thor' is good on every level, so 'Thor' > 'Avatar', that's probably gonna set a certain individual off, I hope.

Anyway... Under Branagh's gentle direction, 'Thor' is by far one of the best films of 2011, and right behind Nolan's Batmans as one of the greatest superhero films of all time, featuring a star-making turn by Chris Hemsworth - a Hollywood newcomer with a six-pack, and brains!

Rating: ★★★★

Comment on review here and sign up on my site: http://carlkevad.webs.com/apps/blog/show/6882606-the-god-of-thunder-

9 out of 17 people found the following review useful:

Pleasant Surprise

Author: smlubecki from Buffalo, New York
20 July 2011

When I heard they were making a movie of the character Thor I had serious trepidations. When I heard that Kenneth Branagh was directing it I had even more trepidation not due to the fact that it was Branagh but the fact that all he's ever directed was drama's.

Going into the theater I very low expectations from this film and man was I blown away. I like the fact that Branagh didn't approach the story as a super-hero film but more of a Shakespearing epic. The fantasy elements alone were marvelous.

Anthony Hopkins IS Odin...I cannot imaging another actor portraying him. His performance as Odin captures the essence of the character and the delicate balance of ruler verses father. He exudes power with subtle touches of vulnerability.

Chris Hemsworth is outstanding as Thor. He's got such a likability about him that even at Thor's most arrogant point in the story you can see how his friends stand by him. His performance is rock solid and extremely enjoyable.

Tom Hiddleston is THE perfect Loki. He's captured the sleazy, slimy, be nice to your face but looking for a place to drive the knife in your back nature of the character.

As I had stated earlier the story plays out as more of a fantasy epic than a dyed in the wool super-hero story. The journey into Jotenheim was stunning and Asgard itself was just beautiful to behold. The set designs were excellent. The humor in the film was very organic and never seemed forced. The story itself was very well balanced and didn't leave you wondering what the heck was going on. I almost wish they'd have kept it separate from the upcoming Marvel films. It works very well as a stand alone epic.

The effect's that I was expecting to be sub-standard were in fact top notch and even Thors trademark spinning hammer from the comics didn't look as cheesy as it could have.

This movie is a gem. All parties involved should be proud of themselves for bringing such a great piece of work to the screen. I for one cannot wait to see a sequel to this film. With any luck we'll see some of the other nine realms such as Muspelheim, Alfheim or even Vanaheim.

This is definitely a MUST SEE film

9 out of 17 people found the following review useful:

Excellent Entertainment

Author: muttsnutman from United Kingdom
20 May 2011

This is a fun movie with a lot of nice humorous touches. It is as much fun as Iron Man with perhaps just a little more depth to the back story.

OK the whole thing is a crock from a scientific or mythological point of view... but who cares? If you are the sort of person who complains because James Bond can't really have an invisible car then maybe you should get a life.

If you want to spend a couple of hours being entertained by an action movie that is also complex enough to argue about in the bar later, then this absolutely hits the spot. Portman and Skarsgaard are almost only cameos and Hemsworth practically carries the film, but the cast all deliver well.

This is entertainment that sits fairly and squarely in the 'let's pretend a little bit' camp and rewards the viewer with some good action scenes, a plot that has some substance, and a few good gags along the way. Go see it if you want a couple of hours fun. NickB

9 out of 17 people found the following review useful:

I'm now even more excited for Captain America and The Avengers!

Author: garyvanhorn from United States
17 May 2011

Thor is a bit of a harder sell as far as comic book characters go. I mean, how do you transform an ancient Norse god and 60's comic book character into something a modern movie going audience is going to like? Start with great casting (Chris Hemsworth is a dead ringer for Thor), add a brilliant screenplay by J. Michael Strazynski, and mix it with top notch special effects and you end up with a movie that is halfway believable (in a comic book way) and very entertaining.

Thor is an arrogant, perhaps spoiled, young warrior that seeks glory for himself and Asgard but nearly reignites an ancient war with the Frost Giants in the process. For his arrogance and poor judgement, Thor is stripped of his power and banished to Earth by Odin (Anthony Hopkins), and his hammer lands in New Mexico and becomes something akin to the sword in the stone of Arthurian legend, "Whoever holds this hammer, should they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor". All of this is a result of the subtle manipulations of Thor's evil brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) who seeks power only for himself. Throughout most of the film Loki works from the shadows to manipulate people and events towards an end of his design, as only the trickster god can do. Thor must then work to reclaim his power and stop his brother's machinations, gaining some wisdom and humility along the way.

There is really very little to dislike about the film, other than a couple of minor casting decisions, Hogun, one of the famed warriors three, is apparently Asian for some reason, and Heimdall is black. Both choices seem odd for Norse gods but it doesn't really harm the movie, they just seem out of place. I would have liked to see Thor get beat up a bit more in the final two fight scenes with The Destroyer and Loki as both were relatively short and could have benefited from a couple of extra minutes. Overall Thor is a very fun, very entertaining comic book movie that only heightens my anticipation for the upcoming Captain America and Avengers movies.

9 out of 17 people found the following review useful:

I didn't think he could do it but Chris Hemsworth nailed the role!!

Author: thekyles99 from Canada
10 May 2011

Although having originally balked at director Kenneth Branagh for casting Chris Hemsworth in the lead of this film, i have to say i was presently pleased with the job he did in this. Now as you will see in this version Chris Hemsworth is ribbed and cut however I was hoping he would've used a wrestler such as the likes of Paul (Triple H) Levesque he's way more massive in the body building sense then Hemsworth is. Im sure however that Hemsworth is a better actor. Needless to say the film rocked and turned out to be one of the better comic book adaptations i have seen to date. Branagh carefully handpicked his cast in this with the end product proving this immensely. After being cast out of his mystical city of Asgard by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) Thor is sent to earth with his famed hammer. He is befriended by scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and with her team they follow Thor as he treks to find his hammer. Upon finding the mystical and powerful weapon he cannot seem to pull it from its place embedded in earth. This leads him and his friendly band of scientists to find out as to why he has come to earth and deemed powerless. It takes a powerful Asgardian foe that comes down to earth to destroy Thor and with malicious intent to do more harm then good to earth's mortal citizens, to give Thor what he needs to conquer and rejoin his father as a King in Asgard! Kenneth Branagh in his first comic book super hero genre type film did a superb job in retelling what is one of my favourite heroes that the great Stan Lee crafted in his comic book series. Seeing Thor only left me craving to see 2012's The Avengers that will be directed by Joss Whedon.

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