“Thor” – I Need A Hero

I haven’t read a comic book since I was 8. The super heroes that I have a passing acquaintance with are courtesy of a movie or bad ‘8’s television. My daughter is the comic and anime aficionado. She attends conventions, has boxes of comic books in her room and even sat on an expert panel at the last convention regarding female Japanese heroes. 

So, when she asked me to see “Thor” with her, a move released on Mother’s Day weekend, I was prepared to roll my eyes and snicker throughout the movie. She mentioned something about a rainbow highway and the hammer of power, and I thought to myself, “Seriously?” I’m happy to say I was wrong. This is a rocking movie, and my first A+ grade of the year.

The movie reminds me of “Iron Man” at its most basic level. “Thor” manages to make the unbelievable seem plausible. Perhaps it’s the quality of the actors, and there’s some serious street cred here — Natalie Portman plays Jane Foster, a scientist researching worm holes in the New Mexico desert. Chris Hemsworth plays the God of Thunder, and he imbues his character with a sense of fun, you can see the twinkle in his eye as he flirts with Jane or shovels in breakfast at a café.  Anthony Hopkins is another anchor in this well rounded cast — playing Odin, the ailing king, who is trying to teach his impetuous son a few life lessons before bestowing him with the crown. 

Another mark of a successful fantasy movie is the quality of the special effects.  The aforementioned rainbow highway is actually pretty fantastic. It reminded me a little of the dance squares from that arcade game we played back in the day. It shimmers with power and possibility even when not in use. There’s an imposing gatekeeper who guards a spherical portal that transports the characters between worlds, and even as I know that reads as a silly plot device, it’s pretty spectacular on screen. They sell it. 

The plot is pretty standard super hero fare, but the writing kicks it up a notch. There are two sons in line to be the next king, and while it would be trite to say one prince is good and one is evil, the writing blurs the lines enough for the audience to at times feel sympathy and disgust with both characters. Tom Hiddleston as Loki is especially adept at conveying his motivation with the smallest facial tics. The fun really begins when Thor is banished to Earth (along with his hammer) and is picked up by Jane Foster and her crew out chasing weather anomalies. 

This is a perfect summer, popcorn munching, feel good movie. Sometimes I simply want to be entertained, and “Thor” accomplishes that, and then some. On a last note — the heroes in other recent movies always seem a little physically ordinary, don’t they? Think about Spider Man or Iron Man or even the latest Batman. They were small in stature and demeanor until they put on the suit. This is not the case with Hemsworth as Thor. Now THAT’S a super hero.