Thor (2011)

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba, Rene Russo, Stellan Skarsgård, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Jaimie Alexander, Clark Gregg, Colm Feore, Jeremy Renner, and Samuel L. Jackson
Grade: A

This is a minor critique, but I really wanted to see more of Thor wearing the iconic helmet, especially since this is the first film in the series. We only see a glimpse of it in the beginning, but it’s perfect. The sizing of it and the look fits exactly what a modern film version of Thor should look like compared to the comics. It’s everything that Hawkman’s wasn’t in Black Adam. I still don’t know how they managed to make his look that bad in a superhero movie in 2022. It’s like they made it without even thinking about how it would fit on Aldis Hodge’s head.

…but I digress.

Summary

In Puente Antiguo, New Mexico, astrophysicists Jane Foster (Portman) and Erik Selvig (Skarsgård), along with Jane’s unpaid college intern Darcy Lewis (Dennings), investigate an atmospheric disturbance in the middle of the desert based off Jane’s research. After some time, they see it. It looks like a lightning bolt of sorts hitting the ground, and it spirals into a tornado. Jane has Darcy drive towards the mess as she records, but Darcy tries to turn at the last second in fear of dying. Jane tries fighting with her, and it leads them into hitting the just-landed Thor (Hemsworth) with their van.

As they wonder where he came from, we go back to 965 A.D. in Tønsberg, Norway.

There, we get a narration from Odin (Hopkins), the king of Asgard, telling us about the reign of the Frost Giants who threatened to plunge the mortal world into a new ice age as they landed in Tønsberg, Norway. Odin and his army traveled to Earth to wage war with the Frost Giants, and it drove them straight back to their own realm, Jotunheim. Their king fell (though not without one of Odin’s eyes), and the source of their power, the Casket of Ancient Winters, was taken from them. It was the last great war and since everyone was safe, Odin and company withdrew from the other worlds and went back to theirs, Asgard. Odin tells his young sons Thor and Loki this information while reminding them that once one of them becomes king, they will have to defend the peace of the world when the time comes again. Right away, we see the differences between the two sons. Loki asks if the Frost Giants still live, while Thor promises to vanquish them all. As a response, Odin is adamant when he says a wise king never seeks out war, but he must always be ready for it.

This is a statement that becomes very important to this movie, as well as the rest of the Thor franchise as a whole.

We now move to Thor and Loki (Hiddleston) as adults. Only one of them can be king of Asgard. As an adult, Thor is the heir to throne, and he’s loved by his people. There is a huge ceremony for his taking of the throne. Additionally, he’s now wielding Mjolnir, an enchanted hammer that grants power to those deemed worthy to hold it. As Odin is in the middle of his speech, the Frost Giants break into the weapons vault to steal back the Casket of Ancient Winters. Thankfully, a robot security guard named “The Destroyer” is alerted to the break-in and vaporizes the three Frost Giants making the attempt. Even so, the entire crowning ceremony is halted so Odin, Thor, and Loki can investigate. Thor argues the Frost Giants must pay for what they’ve done, while Odin argues everything is cool because the Destroyer stopped them. Thor demands to know why and rightfully so, but Odin is still strangely cool about the situation. He even reminds his two sons he has a truce with Laufey (Feore), King of the Jotuns (Frost Giants). Thor thinks Laufey broke the truce and says as king he would march into Jotunheim (the world of the Frost Giants) and start busting ass like Odin back in the day, so they never try some stupid shit like this again. As he continues to speak like a warrior rather than a king, Odin angrily explains Thor isn’t king yet and his statements show us why. A pissed off Thor is seen flipping out in the dining room, as Loki calms him down by telling Thor he agrees with him.

Shortly after, Thor’s friends and fellow warriors known as the Warriors Three in Volstagg (Stevenson), Fandral (Josh Dallas), and Hogun (Tadanobu Asano), as well as lady warrior Sif (Alexander) show up just as Loki tells Thor he can’t do anything without disobeying Odin. This is something you do not do. Feeling they have no choice to ensure the safety of Asgard’s borders, Thor convinces Volstagg, Fandral, Hogun, Sif, and a reluctant Loki to accompany him to the forbidden world of Jotunheim for answers.

