Color me surprised when Kenneth Branagh’s name appeared as the director of Marvel’s Thor. He just Hardly known for his box office hits, he just didn’t seem like the right guy to the reigns of a $150 million superhero saga. After some thought, it became clearer just how much this tale would appeal to the man behind royal dramas and father/son/sibling rivalries as witnessed in the likes of Henry V and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Like those tales, Thor is a tale about father/son/sibling rivalries.
Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is the ruler of Asgard, a enormous kingdom where magic reigns. After thwarting the domination efforts of the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, Odin keeps peace, educating his two sons, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth), on the finer points of leadership, in an effort to prepare his boys for the throne. For Thor, the effort to remain quiet while the Frost Giants make another grab at the all-powerful Casket of Ancient Winters proves too much, and he’s exiled to Earth, where the former God of Thunder finds himself in the care of physicist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). Stripped of his powers, under the careful watch of S.H.I.E.L.D., and unable to wield his weapon, the hammer Mjolnir, Thor is left vulnerable, while Loki finds his path leading to darker forces, looking to disrupt the power of the Bifrost Bridge, a portal leading to other worlds, hoping to make Thor a permanent resident of Earth.
If you’re like me, and didn’t grow up reading the comic books, you may find that Thor is a difficult film to follow at times. With all sorts of characters, locations, and names, the screenplay Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, and Don Payne brings a lot to the table, and it probably helps quite a bit if you have some knowledge of Thor going in, though it’s not mandatory.
Branagh and his crew do an impressive job creating the world that merges Norse and Arthurian mythology and ink-and-paint hijinks. Thor is incredibly arrogant, which provides a nice arc for rehabilitation for the hulking guy who desperately wants to reclaim the power he lost after his fall from Asgard.
Splitting time between magical realms and Earth, Thor juggles the distance quite well, mixing some light comic relief with confrontations; w Loki feeling out his newfound sense of purpose, turning Asgard upside down, disrupting peace and the pure purpose of the Bifrost Bridge. Branagh cleanly communicates the incoming threat, deploying a series of swooping camera moves and Dutch angles to generate a proper atmosphere. Thor does involve himself in some early rumbling with his Asgardian brothers and sisters (including Ray Stevenson and Jaimie Alexander), making pulp out of his enemies with the thunderous power of Mjolnir, and there’s an encounter with Asgardian enforcer Destroyer, a fire-belching machine sent to Earth to test Thor’s newly acquired skills of negotiation.
With the focus primarily on the plot, the cast does a great job here. Hemsworth proves himself well as the title character. A brute of charm and intelligence, the actor gives Thor the necessary physical presence to convey his deflation and rebirth of a future king. As one might expect, Natalie Portman is fine as physicist Jane Foster, sharing some chemistry with Hemsworth, and hence adding believability to the the love story. Surprisingly amusing is Stellan Skarsgard as Jane’s disapproving cohort, who dares to challenge Thor to a drinking contest. The Asgardians are equally merry and devious in their roles, though Anthony Hopkins is imposing as Odin, making the kind of intense screen impression he hasn’t enjoyed since his days as Hannibal Lechter. Highly recommended.
Presented at the 2.35:1 aspect ratio, this 1080p transfer isn’t a perfect transfer, but it looks quite good. Detail quality could be a bit better; on occasion, some textures smear and I noticed a halo or two. However, color accuracy on this presentation is brilliant with bright, saturated darks contrasting nicely with more muted flesh tones. Compression artifacting and edge enhancement are nonexistent, and black levels are inky througout. Grain is also handled well, adding a nice touch to the proceedings.
This DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio sound mix will give your sound system a workout. Dialogue is clean and clear. Surrounds are triggered so fluidly, fidelity is comes through with wondrous flair on this track. High- and low-ends are both replicated exceptionally, and effects and atmospherics swirl with well-oiled finesse during rowdy and quiet sequences.
French, Spanish and Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks are included, as are English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.
We get the following special features:
- Audio Commentary: Director Kenneth Branagh delivers a shares a wealth of information on the picture’s structure, his filmmaking style, the picture’s thematic material, bringing the world of Thor to the screen, the casting process and the work of the actors, the need for character camaraderie and believability, the picture’s tone, the science and logic behind certain elements of the film, the picture’s look and special effects, and much more.
- Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant (1080p, 3:57): A snippet of film that ties together some of the frivolities in the Marvel movie universe.
- From Asgard to Earth (1080p, 19:42): A fast-paced piece that looks at the picture’s set design, the inspirations from various versions of the comic, costume construction, and filming locations.
- Our Fearless Leader (1080p, 3:18): The cast discusses the work of Director Kenneth Branagh.
- Assembling the Troupe (1080p, 4:44): A piece that looks at the casting and subsequent work of Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, and Anthony Hopkins.
- Hammer Time (1080p, 6:14): Audiences are introduced to the history and powers of the difficult-to-pronounce Mjolnir hammer. The piece then examines the importance of getting the design for the movie version absolutely correct.
- Creating Laufey (1080p, 5:33): Viewers are given an inside look at the design of the film’s chief Frost Giant, the casting of Colm Feore to play the part, and the process of applying the necessary makeup.
- Music of the Gods (1080p, 2:05): A short featurette that looks at the work of Composer Patrick Doyle.
- A Conversation (1080p, 2:23): Co-Comic Book Creator Stan Lee, Co-Producer Craig Kyle, and Comic Book Writer J. Michael Straczynski discuss Thor.
- Road to the Avengers (1080p, 2:57): A meshing of scenes from various Marvel movies and the 2010 Comic Con introduction of the ensemble cast as they lead up to the release of Joss Whedon’s The Avengers.
- Deleted Scenes (1080p, 24:34): Thor and Loki Before the Confrontation, Warriors 3 and Sif Turn Over Their Weapons, Thor and Frigga, Rah Rah (Extended), Hospital (Extended), Frigga Confronts Odin, Loki is Made King, Selvig Sings with Thor, Warriors 3 and Sif Arrive (Extended), Darcy’s Dog, and Selvig is Saved by Thor. Available with optional director commentary.
- Trailers (1080p): Teaser (2:34), Theatrical (2:32), and Avengers Animated (1:19).
- Digital Copy.
- DVD Copy.