Thor Review

    Nothing like lockdown to finally rewatch all the MCU films. Of course, I'm still new to this review blogging reality, so I promptly forgot to write down any thoughts for Iron Man and Iron Man 2! In a nutshell, the first is awesome, the second is meh and one of the weakest MCU movies to date.

    But today we're here to talk about the god of thunder himself, Thor. I was, of course, already biased going into it in the cinema way back in 2011 as it was directed by Kenneth Branagh. Having said that, while I love his acting, I think his directing competent but generally not amazing, though there are some fundamentals in his style which I very much appreciate.

    Let's start with casting. I am not going to assert that the choices were solely up to Branagh, but it is very like him to make unexpected castings, giving actors the opportunity to sink their teeth into a different kind of role than what they are used to (Keanu Reeves doing Shakespeare and cast as Denzel Washington's brother is a perfect example). I have not read any Marvel comic books but the echos of concern when Idris Elba was cast as Heimdall reached even me. Seeing how totally badass he is in the role, I fail to see what all the fuss was about! Tom Hiddleston would perhaps not even have auditioned for the role that made him a massive star if not for his previous stage and TV work alongside Branagh. Natalie Portman brings some depth to a character who could very easily be a simple fangirl, fawning to the deity in front of her. As for Chris Hemsworth, he truly inhabits the demi-god, not only looking and sounding the part (as a singer, I drool at his voice!), but bringing humanity and vulnerability to what could have been a one-dimensional role.

    Branagh's particular touch is also evident in the female characters. I struggle to remember many instances before this where a blockbuster action film portrayed the female gaze and did it this well. And even the small details, like how Thor is content to say goodbye with a kiss to the hand but Jane goes in for an actual smooch, speak to an empowering of the female character. Because the difference in dynamics between a god kissing you or you kissing a god is huge. Though I have always enjoyed this type of movie, I wonder if this refreshing yet undramatic portrayal of female/male interactions didn't contribute to more women watching? Or maybe I'm just overthinking it!

    Thor has a good story that is straightforward and has direction. We never get lost in useless side-plots nor waste time with unimportant scenes and, while not the most exciting MCU film out there, it does its job of introducing us to the new character and making us care about him. The acting is all-around solid, no single person dropping the ball, and we're even treated to some deeper moments (i.e. Thor on his knees in front of an immobile Mjölnir).

    As I go through the whole series of films again, one thing has struck me: the actors are pretty much the same throughout and the CGI is top-notch so the differences in quality are going to boil down mostly to the writers and directors of each instalment; this may explain my 3 paragraphs focusing on Branagh!

    All-in-all a good film that may not be anything to write home about but delivers in its role within the MCU.

Conclusion: Solid [what's this?]

Thor came out in 2011.