They travel the Bifröst Bridge on horseback (despite the fact that Thor can fly) and try to convince the guard of it in Heimdall (Elba) to let them through. He too wonders how an enemy, for the first time since he took the position, managed to slip into Asgard undetected. Heimdall comes to an understanding with Thor to not tell anyone they left because he wants the same answer Thor does. He does tell the group that his duty is to be the gatekeeper of this realm. Because of this, if their return threatens his orders, he will close the Bifröst with no questions asked. For the record, they can’t leave the bridge open either because it would unleash the full power of the Bifröst and would destroy all of Jotunheim with them on it. As he says this, Heimdall uses his sword as a key to insert directly into a sphere, sending the group to Jotunheim in a portal. They land on the bare, icy cold planet with not a soul in sight. Everyone is a bit weary, but Thor is determined and leads them directly to the heart of the kingdom. They reach Laufey and he denies wrongdoing, saying there were traitors in the house of Odin. After trashing Odin’s reign and angering Thor further with his comments, Laufey still gives him a final offer to leave unharmed. Loki accepts on their behalf because they’re clearly outnumbered, so Thor relents. Of course, one of the Frost Giants has to talk shit and call Thor a princess before they walk out, and it triggers a massive fight. During the fight, Volstagg tells them not to let the Frost Giants touch their bare skin because it will freeze. When Loki is touched however, he is able to make the frozen part of his skin go away with his own sheer will.

Regardless, the group starts their retreat once Fandral is wounded, but Thor stays behind and continues to kill these dudes left and right. Eventually, Laufey releases this gigantic monster to go after the group.

They get to the edge of a cliff and yell for Heimdall to open the bridge, but the monster pops up right in front of them. This forces Thor to fly over and go straight through the thing to kill it. Together again, the group is cornered until the bridge opens. This time, Odin appears and tries to keep the peace with Laufey, downplaying Thor seeking out trouble. Laufey has no interest because of all the death that has already transpired and declares war. He goes to stab Odin, but Odin sees it coming and has the bridge re-open to take him, Thor, Loki, and the rest of the group home. As Fandral is taken to the healing room, Odin and Thor get into a heated argument over Thor sending their realm into war, going directly against what he’s supposed to do as king. A furious Odin strips Thor of his title, deems him unworthy of the throne, takes his power from him in Mjolnir, and casts him out of Asgard. Odin takes Mjolnir and gives it the power of Thor, saying whoever is deemed worthy will be able to wield it and gain its powers. He casts this out too, and Loki watches as all of this happens. Thor lands on Earth. Right after, he’s hit by Jane Foster and her small crew, catching us up fully to the opening of the film.

As Jane examines the crop circle around him, Thor gets up and starts talking about Heimdall, the Bifröst, and asking what realm he’s in, causing a freaked-out Darcy to tase him. After they throw him in the van, they take him to the hospital. Soon after, the doctors try to draw blood, but a confused Thor starts fighting everyone until he’s forcefully sedated. Elsewhere, a random citizen finds Mjolnir in the middle of the desert and tries to pick it up but to no avail. Looking at their research, Jane and Erik talk about how what they’re seeing is characteristic of an Einstein-Rosen Bridge. It is explained to Darcy, who we find out is only a political science major but got the job as an intern because she was the only applicant, that an Einstein-Rosen Bridge is basically a wormhole. Through some of their pictures, Darcy observes a human figure within the tornado that occurred, confirming Thor came from it. So, the three drive straight back to the hospital for Thor, only to find out he’s escaped. As soon as Jane backs out of the parking lot though, she hits Thor again, as he only just left. At the crop circle where Mjolnir is located, trying to pick it up becomes a local phenomenon as everyone comes to try. Just outside of the circle, Agent Phil Coulson (Gregg) of S.H.I.E.L.D. shows up and confirms the existence of it to a superior on the phone. Back at Jane’s place, they get Thor some clothes that belong to Jane’s ex. Then, they all get him food because his “mortal form has grown weak” and he “needs sustenance”.

