Escape to the Movies: Thor
- Thread starter MovieBob
- Start date
I can't believe they are doing so well with the Avengers. Three ( 4 if you want to get technical ) hero movies all done very well
leading up to an all out no holding back epic story with all of them in it! Come on, Cap! Bring it on home!
leading up to an all out no holding back epic story with all of them in it! Come on, Cap! Bring it on home!
good review. but i do have to take issue with "Natalie Portman" and "refreshingly ordinary" being placed in the same sentence without a negative between them. Natalie Portman may be many things, but "ordinary" will never be one of them.
Looks good. I agree that either Thor or Cap is probably the Avenger who is the hardest to take seriously in today's age. It's common of movies to try and mirror real-life personal conflicts their audience can relate to, but how are you supposed relate to a fantastical Norse God who flies around with a magic hammer?
Hmm... Guy is a pompous jerk, gets kicked out of his awesome home to try and teach him some humility, finds that humility along with a love interest? Prince of Persia anyone? On a similar bent, there are ways to make people take such a bombastic character seriously- look at Kratos.
Wasn't considering seeing this, but after seeing three good reviews so far I may just rethink it. Natalie Portman is certainly on a fantasy roll here between this, V for Vendetta and Black Swan.
Hmm... Guy is a pompous jerk, gets kicked out of his awesome home to try and teach him some humility, finds that humility along with a love interest? Prince of Persia anyone? On a similar bent, there are ways to make people take such a bombastic character seriously- look at Kratos.
Wasn't considering seeing this, but after seeing three good reviews so far I may just rethink it. Natalie Portman is certainly on a fantasy roll here between this, V for Vendetta and Black Swan.
No suprise Loke is an dumbass. He has always been an dumbass. He once tricked another Asa-god(a blind one) to kill another god. Even though he got punished for it. But marvel don't seem to follow the old ancient nordic lores about the Asa-gods, but I like it anyway.
I'm pretty damn proud right now to be an nordic habitant (Sweden). I have always liked the stories and lores about the old nordic gods. They are pretty awesome.
I'm pretty damn proud right now to be an nordic habitant (Sweden). I have always liked the stories and lores about the old nordic gods. They are pretty awesome.
You know, I did look in the armoury of Asgard to see what else they were keeping other than the Casket of Ancient Winters, but I didn't notice anything in particular. I read one guy here saying he spotted the Eye of Agamoto, what else was there?
I went to see Thor two days ago and at first, it didn't feel as good as it does now that I've put some thought into it. I actually really really liked it and I agree with Bob on this one. The only thing that still bugs me is the romance; it felt kinda implausible and forced. But I don't think they should have spent more time on it as there were far more interesting things to deal with. I must add that Loki was easily my favourite character there and that Heimdall was such a badass, that I definitely wanted more scenes with him.
Just came back from watching it. Pretty surprised, I gotta say:
Hemsworth: awesome as T, really really good stuff. ONE MORE!
Elba: SUCK IT, HATERS. I CAN SEE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU J***ING OFF AT HOW GOOD MY VOICE IS!
Hopkins: if Shakespeare were alive, he would be so proud...
Loki: plot twisted and didn't see it coming. Nice.
The Avengers hints were not forced. I think a brief mention of the post credits scene also appeared in Tony's designs through Jarvis in Iron Man 2. What was forced was Portman. Could do without her but her being the dorky one and not Thor was a pleasant change.
Did anyone grab the Hulk reference?
Beta Ray Bill for the sequel? With his Stormbreaker? Waaaaaaaay too risky. Would watch it, though.
Hemsworth: awesome as T, really really good stuff. ONE MORE!
Elba: SUCK IT, HATERS. I CAN SEE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU J***ING OFF AT HOW GOOD MY VOICE IS!
Hopkins: if Shakespeare were alive, he would be so proud...
Loki: plot twisted and didn't see it coming. Nice.
The Avengers hints were not forced. I think a brief mention of the post credits scene also appeared in Tony's designs through Jarvis in Iron Man 2. What was forced was Portman. Could do without her but her being the dorky one and not Thor was a pleasant change.
Did anyone grab the Hulk reference?
Beta Ray Bill for the sequel? With his Stormbreaker? Waaaaaaaay too risky. Would watch it, though.
I am currently very, very torn on the issue of how to feel about the movie, Thor. I think I am going to end with "dislike, but would still recommend it".
If you would like to know why, take a look at the spoilers. I don't hold back, so if you haven't seen the movie, and don't want spoilers, don't look. Seriously. No kidding. This is more for those who have seen the movie than those that haven't.
If you would like to know why, take a look at the spoilers. I don't hold back, so if you haven't seen the movie, and don't want spoilers, don't look. Seriously. No kidding. This is more for those who have seen the movie than those that haven't.
