DVD SPOT - Thor (2011)

A problem that dogs any superhero film is how to turn the ridiculous into the sublime. How does a filmmaker, in all good conscience, turn a comic-book about a Shakespearean Nordic god with a giant hammer whose power is rooted in magic fit in to the steadfastly scientific world of films like Iron Man without making a rather camp hash of the whole thing? These films after all do co-exist, The Avengers in 2012 is the all-star show that features each of these guys. The Avengers, in case you do not realise, are a group of Marvel superheroes that consist of The Hulk, Iron Man, Hawkeye (who turns up in Thor), the Black Widow and Captain America. Now, the thing about them is that they are created by or utilise science for their powers. The odd one out in this posse is Thor. The central issue here is that, as much as comic-book purists will claim otherwise, the 'classic' Thor comics were a bit rubbish.

I mean, come on.

It was all painfully overwrought stuff with lots of dialogue along the lines of 'Nought remains but to cast mine hammer skywards to the clouds!', and while had its moments, could never be taken seriously if adapted straight up for the big screen. Until J. Michael Stracynzski came along of course. Although controversial in the world of comicbooks at the moment, he has managed to reinvent classic characters with dignity and strength that was not thought possible. One of these was definitely Thor, and in fact he has a screenwriting credit simply on the basis that his portrayal of Thor heavily influenced this production. What he achieved was making the Thor series believable, even tragic and often making it very funny too. With all this influence in mind, how does the actual cinematic version come across? Thor was never going to be one of the more intimate heroes. His is a family saga, the conflict is between brothers taking centre stage, as is the conflict between father and son. It's actually refreshing to see a superhero who isn't created by accident or in a science experiment, so the circumstances of Thor's fall from grace are quite fascinating. Thor is a prince (Chris Hemsworth) of Asgard, another dimension where the entire cadre of Norse gods have residence. He is by turns arrogant, selfish and incredibly headstrong. After a somewhat ill advised invasion of another realm belonging to the Ice Giants, Thor is stripped of his powers and banished to earth as a mortal man by Odin.

Thor staring down at his hammer. Oh, leave me alone, I had to make the joke once.

The set up is straightforward enough. The unusual thing about Thor however is how unclear it is who the main villain actually is. While Loki obviously looks the part, he does not always behave like an antagonist, making him far deeper and more interesting than most 'I-vant-to-take-over-ze-wurlt!' types of villain. Why are all these characters, who should be silly archetypes, actually interesting? Step forward Kenneth Branagh. While he has had his down days (Frankenstein, anyone?) his grasp of character is generally faultless. He has directed enough Shakespeare to know how villains scheme without being noticed, how heroes can fall and then redeem themselves in a realistic fashion. So while the idea of Branagh directing a pop-corn superhero epic is a test of believability, he actually pulls it off, combining some great character work with stonking action sequences. The humans are perhaps the more dull of the characters, but then they were always going to be. This does not mean they are a waste of space though. Natalie Portman is a likeable and spunky heroine and Stellan Skarsgard is good fun as her Uncle. The fish out of water comedy of Thor in small town America is also highly entertaining, when by rights it should not be. The sight of Thor declaring coffee a 'fine beverage!' and then breaking the cup on the floor in a godly roar while shocked onlookers stare in horror is something I wish I saw more in films. Naturally the thrust of the plot is Thor trying to get back his powers, and learning to become a better person along the way. Naturally the threat of the film gets in the way of his efforts, producing a really gung-ho action climax that had me grinning like a jackal. 

Guess which of the two sons might possibly go evil.

Ultimately, what we get in Thor is a supremely entertaining film that is far better than many people thought it would be. It isn't perfect, suffering a little from sluggishness in the middle act and including a rather pointless cameo for Hawkeye which felt crowbarred in for the Avengers film. Still, the film is fun, and the acting excellent for a superhero film. Chris Hemsworth carries the role of Thor impressively, projecting raw physicality and sensitivity as the fallen prince. The film really belongs to Tom Hiddlestone as Loki however, conveying a deep rooted sense of betrayal and resentment without letting it slip outside of the facade he has created for himself. So yes, it was definitely a very good start to the summer.