Back at Asgard, Loki admits to the rest of the group that he told a guard where they were going in hopes of stopping Thor and everyone before they even got to Jotunheim. Sif asks Loki to get Odin to relinquish his banishment of Thor. Though Loki loves his brother, he admits Thor’s faults as a leader and how it wouldn’t work as king. Once he leaves the room, Sif passes him off as jealous. Hogun reminds them about Laufey saying there were traitors in the house of Odin. Only a “master of magic” could bring three Jotuns into Asgard.

We cut to Loki in the weapons vault holding the Casket of Ancient Winters until Odin appears and tells him to stop. Loki demands to know what he is after momentarily making his face blue like that of a Frost Giant. Odin finally admits that so many years back when they defeated the Frost Giants, he went into the temple and found Laufey’s abandoned baby son. As he held him, his skin turned into that of an Asgardian. He admits he took Loki as an innocent child in hopes of one day uniting their kingdoms and making a permanent alliance of peace through his existence. With his world crashing down on him, an infuriated Loki yells at Odin for how he’s been cast aside as another stolen relic and how Thor was always favored over him because Odin would never have a Frost Giant sitting on the throne of Asgard. Going on with his rant, the stress gets to Odin, and he passes out into an “Odinsleep”, with Loki screaming for the guards to help. Back on Earth, Thor, Jane, Erik, and Darcy sit at a diner, with Thor eating everything in sight. They are interrupted by two customers talking to the waitress about a “satellite” no one can pick up, and how the military has recently stepped in to study it. Realizing this is Mjolnir, Thor asks for directions and leaves. Jane tries to stop him because she’s not finished with her questioning, so Thor offers her a deal. If he is taken to Mjolnir, he will answer any question she has. She considers doing it but after Erik’s insistence that she leave Thor alone because he’s dangerous, she relents and tells Thor she can’t. He bids them farewell and begins his trek.

Immediately after, Jane finds that all her research materials and equipment has been confiscated by S.H.I.E.L.D., with Agent Coulson debriefing them and basically telling Jane she can eat shit because they’re investigating a security threat.

Sif, Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun all go to the throne to talk to Odin, only to stand in shock to see Loki has assumed power, with Odin stuck in the Odinsleep and Loki’s mother and Queen of Asgard in Frigga (Russo) refusing to leave his bed side. This situation officially makes him king, and he offers to help his friends with whatever their request is. They then ask for Loki to rescind Thor’s banishment, but he says his first official command can’t be to undo Odin’s last. Next, he changes the subject to how important this potential war with Jotunheim will be and stops them from speaking any further about Thor, especially when Volstagg asks him to reconsider. On Earth, once Erik picks up an old children’s book about the Nordic gods and the wheels start to turn about Thor possibly telling the truth, Jane makes an angry executive decision. With years of her life gone because of S.H.I.E.L.D. taking her research, she finds Thor, picks him up, and drives him to Mjolnir, re-opening their deal he offered. Now, the road to regaining his previous power begins for Thor, and it couldn’t come at a better time because Asgard needs him. It won’t be nearly as easy as it seems though because the obstacles continue to rain down on him and this group of humans.

My Thoughts:

Phase One and Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe dealt a lot with the origin stories of its most well-known characters. Thor was a pivotal film because of how important the superhero would be to the overarching narrative of what was to become in “The Infinity Saga”. No matter where you rank it compared to movies like Iron Man or Captain America: The First Avenger, 2011’s Thor is still a great addition to the MCU. Yes, the Thor franchise has had its fair share of ups and downs, but Kenneth Branagh’s Thor was exactly what this character needed for its introduction to the mainstream. Even in retrospective viewings, it holds up well.

