Thor DVD Review: Not Bad… But Not Good

Thor is a second-tier Marvel Comics hero. Unknown to many, but with the slew of superhero movies as of late – Marvel is digging deep. Thor thrusts a bit of Norse mythology into present day with the release of this film. Interesting concept, but everything starts falling apart at the story level. All of the characters are remiscient of todders with running around with big toys. It’s an insult to the true superhero movies out there.

The film tells the story of an arrogant warrior name Thor (Chris Hemsworth). Before he can become king of his homeworld Asgard, he becomes a bit too quick to initate war – thus upsetting his father and getting himself banashed to Earth. Thor is now without his greatest weapon – his hammer. Until he has become a true hero, he won’t be able to reclaim it. But with some help from Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and a few others, he may finally become deserving of his future.

On the Earth side of things Astrophysicist Jane Foster, her mentor Dr. Erik Sevig (Stellan Skarsgård), and quirky, nerdy sidekick Darcy (Kat Dennings) are investigating an atmospheric event which ultimately ends up being Thor being sent through a wormhole to Earth. From here, we flash back and forth between Earth and what’s going on in Thor’s absense on Asgard. The combinations of the two storylines seems like two separate movies to the viewer – such vastly different enviroments that it becomes difficult for the audience to take the film seriously.

I honestly couldn’t help but giggle through a large portion of this film. One can clearly see great movie inspirations being thrown into a pot and stirred up, however just throwing in a ton of good ingrediants doesn’t mean it’s going to work. A little Stargate, a hint of Lord Of The Rings, and maybe even a little Star Wars – good inspirations – but bad results.

Special features on the Blu-ray 3D release include director commentary, 7 featurettes, 11 deleted scenes, and more. It’s a nice set of extras for a rather lackluster film, but if you’re interested – it’s probably something you’d enjoy Netflixing more-so than buying.

Grade: C
Official Site: http://thor.marvel.com/

Review By: Emma Loggins

Responses

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  1. Not much to your review, you more or less just say its bad. In fact you call it an insult to the true superhero movies. That’s not just harsh, but it’s also untrue. Thor, is easily amongnst the top ten of the favored ‘old school’ true comic book superheroes (Were talking Superman, Spidey, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Cap’n, etc. now). As far as how this superhero was translated to screen, lets be realistic here…it was well done. Granted the characters of Thors friends (gods themselves) could have been a bit more fleshed out, but to say the borrowed from the lord of the rings is as correct as it is incorrect. If you go back to the origin of the lord of the rings, you will find it was highly influenced, even driven, by the mythos of other cultures…including heavily the tales of norse mythology..IE the stories of Odin, Thor and so on. So in a very real sense, youve got it backwards.

  2. Even without Marvel having introduced their version of Thor, the norse god of thunder should be reasonably known through norse mythology.

    I’ve been a reader of the Marvel Thor comic since it was first introduced and don’t really agree that he is only a “second tier” character.

    The movie has done well in the box office and I believe that is justified. A beefed up Hemsworth was an excellent Thor and Anthony Hopkins a very believable Odin, Tom Hiddleston, as the complex character of Loki, was however the surprise packet!

    As an Aussie sci-fi writer: http://www.goldenvisionsmagazine.biz/AlienHunter.html
    I’ve also written a bit of Thor fan fiction, why not check it out: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1276881/David_Scholes