They made far too many assumptions about how I was supposed to take the characterizations of the gods.
Thor was a vain, bullheaded child with massive amounts of power. The fact that he hadn't started the war before a millennium had past surprises me to no end. He is also one of the most shallow immortals I have ever seen. He was cast from Asgard and on earth for, at most, five days (and I am certain it is closer to three days). Five whole days on earth as one of the most physically adept humans on the planet, and with the help of his spunky genius sidekick/love interest, he learns to temper his temper with caution. To create instead of destroy. To love, not hate. In case you were curious on whether or not Disney's effect on Marvel is negligible... well, let me tell you. The power of love is whole and hearty in this movie. Actually, with the annoying "Love is all-powerful" and the super ultra transformation sequence, I was worried that I was watching Sailor Moon for a while.
Ugh, and the love plot. If you gave me, a human being, five days to fall in love Natalie Portman, You know damn well I would try my hardest. But I am not someone who has lived for more than 10 centuries. I thought Natalie Portman did a great job playing the absolutely awe struck... no, she played the god-struck nerdy girl who was garnering the attention of a living Adonis (I know wrong mythology, work with me). All I got from Thor was that he thought she was adorable, sort of in the "aw, look at the little human try" way. He even had a moment where he said, "Oh yeah, your research, totally true. Let me go ahead and tell you something I learned in my first few days of life that make your life's work basically a waste of time, when I could fill all the gaps." (Paraphrasing, obviously.)
The moments on Earth were boring. It had some great little jokes and humor, but between the humor, I was not impressed with the actual substance.
No, if anything, this movie made me sympathize with the villains. All of them. While I couldn't really like many of the good guys, besides maybe Heimdale and the SHIELD Agent, I thought Loki and the Frost Giants had a far more sympathetic and deep characterization.
The way it was described in the exposition, the Frost Giants, 10 centuries ago, tried to invade Earth and cover it with frost. They got their asses handed to them, and their magical Box of Ice, the source of much of their power, was taken from them. And then there was a treaty between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants for those ten centuries. When a trio of Giants finds their way into Asgard, they try to take the Box of Ice back, and fail. Thor sets up a six man army to invade and beat the Giants into submission for answers. When they arrive on the Frost Giant planet, they find a barren, desolate, and crumbling ruin. No city, no army being built, just the aging, ice-covered refuge of the remains of the Giant's home.
They had been living, apparently as shown in the movie, in nearly complete desolation for centuries. This was not a proud race of conquerors. More conniving remains of a race who had lost nearly everything. Well, Thor goes about, and with his friends, kills a good solid hundred of them, and destroyed a large portion of their remaining home, starting a "war" between the two races again. I say "war" because it was clearly stated at the start of the movie that Asgard had basically the only efficient and easy means of travel between worlds, in the form of a rainbow bridge. So, when the Frost Giants declared war, it was an absolutely empty bluff! If they could have left their world in any sort of numbers, there is no doubt they would have done so in the last millennium! They were not a meek race, cowed into submission all these years; they were trapped and angry about it! It astonishes me at how upset Odin was about the war, when basically, they were being threatened by war by a people trapped on a planet without means of actual assault! I am supposed to feel sorry for the sudden "war" that the splendid and harmonious Asgard now had to face? Please.
And finally, we come to Loki. Now, I will admit bias about this. I have always loved the concept of a deity of chaos and mischief. But this is too much. Sure, he brought the trio of Giants to Asgard, but he freely admitted that he did it just to delay his idiotic brother's ascension to the throne. He knew the trio wouldn't have a chance. And while he planted the seed to "invade" the Frost Giant's home in Thor's head, he didn't expect it to get anywhere. He told Heimdale to immediately report back to Odin, to stop the stupid charade. He just wanted to make his brother look as stupid as he acted, and to make sure that no one would die. Of course, in the process, something went wrong. During the assault, Loki discovered he was a Frost Giant himself. He went to confront his own "father" about it, after his brother's temporary exile. Odin outright says, "Yeah, we lied to you, so you wouldn't feel left out. You are a midget Frost Giant I took pity on 10 centuries ago." (again, paraphrasing). Loki is understandably upset, but before he can learn more about it, Odin has an Asgardian Stroke, and falls into an convenient plot-coma.
Loki realizes that all those promises that either Thor or he had a chance to ascend to the throne was lies. Odin couldn't possibly let a Frost Giant rule Asgard. Loki was not only lied to for ten centuries about who he was, but also about being considered equal to Thor. Instead of just feeling bitter about feeling like he has been in Thor's shadow for ten centuries, he finds out he actually has been in Thor's shadow, never, truly considered equal to a hammer-wielding blowhard.