First off, Chris Hemsworth is a star. Being that he only had a small role in 2009’s Star Trek reboot, Hemsworth was the first actor to tackle a known superhero role in the MCU and be relatively unknown himself, especially compared to guys like Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and even Edward Norton in The Incredible Hulk. Sure, he’s got the looks and the physique to play a Nordic god, but he could’ve very easily been a good-looking dud onscreen. Would he have that ability as an actor to make Thor the larger-than-life superhero Marvel fans have loved and wanted to see on the big screen for years? It was a gamble, but Hemsworth shuts down any and all doubters. It’s clear from when we first see his crowning ceremony that he belongs and is very much deserving of the titular role. He carries himself like a fearless warrior, born with a level of confidence only seen in that of members of royal families. He wants to be the leader and wants to be the man who leads those into battle. This Thor is strong, fearless, intense, and proud. However, as many positive traits as he has, there are some major negative traits he carries, despite being a near perfect man on paper. These negative traits are something he needs to overcome before he takes over the mantle from Odin.

Early on, the question is if Thor is truly ready to take over the responsibility of protecting nine different realms or is he still too young and stupid. Can he help win a war for his kingdom? Of course! However, this is not the only thing you need to be able to do to become king. We see both sides of Thor’s case early on and though “stupid” may not be the right word to describe why he’s not ready, there are two other clear reasons as to why he’s not as equipped to lead as he thinks.

First, he’s a bit arrogant in his abilities as a fighter. Despite Odin going out of his way to avoid reentering a battle with the Frost Giants, Thor has this attitude of “I’ll take them all right now and defeat every last one of them with or without help”. His confidence being at an all-time high is good for a leader, but it could be a reason for his undoing as well. This attitude can cost him dearly and an experienced king and father like Odin knows this all too well. This is why he warns him from the beginning to not act out of emotion. Thor’s pride gets the best of him though. With very minor pushing from Loki, he’s ready to start a war against an entire planet with only five people coming along with him. It’s one thing to be fearless, but it’s an entirely different problem when you think you still have a chance against an entire race of people. It’s as if Thor is thinking that as long as he’s breathing, they have a chance to win. At one point, Laufey still offers them an out and they are about to take it, but Thor starts fighting regardless of the consequences just because one of the Jotuns started talking shit. This is all it takes for Thor to get going, showing us that though he’s a badass, he has a lot to learn before he leads all of Asgard. Pride can get in the way of a leader, and it can lead to some horrible decision-making, as is the case here.

Along with the natural arrogance, Thor’s other major issue is his quick reactions stemming from his emotions. He never considers thinking critically when looking at a situation, something Loki and all of Thor’s friends are able to do. They know Thor is horrible at it too. You notice how no one argues with Loki when he trashes the notion of Thor becoming king following his banishment? At that moment, he’s not wrong. Thor never thinks as to how his actions may impact Asgard’s citizens if he were to ignite a war, or the details on how the Jotuns snuck into the vault. Immediately, he reacts in anger and thinks the only way to get an answer is to go straight to Jotunheim and kick down some doors. This was never a diplomatic mission. He was fully ready (and almost prefers) to go to war with an entire realm. Yes, a few Frost Giants did come onto Asgardian soil and tried to steal a relic of theirs which in Thor’s defense, is an act of war. However, this is the inexperience of Thor talking as well. We can’t assume after all of these years that these Frost Giants were acting under direct orders from Laufey. Why would they do this now? There has to be a good explanation. Assuming the worst can cost a realm dearly.

We see all the different sides of this in an awesome argument scene between Thor and Odin, with Loki watching silently. Besides the intensity of it all and Odin’s shutdown of Thor, what I truly loved about this scene is how much we learn about their personalities in such a short time span. Thor is too quick to resort to violence, Odin is too okay with the situation and doesn’t even consider the possibility of this happening again, and Loki stands by and observes the emotions stemming from both men. As we learn more about Loki throughout the MCU, we know in retrospect that it is at this moment, the trickster is immediately thinking of how he can use this information against them without saying something directly. Everything is thought out carefully with Loki, and he’s always great at choosing his moments.

In terms of fighting, Thor and Odin have stronger abilities than Loki. He’d be tossed aside in any argument or battle if it came down to it. However, he’s still on par with them because of his mastered abilities as the god of mischief. He can still fight with the best of them, but what makes him a formidable foe is his trickery, savvy, and intellect. These abilities are what set him apart from everyone, and he can get the best of them because they don’t operate on the same wavelength he does. Basically, Loki thinks like a villain before he even becomes one. Is it out of spite? Is he straight up evil? In Thor, it seems like both of these statements have a tendency to be true but seeing the character’s evolution through numerous Thor films and The Avengers franchise, we can see there’s a lot more to Loki than him just being the “evil brother”. We do feel for him. Obviously, he’s the cause of all the madness in this film, but there’s good in there too. When Thor apologizes for “whatever” he has done, Loki does take notice of Thor’s sincere comments. Granted, he still has the Destroyer bitch slap Thor into oblivion, but the look he gave while listening to Thor’s plea acknowledged the apology. A regular villain would laugh it off, but Loki is different. We also carry a lot of sympathy for the character, despite what we see happening on screen.

In his defense, he is given a lot of fuel to be mad. He’s been lied to his whole life, and the possibility of being king has been dangled above him from childhood, even though he knew he never stood a chance of getting it from his brother. Let’s face it, he was right about never getting the same treatment as Thor by Odin.

Why even tease the kid about possibly being king if he had Frost Giant blood this whole time?

Odin’s reasoning for “saving” Loki as a child are disheartening as well because though you can tell he didn’t want to say it like that, it made it sound like Loki was “saved” to just be a bargaining chip in the case of saving Asgard in a potential truce. Loki’s comments of always being treated differently from Thor are vindicated when Odin reveals this to him, and it gives him more of a reason to act out. He’s the adopted one and has always been treated like one. Once he starts uncovering all the truths about himself, the anger and resentment towards his upbringing help push him over the edge into the vengeful person he’d become known for. Sadly, it had to happen. There was going to be a breaking point and watching his undoing and subsequent plan unfold in the midst of the chaos following Thor’s banishment is Shakespearean in a way, with the familial problems being the center of it all. The differences between the three men of this family are a joy to watch, and the acting matches this energy. What’s really interesting as well is that they never swear off Loki from the family either. Even in the final moments of what’s going on, there still seems to be a glimmer of hope in the eyes of Odin and Thor regarding Loki. Despite everything he did, they still love him and want to save him. It shows how this story isn’t as surface level as one may think when watching the trailer.

Thor isn’t some kitschy, superhero origin story.

At the heart of it all is a story of a royal family tearing apart at the seams as they learn more about each other while dealing with themes of loyalty, deception, betrayal, and love. It’s a tale of warring Nordic gods, a falling out because of war and generational lies coming to the surface that changes the family dynamic for good, and how a god destined to become a hero learns how to better himself as a person and a man worthy to lead his people. This is what makes this comic book film so much more. When we speak of these themes and its Shakespearean feel, you have to see that there was no one better to direct this feature than Kenneth Branagh. He did a wonderful job. It’s a real shame he didn’t get to direct Thor: The Dark World.

Anthony Hopkins brings a level of class and credibility to the role of Odin. When I note the bit of Shakespearean undertones to this film, a big part of it is because of how Hopkins carries himself. Considering Anthony Hopkins is acting royalty, it makes sense he plays the wise ruler of Asgard. Hopkins was an excellent casting choice, and not only does he bring the best out of Hemsworth, but Tom Hiddleston brings the heat as well. I’ll admit Thor was my introduction to Tom Hiddleston and despite him being a major reason for our hero’s unraveling, he plays a pivotal role in the entertainment factor of this movie. Hiddleston actually auditioned for the role of Thor too. Thankfully, Branagh himself saw he would be the perfect Loki. Hemsworth has the coveted heroic “quality” to play Thor, but Hiddleston has this look like there’s something more to him than we know. Loki has a lot more layers to his personality than Thor. It’s not that the Thor character is written badly, this is just how Thor is. We know he’s a warrior and a hero and will stop at nothing to fight and protect. He only learns the different sides to himself while interacting with humans and finding love in Jane. With Loki, he has so many different things about him that are begging to be explored, and Hiddleston was the right choice in showcasing them for years to come. It does the character of Loki justice. Despite so many villainous acts, we want to see him just as much as our protagonist. Thankfully, this isn’t the last of him either.