Loki, understandably upset and suddenly given the sudden responsibility of king of Asgard as his father recovers, is a little unbalanced. I feel that unbalance is rather expected. This is not "Oh noes, I was so awesome before as an Asgardian, and now I just a super awesome human for five days." This is "My entire life has been an absolute lie, and I now have the power to change everything." In his unbalanced state, Loki engineers a plan to call the Frost Giant king and his best warriors to Asgard, in an attempt to kill the comatose Odin. Another deception by him, of course, as, once the Frost Giant king is at Odin's bedside, Loki literally turns him to ash. Now, the Frost Giants, who Loki, by all rights, should sympathize with, have neither a leader, nor a means to carry out the war against Asgard.
Loki is interrupted in his moment of glory, by Thor. Thor says, "By the way, mommy, Loki tried to kill me and humans on earth!" And bam. With the prodigal Odin's son arrival, Loki is once again cast from his position of power. A few words and he is a villain to everyone. Surely now Loki turns on Asgard, his home, and his loved ones and family. No. Instead, he goes to finish the job he started. He wants to make his daddy, liar and all, proud of him, and prove he is equal to Thor. After delaying Thor, he goes to literally obliterate the Frost Giant's planet, to make sure this war has no start.
Now, I am not actively in favor of genocide. Loki is still dealing with being a Frost Giant, living in his brother's shadow and also is suddenly vilified by a single statement made by the same brother. His actions were not justified. As Loki tries to make sure he does everything to prove himself as a true Asgardian, Thor, now pious and Good (capital G), from his five day vacation on Earth, suggests this is not a great plan.
Of course, Loki fails in his plan and is properly shamed for his work. When had the choice to go back to Asgard, be treated like a monster, or be sucked into a void, he chose to die instead.
Thor mourns the lost of his brother, still very much in "I am such a better person and totally not shallow after five days" mode. And Odin says "Good job son. I am so proud of you. You will make an excellent king after your five-day punishment. Too bad about your crazy ass brother. I did all I could to make him happy." Thor's response, "Thanks dad. You are so totally wise. I see no fault in your leadership or father-ship!"
And that's the tone I felt the movie end on. I didn't care about Natalie Portman's character trying to find the rainbow bridge, or Thor's lament at the loss of his week long "love of his life". The only positive part about the end was that it was revealed that Loki is still around, kicking it on Earth.
So yeah... The action was fun, and the basic story was nice... but they characterized the villains far too well, which I enjoyed, and the hero characterizations were slapdash in comparison, which I disliked. That's my take on it.
Thor was a vain, bullheaded child with massive amounts of power. The fact that he hadn't started the war before a millennium had past surprises me to no end. He is also one of the most shallow immortals I have ever seen. He was cast from Asgard and on earth for, at most, five days (and I am certain it is closer to three days). Five whole days on earth as one of the most physically adept humans on the planet, and with the help of his spunky genius sidekick/love interest, he learns to temper his temper with caution. To create instead of destroy. To love, not hate. In case you were curious on whether or not Disney's effect on Marvel is negligible... well, let me tell you. The power of love is whole and hearty in this movie. Actually, with the annoying "Love is all-powerful" and the super ultra transformation sequence, I was worried that I was watching Sailor Moon for a while.
Ugh, and the love plot. If you gave me, a human being, five days to fall in love Natalie Portman, You know damn well I would try my hardest. But I am not someone who has lived for more than 10 centuries. I thought Natalie Portman did a great job playing the absolutely awe struck... no, she played the god-struck nerdy girl who was garnering the attention of a living Adonis (I know wrong mythology, work with me). All I got from Thor was that he thought she was adorable, sort of in the "aw, look at the little human try" way. He even had a moment where he said, "Oh yeah, your research, totally true. Let me go ahead and tell you something I learned in my first few days of life that make your life's work basically a waste of time, when I could fill all the gaps." (Paraphrasing, obviously.)
The moments on Earth were boring. It had some great little jokes and humor, but between the humor, I was not impressed with the actual substance.
No, if anything, this movie made me sympathize with the villains. All of them. While I couldn't really like many of the good guys, besides maybe Heimdale and the SHIELD Agent, I thought Loki and the Frost Giants had a far more sympathetic and deep characterization.
The way it was described in the exposition, the Frost Giants, 10 centuries ago, tried to invade Earth and cover it with frost. They got their asses handed to them, and their magical Box of Ice, the source of much of their power, was taken from them. And then there was a treaty between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants for those ten centuries. When a trio of Giants finds their way into Asgard, they try to take the Box of Ice back, and fail. Thor sets up a six man army to invade and beat the Giants into submission for answers. When they arrive on the Frost Giant planet, they find a barren, desolate, and crumbling ruin. No city, no army being built, just the aging, ice-covered refuge of the remains of the Giant's home.