Seeing what Loki becomes throughout so many different Marvel productions is one of the biggest surprises coming out of the MCU, and I don’t know if anyone could’ve handled it with as much flare, charisma, and deviousness that Tom Hiddleston seems to bring to the role. Not only is this a star-making performance for Chris Hemsworth, but it’s very clear that it is for Hiddleston as well.

The humor was handled very well here. In earlier MCU productions, the subtle humor was always a major positive. It kept things fun, but the movie always seemed to know when things needed to get serious and not too jokey. Somewhere along the line, the MCU lost its way. Here, we’re still in the earlier stages of when they use to nail it, and it complements the heaviness of the narrative well. It’s just enough to ease the tension when the movie needs it. It humanizes Thor just enough to relate to him, which is exactly what the character needs. His cluelessness of human culture is funny, especially with his deadpan reactions. What’s good about it is that he at least acknowledges his surroundings and is aware of how he looks to Jane and the others. This is how Thor should be. He’s not a dumbass. By the time we see Thor: Love and Thunder though, Thor is fucking clueless at almost all times. It’s as if he regressed in his self-awareness, becoming more awkward and downright dopey. It shows you how much a director can change the feel and momentum of a franchise. In this Thor, the humor is still at his expense, but it’s still very respectful of the character and the serious side of him. He can have a laugh too, but the jokes aren’t always laughing at him. This is what separates the first two movies of Thor franchise from the last two.

In Taika Waititi’s defense, it worked in Thor: Ragnarok. He just went overboard with his style in Thor: Love and Thunder.

I like how important Jane is to the story too, with Natalie Portman playing a fantastic love interest. She’s just as important to Thor’s character development as Loki and Odin are. She could easily pass as a good love interest and we could’ve just left it there, but she’s a lot more than that. Her existence gives Thor enough of a purpose to change his outlook on life and see how much more there is than just the throne of Asgard. Because of the profound affect she has on him, it continues to be a big part of his decision-making throughout the franchise. Along with the events from The Avengers, Jane existing seems to be a part of the reason why he tells “Odin” he can’t be relegated to the throne at the end of Thor: The Dark World. Even though he insists she has nothing to do with it, the kiss they share in the post-credits says otherwise. Additionally, he’s still effected emotionally from their breakup by the time Thor: Love and Thunder comes around, showing how deep of an impact she had on him all these years later. I loved this on/off relationship they shared and after rewatching this franchise, it may be one of my favorite superhero/love interest/MCU relationships depicted on screen. At the very least, it’s the most underrated.

A big part of it is how easy it is to like Natalie Portman as Jane. She’s highly intelligent, driven, and it’s always cute to watch her get flustered in Thor’s manly presence. The chemistry between them carries the second half of the movie. Even the campfire scene works in all of its simplicity, despite the lack of action happening. It’s where we finally start to see the potential for a relationship start to bloom, with Thor not being able to hold in his smile when speaking to her.

I loved it when Thor was trying to avoid fighting his brother in the climax until Loki says he plans on making a visit to see Jane when this is over. Despite him doing everything right at that point, it shows you what love can do to even the mightiest of heroes, enraging him enough to attack Loki. Even when Thor knows (SPOILERS, SPOILERS, SPOILERS) destroying the Bifröst to stop his brother’s plan will keep him from seeing his love, we see how serious he takes his new role as a leader. At the same time though, we know it hurts him, as his last words before doing it for the sake of an entire realm is, “Forgive me, Jane”. All around, this was very well done and seeing the internal struggle Thor has to go through in this moment in the climax is huge. It really shows us how tough of a responsibility being Thor is and how much he’s grown over the course of the film.