They had been living, apparently as shown in the movie, in nearly complete desolation for centuries. This was not a proud race of conquerors. More conniving remains of a race who had lost nearly everything. Well, Thor goes about, and with his friends, kills a good solid hundred of them, and destroyed a large portion of their remaining home, starting a "war" between the two races again. I say "war" because it was clearly stated at the start of the movie that Asgard had basically the only efficient and easy means of travel between worlds, in the form of a rainbow bridge. So, when the Frost Giants declared war, it was an absolutely empty bluff! If they could have left their world in any sort of numbers, there is no doubt they would have done so in the last millennium! They were not a meek race, cowed into submission all these years; they were trapped and angry about it! It astonishes me at how upset Odin was about the war, when basically, they were being threatened by war by a people trapped on a planet without means of actual assault! I am supposed to feel sorry for the sudden "war" that the splendid and harmonious Asgard now had to face? Please.
And finally, we come to Loki. Now, I will admit bias about this. I have always loved the concept of a deity of chaos and mischief. But this is too much. Sure, he brought the trio of Giants to Asgard, but he freely admitted that he did it just to delay his idiotic brother's ascension to the throne. He knew the trio wouldn't have a chance. And while he planted the seed to "invade" the Frost Giant's home in Thor's head, he didn't expect it to get anywhere. He told Heimdale to immediately report back to Odin, to stop the stupid charade. He just wanted to make his brother look as stupid as he acted, and to make sure that no one would die. Of course, in the process, something went wrong. During the assault, Loki discovered he was a Frost Giant himself. He went to confront his own "father" about it, after his brother's temporary exile. Odin outright says, "Yeah, we lied to you, so you wouldn't feel left out. You are a midget Frost Giant I took pity on 10 centuries ago." (again, paraphrasing). Loki is understandably upset, but before he can learn more about it, Odin has an Asgardian Stroke, and falls into an convenient plot-coma.
Loki realizes that all those promises that either Thor or he had a chance to ascend to the throne was lies. Odin couldn't possibly let a Frost Giant rule Asgard. Loki was not only lied to for ten centuries about who he was, but also about being considered equal to Thor. Instead of just feeling bitter about feeling like he has been in Thor's shadow for ten centuries, he finds out he actually has been in Thor's shadow, never, truly considered equal to a hammer-wielding blowhard.
Loki, understandably upset and suddenly given the sudden responsibility of king of Asgard as his father recovers, is a little unbalanced. I feel that unbalance is rather expected. This is not "Oh noes, I was so awesome before as an Asgardian, and now I just a super awesome human for five days." This is "My entire life has been an absolute lie, and I now have the power to change everything." In his unbalanced state, Loki engineers a plan to call the Frost Giant king and his best warriors to Asgard, in an attempt to kill the comatose Odin. Another deception by him, of course, as, once the Frost Giant king is at Odin's bedside, Loki literally turns him to ash. Now, the Frost Giants, who Loki, by all rights, should sympathize with, have neither a leader, nor a means to carry out the war against Asgard.
Loki is interrupted in his moment of glory, by Thor. Thor says, "By the way, mommy, Loki tried to kill me and humans on earth!" And bam. With the prodigal Odin's son arrival, Loki is once again cast from his position of power. A few words and he is a villain to everyone. Surely now Loki turns on Asgard, his home, and his loved ones and family. No. Instead, he goes to finish the job he started. He wants to make his daddy, liar and all, proud of him, and prove he is equal to Thor. After delaying Thor, he goes to literally obliterate the Frost Giant's planet, to make sure this war has no start.
Now, I am not actively in favor of genocide. Loki is still dealing with being a Frost Giant, living in his brother's shadow and also is suddenly vilified by a single statement made by the same brother. His actions were not justified. As Loki tries to make sure he does everything to prove himself as a true Asgardian, Thor, now pious and Good (capital G), from his five day vacation on Earth, suggests this is not a great plan.
Of course, Loki fails in his plan and is properly shamed for his work. When had the choice to go back to Asgard, be treated like a monster, or be sucked into a void, he chose to die instead.
Thor mourns the lost of his brother, still very much in "I am such a better person and totally not shallow after five days" mode. And Odin says "Good job son. I am so proud of you. You will make an excellent king after your five-day punishment. Too bad about your crazy ass brother. I did all I could to make him happy." Thor's response, "Thanks dad. You are so totally wise. I see no fault in your leadership or father-ship!"
And that's the tone I felt the movie end on. I didn't care about Natalie Portman's character trying to find the rainbow bridge, or Thor's lament at the loss of his week long "love of his life". The only positive part about the end was that it was revealed that Loki is still around, kicking it on Earth.
So yeah... The action was fun, and the basic story was nice... but they characterized the villains far too well, which I enjoyed, and the hero characterizations were slapdash in comparison, which I disliked. That's my take on it.