Now, Thor may not be doing as much when he’s stuck on Earth, but this is part of his growth. His friendship with the trio of Jane, Erik, and (to a lesser extent) Darcy is important to how Thor approaches the second act of his life. Not being able to pick up Mjolnir as soon as he finds it shatters his world. His unbreakable confidence is officially broken, and he comes to the realization that he screwed up. He needed to be faced with this adversity, so he could work harder to think and find a way to succeed to become the hero he’s supposed to be (and the one that Odin knows he has to be to become king). These humanized scenes of conversation, understanding the customs of human beings, and developing the interpersonal relationships he does is exactly the depth this character needs for the audience to feel even more for him. It’s all about the layers people! He can’t just be a warrior god and the only problem he has is that he’s too much of a badass. He needs to learn something. Who better to teach him to care and understand his faults than the human race?

When we see him changing in his thought process, we see Thor on the path to achieving his destiny as king. When the Destroyer lands in New Mexico, Thor’s first thought isn’t to fight. Now, his first thought is to get the citizens out of town to save them. This would’ve been unheard of with the old Thor because again, he was ready to start a war with an entire realm without caring about the potential consequences for the citizens of Asgard. He takes this right to his fight with Loki where we realize their priorities have reversed. Loki plans on wiping out all of Jotunheim, but Thor now comes to the realization that this is exactly what Odin was talking about. This is not the decision a king would make and now despite his disagreements with the Frost Giants, in a way, he’s defending them to stop Loki’s genocidal plans. Again, the old vengeful Thor would’ve probably agreed with Loki had this have happened in the beginning. This is who he was, but he’s not that god anymore. In another instance, as they fight the Destroyer on Earth, Sif tells him she is down to die a warrior’s death and stories will be told of this day, but Thor tells her to live and tell those stories herself. It’s a powerful moment for the development of the once one-dimensional god. If this was the Thor that we were first introduced to, he would’ve agreed with Sif, shook her hand, and sent her off to fight this unwinnable battle.

However, Thor has experienced enough without his powers that he realizes how important life is, how different his responsibilities are as a well-rounded leader, and how his actions affect those he cares for. This is essential for Thor’s superhero story. He’s starting to understand all sides of what it means to be king. It’s not always about fighting. It’s so much more than that. This is why when he apologizes to Loki as he goes face to face with the Destroyer (still) without his superpowers in that very moment, he still looked like a true superhero, a superhero that now realizes how he needs to approach these tense situations in the future.

Never look for a fight but always be ready for it.

As he starts to reemerge as a hero in this moment, he then offers for his life to be taken instead of his friends and the humans on Earth…

“…because that’s what heroes do.”

A big part of it is losing. Experiencing loss is necessary to take this god down a notch and make him relatable. Once Loki settles into his role a bit more by lying to Thor’s face, telling him Odin died because of the stress of war and Thor’s banishment and that the truce with Jotunheim is conditional on his continued exile from Asgard, and doubling down to say their mother Frigga forbids his return, we see Thor hit rock bottom. He’s essentially given up and bids farewell to his brother. It was a great scene, and it leads directly to strengthening his relationship with Jane and befriending Erik. It’s almost as if he’s considering life without Asgard, and it makes you want more. It makes you want to see how Thor will get out of this funk and stop Loki’s plan.

I liked the S.H.I.E.L.D. tie-in, especially because of the realism of a government organization getting involved and stalling everything. Clark Gregg’s rigidness as Agent Coulson really pissed me off too, but I get that this is the point of his role in the movie. This is also our first glimpse of Hawkeye which I liked. Jeremy Renner is always good, so it’s cool to see him get a superhero role. Some fans were critical of Idris Elba playing the all-seeing Nordic god Heimdall because he doesn’t resemble anything close to the look of the character, but this was one of the rare cases where it worked. Elba had serious presence in the role and carried himself in such a way where you see why he’s so important to how Asgard operates. I’m not sure if it was the eyes, the sound of his voice, or whatever else, but his performance as the wise Heimdall made this orange-eyed supporting character the glue that kept this movie together. He’s tough, well-spoken, and is always on guard. He’s the man you want to protect your kingdom from trouble. I love how serious he takes his job as the gatekeeper too. He even lets Thor know that he’ll leave him on Jotunheim if it threatens the safety of Asgard. This is how important his job is to run the Bifröst. Though his loyalty to the kingdom is clear, seeing him fight for what’s right in his heart when faced with a threat is what makes him such a beloved character. Elba makes excellent use of his screentime and leaves us wanting more. He’s a major badass, but this shouldn’t be news to you.

I loved how he never gets along with Loki. It’s an underrated part of this movie. He doesn’t fall for Loki’s bullshit before the group leaves for Jotunheim, and he sees through Loki’s act again when his plan starts coming into play, calling him out for using his magic, so Heimdall couldn’t see what happened when Loki went to Jotunheim alone. It also adds a lot to Loki’s personality too because Heimdall’s statements are enough to set off the usually calm and in-control Loki. He knows he can’t mess with Heimdall, so he goes straight to telling him off and saying there are other passages he doesn’t even know about. Right after, he fires him because he knows Heimdall didn’t trust his motivations as king for a second.

Regarding the Bifröst, the design of the legendary rainbow bridge and how important of a role it plays in Thor was highly memorable. The CGI-created landscapes are all fantastic too. The kingdom of Asgard by itself is magnificent and worthy of what a kingdom in a different galaxy should be. All of it is beautifully done, and it really makes Thor a superhero origin story worth watching. Once Loki starts to take control of the movie, the Frost Giants don’t feel as threatening, but I did like the design of the characters. They were much more memorable than the Dark Elves of Thor: The Dark World. This is mostly because Colm Feore does a much better job in limited screentime than Christopher Eccleston does as Malekith with much more. Laufey’s hatred of the Asgardians was more compelling and made a lot more sense. While the Dark Elves’ backstory in The Dark World was intriguing, it still felt somewhat underdeveloped and Malekith’s overall importance to the sequel suffered because of it.

There are only a few things I can say that keeps Thor from achieving a higher grade. Truthfully, as much as I enjoyed this tale, it doesn’t necessarily do anything too different to stand out as something we’ve never seen before. It just felt like a really cool take on Norse mythology. It’s still awesome fun, but it didn’t feel like a game changer in the genre. I know that’s a tough standard, but I’m thinking in terms of its counterparts. It’s still a worthwhile venture, but I just can’t say it hits the levels I felt movies like Iron Man or Doctor Strange managed to hit. Also, the Destroyer felt like a noticeably less important, tertiary obstacle that was predictably beaten. Obviously, Thor needed a bad guy to beat on Earth, but a robot monster felt like such a boring thing to face. This is relatively minor though in the grand scheme of things.

Props to the moment when Thor laid Mjolnir on Loki, so he couldn’t get up. That was genius. I also love anytime Tony Stark is mentioned in an MCU production when he’s not directly involved. It was hilarious to hear the throwaway joke of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent talking to Agent Coulson asking, “Is that one of Stark’s?”, when referring to the Destroyer. Coulson responds with, “I don’t know. The guy never tells me anything”. This was so simple and yet, so great. Even when he’s not in the movie, Tony is still fucking with people. You got to love it.

With all of this being said, Thor does a lot of good as an origin movie, and the future it sets up for the Marvel Cinematic Universe is exciting because of how fantastic of a job it does at introducing these new characters to the MCU. It’s excellently cast and directed, it’s funny, it has a very entertaining story and romance, every single character felt important to the narrative in some way, and the action was great from start to finish. In terms of superhero origin stories, Thor is one of the better ones, and it will go down as the second-best film in its franchise.

Fun Fact: Daniel Craig was offered the role of Thor but turned it down because of his commitments to the James Bond franchise. Liam Hemsworth, Chris’s brother, also auditioned for the role. Tom Hiddleston and Kevin McKidd were also considered. Mel Gibson was offered the role of Odin but turned it down. Hopkins was the right choice but man, Gibson as Odin would’ve been wild! He would’ve taken the role in a totally different direction, but it would’ve been interesting to see unfold. Guillermo del Toro turned down directing Thor to direct The Hobbit. For the role of Fandral, Zachary Levi was initially signed on but had to drop out because of scheduling conflicts. Stuart Townsend got it but dropped out over creative differences.